10 Favorite Chapter Books Chosen by a 10 Year Old
When my oldest daughter was 10 years old, she began keeping a record of all the books she read. She still does to this day (she’s 14 now) in a book journal along with her thoughts about each book. It’s a great habit and it’s fun to look back on her old favorites.
These are her favorite chapter books when she was 10. We can now go through the list with her younger sisters and enjoy these same books together. Though they aren’t all literary classics, many are and they all have lively and memorable characters that can encourage a love of reading in your kids.
Favorite Chapter Books Chosen by a 10 Year Old
Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry ~ Big Sis liked this one because it’s about wild ponies and it’s based on a true story, even if it is sad in parts. We did a unit study and lapbook about it, too.
Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary ~ She chose this one because she likes all the Ramona books, but this one is about sisters. She said she knows all about what it’s like to have little sisters that you love, but who sometimes annoy you. 😉
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner ~ Again, she likes the whole series, but this was the first book and one we also used in Beyond Five in a Row.
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder ~ This is one she said she can read over and over. She also likes The Prairie Primer lessons to go with it. The Little House books are included in my Classic Books for Girls blog series.
The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White ~ Big Sis says it has a good ending.
The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett (FREE on the Kindle!) ~ She likes this one because it was hard to put down and she kept wanting to know what was going to happen next. It was “mysterious and neat.” This one is also included in the Classic Books for Girls blog series.
Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater ~ This one was just plain silly. She wanted to keep reading to see what goofy thing they would do next. (You can see our lapbook here.)
Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew Pony Problems Mystery by Carolyn Keene ~ She likes this series of mysteries, but anything with a horse or pony is always a favorite. These books feature Nancy Drew as an eight-year-old and there are no murders, so it’s a good introduction to the character for younger girls.
The Story of Doctor Doolittle by Hugh Lofting (FREE on Kindle!) ~ Big Sis likes the animals.
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren ~This is another silly one, full of animals and adventures.
You might guess that Big Sis was into mystery and animal stories judging by this list. She said she likes books that teach her about history and animals, that make her laugh, and that keep her guessing about the ending.
If I made a list it wouldn’t be quite the same as hers, but it would be close. I’m just so glad to share the gift of reading with her. I found it pretty interesting to hear her choices and her reasons.
I would encourage you to ask your children about their favorite books and to write it down or have them write it down. It will be a treasure in years to come.
This is the first book journal we used, though it is filled up now and we’ve moved on to others:
Have you asked your kids about their favorite books? Were you surprised by the answers? Leave a comment and let me know — we’re always looking for new books to read!
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Those are all such great books! My kids did my list with me, too, and Pippi was one that we forgot about!
Your daughter has a chosen a wonderful selection of books. Thanks for sharing.
My eight year old daughter would also have Pippi and The Secret Garden on her list.
I just love that you asked your child what her favorite books are. I just love Francis Hodgson Burnett. A Little Princess was one of the books that really made me want to read more.
Those are some of my daughter’s favorites too. Lately she has been engrossed with Redwall.
Your daughter has a great list of books. My kids loved some of the same ones.
Oh, Boxcar Children! My MIL introduced us to the series a few years ago. We need to get some more!
Reading is our favorite subject, too! Love your list! Happy to be a new follower from Schoolhouse Review!
Love this list! Thanks for the follow, now following you back 🙂 So excited to be on the Crew this year!
Great reads! I just posted about Boys and Books today. 🙂
It’s so fun to see book lists from a child’s point of view! Sadly, not even I have read most of these. I need to spend some time catching up. 😉
What a fun list of books.
Love your list and that your daughter made it! We’ve got many of the same titles on ours:) We totally forgot to put The Secret Garden and also The Little Princess on our list though!
A lot of our favorites are on your list! Thanks so much for linking up to RAT!
Good list! We have read many of them. Currently we are reading the Pony Tail book.
I still love the secret garden! My boys are avid readers (my 10 year old especially!) I was hoping to get a few new book ideas for him and I did. Thank you.
Your daughter has good taste in her favorite books. I agree with many of her choices. Thanks for this post.
Marilyn
Thanks, I’ll tell her that. 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to comment.
Would love for you to take a look at Polly’s Piralympics for inclusion in your list, think the kids would enjoy it. Please contact me if you would like a free copy