There’s no rush to move away from picture books – I’m planning on reading picture books until I’m 100-and-some-years-old! But, if your child is showing an interest in longer form content, you’re wanting to amp up your reading, and you too are excited about reading something along with your kid(s) where you can put a bookmark in it and say, “to be continued…”, then I’m happy to share some of our favourites! These are the series that have been my oldest daughter’s favourites from ages 4 to 6-years-old, but keep in mind that my 3-year-old and 1-year-old get to hear all of these reads along with us!
By the way, as usual, these are in no particular order.
The Questioneers by Andrea Beaty
This was really the series that started it all for my oldest! If you haven’t already read all the Andrea Beaty children’s picture books, go do that! They are both inspiring and inclusive. They use the best rhymes, have the most fun characters, and the illustrations are top notch! So, once my oldest fell in love with all those characters, the next step was the chapter books. The same beloved characters, with so much more detail (hence chapter books), and still some illustrations to allow for that gradual pivot into the chapter book world!
Zoey and Sassafras by Asia Citro
My daughter loves anything science, but the way this series combines science along with fantasy and magical creatures, is so much fun! Again, another whole series win in our household.
Owl Diaries by Rebecca Elliott
These are such light chapter books that you can read a whole book in one sitting, and they have tons of pictures within the chapters. These ones are still fun now, but are a great starter series for the younger ages, and also great for kids learning to read themselves.
Unicorn Academy by Julie Sykes
Each chapter book in the series focuses on a different character at a magical boarding school, and we love the friendships and determination that the characters show, but also…there’s unicorns!
Heartwood Hotel by Kallie George
My oldest daughter has been saying these are her favourite books since we read them with a multi-age kids’ book club over a year and a half ago! These ones you will want to read in order, but they are so incredibly wonderful for all ages!
Jasmine Toguchi by Debbie Michiko Florence
Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen is what made my oldest fall in love with Jasmine, so it’s comforting to know that there’s so much more of Jasmine Toguchi that you can find on the bookshelves (and we have)! We love her determination mixed with humour and spunk!
JoJo Makoons by Dawn Quigley
You know it’s a good book when you’re not even finished it and your daughter says, “Can we get all the JoJo Makoons books?!” So, like above, even though this is the one that got us started, there are many more to choose from. Hearing JoJo’s internal thoughts out loud always makes me giggle.
A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga
This is the first (and last) chapter book I’m recommending in this whole post that is not part of a series. But, oh, how I wish it was, because I legitimately cried reading this chapter book to my daughter. She loved it, not only because it was great, but because she loves space, and all things science, and it fit so perfectly with herKindergarten Science Curriculum. I loved it, not only because it was great, but because the flow of narrator changes, between the Rover and the Scientist’s daughter (writing letters to the Rover), kept me so engaged!
Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo
Okay, these chapter books are actually my 3-year-old son’s absolute favourite, but they are still loved and enjoyed by my 6-year-old alike, so it’s a perfect family-friendly series, and great for when your kiddos start reading on their own. Mercy, the pig, or the “porcine wonder” is hilariously entertaining, and all the characters bring something different to the table. Even though they are chapter books, they incorporate lots of pictures, and they can really be read in one sitting, so cuddle in, and enjoy!
The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale
Another series for those who want a princess story with a little bit of a twist. The Princess in Black transforms to fight monsters and help others!
Happy Reading!