20 Books for Little Bookworms
20 Captivating Books Guaranteed to Hook Your Little Readers
Favorite Board Books
These are the book you’ll read a million times and they’ll get chewed up by teething babies and probably get completely battered and then you’ll never be able to get rid of them because the worn edges will remind you of reading to your tiny baby.
Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton – I am the world’s biggest Sandra Boynton fan. Her books are so catchy with illustrations that just make me laugh. I’ve read this one approximately one million times and I’m still not tired of it.
Piggies by Audrey Wood, illustrated by Don Wood – If you twisted my arm, this is probably my all-time favorite board book. On each page there is a set of children’s hands with little piggies on each finger. The details are mind-boggling and it’s the perfect length for a bedtime read (e.g. short).
Baby Animals by Gyo Fujikawa – My mother-in-law gave us this book when my first child was born and it’s been well-loved through four children now. I love the extra-tall shape of it, the beautiful illustrations, and the wide variety of both animals and children depicted.
Peek-A Who? by Nina Laden – We own most of the books in this board book series and my children have all LOVED guessing who is behind each page and then seeing themselves in the mirror on the last page.
Pro Tip: Any of these make fantastic baby shower gifts. And it won’t be the tenth copy of Goodnight Moon that they receive.
Favorite Picture Books
I don’t think I read a single picture book between the time I was about ten and when I started grad school in library studies, but after a couple of picture book seminars, I fell in love with picture books and now it’s one of my favorite kinds of books to read. There is just such variety and richness here.
Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld – This book is like those pictures where you’re asked if you see two women or a vase. Do you see a duck or do you see a rabbit? The off-screen narrators can’t agree, no matter what the duck does. Or is it a rabbit?
Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed, illustrated by Stasia Burrington – For all the children who get asked a million times “what are you going to be when you grow up?” this book is a delightful tale of Mae Jamison who knew she wanted to be an astronaut even when her teacher suggested she pick something more realistic.
Where’s Walrus? by Stephen Savage – When Walrus escapes from the zoo, the zookeeper chases after him but can’t find him in any scene because he blends right in. My young children have all gotten a kick out of searching for the walrus on each page (he’s not hard to find, but it’s fun to be smarter than the zookeeper).
Not a Stick by Antoinette Portis – It might look like a stick to you, but with each page turn, you see what an imagination can turn a simple stick into, from a fireman’s hose to an artist’s brush. Check out Not a Box too.
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Favorite Early Chapter Books
It’s a magical moment when you start to graduate into these not-quite-picture-books and not-quite-chapter-books. They are perfect as your child’s attention span starts to lengthen but you still want something you can read in one sitting or when you’re looking for something they can read on their own.
Ling & Ting: Not Exactly The Same! by Grace Lin – Ling and Ting are twins, but even if they look alike, they have very distinct personalities. And you get to watch those differences shine in each funny chapter.
Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen – This whole series is just really great fun about a pig who lives with an older couple and is obsessed with buttered toast. The audiobook version is fantastic, too.
Charlie & Mouse & Grumpy by Laurel Snyder, illustrated by Emily Hughes – Two little brothers are DELIGHTED when their grandfather comes to spend the week with them. (There are several books in this series and they are all super sweet).
The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham – If you think princesses just sit around wearing tiaras, you haven’t met The Princess in Black. She can throw a tea party with the best of them, but when the monster alarm goes off, she puts on her disguise and races off to save the day.
Pro-Tip:Â For the books divided into very short chapters, read the first chapter aloud to get your child warmed up to the storyline and then let them read the subsequent chapters on their own.
Favorite Read Alouds
When your child starts getting ready to listen to longer books, these are some of my favorites. I usually recommend giving your child a quick overview of the story and characters to help them keep it straight, and then letting them do something with their hands while you read aloud, like Legos or play doh.
Juana & Lucas by Juana Medina – Juana likes fun things. And learning English is NOT fun. Until her grandfather figures out a way to convince her that it might be worth her while. This one has full color illustrations, which makes it perfect to keep a younger child engaged as they start listening to longer books.
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary – I loved these as a child and now as an adult, I’m even more in awe of what a masterful writer of childhood Beverly Cleary is. I’ve read many of these aloud and then we’ve listened to the very excellent audiobook versions of them in the car or at bedtime dozens of times.
The Children of Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren, illustrated by Ilon Wikland – I never read this book by the author of Pippi Longstocking when I was a child, but we got a copy and I read it aloud to my six-year-old and I couldn’t tell you which of us liked these sweet, old-fashioned stories about a group of children living on neighboring farms more.
Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky – Three toys have plenty of adventures during the day when their little girl is otherwise occupied. If your child loves the concept of Toy Story, this one (and the two sequels) will be right up their alley.
Favorite Elementary Series
For a voracious reader, series are like magic because it keeps them in books a little longer. And for a reluctant reader, a series is a way to introduce them to one book and then have them feel more comfortable with subsequent installments.
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner – With more than 100 books in this series, you won’t run out anytime soon. And I particularly love what sweet sibling relationships these books model.
Geronimo Stilton by Geronimo Stilton – If your child is intimidated by lots of text, these books help ease them in with lots of fun fonts, varied sizes, and colored words. They are also fun, fast-paced books.
The Clubhouse Mysteries by Sharon M. Draper – This series of six books about a group of boys that form a club called the Black Dinosaurs and solve mysteries is originally from the 90s and has been republished.
Heidi Heckelbeck by Wanda Coven – When Heidi discovers she’s a witch (which happens at the end of the first book), there are all sorts of new adventures for her as she tries to keep her powers hidden in second grade. I love the big type in these plus the sweet illustrations.