Best books for the early reader--old classics and new favorites!

As an accepted bookaholic of my community, one of the most frequent questions I'm asked is: "What books do you recommend for new readers?" It is a tricky age for which to find the perfect books--the seedling stage, at which aggressive overwatering or timid neglect will both result in the new growth withering up pathetically. Or so it seems. Don't worry about this too much, parents. Just because your new readers might show a temporary lack of interest in reading "real books," it doesn't mean they won't go on to become terrific readers. They just need to find the right book or books to light their passion! What follows is a list of the books that have done just that for my family's readers. They're the little waterproof matches of the children's literature world.

A note about order: These aren't in order of my love for them or even of when my children read them, but more or less in order of reading difficulty. More or less! Every child reads at a different pace, and yours will almost definitely be different than mine. But hopefully this will give you a place to start. The cover images link to Amazon if you'd like to buy them there (Amazon gives me a tiny percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you).

The Princess in Black (series), by Shannon and Dean Hale.
I love this series about a very girly princess who enjoys battling monsters in her spare time. There is very limited text, but it is broken into chapters, allowing for the satisfaction of completing a "real book" in a short amount of time.



26 Fairmont Avenue (series), by Tomie DePaola.
This is an autobiographical (Newbery-honored) chapter book, complete with DePaola's wonderful illustrations and good heart.



Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet (series), by Jacqueline Kelly.
These early reader companion books to the Newbery-honored The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate are ideal for early readers who love historical fiction (they are set in turn of the century Texas) and humor. They were the first books my second daughter read aloud to me by herself, and I had to resist sneaking into her room at night to finish the stories. Also, the illustrations are incredible. Just look at the cover!



Next Spring an Oriole (series), by Gloria Whelan.
More excellent historical fiction, these about a 19th century family of pioneers.



The Princess Tales (series), by Gail Carson Levine.
I give these to my daughters and young nieces as soon as they can read on their own--and I read them aloud in the hearing of my young nephews who pretend not to listen but totally can't get enough of the laugh-aloud situations. It's kind of a shame they were marketed as princess stories, because these fairy-tale retellings are great for young boys as well as girls. Give them to your princess-loving girls and your bold, humor-loving boys.



Magic Tree House (series), by Mary Pope Osborne.
There are about a million of these now (yes, yes, we've been studying hyperbole), but I've only read a few of the originals. My second daughter, who loves history, really enjoys the blend of true stories and fantasy.



The Night Fairy, by Laura Amy Schlitz.
If I had ordered these books by my love for them, this would be first. The writing is brilliant, I tell you--the words flow off your tongue and make reading aloud beautifully an easy task, even for a new reader. It's another story with great appeal to boys as well as girls, as Flory, the night fairy of the title, is a spunky little survivalist. I believe I have read this aloud more than most of the picture books in my house.



Princess Cora and the Crocodile, by Laura Amy Schlitz.
This story about an overworked princess who wishes for a dog but ends up with a crocodile is just as beautifully written as The Night Fairy, with more humor! (I still can't get through a certain page because I laugh so hard.) Wonderful illustrations on every spread.



Brambly Hedge (series), Jill Barklem.

These books contain some of the best illustrations of any books. Ever. You--and your new readers--will spend hours peering at the little mouse houses and storehouses and kitchens and bedrooms... I wish I could live in Brambly Hedge. I'm linking to a single book in the series rather than the one book complete volume, because the small book size of the individual stories greatly adds to the appeal of the miniature world Barklem created. (Yes, I feel strangely strongly about this.) But the entire series is wonderful.



Betsy-Tacy (series), by Maud Hart Lovelace.
I should clarify that the first three to four books of this classic historical fiction series are early readers, but the series follows the characters along their lives all the way up to adulthood and marriage and grows in complexity as well as maturity. It's wonderful...even if no publisher today would dream of such a radical idea. You can give books in the same series to your 13-year-olds and your 6-year-olds, and they can fall in love with the characters together. Betsy, Tacy, and Tib are some of my very favorite fictional people, and their stories are hilarious and sweet without ever being sappy. Betsy is one of my favorite examples of a strong girl protagonist who is always supported by her family and community.



Winona's Pony Cart, by Maud Hart Lovelace.
This companion book to the Betsy-Tacy series is the only of Lovelace's companion books that is intended for new readers. Just as sweet and humorous as Betsy-Tacy, but not nearly as well known.



Encyclopedia Brown (series), by Donald Sobal.
Classic yet surprisingly contemporary. Each story is short, contained, and a perfect little mystery. Also great for first conversations about logic, if you like that kind of thing as much as I do.



Henry Huggins (series) and Ramona (series), by Beverly Cleary.
These books need no introduction, but I'm including them before everyone starts clamoring (justifiably) in the comments. Seriously, though, how can books written so many decades ago feel so contemporary? They are timeless and wonderful.





Impunity Jane, by Rumor Godden.

Rumer Godden wrote several books ideal for young readers, many of them about dolls, but this was probably our favorite. Unfortunately, it is out of print, but well worth tracking down a used copy.




Here's a "secret" to raising children who love to read: allow them to read widely. And often. The more stories they fall in love with and complete, the more it solidifies their desire to keep doing this amazing thing all their lives. In my family, graphic novels have allowed me to feed my children's appetite for more and more stories, while allowing them to read at a pace that allows for quick satisfaction. (I'd also like to throw out there that graphic novels are excellent for many other reasons, most notably for my children in teaching them how to approach stories visually and sequentially. I firmly believe their love for graphic novels has tremendously impacted their ability to write well.)

Here are some excellent graphic novels that my beginning readers have loved. Remember, you can purchase any of them from Amazon by clicking on the cover images, or print out this list and take it to your local indie bookseller.

Little Robot, by Ben Hatke.
Give this to your very, very, very early reader! There are very few words, but a sophisticated storytelling that separates in from picture books. Then when your reader's appetite is whetted, give them Zita the Spacegirl.



Zita the Spacegirl (series), by Ben Hatke.
Oh, Zita, we love you. Great story: I once asked my girls, "If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?" One daughter piped up, "Jesus!" Her big sister answered, after some thought, "Ben Hatke." And the first said, "Wait, can I change my answer?!" We haven't had dinner with Ben Hatke yet, but we did meet him last year, and he's pretty great. Maybe we could invite him and Jesus to a dinner party, and then it would be truly epic.



Mighty Jack (series), by Ben Hatke.
Bonus points for an awesome representation of a homeschooler! (See the cool girl on the right of the cover?)



Anne of Green Gables, adapted as a graphic novel by Mariah Marsden and Brenna Thummler.
My 6-year-old loved this! We bought it after a difficult day, when neither of us were being the best versions of ourselves, which ended up (of course) at the bookstore. I can't tell you what a difference it made to her to ask the question, "What would Anne do in this situation?" So far that has resulted in more compassion and creativity...and no green hair or currant wine debacles so far.



Redwall, the Graphic Novel, by Brian Jacques and illustrated by Bret Blevins
(Note: once your reader is confident decoding words quickly, the Redwall series is excellent for allowing them to dive into book after book without worrying about that awkward new book introduction stage. I love long, well-written series for this reason! My girls never got entirely obsessed, but my young nephews were Redwallians through and through.)



Rapunzel's Revenge, by Shannon and Dean Hale.
Fun retelling of the Rapunzul story, excellent for new readers who are slightly older--8 or 9. Older, well-established readers will love it, too.




Calamity Jack, by Shannon and Dean Hale.
Companion/sequel to Rapunzel's Revenge. Same age group.




What books do your early readers love? I'd love recommendations for more graphic novels appropriate for the 6-8 age range, so please pipe up if you have any in mind!