25 Best Read Aloud Chapter Books {Ages 5-9}

Heartwood Hotel: A True Home

Heartwood Hotel is a charming series about a woodland hotel where a lovable cast of creatures seek refuge and along the way embark on adventures, face fears, overcome challenges, and discover the true meaning of friendship and home.

*Available from: Audible, Scribd and Yoto

Stink

Second grader James “Stink” Moody is an energetic, curious, and imaginative second grader. He’ll take you on hilarious adventures from winning a life-time supply of jawbreakers, to riding a bus full of guinea pigs, to spending the night in an aquarium, and always has a valuable lesson to learn.

*Available from: Audible, Libro.fm & Scribd

Fudge-A-Mania

While we wouldn’t recommend the entire series (due to swear words and other issues), Fudge-a-Mania stands out as a super-fun read aloud. The story follows the Hatcher family on their summer vacation to Maine and has many hysterical moments while also touching on poignant topics such as sibling rivalry, friendship, and family dynamics.

*Available from: Audible & Libro.fm

Appleblossom the Possum

Appleblossom is a young possum learning how to make her way in the world when she’s spying on a human family and–whoops!– tumbles down their chimney. A young girl inside discovers the marsupial and decides to make her her pet all while hiding her from her family (and dog!) as Appleblossom’s siblings embark on a mission to rescue their sister.

*Available from: Audible & Libro.fm

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

The famous tale of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory withstands the test of time and is worth reading with your kids. After finishing the book, make a date for a family viewing of the movie (we recommend the original version) while enjoying some favorite chocolate treats and you’ll create a simple and memorable experience everyone will treasure.

*Available from: Audible, Libro.fm & Yoto

The Wild Robot

Roz is a robot who finds herself abandoned on a remote island. She learns to survive by observing and mimicking the animals around her. Just as she’s making a comfortable home for herself and forging friendships (even adopting an orphan gosling), robots come looking to reclaim her. The series is a fascinating–and heartwarming–look at the intersection of technology and nature. Fair warning: there’s some violence toward the end.

*Available from: Audible & Libro.fm

Pippi Longstocking

Pippi’s hijinks are just as hilarious as you may remember. Young Pippi lives alongside her pet monkey and horse in her ramshackle house. She befriends prim and proper siblings, Tommy and Annika, and invites them into her wild and outrageous–but always endearing–world.

*Available from: Audible & Libro.fm

The Magic Treehouse

Good news: if your kids fall in love with this series, there are approximately 674 books (okay, we’re kidding, but there are A LOT!) Siblings Jack and Annie discover a treehouse in the woods near their home that can transport them to different locations and time periods. Children will learn about history, geography, mythology, science, and more in each unique installment. 

*Available from: Audible, Libro.fm & Yoto

The World According to Humphrey

Class pet Humphrey spends each weekend with a different classmate’s family. Told from the perspective of the hamster himself, we learn about his observations of each family and the different adventures he encounters in their homes (thanks, in part, to a malfunctioning lock on the critter’s cage).

*Available from: Audible & Libro.fm

The Adventures of Nanny Piggins

What happens when a dad desperate to find childcare for his three kids hires a former flying circus pig as their nanny? Countless laugh-out-loud misadventures. And yet, Nanny Piggins always manages to return the children home safe, fed, and happy.

*Available from: Audible

The Wizard of Oz

More than 120 years since it was first published, Dorothy, Toto and the entire cast of captivating characters continue to capture children’s (and adult’s) attention. There’s truly no place like Oz, so snuggle in and enjoy reliving this magical journey with your kids.

*Available from: Audible, Libro.fm & Scribd

Upside Down Magic

Nory Horace is preparing for her entrance exam to a school for kids with magical powers. There’s just one problem: Nory’s magic skills are a bit, well, mixed up. The series follows Nory and other classmates with wonky powers who discover that perhaps being different beats fitting in.

*Available from: Audible, Libro.fm & Scribd

Sideways Stories from Wayside School

Sideways Stories reimagines what school might be like if everything were a little less normal and way more fun. Each chapter is an individual mini-story focused on a specific character and is guaranteed to have everyone in hysterics over the absurd mischief that ensues within the walls of the 30-story school.

*Available from: Audible & Libro.fm

Hotel Flamingo

Anna is the new owner of the once-grand, but now run-down Hotel Flamingo. This isn’t an ordinary hotel, of course–the staff and guests are all animals! Anna undertakes the enormous task of returning the hotel to its former glory and making it a place where every animal feels welcome and at home.

*Available from: Audible & Yoto

The Mouse and the Motorcycle

This book is a classic for a reason. What kid could resist an adventurous mouse who discovers a young boy’s toy motorcycle and is determined to ride it throughout his Mountain View Inn home, dodging countless obstacles along the way? 

*Available from: Audible & Libro.fm

A Boy Called Bat

Three cheers for this stunning series starring Bixby Alexander Tam (nickname: Bat), a young boy on the autism spectrum who adopts and cares for an abandoned skunk kit. (Luckily, Mom is a veterinarian). The book also adeptly addresses divorce in a thoughtful and compassionate way. 

*Available from: Audible, Libro.fm, Scribd

Toys Go Out

What would happen if toys (and other objects) came alive when people weren’t looking? Well, this creative story imagines just that. The book follows Lumphy, a stuffed buffalo, Plastic, a red bouncy ball, Tuk Tuk, a towel and other loveable objects who face obstacles and learn valuable lessons that closely mirror what kids experience in real life.

*Available from: Audible, Libro.fm

The Boxcar Children

The four Alden children are orphaned and go to live with their kind and loving grandfather. Each story in this 150-plus book series revolves around a different engaging mystery that the Alden children must solve together. 

*Available from: Audible, Libro.fm & Scribd

The Very Far North

This uplifting story of a young polar bear discovering his place and befriending every arctic animal that he encounters along the way is sure to melt your heart. At times the language may feel sophisticated, but it’s worth sticking with the story and falling in love with the warm and meaningful connections forged in the frigid far north.

*Available from: Audible & Libro.fm

Beezus and Ramona

Any kid with a younger sibling will be able to identify with 9-year-old Beezus who’s constantly exasperated by her 4-year-old little sister, Ramona. Meanwhile, Ramona’s antics–like inviting her entire preschool class to a party at her house without telling her family first–will amuse kids of all ages.

*Available from: Audible & Yoto

Planet Omar

Omar has recently moved to a new house and will be the new kid at school. He always tries to do the right thing, but his vivid imagination often lands him in trouble. This wonderful book has the potential to spark conversations on topics including cultural differences (Omar’s family is Muslim), bullying, friendship, and more. 

*Available from: Audible, Libro.fm & Yoto.

Skunk and Badger

Serious, routine-loving Badger enjoys the peace and quiet of living alone in his brownstone until Skunk, who’s messy, noisy, and always causing a raucous, becomes his unlikely roommate (and, ultimately, his friend). This adorable book cleverly weaves humor and heart throughout its pages.

*Available from: Audible & Libro.fm

Big Foot and Little Foot

Hugo is a young Sasquatch who dreams of adventure in the Big Wide World instead of remaining hidden in caves. (After all, the most important rule of Sasquatches is that they must never be seen by Humans.) Meanwhile, Hugo is a boy whose biggest wish is to meet–you guessed it—a Sasquatch. So what happens when this duo have an unexpected encounter? They join forces to chase after their curiosity and discover other mythical beasts like Ogopogos and Snoot-Nosed Gints. The adventure awaits! 

Henry Huggins

Henry Huggins is an average kid living on Klickitat Street. He has a tendency to get into ridiculous situations such as buying some guppies at a pet store and ending up with a bedroom filled with jars of baby guppies. There’s nothing magical or extraordinary in these stories, but perhaps it’s Henry’s relatability (as well as his adorable adopted dog Ribsy) that hooks kids’ interest and will keep them asking for more.

*Available from: Audible, Libro.fm, Scribd & Yoto

The BFG

Roald Dahl is renowned for writing fantastical children’s fiction, but–at least in our opinions–not all are a fit for younger ages (Matilda and The Witches may too be scary for some, for instance). But the BFG, in which a girl named Sophie befriends a dream-making Big Friendly Giant, is a wonderful and memorable place to start. 

*Available from: Audible, Libro.fm & Yoto