Early Chapter Books
Akiko on the Planet Smoo
Mark Crilley
Diverse Characters, Adventure, Early Chapter Books, Fantasy
Akiko Series, Book 1 When this fourth-grader comes home from school one day, she finds an envelope waiting for her with no stamp and no return address. The message inside reads Dear Akiko: We are coming to get you. Meet us outside your bedroom window tonight at 8:00. Don't forget your toothbrush. How could anyone meet her outside her window? She lives on the 17th floor, for goodness sake. But that evening, as Akiko is preparing to study for tomorrow's geography test, she finds a small spacecraft hovering outside her window with two odd little men inside. They have been sent to whisk Akiko off to the Planet Smoo where she will lead a team enlisted to find the King of Smoo's kidnapped son, Prince Froptoppit. Akiko, the leader of a rescue mission? She's too timid to be on the school's safety patrol! So begins Akiko's adventure across the land of Smoo to find a prince and become a leader.
Rabbit & Bear. Attack of the snack
Julian Gough
jFICTION Gough Julian
Early Chapter Books, Kids, Humor
When Rabbit and Bear's swim is disturbed by a small owl, Bear is interested in learning more but Rabbit relates horror stories and wants to imprison the sleeping bird.
Rabbit and Bear books are great for beginning readers; the simple stories, laugh out loud humor and great illustrations mean that they are the perfect transition from picture books to chapter books. Plus they are a great and fun read aloud to younger kids. Look for the other four books in this hilarious series! -Angie
The Beatryce Prophecy
Kate DiCamillo
jFICTION DiCamillo, Kate
Adventure, Early Chapter Books
"We shall all, in the end, be led to where we belong. We shall all, in the end, find our way home. In a time of war, a mysterious child appears at the monastery of the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing. Gentle Brother Edik finds the girl, Beatryce, curled in a stall, wracked with fever, coated in dirt and blood, and holding fast to the ear of Answelica the goat. As the monk nurses Beatryce to health, he uncovers her dangerous secret, one that imperils them all--for the king of the land seeks just such a girl, and Brother Edik, who penned the prophecy himself, knows why. And so it is that a girl with a head full of stories--powerful tales-within-the-tale of queens and kings, mermaids and wolves--ventures into a dark wood in search of the castle of one who wishes her dead. But Beatryce knows that, should she lose her way, those who love her--a wild-eyed monk, a man who had once been king, a boy with a terrible sword, and a goat with a head as hard as stone--will never give up searching for her, and to know this is to know everything. With its timeless themes, unforgettable cast, and magical medieval setting, Kate DiCamillo's lyrical tale, paired with resonant black-and-white illustrations by Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall, is a true collaboration between masters"--
Kate DiCamillo's work is always magical and this book is no exception. Set in a somewhat Medieval time period, Beatryce, our protagonist wakes up with no memory sleeping on a bed of straw holding the ear of a goat. Slowly, things get revealed to her: she can read, she can write, her name is Beatryce. She finds a band of friends (always slightly a misfit band of friends, the goat for one), and as her memory returns, she goes to try and find her mother. If you have a child who loves adventure, here's their book. Sophie Blackwell's illustrations are beautiful. This is a chapter book, but it is also a good one to read aloud. -Anne M
Maniac Magee
Jerry Spinelli
jFICTION Spinelli, Jerry
Early Chapter Books
After his parents die, Jeffrey Lionel Magee's life becomes legendary, as he accomplishes athletic and other feats which awe his contemporaries.
Added by Beth
Mockingbird
Kathryn Erskine
jFICTION Erskine, Kathryn
Early Chapter Books
Ten-year-old Caitlin, who has Asperger's Syndrome, struggles to understand emotions, show empathy, and make friends at school, while at home she seeks closure by working on a project with her father.
Added by Beth
Anne of Green Gables.
L. M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery
jFICTION Montgomery, L. M.
Early Chapter Books
Anne, an eleven-year-old orphan, is sent by mistake to live with a lonely, middle-aged brother and sister on a Prince Edward Island farm and proceeds to make an indelible impression on everyone around her.
Added by Beth
Where the red fern grows : the story of two dogs and a boy
Wilson Rawls
jFICTION Rawls, Wilson
Early Chapter Books
A young boy living in the Ozarks achieves his heart's desire when he becomes the owner of two redbone hounds and teaches them to be champion hunters.
Added by Beth
The hobbit : or, There and back again
J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel) Tolkien
jFICTION Tolkien, J. R. R.
Early Chapter Books
Bilbo Baggins, a respectable, well-to-do hobbit, lives comfortably in his hobbit-hole until the day the wandering wizard Gandalf chooses him to share in an adventure from which he may never return.
Added by Beth
Baloney and friends
Greg Pizzoli
jREADER Baloney
Early Readers, Early Chapter Books, Graphic Novels
"Meet Baloney! He's a pig. This book is about him. And also Peanut, his best friend. There's Bizz, too, of course. And Krabbit. He'd rather not be here, but what can you do?"--Provided by publisher.
The new series from Greg Pizzoli is hilarious! I can hardly wait for the next installment. -Casey
Sydney & Simon : go green!
Paul A. Reynolds
jREADER Reynolds, Paul A.
Kids, Early Chapter Books
After discovering that a green sea turtle was harmed by plastic in the ocean, twin mice Sydney and Simon come up with a creative campaign to increase recycling and reduce the amount of trash created in their home, school, and town.
Added by Angie
Added by Alexander A