Books for Early Readers

Early Chapter Books

The following chapter books have wonderful illustrations, easy to follow content, and are just fun for young children. Series are a great way to get kids reading - if they find one they like, they often can't wait to get their hands on another book in the series.

Frog and Toad series by Arnold Lobel (~64 pages each)
A collection of four books about friendship. Each chapter is about a different adventure that Frog and Toad have together. Other great books by Lobel include Owl at Home and Mouse Tales.

Minnie and Moo series by Denys Cazet (~48 pages each)
Each book is about two charming cows and their crazy adventures, from halloween night in "Minnie and Moo: The Night of the Living Bed" to an alien visit in "Minnie and Moo and the Potato from Planet X". The stories are fun and silly. There are about 10 books in this series.

Henry and Mudge series by Cynthia Rylant, Sucie Stevenson (~48 pages each)
Warm stories about a boy and his very big dog. These stories are fun to read and many have little life lessons, as well. There are about 20 books in this series.

The High-Rise Private Eyes series by Cynthia Rylant, G. Brian Karas (~48 pages each)
For kids who like mysteries, this series features detectives Bunny Brown and raccoon Jack Jones who solve cases such as the "The Case of the Climbing Cat" and the "The Case of the Fidgety Fox". There are about 7 books in this series.

Usborne Beginners series of non-fiction books by various authors(~32 pages each)
A wonderful series of books on subjects ranging from the sciences (horses, frogs, volcanoes, living in space, etc.) to history (castles, Romans, Elizabeth I, etc.). They are filled with informative text and engaging photographs/illustrations. Even parents will learn something new from these books. There are over 25 books in this series.

More Challenging Chapter Books

Although these books contain content that are much more age appropriate than many books that are out there, only you can determine whether a book is truly appropriate for your child. Some of these may touch on subjects such as war, death, tragedies, etc. that your child might not be ready for.

Clifford, The Big Red Dog Chapter Books series by various authors (~64 pages each)
There are four chapter books about Clifford that are great for early readers who were a fan of the Clifford picture books. The books are "Clifford, The Big Red Detective", "Clifford Cookie Crazy!", "Clifford
Finds a Clue", and "Clifford Saves the Whales". Each contains about 12 chapters and the content is age appropriate for very young readers. They are hard to find at the bookstore and library - Amazon has them.

The Lighthouse Family series by Cynthia Rylant, Preston McDaniels (~80 pages each)
A warm and gentle series about a family of animals(a cat, dog and their mice children) that live in a lighthouse, and their adventures. The first in the series is "The Storm". The characters in the book are well developed and the illustrations are beautiful.

Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope-Osborne (~90 pages each)
A very popular series of books about two children and their magical tree house that takes them to different places and times. Not only are the books fun to read, they teach the readers about history and the sciences. There are over 32 books in the series.

Magic School Bus Chapter Book series by various authors (~100 pages each)
Not to be confused with the picture books that are also available. These books are a fun ride into the sciences. The first in the series is "Truth about Bats". Each contains a wealth of information on a science topic. There are about 20 books in the series.

Catwings series by Ursula K. Le Guin ( ~50 pages each)
A delightful series of books about kittens that were born with wings. There are four in the series; the first one is "Catwings". Beautiful colored illustrations.

School Mouse by Dick King-Smith (124 pages)
Charming book about a young mouse that learns how to read by listening in on lessons taught to human children in the school house.

Martin's Mice by Dick King-Smith (128 pages)
Martin is a cat who wants to keep mice as pets, not eat them for a meal. This is a fun read about the value of friendship, loyalty and freedom. In addition to the two books by Dick King-Smith listed here, there are many other wonderful stories written by this author - some more age appropriate than others.

The Ralph Mouse series by Beverly Cleary (~176 pages each)
This is a collection of three books about a adventurous mouse, Ralph, his motorcycle, and the human friends that he makes along the way. "The Mouse and the Motorcyle" is the first in this series of exciting to read stories.

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (192 pages)
This popular book about a pig, a spider, friendship and hardship is a favorite for many. E.B. White's two other classics, "The Trumpet of the Swan" and "Stuart Little", are also wonderful books.

Paddington series by Michael Bond (~150 pages, each)
A classic tale about a very small bear and the family that found him.

The End of the Beginning : Being the Adventures of a Small Snail (and an Even Smaller Ant) by Avi (144 pages)
A charming, whimsical story about the two friends (Avon, the snail and Edward, the ant) who go on a journey. On the way, they meet all sorts of critters, including a mouse (whom they believe was a dragon in disguise) and learn lessons about life.

Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The classic series about the pioneer life of a young girl. A few of the books contain subject matter that may not be age appropriate.

We are always looking for suggestions. If you know books that would be great for this list, just email us.