Chapter Books

A

• Alcott, Louisa May

  • 
    Little Women
    Gender: G
    Level: 2, 3
  • 
    Little Men
    Gender: G
    Level: 2, 3
  • 
    Jo’s Boys
    Gender: G
    Level: 2, 3
  • 
    Eight Cousins
    Gender: G
    Level: 2, 3
  • 
    Rose in Bloom
    Gender: G
    Level: 2, 3
  • 
    Jack and Jill
    Gender: G
    Level: 2, 3

• Alexander, Lloyd

  • 
    The Pyrdain Chronicles Box Set
    Several books
    Gender: B
    Level: 3, 4

• Atwater, Richard

  • 
    Mr. Popper’s Penguins
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2

B

• Banks, Lynne Reid

  • 
    The Indian in the Cupboard
    And sequels; one of them has some weird spiritual aspects—may want to skip that one
    Gender: B
    Level: 2, 3

• Beatty, Patricia

  • 
    Turn Homeward, Hannalee
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3

• Birdsall, Jeanne

  • 
    The Penderwicks
    And sequels
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Blyton, Enid

   A British author born at the turn of the century who wrote around 800 books. She has a cult following; worth exploring.
  • 
    The Famous Five Series
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3
  • 
    The Children of Cherry Tree Farm
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3
  • 
    Tales of Betsy Mae
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3

• Bond, Michael

  • 
    A Bear Called Paddington stories
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2

• Brink, Carol Ryrie

  • 
    Caddie Woodlawn
    My favorite chapter book growing up!
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3
  • 
    Magical Melons
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3

• Brooks, Walter

  • Freddy series

  • 
    Freddy goes to Florida
    Approx. 20 in the series; written in the 1920’s—about a poet detective pig--humurous and clever) some of our favorites:
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4
  • 
    The Clockwork Twin
    Approx. 20 in the series; written in the 1920’s—about a poet detective pig--humurous and clever) some of our favorites:
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4
  • 
    Freddy Goes to the North Pole
    Approx. 20 in the series; written in the 1920’s—about a poet detective pig--humurous and clever) some of our favorites:
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4
  • 
    Freddy, the Detective
    Approx. 20 in the series; written in the 1920’s—about a poet detective pig--humurous and clever) some of our favorites:
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4
  • 
    Freddy and Mr. Camphor
    Approx. 20 in the series; written in the 1920’s—about a poet detective pig--humurous and clever) some of our favorites:
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4

• Browne, Frances

  • 
    Granny’s Wonderful Chair
    Fanciful stories
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3

• Burnett, Frances Hodgson

  • 
    The Little Princess
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3
  • 
    The Secret Garden
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3
  • 
    The Racketty-Packetty House
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2

C

• Cassanova, Maria

  • 
    Moose Tracks
    and sequel
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3

• Caudill, Rebecca

  • Fairchild Family Series

  • 
    Happy Little Family
    Others in this series, as well
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2
  • 
    Up and Down the River
    Others in this series, as well
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2

• Cleary, Beverly

  • 
    Henry Huggins
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3
  • 
    Henry and Ribsy
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3

D

• Dalgliesh, Alice

  • 
    The Silver Pencil
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    Bears on Hemlock Mountain
    Great boy story
    Gender: B
    Level: 1, 2
  • 
    The Courage of Sarah Noble
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2

• deAngeli, Marguerite

   Many others of her books not listed are good as well
  • 
    Door in the Wall
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3
  • 
    Thee, Hannah!
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3

• Dicamillo, Kate

  • 
    The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    Mercy Watson series
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2

• Dillon, Eilis

  • 
    A Family of Foxes
    Gender: Both
    Level:
  • 
    The Lost Island
    Gender: Both
    Level:

E

• Eager, Edward

  • Tales of Magic

  • 
    Knight’s Castle
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3
  • 
    The Well-Wishers
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3
  • 
    Half Magic
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3

• Eckert, Allan W.

  • 
    Incident at Hawk’s Hill
    Gender: Both
    Level:

• Enright, Elizabeth

  • 
    Gone Away Lake
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    Return to Gone Away Lake
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

  • The Melendy Quartet

  • 
    The Saturdays
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    The Four-Story Mistake
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    Then There Were Five
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    Spiderweb for Two
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Estes, Eleanor

  • 
    The Hundred Dresses
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3
  • 
    The Moffats
    And all the sequels
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3

F

• Field, Rachel

  • 
    Hitty
    I like the one rewritten by Rosemary Wells and illus. by Susan Jeffers—a cross betw. a picture book and a chapter book—lovely, full page illustrations
    Gender: G
    Level: 2, 3

• Fisher, Dorothy Canfield

  • 
    Understood Betsy
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2

• French, Allen

   Excellent boy stories!
  • 
    The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow
    Gender: B
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    The Red Keep
    Gender: B
    Level: 3, 4

G

• Gallico, Paul

  • 
    The Man Who Was Magic
    Gender: Both
    Level:
  • 
    The Snow Goose
    Gender: Both
    Level:

• George, Jean Craighead

  • 
    My Side of the Mountain Trilogy
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

  • Julie of the Wolves

  • 
    Julie of the Wolves
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3
  • 
    Julie
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3
  • 
    Julie's Wolf Pack
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3

• Gipson, Fred

  • 
    Old Yeller
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4

• Godden, Rumer

  • 
    The Doll’s House
    Gender: G
    Level: 3

• Goudge, Elizabeth

  • 
    The Little White Horse
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    Linnets and Valerians
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    Gentian Hill
    Gender: G
    Level: 4

• Graham, Kenneth

  • The Wind in the Willows (2 Editions)

  • 
    The Wind in the Willows
    I do like the one abridged and illustrated by Inga Moore. She doesn’t change the language, but does edit out lengthy description that for some children is cumbersome—including mine.
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3
  • 
    The Wind in the Willows (Inga Moore)
    I do like the one abridged and illustrated by Inga Moore. She doesn’t change the language, but does edit out lengthy description that for some children is cumbersome—including mine.
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3

• Green, Roger Lancelyn

   One of the Inklings; wrote great versions of these and many other classics
  • 
    The Adventures of Robin Hood
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Grover, Wayne

  • 
    Dolphin Adventure
    Great short books; true stories
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2
  • 
    Dolphin Treasure
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2

H

• Harrison, Michael

  • 
    Don Quixote
    A retelling of the Miguel de Cervantes tale
    Gender: B
    Level: 3

• Haywood, Carolyn

  • “B” is for Betsy

  • 
    “B” is for Betsy
    Gender: G
    Level: 2
  • 
    Betsey and Billy
    Gender: G
    Level: 2
  • 
    Back to School with Betsy
    Gender: G
    Level: 2
  • 
    Betsy and the Boys
    Gender: G
    Level: 2

• Henry, Marguerite

  • 
    Treasury of Horses Box Set
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3

• Henty, G.A.

   The books are dense; we prefer Jim Weiss’ edited & audio versions
  • 
    The Lion of the North
    Gender: B
    Level: 4
  • 
    The Lion of the North (Audio)
    Gender: B
    Level: 4
  • 
    The Reign of Terror
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    The Resign of Terror (Audio)
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    The Young Carthaginian
    Gender: B
    Level: 4
  • 
    The Young Carthaginian (Audio)
    Gender: B
    Level: 4

J

• Jacques, Brian

  • 
    Redwall
    21 books, all in the series. Great boy books!
    Gender: B
    Level: 3, 4

• Jefferies, Richard

  • 
    Bevis, the Story of a Boy
    Written in 1906
    Gender: B
    Level: 3

• Jewett, Eleanore M.

  • 
    The Hidden Treasure of Glaston
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Jones, Elizabeth Orton

  • 
    Big Susan
    Gender: G
    Level: 2
  • 
    Twig
    Gender: G
    Level: 2

K

• Konigsberg, E.L.

  • 
    The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3

L

• Larson, Kirby

  • 
    Hattie Big Sky
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Lawhead, Stephen

   Though the writing is not completely even, these are solid page-turners
  • 
    The Pendragon Cycle Set
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    King Ravel Trilogy
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4

• LeFeuvre, Amy

  • 
    Teddy’s Button
    Written in 17th century? republished by Lamplighter Publishing. Great boy story!
    Gender: B
    Level: 2, 3

• Lewis, C.S.

   All of his books as soon as children can read them, esp. The Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce (L4)
  • 
    The Chronicles of Narnia Boxed Set
    Gender: Both
    Level: 1, 2, 3, 4

• Lovelace, Maud Hart

  • 
    The Betsy-Tacy Treasury: The First Four Betsy-Tacy Books
    Gender: G
    Level: 2, 3

M

• MacDonald, Betty

  • 
    Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
    And sequels
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2

• MacDonald, George

  • 
    The Princess and the Goblin
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4
  • 
    The Princess and Curdie
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4
  • 
    The Light Princess
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4
  • 
    Wise Woman
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    The Fisherman's Lady
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    Marquis’ Secret
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4

• MacLachlan, Patricia

   I find her books painfully beautiful
  • 
    Sarah, Plain and Tall
    and all the sequels—painfully beautifully
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    Edward's Eyes
    beautiful, but very heavy subject matter—a child dies
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Mains, David and Karen

   Christian fantasy for older children
  • 
    Tales of the Kingdom
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    Tales of the Resistance
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Martin, Ann M. and Laura Godwin

  • 
    The Doll People
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3

• McCloskey, Robert

  • 
    Homer Price
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3

• McGraw, Eloise Jarvis

   Books have an Egyptian belief system—easy to discuss with older children
  • 
    The Golden Goblet
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    Mara, Daughter of the Nile
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4

• McSwigan, Marie

  • 
    Snow Treasure
    WWII
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Milne, A.A.

  • 
    Pooh's Library: Winnie-The-Pooh
    Certainly this is one of the best children’s books of all time. Make sure to read the real version, not just all the picture book selections. The whole family can enjoy the different levels of humor.
    Gender: Both
    Level: 1, 2, 3, 4

• Montgomery, Lucy M.

  • 
    Anne of Green Gables series
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    Emily of New Moon
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Moody, Ralph

  • Little Britches Series

  • 
    Father and I Were Ranchers
    Great boy books, though not exclusively so
    Gender: B
    Level: 4
  • 
    Man of the Family
    Great boy books, though not exclusively so
    Gender: B
    Level: 4
  • 
    The Home Ranch
    Great boy books, though not exclusively so
    Gender: B
    Level: 4
  • 
    Mary Emma & Company
    Great boy books, though not exclusively so
    Gender: B
    Level: 4
  • 
    The Fields of Home
    Great boy books, though not exclusively so
    Gender: B
    Level: 4
  • 
    Shaking the Nickel Bush
    Great boy books, though not exclusively so
    Gender: B
    Level: 4
  • 
    The Dry Divide
    Great boy books, though not exclusively so
    Gender: B
    Level: 4
  • 
    Horse of a Different Color: Reminiscences of a Kansas Drover
    Great boy books, though not exclusively so
    Gender: B
    Level: 4

N

• Nesbit, E.

  • 
    The Enchanted Castle
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    The Railway Children
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    Five Children and It
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    The Phoenix and the Carpet
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Norton, Mary

  • 
    The Borrowers Series
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3

O

• O’Brien, Robert C.

  • 
    Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3

P

• Park, Linda Sue

  • 
    A Single Shard
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Pearce, Phillipa

  • 
    Tom’s Midnight Garden
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3
  • 
    Minnow on the Say
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3

• Peck, Richard

  • 
    Way Down Yonder
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    A Long Way From Chicago
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Perkins, Janet and John

  • 
    Haffertee Hamster Diamond
    And sequels
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2

• Peterson, John

  • 
    The Littles
    And sequels, 18 books total
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2

R

• Ransome, Arthur

  • 
    Swallow and Amazons
    And all in series, 12 books total
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Rawling, Wilson

  • 
    Where the Red Fern Grows
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4

• Ray, Mary

  • 
    The Ides of April
    Historical fiction
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4

• Reilly-Giff, Patricia

  • Nory Ryan's Song Series

  • 
    Nory Ryan's Song
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    Maggie's Door
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    Water Street
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    Eleven
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    "R" My Name is Rachel
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

S

• Seldon, George

  • 
    A Cricket in Times Square
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3

• Seredy, Kate

  • 
    A Tree for Peter
    An amazing redemptive story; a generational favorite in our family
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3

• Shemin, Margaretha

  • 
    The Little Riders
    A WWII story about a girl who is very courageous
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3

• Sidney, Margaret

  • 
    The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew (5 Book Set)
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3

• Speare, Elizabeth George

  • 
    Calico Captive
    A story of a woman captured by American Indians
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    The Bronze Bow
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    The Witch of Blackbird Pond
    Set in medieval times in which people assumed anyone strange was a witch; this woman was a Quaker.
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    The Sign of the Beaver
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4

• Spyri, Johanna

  • 
    Heidi
    Not all sequels are written by Spyri, but are good
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4

• St. John, Patricia

  • 
    Patricia St John Series
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Steig, William

  • 
    Dominic
    Gender: Both
    Level:
  • 
    Abel's Island
    Gender: Both
    Level:

• Stratton-Porter, Gene

  • 
    Laddie
    One of my all time favorites
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    Freckles
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    Keeper of the Bees
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    A Girl of the Limberlost
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    The Magic Garden
    Gender: G
    Level: 4

• Sutcliff, Rosemary

   Retells a lot of ancient classics very well
  • 
    Black Ships Before Troy
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4
  • 
    Eagles of the Ninth
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4
  • 
    The Wanderings of Odysseus
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4

T

• Taylor, Sidney

  • All of a Kind Family Series

  • 
    All-of-a-Kind Family
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3
  • 
    More All-Of-A-Kind Family
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3
  • 
    All-of-a-Kind Family Uptown
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3
  • 
    All-Of-A-Kind Family Downtown
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3
  • 
    Ella Of All-Of-A-Kind Family
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3

• Tolkien, J.R.R.

  • 
    The Hobbit
    PLEASE do not let your children watch these movies until they have read the books!
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    The Lord of the Rings
    Try the audio version read by Rob Inglis!! PLEASE do not let your children watch these movies until they have read the books!
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    The Lord of the Rings (Audio)
    Try the audio version read by Rob Inglis!! PLEASE do not let your children watch these movies until they have read the books!
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4

V

• von Stockhum, Hilda

  • 
    The Winged Watchmen
    WWII
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    The Mitchells
    And sequels
    Gender: Both
    Level:

• Von Trapp, Maria

  • 
    The Story of the Trapp Family Singers
    Gender: Both
    Level:

W

• White, E.B.

  • 
    Charlotte’s Web
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4
  • 
    The Trumpet of the Swan
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4

• White, John

  • Archives of Anthropos

  • 
    The Sword Bearer
    And sequels, 5 books total
    Gender: Both
    Level:
  • 
    Gaal the Conqueror
    And sequels, 5 books total
    Gender: Both
    Level:

• Wiggin, Kate Douglas, ed.

  • 
    The Arabian Nights
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4

• Wilder, Laura Ingalls

  • 
    The Little House Box Set
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3

• Williamson, Joanne

   writes amazing historical fiction; slowly being republished by Bethlehem Books—check their website
  • 
    Hittite Warrior
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    God King
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4

• Winthrop, Elizabeth

  • 
    The Castle in the Attic
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3

• Wright, Harold Bell

  • 
    Shepherd of the Hills
    A generational family favorite
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4