Reading to My 4 Year Old

Dr Seuss was the go-to author for both of my sons & all of my nieces/nephews! Thru repetition of these books, all of them learned to read quickly! Hop on Pop was the #1 favorite! It's very age-appropriate....

just had to say THANKS for asking this question - I've been wanting to start reading real books to my son too, and I love the suggestions!

The Magic Treehouse series is great! Also, James and the Giant Peach and Chronicles of Narnia.

Most books intended for four-year-olds have pictures, because the children, by themselves, "read" the pictures more than the words.

You can, however, save the picture books for daytime. Books with excellent illustrations are a way of introducing your child to art.

I think you're going in a good direction. If your boy is old enough to listen to a chapter book, go for it. You might try the "My Father's Dragon" series by Gannett and Gannett. It's a long-popular set of three books about a boy named Elmer and the baby dragon he rescues. The books are funny and great for out-loud reading. If you can find them, look for Carolyn Haywood's vintage series about Betsy, and her other series about Eddie. They go back a long way, and you may have to change a few words here and there, but that's what read-out-louders can do easily. And they're good reading-aloud books!

And don't stop with the classics. I think you're giving your son a real gift by introducing him to good literature before some teacher says he HAS to read it. :^)

The first "long" book I read to my son at that age was Treasure Island--he LOVED it!

Magic Tree house, Junie B Jones, Chronicles of Narnia. Anything by Roald Dahl.

I read the entire L. Engles Wilder Little House series to my children. I also read Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Russian Fairy Tales, Celtic Fairy Tales, The Little Prince among others.
Let's just say they turned into avid readers.

All of the Roald Dahl books are wonderful!
Also My Father's Dragon, Mr. Popper's Penguins, The Magic Tree House series and...I'm sure there's more but that's what's coming to me now. Enjoy!

the original winnie the pooh

LOVED Junie B Jones for light humor! Books by Madeleine l'Engle are great, also.

Try your local librarian for recommendations; they are a terrific, terrific resource -- and free! Also, try the American Library Association. They have a children's division that has great suggestions: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/audiencemenus/pare...

You might also want to look up books that have won a Newbery Medal Award or Newbery Honor.

I hope you enjoy the stories!

Have you ever heard of Honey for a Child's Heart? Great reading lists.

The Magic Tree House series is great; the chapters are fairly short for shorter attention spans, the stories are great (very imaginative), and my kids love them. Plus there are 45 of them in the series right now, so if you're starting from the beginning you have a lot to read.

My son loved Charlotte's Web at right around that same age!! I would recommend The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary, The Cricket in Times Square, the Little House books, and The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster.

What about the classic fairy tales and fables? Seems like those books have fewer pictures.

My four year old and I are really enjoying all the Little House books by L. Ingalls Wilder.

my 4 and 2.5 year olds LOVE the Magic Treehouse series...some are too scary, but most are awesome, we are on like book 41.

I loved the Mrs Piggle-Wiggle books when I was little. I think they are by Betty MacDonald.