<
BOOK LIST

Chapter Books for Beginning Readers

Help newly independent readers grow with these popular books featuring high-concept stories with decodable text.

By Scholastic Editors
June 20, 2024

When a newly independent reader is taking the leap to chapter books, things like easy-to-read text, fast-paced plots, illustrations, and engaging content can be key in building confidence and stamina.

These popular chapter books offer all these things and more. From series classics like Fly Guy and Frog and Toad to favorites like Eerie Elementary and Flat Stanley, there's something for every early chapter book reader in this diverse collection. This book list is just right for enhanching your classroom library's early chapter book selection and watching your students' reading confidence grow.

Shop the best chapter books for beginning readers below! As an educator, you get at least 25% off the list price when you shop books and activities at The Teacher Store.

Want more great content? Subscribe to our Teacher Newsletter below and get teaching ideas delivered right to your inbox.

Paperback Book

Hi! Fly Guy (Fly Guy #1)

Grades K - 2
$4.46$5.95
save to wishlist

Some kids have dogs and some kids have cats, but Buzz has a pet fly! In this first book of the hilarious series, Buzz enters his winged buddy in the Amazing Pet Competition. The judges scoff until they see all the extraordinary tricks the little fly can do.

Paperback Book

Frog and Toad: Days with Frog and Toad

Grades 1 - 3
$3.71$4.95
save to wishlist

What can be more wonderful than spending time with a friend?

Paperback Book

Eerie Elementary: The Locker Ate Lucy!

Grades 3 - 5
$5.24$6.99
save to wishlist

Sam Graves's school is ALIVE!

$3.71$4.95
save to wishlist

Stanley Lambchop is an ordinary boy. At least he was, until the night his bulletin board fell off the wall and flattened him. All of a sudden, Stanley can slide under doors, mail himself across the country in an envelope, and fly like a kite!

Paperback Book

Bad Guys (The Bad Guys #1)

Grades 3 - 4
$4.49$5.99
save to wishlist

Mr. Wolf. Mr. Shark. Mr. Snake. Mr. Piranha. They're bad guys, everybody knows that. They're scary and dangerous and...well, just bad. But these guys want to be heroes. And they're going to prove it by doing good deeds, like rescuing those dogs from the city pound. Will the Bad Guys become the Good Guys when the dust settles?

$5.24$6.99
save to wishlist

A huge shadow is blanketing the sky, spreading across every kingdom. And wizards all over the world are losing their magic powers! The Dragon Masters soon discover that a Shadow Dragon named Chaya and his Dragon Master, Aruna, are responsible for the sky-shadow. Drake teams up with Jean to figure out how this Shadow Dragon has so much power. Will they stop the sky-shadow, or will the world fall into complete darkness? And is evil magic to blame for all this chaos?

Sunny's dad enters Super World as none other than King Viking himself! In order to get off a faraway island, King Viking has to become the HERO and help Captain Trevor fix his boat. But since Dad is not very good at playing the game, King Viking struggles to find all the supplies. Will King Viking be able to save the day and defeat the island monster? And where does Super Rabbit Boy show up in this zany adventure?

$5.24$6.99
save to wishlist

Bub the pug and his human, Bella, are taking care of Nana's new puppy, Harlow. They can't wait to teach Harlow some new tricks! But training a puppy isn't an easy job. Will they be able to teach Harlow anything before Nana comes home?

In the eighth book in the USA Today bestselling Unicorn Diaries series, a jackalope family arrives in Sparklegrove Forest! Unicorn Bo Tinseltail and friends are excited to welcome the new family. But they soon learn that the jackalope family is being chased by centaurs, which puts the whole forest at risk. Will the family be allowed to stay in Sparklegrove after all?

$3.74$5.99
save to wishlist

Unicorn wants to save stickers. Yeti wants to stick them everywhere! Unicorn and Yeti love to roller skate. But will their roller skates work in the snow? Unicorn blows bubbles. Yeti wants the bubbles to be bigger!

Paperback Book

Save Me a Seat

Grades 3 - 5
$5.24$6.99
save to wishlist

Joe and Ravi don't think they have anything in common, but soon enough they have a common enemy (the biggest bully in their class) and a common mission: to take control of their lives over the course of a single crazy week.

$5.21$6.95
save to wishlist

This is Jack and Annie's very first fantasy adventure in the bestselling middle-grade series - the Magic Tree House!

Paperback Book

Clementine

Grades 2 - 3
$4.46$5.95
save to wishlist

In this first book of the series, Clementine tries to help out her friend Margaret, but ends up in a lot of trouble for it. Things get worse each day of the week, until finally she's worried that Margaret is right: Clementine's parents might consider her "the hard one" in the family. They're up to something mysterious; are they thinking they'd be better off if they only had her little vegetable-named brother, Radish, "the easy one?"

$4.49$5.99
save to wishlist

Narwhal's obsession with his new favorite food leads him into hijinks and hilarity in the third book of this all-star early graphic novel series!

$3.71$4.95
save to wishlist

It's a big day at Cam's school: the governor, who is running for president, is visiting! Can Cam keep him safe?

Paperback Book

Horrible Harry Moves Up to Third Grade

Grades 2 - 3
$3.71$4.95
save to wishlist

Third grade brings lots of surprises, but one thing hasn't changed: Harry and Sidney are still sworn enemies!

Paperback Book

Boris on the Move

Grades 1 - 2
$5.24$6.99
save to wishlist

Meet Boris, a little warthog whose life never turns out quite as he plans.

Priya is excited to plan her aunty's birthday party. She will donate the money she makes to help the cutest endangered animal on the planet, the quokka! But the party is this Saturday! With so many items on her to-do list, can she get it all done in time? Priya sends out handmade invitations, makes DIY decorations, and sets an orange-only snacks menu -- including pumpkin samosas! Will Priya's very first party be a success?

Paperback Book

Crabby #6: Party Time, Crabby!

Grades Pre-K - 1
$4.49$5.99
save to wishlist

It's just another day in the ocean for Crabby and Plankton -- until Plankton decides it's PARTY TIME! Crabby does not want to go to a party. In four hilarious stories, Crabby uses funny wordplay to distract Plankton from putting a party together. Will Plankton ever get a party? Or will Crabby turn out to be a party pooper?

Read along as Tank, a clumsy Great Dane, and Haggis, a dapper Scottie dog, set sail as pirates.

What is making that strange sound in the woods? Who wrote that dark message on the wall? These five spine-chilling stories will have beginning readers everywhere begging to stay up late to read.

Paperback Book

Charlotte's Web

Grades 2 - 4
$6.71$8.95
save to wishlist

American prose stylist E.B. White presents one of the best-loved stories of all time. And a heartwarming portrait of one of the best-loved pigs of all time.