Suggestions for chapter books

[tlc4tots]

Does anyone have any suggestions for chapter books for a 5 year old boy? We have read Teddy Robinson, Ark in the Park, and Stuart Little. I use Chinaberry as a resource frequently.

[EnviroBecca]

Ramona the Pest (about a 5 year old girl) or Socks (about a cat) by Beverly Cleary

[cottonwood]

We have been reading Little House in the Big Woods and my 6-year-old son loves it.

[Queen Gwen]

Two series my nephew enjoyed: Ursula LeGuin's Catwings (about cats who were born with wings; I think there are 4 books in the series), and Gertrude Chandler Warner's Boxcar Children.

We were doing the original Oz books for awhile, but got stymied because the library only had 1 copy of Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz and it was checked out...I was pretty Oz-ed out by then anyway, as it was book 4. So we took a break to read Wind in the Willows. I'm reading to 2 girls, ages 7 and 3, BTW, and WitW was definitely above the 3yo's level.

Mouse and the Motorcycle, or other Ralph Mouse books by Beverly Cleary.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (dh loved parts of this series, and kept reading ahead).

Also, ask the children's librarian at your local public library. The librarians at our library are *wonderful* at coming up with books for us, or else pointing me to cool indexes which group books every which way.

[glh]

My son loved "The Animal Family" when he was five and I ordered it from Chinaberry!

[tlc4tots]

Thanks for the suggestions! There are a few I hadn't heard of before. What is the Animal Family about?

[mom at home]

The Little House books, The Littles, My Father's Dragon... those are few offhand.

[3_opihi]

I'm not sure who wrote it, but what about Charlotte's Web?

[hydrangea]

Queen Gwen, our family looooves Catwings! They may be my daughters' favorite books!

Some other ones we've enjoyed:
Pippi Longstocking
Wolf Story
Dr. Doolitle
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
Charlotte's Web

Not exactly chapter books, but a similar idea (a different story each night, but connected):
Aesop's Fables
D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths

[khrisday]

The My Father's Dragon trilogy
Wind in the Willows
the Pooh books by A.A. Milne
Alice in Wonderland and Through the Lookingglass

[bestjob]

I also vote for the Little House books as well as Charlotte's Web, and I'd also suggest the Mary Pope Osborne Magic TreeHouse series. It is a formula series, but everyone here enjoys them.

[glh]

The Animal Family is about a hunter who lives alone in the woods. He meets a mermaid and together they adopt various animals and finally an orphaned little boy. It is just a very sweet, gentle story.

[Groundhog]

Dd is four and loved Pippi Longstocking (I think there are three or four of them), though I did edit out some of the language (stupid, kill, etc. and some of the violence -Pippi kicks a**!).

In the same Scandinavian theme, the Moomintroll books are fantastic!! There are a bunch of them... Tove Janssen (sp) is the author. Finn Family Moomintroll is the first in the series, but they can be read in any order. Dd wasn't into them but I love them and plan to try her out on them again later.

[tlc4tots]

So many good books to read. I can't wait to get started. We read a good book called Teddy Robinson. The stories stand alone by chapter, but all are about a girl and her teddy bear. They have many wonderful adventures. I got it through Chinaberry.

[tlc4tots]

Mom at home, was My Father's Dragon scarey? Sometimes the plots are to suspenseful for my son before bed.

[EnviroBecca]

Charlotte's Web is by E.B. White. I suggest pre-reading it to see if it will upset your son--it gave me a lump in my throat for weeks after the hour of sobbing when I finished it, and I was older, like 8 or 9.

I loved Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew mysteries at that age. If he'd prefer a male protagonist, look for Danny Dunn--not mysteries per se but cool adventures. Sorry I can't remember the author's name.

[khrisday]

The My Father's Dragon series is really not scarrey. It's very geared towards young children. The dragons are very nice, their are some mean people, but I don't remember my then 6 and 3 yr olds being bothered at all with it.

[mommynay-nay]

When my son was 5, we read The Wind Boy over and over again. Got it from Chinaberry. It's a sweet book. And what about A. A. Milne's original Winnie the Pooh stories? My son is 7 now and still loves to have those read to him, although my 4 year old can't quite sit still for it yet. Those books are so charming and sweet and fun to read out loud "in character."

[mojomom]

Bud,Not Buddy- I reccomend this book. I am not sure about for a 5 year old that would depend on you. it is about a boy during the depression whose mother died he does not know his father and is in foster care. he decides to find is dad based on some flyers for a band his mom kept. it is written for elementary children,it was part of my dd's book parade. It is a great story, gives oppurtunity to discuss what it was lik being poor, homeless and African american. it has a great ending.Also the Doll People is good and Jeremy Thatcher Dragon Hatcher.Also what about the classics, Tom sawyer and Huck Finn.

[carmen veranda]

Junie B Jones~She is a crack up!!
Heidi
Any Roald Dahl~he is a wacko, and some stuff can be scary, but delicious and well written.
A Swifty Tilting Planet , Wind in Door ect. by Madeiline L'Engle
Everyone has already mentioned the others I was thinking of.....Happy Reading!!!