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Fun Family Read-Alouds for Preschool and Older

Created on February 22, 2020, 12:59 pm

Last Updated April 13, 2023, 2:31 pm

These titles are excellent chapter books to expose younger children to wonderful stories you can read over multiple nights. For children 2nd Grade and older check out this list: https://catalog.library.nashville.org/MyAccount/MyList/55548 For 4th Grade and Older view this list: https://catalog.library.nashville.org/MyAccount/MyList/55549 Updated by Miss Terri 4/2023.

1) All paws on deck

Author

Young, Jessica (Jessica E.)

Description

Tank is a clumsy, outgoing Great Dane, and Haggis is a bored, curmudgeonly Scottie--so one afternoon Tank suggests they turn the wagon in the backyard into a ship and play pirate.

2) Barkus: Book 1

Author

MacLachlan, Patricia

Description

Barkus is a large and very smart dog who comes to live with seven-year-old Nicky when Nicky's Uncle Everton goes traveling--and soon he is a family and school favorite.

3) A bear called Paddington

Author

Description

A very small bear found by Mr. and Mrs. Brown at Paddington station becomes one of the family.

4) Beezus and Ramona

Author

Cleary, Beverly

Description

Beezus' biggest problem was her 4 year old sister Ramona. Even though Beezus knew sisters were supposed to love each other, with a sister like Ramona, it seemed impossible.

5) Bink & Gollie

Author

DiCamillo, Kate

Description

Two roller-skating best friends--one tiny, one tall--share three comical adventures involving outrageously bright socks, an impromptu trek to the Andes, and a most unlikely marvelous companion.

6) Charlie & Mouse

Author

Description

Charlie and Mouse, two young brothers, enjoy a day out together, attending an imaginary party and collecting rocks.

7) Charlie and the chocolate factory

Author

Description

Each of five children lucky enough to discover an entry ticket into Mr. Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory takes advantage of the situation in his own way.

Author

Pennypacker, Sara

Description

While sorting through difficulties in her friendship with her neighbor Margaret, eight-year-old Clementine gains several unique hairstyles while also helping her father in his efforts to banish pigeons from the front of their apartment building.

9) The cricket in Times Square

Author

Description

The adventures of a country cricket who unintentionally arrives in New York and is befriended by Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat.

10) Daisy Dreamer and the totally true imaginary friend

Author

Description

"In the first book of the Daisy Dreamer series, 7-year-old Daisy Dreamer learns that everything she's ever imagined or drawn is all real! She meets her totally true imaginary friend, Posey, who invites Daisy to explore the extraordinary world filled with all the things she's always daydreamed about"-- Provided by publisher.

11) Dory Fantasmagory

Author

Description

Dory, the youngest in her family, is a girl with a very active imagination, and she spends the summer playing with her imaginary friend, pretending to be a dog, battling monsters, and generally driving her family nuts.

12) Flat Stanley

Author

Description

"Based on the original Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown"--T.p. verso. A picture book version of the story in which a bulletin board falls on Stanley while he is sleeping, and he finds that being flat has its advantages.

Author

Description

Layla and her Bots prepare for performing in a big show at the town amusement park--but then they learn the amusement park is about to be closed. Instead, everyone goes to the dog park, and Layla and the Bots know just how to help.

Author

Description

When seven-year-old Bean plays a mean trick on her sister, she finds unexpected support for her antics from Ivy, the new neighbor, who is less boring than Bean first suspected.

15) Dinosaurs before dark

Author

Osborne, Mary Pope

Description

Eight-year-old Jack and his younger sister Annie find a magic treehouse, which whisks them back to an ancient time zone where they see live dinosaurs.

16) Mercy Watson to the rescue

Author

DiCamillo, Kate

Description

After Mercy the pig snuggles to sleep with the Watsons, all three awaken with the bed teetering on the edge of a big hole in the floor.

17) The mouse and the motorcycle

Author

Cleary, Beverly

Description

A reckless young mouse named Ralph makes friends with a boy in room 215 of the Mountain View Inn and discovers the joys of motorcycling.

18) My father's dragon

Author

Gannett, Ruth Stiles

Description

A young boy runs away from home to rescue an abused baby dragon held captive to serve as a free twenty-four hour, seven-days-a-week ferry for the lazy wild animals living on Wild Island.

19) A new friend

Author

Description

Eight-year-old Sophie Mouse is excited to return to school after the long winter break, but there is a new student--a snake--and Sophie and the other animals are afraid to sit near him, much less ask him to play with them, because they have heard snakes are awful.

20) Nutmeg the guinea pig

Author

Description

Nutmeg is celebrating her birthday with a very special picnic in the park. But when she starts to feel dizzy, the festivities have to stop. Luckily, Dr. KittyCat and Peanut are close at hand to help, so hopefully Nutmeg can have a happy birthday after all!