Chapter Book

Though not chapter books, this week we have been reading the Shel Silverstein Poetry Books and have really been enjoying the quality family time.

Keep reading, what ever it is, it's all about the quality time and the value of enjoying a book together.

I know this is late ... but I'm still poring through my e-mails. My 5 year-old boy loves The Magic Tree House books. They are fun, and he learns so much about history and geography. Also, we just started The Boxcar Children series (one of my childhood favorites) and he is enjoying that more than I thought.

Good Luck.

We just finished Deperaux - loved it. EASY to read aloud and get into character. Super short chapters for the 3 yr old and good story line for the 5 yr old.

Both my kids love the Magic Treehouse series. It's all about a brother and sister who find a treehouse that is stocked with books and each time they open a book (usually something about history), the treehouse transport them to that point in time and they get involved in some little adventure.

The Magic Treehouse Series is fun for both boys and girls. Educational too. My son loved them.

Magic Tree House series are really good chapter books. You could try the Boxcar Children as well when they get a little older.

My son is in second grade, and in first grade that's the book all the kids wanted to read. I think they will love it. It's not a girl book at this point, June B. is just this crazy girl in the class. It doesn't talk about girly things.

J.

The Magic Treehouse series is great. Captain Underpants is a cute, funny series. Also, depending on how mature your kids are, the Super Fudge books are good too.

I would go for magic tree house. They are interesting and educational at the same time. You can get them in paperback at Target and they go in a series from Book 1 all the way up to Book 39 I think. You don't HAVE to read them in order but the later books start to tie in to one another. There's also a funny series of simple chapter books called Flat Stanley, a boy goes flat and can squeeze under doors, etc and gets into adventures. Cute! Nate the Great - cute detective stories. My best suggestion is to ask around and see if you can find someone who is in preschool or Kindergarten that their class does Scholastic book orders. That is the best way to go, you can look thru the flyer - all the books are age appropriate. They are very inexpensive that way. You can get all the books I mentioned thru Scholastic.

If you're reading to them...it doesn't matter WHAT it is so long as YOU actually like it. Half of the amazing language learning ability of children is that they're hypersensitive to tone and body language...so if the series bores you, they'll pick up on it.

That said...Our favorite series since my son was 4 (he's now 6) is "Jack & Annie" ... aka "The Magic Treehouse". Yaaaaaay. LOVE these books. They're simple enough that my son can read them himself, interesting and accurate enough that i can read them to him, and they've got great patterns and enough pictures to bridge the gap between picture books and chapter books.

We also like many classics....Kipling, Emerson, etc.

Have Fun!

Just go to www.barnesandnoble.com and see what they have.

My daughter is 6 years old and likes the Junie B. series, and the "Rainbow Magic" series and anything with fairies for that matter.

Also, "Little Bear" by Else Holmelund Minarik,& Maurice Sendak is a GREAT chapter book too, for both boys and girls. I personally, LOVE Little Bear. It is unisex.

Or you can try www.scholastic.com and see what they have.

Or go to www.amazon.com and do a search per the age group of your children, for chapter books, and you can also see reviews of it.

Good luck,
Susan

My son is 8.5 and just beginning to like reading. He never really got into MTH or Captn Underpants. When I have questions like this, I go to my local library and ask the Children's Section librarian, and they are a WEALTH of info. You should walk away with a big variety of choices and then you can pinpoint what they like.

Junie B. is a great one for boys or girls. Every kid can relate to the mischief she gets into.
Along with all the other Moms, Magic Tree House is a good series.
When your sons are older, be sure to read Diary of a Wimpy Kid series-so much fun for school-agers.

My son (7) LOVES the Magic Treehouse Series. We started reading them aloud together when he was 5 and eventually he began reading them on his own (as there are more than 40 books in the series). My son has also enjoyed A to Z Mysteries and the Black Lagoon chapter books. We've read some classics together, such as James and the Giant Peach, Charlotte's Web, etc. We've also had some fun with the "Fudge" books by Judy Blume starting with "Tales of a Fourth-Grade Nothing".

There are lots of great series. My kids really liked Magic Tree House and Magic Schoolbus (science) books.

My Father's Dragon is SO much fun! And there are 2 others that follow it. I can't think of the author, but my 3rd grade teacher read it to our class, and I read it to my boys when they were 7 and 3 and they loved it! Enjoy!

captain underpants are great chapter books funny and entertaining!

I know this is not real 'literature', but my son loves Scooby Doo chapter books and I recently got him a SpongeBob chapter book with 6 stories in it and he LOVES it...despite the fact that there are not many pictures and nothing is in color. I'll have to try some of the others suggested here as well! Good luck and happy reading!

My kids now 18 and 16 loved "Mrs. Piggle Wiggle" series by Betty MacDonald. Mrs. Piggle Wiggle has all sorts of unusual solutions for kids attitudes. Like the kids who wouldn't take a bath and she told the parents to place radish seeds in his ears and let them grow....very out landish and weird, kid humor and it sticks with them for years. The lessons she teaches are still relevent today even though they were written so long ago. My third grade teacher read these to us as a treat and I loved them so much that I read them to my kids. My 16 year old son was just mentioning the other day how much he loved the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle stories. (and getting him to read anything these days or say anything good about a book....never)

Enjoy!

L.

Angelica,

The series sounds awful, but the Captain Underpants series is perfect!! The involve rude (but, unfortunately age appropriate) humor, and just enough moral to make them worthy. The older boy will LOVE them and the younger will enjoy the silliness of it all. Good Luck,
H.

Frog and Toad for kids that young.
Also, check out www.sonlight.com, it's a Christian homeschool curriculum website. They have great lists of books by age, even preschool, I have ordered a lot of stuff from them, and we are always happy, and many of the books can be found at your local library.
Another book I heard is good is "Honey for a Child's Heart" by Gladys Hunt. I believe it talks extensively about the benefits of reading to your children and has great book lists as well.

My 5 year old enjoys Magic Tree House as well as classic stuff like The Mouse and the Motorcycle. He really enjoyed Little House on the Prairie which surprised me!

I really like the Magic Treehouse books. It's a very popular series and kids and parents of all ages really enjoy them. You can check many of them out at the libary.

Hi Angelica A, I too LOVE to read chapter books to my 3 children. I have read to them from a very early age too. Thank you so much for reading to your children, I am a teacher of young readers and it truly makes a difference when a child has been read to regularly. Reading to and with children is SO important, I don't know how many times I have said this at parent conferences!! Keep reading aloud!! As for a chapter book, the Junie B. books are good, and you could actually find one that JB deals with the boys in her class. (example Junie B. Jones is Captain Field-day) The thing about JunieB is the dialogue she speaks with is sort of "baby-talk" so it is not the best example of good/correct language (I have even read these stories aloud using "better" made up dailogue) They are short and a good starter chapter book like you mentioned. You could also try Henry and Mudge. These books are short (usually 3 chapters) with pictures to keep your yonger reader involved and they are about a boy and his BIG silly great dane dog. They are fun books to read and start with. Also try the Poppleton books. Poppleton is a pig who moves to the country from the city, these too is short chapter books (I know of 4 titles and they are alittle more advanced than Hen.and Mudge but again only 3 chapters). Again, thank you so much for reading to your young readers, as a teacher and a mother of three, reading is the best thing you can do for your young children's education (my girls are 6yrs., 8yrs and just turned 11! and I read to them almost every night still!!)
Hope this is helpful,
M.

Boys and girls usually really like Junie B. Jones. Also there are Arthur books(by Marc Brown)in chapters too. Another one is the Magic Treehouse books. It is a whole series with reoccurring characters. Also, there are some wonderful short picture books that all kids love. Ask your local librarian for help. Good luck :)

Magic Tree House Books...Junie B has QUITE an attitude!

that sounds like a good book to read to your little ones! i always tell my kids, it doesnt matter if your a boy or a girl you can still like things like this!
right now im reading coraline to my six and three year olds, it started to get a little scary (i think its scarier to me than them!) but its nothing they cant handle!
just go to the book store and find something that will interest you as well, because since there are little or no pictures it may cause you boredom as well as your kids, so as long as the book has a good story (to you if not to them) then go for it! explore new stories, take a trip to the library or local bookstore and get reading!

I have a six year old and a 3 year old and they absolutely love the "Magic Tree House" books by Mary Pope Osborne. Stories about brother and sister Jack and Annie who travel through time and space to learn about everything from the land of the dinosaurs to romans to hawaiin culture.

We get them out at the library and they love to get them out on cd. read by the author. They really can listen to the for hours. We have introduced them to many others and they have always been a huge hit.

Here is a website to explore:

http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/magictreehouse/

Have fun!

Charlotte's WEb, Stuart Little, Trumpet of the Swan all by E.B. White. Paddington series. Freddy series, the Littles, I can't think of anymore but definitely look up these books for suggestions-The Read Aloud Handbook-Jim Trelease. Honey for a Childs heart and othe similar books.

I used to read literature to my daughter and little sisters. It is not always the favorite, but the exposure at a young age is great. They will have to read it eventually and it is good to expose them in a children's book so they at least know of the characters when they get to high school and college.

My kids liked Junie B., including my son. Magic Treehouse books are also good. We also like those abridged versions of classics (Black Beauty, Three Musketeers, War of the Worlds, Swiss Family Robinson, Call of the Wild, Treasure Island and more.)

kids love all books its the reader that makes them exciting, read with them .. talk about the book you choose... if your involved so will they

my 2 boys (just 6 and 3.5) love the Magic Tree House series

I am not a fan of Junie B Jones for those other than 6yrs and up because of the language she uses (stupid, dumbface, poopy pants, brat)I do not want my children to use. When they are six and up it is easier to explain that Junie uses language that is not apropriate even though it is funny. It is much harder to explain that to a 4 year old. My kids boys and girl loved (at those ages) the Ramona the Pest series by Beverly Cleary, also Mouse and the Motorcycle and another series called The Lighthouse. Some other ones that are good are the Magic Treehouse series if you your children like animals. Happy reading!

Bunnicula by James Howe, he also has written a bunch of others as well. ANYTHING by Beverly Cleary. My daughter has just found the Ramona books but she has written many wonderful books that I read as a kid. Of course these are older but they were books that I loved as a child and now my kids love them too! My older daughter is also getting into the Harry Potter series but that's probably one you might want to wait for. Have fun!

~V.

Hi Angelica,

I teach kindergarten and I'm not a huge fan of the Jonie B. Jones series. The main character is sometimes quite naughty, and doesn't always set the best example for kids.

I love the Nate the Great series. They are about a little boy who is a detective and tries to solve mysteries. The books are wonderful.

The other ones that I love are the Frog and Toad series. They are cute and sweet, but also usually tie in a good lesson or teach a concept (i.e. science).

When they get a little bit older, another great read is The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe series, and I also love the book A Wrinkle in Time, but it's more suited for 10-12 year olds.

Hope this helps. Hooray for you for wanting to expose your kids to chapter books. I wish all of my students' parents did the same!

I have a 4 (almost 5 yo) and a 2 yo [daughters] and we started reading the Magic Tree House series. The story is about a boy named Jack and his sister Annie. They travel back in time to various settings via a Magic Treehouse. The chapter books are a good beginning to chapter books since they are short, predictable, and follow the same pattern. (I am a teacher too, and these are books that I recommend for students).

We recently finished all the books in the My Father's Dragon series. The girls loved it! Although I have daughters, I know boys will love these books.

Oh one more (a bit longer though) All About Sam by Lois Lowry.

Have fun! You are setting your boys up for a great future by reading to them every day! Kudos to you!

Hi Angelica, Why don't you talk to the librarians at the public library? They are often Master's degree graduates and have the expertise to make the right recommendations. Good for you and your children.
have fun!! D.

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"! We read it last summer to our then 3 1/2 year old. He loved it! He also like Stuart Little, and loves the Captain Underpants series. I tried the first Little House book, but not a big hit.

I think another fun book series is the Jack sparrow series. All about the character from Pirates of the Caribbean movies but as a young boy. It is fun and so far no bad language. I myself enjoy it. It may be good for the older child.

My kid's also loved the Magic Treehouse series and A-Z mysteries. Enjoy!

We bought a used Junie B. Jones book on CD at a thrift store once and my kids were about that age and they loved it and so did there friends.

The Bobsey Twins series is really good, also the Magic tree House. They don't have to be read in order. Those are good for both boys and girls.
K. E

I like "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" by Kate Dicamilio.

A to Z Mysteries and the Magic Treehouse are both good chapter series.

Good for you for reading to your children!

Two of our favorites are;

"The Grand Escape" (pretty sure that's the title) about 2 house cats who 'escape' their house and their (mis)adventures.

"The Mouse and the Motorcycle" about a mouse in a hotel.

These were cute, easy to understand, and my husband liked reading them,too!

My boys like Junie B. She is nuts! of course a boy will like it! How about the magic tree house books? 3 might be sort of young for chapter books.

Hi Angelica,
Our kids are older now but I loved reading to them when they were little. There are some great boy books on www.christianbook.com. There are a lot to choose from but I like these books a lot and my son has enjoyed reading them. They are full of adventure, interesting and don't contain the empty trash that some books contain. As he's older now, the series he would read would differ - (The door within was one of the books). You might like Frank Peretti for kids, Cul-de-Sac Kids or Sugar Creek Gang. You could also see what books interest you and see if the libraries have them, but Christianbook has GREAT prices and lots to choose from. Have fun reading! C.

I think your boys will like Magic Tree House. Boys do like Junie B Jones, but Magic Tree House books will take your boys on a lot of fun adventures back in time. The chapters are short and easy reading. These are perfect for reading right before bed or any other time.

I was a teacher for 6 years, I just became a stay at home mom. When I was teaching the boys really enjoyed these books. They were never happy if they had to read Junie B. Jones, but every child is different.

I hope this helps.
M.

My kids love Junie B. JOnes. I started with the kindergarten books then worked our way up to 1st grade. They are really written at the 2nd and 3rd grade levels. I also read Frog And Toad books to them. They are very simple chapter books. You may want to talk to your librarian about what books she suggests as they would have many beginning chapter books that you may have never even heard of.

My sons loved A to Z Mysteries, Magic Tree House, Magic School Bus, Junie B. Jones, Captain Underpants, Star Wars,early on I got them some Clifford the Big Red Dog Chapter Books.

Scholastic has great sales. Sign up at their website and they will email you coupons to their sales events. The books are at least 50% off and they have a large selection of $1 books.

The Magic Tree House series is great!! Full of adventure and learning. A brother and sister travel to different times and places by looking at the books in a magic tree house, and they explore and find their way home. Big fun.

Judy Moody now has a little brother - Stink. Look for the "Stink" books. They are very fun. Magic Tree House series are great too. Nate the Great books are fun as well.

Last year I asked a similar question and got lots of great responses:
http://www.mamasource.com/request/4784530725057593345

His all-time favorite is the My Father's Dragon series. The first book is especially adorable. Some other favorites are Mr. Popper's Penguins, the Flat Stanley series, The Littles series, the Magic Tree House series. There are around 40 books in the series so it can keep you busy for awhile. Each one is interesting and informative. We've had some success with the author Roald Dahl but at times his stories can be a bit tragic and might not be the best to read at bedtime.

We've gotten lots at the library. Even though chapter books are less expensive than hard-back picture books, the cost adds up quickly.

We've read too many books to count at this point and now he'll listen to and enjoy anything, even some surprisingly advanced books. We read in his bed by flashlight. It's such a fun stage, enjoy!

(I have a 3 1/2 year-old daughter. I haven't started reading chapter books to her so I don't know how these might work for that age. I'm still reading picture books to her. Let me know how it works out...)

Magic Treehouse for sure! I would never in a million years have picked it myself, but my girlfriend passed one on to my daughter from her daughters and my daughter LOVED it! I would have thought my little pinkness would write them off as "boy books," but that's not the case at all. Your son will love the adventure in these books.

My 4 year old and I just finished up the My Father's Dragon series and she LOVED it! They're fairly short and a lot of fun to read.