When your little one graduates from beginning readers, it’s time for easy chapter books, of course! The books on this list are some of the best for new readers. Check out these fantastic easy chapter books for first graders that your kids are guaranteed to love!
Easy Chapter Books for the Win!
I love when my students venture into the library and come up to ask me a quiet question: “Ms. B, do you think I can try a chapter book today?”
They are always a bit shy when they ask for the first time, always a bit nervous to try something different than a picture book or a kindergarten book or another beginning reader with large, simple text. Yet the looks on their faces when I pair them with what I hope is a perfect story are simply priceless.
The leap from beginning readers to easy chapter books is amazing but challenging! It requires both confidence and stamina, and these reading skills are key components of the first-grade curriculum. Books for 1st graders thus promote many of these important skills, and they are specifically designed to meet the needs of new readers.
Set Your New Reader Up for Success with These Chapter Books for 1st Graders!
Parents and teachers often have a tough time pairing kids this age with stories, but have no fear! Happily Ever Elephants has covered you with fabulous chapter books for 1st graders.
When selecting books for your child, especially when they are just venturing into the world of easy chapter books, we want to set them up for success — thus, start off easy to let them build confidence and fluency. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE challenging my students — but we don’t want to give our new readers Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and expect them to take off! Initially, our goal is to create positive and enjoyable reading experiences. This is what keeps them coming back for more.
There are so many fantastic stories out there for emerging and newly independent readers, and here are some of our very favorite stand-alone books and awesome series.
Another tip: always make sure to view a few pages of these books before handing them over to your child. Remember, you know your reader best, and we want them to be excited to pick up their new book, not frustrated!
Happy reading!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Think about it this way. An early or “easy” chapter book is a short piece of fiction, broken up into chapters. Typically, these books contain illustrations on every page (or nearly every page), the text is larger, the sentences are shorter, and there is a lot of white space to make the text less daunting.
Of course! Easy chapter books are both written and designed for new readers, so there are many chapter books for 1st graders to choose from. They are usually less than 100 pages, and their purpose is to engage kids while building confidence and stamina. Remember, though, that kids at this age read at various levels, which is developmentally appropriate and a-ok. Thus, if your child is not yet ready for chapter books, don’t force it! They will get there soon enough.
Many easy chapter books are perfect for 6 and 7-year-olds. I love to try books that are part of a series, like most of the books listed below. The beauty of a good series at this age is that if a child loves the first book, he will be eager to read the next. This is exactly the type of engagement we want to build strong reading habits!
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Our Favorite Easy Chapter Books
Oh my goodness. You and your kids will laugh out loud with both this one and its sequel, Snail & Worm Again. Not only is this a fabulous easy chapter book for your new readers (the second book won a Geisel honor!) but you will love the way the illustrations elevate the text to a whole new level. Your kids will be laughing nonstop when they realize how ironic and just plain silly the images are when read in combination with the text. Snail and Worm falls into both the best books for beginning readers and easy chapter book categories. For our full review of Snail & Worm, click here!
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Charlie and Mouse contains four short stories about two brothers, and it will have your kids simultaneously reading and giggling in delight. With its gold Geisel Award (an award given annually to the most distinguished American book of the year for beginning readers), this is another perfect first “chapter” book. Like Snail and Worm above, Charlie and Mouse also falls into both the best books for beginning readers and easy chapter book categories.
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Kate DiCamillo is simply brilliant, and the Mercy Watson series is a must for your new readers. This is a New York Times best-selling series for a reason, about the beloved “porcine wonder,” his hilarious escapades, and his owners. Once your kids read the first book, they will be begging for the next five — and some buttered toast. This series of first grade books is one that is on constant rotation in our school library!
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If you thought princesses only wear fancy pink dresses and sparkly tiaras, think again! If your little ones like their heroines to go undercover, dress in black, and fight off evil monsters, then this series is a must for your kiddos. This series is absolutely coveted by my students, as they are the perfect books for 1st graders!
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This is the other series I cannot keep on our shelves – the books are checked out as quickly as they are checked in. Owl Diaries is part of Scholastic’s fantastic early chapter book line, Branches, which is aimed at newly independent readers. The Owl Diaries series focuses on Eva Wingdale and her friends, and it is written as her diary. The text is engaging, there are adorable illustrations on every page, and the plots are fast-paced and high interest. Your kid will be begging for the next book in the series as soon as she finishes the one in her hands.
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I can’t tell you much I love this book. This is the story of a monster (who lives under a bed) and a boy (who sleeps in the bed), and what happens when the two meet for the very first time. The boy screams, of course, so the monster swallows him… and thus, an incredible, beautiful friendship is born. I love the pitch-perfect and FUN narration. I love the constant nods to the reader and the way the narrator continually talks to the audience and thus “breaks the fourth wall” (which is so unique for this age group). I love the humor, wit, and irreverence. And I am SO beyond excited that this is the first book in a series. This is one of my favorite new easy chapter books for 1st graders!
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Stellar writing, quality story, and complex characters? Count me in! These characteristics are not easy to find in an easy chapter book, and I fell in love with this one immediately. In this darling book, Hedgehog lives on a small island with her stuffed dog, Mutty, as her only company. But when a big storm comes and Mutty disappears, it’s going to take courage — and maybe some new pals — to find Mutty and bring her home. This chapter book for first graders is such a joy!
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A brave princess who wants to climb trees, get dirty, and have a wild adventure? If that sounds like your kids or students, look no further. Written by a Newbery award winner, this easy chapter book has humor and heart, great illustrations, and a large, easy-to-read font which makes this one of our favorite easy chapter books for first graders. For our full review of Princess Cora and the Crocodile, click here!
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Zoey and Sassafras has it all – magic, science, adventure and lots of animals. In the first book, Zoey learns a shocking discovery— wounded magical animals find their way to her backyard! Each story in this series of easy chapter books thus features a new magical animal – and discusses how science can help solve each problem.
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Carter Higgins is a treasure to the world of children’s books, and her series for 7-year-olds is fantastic! Audrey is a second grader who wants more than anything to be the best at something. When a new girl who is also named Audrey joins her class, she becomes “Audrey L.” and feels even worse. Can she even be the best Audrey in school? We love this story of two girls who learn they may have more in common than their names alone — and may even become best friends-ish. Funny, spirited, and brimming with authenticity, this is such a fun new series!
This is another series in Scholastic’s Branches line and another favorite among my students. A dragon, a king, a wizard, and magic. Need I say more? Again, illustrations on every page, short chapters, and easy-to-read text make this a winning series for newly independent readers. This is a perfect easy chapter book for first graders!
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Another Geisel Honor, this hilarious chapter book revolves around brothers Louie and Raphie who are tough, tough, tough — or so they think. Yet, every time they set out to show the world how tough they are, the Ratso brothers end up doing really good deeds. I loved this easy chapter book so much. It’s the perfect mix of humor and heart!
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Dory may just be my favorite fictional character, and if you know me, that says a lot. But this series of books, about a little girl with a big imagination who desperately seeks the attention of her older siblings, has made me laugh in ways that so few books actually can. I cannot keep these out of my students’ hands. And I can’t get enough of them either. For our full review of the first book in the series, click here! This is hands down my favorite easy chapter book series for first graders!
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Doreen Cronin never hits a sour note. In the Chicken Squad, another delightful chapter book series, four little chicks– Dirt, Sugar, Poppy and Sweetie — spend their days solving mysteries and fighting crime, and will leave your kids in stitches — and quite possibly “hatching” up their own plans.
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Yasmin is a spunky second-grade student from a Pakistani family who always uses her big imagination and creativity to solve her greatest challenges. She has no shortage of fears, but Yasmin always finds original ways in which to conquer them. Yasmin is spirited, sassy, and imaginative, and readers will love her!
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Yasmin is a spunky second-grade student from a Pakistani family who always uses her big imagination and creativity to solve her greatest challenges. She has no shortage of fears, but Yasmin always finds original ways in which to conquer them. Yasmin is spirited, sassy, and imaginative, and readers will love her!
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DO you have a favorite easy chapter book? Let us know in the comments below!
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