Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
Best First Read-Aloud Chapter Books
22
items We first started chapter books with my book-loving boy when he was 2.5 years old! Two years later, these are some of the stories we’ve enjoyed most as a family. These read-aloud titles are perfect for the youngest listeners - wholesome stories that i...
Sections
2
Series and Anthologies
Stand-Alone Stories
Series and Anthologies
Zoey and Sassafras is one of our all-time favorite series. Zoey’s mom is a scientist who also helps magical creatures who live in the forest behind their house. She thinks only she can see the magical creatures until one day they discover that Zoey c...
Zoey and Sassafras Books 1-6 Pack
Mona the mouse has lived alone for as long as she can remember. Then, one stormy night, she takes refuge in the Heartwood Hotel, where she finds friendship and belonging. This series follows Mona and her woodland friends as they seek to live by “prot...
Heartwood Hotel Boxed Set: Books 1-4
These are the first chapter books we introduced to our son when he was just 2.5. They’re a perfect introduction to chapter books because they’re short, silly, and filled with lots of delightful illustrations. The wry humor is entertaining for grownup...
Mercy Watson Boxed Set: Adventures of a Porcine Wonder
I just love the Paddington stories! A Bear Called Paddington tells the story of how Paddington, a bear from “darkest Peru,” first came to England and found his very own family. Along the way, he gets into all sorts of mischief, which he always gets a...
A Bear Called Paddington
The Adventures of Sophie Mouse is a huge series of short, charming stories about a young artistic mouse and her forest friends. These stories explore important social-emotional themes like friendship, jealousy, responsibility, and reconciliation. The...
The Hidden Cottage
Anna Hibiscus lives in a big house with her mom and dad, her twin baby brothers Double and Trouble, and her dad’s entire extended family in “Africa, amazing Africa!” In this series, Anna Hibiscus explores her multicultural roots, navigates the joys a...
Anna Hibiscus
My husband gets the credit for finding this hilarious and adorable series. Duane the Polar Bear lives in the Very, Very Far North, where he befriends an eclectic assortment of arctic creatures, including a cerebral owl named C.C., a mischievous fox n...
The Very, Very Far North
The Mouse and the Motorcycle is a cute, humorous story about a young mouse who dreams of riding a motorcycle and the friendship he develops with a boy who comes to stay at the hotel where Ralph and his family live. This is a great story to introduce ...
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
The Kingdom of Wrenly series is a great introduction to fantasy for the youngest readers. Follow Lucas and his best friend Clara as tame a dragon, help an injured Pegasus, learn important lessons about responsibility, and much more in these adventuro...
The Kingdom of Wrenly Collection (Includes four magical adventures and a map!) (Boxed Set)
The Winnie the Pooh stories are a classic for a good reason. The stories are so whimsical, with plenty of clever humor to delight children and their grownups alike.
Winnie-the-Pooh (Puffin Modern Classics)
The Magic Tree House books have been some of my son's favorites. Siblings Jack and Annie discover a magic tree house in the forest by their home that can take them anywhere in time and space - to the African savannah, the Middle Ages, and even the mo...
Magic Tree House Books 1-4 Boxed Set
While the James Herriot story treasury is more a series of stories than a true chapter book, it's a great introduction to the format for young children. Each page is fully and beautifully illustrated, but the stories are longer and a bit more text-he...
James Herriot's Treasury for Children
Step into the world of Brambly Hedge, where a close-knit community of mice live and work together in harmony. The stories in this volume are a stunning illustration of the changing seasons and the tiny wonders of the natural world - along with the wh...
The Complete Brambly Hedge
Jenny and the Cat Club is an adorable collection of stories about a shy little cat who finds friendship and belonging with an eclectic group of cats in her New York City neighborhood.
Jenny and the Cat Club
My preschooler and I so enjoyed this charming collection of stories about the adventures of Raggedy Andy, Raggedy Ann, and all the doll friends they live with in Marcella's nursery.
Raggedy Andy Stories
Stand-Alone Stories
Mr. Popper’s Penguins is the hilarious tale of the misadventures of a house painter who is sent two penguins and soon ends up with a whole houseful!
Mr. Popper's Penguins (Newbery Honor Award Winner)
This story of an unlikely friendship is the kind of funny that will make both kids and their grownups laugh! It’s in chapter book format but short enough to read in one sitting.
Yours Sincerely, Giraffe
We adore Charlotte’s Web. It’s the sweetest story of childhood, friendship, and the transformative power of finding someone who really believes in you. This story does introduce some heavier themes, so I recommend reviewing a summary before reading w...
Charlotte's Web
Boo’s Dinosaur is a short and sweet story about Sammy and his little sister Boo, who adopts a pet dinosaur only she can see. It’s a lovely celebration of children’s big imaginations, and it’s a great gateway for discussions with young children about ...
Boo's Dinosaur
The children of Noisy Village live, work, and play together, get into mischief, and learn how to be good friends. This story captures the beauty of a close-knit community and simpler times.
The Children of Noisy Village
Mary Poppins is the sweet and whimsical story of a magical nanny who arrives with the east wind at the doorstep of the Banks family home.
Mary Poppins
Socks in an adorable story about a cat struggling to find his place after his humans bring home a new baby.
Socks