When a child looks at a picture book, the art does about 70% of the heavy lifting. They aren't just reading "the dog is sad"; they are seeing the dog’s slumped ears and watery eyes. When those pictures disappear, the child’s brain has to work overtime to create that "mental movie."

If their decoding skills (sounding out words) aren't fully automatic yet, their brain runs out of RAM. They get tired, they get bored, and they ask if they can just watch MrBeast instead.

Ask our chatbot about building reading stamina in 7-9 year olds

Let’s clear this up right now: Graphic novels are not "cheating."

In fact, for a kid transitioning to longer stories, graphic novels are a high-level workout. They require "multimodal literacy"—the ability to synthesize text and visual cues simultaneously. If your kid wants to read Dog Man for the fourteenth time, let them. They are building the habit of finishing a book, which is the foundational "win" they need.

If your kid has already memorized every Dog Man book, move them to InvestiGators. It’s pun-heavy, fast-paced, and features secret agent alligators. It’s exactly the kind of "absurd humor" that hits the sweet spot for the 7-10 age range.

For the younger end of the spectrum (ages 5-7), Narwhal and Jelly is the perfect entry point. It’s technically a graphic novel, but the layouts are simple, the themes are about friendship and waffles, and it feels much less intimidating than a "big kid" book.

For kids moving into the "tween" space (ages 9-12), Smile is the gold standard. It deals with real-life stuff—braces, middle school drama, friendships—without the heavy "brain rot" feel of some social-media-adjacent content.

Once they are comfortable with graphic novels, you want to introduce books where the text starts to take over, but the illustrations are still there to provide a safety net.

This series is a masterpiece of pacing. There are maybe 20-50 words per page, surrounded by expressive, cinematic art. It feels like a "thick" book, which gives kids a huge ego boost when they finish it in one sitting. It's way better than the movie, by the way.

The Scholastic "Branches" line was specifically engineered for this exact developmental stage. Dragon Masters is the heavy hitter here. The chapters are short, the vocabulary is accessible but challenging, and there is a cliffhanger at the end of every chapter to keep them hooked.

Don't let the title fool you; these are high-action superhero books. They are printed on glossy paper with full-color illustrations, making them feel like a premium bridge between a picture book and a "real" chapter book.

Check out our guide on the best "bridge" books for reluctant readers

The biggest mistake parents make is stopping "storytime" once a child learns to read independently. Your child’s listening comprehension is usually two or three grade levels higher than their reading comprehension.

By reading a more complex book aloud, you are showing them the "payoff" for the hard work of learning to read. You’re giving them the plot, the character development, and the emotional resonance that they can’t quite access on their own yet.

This is arguably the best read-aloud of the last decade. It’s about a robot stranded on an island of animals. The chapters are incredibly short (often 2-3 pages), which is perfect for "just one more chapter" negotiations. It tackles big themes like nature vs. technology and what it means to be a family.

If your kid is into Minecraft or Roblox, they will likely gravitate toward the lore-heavy world of Wings of Fire. It’s "Game of Thrones" for the elementary set (minus the inappropriate stuff). It exists as both traditional novels and graphic novels, which is a great way to let them "level up" within the same series.

We talk a lot about "digital wellness" at Screenwise, and that doesn't always mean "put the iPad away." Sometimes it means using the iPad as a Trojan horse for literacy.

The "Chapter Book Leap" is often where kids decide if they are "a reader" or "not a reader."

To keep them in the "reader" camp, avoid being a snob about content. If they want to read a book based on Minecraft or a graphic novel about a farting dog, let them. The goal is volume and enjoyment. The "classics" can wait; the habit of reading can't.

Also, watch out for the "reading level" trap. Those Lexile numbers on the back of books are just suggestions. If a kid is obsessed with a topic (say, sharks or Zelda), they can often read way above their "official" level because their background knowledge helps them fill in the gaps.

Moving from picture books to chapter books isn't a race. It's a slow transition from seeing a story to imagining a story.

The "magic" of storytime doesn't have to end just because they can decode the words themselves. In fact, the best stories are the ones you’re still talking about the next morning at breakfast.

Ask our chatbot for a personalized book list based on your kid's interests