Do you have an emerging reader or little listener ready for the next step in their reading/listening journeys but not quite ready for anything too text-heavy? Early chapter books (also called beginning chapter books) are the perfect bridge! Learn why, and explore some of our family’s favorites.
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Do you have a beginning reader ready to enter the chapter book world but not quite ready for text-heavy tomes? Or a little listener ready to transition from simple stories to more complex narratives?
Early chapter books are the perfect bridge! With shorter chapters, engaging plots, and complementary illustrations, they’re a great way to build reading (or listening) confidence and stamina and nurture a love for reading time!
Favorite Early Chapter Book Series (for Emerging Readers)
There are MANY early chapter book series we’ve enjoyed over the years, but following are some of our favorites.
Important note: categories of books are not always clear-cut and discretely definable – they’re more like a spectrum. So, what I consider a “beginning chapter book” might vary from someone else’s categorization. For the purposes of this post, however, I included chapter books with very short chapters, beginning READING vocabulary, and pictures on almost every pair of pages that can be read by beginning readers with little to no assistance.
For great early READ-ALOUD chapter books (i.e. chapter books that, say, preschoolers-first graders could listen to but not yet read), be sure to check out my blog post Read Aloud Chapter Books for 4-6 Year-Olds.
Written by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Chris Van Dusen (two of our favorites combined!!)
Also written by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
Written and illustrated by Matthew Cordell
Anne Chapter Books (inspired by Anne of Green Gables)
Adapted by Kallie George and illustrated by Abigail Halpin
The Adventures of Sophie Mouse
Written by Poppy Green and illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell
Written and illustrated by Arnold Lobel
Written by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Mark Teague
Written by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Arthur Howard
Written by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Suçie Stevenson
Written by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and illustrated by Marc Simont
Written and illustrated by Ben Clanton
Written by Jessica Young and illustrated by James Burks
Written by David A. Adler and illustrated by Susanna Natti
Written by Abby Hanlon
Try some of these early chapter book series, and watch your kids get enthralled by these delightful stories!
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
- Read Aloud Chapter Books for 4-6 Year-Olds
- Our Favorite Chapter Books for Read-Alouds
- 7 Ways to Raise Lifelong Readers
- 25 Ways to Make Reading Fun for Early & Reluctant Readers
- 25 Must-Read Children’s Chapter Book Series
Share your thoughts!