12 Read Aloud Chapter Books For Preschoolers

One of my first childhood memories of read aloud chapter books is studying Beatrix Potter’s words and illustrations in The Tale of Peter Rabbit and the Tale of Benjamin Bunny. I would get so mad at Mr. McGregor for shooing those adorable bunnies out of his garden!

Books opened a whole new world for me, so I could not have been happier to begin reading with my own children. My husband was especially great at reading to them, because he would use inflections and create personas of the characters. I could hear my kids laughing at Junie B. Jones’ mischievous moments or wondering aloud about what will happen to Jack and Annie in the Magic Tree House books.

There are so many great read aloud chapter books your kids will love — you certainly can’t get through all of them. If you need a place to start, try these dozen chapter books with your late preschooler-kindergartner.

Make sure to check out these 5 must have books for toddlers!

These 12 Read Aloud Chapter Books Are Must-Reads

The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Imagine what it would be like to be young and live in a box car!

Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park

The series begins with precocious “almost six years old” Junie B. in kindergarten.

Henry & Mudge by Cynthia Rylant

Soon, your own kids will be solving their own mysteries, thanks to this dynamic duo.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Clearly

Ralph the Mouse becomes friends with Keith, a young boy. Keith owns a shiny toy motorcycle – the perfect size for Ralph!

Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater

Mr. Popper comes to own a penguin, which leads to more penguins, which leads to interesting adventures! The Hollywood version of the movie with the same name does little justice to the book combined with a child’s imagination.

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Charlotte’s Webb by E.B. White

E.B. White is such a fabulous writer, I cannot help but include his three classic books on the list. The first book by White that I read as a child was Charlotte’s Webb. This beautifully-written story tells about a pig named Wilbur and his newfound friend in Charlotte, a barn spider. E.B. White is a glorious writer!

The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White

A new family of cygnets follow around 11-year-old Sam, chirping at him, except for Louis, who is mute. Learn what happens in this interesting lifelong friendship.

Stuart Little by E.B. White

A New York City family adopts Stuart, a friendly rat, as their son. Stuart more than survives taunting from the family cat, Snowbell; he has his own delightful ventures, including a model sailboat race in Central Park.

Freckle Juice by Judy Blume

The moral to this story is to by happy with who you are. Andrew wants to have freckles, but that wish carries him to trouble.

The Magic Tree House (series) by Mary Pope Osborne

These magical books aren’t filled with dark mysticism – only fun imagination! We read all of them in our home.

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald

This book series focuses on a small woman who lives in an upside-down house in a neighborhood of children. Together, life gets very interesting.

The Littles by John Lawrence Peterson

This series of children’s novels follows the happenings of a family of mouse-like looking people who live in the walls of a home.

These 12 resources are great read aloud chapter books for young children. Then, when they’re grown, they will read the same books to their children—the books are that good!

Here are some bedtime books to check out!