Early Chapter Books: Home
Suggested titles and series for children just starting to read chapter books.
Early Chapter Books
Here are some suggested titles and series for children just beginning to read chapter books. Questions? Ask your librarian!
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First Chapter Books
Rabbit and Robot by Rabbit's carefully planned visit with Robot doesn't work out exactly as he imagined in this offbeat tale about two comically mismatched friends. Rabbit is excited: his friend Robot is coming to spend the night!
The Case of the Missing Monkey by Mac's favorite glass monkey is missing from the counter of The Grill Next Door. Who would take a glass monkey? And why? This sounds like a case for the High-Rise Private Eyes -- Bunny Brown and Jack Jones, ace detectives and very best friends!
BOOK 1 in the series
Henry and Mudge by A series about an only child and his huge best friend, a mastiff named Mudge.
BOOK 1 in the series
Bones and the Big Yellow Mystery by In Bones and the Big Yellow Mystery, Mr. Green has lost his school bus. "A bus is a big thing to lose," Jeffrey says. But sometimes, big things are hard to find. Maybe Mr. Green's bus was stolen. Detective Bones gets out his pad, notes the clues, and the search begins. . . .
BOOK 1 in the series
Cam Jansen by Cam is a spunky young heroine whom readers have loved for over two decades.
BOOK 1 in the series
Iris and Walter by Together Iris and Walter discover that anything-from adjusting to a new home to facing the first day of school-is easier when you have a best friend to help you.
BOOK 1 in the series
Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa by Hold on to your hats! Two new pals have arrived on the scene: Cowgirl Kate and her stubborn, but devoted cowhorse, Cocoa. Together they count the herd, ride the range, and, of course, argue till the cows come home--as only best friends can do.
BOOK 1 in the series
Houndsley and Catina by Catina wants to be a famous writer. Houndsley is an excellent cook. Catina thinks Houndsley is a wonder. Houndsley thinks Catina is a very good friend.
BOOK 1 in the series
Mercy Watson to the Rescue by To Mr. and Mrs. Watson, Mercy is not just a pig - she's a porcine wonder. And to the good-natured Mercy, the Watsons are an excellent source of buttered toast, not to mention that buttery-toasty feeling she gets when she snuggles into bed with them. This is not, however, so good for the Watsons' bed. BOOM! CRACK!
BOOK 1 in the series
Bink and Gollie by Meet Bink and Gollie, two precocious little girls - one tiny, one tall, and both utterly irrepressible. Setting out from their super-deluxe tree house and powered by plenty of peanut butter (for Bink) and pancakes (for Gollie), they share three comical adventures.
BOOK 1 in the series
George by These winning easy-to-read adventures feature George and his frolicsome dog, Diggety. Maggie Stern and Blanche Sims bring you tales that are funny and illustrated with verve.
BOOK 1 in the series
Watch Out! Man-Eating Snake by Stacy Arrow's first day of school isn't going well at all. She was only trying to help when she told Jiwon, the girl with the black hair, that her drawing of herself looked like a cow. And she didn't mean to scare her with stories about man-eating snakes. Now Jiwon refuses to be Stacy's best friend. What's Stacy doing wrong?
BOOK 1 in the series
Hi! Fly Guy by "A fly was flying. He was looking for something to eat. Something tasty. Something slimy. A boy was walking. He was looking for something to catch. Something smart. Something for The Amazing Pet Show." The boy and fly meet and so begins a beautiful friendship. Er, and so begins a very funny friendship.
Book 1 in the series
Joe and Sparky, Superstars! by A very funny tale of friendship, derring-do, and the discovery that, bold or shy, anyone can become a superstar.
More Challenging Titles
The Absent Author by In the first book of the A to Z Mysteries;an early chapter book mystery series - Dink writes to his favorite author, mystery writer Wallis Wallace, and invites him to visit Green Lawn. Wallace says yes but when the big day comes, Wallace is nowhere to be found. The police think he just missed his plane, but Dink knows better. It's up to Dink and his two best friends, Josh and Ruth Rose, to find Wallace - before it's too late!
BOOK 1 in the series
Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus by In the 1st Junie B. Jones book, it's Junie B.'s first day and she doesn't know anything. She's so scared of the school bus and the meanies on it that when it's time to go home, she doesn't.
BOOK 1 in the series
Amelia Bedelia Means Business by With Amelia Bedelia, anything can happen! Amelia Bedelia wants a new bike, a shiny, fast one just like Suzanne's. Amelia Bedelia's mom says that a bike like that is expensive and will cost an arm and a leg. Amelia Bedelia can't give away one of her arms and one of her legs! She needs both arms to steer, and both legs to pedal.
BOOK 1 in the series
Nancy Clancy, Super Sleuth by In her chapter book debut, Nancy Clancy must find the culprit when a prized possession goes missing at school.
BOOK 1 in the series
The Case of Hermie the Missing Hamster by Wingnut's hamster is missing! Jigsaw and his partner, Mila, are on the case. They are searching for clues and piecing together the mystery.
BOOK 1 in the series
Dinosaurs Before Dark by Jack and Annie are ready for their first fantasy adventure. Where did the tree house come from? Before Jack and Annie can find out, the mysterious tree house whisks them to the prehistoric past. Now they have to figure out how to get home. Can they do it before dark . . . or will they become a dinosaur's dinner?
BOOK 1 in the series
Captain Awesome to the Rescue! by Eight-year-old Eugene McGillicudy is an imaginative boy who loves comic books and superheroes. Eugene also has his very own supersecret superhero alter ego named Captain Awesome. MI-TEE! When the McGillicudy family relocates to a new town called Sunnyview, Eugene starts a new school, finds a best friend, and even finds time to defend his toys from his two-year-old little sister, Molly! Luckily for Sunnyview, Captain Awesome is there to protect the town (and the universe) from a hilarious cast of comical "bad guys."
BOOK 1 in the series
Great-Grandpa's in the Litter Box by What I wanted was a cute little kitten. Instead, I got a tough tomcat that talks. And that's not all! He says he's my Great-Grandpa Julius and he needs my help. And messy litter box or not, family is family!
BOOK 1 in the series.
The Chocolate Touch by John midas loves chocolate. He loves it so much that he'll eat it any hour of any day. He doesn't care if he ruins his appetite. He thinks chocolate is better than any other food! But one day, after wandering into a candy store and buying a piece of their best chocolate, John finds out that there might just be such a thing as too much chocolate. . . .
Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots by The kids in the third grade at Bailey Elementary are so hard to handle that all of their teachers have quit. But their new teacher, Mrs. Jeepers, is different to say the least. She's just moved from the Transylvanian Alps and she seems to have some strange powers that help her deal with these mischief-makers. Her methods may be a little unconventional, but, then again, Mrs. Jeepers may be just what the Bailey School kids need.
BOOK 1 in the series
The Hidden Stairs and the Magic Carpet by Underneath the steps leading down to Eric's basement is a hidden storage space. It's dusty and old - nothing special at all. But when Eric, Julie, and Neal all huddle inside the gray room together, something unbelievable happens. A glittering light and then a rainbow-colored staircase appear. And as the kids take their very first step down into the mysterious land of Droon, they know that only magic and adventure await them!
BOOK 1 in the series
Tooth Trouble by Freddy Thresher has a problem: a really, really, big problem. He's the only one in his class who hasn't lost a tooth! All of the other students in Mrs. Wushy's first grade have signed their names on the Big Tooth, and Freddy's determined to get his name on it, too. So when Max "The Meanie" Sellars calls Freddy a baby, Freddy decides he's going to lose that tooth one way or another, even if it means getting punched in the face at recess, or even bigger trouble, with Mom!
BOOK 1 in the series
The Clue of the Left-Handed Envelope by WHO SENT AMBER LEE AN ANONYMOUS LETTER? Everyone loves the new teacher, Mr. Merlin. Mr. Merlin used to be a spy, and he knows all about secret codes and the strange and gross ways the police solve mysteries. Now there's a mystery in their very own class -- someone sent Amber Lee Johnson an anonymous letter. Noelle and Todd want to solve the mystery before anyone else. But first they have to figure out Mr. Merlin's clues. How can a bunch of envelopes tell them who sent the letter?
BOOK 1 in the series
Knights of the Kitchen Table by Narrator Joe is given a magic book (''The Book'') that transports him and two friends to King Arthur's Britain, where they find themselves confronted by a fearsome Black Knight--who's easy to defeat with some quick dodging when he's in mid-charge. Then Lancelot, Gawain, et al. happen by and take the boys for heroes--a reputation they sustain by tricking the loathsome giant who's menacing the castle into fighting the terrible dragon (Smaug) that has also just turned up.
BOOK 1 in the series
Shredderman by Bubba is a bully. He cheats, lies and terrorizes little kids. Even teachers can't stop him. Nolan thinks it would take a superhero to make Bubba behave. No one knows that there is a superhero lurking within Nolan's nerdy exterior. Bubba better beware!
BOOK 1 in the series
The Secret Lunch Special by Emily loves her shiny black lunch bag--the jewels, the way it sparkles. But one day a new school bus picks her up, and in the confusion she forgets her lunch bag on the bus. Will she get a ticket, like that loud girl Vincetta Louise said? Or will Emily be forced to eat the Secret Lunch Special?
