Perfect First Read-a-Loud Chapter Books

When I talk to many of my friends they are amazed how my children adore, and beg for chapter books daily. It was a little daunting to me to decide to dive into longer, more complex plots with my children and no pictures. I think our very first book was Charlotte's Web by E.B. White.

The children love series (but imho skip the "junk" books and stick with literature). It seems like 200 pages isn't enough, when the author is gifted and the characters so endearing. One of the best recommendations I have for starting to read longer chapter books with your little ones are the Old Mother West Wind books by Thornton W. Burgess.

These darling books are only about 70 pages long, and each chapter is maybe 3 pages. I have found, even Emmett is beginning to sit still and listen to the chapters. Nearly every chapter starts with a charming little poem like the one found in Chapter XII of The Adventures of Old Man Coyote:

Believe all the good that you may hear,

But always doubt the bad.

Pass on the word of kindly cheer;

Forget the tale that's sad.

There are lovely moral lessons as well as natural history information on the little woodland creatures of the Green Forest. There are a few pictures scattered throughout the book. However, be prepared they don't always coincide with the proper text.

Ellery and I trade pages on this book when we read during school. At night, it is just me. I bought a boxed set (be sure to get the unabridged) on Amazon for only $10.