55 Books to Read to Your Girls

Growing up we weren’t very well off so most of our entertainment was of the free variety. This fostered my unadulterated and abiding love of books! Our little town’s local library not only offered an air conditioned place to hang out after school but you could also use the computer (you know when the internet was new and dial up was all the rage) or slip quietly into an alternate reality. I am trying to cultivate a love for reading in my children and it breaks my heart when they don’t fall love with the series that I used to live for.
But cest la vie, you’ve got to keep it moving until you find one that hooks them. As James Patterson said “There is no such thing as a kid who hates reading. There are kids who love reading, and kids who are reading the wrong books.”

Through trial and error, research and my own experiences I’ve compiled a list of great chapter books and series to read to your kids. This list spans a range of ages, my oldest is 6 and I read her most of these. Also it is admittedly skewed towards children of the female type because my oldest two are girls to the 9th power. Girly girl girls all day long but I slip the occasional “Hank the Cowdog” or “Snot Stew” in to keep them on their toes.

Please let me know what you think of those listed and if you have any suggestions leave them in the comments.

1. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory- Roald Dahl
2. Hank the Cowdog series John R. Erickso
3. Chronicles of Narnia C.S. Lewis 
4. The BFG Roald Dahl
5. Charlotte’s Web E.B White
6. The Mouse and the Motorcycle Beverly Cleary 
7. Matilda Roald Dahl
8. How to Train Your Dragon Cressida Cowell
9. The Spiderwick Chronicles Tony DiTerlizzi
10. Junie B. Jones Barbara Park
11. Choose your own adventure books
12. Island of the Blue Dolphins Scott O’Dell
13. Freckle Juice Judy Blume
14. The Judy Moody Megan McDonald
15. The Ramona Collections Ramona Collections Beverly Cleary
16. How to Eat Fried Worms Thomas Rockwell
17. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
18. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett  
19. The Last of the Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards
20. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit
21. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
22. A Dog Called Kitty by Bill Wallace
23. Beauty by Bill Wallace
24. Snot Stew by Bill Wallace
25. The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis
26. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson and Donna Diamond 
27. Violet Mackerel by Anna Branford 
28. Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke, Lauren Tobia 
29. Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
30. James and the Giant Peach Roald Dahl
31. Ruby Lu, Brave and True by Anne Wilsdorf 
32. The Doll Shop Downstairs by Yona Zeldis McDonough 
33. Marty McGuire by Kate Messner 
34. Amber Brown by Paula Danziger     
35. Sophie Mouse by Poppy Green 
36. Dyamonde Daniel by Nikki Grimes
37. Ruby by Derrick Barnes     
38. Piper Reed by Kimberly Willis Holt and Christine Davenier
39. Cam Jansen by David A. Adler and Susanna Natti
40. Penelope Crumb by Shawn Stout and Valeria Docampo
41. Ivy & Bean by Annie Barrows
42. Amelia Bedelia by Herman Parish   
43. Beany (Not Beanhead) by Susan Wojciechowski and Susanna Natti
44. Just Grace by Charise Mericle Harper
45. Sugar Plum Ballerinas by Whoopi Goldberg
46. Katie Kazoo by Nancy Krulik     
47. The Trouble with Cats by Martha Freeman and Cat Bowman Smith
48. Princess Posey by Stephanie Greene and Stephanie Roth Sisson
49. Heidi Heckelbeck by Wanda Coven
50. Dessert First by Hallie Durand     
51. Frankly, Frannie by AJ Stern     
52. Daisy Dawson by Steve Voake
53. Stella Batts by Courtney Sheinmel
54. Gooney Bird Greene by Lois Lowry
55. Dragon Slayers' Academy by Kate McMullan