Thursday, March 16, 2017

READING LIST: First Chapter Books [SERIES and STAND-ALONE titles]

First chapter books, or beginning chapter books, are the bridge between easy readers (beginning readers) and larger chapter books that are in the juvenile fiction section.

First chapter books have few chapters in them (usually around 10) with lots of pictures as well as large text. It helps boost readership, getting kids that are starting to read on their own used to the format of chapter books. Many of them come in extensive series to hook the kids and get them reading all the books in the entire series.

Below are two separate lists. The first list is of series of first chapter books and the second is a list of stand-alone titles of first chapter books. Some may be more challenging than others. You can look up many of the series to find suggested grade levels on Amazon or, if your public library has access to this research tool, on Novelist.

Below is a list, in author order, of first chapter book SERIES titles:
Abbott, Tony - Secrets of Droon
Adler, David - Cam Jansen Mysteries
Applegate, Katherine - Roscoe Riley Rules
Asch, Frank - Cardboard Genius Journals
Auerbach, Annie - The Grosse Adventures
Ball, Nate - Alien in My Pocket
Barkley, Callie - Critter Club
Barrows, Annie - Ivy + Bean
Birney, Betty - Humphrey's Tiny Tales
Birney, Betty - World According to Humphrey
Blade, Adam - Beast Quest
Brown, Jeff - Flat Stanley
Byars, Betsy Cromer - Blossom Family
Cameron, Ann - Julian Books
Catalanotto, Peter - Monkey & Robot
Chabert, Jack - Eerie Elementary
Christopher, Matt - Peach Street Mudders Stories
Clanton, Ben - Narwhal and Jelly
Colfer, Eoin - Eoin Colfer's Legend Of
Conford, Ellen - Jenny Archer Chapter Books
Cooper, Ilene - Absolutely Lucy
Coville, Bruce - Moongobble and Me
Crowne, Alyssa - Perfectly Princess 
Dadey, Debbie - Mermaid Tales
Danzinger, Paula - Amber Brown
DiCamillo, Kate - Bink & Gollie
DiCamillo, Kate - Tales from Deckawoo Drive
Dowell, Frances O'Roark - Phineas L. MacGuire
Duey, Kathleen - Unicorn's Secret
Duffey, Betsy - Cody Series
Durand, Hallie - Dessert Schneider Books
Earhart, Kristin - Big Apple Barn
Edwards, Michelle - Jackson Friends Book
Elliott, Rebecca - Owl Diaries
French, Vivian - Tiara Club
Galante, Cecilia - Little Wings
Gannett, Ruth Stiles - My Father's Dragon
Giff, Patricia Reilly - Zigzag Kids
Greenburg, J.C. - Andrew Lost
Greene, Stephanie - Owen Foote
Greene, Stephanie - Princess Posey Books
Gutman, Dan - My Weird School Daze
Haas, Jessie - Bramble and Maggie
Hale, Shannon - Princess in Black
Harper, Charise Mericle - Just Grace
Hiranandani, Veera - Phoebe G. Green
Howe, Deborah & James - Bunnicula
Howe, James - Pinky and Rex
Hurwitz, Johanna - Monty Books
Jacobson, Jennifer - Andy Shane
Kelly, David - Ballpark Mysteries
King-Smith, Dick - Lollipop
King-Smith, Dick - Sophie Books
Kirby, Stan - Captain Awesome
Klein, Abby - Ready, Freddy!
Kline, Suzy - Horrible Harry
Krulik, Nancy - Appleville Elementary
Krulik, Nancy - George Brown, Class Clown
Krulik, Nancy - Katie Kazoo
Krulik, Nancy - Magic Bone
Kvasnosky, Laura McGee - Zelda and Ivy
Labatt, Mary - Sam, Dog Detective
Le Guin, Ursula - Catwings
Le Quesne, Peppa [and Kay Woodward] - Flower Fairies Friends
Lloyd, Jennifer - Murilla Gorilla
Lowry, Lois - Gooney Bird
McCall Smith, Alexander - Harriet Bean Mysteries
McCall Smith, Alexander - Max and Maddy Twist Mysteries
McDonald, Megan - Judy Moody and Friends
McKay, Hilary - Lulu
Meadows, Daisy - Rainbow Magic
Moore, Eva - Magic School Bus Science Chapter Books
Moss, Olivia - Butterfly Meadow
Napoli, Donna Jo - Sly the Sleuth Mysteries
Nichols, Catherine - Animal Planet Adventures
Nixon, Joan Lowery - Gus & Gertie
O'Neill, Catharine - Annie & Simon
Osborne, Mary Pope - Magic Tree House
Perelman, Helen - Candy Fairies
Peters, Stephanie True - Extreme Team
Scieszka, Jon - Time Warp Trio
Scroggs, Kirk - Wiley & Grampa's Creature Features
Sobol, Donald - Encyclopedia Brown
Speck, Katie - Maybelle
Stilton, Geronimo - Creepella Von Cacklefur
Trine, Greg - Adventures of Jo Schmo
Trine, Greg - Melvin Beederman Superhero
Various - Magic Attic Club
Voake, Steve - Daisy Dawson
West, Tracey - Dragon Masters
Williams, Suzanne - Princess Power
Winkler, Henry - Here's Hank
Woodward, Kay [and Pippa Le Quesne] - Flower Fairies Friends


Below is a list, in author order, of first chapter book STAND-ALONE titles:
Bechtold, Lisze - Buster & Phoebe: The Great Bone Game
Brock, Betty - No Flying in the House
Byars, Betsy Cromer - The SOS File
Christopher, Matt - The Lucky Baseball
Creech, Sharon - Love That Dog
Crisp, Marty - My Dog, Cat
DeLaCroix, Alice - The Best Horse Ever
DeLaCroix, Alice - The Hero of Third Grade
Duffey, Betsy - Alien for Rent
Duffey, Betsy - The Gadget War
Duffey, Betsy - How to Be Cool in the Third Grade
Dunrea, Olivier - Hanne's Quest
Flood, Pansie Hart - It's Test Day, Tiger Turcotte
Funke, Cornelia Caroline - Emma and the Blue Genie
Funke, Cornelia Caroline - The Pirate Pig
Funke, Cornelia Caroline - Ruffleclaw
King-Smith, Dick - The Water Horse
Krensky, Stephen - Louise, Soccer Star?
Moore, Lilian - I'll Meet You at the Cucumbers


There are many more, but not as many stand-alone titles as there are series titles. Again, it is because these books are geared towards children that are beginning to read on their own. The point of the series, other than reading for fun, is to catch their attention. If the child enjoys it, they will read the entire series and therefore get even more practice reading. It is a cycle that parents, publishers, and us educators do not want to end. Therefore first chapter book series are a HUGE part of our collection at the library!

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