Looking for the best read-aloud chapter books to read to your kids? Here are 25 interesting and engaging books your kids will love! Best for ages 5-9.
Hi friends!
Are you looking for read-alouds that your kids will actually enjoy? Books that feel like a fun adventure every time you crack open the cover? This list features more than two dozen chapter books we’ve read, adored, and that appeal to a wide range of ages and interests.
You might remember I teamed up with my friend Paige for a previous book post. These are the next step beyond many of the books in our previous list of 100+ Chapter Book Series for Kids and feature longer chapters, fewer pictures, and more complex vocabulary. We’re confident that these books will help young kids grow in their love for reading while creating special memories of experiencing these stories together.
Even if your child can read, research shows that continuing to read books to them can broaden their vocabulary, strengthen their ability to follow more intricate storylines, as well as boost feelings of empathy and connectedness.
And if you can’t read with your kids every single day, it’s okay! Listening to audiobooks offers many of the same benefits for kids as being read to by an adult. We recommend using the free apps Libby and Hoopla and have also listed below which of these titles are currently available on Audible, Libro.fm, Scribd, and Yoto. (Those are referral links!)
And if you’re not already following Paige over on Instagram, be sure to do so! She’s a mama to 4 and shares practical and realistic life hacks, cooking tips and more!
If you’d like to see all the books in one place, you can find them in my Amazon shop (aff link). The links to Amazon listed below are also affiliate links. That means if you click them, we make a small amount of money at no additional cost to you! Thanks for supporting us!
Best Read Aloud Chapter Books For Kindergarten – 2nd Grade
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
If you’d like a printable list so you can keep track of the series as you try them, I’ve made one for you! Click the link below:
Read Aloud Books Printable List
Reminder that if you’re not already listening to audiobooks, you can check out these referral links to get started:
We hope this post gave you some new ideas!
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
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This is GREAT, thank you!!