25 Chapter Books To Read Aloud To Your Kids

Gina I.:  13-year-old Brian's plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness, leaving him alone with only the clothes on his back and a hatchet. He struggles to make shelter, find food and survive. This and the rest of the books in the Brian's Saga series are stories your kid won't soon forget.

Alexandra F.:  Harry Potter is a personal favorite (which I first read in college!), so we introduced it when our kids were pretty young, in early elementary school. I love that it can be enjoyed (and read and reread) at all ages, though, so that my kids loved it as much in middle school as they did in third grade, and as much as I do as an adult.

Alexandra F.:  One of my childhood favorites, and now my daughter's as well. Although Roald Dahl wrote so many chapter books that have become beloved children's classics, my family thinks this one is his absolute best.

Laura Ingalls Wilder has a way of bringing pioneer life alive through her vividly descriptive life stories in these classic children's chapter books. Laura, along with her sisters and parents, brave the harsh and oftentimes dangerous wilds of America in the 1870s.

Kelly R:  My second grader has been reading the Wayside School series over FaceTime with her grandmother, and I hear the two of them in hysterics over the antics in these funny chapter books. Each chapter tells a story about a different teacher or student in Wayside School, a school that was accidentally built sideways and 30 stories high. It's written at just the right level for them to take turns reading to each other.

Shila:  E.B. White's Charlotte's Web is one of the sweetest chapter books to read aloud with your kids. It's full of talking farm animals, friendship, and life lessons that may or may not induce a little tear. So sit close while reading in case you need to lend a hug in that chapter!

Shila:  The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis, are a series of pure fantasy novels that are ideal for bedtime reading and magical dreaming. There can be a lot of detail within, so these are good books to read aloud with kids in order to reinforce some character actions and morals. The Narnia series is widely enjoyed by adults, too.

Michael Farina:  Our family started this 12-book collection by Cressida Cowell when our son was 5 and enamored with the movie series. The books and movies follow very different plots, but both remain the tale of a brainy misfit trying to find his way in the Hairy Hooligan tribe, turning adversaries into allies along the way. The early stories are relatively lighthearted, full of wonder and discovery, but as Hiccup grows up in the later books, the stakes rise, and lead to a beautiful and fitting conclusion, with some poignant lessons about growing up.

An added bonus: David Tenet narrates the audiobooks, doing a masterful job of bringing the characters to life. We listened to one of the books in a car ride that was 100% free of "are we there yet?" questions.

Shila:  Ralph is a mouse who lives in a hotel and befriends a young guest staying in one of the rooms. The boy is shocked to learn that Ralph can talk! If you ask my kids, the best part of reading Beverly Cleary's The Mouse and the Motorcycle together was using a "high-pitched chipmunk voice" to narrate Ralph's lines. Because of those smiles (and the cute story!), we recommend this as one of our favorite read aloud chapter books for kids.

Vanessa M.:  A castle, a princess, a young maid, and a tiny mouse with a great big heart...It's The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. I recently read this beautifully written book out loud with my kids, and we all loved it!

Shila:  Richard Atwater's Mr. Popper's Penguins will delight kids and adults alike! This award-winning chapter book is funny and theatrical. What would you do if a penguin family showed up to live in your home?

Shila:  R. A. Montgomery's Choose Your Own Adventure books are not only amazing mystery books, they check the box for family fun time too. These are great chapter books to read aloud to your kids; they encourage discussion and interactive gameplay! Every chapter or so, you'll find a stop sign to pause and make a decision based on the running circumstance. Depending on your choice to proceed, readers can skip ahead, go back to a specific page, or continue on the same path. Choose Your Own Adventure books can actually have a variety of different endings!

Sarah Calamita:  An entertaining chapter series about the adventures of 4 kids! Great for K-2.

Shila:  Roald Dahl has a way with storytelling that appeals to kids and parents! Fantastic Mr. Fox is one of those entertaining chapter books to read aloud with kids starring a sly and persistent fox who is stealing from a trio of increasingly upset farmers.

Kelly R:  This is the perfect first read aloud chapter book for kids who are able to sit and listen to longer books, in kindergarten or even late preschool. The stories in the illustrated trilogy (which also stand alone well) begin when a boy runs away to rescue a baby dragon on a faraway island. Chapters are filled with excitement and enough suspense to keep kids interested in what will happen next.