Sometime between age three and four, we began reading chapter books aloud to our daughter. Now, as a five-year-old, she has an insatiable appetite for good books. I’m compiling a list of twaddle-free chapter books, old and new, to read aloud. Keep in mind that I chose to do a little editing with a few of these but it was very minor. I’ll be updating this list as we go along, so check this post again soon for new additions.
1.Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner | A.A. Milne
2. The Littles | John Peterson
3. Stuart Little | E.B. White
4. “B” is for Betsy | Carolyn Haywood
5. A Mouse Called Wolf | Dick King-Smith
6. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland | Lewis Carrol
7. Tumtum & Nutmeg series | Emily Bearn
8. A Nest for Celeste | Henry Cole
9. The Incredible Journey | Shelia Burnford
10. James and the Giant Peach | Roald Dahl
11. Fantastic Mr. Fox | Roald Dahl
12. The Story of Doctor Dolittle | Hugh Lofting
13. Coyote Autumn | Bill Wallace
14. Mary Poppins | P.L. Travers
15. Little House in the Big Woods | Laura Ingalls Wilder
16. Raggedy Ann Stories | Johnny Gruelle
17. African Adventures | Dick Anderson
18. My Father’s Dragon series | Ruth Stiles Gannett
19. Mr. Popper’s Penguins | Richard Atwater
20. The Indian in the Cupboard | Lynn Reid Banks
21. The Hundred Dresses | Eleanor Estes
What are your family’s favorites? We’d love to enjoy them too!
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Great list! We just finished A Nest for Celeste. It was the “One School, One Book” this fall. I didn’t particularly love Audubon’s methods at times, but we enjoyed the adventures of Celeste! Thanks for sharing. I’m inspired to pull out a few of those classics to share!
Wonderful list! I would add Mandy, by Julie Andrews Edwards, one of my favorites and definitely fits the “twaddle free” bill. There are so many good ones! I haven’t read Celeste, and will definitely check it out.