Riley’s Favorite Chapter Books: Chapter Books We’ve Read at 4-5 Years Old

The Good Dog series by Cam Higgins

This is the absolute sweetest series (tied for the #1 spot with another series) that we stumbled upon at our local bookstore while looking for early chapter books when Riley was 5 years old but I have no doubt this would have been a perfect chapter book for a 4 year old Riley. A seriously great chapter book for preschoolers!

It has a good amount of illustrations for that transition into chapter books which I really appreciated (though not as much as a few of the other below and not in color) and that helped hold Riley’s interest in addition to this adorable dog’s adventures and perfect silly voice shining through.

It’s about a dog named Bo who lives on a farm with his human family and animal friends. He gets up to all sorts of adventures on the farm and learns lots of important lessons. Perfect for my little dog/animal lover!

The Princess in Black series by Shannon & Dean Hale

This is the series that is tied for the coveted favorite spot on this list with The Good Dog series — for both her and I (amazing that we both agree on the two series we love the most).

This was the first series we picked up on this journey and I was heartened at the text to illustration ratio because it was PERFECT for a first chapter book for a 4 year old. Plus it was fun for my girl who loves princesses as much as she loves superheroes and slaying dragons/monsters without it ever venturing into scary for my sensitive little one.

It’s about a princess who has a secret identity as a superhero that keeps all the monsters of her kingdom in check. It’s so fun and will be beloved by both girls and boys. We just love all the characters and adventures so much — eagerly awaiting the newest release this Spring!

Isla of Adventure series

This is a new chapter book series for preschoolers+ and we are eagerly waiting the third book in it that comes out later this year. Lots of bright and beautiful illustrations & perfectly short chapters!

Both Riley and I wanted to head to the island of Sol and hang out with Isla because it’s just such a warm and inviting setting to get lost in. Plus Riley loved the whole talking to animals thing!

The adventures of a girl named Isla who lives on the island of Sol and has a special gift that nobody knows about — she can talk to animals and they can talk back.

The Owl Diaries by Rebecca Elliott

This series was an acquired taste for me but Riley loved it immediately at 4 years old. I have really grown to love Eva and the rest of the owls of Treetopolis (even Sue!) and I’m actually really excited that it is becoming a tv series on AppleTV this month! (But I swear to god if I have to hear the world flaptastic one more time haha).

Text to illustration ratio is great, the pacing is perfect for a preschooler and lots of good discussions we’ve had especially since she started preschool and has been dealing with navigating new things — especially of the friendship/social variety like Eva often has to!

We’ve also started Unicorn Diaries from this author and Riley liked book 1 but too soon for me to recommend it or for Riley to know if it’s a favorite.

It’s about an owl named Eva who LOVES writing in her diary and tells diary everything — about school, her friends and all sorts of other adventures and problems she faces. Eva is just so enthusiastic and positive and it’s nice and light for Riley.

The WellieWishers series by Valerie Tripp

The series that started it all when Riley was 4 years old! I honestly think she’s gotten more out of it at now 5 years old because it’s such a great book that is about friendship and explores so many things that arise in friendships and being a good friend that she is experiencing firsthand in preschool.

While this isn’t my personal favorite, Riley adores it (I can see why from her perspective) and I appreciate the great messages and discussions it brings without being overly preachy. It has a great section for parents at the end for discussion points and activities related to the book.

It’s about a group of friends, with their own distinct personalities and interests, but all share the desire to have fun playing together and be a good friend to one another.

The Adventures of Sophie Mouse series

This series is really sweet and gentle and there are plenty of books in the series to keep you busy. With lots of pictures and easy language, it’s a really good first chapter book for a kid looking to move away from (or just expand their reading repertoire) picture books and get into chapter books.

This one is all about the adventures of a little mouse and her forest friends in Pine Needle Grove.

Monster and Boy series

This is book is so funny and offbeat — I loved it maybe even more than Riley and that’s saying something because she really got a kick out of this one. You’ll fall in love with the most unusual of friendships between a boy and the monster under his bed.

The monster is just so cute and I love the clever way the author helps to diffuse any of the more scary bits by breaking the fourth wall.

The friendship between a boy and the monster who lives under his bed – a friendship that starts with the boy who, upon screaming when seeing the monster for the first time, gets swallowed by the monster in a panic and thus begins the start of this unusual friendship.

The Magic Treehouse Series by Mary Pope Osborne

A classic chapter book series and we’ve fallen hard for this — though full disclosure we’ve only read the first 3 and are working on number 4 as this is a recent addition that we’ve started. The fun and adventure we’ve had so far– dinosaurs, Middle Ages & knights, Ancient Egypt!

This is going to be a series that I know is going to be reread through the years and that she’ll love even more when she’s a bit older. Some things go over her head at 5.5 years old but overall this has been a really good fit and she LOVES some of the things we’ve learned because of these books. Not as many illustrations as many of the above books but it definitely still held her attention.

It’s about a brother and sister who find a magic treehouse in the woods that leads them to some extraordinary time-traveling adventures.

Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows

We actually started the first two when she was 4, early on in our chapter book adventures, and I felt like so much of it went over her head so I slowed down on this series until more recently and I think it’s a better fit at 5 years old (though still a little more intended for a teeny bit older as Bean starts off in 2nd grade).

This is one book series that will really make Riley beg me for just one more chapter at night because Ivy and Bean are always up to something and it’s hard to put down the book to see how they will get out of it. I think the series gets better and better honestly and we are book 8. (I love it too — it so gives me Ramona the Pest vibes from my childhood).

A thing to note — Bean is very mischievous and sassy and, while we find so much in the humor in this book and laugh a lot, I do always tend to remind Riley that some of the names Bean and her sister sling at one another aren’t the most kind and that perhaps some of the mischievous choices Bean makes are not in fact the best. So if things like that bother you in chapter book for younger kids/preschoolers — probably steer clear of it.

The series is about two spunky friends — reluctant friends at first who think they’d never be friends because they are so different — and all their adventures they get up to and problems they try to solve all the while always seeming to find trouble!

The Kingdom of Wrenly series

As a fantasy book lover I was excited to stumble upon this one and hoped Riley would get into it so I was delighted when she asked me to get the next book in the series. It’s a really nice, basic introduction into fantasy for younger readers. Lots of adventure and fun in this long-running series.

A young prince and his friend go on adventures and quests in the fantastical and magical land of Wrenly where they live.