This is OP, and just wanted to update that Frog and Toad has been a smashing success the past two nights with a just-turned 4 year old. So many giggles last night with Toad dumping water on his own head. : )

Anonymous wrote:I bought my dd the Amelia Bedelia chapter book set and the Magic Treehouse set for her 5th bday so we can start reading them together at bedtime. She’s also started showing interest in chapter books ever since they read The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe in her preschool class.

O and I also have the Boxcar series, Little House series and the Oz series from when I was a kid that we’ll probably eventually read together this year. Which are also great.

I bought my dd the Amelia Bedelia chapter book set and the Magic Treehouse set for her 5th bday so we can start reading them together at bedtime. She’s also started showing interest in chapter books ever since they read The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe in her preschool class.

Roald Dahl
Astrid Lindgren
Andrew Clements
Frances Hodgson Burnett

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle

Anonymous wrote:Classic Pooh stories. Technically not chapter books, but they require a similar amount of focus and attention span. Plus, Pooh!

And plenty of scope for great voices.

Classic Pooh stories. Technically not chapter books, but they require a similar amount of focus and attention span. Plus, Pooh!

Anonymous wrote:Mine liked The Boxcar Children enough that we are reading it a second time.

I have Little House in the Big Woods and Charlotte’s Web on the shelf but not sure if they are too advanced and/or too sad.

Charlotte's Web and the Little House series were the first books I read out loud to my 5 year old. I think I loved reading them as much as he did.

This is OP. Thank you for all the wonderful suggestions- I just ordered Frog and Toad, Ramona and Beezus, and the Cricket in Times Square, and am bookmarking this page for future reference/library trips.

Thanks for the Bear flags- I will steer clear of those until she is maybe a little older or is over this fear.

I would save books like Mercy Watson, Cam Jansen, and Zoey Sassafrass for when your dc is reading her own first chapter books.

For read-alouds, you can choose books that are much more rich and complex, like Little House (just skip over the bear incidents if you want).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine liked The Boxcar Children enough that we are reading it a second time.

I have Little House in the Big Woods and Charlotte’s Web on the shelf but not sure if they are too advanced and/or too sad.

Too many bears

For sure, especially in the first book there's several bears

Highly recommend princess in black it's has a great message about using friendship and teamwork for solving problems.

Magic Treehouse is very formulaic but I like how it does a deep dive on so any different topics that are interesting to children.

Charlotte’s Web, Ramona series, Ralph S Mouse series - our favorite starter chapter books. Both DS and DD have enjoyed all of these books!

Magic Tree House books

Trumpet of the Swan is a hit right now in our house. +1 on Charlottes Web as well.