Read-aloud chapter books?

[charlatti]

What chapter books do you remember from your preschool/early elementary years, or what have you read with your kids? DD is five and we've been reading some early chapter series, but I'd like to find some older or more classic books. Bonus points for mysteries without any really scary parts.

Already on my list: Charlotte's Web (we did that one), The Boxcar Children, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

[rootbeerfloat]

Ramona, Stuart Little, Magic Treehouse

[hopecounts]

They aren't universally liked but the Junie B Jones books are really fiunny.
I always enjoyed it when I subbed in a class that was reading one of them.

[mrspez07]

We've been reading the Magic tree house books and now DS1 (4.5yo) is totally loving the hardy boys case files, which are the newest ones but written about them at elementary school age, not scary at all.

We also read a bit of the Little House books, but he lost interest.

[dorothyinAus]

Bunnicula
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner
Homer Price
Charlotte's Web
Encyclopedia Brown

[charlatti]

Mar 27, 2014 19:49:15 GMT -5 mrspez07 said:

We've been reading the Magic tree house books and now DS1 (4.5yo) is totally loving the hardy boys case files, which are the newest ones but written about them at elementary school age, not scary at all.

We also read a bit of the Little House books, but he lost interest.

We've been doing the Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew series, but they are painful. So badly written and even more poorly edited. I've heard good things about MTH, but I thought those were more for kids to read on their own when they are learning, rather than to read aloud. Little House is definitely worth a try.

[charlatti]

Mar 27, 2014 18:05:43 GMT -5 hopecounts said:

They aren't universally liked but the Junie B Jones books are really fiunny.
I always enjoyed it when I subbed in a class that was reading one of them.

Was the class doing it as a read-aloud? I thought that was another one designed more for beginning on-your-own reading. It's entirely possible that I've imagined that entire concept.

[hopecounts]

Yes, read aloud time after lunch.
They are pretty accessible for early readers but make for fun read aloud books too.

[carifly]

James and the Giant Peach
Little House series
Half Magic
The Borrowers
Mr. Poppers Penguins
Stuart Little
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle

I'm reading Peter Pan to DD right now (she's almost 6) and I kind of regret the choice. I also read A Little Princess and Secret Garden to her, and while she enjoyed them I kind of wish I had waited a year. I struggle to come up with good choices, so I'm glad you started this thread!

[mrspez07]

Mar 28, 2014 7:26:11 GMT -5 charlatti said:

Mar 27, 2014 19:49:15 GMT -5 mrspez07 said:

We've been reading the Magic tree house books and now DS1 (4.5yo) is totally loving the hardy boys case files, which are the newest ones but written about them at elementary school age, not scary at all.

We also read a bit of the Little House books, but he lost interest.

We've been doing the Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew series, but they are painful. So badly written and even more poorly edited. I've heard good things about MTH, but I thought those were more for kids to read on their own when they are learning, rather than to read aloud. Little House is definitely worth a try.

I would have to say the Hardy Boys are decently written. That's too bad about Nancy Drew. Also ask your librarian, they might have good ideas.

[charlatti]

We do really like the Candy Fairies series. It's certainly not classic-level writing, but the writing is decent and the stories are cute. (Example from the Nancy Drew books: in the first book, a major plot point revolves around one character's cat. We are reading a book later in the series, where a major plot point revolves around that same character never having had a pet. Arrgh! Give kids some credit, you know? That plus lots of typos, which is especially annoying in books designed for young readers, and I've declared this our last Nancy Drew until DD is old enough for the originals.)