Great first classic chapter book

[HonoluluMom]

I would like to start reading longer chapter books to DD, and she said she wants a new book without pictures.

I'd like to start off with a very gentle classic chapter book with no deaths or possible scary parts.

I was considering Little House on the Prairie, but I heard that it can be a slow read due to long descriptive passages.

I was also considering Ella Enchanted.

Any suggestions?

[elbenn]

Winnie the Pooh

[wellyes]

Winnie the Pooh
:yeahthat:
The ones by AA Milne.

Beatrix Potter books are also a good transition from picture books to longer, more verbally complex stories.

Save the plot-driven books for a few years down the road.

[fivi2]

My Father's Dragon. (and sequels)

Ella Enchanted is too mature, imo (from what I remember of it - I am fairly certain that I read it).

My girls were bored to tears by many classics (pooh, wind in willows)

Many of the Beatrix Potters were too intense for my very sensitive dds at that age (bunnies getting eaten, hiding from cats, etc. We tried a couple, but not many of them).

We just now tried Little House in Big Woods as a book on tape while on vacation. They didn't dig it, but it was mostly reciting different kinds of winter food preparation. We never finished it, but probably will soon. (my girls are 6.5).

[npace19147]

My DD loved Charlotte's Web, but never got interested in Stuart Little for some reason. Mary Poppins is fun too.

[citymama]

Agree with My Father's Dragon! I would skip Little House. My DD has been reading independently for nearly 2 years and is scared by it.

[happymom]

Don't want to hijack OP, but I was actually about to post this. DD is 3.5 and I would like to start reading chapter books as well. We have only ever read regular picture books until now. Does this Winnie the Pooh set look right?
http://www.amazon.com/Poohs-Library-Winnie-The-Pooh-Original-Edition/dp/0525444513/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1346819223&sr=8-3&keywords=winnie+the+pooh+by+a.a.+milne

About how long is a chapter? I'm looking to read for 5 minutes at night, give or take a little.

[wellyes]

Don't want to hijack OP, but I was actually about to post this. DD is 3.5 and I would like to start reading chapter books as well. We have only ever read regular picture books until now. Does this Winnie the Pooh set look right?
http://www.amazon.com/Poohs-Library-Winnie-The-Pooh-Original-Edition/dp/0525444513/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1346819223&sr=8-3&keywords=winnie+the+pooh+by+a.a.+milne

About how long is a chapter? I'm looking to read for 5 minutes at night, give or take a little.

That set looks great, and I think 5 minutes is right.

One advantage of the Pooh books is that the chapters are basically self-contained. The series chapter books, like the Magic Treehouse and Rainbow Magic (the fairy ones), are set up to have exciting ends to each chapter, which makes it hard to read just a little. My daughter is always frustrated, asking for more.

[kwc]

I love Winnie the Pooh for the stand-alone factor of each chapter (though some are quite long).
If you are just getting started and don't want to read that much each night, the Mercy Watson (by Kate Di Camillo) are funny, have some pictures, and the chapters are relatively short.

The first chapter book DD was really into listening to was Mr. Popper's Penguins.

I also think My Father's Dragon is very gentle, though DD actually like Mr. Popper's Penguins even better. She also enjoyed the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books (though sometimes an explanation of old gender roles might be needed).

We are reading The Penderwicks but there is a widowed father and some mention of previous divorce so maybe not great for a 4 year old but good for 6 and up.

[WatchingThemGrow]

We did a Ramona book.

[hellokitty]

Charlotte's Web was the first real chapter book that we read to our older boys. They loved it. We tried Stuart Little next and that was a flop.

[lizzywednesday]

My dad bought a collection of Grimm's Fairy Tales when I hit that point.

It's in sad shape, but I still have it.

However ... it's absolutely not free of death & scary parts.

[new_mommy25]

I think The Wizard of Oz is a great first chapter book. I read that to DS when he was about three and he loved it. Charlotte's Web is also good (lots of pictures) but SAD, IMO.

[fivi2]

I guess a lot must depend on how sensitive your dc are. Mine are 6.5 and I am just now considering Charlotte's web and Oz due to subject matter (death, tornadoes, wicked witches, houses crashing, not being able to get home, etc.)

We did like Popper and Mercy Watson.

[fedoragirl]

DD is 2.5 and we are reading Beatrix Potter. I already know about the stories so I skip the bunnies eaten story (Peter Rabbit). She absolutely loves Miss Tiddlywinks right now.

[wellyes]

Paddington Bear has been recommended to me.

[brittone2]

We started with My Father's Dragon for DS1. I agree with the AA Milne suggestion as well.

Ella Enchanted is more mature, IMO. We just did that as a read aloud a few months ago and mine are 8.5 and 5.5.

Cynthia Rylant's books are very gentle. The Lighthouse Family series is cute although it mentions an "orphanage" toward the end of the first book (mouse babies show up on a boat and are essentially adopted by a cat and dog, so this is mentioned briefly to tell us where they came from). It also briefly mentions the mouse babies' parents "looking down from heaven" or something to that effect. But other than that, nothing very intense. It is a shorter chapter book, and has pictures. Thimbleberry Stories is a bit of a hybrid between picture and chapter book, but very charming and sweet (DD is reading The Lighthouse Family books and just finished Thimbleberry stories. I have only read the first one with her a bit, so I don't know about content in subsequent books). I think THimbleberry would be fun to try with your 3 yo.

eta: Mr Popper's Penguins was one we did fairly early with DS1.

Thimbleberry Stories http://www.amazon.com/Thimbleberry-Stories-Cynthia-Rylant/dp/0152056459/ref=tmm_pap_title_0
The Lighthouse Family The Storm http://www.amazon.com/The-Storm-Lighthouse-Family/dp/068984882X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346899004&sr=8-1&keywords=lighthouse+family

[infomama]

Uncle Wiggly! http://www.amazon.com/Uncle-Wiggilys-Story-Howard-Garis/dp/0448400901

[brittone2]

Uncle Wiggly! http://www.amazon.com/Uncle-Wiggilys-Story-Howard-Garis/dp/0448400901
Yes, that's a good one! Thornton Burgess might be one to try too. They were good chapter books for my DS1 to self-read when he was an early reader and still sensitive, but they would also make a good read aloud.

[HonoluluMom]

Great suggestions - I love getting books for DD!