31 Days, 31 Lists: 2024 Easy and Early Chapter Books

There are a million different names for the books I’m discussing with you today. Beginning books. Easy readers. Transitional readers. Whatever you might call them, these are the books that transition children into first reading on their own, and then into reading on their own for fun! They are books for the first readers, and books for the kids not ready for full novels quite yet. Theis nebulous area of writing scholarship often flounders on our shelves, not quite here nor there. Yet without these specific titles, whole swaths of kids might never learn to love to read. With that in mind, we pay homage to easy and early chapter books, each with its own little list, and all the pleasures that come from reading them.

For the full PDF of this list, you can find it here.

Interested in previous years? Then check out the following.

• 2023
• 2022
• 2021
• 2020
• 2019 & 2019
• 2018 & 2018
• 2017 & 2017
• 2016 & 2016

2024 Easy Books

All About May: May’s Big Messy Family by A.T. Woehling, ill. Felicia Whaley

Take a deep dive into May’s great big, totally messy, utterly chaotic, and really fun family! Though it might mean having to get Justin Timberlake’s voice out of your head every time you read the title of this book (IYKYK), this is a pretty good case of a title that I thought was going to be nice and straightforward and was, instead, surprisingly interesting. There are a lot of peculiar elements in this early reader. For some kids, it’s gonna be the ultimate fantasy: Tons of siblings. Artist Felicia Whaley never shows the faces of mom and dad, and you get the feeling that this is a blended family of some sort, though May is not at all interested in exploring that element. It’s raucous and chaotic and a heck of a lot of fun. Woohoo!

Arfy Has a Ball by Troy Cummings

All Arfy wants in this world is a ball of his own. There are lots of balls out there, but which one’s the right one for him? It can be exceedingly tricky to find easy books that are particularly good. Some of us may recall Troy Cummings from his picture book Can I Be Your Dog? from a couple of years ago. Apparently the lesson he took away from that book was that dogs are a-okay. This one’s nicely simple, but manages to work in a legitimate storyline. Unlike some easy books, I feel like it plays fair with the words, never throwing in anything overcomplicated. Definitely worth a couple eyeballs. 

Bat, Cat & Rat: The Cozy Home / Vacation by Ame Dyckman and Mark Teague

Bat, Cat & Rat all decide to move into a cozy house together. But can three such different animals get along? Funny stories of jokes, jobs, and vacations. Yes, these books both contain equal charm and talent, making it difficult to say which one was “better”. I love that with such few words, you get such a clear cut sense of each one of these animals’ personalities right from the start. Cat is Oscar, Rat is Felix, and Bat is Pinky from Pinky and the Brain. Each short story builds so nicely on the one that came before it. Has Amy Dyckman never done easy books before? Because she’s a natural at it. Plus it’s nice to see a lot more Mark Teague these days. His choice not to give the bat eyelids? Inspired! It’s like watching a Muppet. Big time fan over here. 

The Giants’ Visitor by Jane Yolen, ill. Tomie dePaola

When the five giants, Grizzle, Dazzle, Grab, Grub, and Dab, learn that their grandma Draggle is coming to visit, they prepare for an old, weak woman. What they get instead is a motorcycle riding grandmother with a fantastic appetite! I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out whether or not this was a reprint of an older easy book, but found to my utter amazement that this is an original. Of course, Tomie’s been dead for a number of years and meanwhile this is one of the best Jane Yolen books I’ve read in a very long while! Jane’s just on fire with this book! I love the illogical logic of the entire premise. A group of giant siblings welcome the grandmother they never knew they had and the woman just barrels over them like some kind of raucous biker queen. What’s not to love? Strange, funny, and to the point. I think this is one of my favorites of the year.

Lone Wolf Goes to School by Kiah Thomas, ill. K-Fai Steele

Chronically grumpy Wolf would rather go to the movies, beach, or mountains by himself but doggone humans ALWAYS want to be friends with him? The solution? It’s not what you think. I think whoever wrote the copy for this book hit the nail on the head when they wrote, “For readers who have had enough of the buddy duos.” I’m getting STRONG Rotten Ralph vibes from this wolfie. I dunno, but there’s something about a good antisocial character in a book that really strikes me as delightful but only IF the author and artist get the tone right. I’d argue that Thomas and Steele are successful with this book. There are days when you just FEEL what Lone Wolf is going through here. I’m so happy too to see a book that makes such great use of Steele’s unique humor on the page. And if you like this, be sure to also check out its companion book Lone Wolf Gets a Pet. Previously seen on the Funny Picture Book List.

Makeda Makes a Home for Subway by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, ill. Lydia Mba

There was an episode of Fraggle Rock that I watched long ago and that I think about more often than a 46-year-old woman should probably admit. In this particular episode, one of the Fraggles decides that they’re going to “help” the Doozers. They do this without consulting the Doozers on what they actually want, which I feel was a message I’ve carried far into adulthood. I haven’t seen that many children’s picture and easy books that cover the same topic, but it may well be that Makeda Makes a Home for Subway falls very much along those lines. This is an easy book but definitely one on the upper end of the linguistic complexity scale. Makeda volunteers to take home the class hamster, certain that Subway (the hamster in question) is bored and in need of more interesting stuff in his cage. She sets about constructing a series of fun things for him to do (so there’s that STEM tie-in, people). Alas, Subway is NOT on board with this plan, so when Makeda is told to figure out what he actually wants, she listens. Though simple, Rhuday-Perkovich is able to give some personality and zing to the characters. I was particularly amused by Makeda’s grandpa’s reaction when the teacher informs him that Makeda will be taking the hamster home. Funny and smart as well. 

Market Day by Miranda Harmon

After helping Mom out at her stand, kittens Ginger, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg want to find her the perfect magical present at the farmer’s market. But what will Mom like best? I’m going to dock half a point for incorrect knitting needle placement but beyond that I thought this book was a rather clever way of combining magic and farmer’s markets. I mean, I can’t be the only one who desperately wants to go to this market. Colorful, fun, friendly, and I feel like the easy words play fair throughout. Also, it doesn’t feel like the thousands of other easy books out there. This one’s one-of-a-kind.

A New Car for Pickle by Sylvie Kantorivitz

Oh no! Pickle was just about to go to Clover Farm to get some delicious strawberries and cream when his car broke down. Will he find the perfect replacement? Lest we forget just how hard these easy books are to write, it takes a hand like Kantorivitz’s to remind us. Like a lot of easy readers these days it has a kind of graphic novel format, but I really admired how it managed to pack a whole story into its pages. I think it plays pretty fair with the words (though “strawberries” is a bit complex). Also, if you have any kind of a kid who’s interested in the inner workings of a car, this is THE #1 book to hand them, no question at all. I’m rather charmed. 

Peach and Plum: Double Trouble by Tim McCanna

I guess if I’m going to be honest, this was my first “Peach and Plum” read, and I liked it! It’s an excellent example of a series being three things at once: easy book, graphic novel, and rhyme title. The rhymes work too. It can be exceedingly difficult to stick to an all-rhyme-all-the-time format like the one you find here, but McCanna clearly has a knack for it. Even more impressive to me, though, was the fact that he’s capable of creating these little short stories so adeptly on the page. Personally, my favorite story in here was about three fruits starting a band in their garage since it literally has nothing to do with Peach and Plum and their various adventures. It also contains the line, “Oh wow. So dark,” about the hardcore music they play. Rhyming is a natural pair with easy books that help you to read, so color me a fan. Previously seen on the Rhyming List.

Rabia’s Eid by Rukhsana Khan, ill. Debby Rahmalia

I love it when great authors write easy books. It may, indeed, be one of my favorite things. And Rukhsana Khan pretty much set herself up for the greatest challenge of all. Not simply to write an easy book but a HOLIDAY easy book! Oh, rarest of rare titles. Writing a good one is so difficult, I’d almost say it couldn’t be done, and yet LOOK! Feast your eyes on Ms. Khan’s accomplishments! Here’s we’ve a simple story of Rabia really wanting to fast like her sister and parents for Ramadan. Her parents tell her she can give half a day a shot if she likes, which feels like a smart parental compromise. Sure as shooting, it starts out just fine but by the time lunchtime comes around, that girl is huuuungry. Now I’m sure you’ve also seen the easy books that say they’re for early readers but definitely cheat on the vocab complexity. Khan keeps everything super simple, managing to explain an entire cultural situation while also making the family members feel three-dimensional as well. Seriously, this book should be the litmus test against which all other holiday easy books are based. I ain’t kidding. Previously seen on the Holiday List.

2024 Early Chapter Books

Ava Lin, Best Friend! by Vicky Fang

It’s the first day of first grade and Ava Lin is determined to get herself a best friend for the very first time. Small stories about a girl with a big personality in a very funny package. Consider me pretty darn charmed. I like an early chapter book where not everything is all sunshine and roses. Ava Lin fits the bill there. There’s definitely a bit of Ramona running through her, particularly when she uses her ear as a makeshift pocket. Fang’s got a great voice for Ava here and while I wouldn’t call it a great big flashy start to an early chapter book series, it’s definitely relatable. Plus, I like any book where making a friend is as slow and arduous a process as it is in real life. 

Bunny and Clyde by Megan McDonald, ill. Scott Nash

When Bunny and Clyde determine to shed their goody goody status and become outright criminals and bad guys, little do they suspect how each of their “evil” antics will go awry. A hoot and a half! I like watching characters try to figure out the logistics behind misbehavior. And, like any incipient villains, they do a great deal of research to make sure they’re doing it right. I appreciated that the books they read weren’t all Beatrix Potter (there’s a really nice Bad Kitty shout out in here). McDonald’s an old hand at this level of reading, so I probably shouldn’t have been surprised that I couldn’t actually predict some of the ways in the which Bunny and Clyde accidentally help people. I can’t think of many books that tap into the frustration of never making anyone mad, at least not for this reading level. With fantastic Scott Nash art, this is definitely bound to be one of the year’s favorites. Wanted dead or alive indeed. 

Cornbread & Poppy for the Win by Matthew Cordell

This year Poppy is determined to win the Small Rodents Competitive Cycling Championship Classic with her best friend Cornbread by her side. But is Poppy too focused on winning? Doggone it I do, I DO, like the Cornbread and Poppy books by Cordell. I mean, the man really knows how to tap into distinctive personalities. Take Poppy in this book. Anyone who has ever had a super competitive friend will recognize that crazed look in her eye. And any book that contains the phrase, “Tight pants for the win!” probably has my heart. I also kind of appreciate that the lesson at the end is basically, “Losing as fine as long as Gerald also loses”. 

Croc & Gator: Swamp Ranger School by Lisa Katzenberger, ill. Mike Ciccotello

Gator is just a bundle of excitement and energy! Gator is a calm, cool, collected individual fond of rules. Can these two very different reptiles ever be friends? They can if Gator has anything to say about it! I feel like the cover is completely misleading on this book. Had I believed what it was conveying, I would have thought that this was a book about a supercool crocodile and an overexcited gator. The overexcited gator part is dead on, but I really enjoyed the fact that Croc is the introvert’s introvert, and that’s okay. This is in the vein of The Odd Couple, except that it’s all from Gator’s p.o.v. and throughout the book he’s learning and growing since he really, truly, and honestly wants to be Croc’s friend. I found it very sweet without being cloying, and it truly is chock full of good environmental information about wetlands. Plus, talk about a clever conveyance system of croc and gator facts. Definitely one of the stronger early chapter titles of 2024.

The Gray City by Torben Kuhlmann, translated by David Henry Wilson

Moving to a new city is hard, but it’s even worse when everything is gray. As Robin learns more about her new home, she realizes that there may be something sinister behind the sameness.  I love the work of Torben Kiblmann, but in general I’ve always particularly enjoyed his early chapter book-like picture books because they featured cute mousies. Now, at long last, his heroes are of the human variety and it’s kinda throwing me for a loop. The story is, in our current book banning/you must conform era, a bit on the nose, and I like that. The book has this marvelous dreamlike quality to it, while still somehow invoking both 1984 and Camazotz from A Wrinkle in Time. It’s pretty fun, no matter how you slice it, and definitely worth a read. Previously seen on the Translation List.

Henry and the Something New by Jenn Bailey, ill. Mika Song

Jenn Bailey has a talent. She knows precisely how to write a neurodivergent kid character in such a way that the reader FEELS what he feels. We are all Henry. Now the previous Henry book (A Friend for Henry) was such a delight that when it won the Schneider Family Book Award Honor, I was vastly relieved. The next Henry book has now come out and I’d say it rivals the first in sheer literary goodness. In this story, Henry’s class is going to the museum, which is something he is not really all that sure about. A class trip means a lot of new things, but it also means dinosaurs and he does love dinosaurs. Personally, one of the reasons I love this series so much is because of Henry’s relationship to fellow classmate Samuel. Samuel seems to have some kind of attention deficit issues of his own, and so Henry keeps a close eye on that kid. Other times when Henry wants to see the dinosaurs at the museum, but doesn’t want to say it out loud, oh man did I feel that. A delightful companion with a happy ending. 

The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class: Emma McKenna, Full Out by Kate Messner

Filled with uncertainty about standing out, Emma’s determined to have the best third grade year ever. But when her former best friend appears in the same class, will this be the worst year instead? This ambitious little series intends to have an early chapter book written by a different children’s author for each kid in Mrs. Z’s class. Of course its future is a bit up in the air at the moment, so we may not get the full classroom in the end. That said, it’s a nice kickoff that wraps up a lot of loose ends without entirely solving all its problems. Emma still has some unfinished business with Lucy (I predict she’ll be done by Linda Urban). I like that, actually. It’s a good way to lead a kid from one book to another. You get a hint of each kid’s personality, without the whole deal. Certainly worth looking at closely.

Kwame’s Magic Quest: Rise of the Green Flame by Bernard Mensah, ill. Natasha Nayo

Blooming heck, I was THIS close to missing this series this year! Like a bullet past the ear, this is. Fortunately, both the New York Public Library and the Chicago Public Library took care to place this book on their Best of the Year lists, so I knew something had to be up. And it’s great! Set in Ghana (Ghana is incredibly hot in 2024 with books like Flying Through Water by Mamle Wolo and Kwame Crashes the Underworld by Craig Kofi Farmer) this is about a boy going to a magic school. Once you attend you are immediately placed in one of four magic tracks. This is decided by the calabash you receive from the Nkonyaa Tree. Trouble is, when Kwame gets his calabash it doesn’t neatly fall into any of the four magics (earth breaker, sun wielder, time bender, or weather handler). Saddened by the mystery, he befriends a boy named Fifi who right from the start gets picked on by the other kids. And then things start getting weird. The book ends on a cliffhanger, though it does determine what precisely is going on with Kwame’s magic. It’s amazing how much story Mensah and Nayo are able to pack into this thing. Look, this many librarians can’t be wrong. This is a great strong start to a fun and action packed new series. Don’t miss it!

Loose Threads by Isol, translated by Lawrence Schimel

When Leilah decides to sew up the holes in her world single-handedly, she has no idea the consequences of such acts. A beautifully illustrated combination of needlework and hand-drawn characters. Because honestly, we need a little more international flavor in our early chapter books, and this fascinating little fable fits the bill. It’s probably one of the most inventive little titles you’ll see this year, too. The art is this eclectic mix of embroidery and illustration, all based on a scarf Isol received from the Palestinian women she visited at the Tamer Institute in Palestine. It’s also a great little tale of a girl trying to solve problems that don’t need solving. Makes for a nice complement to other stories about letting a few gaps and mistakes exist in our world, and the problems of striving for perfectionism. Or maybe it’s about something else entirely. I’m not sure! All I know is that I love this book. Previously seen on the Caldenott List.

Miss Cat: The Case of the Curious Canary by Jean-Luc Fromental & Joëlle Jolivet, translated by Jill Phythian

Miss Cat is desperate for her next case, so when a sad man comes in looking for his kidnapped canary, she’s willing to look into it. But is there more to this feathered fiend than meets the eye? As a fellow librarian told me, this book falls squarely into that sweet spot where the reader wants a chapter book but still needs a load of pictures alongside the slightly more elevated text. When I was a kid I was very keen on detective stories, and this would most certainly have been exactly what I would have enjoyed. Sort of Encyclopedia Brown with magic, if you will. I like the hard-boiled kid detective. I like the octopus tending bar (a milkshake bar, but still). I like that the client isn’t all that they seem. Heck, I like the ending. Very strange. Very French. Previously seen on the Translation List.

Orris and Timble by Kate DiCamillo, ill. Carmen Mok

Owls eat rats. This, Orris the rat knows. But when a little owl named Timble gets caught in a trap, what is the good and noble thing to do? A story of unlikely friends. The thing that intrigues the most about any given Kate DiCamillo book (except, I suppose, the Mercy Watson ones) is that balance of darkness and light she has on the page. Getting that balance right means the book’s a success, and when it tips too far one way or another I get all squidgey about it. This book is a lovely example of walking that balance perfectly. I confess that I was a good 10 pages in before I realized that the illustrator wasn’t Sophie Blackall, so well done there. It also contains the most excellent line, “Do one good and noble deed and pay for it the rest of your life,” which sounds about right. The tone is perfect, the balance is there, and the art is sublime. A good book.

Stella and Marigold by Annie Barrows, ill. Sophie Blackall

There may be three years between Stella and Marigold, but that doesn’t stop them from being the best sisters ever to one another. Seven short stories, definitely in the vein of Ramona and Beezus. Man. 2024’s the year when ALL the early chapter book heavy hitters are coming out. You’ve got books from folks like Megan McDonald on the one hand, and others from folks like Annie Barrows on the other. And Annie is bringing her ace game to this kickoff of a new series. She’s paired (once more) with Sophie Blackall and the two are just hitting the ground running. The sheer love that these two sisters feel for one another is palpable. Love truly is eating a food that makes you throw up so that you can join your sick sister in bed. And Marigold may be the most realistic preschooler I’ve seen in a very long time. I’ve issues with dad (dude needs to work on his not-laughing-at-your-kids game) but beyond that, this one charmed me wholly and entirely. 

Tales from Muggleswick Wood by Vicky Cowie, ill. Charlie Mackesy

A show of hands, Yanks. Any of y’all familiar with Muggleswick Wood? This was an entirely new series to my old eyes, but had you given it to me blind and told me it had originally come out 100 years ago, I almost would have believed you. Almost. See, this is the book you hand to those grandparents that come into your library/bookstore and ask for something that feels like (forgive me) “a modern day classic”. I mean, you know what they’re talking about. Basically they want the 100 acre woods without the loquaciousness. This series (described by the publisher as “five gorgeous stories to read at bedtime” is that. But see, here’s the deal. These stories? They are legitimately good. Charming? Yeah, of course. And they rhyme, so be prepared for that as you decide whether or not to read a child down with them. They are rather tailor-made for bedtime reading, you know. The five stories are sort of A.A. Milne by way of Roald Dahl if you replaced the mean spiritedness of the Dahl with a bit of Milne’s earned sweetness (not the cutesy stuff). My personal favorite of the tales is “The Secret of Snittington Hall” which is very much a story of a man being told what not to do, doing it, and getting adequately (but not overly) punished for his hubris. Hubris beware! The book is full-color. There’s a little place for a child to put their name. It’s just a class act all around. A modern day classic actually deserving of the outdated term. Previously seen on the Rhyming List.

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So with all that in mind, here are the other lists for 2024:

December 1 – Great Board Books

December 2 – Picture Book Readalouds

December 3 – Simple Picture Book Texts

December 4 – Transcendent Holiday Picture Books

December 5 – Rhyming Picture Books

December 6 – Funny Picture Books

December 7 – CaldeNotts

December 8 – Picture Book Reprints

December 9 – Bilingual Books for Kids

December 10 – Math Books for Kids

December 11 – Books with a Message / Social Emotional Learning

December 12 – Fabulous Photography

December 13 – Translated Picture Books

December 14 – Fairy Tales / Folktales / Religious Tales

December 15 – Wordless Picture Books

December 16 – Poetry Books

December 17 – Unconventional Children’s Books

December 18 – Easy Books & Early Chapter Books

December 19 – Comics & Graphic Novels

December 20 – Older Funny Books

December 21 – Science Fiction Books

December 22 – Fantasy Books

December 23 – Informational Fiction

December 24 – Gross Books

December 25 – Science & Nature Books

December 26 – Unique Biographies

December 27 – Blueberry Award Contenders (Celebrating the Environment)

December 28 – Nonfiction Picture Books

December 29 – Nonfiction Books for Older Readers

December 30 – Middle Grade Novels

December 31 – Picture Books

Filed under: 31 Days 31 Lists, Best Books, Best Books of 2024