Favourite first chapter books to read aloud to young children

Over the recent summer holidays, I started reading chapter books to Wilkie (who is 4, turning 5 next month). We started with a family favourite, Charlotte’s Web, and next we read James and the Giant Peach, and from there we were hooked! I always find it can be a funny transition from picture books to chapter books, just in the sense that they don’t have illustrations on every page to keep their interest and it requires them to use their imaginations a bit more, but there are some wonderful chapter books that have illustrations scattered throughout, which help to keep their attention. We have since read the books in the photo above, and he’s enjoyed them all.

I recently asked followers on Instagram to share their favourite first read-aloud chapter books, and the recommendations I received were so great, I thought I’d share a list here. I was reminded of so many old favourites — like Stuart Little, which I read to my big boys when they were little, and The Magic Faraway Tree, which we listened to on audio book when we did our round-the-world travels. And there were also some new-to-me suggestions! Anyway, here’s the list (including the books pictured above):

• My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
• Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Florence and Richard Atwater
• Stuart Little by E.B. White
• The Little Bear series by Maurice Sendak and Else Holmelund Minarik
• Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
• The Magic Faraway Tree set by Enid Blyton
• The Lighthouse Family series by Cynthia Rylant
• The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary
• The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling
• The Fudge series by Judy Blume
• The Moomins and the Great Flood by Tove Jansson
• The Zoey and Sassafras series by Asia Citro
• Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
• Danny, Champion of the World by Roald Dahl
• 26 Fairmont Avenue by Tomie dePaola
• Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
• The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White
• The Very, Very Far North by Dan Bar-el
• The Dory Fantasmagory series by Abby Hanlon
• The Milly-Molly-Mandy series by Joyce Lancaster Brisley
• Teddy & Co by Cynthia Voight
• Twig by Elizabeth Orton Jones
• The Twits by Roald Dahl
• James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
• Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
• The Questioneers series by Andrea Beaty

I’d love to hear if you have any other recommendations. Please share in the comments below!

Courtney x

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