Captain Jack's Tale

Have you been a "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie fan? If your upper elementary reader enjoys the pirate stories, check out Captain Jack's Tale (AR 3.4) with photos from the Disney movies. This is a short easier chapter book by Tennant Redbank allowing the reader to enjoy the adventure of Captain Jack Sparrow.

Magic Tree House

Magic Tree House books are great young reader chapter books. This is a series by Mary Pope Osborne (click here for author page) that takes children to all sorts of places. Jack and Annie find this magic tree house filled with books and through the books they magically travel to places like jungles and go to historical time periods such as those with knights protecting their kingdoms. The series is written at a third and fourth grade vocabulary level but can be great read-a-louds to younger readers. Another great thing about the Magic Tree House books is that the author has created some non-fiction companion books to go with the fictional stories called the Fact Trackers. For example, to go with the story with the setting in Egypt, there is a non-fiction book on the Pyramids and the Mummies. These are also well written and designed for elementary age readers.

Critter Club: Liz Learns a Lesson

Callie Barkley has written a fun series known as the Critter Club (click here for author page) . In the title Liz Learns a Lesson (AR level 3.0), eight year old Liz discovers she is going to Summer School, which of course is not what she really wants to do. And then, there is suddenly a turtle in the midst of things. This is a great easy level, or what I call a "transitional chapter" book. Targeting the younger elementary child this is a cute chapter book series that could also be read aloud.

Magic Bone

Nancy Krulik has written a fun easy chapter book series called Magic Bone. One title, Follow that Furball (AR level 2.8), tells the story from a dog's point of view on a simple mystery. In this story there are a few funny scenarios with cats and the main character Sparky. This could be a read aloud to K-2 students or an independent read for 2nd-3rd grade. More titles by Nancy Krulik can be found on Amazon, just click this sentence.

Ms. Hanna is Bananas

A popular easy chapter book series is called My Weird School by Dan Gutman. One of his titles, Ms. Hannah is Bananas (AR level 3.6), has the setting in a lower elementary grade. The characters have silly things that happen with their teachers who keep fun in the classroom. Other titles are Mr. Macky is Wacky (AR level 3.7) and Mrs. Kormel is Not Normal (AR level 3.8). For a full listing of Gutman's titles, click this sentence for the Amazon link.