My kids are 4 and almost 6 and we are reading some chapter books. We are reading the Rainbow Fairies books (there are tons and tons of these - they are very basic). WE are also reading the Judy Moody books which are a little longer and geared for a little older kids (I think the book lists age 7 or so) but my kids love it and have seen the movie that was out last summer I think. I have heard a ton about the Tree House serious as well but we have not read that one yet.
We started with The Magic Tree House series and the boys love them. I decided to change it up after 26 of the Tree House books so we started The Mouse and the Motorcycle last night. I remember loving that book when my teacher read it to the class when I was little.
My twins are 5! My baby is 3!
DS#2 - Allergic to Cashew, Pistachio, Kiwi
DS#3 - Allergic to Milk, Egg, Peanut, Tree Nuts and Sesame
We started with The Magic Tree House series and the boys love them. I decided to change it up after 26 of the Tree House books so we started The Mouse and the Motorcycle last night. I remember loving that book when my teacher read it to the class when I was little.
I read DS The Mouse and the Motorcycle when he was about 2.5. He ADORES the Magic Treehouse series. We are on book 23 right now and plowing through fast. He also enjoys the Junie B Jones books. Charlottes Web has some themes I am not ready to address yet.
I started to read my kids chapter books when they were in preschool. It really has a positive impact on their reading readiness to read both picture books AND longer, more complex stories. Here are some of our faves, divided into categories from easiest to most challenging. I kind of worked my kids up to "real" chapter books through these categories:
Barely-chapter-books -- these still have pictures and are divided into chapters but are still pretty short and simple. These are in the 50-75 page range with large print.
Fire Cat, by Esther Averill (and other books about Pickles the Fire Cat)
Frog and Toad, by Arnold Lobel
Ellen's Lion & Harold and the Purple Crayon, by Crockett Johnson
Catwings, by Ursula LeGuin
Little Bear, by Maurice Sendak
Mouse Soup, by Arnold Lobel
Books with episodic chapters -- each chapter is nearly a self-contained story. Little longer than the category above, in the 150-page range
Toys Go Out, by Emily Jenkins
Toys Dance Party, by Emily Jenkins
Edward, Hoppy & Joe, by Robert Lawson
Just So Stories, by Rudyard Kipling
"Real" chapter books -- an older kid would get these from the school library, but they're still kid-friendly. 150-300 pages.
The Search For Delicious, by Natalie Babbitt
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of N.I.M.H., by Robert O'Brien
Charlotte's Web, by E.B. White (a tear-jerker! Maybe best for kids 5 and up!)
The Odyssey, translated and edited by Mary Pope Osbourne
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl (the satire here is probably over many preschooler's heads)
I started reading chapter books to my DD and DS starting when they were about 3.
Some of their faves have been:
Rainbow Fairies Magic Treehouse Ramona books The Magician's Boy Roscoe Riley Rules Cobble Street Cousins series Flat Stanley Ivy and Bean (they can be a bit sassy) Sugar Plum Ballerinas Lost in the Snow
We're reading Where the Mountain Meets the Moon right now and I'm looking forward to reading The Little House books and Charlotte's Web. DD has been asking about the Daisy Dawson series too, but we haven't read any of them.
Re: Chapter Books
My twins are 5! My baby is 3!
DS#2 - Allergic to Cashew, Pistachio, Kiwi
DS#3 - Allergic to Milk, Egg, Peanut, Tree Nuts and Sesame
I started to read my kids chapter books when they were in preschool. It really has a positive impact on their reading readiness to read both picture books AND longer, more complex stories. Here are some of our faves, divided into categories from easiest to most challenging. I kind of worked my kids up to "real" chapter books through these categories:
Barely-chapter-books -- these still have pictures and are divided into chapters but are still pretty short and simple. These are in the 50-75 page range with large print.
Fire Cat, by Esther Averill (and other books about Pickles the Fire Cat)
Frog and Toad, by Arnold Lobel
Ellen's Lion & Harold and the Purple Crayon, by Crockett Johnson
Catwings, by Ursula LeGuin
Little Bear, by Maurice Sendak
Mouse Soup, by Arnold Lobel
Books with episodic chapters -- each chapter is nearly a self-contained story. Little longer than the category above, in the 150-page range
Toys Go Out, by Emily Jenkins
Toys Dance Party, by Emily Jenkins
Edward, Hoppy & Joe, by Robert Lawson
Just So Stories, by Rudyard Kipling
"Real" chapter books -- an older kid would get these from the school library, but they're still kid-friendly. 150-300 pages.
The Search For Delicious, by Natalie Babbitt
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of N.I.M.H., by Robert O'Brien
Charlotte's Web, by E.B. White (a tear-jerker! Maybe best for kids 5 and up!)
The Odyssey, translated and edited by Mary Pope Osbourne
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl (the satire here is probably over many preschooler's heads)
Beezus and Ramona, by Beverly Cleary
Ralph the Motorcycle Mouse, by Beverly Cleary
Socks, by Beverly Cleary
I started reading chapter books to my DD and DS starting when they were about 3.
Some of their faves have been:
Rainbow Fairies
Magic Treehouse
Ramona books
The Magician's Boy
Roscoe Riley Rules
Cobble Street Cousins series
Flat Stanley
Ivy and Bean (they can be a bit sassy)
Sugar Plum Ballerinas
Lost in the Snow
We're reading Where the Mountain Meets the Moon right now and I'm looking forward to reading The Little House books and Charlotte's Web. DD has been asking about the Daisy Dawson series too, but we haven't read any of them.
(m/c 1.17.07, m/c 5.15.07)
DS - 03.15.08
DD2 - 12.03.09
DD3 - 3.28.11