Book Shelf » Books for Children » Chapter Books
Here are a few of my favourite read-aloud chapter books. I have divided the list into three approximate age groups to help you in making your choices. And I’ve added a link to books for teenagers.
Chapter Books for 4- 8 Year Olds.
Little Pear written by an American woman who was born and brought up in Shanghai in the early part of the twentieth century. The story is about a five-year-old boy who lives in a little village in China and who is continually getting into scrapes and needing to be rescued. You can read a review here
My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett. My Father’s Dragon tells of the adventures of a little boy named Elmer and his friend, Boris the dragon. They’re delightful stories, highly entertaining and easy to read. Although they are aimed at children, these stories are ageless treasures. They are light, funny and highly unrealistic. Read them to your 6 – 8-year-olds, and everyone in the family will love them!
Elmer and the Dragon byRuth Stiles Gannett. This is the second book of the trilogy telling of the adventures of Elmer and Boris.
The Dragons of Blueland byRuth Stiles Gannett. The final book in the trilogy of the stories about My Father’s Dragon.
Three Tales of My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett. This is a copy of the three stories in one beautiful hardback book.
The Milly Molly Mandy Story Book by Joyce Lankester Brisley. There are many editions of this delightful classic and so I chose a hardback traditional edition for you to look at, but check out the other editions and the sequels.
Harry’s Mad by Dick King Smith. This is a cracker of a tale about a parrot called Maddison, who is inherited by a boy called Harry. You and your children will enjoy this and want to read it again.
Winnie the Pooh by A A Milne. Who doesn’t know Winnie the Pooh? Who hasn’t enjoyed these delightful stories as a child? Every time I read the stories I still dissolve into helpless giggles. My children never liked me reading these stories out loud though – because I laughed so much they couldn’t tell what I was saying. Look for other books in the series, too.
Teddy Robinson Stories by Joan G Robinson. This book tells of the adventures of a well loved teddy bear in an old fashioned family. You can’t help but love him!
The Littlest Viking by Sandi Toksvig. A chapter book for younger children about a little Viking called Amber who sets off to seek her fortune and gets stranded and then found by some children who decide to look after her.
Beowulf by Michael Morpurgo, illustrated by Michael Foreman. Technically not a chapter book, but a great introduction to this classic story.
Chapter Books for 7 -10 Year Olds.
Adam of the Road By Janet Gray. Adam of the Road is set in thirteenth century England and tells the fictional story of Adam Quartermayne, son of Roger the minstrel. It begins at St Alban’s abbey with Adam waiting for his father to return from France where he has been studying. Roger arrives with his new employers, the de Lisles, and takes Adam and Adam’s dog, Nick away with him. For a few happy months Roger, Adam and Nick travel the road together. However, when catastrophe strikes, Adam is left alone and penniless to make his way as best he can, searching for his lost family. Janet Gray narrates his adventures with amazing precision and historical accuracy and lends a touch of drama and flair to an already unique story of what life would be like for a young boy alone in 1294. This book was first published in 1942 and was the winner of the Newbery Medal. This is a longer read (317 pages) for ages 9 + .
The Cottage at Bantry Bay by Hilda van Stockum. The Cottage at Bantry Bay is set in Ireland. It tells the story of the O’Sullivan family and their close family spirit. Times are hard and the O’Sullivans only just scrape a living, however there is no price on adventure and family loyalty. We follow them through adopting a dog and going on picnics to braving gypsies and lonely roads. The Cottage at Bantry Bay is aimed at all age groups, though would probably be most enjoyable for children between the ages of eight and eleven.
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. This is the most famous title from the famous collection about life for the pioneers and settlers in mid-west America in the late nineteenth century. It’s a book that every family will probably want to have in their home library. I particularly like hardback books, so I’ve chosen a hardback copy of the book for you to look at, which is also the one I have on my shelf and enjoy reading, but there are others to choose from; just click on the author’s name on the book page.
If you prefer a boxed set of paperbacks then you might like to look at The Little House Collection .
There is also a literature study guide called, A Guide for Using Little House on the Prairie in the Classroom By Linda Lee Maifair
The Story of the Treasure Seekers: Being the Adventures of the Bastable Children in Search of A Fortune by E Nesbit. This very entertaining story about a family of children who decide to restore their family’s fortune. They try lots of ideas out and get into plenty of trouble on the way.
Black Ships Before Troy by Rosemary Sutcliff. This is a large format, illustrated chapter book telling the story of Odysseus and the Trojan War, by master story teller, Rosemary Sutcliff.
The Borrowersby Mary Norton. I remember having this medal-winning story read to me when I was eight. I LOVED it! The first chapter felt a bit slow to me at that time, but after that I couldn’t get enough. There are sequels to this book too, so lots of adventures and happy reading times to enjoy together with your child.
The Wind on the Moon by Eric Linklater. An oldie but goldie. A medal-winning story about two sisters who are asked to be good by their father while he is away at war. But the more they try to be good the more trouble they get into.
The Family from One End Street by Eve Garnett. A masterpiece in social history, a gentle story about a working class family in the 1930s. This in itself was unusual for the time when all stories were written about and for middle class children. I loved this story when I was a child.
War Boy by Michael Morpurgo. Technically, not a chapter book, but a beautifully illustrated biographical account of life for a boy growing up in war-time Britain.
The Stories of Beowulf Told to the Children by J R Skelton. An old book, republished.
Beowulf, Dragon Slayer by Rosemary Sutcliff.
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham. There are literally dozens of editions of this book available for sale, so it’s hard to choose just one to recommend. I have three copies of this book and I think my favourite is a small book with no illustrations. (The brain has to think and the imagination has to work.)
Chapter Books for 9 – 12 Year Olds.
The Capture, The Rescue, and The Journey by Kathryn Lasky. The first three books of a fabulous series about some owls. Recently made into a movie. Read a detailed review here
The Boy with the Bronze Axe by Kathleen Fidler. This story is set 3000 years ago in the Orkney Islands in the north of Scotland, in a village called Skara Brae. The ancient ruins of Skara Brae are now an archeological site and popular tourist attraction. The story tells of the adventures of two boys who have been chipping limpets off the rocks, but then become trapped by the tides. They are rescued by a strange boy who brings new ideas to the village… This is a carefully researched book which brings the ancient village of Skara Brae to life. The author has written many historical novels set in Scotland.
The Night Journey by Kathryn Lasky. Just over a hundred years ago in Tsarist Russia, Jews were being massacred for absolutely no reasonother than the simple fact that the victims were Jews. Young Jewish men were forced to join and fight in the same army that was ruthlessly killing their families.
So when Great Nana Sashie begins to tell Rachel about how, at the age of nine, she escaped from these troubled circumstances with her family, Rachel cannot help but listen.
The Night Journey is a National Jewish Book Award Winner. It is a very intense novel and so we recommend it only for mature 11 year olds and up.
The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynn Reid Banks. An entertaining story about a boy who gets given a key for his birthday. The key works in the lock of a little cupboard and when Omri puts in a little toy indian the indian comes to life. But what to do with a tiny, imperious American Indian chief? There are further adventures in other books, but this book is by far the best, and is quite outstanding. I also noticed the later books have a bit of swearing, bullying, and bits of mystical comments.
The Hobbit by J R R Tolkein. One of the most famous books in the world. Enjoy!
Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome. This is the first story in a series of stories set in the English Lake District in the first half of the twentieth century. The story tells of four children who go on holiday to a farm, they have the use of a sailing boat, they sail to an island on the lake and camp. Then the adventures start! Fabulous reading and readalouds. If you decide to collect these books in hard back, as we decided to do then look at this hardback copy of Swallows and Amazons.
Pigeon Post by Arthur Ransome. This book won the very first Carnegie Medal for Children’s Literature in 1936. It is excellent literature, and will provide hours of reading for the bookworms in your family. Suitable for boys as well as girls.
In Search of Swallows and Amazons by Roger Wardale. This is not a novel; it’s a book for those of you who, like us, have fallen in love with Swallows and Amazons and want to know more. Find out about the author, the places, the people in the stories. Get a sense of almost living in the time and place.
I am David by Anne Holm. A WWII story of a young boy’s journey through Europe after escaping from the camp where he had lived all his life.
The Endless Steppe by Esther Hauzig. A young Polish girl, her mother, and her grandmother, taken prisoners by the Russians during World War II and shipped to a forced-labor camp in a remote, impoverished Siberian village.
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. A story set in the time of the heroic evacuation of Jews from Nazi-held Denmark by the Danish Resistance, population and police.
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr. Partly autobiographical, this is first of the internationally acclaimed trilogy by Judith Kerr telling the unforgettable story of a Jewish family fleeing from Germany at the start of the Second World War.
The Wooden Horse by Eric Williams – A classic escape-and-evasion story about some RAF officers who escaped from a German POW camp. First published 1949.
The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier. Tells the story of some children travelling across Europe during WWII in the hope of being reunited with their parents.
The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow by Allen French. A classic book, republished.
Books for Teenagers
Here’s my list of some good Books for Teens
Check back regularly as I will be adding more books as time allows. If you have any recommendations or would like me to review a book, then please email: bookreviews@HomeschoolFamilyLife.com