inside: reading should be fun for children! These are the best chapter books for kids that will make your child learn to love reading, from age 5 to their teens.
Last summer, my 12-year-old son read at least one chapter book every day. for the fourth consecutive summer.
You are reading: Good kids chapter books
He is positively voracious for chapter books, and my 7 and 5 year olds are currently well on their way to following in his footsteps. (score!)
Because we’re a family of book nerds, my oldest son and I end up talking a lot about books and reading: what are you reading right now? did you enjoy it Did something confuse you, annoy you, make you want to stop reading?
Through our talks, he opened my eyes to children’s chapter books. specifically about a big reason why more kids might not read as much as she does.
Research shows that the percentage of 6-8 year olds who read for fun several times a week drops by 9% by the time they are 9-11 years old. then children who read for fun drops another 11 percent among 12-14 year olds. In general, the percentage of children who read for fun between the ages of 6 and 8 decreases by a full 24% by the time those children turn 15.
forget all those lists of children’s books with chapters you “should” read
In our quest to make our children love to read, here’s something important that we can sometimes lose sight of: everyone is different.
for example, some people like cake, some people like pie, and some like to keep a box of girl scout cookies in the freezer to keep throughout the year. (guilty!)
In the same way, some children like to read only fantasy, others prefer mysteries, and others will go only for graphic novels, and that is perfectly fine and as it should be.
Still, we think it’s “good” for children to read certain books, as the literary equivalent of eating vegetables. so parents can nag kids to read those “must have” books, and teachers assign the required reading of those “best” books to the whole class.
This means that just when children finally start to read on their own, we not only stop reading aloud to them for fun, but we also load them with books they didn’t choose that may be annoying, frustrating or just plain boring for them.
It’s no wonder more and more kids aren’t reading for fun.
See Also: Wrexford & Sloane Mystery Series by Andrea Penrose
related: do you want to raise smart and kind children? science says do this every day
the number 1 priority when choosing children’s chapter books
If you want to raise a lifelong reader, your child needs to see that reading can be fun. if it’s not fun, your child won’t choose to read.
Reading is like riding a bike, driving a car, or sewing: to get better, you have to do it. and the more you read, the better you do. The last thirty years of reading research confirm this simple formula, regardless of gender, race, nationality, or socioeconomic status. students who read more also read better, achieve more, and stay in school longer. conversely, those who don’t read much can’t improve.
why don’t students read more? because… the large number of unpleasant messages they received throughout their school years, added to the lack of pleasant messages at home, cancel out any attraction that books may have. they avoid printing the way a cat avoids a hot stove. – the manual read aloud
To put the fun back into reading for kids, we need to stop forcing them to read kid-specific chapter books because we know “best,” and instead let each child pick the book which looks better fun for them.
what if they choose to read a graphic novel? or a serial chapter book? or a comic? who. cares they are reading! you won!
Children who see reading as a chore will not become lifelong readers. our job as parents and teachers is to protect that little spark of joy that reading creates, not smother it with “must reads” or “classics” or “best” books, or make kids feel like the book they chose is not “good enough”.
Below, I’ve included a list of amazing chapter books that will make your child love reading. books that will make your child feel known, heard and understood. Pick up some of these great books and see what your child is inclined towards. there are no wrong answers. they will like what they like!
then, after the list of chapter books for kids, you’ll find a bonus tip on how to share new chapter books for kids with your child in a way that will make them love reading even more . .
48 Amazing Kids Chapter Books Your Child Will Devour
I’ve been curating this list of children’s chapter books for twelve years and counting.
Of all the hundreds of children’s novels that my three oldest children have read (and that I have read aloud), these are the ones that we have bought to have at home. these are the ones we have read several times. these are the ones we give to their friends for birthdays and “just because” gifts.
These books are inclusive, relevant to today’s world, and most important of all: fun. some will make your child laugh, some will make him feel deep and powerful emotions, some will be so overwhelming that your child will think about the story even when he is not reading; some will do all three in the span of a chapter.
See Also: The best books on the Existence of God – Ed Feser on Five Books
Still, your child may not like everything on this list, but that’s okay. your child has their own unique tastes and preferences, and that’s the way it should be. Your job is simply to provide your child with a wide variety of books and let them choose what looks good.
and remember: even if your child is old enough to read independently, reading aloud to him is an experience that reinforces the pleasure of reading. Plus, it’s a fun way to connect with your child as you enjoy a great story together.
bonus tip: how to make your child love to read even more
When my oldest son was starting to read children’s chapter books independently, I stumbled upon a simple trick that works like magic to make your child love books and reading . I only discovered it because I’m a book nerd and I never have enough books, but then I did some research on the brain science behind why it works so well. (See if you can guess the trick with these quotes!)
“if we are surprised by something positive, we will feel feelings of happiness or joy more intense than we would normally feel”. – international public radio takeaway
and: “Research shows that surprise heightens our emotions by about 400 percent.” – splinter
And here’s one more little hint: Research shows that for every book you add to your home library, your child’s academic performance increases. every book!
Did you guess what is the best trick to fuel the flame of the joy of reading? Distribute chapter books throughout your home as unexpected surprises for your child.
This works like magic because finding a new book where you didn’t expect it amplifies the pleasure of reading that book. but also, you never know which book is going to catch your child’s eye. therefore, by placing books throughout the house, you increase the chances that a book will catch them when they are bored.
this is how it works
Every week, I check out a variety of children’s chapter books from the library, then scatter them everywhere I can think of:
- on a library cart that we keep full of books in our living room (it’s this cute box and barrel cart)
- on my kids’ nightstands
- in every bathroom
- in a basket on the breakfast or dinner table
- next to (or sometimes on top of) our family’s ipad
- in the back seat of the car
- next to the bathtub
- in the basket where we keep the TV remote
You don’t need to announce what you’ve done and you don’t need to nag your kid to read the books. if they don’t pick up any, that’s fine.
keep trying. mix in some graphic novels, comics, and magazines. His son might prefer nonfiction to fiction, or might even like a book of funny poems as if I were in charge of the world and other concerns.
I’m always excited to see what books my kids end up choosing, and my toddler sits on the couch and quietly flips through a chapter book (no pictures) for 10 minutes at a time. and anything that makes my kids sit still for more than 10 minutes, I’m fine!
your turn
What are your favorite chapter books for kids? share in a comment below!
See Also: The ‘Circus Of Books’ Store May Be Closed, But There’s A New Shop In Town