Educational Chapter Books for Preschool and Elementary Age Children

The following is a list of fiction and nonfiction chapter books that have a lot of educational value. All of the books listed are part of a series and are appropriate for preschool and elementary school age children. These books have been around for a while, so they should be easy to find at your local library or to buy used. For more information on educational books for children, visit How to Introduce Young Children to Classic Literature and Improve Your Child's Reading Comprehension Skills by Building Knowledge.

See Mystery Chapter Books for Young Children for more chapter book ideas for kids.

The Magic School Bus chapter books teach science in a longer format. They are appropriate for 4 and up. There are approximately 20 books in the series, covering volcanoes, bats, twisters, space, Australia, penguins, human bones, dinosaurs and more.

Martha Speaks is a series of colorful chapter books that focus on teaching vocabulary. New vocabulary words are taught within the context of a story. These books may be a good introduction to chapter books for children who won’t read books without pictures. There are colorful pictures on most pages. These books are good for 4 and up.

American Girl Mysteries is a series of chapter books set in different time periods. Children will enjoy a mystery while learning about life in the past. Different books focus on different girls living during different times. For example, the Molly books are set during World War II. Children will learn about rationing and the experiences of children whose fathers return home affected by the war. Other books are set during the American Revolution, the polio epidemic in New York City and the Depression. The books are listed for ages 9 and up. But they can be read to younger children, if you can provide explanations about the historical environment. My 6 year old enjoys these books.

These books follow the adventures of siblings Jack and Annie. The children find a magic tree house in the woods and use it to go to different historical time periods, meet famous people in history or to travel to faraway places, such as the Amazon Rain Forest. The books are appropriate for ages 4 and up. The Magic Tree House also has a series of nonfiction books called Research Guides.

There are eight educational books in the Flat Stanley Worldwide Adventure series by Jeff Brown.

• The Mount Rushmore Calamity
• The Great Egyptian Grave Robbery
• The African Safari Discovery
• The Flying Chinese Wonders
• The Amazing Mexican Secret
• The Japanese Ninja Surprise
• The Intrepid Canadian Expedition
• The Australian Boomerang Bonanza

A ninth book, The US Capital Commotion, is available for preorder. These books teach geography and history.

Who Was is a series of nonfiction biographies. These books are appropriate for ages 6 and up. The books feature politicians, inventors, scientists, artists, and entertainers.

The non fiction Landmark Books series teaches about famous people and famous time periods. These books are good for ages 5 and up. Younger children will require an explanation of the surrounding historical events. Some titles are The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt,The American Revolution, Meet Martin Luther King, Jr., and Meet Thomas Jefferson.