Chapter books that are great read alouds

In 1948, Ruth Stiles Gannett, a recent graduate from Vassar College published My Father’s Dragon. It was an immediate success, winning a Newbery Honor Award in 1949. I often recommend this book to parents who want to move away from picture books to longer chapter books. My Father’s Dragon is perfect because the chapters are short, the story moves at a quick pace, and there are illustrations on almost every page. First in the trilogy, My Father’s Dragon is about a boy named Elmer who is determined to rescue a poor baby dragon who is being used by a group of lazy wild animals to ferry them across the river on Wild Island. The humorous, gently scary text and richly expressive illustrations are a perfect match.



In Elmer and the Dragon, book 2, Elmer and his flying dragon, on their way home, land on an unusual island and help some canaries uncover a buried treasure.

The adventure continues in book 3, The Dragons of Blueland. Once again, Elmer comes to the aid of his flying baby dragon when men discover its retreat and begin to hunt it.

This trilogy has continuously remained in print since its publication, for over 40 years. The illustrations were done by the author’s step-mother, Ruth Chrisman Gannett.

If your child(ren) enjoys My Father’s Dragon, you might then try:
The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden
Babe the Gallant Pig by Dick King-Smith
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond
The Rescuers by Margery Sharp
The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting