We are a family of book lovers. When the kids were little, we loved Dr. Seuss, Karma Wilson, and Laura Numeroff books. But as the kids have grown, the books have grown as well. If your kids are growing up and are ready for chapter books, you may enjoy some of our favorites as well. Here are some favorite chapter books for early readers.

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Favorite Chapter Books for Kids:

Absolutely Lucy – Bobby Quinn just doesn’t know how to make friends. But once he gets a new puppy for his birthday, his life changes. Bobby finds that friends come in all ages. We have read this book several times with the kids. The book is full of laughs, unusual situations and threads of loyalty and friendship.

Junie B. Jones (any and all!): Who doesn’t love Junie B. Jones? It’s just Junie B – That’s All! She is the most forthright, literal child and is the kind of student that every teacher dreams of having yet still dreads seeing walk in the door each morning. Who but Junie B can think it would make perfect sense to bring a frozen fish stick to class for pet day? Nobody in the world would think that a tooth that falls out over the weekend would make a perfect show and tell item for the class. If you love children, love to laugh and understand the way small children think, you will be completely in love with these books as well!

A to Z Mysteries (any and all!): Each of the books starts with the next letter in the alphabet. There are 3 main characters, Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose, who work together to solve mysteries in each book. My kids have listened to these stories on audiobooks at night and in the van as well as having read the actual books. These 3 friends have to work together to figure out the solutions to situations such as an author who has gone missing, pets that have mysteriously disappeared, or an envelope with something important missing.

Freckle Juice: (Judy Blume): The desire to have freckles is going to cost Andrew a lot of money, but it’s worth it to buy the recipe for Freckle Juice. This book is a great lesson that shows my kids that sometimes the very thing you want the most may not give you the results you expect. My son read this in school a few years ago. They actually followed the recipe and made freckle juice. It has been on our list to make the juice at home, but I can’t quite bring myself to do it. You read the book and look at the recipe and see if you could drink it!

Magic Tree House: This is another great mystery/adventure books for the beginning independent reader. Jack and Annie have a magic treehouse that is able to transport them to the past where they get to solve mysteries and puzzles. Jack always has a notebook and uses research to help them with the dilemmas. The two siblings work well together and always get home in time for supper. In my opinion, the first half of the series is better than the last half of the series. The later books get really involved in magic and wizardry. They are a little darker for the younger readers than we like.

Sign of the Beaver: Twelve-year-old Matt is left on his own in the Maine wilderness while his father leaves to bring the rest of the family to their new settlement. When he befriends Attean, an Indian chief’s grandson, he is invited to join the Beaver tribe and move north. Should Matt abandon his hopes of ever seeing his family again and go on to a new life?

The Indian in the Cupboard: It’s Omri’s birthday, but all he gets from his best friend, Patrick, is a little plastic Indian toy. Trying to hide his disappointment, Omri puts the Indian in a metal cupboard and locks the door with a mysterious skeleton key that once belonged to his great-grandmother. Little does Omri know that by turning the key, he will transform his ordinary plastic Indian into a real live man from an altogether different time and place! Omri and the tiny warrior called Little Bear could hardly be more different, yet soon the two forge a very special friendship. Will Omri be able to keep Little Bear without anyone finding out and taking his precious Indian from him?

There are many more chapter books for elementary readers. Here are a few other titles that we have loved in our house: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Rainbow Magic, Flat Stanley, Captain Underpants, Origami Yoda and Whatever After.

What early chapter books do you love? We’re always looking for new books and series! I’d love to hear your favorites!

Looking for our favorite children’s picture books? Check out this list!