Early chapter books are currently being checked out in stacks each week in our house. We still bring home a fair share of picture books from the library each week, but at least half of our stack now is chapter books and graphic novels.
My twins, second graders right now, are at two very different reading levels. I have one who is consuming books faster than I can provide them and another one who slowly and carefully works their way through a chapter an evening cuddled up with me on the couch.
If you’re looking for a fun book to tuck in an Easter basket or wrap up for a gift, these early chapter books are all worth more than one read.
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11 Best Early Chapter Books for Kids
Below are our favorite early chapter books for first through third grade kids. One, and often both of my kids, have loved these books.
These are illustrated chapter books that work as good transitions from picture books and easy readers to chapter books. I tried to put them roughly in order of difficulty, but it’s not a perfect order.
These are the first chapter books that my kids read on their own that they loved. These are all heavily illustrated with brief text so they don’t overwhelm new readers.
1.Pedro and the Shark by Fran Manushkin
There is a whole series of books about Pedro but we started with this one because my son loves sharks. Pedro is a likable character and the books are well paced. Find Online
2. Bink and Gollie series by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee
This is an incredible team of authors and the result is perfection. The relationship between these two characters is delightful and each character is so fun and endearing. My kids both can’t get enough of these. Find Online
3. Penny chapter books by Kevin Henkes
All of these sweet books are sitting on my daughter’s shelf. Penny is a darling character and her little stories are so full of heart and gentle humor. Classic Kevin Henkes. Find Online
4. King and Kayla series by Dori Hillestad Butler
I love this newer series of fun mysteries. They are all told from the perspective of King – Kayla’s dog which adds to the humor. They are well written and the mysteries are simply, but interesting. Find Online
5. The Chicken Squad series by Doreen Cronin
These were written by the author of CLICK CLACK MOO and they are hilarious. The chicks are darling and their adventures are amusing. To me they feel like a pre-cursor to a lot of the graphic novels my son loves now. A good fun series. Find Online
6. Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo
Mr. and Mrs. Watson are devoted to their beloved pig, Mercy. These books are a series of humorous tales about Mercy and his adventures. These are fun and quirky and full of bright, playful illustrations. Find Online
7. The Princess in Black series by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale
We love this spunky princess. She puts the whole princess thing on it’s head and the results are adventurous and hilarious. Find Online
8. Charlie and Mouse series by Laurel Snyder
These are silly books about brothers. These are lively and imaginative. There are four in the series. Find Online
9. Claude series by Alex T. Smith
These are so quirky. Claude and his best friend “sir bobblesock” who is….a sock have quite the adventures. My kids both love this entire series. Find Online
10. Vernon is On His Way: Small Stories by Philip C. Stead
A cute, quirky collection of stories about Vernon for frog and his friends. Technically it is not a chapter book, rather 3 short stories – think Frog and Toad. Our favorite was the fishing story – which is hilarious to anyone who knows what fishing means, because Vernon and his pals certainly aren’t sure. Find Online
11. Juana and Lucas by Juana Medina
This is a delightful series – technically there are only two right now but we are hoping for more. Juana is so sweet and spunky and I love the way spanish words are blended into the text. Find Online
There are shelves of early chapter books at the library or bookstore but these are our favorites. Mostly they are books that make my kids grin or giggle – their favorite kind of book. What are the favorite early chapter books on your shelves? What did we miss? Let me know below!
Would any of these be appropriate as read-alouds for preschool age?
Such a great question! Yes. Absolutely. For the most part I think they all are fun as read alouds, but a few aren’t the best for preschoolers simply because of subject matter. The Pedro series references school a lot. King and Kayla feels older to me and I think some of the jokes in Claude might go over younger preschoolers’ heads, but there’s nothing inappropriate about them for younger kids. Otherwise I think they’d all work to read aloud to a preschooler. I would personally start with the Penny series for preschoolers.