When my oldest was in Kindergarten, he longed to read chapter books. Many of his friends were advanced readers, and he wanted to be just like them. He would select Magic Treehouse and A to Z Mysteries books at the library, and then get frustrated when he couldn’t read them. I would encourage him to try books designed for early readers, but he had no interest. My little perfectionist wanted chapter books that he could pick up and read on his own.
I started to wonder if perhaps I could find early readers that were broken up into chapters. If I could find a “real” chapter book at my son’s level, he might get some of his confidence back! The awesome librarians at our local branch library helped me track down these series, and they became some of our favorites. My oldest is now a second grader reading chapter books with ease, but we still pull these series out from time to time. I look forward to reading them again with my youngest!
If your child is ready to dive into the world of reading chapter books, these series are a great place to start. They have great illustrations, larger font, simple words, and most importantly, engaging stories!
5 (Very) Early Chapter Book Series for Early Readers
Book links are Amazon referral links.
Tip: Amazon’s “Look Inside” feature is a great way to see if the book you’re considering is a good fit for your child.
The Zelda and Ivy Series by Laura McGee Kvasnosky – Zelda and Ivy are sisters who get along just like siblings do: sometimes the best of friends, other times the worst of enemies. Kids will love reading about their adventures, and those with siblings of their own can totally relate. (Will your child have a new brother or sister soon? Check out these books.)
The Princess Pink and the Land of Fake Believe Series by Noah Z. Jones – First name: Princess. Last name: Pink. Princess Pink doesn’t like pink or princesses, but she does like mud puddles, bugs, and monster trucks. Kids will love her crazy adventures in the Land of Fake Believe!
The Bookstore Series by Barbara Maitland – Mr. Brown loves books and ghosts, so he opens a bookstore devoted entirely to scary stories. His bookstore becomes the home of all kinds of adventures! These not-so-scary tales are funny and sweet, and are accompanied by engaging illustrations.
The Young Cam Jansen Series by David A. Adler – Cam Jansen’s detective stories are popular with older readers, and these tales of her early investigations are perfect for beginners. Your child will enjoy helping Cam solve mysteries in these easy-to-read stories.
The Katie Woo Series by Fran Manushkin – There are so many excellent books in this series! Readers can follow along with Katie as she learns all kinds of important things about being a responsible, kind person. These books generally have around four chapters, gorgeous illustrations, and simple language kids can understand. We read LOTS of these books when my oldest was a beginning reader, and now he reads them to his little brother!
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