[lily-stejskal Posts: 26 Status: Offline I love kids' books!]

Hi All,
Please respond to this post with one or more titles of children's chapter books that you consider classics.
I would like to see how many classic chapter books I have read and which ones I still need to read.
Thanks!

-Lily Stejskal

[Hopeful Posts: 227 Status: Offline I love kid books!]

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
Homer Price by Robert McCloskey
B is for Betsy by Carolyn Haywood

[Vijaya Posts: 7,172 Status: Offline Encourage WWW]

Almost all the CBs my kids loved are in series.
Biscuit by Alyssa Satin Capucelli (sp?)
Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel
Henry and Mudge by Cynthia Rylant
Mercy Watson by Kate di Camillo
Sideways Stories by Louis Sachar
Amanda and Oliver by Jean van Leeuven
Catwings by Ursula LeGuin

[Debbie Vilardi Posts: 7,009 Status: Offline Language is so cool! WWW]

Series Titles:
Magic Tree House
Judy Moody
Junie B. Jones
Horrible Harry
The Puppy Place
Secrets of Droon
Cam Jansen
Encyclopedia Brown

[HaroldU Posts: 849 Status: Offline Exec. Editor, Kane Press WWW]

I have to jump in to say that I think there's some confusion about what chapter books are, based on some of the examples given.

In my experience, chapter books are indeed books with chapters, but they are intended for kids who are moving on from easy/early readers and not yet ready for middle grade novels, two categories which may also have chapters. They tend to be but may not always be episodic (each chapter is its own story) and not have the complete story arc of a novel.

So, I would place Island of the Blue Dolphins and Where the Red Fern Grows firmly in the middle grade novel  category. And I would place Henry and Mudge and Frog and Toad in easy reader.  Pippi Longstocking I'm not sure about, but without re-reading it I think I'd place it as a younger MG novel, but I could see a case for chapter book too...

Other books to add to the chapter book stack: the Time Warp Trio books, and the Ivy and Bean books.

[HaroldU Posts: 849 Status: Offline Exec. Editor, Kane Press WWW]

Also, A Family of Readers can help with learning about the different categories and includes plenty of examples. I recommend it for your reference shelf.

[Anne Marie Posts: 2,855 Status: Offline VAMPIRINA season 3 is on Disney Junior now! WWW]

What Harold said.  The term "chapter book" is really misleading because lots of books that have chapters aren't considered "chapter books", as Harold points out.

[dinalapomy101 Posts: 1,875 Status: Offline Happy writing to all! WWW]

But if you mean classic "books with chapters," like all those mentioned above, then this is a good starting list!

NYPL put out this list, which contains picture books and longer works: https://www.nypl.org/childrens100

[Arp Laszlo Posts: 18 Status: Offline I love comics & fart jokes WWW]

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, 1972 Newbery winner.

[onestepp Posts: 139 Status: Offline I love kids' books!]

Geronimo Stilton

[Debbie Vilardi Posts: 7,009 Status: Offline Language is so cool! WWW]

In my experience, chapter books are indeed books with chapters, but they are intended for kids who are moving on from easy/early readers and not yet ready for middle grade novels, two categories which may also have chapters.

This is also my understanding. The reading age is from 5-8, new readers. Chapter books often, almost always, come in series. My library shelves them separately and alphabetizes them by series title instead of by author (because the author can vary within the series). The Droon books I listed may actually be more middle grade, but the others are classic chapter books as far as I know.

[Christine B. Posts: 367 Status: Offline WWW]

The Magic Treehouse and Clementine came to mind.

[carrots Posts: 551 Status: Offline]

Just adding the Betsy-Tacy books to the list.