16 Chapter Books for 1st – 3rd Graders
With our Summer Reading Program at work nearing the end of it’s first week, it’s been great to see families in the library again! And I’m reminded of how difficult it can be to find books for early elementary school kids. I find that this age group more than any other has such a wide range of reading abilities, which can make it difficult when suggesting really great books to read.
For today’s post, I’m focusing on kids from 1st – 3rd grade who have mastered the easy readers and are looking for chapter books with the support of a controlled vocabulary and lots of illustrations and white space. Think Magic Treehouse or Junie B. Jones. In fact, I have a book list I created last year that focused on diverse characters in early chapter books, so don’t miss out on those great titles either!
Today’s list is a mix of some great titles that have been around for a while and some newer titles that you might not have seen before! And what’s great about chapter books is that they are often a part of a series. So, once you’ve found something your reader enjoys, there’s always more!
16 Chapter Books for 1st – 3rd Graders
- The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey
- Bad Kitty Goes on Vacation by Nick Bruel
- Beatrice Zinker Upside Down Thinker by Shelley Johannes
- Bird & Squirrel On the Run by James Burks
- A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold
- Bunbun & Bonbon by Jess Keating
- Charlie & Mouse by Laurel Snyder, illustrated by Emily Hughes
- Eva’s Treetop Festival (Owl Diaries) by Rebecca Elliott
- Juana & Lucas by Juana Medina
- Little Robot by Ben Hatke
- The Mount Rushmore Calamity (Flat Stanley’s Worldwide Adventures) by Jeff Brown
- Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea by Ben Clanton
- Rise of the Earth Dragon (Dragon Masters) by Tracey West
- The School Is Alive! (Eerie Elementary) by Jack Chabert
- The Trouble with Chickens by Doreen Cronin
- Weekends with Max and His Dad by Linda Urban
If you’re looking for even more great suggestions, check out the Reading Middle Grade blog!
