Favorite Kindergarten Read Alouds (Chapter Books)
Reading aloud is one of my favorite activities to do with my kids. Even if we weren’t homeschooling, I know we’d still be reading lots of books together. It’s a wonderful way to slow down life and create some core memories.
I also enjoy the chance to revisit favorite stories from my own childhood. Books like the Little House series and Betsy-Tacy are certainly classics for a reason. Even adults enjoy them! And that is key element of a good read-aloud in my view. Both the kids and the parent (or other reader) ought to enjoy the story.
Of course, we also love listening to audiobooks too. I utilize my library’s free apps (Libby and Hoopla) to get free audiobook editions of many titles. The downside is that there is usually a wait for these titles, but it’s nice to save some money since audiobooks can get expensive.
And wow, is it ever easier from when I was a kid. I remember the thick cases we would check out from the library and then we’d have to be ready to switch CDs to make it through the whole story. Road trip bags were full to the brim. Things sure have come a long way!
While we read tons of picture books this year (that list is coming!), I wanted a place to record some of the chapter books we read in my eldest’s kindergarten year. Though I try to keep things written down, I don’t doubt I’ve forgotten a few here and there.
I realized, we read more than I thought–there are quite a few titles here. So, keep track of all you have been reading. You might be surprised! I thought I had about fifteen titles to record, but I think the list ended at 25!
The titles are in no particular order. My thoughts are included in each brief description. Most of these were favorites, but I included one that was less so at the end of the list.
Would you like a printable booklist? If having a printable booklist of these titles would be helpful, let me know and I’ll one to my freebies page.
All of a Kind Family by Sydney Taylor
I had never read this series when I was a kid and I was thrilled to discover it. The audiobooks read by Suzanne Toren are wonderful and I highly recommend. She does such a great job with the voices.
The first All of a Kind Family book introduces readers to a Jewish family living in New York City at the turn of the century. Sydney Taylor based her books off of her own family, so they are a wonderful snapshot of life at this time.
Definitely make sure you read the books in the right order–I have to double check every time because the titles are so similar.
We also used audio to listen to successive books in the series, although not all are appropriate for this age range, so bear that in mind.
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
For Charlotte’s Web, we listened to the version narrated by Meryl Streep and it is truly excellent! Some kids are going to be pretty sad by how the story goes, but it worked okay in our household. It’s such a wonderful story–but certainly save it for older kids if you aren’t sure.
The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright
Another of my favorite-favorite books. The Saturdays follows the Melendy children, four siblings who live in New York City, as they pool their allowances and each take one Saturday to do something adventurous and exciting. The children have such grand fun, it makes our current world of cell phones and tablets and tv look awfully bland in comparison.
I also enjoy the series because there two girls and two boys in the family, all of varying ages (6-13), so there is something for everyone if you are reading aloud to all your children.
The Four-Story Mistake
The Four-Story Mistake is the next book in the Melendy Series and it’s just as wonderful as The Saturdays. Note: The final two books in the series cover material that will be better suited to kids a few years older.
The Complete Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem
The Complete Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem is beautifully illustrated, so you won’t want to miss reading a hard copy. For us, our library also has the audio so we listen pretty frequently that way too–especially for quiet times.
Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary
Beverly Cleary is classic! She was truly a wonderful writer. As a note, I really enjoyed reading both of her memoirs, so if you were a fan of her books growing up, you might enjoy those as an adult now!
Beezus and Ramona follows the mischief that younger sister Ramona gets into while Beezus learns that even though Ramona is frustrating sometimes (or most times), she still loves her little sister!
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
Ramona enters kindergarten! In Ramona the Pest, poor Ramona gets into a lot of trouble as she starts school, but as always, the book is heartwarming too. I do skip the “Baddest Witch in the World” chapter but beyond that this is a favorite story at our house.
Ramona does have a penchant for mischief so if you have kids that love to copy antics from their favorite stories, these may not be the best fit!
Betsy ~ Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace
A different Betsy! The books in this series are some of my absolute favorites! Unfortunately Harper Audio appears to have only recorded the very first book. What can they possibly be thinking?
I own a treasury of the first four books, so we have read those ourselves AND we found a beautiful resource of a woman who recorded the first four books online. The fourth book has some odd stuff in it and again, these are old, so you might prefer reading them aloud yourself to skip or discuss anything that doesn’t meet today’s standards.
Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne, performed by Peter Dennis
An audio collection of Winnie-the-Pook stories performed by Peter Dennis. These tales never grow old and are fun to listen to, no matter your age! I hope to read aloud some of these stories myself in the coming year, but for now, the audiobook is a wonderful resource (we found it for free on Libby).
One Smart Sheep by Gary D. Schmidt and Elizabeth Stickney
One Smart Sheep is cute little book about a curious sheep named Wilson. He inadvertently climbs into the back of a piano movers’ truck and winds up far away from his comfortable farm. New readers might also enjoy this title as they begin tackling chapter books on their own.
A Grain of Rice by Helena Clare Pittman
I found A Grain of Rice on a Sonlight booklist and thought my daughter would enjoy it. Sure enough, it was a hit. It’s a mathematical folk tale about a farmer who outsmarts the Emperor of China.
The Boxcar Children
The Boxcar Children is a classic! Four orphaned children find refuge in an abandoned boxcar and work hard to be independent. The Boxcar Children is such a fun series. We weren’t ready for the mysteries yet in kindergarten, but the first book was great.
I also tried listening to an audiobook of “The Boxcar Children Beginnings” that Patricia MacLachlan (Sarah, Plain and Tall) wrote. I found it WAY too sad and did not share it with my kids. Have you ever read it?
Little House in the Big Woods
Laura Ingalls’ books remain classics and we have listened to nearly all of them (the later books we are saving for when the kids are older) with some editing here and there. This year we re-read Little House in the Big Woods. I love the Christmas scene the best.
Frozen Storybook Collection
We found the Frozen Storybook Collection on the Libby app and they are favorites! They come in a hard copy book too if you want the illustrations. I enjoy these little offshoot stories because the drama isn’t so intense as the actual movie for younger listeners.
They can just enjoy the beloved characters–Elsa, Anna, Olaf and more. Depending on the age and sensitivity of your child there may be one or two stories to skip (mentions of monsters).
Frozen Beginnings
Frozen Beginnings is not a book, but I wanted to include it for anyone who likes finding good audio stories on Libby. Every library is different, so no guarantee yours will have it, but hopefully they do! This is a sweet audiobook that is great for Frozen fans. It has two stories–one from Elsa’s perspective and one from Anna’s. Both the stories are when the girls are young.
“B” is for Betsy by Carolyn Haywood
The first in Carolyn Haywood’s “Betsy series, I have such fond memories of “B” is for Betsy from my childhood! I loved hearing about Betsy’s plaid schoolbag, her dear Koala, and her kindness to her friend Ellen. These are old books written in the 1950s so some of them do have the issues you might expect to find in books from that era.
We read several Carolyn Haywood books this year, so if they aren’t your jam, skim through the next several titles!
Betsy and the Boys by Carolyn Haywood
In Betsy and the Boys, Betsy and her friend Billy get into all kinds of mischief in this story. Things kick off with a big spill of pancake batter and the giant mess that results! One of the main threads of the story is Betsy wanting to play football and the boys not allowing her to. We also read Back to School with Betsy and Betsy and Billy, but they are a blur in my mind now!
Happy Birthday from Carolyn Haywood
Happy Birthday from Carolyn Haywood is a compilation of birthday stories about the children featured in the Carolyn Haywood books.
Snowbound with Betsy by Carolyn Haywood
I remember just absolutely loving Snowbound with Betsy as a child! Being snowed in with new friends just your age? The stuff of dreams for a kid! Probably not so much for the grown-ups in the equation. The Carolyn Haywood books are a little boring/repetitive to me now that I’m an adult, but the kids still really enjoy them.
These books can be hard to find since most of them are out of print. I suggest watching Thriftbooks for deals or just keeping at eye out at used bookstores.
Annie Pat and Eddie by Carolyn Haywood
Annie Pat and Eddie is another Carolyn Haywood book. Again, these can get a little repetitive for a parent who is reading them aloud. There are some pretty funny stories for kids though. For the most part, each chapter is its own little story, so they are great for reading a chapter at a time.
Meet Josefina by Valerie Tripp
It’s officially American Girl time at our house! I don’t think my kids will ever fully understand the momentousness of American Girl dolls and books, but that’s okay. I’ll be sharing it all with them anyways!
It’s true that things have changed so much since the Pleasant Company days. I like finding older PC things at the thrift stores or online to share with them. We loved reading some of Josefina’s books this year, starting with book 1, Meet Josefina. Some of the other girls’ stories are better suited to older children, but the first two books in Josefina’s series were perfect for this year.
Josefina Learns a Lesson by Valerie Tripp
Josefina Learns a Lesson is the second book in the Josefina series from American Girl.
Meet Kirsten by Janet Shaw
We also read Meet Kirsten, which is quite a sad book! Not great for sensitive children, though I do think it’s important to allow books like these to be open discussions that families can share together.
Kirsten and her family immigrate to Minnesota from Sweden and their journey is difficult. Set in 1854. Once Kirsten and her family are settled in MN, the rest of the series focuses on pioneer life in the Midwest.
Happy Birthday Kirsten
Happy Birthday Kirsten was the next Kirsten book we read (out of order!). Kirsten’s mother welcomes another baby in this one, so that scene is fairly intense. We skimmed through that section!
In Grandma’s Attic by Arleta Richardson
Grandma’s Attic is a sweet series where every chapter is a different story. A young girl requests that her Grandma to tell her stories from her childhood. The stories each present a moral or character-building moment in a gentle way that sticks with kids. Most of them are funny too. We read the first book in the series.
Princess Cora and the Crocodile by Laura Amy Schlitz
I included this one because we did read it, and I’m sure that some families will like it, but I didn’t care for this one for multiple reasons.
Share with me some of your favorite kindergarten read-aloud chapter books in the comments!
