Read-aloud stories for children
Read-aloud stories for children are made to be shared, with rhythmic words, repeating patterns, and pictures that come alive when spoken. They work as quick picture books, short tales, or even longer chapters, read bit by bit. Beyond keeping kids hooked, reading aloud builds vocabulary, boosts listening, and shows how language flows. It also creates time to pause, laugh, or talk about the story together. More than anything, it turns reading into a warm, shared experience kids remember. This list features read-aloud picture books and chapter books by Mo Willems, Sandra Boynton, Ezra Jack Keats, Mac Barnett, Kate DiCamillo, Katherine Applegate, E. B. White, Andrew Clements, Gordon Korman, R. J. Palacio, Chris Grabenstein, Peter Brown, George Selden, and more.
Read-aloud stories for children – our recommendations
Read-aloud picture books
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald. 
Thelma the Unicorn by Aaron Blabey. 
Steam Train, Dream Train by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld. 
Just Because by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault. 
The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! by Mo Willems. 
A Splendid Friend, Indeed by Suzanne Bloom. 
Peekaboo Rex! by Sandra Boynton. 
Margaret’s Unicorn by Briony May Smith. 
Please, Open This Book! by Adam Lehrhaupt, illustrated by Matthew Forsythe. 
The Snowy Day Board Book by Ezra Jack Keats. 
Milo’s Hat Trick by Jon Agee. 
Don’t Wake Up the Tiger by Britta Teckentrup. 
A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka. 
Roar Like A Dandelion by Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier. 
A Toad for Tuesday by Russell E. Erickson, illustrated by Lawrence Di Fiori. Read-aloud chapter books
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown. 
Cleo Edison Oliver, Playground Millionaire by Sundee T. Frazier. 
Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by K.G. Campbell. 
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein. 
The Chocolate Touch by Margot Apple. 
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Crockett Johnson. 
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. 
Poppy by Avi, illustrated by Brian Floca. 
Nim’s Island by Wendy Orr, illustrated by Kerry Millard. 
The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden, illustrated by Garth Williams. 
Frindle by Andrew Clements. 
The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies. 
The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dalgliesh. 
Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White, illustrated by Garth Williams. 
Wishtree by Katherine Applegate. 
Restart by Gordon Korman. 
Wonder by R. J. Palacio. 
The World According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney. Click the buttons below to purchase all of the books in this read-alouds book list, as well as classroom sets of any of these books and many more, from Bookshop.org. Or buy the 20 most popular titles from this list from Amazon – ideal for gifts or stocking your school library. If you are ordering from outside the US, have a look at our ‘worldwide orders’ page which makes this process easy.
Buy from Bookshop.Org Buy from Amazon Worldwide orders
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Read-aloud stories for children – resources for teachers
- ALSC (American Library Association) – Professional Tools Planning guides, best-practice tips, and program ideas from the Association for Library Service to Children—great for building engaging storytimes and read-aloud routines.
- Storyline Online Free, high-quality video read-alouds by actors, each with activity ideas and discussion prompts you can use before/after reading.
- Reading Is Fundamental – Literacy Central Book guides, printable activities, and strategy tips to extend picture-book and early-chapter-book read-alouds.
- NAEYC – Reading (Topic Hub) Research-informed practices for developmentally appropriate read-alouds, dialogic questioning, vocabulary building, and family connections.
- Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy – Five Early Literacy Practices Ready-to-use songs, rhymes, and activity ideas organized by Read/Write/Talk/Sing/Play—perfect for lively storytimes.
- The Eric Carle Museum – Making Art Together Simple, classroom-friendly art projects to pair with picture-book read-alouds for hands-on response.
- National Center on Improving Literacy – Resources Evidence-based articles, toolkits, and how-tos on reading aloud, comprehension talk, and supporting diverse readers.
BISAC JUV039220 – Juvenile Fiction / Read-Aloud | Thema YBCB
