Classic Chapter Books for Bedtime

I wrote in my last post about reading chapter books before bedtime and wanted to share some of our favorites! We read all sorts of books, but I love these classic chapter books.

 

 

Before I get to the list, one of the nice things about reading chapter books to little babies is that you can read whatever you want. I read Wheat Belly when my son was about six months old because it was something I wanted to read, I didn’t have time to read much on my own, and he didn’t care what I was reading. I also read a severely edited bit of Game of Thrones when we were away and didn’t have another book. Don’t judge 🙂

We went through a phase where my husband had to put my daughter to bed every night because she went to sleep easier than when I put her to bed. He read War and Peace. Over a long time, only ten minutes or so a day, but still. War and Peace!

So if you have baby babies you can use this as an opportunity to slip in some books you’ve been wanting to read. When they are more aware of what you’re reading you can use this as a chance to read things you hear about but never read. There are a ton of classics I had never read and this was a great way to finally get to them.

We have age ranges here, too, so I have read books that the older one wants and edited out the violent stuff (like the Percy Jackson series).

These are some of our favorites:

1. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. This is such a sweet story, so beautifully written. It’s easy to read aloud, has great characters, and some of the sentences are just magic.
2. The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White. I read this when I was little and it stuck with me. The boy, the swan, the trumpet. A great story.
3. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. I never read this until my son was born. There is a little weirdness to it, but it’s worth reading. Overall a fun story about friends.
4. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. I am finally reading this! My brother bought me this book and The Lord of the Rings trilogy for Christmas when I was about ten and I never read it. (I still feel guilty about it.) My husband has already read it to the boys, but I’m reading it now and they’re excited about it. So far I love it- it’s wordy but great.
5. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I love this book- the sad beginning, the new life, the mystery of the garden, and the friendships.
6. The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. This book is another classic I never read but loved reading with my girls. I’ve read it at least twice.
7. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. One of my favorites. I love the characters. My daughters and I talk about Anne and Diana Barry and kindred spirits all the time. There are so many great characters that you can find parallels in today.
8. Rascal by Sterling North. This book was part of an old set of children’s classics that looked like it came from the 1950s. I’m so glad I dusted it off and read it. It’s a great story about a boy and his life, mostly his adventures with a raccoon.
9. Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks. I read this in 5th grade and loved it. I don’t know if my sons were as enthralled with it as I remember being, but they did like it. The idea of having a living toy you could take to school with you in your pocket is pretty cool.
10. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. And another one I never read until I was a mom! I swear I read a ton as a kid, I don’t know what the heck I was reading. My dad’s Agatha Christie novels and too much Sweet Valley High I guess. But this is an amazing book about sisters.

I’ll also read some books that are more recent that my children pick. I like giving them a chance to pick, especially now that they’re getting older.

I think it’s important for the parent to have a strong say in what’s being read most of the time. Otherwise, you might be reading all Puppy Place books or Mongoose vs. Scorpion kinds of books (which are great in their own way!). Use this as a chance to expose your kids to books that they might not read otherwise.

Book series are wonderful too! It takes care of the “what should we read next” question for a while.

What are your favorite classic chapter books?