Once we get past the board-book and very simple storybook phase with kids, we really want to dig in with thoughtful stories. Trouble is, not all storybooks are useful for teaching critical thinking skills. Many of our old favorites like The Very Hungry Caterpillar are too simple to teach critical thinking. There isn't much of a plot, there isn't much to discuss and there aren't many characters.
As children get older and school-aged, we want to captivate their attention and dazzle them with what the world could be. Through books. We want reading to be magical.
If we want our children to turn into imaginative, critical-thinking grown-ups, we must expose them to complex storybooks - books that require the reader to infer character thoughts and motivation. And then, the reader needs to connect those thoughts to why a character acts.
The books listed below are some of the best complex storybooks for little readers. The reading levels exceed our youngest readers, but when read aloud or read together, these books are appropriate for young children. In no small part, because the illustrations in all of these books are compelling and aid in comprehension. They are all Caldecott Award winning books.
As children get older and school-aged, we want to captivate their attention and dazzle them with what the world could be. Through books. We want reading to be magical.
If we want our children to turn into imaginative, critical-thinking grown-ups, we must expose them to complex storybooks - books that require the reader to infer character thoughts and motivation. And then, the reader needs to connect those thoughts to why a character acts.
The books listed below are some of the best complex storybooks for little readers. The reading levels exceed our youngest readers, but when read aloud or read together, these books are appropriate for young children. In no small part, because the illustrations in all of these books are compelling and aid in comprehension. They are all Caldecott Award winning books.
Without further ado, here are some of the best complex storybooks for little readers:
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This is a perennial favorite for a reason. It is beautifully illustrated but also has an elegant story to go with it.
It's a heartwarming tale of going owling. The child's father takes his child owling at night, where he must be quiet and brave. But it's worth it in the end, when they see an owl fly overhead, land on a tree branch and look directly at them. It's a nice way to talk about things that are calming, nature and things we love. Also, there is running thought commentary on the part of the child in the book.
Guided Reading Level O
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This is the true story of how Winnie-the-Pooh came to be. It's heartwarming and includes complex text.
There are photos at the end of the book of the real life Winnie and her first owner (the author's great-grandfather). It's a fun way to introduce Winnie-the-Pooh or expand on an old favorite.
Guided Reading Level: M
Bonus! A good companion text to this is...
While this hasn't been put on a Guided Reading level scale, the writing puts the text at partway through 3rd grade level difficulty.
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This book also won the Robert F. Sibert award for informational texts for children.
This would make a great read-aloud with your child who is younger. It's also a long enough book, that this could take you more than one reading to finish, maybe even 3 readings all put together. It's a higher reading level, but appropriate for younger readers, type of book. It is a beautiful non-fiction book for young kids, which can be hard to come by. It will be especially good for train lovers.
Guided Reading Level: O
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Snowflakes are miracles to little Wilson Bentley. He loved them so much, he wanted to capture them - in pictures. If he could do so, he would be the first one.
His endeavor to capture snowflakes via photography led us to two discoveries - all snowflakes are unique and each one is naturally beautiful. The woodblock cut prints in this book especially add to the story in this book. That this story combines reading with a scientific endeavor makes it all the more worthwhile. It is a non-fiction book appropriate for little readers, with a more complex reading level.
Guided Reading Level: N
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This is an awesome, true story of a tightrope walker who put a cable between the World Trade Center towers in 1974. He tightrope walked across the two towers and then some.
The story would come across as almost fantastical to young children, but it really did happen - which makes it all the more awesome.
Guided Reading Level: Q
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Mirette meets a famous tightrope walker who has been sidelined because of fear. Of course, once she knows what he used to do, she wants to learn to tightrope walk too. And she does.
Once she learns, she encourages The Great Bellini to abandon fear and try again too. Youthful spirit shines through in this book. While The Man Who Walked Between the Towers is non-fiction, this book is fiction and would make a nice comparative study.
Guided Reading Level: P
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Complex Multi-Cultural Books for Little Readers
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This is a fun story and an interesting way to explain why mosquitoes buzz in people's ears. There are animals who talk, explanations given, and different-than-the-rest kinds of illustrations.
It is a beautiful and entertaining folktale.
Guided Reading Level: N
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This is a straight-forward rendering of The Little Red Riding Hood, except the wolf comes to the children.
Once the children realize it is a wolf who has come to visit, instead of grandma, they trick the wolf into leaving them alone. It has a bit of an abrupt ending, so be prepared for that.
Guided Reading Level: S
This would make a great read-aloud, especially in a fairytale unit and with children who know the western version.
Bonus! This is another spin on a classic fairytale that will satisfy more sophisticated readers.
Guided Reading Level: Q
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This is the folktale about how it all began - how we got all of our stories.
Ananse must complete 3 arduous tasks in order to receive the box full of stories from Nyame, the Sky God. Ananse completes the tasks and releases the stories to the world.
Guided Reading Level: O
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This is a Scottish folk song that is put down in book format, so there are some unfamiliar words. There is a glossary at the back to help the reader (as well as the tune to the song, if you'd like).
The story is a good behavior lesson - do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It's about a Scotsman who invites every passerby into his house - until, it explodes! They gather all the pieces and build a larger house to fit the family, new guests and friends. This would make a good read aloud book with your child, so you can help with some foreign pronunciations.
Guided Reading Level: P
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Enjoy!
