Don’t you love double or even triple dipping?? These chapter books are just that. Exciting stories, good for multiple ages, AND your children will learn (effortlessly) about people and places across the globe. They will learn history, geography, science, and more! SHHH, don’t tell them it is “school.” Really, it is just fun learning. In my home we had set times for reading – silently or aloud. During these times that they don’t have other options (like screens) you can let these books draw them in. Now, it might take a few chapters for them to get into the story – so hold steady!
We amassed this collection when many of the GO GLOBAL Curriculum community asked for chapter books for older kids to be able to use with the curriculum. While GO GLOBAL is geared towards ages 5 to 9, with an emphasis on movement and high-quality picture books, the content is good for even older students if you add some chapter books.
In coming weeks we will provide a list of chapter books for each of the continents: South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Antarctica.
These books not only take place in the individual continents, but they impart a sense of location, natural wonders, and the history and culture of place. Most of them also reinforce specific educational aspects in the GO GLOBAL curriculum. All are beautifully written, and many are considered classics of literature. We do NOT recommend using simplified versions of these works. If your child is not ready for the original, let her wait to be able to enjoy the richness of the story and language as it was originally written. We read every one of these books and note in the description if there is anything that might be questionable to families. Let’s get started with:
North America Chapter Books
Each book is marked with its Reading Level RL, and its Interest Level IL. You as the parent need to discern if your child is ready for the topics and themes in the story.
Minn of the Mississippi, Holling C. Holling. RL: Gr 4-7. IL: Ages 7 and up. A snapping turtle travels downstream the Mississippi River valley providing us an adventure in text and pictures. Colorful illustrations, an adventure story, and scientific drawings make this an enjoyable read that painlessly teaches science, history, and geography!
Paddle to the Sea, Holling C. Holling. RL: Gr. 3-7. IL: Ages 7 and up. A canoe carved by a Native American boy travels from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. Colorful illustrations, Paddle’s adventurous journey through the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, and multiple marginal diagrams/drawings provide a delightful read that painlessly teaches science, history, and geography!
Julie of the Wolves, Jean Craighead George. RL: Gr. 5-9. IL: Ages 8 and up. Newberry Award winning saga of Inuit girl who runs away from a traumatized family life and is adopted by wolf pack. This exciting adventure/survival story provides the reader/listener a real sense of the arctic wilderness including the tundra, the aurora borealis, the plants, animals, the homes and culture of the native peoples. The book contains some troubling aspects of life such as alcoholism, abandonment, death, and assault. Specifically, in Part II of the book (page 102) 13-year-old Julie is assaulted by her betrothed husband which causes her to run away. This brief, non-explicit passage makes this a book a no-go for Heather. Colene thinks the book is of enough value that she would suggest reading aloud and either gently editing this passage or using it as an opportunity to talk to your older children about assault. Julies story is continued in Julie and Julie’s Wolf Pack.
Call of the Wild, Jack London. RL: Gr. 5-9. IL: Ages 7 and up. Set during the Klondike Gold Rush in the 1890’s, this novel centers on a dog named Buck who is stolen from his home in California and sold to be a sled dog in Alaska. Buck faces challenges from the other dogs, humans, and the environment, and he not only survives, but he even conquers. A companion novel White Fang, tells the story of a wild wolf-dog whose life is changed first when owned by a Native American, then by an evil dogfighter, and finally by a wealthy gold hunter who is the first to show him true affection, and to bring him from the wildness of nature to civilization.
Mark Twain, aka Samuel Clemens
was a gifted humorist and his writings have many subtle subtexts. He makes fun of people and stereotypes to make his point and to provide humor. Make sure to discuss with your students to provide context necessary for understanding and appreciation. Twain’s writings are over 100 years old and so have dated terms (such as negro) and even some offensive terms (such as the “N” word). BUT, his books are anti-racist and anti-slavery. The violence can also be difficult for 21st century readers, but is less than in most movies or on the national news.
The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, Mark Twain. RL: Gr. 5 and up. IL: Ages 8 and up. An old California miner spins a tale about a man who is so in love with gambling that he will bet on anything. His talented frog always wins any jumping contest until a trickster arrives in town.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain. RL: Gr. 6 and up. IL: Ages 8 and up. Written in the 1870’s, and set in the 1840’s, this rollicking fun tale of two mischievous boys growing up along the Mississippi River is a true classic. The boys get in and out of predicaments such as skipping school to go swimming, whitewashing his aunt’s fence, having a crush on Becky Thatcher, seeing grave robbers in a cemetery, and dealing with the evil antagonist Injun Joe and finding stolen gold.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain. RL: Gr. 7 and up. IL: Ages 9 and up. Set in the 1840’s this tale is sequel (but can stand alone) to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Huck wants nothing to do with being “sivilized” by his new guardians, and so he takes off on a raft down the Mississippi with Jim, a slave seeking his freedom. They run into Huck’s alcoholic dead-beat dad, two con artists, and reunites with Tom Sawyer with a final successful adventure.
Coming Soon:
Chapter books for South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and Antarctica