Buy it: Ivy & Bean
Ivy & Bean (By Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall) – Bean has short hair and likes to get dirty. Ivy wears dresses and is always reading books. But these two girls find out that despite their differences, they have a lot of fun together. The chapter book, “Ivy & Bean,” is a great choice for kids 6 to 9 years old. Bean plays a trick on her sister and is worried that she’ll get in trouble. Ivy, who lives across the street, invites her to hide out with her. The two girls quickly become friends as they make a witch’s robe and wand for Ivy; dig for worms and run from Bean’s older sister. These two girls find themselves in lots of humorous situations, which my daughter, age 6, loved to read about.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 6, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: Nate the Great
Nate the Great (By Marjorie Weinman Sharmat) - This is the first book in the “Nate the Great” series of detective stories, of which we have now read several. Nate is a young boy who loves eating pancakes and solving mysteries. “Nate the Great” is a wonderful first chapter book for beginning readers, because the text and stories are simple and often funny; there are fun illustrations on every page and the chapters are short. In this first book, Nate is helping his friend Annie find her missing picture. Nate and Annie search Annie’s room, dig up the backyard and have a snack of pancakes, before Nate finally solves the mystery. My daughter Ally, age 6, loves reading the “Nate the Great” books and trying to solves the mysteries before Nate does. But even after we know the ending, she still loves to read them again and again.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 6, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: Princess Posey and the Perfect Present
Princess Posey and the Perfect Present (By Stephanie Greene) – “Princess Posey and the Perfect Present” is a great chapter book for beginning readers. The story is simple and relatable for first-graders; the chapters are short; and there are cute illustrations throughout. My daughter Ally, a first-grader who is 6, and I enjoy reading these books together. In this story, Posey is excited to be bringing a present to school for her teacher’s birthday. She decides to bring roses that she picked from the garden. But when she gets to school, one of her friends has also brought flowers for the teacher and the bouquet is bigger and prettier than Posey’s. Posey hides her flowers and gets angry at her friend. But after school, Posey’s mom explains that the size of the bouquet is not important and that her friend didn’t know that Posey was also bringing flowers. Posey goes out to the garden and picks just one rose to give to her teacher the next day. Her teacher is excited to have her first “after birthday present.” And Posey apologizes to her friend. This story offers simple lessons about friendship and jealousy.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 6, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: Mercy Watson
Mercy Watson (By Kate DiCamillo) – My daughter Ally, age 5, and I have read all of the Mercy Watson chapter books over and over and over again. Mr. and Mrs. Watson have a pig named Mercy. Mercy sleeps in the bed and loves to eat toast with butter on it. My daughter loves all of the Mercy Watson stories, whether she is trying to drive a car, having a tea party, dressing as a princess for Halloween or eating the neighbors flowers. These books have bright and colorful illustrations of all of Mercy’s adventures. And these are great beginning chapter books for parents to read to their children or for young readers to read on their own. My husband loves that the chapters are short, so when Ally begs him to read one more chapter at bedtime, he can give in. I love that, unlike most chapter books, Ally never gets tired of hearing these stories. I guarantee that if you buy one Mercy Watson book, you’ll want to get them all.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 5, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: Lulu and the Brontosaurus
Lulu and the Brontosaurus (By Judith Viorst) – Lulu always gets what she wants. So when she asks her parents for a brontosaurus for her birthday, she throws a major fit when they say “no. ” Lulu packs a suitcase and heads out into the forest to find her own brontosaurus. And she actually finds one. But unfortunately, the brontosaurus doesn’t want to be Lulu’s pet, he wants Lulu to be HIS pet. Lulu decides she doesn’t like the idea of being a pet, outsmarts the brontosaurus and escapes. And later when she and the brontosaurus meet up again, they realize that neither one of them wants to be a pet but that they can be friends. During the story, Lulu realizes also that being polite and sweet is much better than being selfish and throwing tantrums. This is a chapter book, but the chapters are short and funny, and feature interesting black and white illustrations. I would recommend it for kids ages 5 to 8.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 5, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
