Our Top Ten First Chapter Books

 Last April M's Nonna sent us a copy of Dory Fantasmagory: The Real True Friend, and it sent us down the exciting new path of reading novels together. I knew that Max loved plot driven books with a lot of text, such as One Morning in Maine. What I didn't know was that he had the patience to sit through a novel. (And during the height of the COVID-19 stay-at-home order in our state, this was truly an amazing discovery, as we spent hours every day reading.) Here are ten of the first chapter books that we read and that we have returned to over and over again:

1. Dory Fantasmagory: The Real True Friend by Abby Hanlon

I have a soft spot for Dory, as this and the other books in the series were the books that introduced us to chapter books. Dory and her world are both wacky in the best sense of the word. These books are about five and six year olds, so will appeal to that age group and slightly younger kids. The Real True Friend is the second book in the series, but they can be read in any order, and this was our favorite.

2. My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett

This is a classic that I somehow missed growing up, but the combination of shorter episodic chapters with beautiful, intriguing illustrations have made it popular at our house. Elmer Elevator journeys to the island of Tangerina, and then to Wild Island to rescue a baby dragon.

3. The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

If you have a smaller kid who likes being read to, do not be put off by the size of The Wild Robot. Though the book is dense, the chapters are short, action-based, and episodic, and so this went over well even though it was the third novel we read. It and its sequel tell the story of Roz the robot and her adopted son the goose Brightbill.

4. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner

This is a classic that I read on my own as a kid. The gender roles aren't exactly timeless, but the adventure story definitely is.

5. Jenny and the Cat Club by Esther Averill

This is another classic I hadn't read growing up. Shy little cat Jenny Linsky goes on adventures all over New York City with her friends in the Cat Club.

6. El Deafo by Cece Bell

This remains a favorite in our house, especially for M. to "read" on his own, since it is a graphic novel. Although the story recounts the author's life growing up deaf from age 4 until the end of elementary school (or so) it is still little-kid friendly. 

7. Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary

A classic early novel in which Ramona goes to Miss Binney's kindergarten class. She learns the song about the "dawnzer" and its "lee light," loses her precious brand new red boot in the mud on her walk to school by herself, and navigates what it means to be a small kid in a big school and the youngest member of her family.

8. Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson

In this whimsical Finnish novel, Moomintroll and his friends set off on a journey, in which he meets the Snork and the Snork Maiden, the Hattifatteners, and other creatures with strong opinions and personalities. This is the most complicated and densest of the books on this list, but its story and characters are unique and compelling enough that M. was drawn into the story right away.

9. Henry and Ribsy by Beverly Cleary

Henry's goal—eventually fulfilled—is to convince his father that he is old enough to accompany him on a salmon fishing trip. Cleary is a master in her description of the most mundane elements of children's lives, making them both relatable and interesting. 

10. Mr. Popper's Penguins by Florence and Richard Atwater

Mr. Popper receives a penguin by mail from Francis Drake, and hilarity and adventure ensue. The Popper family converts first their freezer, and then their home into a penguin habitat, the penguin is joined by a friend from a local zoo, and baby penguins (of course) arrive. The book's language feels particularly modern despite being originally published in 1938.