First chapter books

[LouS84]

DD (year 1) loves books and is starting to read for pleasure a little more independently but is not yet just able to just choose a library book and read anything/everything - does anyone have recommendations for first chapter books to help transition from bookband picture books to chapter books?

I read chapter books to her at bedtime but she’d like to read alone too - she loves things with a bit of adventure like the Secret Seven but also stories with magic, princesses, animals- anything really!

I could have wrote this post, also got a year 1 child (boy) who is starting to explore independent reading of chapter books and could always do with more ideas.

School aren’t being too helpful because they got slated in their Ofsted for not following the reading program closely enough, and “chapter books aren’t phonetically decodable using the graphemes we’ve covered” so should only be read by adults to children.

What a palava! I’ve got loads of books I’ve bought and then had to put away for the future.

Also, library isn’t really an option for us because we work and there’s only one local enough to walk to which isn’t open at suitable times on a weekend as it’s volunteer run.

My y1 son isn't quite reading these independently but loves the Daisy books by Kes Grey and I think they are perfect for this age range

The Dick King Smith books are good at that stage- sheep pig etc. Chapters are not too long. Also flat stanley books. My boys also liked the dog man books - sort of a cartoon book. Very silly though.

There is also a nice set bt Jill Tomlinson - "the owl that was scared of the dark" and some other stories with animals being the main characters. Again - quite short chapters.

Nellie Choc Ice, Penguin Explorer and The Adventures of Pug books are a nice bridge from reading scheme to chapter books.

Also - books by Alex T Smith - Claude books and Mr Penguin books. They have quite a few illustrations to break the writing up, and are easy to read, with great characters.

For both my boys,they were put off by the size of the book so something like the DogMan series or Bad Guys which are more comic book style but a normal sized book helped. Then when they got more confident they like Horrid Henry and Worst Witch.

Series my DDs loved
Hubble Bubble
Zoes Rescue Zoo
Magic ballet shoes (Darcy Bussell)
Claude
Jolly Rodgers
Isadora Moon
Rainbow Fairies

Julia Donaldson writes some chapter books too

DS is yr3 and has been reading these since last school year, I'd just put out a warning that the basic premise is a big 👀 and they're very full of explosions and stuff. I mean DS adores them. If he could set up a Dsv Pilkey altar he would, but it's still basically a dogs head stitched onto a man's body fighting an evil cat, occasionally live buildings. Etc.

Honestly OP I'd just let her go through the library for her age and pick a load, see what sticks and what doesn't. Flick through and see if it looks too text dense etc but otherwise just let her pick them up and put them down.

You could try the Kitty books by Paula Harris about Kitty and her cat crew who have adventures at night.
Or Isadora Moon by Harriet Muncaster about a half vampire, half fairy.
Both are first chapter books and there are lots in each series if your daughter enjoys them.

These suggestions are brilliant, thanks very much all.

My DC loved Secret Seven - other hits include Five Find-outers (also Enid Blyton, very fun mysteries but old-fashioned of course, lots of going off for ices and macaroons) - Mr Majeika, Worst Witch, Oliver Moon, there are a few about Harry the Knight and his horse Oats by John Mclay he really enjoyed - the Dragon's Dentist, the Night-time Knight, the Worst Wizard. The Lighthouse Keeper's cat and other stories (sometimes I think they are in 'proper book' editions?)

Really recommend browsing through the library, even after school if you can. You will find so many and mine you can request them for free online and they always have what I want within a couple of weeks.

Now mine is a bit older he LOVES the treehouse books - 13 Storey Treehouse - they are completely daft, meta and I think American but I slightly prefer them to the Dav Pilkey ones.

I'm not a great fan of Horrid Henry, but some of the stories come in colour-paperback format, with one story to a book rather than four, which helps bridge the gap from picture books. The Daisy ones are also good because she may have met Daisy in picture books (and I did enjoy these). I was glad mine was never into Rainbow Fairies.

Ask in your library, too - either the staff or other parents there with slightly older children - most people are happy to point you at what their kids have enjoyed. I mentioned to our library assistant that it was quite daunting when they graduated from the easy readers shelf, because after that everything for a wide range of ages was mixed up together. She put together a poster with some suggestions of where to start, which was helpful.

Thanks everyone! Looking forward to trying some of these titles.

Ours at this age love getting into series of books e.g.:

Pamela Butchart (Baby Aliens Stole My Teacher etc)
Hubble Bubble
Isadora Moon / Mirabelle
Amelia Fang
The Treehouse series (13 Storey Treehouse etc)
Jill Tomlinson animal books (Owl who was Afraid of the Dark etc)
The Worst Witch series

These have fairly short chapters and nice illustrations so a good transition from picture books and help to keep interest.

Lots I second from the lists above, also the Wigglesbottom Primary series and the Mudpuddle Farm series have been a hit here.

I used to love Animal Ark and The Twins from Home Farm.

The Sophie books by Dick King-Smith. The main protagonist is a girl, but she has twin brothers and her best friend is a boy, so very relatable to boys too.