Early chapter books
Early chapter books help young readers transition from picture books to fiction. Find out why these books are important and how to ensure your school or classroom library collection is enticing for your readers.
What are early chapter books?
Early chapter books are simple, short, illustrated fiction. They are written and designed to help newly independent readers:
build their reading stamina and mileage
strengthen their confidence in book selection
develop a sense of themselves as readers.
This stage of reading can span several years and a range of reading needs, from eager young readers to developing readers.
Early chapter books foster reading enthusiasm and momentum, with stories that capture student interests.
Features
Early chapter books need to be entertaining and easy to read. These books typically have:
approximately 30–60 pages
1,000–10,000 words
easier vocabulary, word repetition and shorter sentences of about 5–10 words
plenty of white space between lines, paragraphs and chapters
larger, varied and informal fonts
supportive illustrations, sketches or cartoons breaking up the text.
Other names for early chapter books
Publishers and libraries have various terms to differentiate early chapter books from regular children’s fiction. Some terms emphasise the beginner reader aspects, for example:
young fiction
first steps
beginner books
junior fiction.
Other terms specifically appeal to reluctant readers or describe the books' high-interest, low-vocabulary features. For example:
quick reads
fast fiction
just-right books
quick picks.
Whatever you call these books, using good messaging in promotion is crucial if you want young people to read them. They're the ‘right books’ for students who need them, with no stigma attached.
Typical themes
Some regular themes include:
child as a hero in ordinary or extraordinary situations
animals (real or imaginary) as pets that provide friendship and a way of understanding others' feelings and attitudes
families in their daily lives dealing with realistic issues
humorous disasters that make use of exaggeration and surprise
problems reflecting emotional and physical ups and downs, or dealing with feelings and fears or testing times in friendships
fantasy heroes, quests and imaginary worlds that allow readers to escape the ordinary and explore worlds of fairies, dragons and superheroes
school stories that empower students or illustrate strategies for social learning and development.
Why early chapter books are important
Many children who have learned to read are beginning to experience the ‘joy of reading’ on their own. Readers who want to read independently often look for books that reflect the developmental needs of their age.
Characteristics of transitional readers | Text support offered by early chapter books |
|---|---|
Short concentration spans. | Action starts straight away. Plot is often linear. |
Decoding and comprehension still require effort. | Limited vocabulary, uses high-frequency words. Places difficult words in context. |
Visual appeal is important. | Uses cartoons, speech bubbles, quirky font and illustrations. |
Simple and familiar characters and settings are important. | Uses stereotypical or formulaic characters and minimal uncomplicated settings. |
Milestones are important as they develop confidence. | Sentences progress through the story, from simple short sentences to more complex sentences and paragraphs with more description. Short, manageable chapters provide students with a sense of achievement when finished. |
‘Decline by 9’ trend
The ‘decline by 9’ trend refers to a steep decline in the number of students who enjoy reading and read consistently, which happens when students are about 9 years old.
According to Scholastic's 2019 ‘Kids & family reading report’:
… only 35% of 9-year-olds report reading five to seven days a week compared to 57% of 8-year-olds.
— Kids & family reading report, 7th edition, 2019
The report also shows that the number of children who say they enjoy reading drops from 40% of 8-year-olds to a staggering 28% of 9-year-olds. The ages are grouped in Scholastic's 2022 report, making exact comparisons difficult. However, the 2022 findings still show a decline after the age of 8 — Kids and family reading report (8th edition, 2022).
Use early chapter books to help build a reading habit
When reading frequency drops, getting students back into a reading habit can be hard. Early chapter books can help rebuild this habit.
One way they do this is by being published as a series. Students often find a character or theme that resonates with them, paving the way for more consistent reading and a sense of achievement as they read their way through the series.
Encourage students to try the first book in a range of different series so they can figure out what they like or don't like about certain books. This encourages them to have autonomy and choice in their reading.
Surrounding students with a variety of books and modelling positive reading habits help encourage students to read for pleasure. Other effective strategies to foster a shared love of reading and book chat include:
reading aloud
book talking
asking for students' book recommendations.
Create readers — nurture the skill and will
Strategies to engage students as readers
Give young readers plenty of choice
Young readers need plenty of books to read, with a wide variety of reading strategies including:
trying out new authors
taking a ‘risk’ on unfamiliar titles
stretching themselves with more challenging reads as well as motoring through easier reads.
Young readers may borrow most of their fiction from the early chapter book section. They may also want to keep borrowing and reading other resources such as picture books, sophisticated picture books, graphic novels and non-fiction. Encourage this with generous and forgiving library borrowing limits.
Types of books
Consider whether you have enough of these types of books:
First chapter books for your able students stepping up from picture books — for example:
Ready to Read books like Diner Dogs and Roller Bears
series such as Big Little Blue, Hey Jack, The Princess in Black, and Mo Willem’s Elephant and Piggie books.
Popular series for middle primary school — examples include: Hot Dog!, Jason Mason, Spellbound Ponies, Pipi and Pou, Wings of Fire, Ella Diaries, and Agents of S.U.I.T.
High-interest, low-vocabulary material — including those that don’t look too juvenile for your older struggling readers. Examples include books:
published by Barrington Stoke
written by authors such as Marcus Sedgwick, Zana Fraillon and Tanya Landman.
Graphics series — examples include Bunbun & Bonbo, Chi's Sweet Adventures, Narwhal and Jelly, Pea, Bee & Jay, and Brobots.
Make sure you also have a range of genres:
animal books
detective/mystery books
scary books
funny books
Aotearoa New Zealand authors and illustrators
There are plenty of choices and series for this reading level. Consult students, staff, reading specialists and suppliers.
Use our Books and Reads tool — explore and find children’s and young adult (YA) books and reviews.
Related content
Verse novels
Verse novels are a form of poetry. Straightforward, shorter, and faster to read than a novel, they are appealing to a wide variety of readers.
Graphic novels
Graphic novels are a long-form type of comic. Find out how to use them to engage readers and develop visual literacy skills.