Early Read Aloud Chapter Books (preschool)
[1]
Chalk Box Kid 
chapter book
read-aloud preschool and up
Many books can wet your eyes, or make you laugh, but few evoke the emotion of amazement. When you visit the grand canyon, you say wow. At the end of this book, both you and your child will be amazed with the ingenuity that people are capable of. This novel is a subtle masterpiece.
[2]
The Stories Julian Tells
illus. Strugnell, Ann
chapter book
read-aloud preschool and up
A great book of emotion and life. Julian is a little boy who grows, noticeably, in 71 pages.
[3]
Two Times the Fun
illus. Thompson, Carol
chapter book
read-aloud preschool and up
This simple chapter book tells several short stories (each story takes up a chapter) about a pair of twins (boy/girl). The twins are around 4 years old, which makes it an excellent early read aloud book.
[4]
Moongobble 1: The Dragon of Doom
illus. Coville, Katherine
chapter book
read-aloud preschool and up
audiobook CD
This is the first book in the Moongobble and Me series. Edward, a young boy apprentices to a neophyte wizard, Moongobble. Moongobble has a habit of messing up his spells and turning things to cheese. The Moongobble series has all the elements of fantasy: knights, dragons, witches,... but none of the violence usually present: the dragon of doom turns out to be roughly a foot long. The writing is witty, but simple enough for a four year old to understand.
[5]
Space Brat 1: Space Brat
illus. Coville, Katherine
chapter book
read-aloud preschool and up
This is the first book in the Space Brat series. Blork is an alien from the planet Splat, who has the best tantrums in the universe. He desperately tries to avoid erupting in a tantrum, but in the end, his tantrums are what saves him. The Space Brat series is a good introduction to science fiction for a preschooler.
[6]
James and the Giant Peach
illus. Blake, Quentin
chapter book
read-aloud preschool and up
audiobook CD
A great book for beginning read-aloud chapter books. James escapes from a wretched life (being raised by his two aunts) in a giant peach, along with some rather large, but friendly, insects.
[7]
Mercy Watson to the Rescue
illus. Dusen, Chris Van
chapter book
read-aloud preschool and up
audiobook CD
Mercy Watson is a pig who lives with a human couple. Her favorite place to sleep is right in bed with the humans. This series makes a nice read-aloud for a young child. The writing is simple and almost every page has high quality color illustrations. When you child get older, check out Dicamillo's other award winning popular books.
[8]
Three Tales of My Father's Dragon
chapter book
read-aloud preschool and up
audiobook CD
A good story to read aloud when you are beginning chapter books. A boy goes off to a strange island to rescue a dragon.
[9]
Fox Eyes
chapter book
read-aloud preschool and up
A story about how a boy and a fox trade places for a little while.
[10]
Andrew Lost
illus. Palen, Debbie
chapter book
read-aloud preschool and up
highly recommended
Andrew is a child genius inventor. His inventions take his cousin Judy and him on various adventures. Each adventure lasts four books (each book is almost always 75 pages) and it is possible to read adventures out of order. The books are filled with scientific facts: the author is an established biology children's textbook writer. I personally learned a lot of neat science from the books. Don't think these books are dry, Greenburg mixes in interesting facts throughout the adventure.
[11]
Busybody Nora
illus. Tilley, Debbie
chapter book
read-aloud preschool and up
Nora is a four year old girl who lives in a New York City apartment building. In this adventure (part of a series), Nora throws a party for an old neighbor. The writing is touching.
[12]
Pee-Wee's Tale
illus. Brewster, Patience
chapter book
read-aloud preschool and up
Pee-Wee, a pet guinea pig, is abandoned by his (human) family to live in Central Park. He befriends a squirrel named Lexi. Pee-Wee is a special guinea pig: he taught himself to read English. The story is a little on the slow side, but that makes it all the better for bedtime.
[13]
Catwings
illus. Schindler, S.D.
chapter book
read-aloud preschool and up
highly recommended
Catwings are cats that can fly. A poor pregnant cat, living on the streets, dreams of a better life for her unborn kittens. She dreams they will fly away, to a better life. The book is beautifully written, full of emotion, and hope for a bright future. This book is one of the best chapter books for really young children.
[14]
Frog and Toad Are Friends
chapter book
read-aloud preschool and up
highly recommended
audiobook CD
Lobel's books are unique in that they are written on a very simple reading level, yet the stories are interesting and surprisingly deep.
[15]
Owl At Home
chapter book
read-aloud preschool and up
Owl spends too much time alone. The book is so simply written (it is an easy reader book) but so deep on emotion. It is truly an amazing piece of writing.
[16]
Stink (Series)
illus. Reynolds, Peter
chapter book
read-aloud preschool and up
Stink is a second grader, younger brother to Judy Moody, who has her own series (see the kindergarten chapter book list). I personally like the Stink character more than his older sister. Maybe it's because of all the mean things Judy does to him.
[17]
Winnie the Pooh
illus. Shepard, Ernest H.
chapter book
read-aloud preschool and up
The language reads a little old fashioned, and Pooh's interesting form of grammar can be a little strange, but Pooh's little adventures are fun. I would recommend you read Pooh to experienced chapter book listeners. Don't start with Pooh since it can get a little confusing for a small child.
[18]
Magic Tree House
illus. Murdocca, Sal
chapter book
read-aloud preschool and up
audiobook CD
The Magic Tree House series is a great stepping stone between picture books and chapter books. Most books written for a pre-k listening level take place in a realistic setting, like school. Not so with the magic tree house, it takes Jack and Anne throughout time and space: from the time of the dinosaurs to the future when men have colonized the moon. The books are exciting to read: Jack and Anne are often in real danger, though you know they will always make it back home. These books are also available in an audio format. I recommend reading at least the first four books. If you, the adult reader, gets bored, try playing the audio versions.
[19]
Amelia Bedelia
illus. Siebel, Fritz
chapter book
read-aloud preschool and up
highly recommended
audiobook CD
If you like the humor that comes when people interpret directions literally, then you will love Ameila. For example, she is told to dress the chicken. Well she does, but in a green shirt with suspenders. Adults will find it funny, but kids will find it hysterical. The book is considered a chapter book, but contains pictures (which add to the humor) on almost every page.
[20]
Junie B. Jones (Series)
illus. Brunkus, Denise
chapter book
read-aloud preschool and up
I read the first book, where Stupid Smelly Bus and stopped. I enjoyed the book; my child enjoyed it. But, every other word Junie says is the word stupid. In fact, my child started using the word stupid so much that I returned the rest of the series to the library. But, in fairness to the book, the book is good. There is another issue: Junie does not always speak in a grammatically correct fashion. This doesn't bother me but it bothers some people.
[21]
The Absent Author (A to Z Mysteries Series)
illus. Gurney, John Steven
chapter book
read-aloud preschool and up
A to Z Mysteries is a series of 26 little mystery books. The detectives are three kids who are very perseverant. As adult, I don't usually read mysteries, but for the child listener, they are like simple puzzles: can the child figure out the mystery? As you read this book to them, ask them questions about different clues. See if they can solve the mystery.
[22]
You Read to Me and I'll Read to You: Stories to Share from the 20th Century
chapter book
read-aloud preschool and up
highly recommended
This is a compilation of many excellent short chapter books. It includes Amos and Boris (Steig), The Magic Finger (Dahl), Catwings (LeGuin), and many more. It is an excellent birthday present, or a book to keep for your own personal library.
[23]
The Houdini Box
chapter book
read-aloud preschool and up
highly recommended
One could also classify this book as a picture book. This book tells a story of a little boy who idolizes the Great Houdini. The boy meets Houdini and is invited to learn some of his secrets, but never gets the chance....
[24]
Chocolate Fever
illus. Fiammenghi, Gioia
chapter book
read-aloud preschool and up
highly recommended
audiobook CD
Chocolate Fever is a great example of an excitingly, developed story that a really young listener could enjoy. A boy eats too much chocolate and gets a strange measles-like disease. He is on the run from the police when he meets a truck driver pulling---you guessed it---chocolate. The truck driver is a black man and racism is discussed. In America, today, racism and segregation against black people is not so public as it was years ago, so when reading this to a young child you should explain this when it comes up in the story.
[25]
Chibi: A True Story from Japan
Takaya, Julia; Brenner, Barbara
illus. Otani, June
chapter book
read-aloud preschool and up
highly recommended
The true story of how a family of ducks captured the hearts of the people in Tokyo. Sato-san, a photographer, took special interest in the duck family. When it was apparent that the family of ducks would cross a main road, Sato-san camped out all night to make sure the ducks could safely cross (with a police escort). The smallest duckling, Chibi, became the favorite of many. All was well until a violent storm scattered the ducks...