Introduction to the site
There are few experience more worthwhile than reading a good book to a child. But how do you find good children's books? DaddyRead.com is the answer. Using the public libraries, we have read, so far, over a thousand books to children, age zero to six. The books we thought best are reviewed, recommended, rated, linked; and listed here by age and type.
Once you have a supply of good books, you should read them to the children in your life. There are countless studies that show that children who are read aloud to, will grow up to become readers themselves, but more importantly, it helps you bond with your child. It also helps you build their character. Each book you read aloud is a journey that you share with a child.
Even though you know reading-aloud is crucial to your child's future academic success, and character, unless you enjoy the experience, you won't read nearly enough. In order for reading-aloud to be successful, both the adult and the child must enjoy the books. Hence our goal is, and must be, to help you find the best books to read-aloud to the children in your life.
DaddyRead was started by two dads who love reading aloud to children. When our children became old enough to listen to chapter books, we searched for books, but we found it very difficult to find good, simple chapter books, suitable for a four year old. This website was conceived to help solve this problem.
DaddyRead, in association with Amazon, is a work in progress. We would appreciate comments, especially links for good books. Please click on the "Contact Us" links above, or send email to staff@daddyread.com.
You can help support our efforts by clicking on any Amazon link on our site, and then purchasing anything from Amazon.
A guide to using the site
There are three parts to this site: lists of chapter books, lists of picture books, and articles. The lists are mainly intended to help the parent choose appropriate books to read aloud. However, an independent reader will also enjoy the chapter books as long as his reading level is sufficiently high. At the end of this guide we will explain how to use our lists for an independent reader.
Chapter Book Lists
The easiest and shortest chapter books can be found in the preschool chapter books list. We have successfully read them to four year old children. Not every four year old is ready for chapter books, but no matter the age, this list should be used for a new chapter book listener. When you have read most of the preschool chapter books, proceed to the kindergarten list, and then to the first grade list. The third grade and up read aloud list is our ultimate goal for read-alouds. It contains some of the most popular kids books, like Harry Potter and many of the good Newberry Award winners. The main difference between the various levels of chapter books is the total number of words. Other differentiating aspects are the average sentence length, complexity of vocabulary, and age appropriateness of issues, like abuse, and death. A good rule of thumb is that the listening level is roughly three years ahead of the reading level.
Picture Book Lists
The easiest picture books are found in the infant list. You can read these to babies. When your child is around 2--3 years old, try the toddler list. By age 4, many of the books on the preschool picture book list become accessible. These books are longer and have more complicated plots than the other lists; they are also highly recommended for older kids. In fact, the adult will enjoy every book (otherwise we wouldn't put them on the list). The most advanced picture books are on the second grade list. Many of these books are educational, and would be great for school use; or for the parent wishing to educate.
How to use this site for an independent reader
Quite a few users of DaddyRead.com use our recommendations, not as read-alouds, but for independent readers. As you probably suspect, a great read-aloud book is almost always a great silently-read book. If you are looking for good early chapter books, start with the preschool chapter books list. Most of the books on this list are on the second through fourth grade reading levels. What makes them special is that they are quite a bit more interesting than the typical chapter book on that reading level. After the preschool list, proceed to the higher level lists.