Reading to our kids is one of my favorite parts of the day. They are fresh out of the bath, so squeaky clean, in their cozy pajamas, and it’s the guaranteed one time of day when we have one-on-one time with one of the kids. KCD and I rotated every night, so one night, I’ll have Millie. The next night I’ll have Welles, and so on.
When our kids were baby babies, we would read them the typical board books during the day, but at night, when they were drowsy and not looking at the books anyways, we’d read them chapter books to lull them asleep. It was fun for us because it was a story we enjoyed as kids (think Charlotte’s Web, Where The Red Fern Grows…you get the idea), but we got to experience them with fresh eyes and a new lens as a parent. We liked that the kids were hearing new words and (we wanted to think) building their imagination through osmosis even though they couldn’t really follow the story at that age…but they never complained because I guess they just liked the sound and comfort of our voice reading to them. It was a nice break at the end of the day from the repetitive feeling of reading (but actually, you’ve memorized every word in the book) their favorite books. If you’re in this phase, I can’t recommend doing this enough!
But, once our kids were old enough to choose their books at bedtime and have an opinion, we found books that were a little bit longer but still full of pictures to hold the kid’s attention. I could write a whole post on these books — because we found some real gems! — so let me know if you want to do that round-up.
And now we are at the phase with Millie (5) and Welles (3) where we get to read them chapter books, and they can follow along and enjoy the story. It’s so magical, and I love how they beg for “one more chapter!” because they are so engrossed and just have to know what happens!
Here are our 5 favorite chapter books series —
Jack and Annie Magic Tree House
This was the first series we read with Millie, and we all fell in love immediately. Jack and Annie, sister and brothers, go on adventures and visit places and times (in the past and present) to help Morgan and Merlin save Camelot. We read literally every book in the series (and thankfully, there are a lot!) and enjoyed them all. You learn about many places, the kids are great role models, and they talk about incredible life lessons.
The Boxcar Children
These books made such an impression in our childhood that we were excited to read them to Millie (Welles is still a little young, as these have very few pictures throughout the chapters). We really enjoyed the first 8 or so books — they were fun, adventurous, and exciting! But honestly, after 10 or so, the stories get a little repetitive (as the adult, you can see the formula of writing), so that’s where we stopped. The first 5 are so great, though, so enjoy!!
Cam Jansen
We recently got into Cam Jansen, and we all can’t get enough! In each story, Cam and her friends help solve a case thanks to Cam’s photographic memory. They are fast, engaging, and overall just great stories. Millie and Welles both love these!
A to Z Mysteries
This series is our current obsession. Our kids find the “mysteries” the three main characters help solve incredibly engaging. It’s fun to experience them locked in, with lots of questions and guesses on who did it and where the clue will lead. I can’t recommend this series enough! Although I’ll warn you, they have me reading to them during every free moment because they want to find out what happens, so you might (if you’re like me) be reading to them while they eat breakfast, their afternoon snack, and any other free moment during the day.
Little House On The Prairie
A classic, and for a reason. We’ve enjoyed this series and find that they get better and better the further along in the series you get. (Sidenote: This is best for the older ones as the pace is a little slower and the words more descriptive, so it’s a little trickier for the little one’s to stay interested.)
The Cobble Street Cousins
We’re just starting this series, but we read the first book in one sitting because it was that fun, quick, and sweet. We can’t wait to pick up more!!
And that’s it; those are our top 5 favorite chapter book series we all love. What are you reading to your kids these days? What are your favorites? I’d love to know!
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