Chapter Book Read Alouds for Ages 3 to 7 - Ranked

I recently finished reading Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary to Kylee and Makenna. This was the 22nd chapter book that I have read to the girls. I started reading chapter books to the girls about four years ago when they were three years old. (Charlotte's Web was the first one.)

Today I made a form for Kylee, Makenna and I to each rank these 22 books in order from favorite to least favorite. (1st through 22nd)

I quickly read the list of books to them and we briefly discussed the plot of a few of the books to jog our memories. Then I walked us through the rankings by telling them to mark a 1 by their favorite book, a 2 by their second favorite book and so on. I also reminded them to remember to carefully look over the whole list before the next book was chosen. We didn't look at each other's sheets at all and didn't discuss where we were ranking the books.

I then tabulated the results, football poll style.

So, here are the chapter books that I have read aloud to Kylee and Makenna during their three year old, four year old, five year old, six year old and seven year old years, ranked. (And if you are looking for chapter books to read aloud to your children, hopefully this paragraph will help you with your search results.)

The Rankings:

1 Holes by Louis Sachar
2 Shiloh by Phyliss Reynolds Naylor
3 Thank You Squanto by Peter and Connie Roop
4 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
5 Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
6 Tale of Despereaux by Kate Dicamillo
7 The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett
8 Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
9 Turn on the Light Thomas Edison by Peter and Connie Roop
10 The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
11 Miss Holly is Too Jolly by Dan Gutman
12 Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus
13 Ragweed by Avi
14 Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
15 Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary
16 Socks by Beverly Cleary
17 Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
18 Mr. Klutz in Nuts by Dan Gutman
19 The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
20 Mrs. Roopy is Loopy by Dan Gutman
21 Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo
22 Strange Happenings: Five Tales of Transformation by Avi

My thoughts on the rankings:

• I wasn't surprised Holes is ranked first. I am a little surprised all three of us ranked it first though.
  
• Thank You Squanto being ranked third is sort of like what it would be like for East Carolina to make a run at this year's BCS national title game.
  
• All three of us liked The Magician's Nephew better than The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
  
• I haven't read them my three favorite chapter books to read aloud yet: Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls, Poppy by Avi and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo.
  
• Kylee and Makenna's teacher did read Edward Tulane to their class last year. I'm going to read it to them again at some point anyway.
  
• There was quite a bit of consitency between all three of our rankings. The rankings Kylee and I did are especially similar.

Click the chart for a larger, more readable view of the ranking chart.

How Kylee Ranked Them:

1 Holes by Louis Sachar
2 The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett
3 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
4 Thank You Squanto by Peter and Connie Roop
5 Turn on the Light Thomas Edison by Peter and Connie Roop
6 Shiloh by Phyliss Reynolds Naylor
7 Miss Holly is Too Jolly by Dan Gutman
8 Mrs. Roopy is Loopy by Dan Gutman
9 Mr. Klutz in Nuts by Dan Gutman
10 Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus
11 Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
12 Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
13 Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
14 Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
15 Socks by Beverly Cleary
16 Tale of Despereaux by Kate Dicamillo
17 Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary
18 The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
19 The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
20 Ragweed by Avi
21 Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo
22 Strange Happenings: Five Tales of Transformation by Avi


How Makenna Ranked Them:

1 Holes by Louis Sachar
2 Ragweed by Avi
3 Tale of Despereaux by Kate Dicamillo
4 Shiloh by Phyliss Reynolds Naylor
5 The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
6 Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary
7 The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
8 Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
9 Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo
10 Thank You Squanto by Peter and Connie Roop
11 The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett
12 Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
13 Socks by Beverly Cleary
14 Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus
15 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
16 Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
17 Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
18 Miss Holly is Too Jolly by Dan Gutman
19 Turn on the Light Thomas Edison by Peter and Connie Roop
20 Mr. Klutz in Nuts by Dan Gutman
21 Mrs. Roopy is Loopy by Dan Gutman
22 Strange Happenings: Five Tales of Transformation by Avi


How I Ranked Them:

1 Holes by Louis Sachar
2 Shiloh by Phyliss Reynolds Naylor
3 Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
4 Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
5 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
6 Thank You Squanto by Peter and Connie Roop
7 Tale of Despereaux by Kate Dicamillo
8 Turn on the Light Thomas Edison by Peter and Connie Roop
9 Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
10 Miss Holly is Too Jolly by Dan Gutman
11 The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
12 Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus
13 The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett
14 Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
15 Socks by Beverly Cleary
16 Ragweed by Avi
17 Mr. Klutz in Nuts by Dan Gutman
18 Mrs. Roopy is Loopy by Dan Gutman
19 Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary
20 The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
21 Strange Happenings: Five Tales of Transformation by Avi
22 Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo