Early Reader and Beginning Chapter Book Read-Alouds

There is a wealth of good books to discover in the E-R (Early Reader) and J Fiction (Juvenile Fiction) sections of the library. You don't have to wait until your child is reading on their own to share these books with him or her either! We've created a booklist featuring suggested books to read aloud to younger listeners (roughly 7 years and younger). You can check it out here: http://www.thebestlibrary.net/joomla/images/pdfs/great_read_alouds_younger_listeners.pdf. Below are a few enjoyable early reader and beginning chapter books to share with preschoolers and kindergartners:

Upstairs Mouse, Downstairs Mole by Wong Herbert Yee

Mouse and his downstairs neighbor, Mole, discover that when they help each other, housecleaning and other daily tasks are much easier.

Dodsworth in New York by Tim Egan

Before you read Dodsworth in New York (and the sequels: Dodsworth in Paris and Dodsworth in London), share the story of how Dodsworth's travels begin in the picture book The Pink Refrigerator by Tim Egan. In Dodsworth in New York, Dodsworth sets out on a trip to the grand city of New York. Unbeknownst  to Dodsworth, a crazy duck stows away in his suitcase and creates adventures for Dodsworth along the way.

Pearl and Wagner: Two Good Friends by Kate McMullan

Pearl and Wagner, a rabbit and a mouse, work together to build a robot for their science project. Follow their further adventures with Pearl and Wagner: Three Secrets and Pearl and Wagner: One Funny Day.

Three Tales of My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett

Contains: My father's dragon -- Elmer and the dragon -- The dragons of Blueland.

A compilation of three tales which relate the fantastic adventures of Elmer Elevator and a baby flying dragon named Boris.

Bed, Bats, & Beyond by Joan Holub

It's dawn and time for bats to go to bed, but Fang's brother Fink can't sleep. Soon the whole family tries different bedtime stories to lull Fink to sleep.

Daisy Dawson is on Her Way! by Steve Voake

One day when Daisy is late for school, an encounter with a butterfly leaves her suddenly able to communicate with animals, and when Boom, a stray dog, is caught by the pound, she enlists the help of a host of other animals to rescue him.

Dog Diaries: Secret Writings of the WOOF Society by Betsy Byars, Betsy Duffey, and Laurie Myers

At the first annual meeting of WOOF--Words of Our Friends--assorted dogs preserve their heritage by sharing tales of canines throughout history, including Abu, who ruled all of Egypt except for one pesky cat, and Zippy, who simply must find the squeaky toy.

Uh-Oh, Cleo by Jessica Harper

What starts out as a perfectly ordinary day in the Small house turns into Stiches Saturday when Cleo gets a cut on the head after her twin brother, Jack, accidentally pulls down their "Toy House."

Mostly Monty by Johanna Hurwitz

Because he suffers from asthma, six-year-old Monty is nervous about starting first grade but he soon learns to cope with his illness and use his special talents to make friends.

Great Read-Aloud

 

Grandaddy and Janetta Together: The Three Stories in One Book by Helen V. Griffith, illustrated by James Stevenson

This is a wonderful read-aloud for older preschoolers and early elementary-aged kids. For independent readers, I'd recommend it to readers in grades 2 and up. This is a delightful story of Janetta and her relationship and visits with her grandfather - who has a knack for storytelling. This is a charming, humorous family read-aloud!

Pick of the Week: Mama's Kiss

Mama's Kiss by Jane Yolen, illustrations by Daniel Baxter (Handprint Books, an imprint of Chronicle Books, 2008)

In Mama's Kiss, Mama starts out throwing her daughter a kiss - but - surprise! - it misses her target! Mama throws another kiss, but this one lands on baby brother instead. Thus begins the journey of a traveling kiss that brings happiness to plenty of others before it finally comes full circle back to Mama's girl. This is a very sweet, happy book by the prolific author Jane Yolen. My guess is this one will end up being a favorite bedtime read-aloud for many.

Get Ready to Laugh: Wild Boars Cook

They're bossy. They're stinky. They're hungry. They're wild boars! The wild boars are back and are ready to cook. One of them has found a sweet, sticky, incredibly messy recipe for a Massive Pudding that only a wild boar could love! Certain to tickle your funny bone and keep listeners begging for you to read it one more time.

Wild Boars Cook by Meg Rosoff and Sophie Blackall (Henry Holt and Company, 2008)

Pick of the Week: Little Blue Truck

Little Blue Truck by ALice Schertle, illustrated by Jill McElmurry (Harcourt, 2008)

In this story a dump truck and a little blue truck get stuck in the mud. But luckily, with the help of a variety of animals, the trucks find their way out. A fun read-aloud full of great sounds and rhythm, this is also a great tale of friendship and helping others in need.

Beyond Picture Books...chapter book read-alouds for young listeners

As a Youth Services Librarian, I'm often asked to suggest a good chapter book read-aloud for older preschoolers or beginning elementary-aged children. I always look for a combination of a good story, short chapters and illustrations interwoven with text. Often families are looking for a story that will capture their child's interest and can be read in short increments night after night. Sometimes a great story meets the right listener and just the words alone bring the story alive for hours of shared listening! Below are some of my favorites - new and old:

Babe: the Gallant Pig by Dick King-Smith

A piglet comes to Farmer Hogget's farm, where he is adopted by an old sheepdog and accomplishes amazing things




Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

The famous story of a little girl named Fern and her favorite pet pig. An absolute classic.




Davey's Blue-Eyed Frog by Patricia Harrison Easton

Davey finds a talking frog that claims to be a princess and plans to take her to school to show off, until he begins to consider the consequences of his actions.



Frog and Toad All Year by Arnold Lobel

Two very good friends are back in "a quintet of tales loosely set around the seasons--one for each with a bonus Christmas number. Another winner for (Frog and Toad) fans young and old".--Booklist. ALA Notable Children's Book.


Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus by Barbara Park

In her own words, a young girl describes her feelings about starting kindergarten and what she does when she decides not to ride the bus home.



Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik

Little Bear's four adventures include taking a trip to the moon and having a birthday party.



Maybelle in the Soup by Katie Speck

When Mr. and Mrs. Peabody invite a guest to dinner, Maybelle the cockroach, who lives under their refrigerator, ignores the warnings of Henry the flea to be sensible and ends up "splashing" into a big adventure.


Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo

After Mercy the pig snuggles to sleep with the Watsons, all three awaken with the bed teetering on the edge of a big hole in the floor



Mokie and Bik by Wendy Orr

For two rambunctious twins, living on a boat means always being underfoot or overboard.




Moose and Hildy: The Show-Off by Stephanie Greene

Hildy looks forward to a visit from her cousin, Winston, but when he arrives he bores her and annoys all of her friends by declaring his superior intelligence and expertise on every subject, until Moose convinces him to try something different. Also recommended: Moose and Hildy: Moose's Big Idea.


Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle lives in an upside-down house ans smells like cookies. She was even married to a pirate once. Most of all, she knows everything about children. She can cure them of any ailment. Patsy hates baths. Hubert never puts anything away. Allen eats v-e-r-y slowly. Mrs Piggle-Wiggle has a treatment for all of them.The incomparable Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle loves children good or bad and never scolds but has positive cures for Answer-Backers, Never-Want-to-Go-to-Bedders, and other boys and girls with strange habits. -- San Francisco Examiner Chronicle.

The Stories Julian Tells by Ann Cameron

Relates episodes in seven-year-old Julian's life which include getting into trouble with his younger brother Huey, planting a garden, what he did to try to grow taller, losing a tooth, and finding a new friend.


Stuart Little by E.B. White

An adventurous and heroic little mouse, with very human qualities, searches for his lost friend, the lovely bird Margalo. "Endearing for young and old, full of wit and wisdom and amusement".--The Horn Book.




The Toys Go Out: being the adventures of a knowledgeable Stingray, a toughy little Buffalo, and someone called Plastic by Emily Jenkins

Six stories relate the adventures of three best friends, who happen to be toys.


Two Times the Fun by Beverly Cleary

Jimmy and Janet are twins, but that doesn't mean they are just alike. When we first meet Jimmy, he wants to dig a real hole. He likes to use a real, grown-up shovel. While he's working, his sister, Janet, pretends to be a bird! She likes to use her imagination. But the twins both like silly jokes, brand- new boots, and talking to Mr. Lemon, the mailman.

Americana Tales

While most likely to be appreciated by older children than in our Birth-to-Six age group targeted on this blog, I still couldn't resist sharing the latest title from beloved children's author and illustrator, Tomie DePaola. As we celebrate and spotlight storytelling at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library this month, this new title should delight fans young and old of tall tales, Americana and storytelling in general.

Tomie DePaola's Front Porch Tales & North Country Whoppers by Tomie DePaola (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2007)

In the spirit of wonderful storytelling and read-alouds, Tomie DePaola is back with a collection of hilarious read-aloud tales and whoppers from Vermont and "New Hampsha" where he has spent over 35 years of his life. Organized into sections by season, DePaola introduces us to his mostly sweet, funny, and quirky characters that make for enjoyable reading for the whole family. His signature folk-style art also includes comic-strips interspersed between tales. Recommended for sharing with your children - school-aged on up!

Pick of the Week

Llama Llama Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney (Viking, 2007)

Shopping at a megastore may not seem like the most interesting of activities or setting for a children's picture book. But Anna Dewdney's latest book takes on this topic and adds the flare of "llama drama" that almost any child and parent will relate to. Little Llama Llama (of previous Llama Llama Red Pajama fame) is back and this time he's not at all pleased to be dragged away from his toys, plopped into a carseat, and taken on an overly long, boring trip to the "Shop-o-Rama" store. Llama Llama, in typical toddler-style gets increasingly tired and frustrated. The tension builds until it finally erupts at the climax with a dramatic meltdown. Mama llama quickly steps in to calm Llama Llama down with plenty of love and a thoughtful solution to getting through the shopping trip with ease.

Pick of the Week

Every once in awhile, I come across such a great read-aloud that I find myself singing along with the rhythm of the text long after I've put the book down. Oliver Who Would Not Sleep! by Mara Bergman with illustrations by Nick Maland is just one of those books. With illustrations that create a soft, fantastical feel, similar to Maurice Sendak's work, and wonderful rhythmic and rhyming text, this book begs to be read aloud at bedtime.

Curl up with that young dreamer by your side or in your lap, and follow Oliver Donnington Rimington-Sneep as he avoids sleep by taking his rocket ship on a trip to Mars. With a bedroom full of toys, a big imagination, and boundless energy, Oliver Donnington Rimington-Sneep makes an excellent companion for storytime. A sure-fire hit for any bedtime-avoider and a magical read-aloud for anytime of day. Pair this one with another bedtime-struggle book such as Bedtime! by Joan Blos, The Boy Who Wouldn't Go to Bed by Helen Cooper, or I Am Not Sleepy and Will Not Go to Bed by Lauren Child.

Toys!

As adults, most of us can still remember our favorite toy as a young child. Whether it was a hand-me-down doll with brown curls, a bright yellow Tonka truck, a bendy Gumby toy, a Cabbage Patch kid, an Erector set, or a train set, we can recall many happy afternoons spent playing with our favorite toys. Playing is an important part of childhood - for a child it is their "job". Many important concepts are learned during play. Whether it is learning basic science and math concepts (volumes, sizes, shapes, counting), trying out different roles through dramatic play, or sharing and working cooperatively with others, play provides a wealth of opportunities. Not to mention, we all know it's fun. Some of us can remember making a childhood vow that when we grew up we wouldn't stop playing!

A few of my favorite books for boys (or girls!) about playing are below:

Below by Nina Crews

This story follows the adventures of Jack and his action-figure, Guy. Jack and Guy play on the staircase - climbing mountains, exploring cities. Then one day Guy falls down and Jack must rescue him. Wonderful photographs illustrate this story.







Changes, Changes by Pat Hutchins

Two wooden doll figures arrange and rearrange blocks to make a variety of things - a castle, firetruck, boat, train and more. A wonderful, wordless story for the lover of blocks and imagination!





The Crimson Comet by Dean Morrissey

"When the light on the moon goes out, Nora and her brother Jack take a trip in their rocket to help the Man-on-the-Moon regain power." (Syndetics) This is a cozy bedtime story full of gorgeous paintings and imagination.





Golden Bear by Ruth Young

For younger children, Golden Bear, offers a sweet tribute to a toddler's best friend, his teddy bear. Rhyming text and soft illustrations make this a good "snuggle-up-and-share" read-aloud.








Harry and the Dinosaurs at the Museum by Ian Whybrow

"When his family goes to a museum so that big sister Sam can research human ancestors, young Harry wanders off while playing with his toy dinosaurs and becomes lost, but Gran knows just where to find him." (Syndetics) Perfect for sharing with a dinosaur fan, or anyone who has imagined their favorite toys coming to life!





Red Light, Green Light by Anastasia Suen

"A young boy creates an imaginary world filled with zooming cars, flashing traffic lights, and racing fire engines." (Syndetics) Sure to be enjoyed by toddlers, fans of transportation, and anyone looking for some imaginative play inspiration.





Traction Man is Here! by Mini Grey

Know a young fan of superheroes and action figures? Treat him to this book and he's sure to enjoy the fun and laughs.

"Traction Man, a boy's courageous action figure, has a variety of adventures with Scrubbing Brush and other objects in the house." (Syndetics)