Read-Aloud Novels for 4 to 7 Year Old Girls

If you’re looking for some gentle not-scary stories to read aloud for girls in the 4-7 year old age range, read on! These are some books I have read aloud with my daughter. She is a unicorn-loving, rainbow clad little girl who loves to play with her dolls, her tea set, and her stuffed animals (especially the cats). So far she doesn’t like reading scary things, especially before bed.

If you’ve followed my blog before, you might remember that I care a lot about giving my kids the best children’s literature. Charlotte Mason (one of my homeschooling gurus) said,

“One more thing is of vital importance; children must have books, living books; the best are not too good for them; anything less than the best is not good enough; and if it is needful to exercise economy, let go everything that belongs to soft and luxurious living before letting go the duty of supplying the books, and the frequent changes of books, which are necessary for the constant stimulation of the child’s intellectual life.” – Charlotte Mason

I care a lot about putting excellent literature in front of my children. And the best thing about reading a living book with your child is I promise you will love it too. That’s one of the best things about great children’s books – they are intergenerational and not just for kids.

So when the days get long and I just cannot read another Lego Disney Princess one-dimensional friendship story from the library – I turn to these read-alouds.

As my daughter and I read more books together, I will continue to update this list. Please know, we have read every single one of these suggestions. This is not an AI-generated list for clicks for ad revenue. I genuinely want to spread the feast that is excellent children’s literature to people looking for great books to spark a love of reading with their children.

This list is not in any particular order, though I do have some shorter stories at the end.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. They are just one small way to support my writing, if you enjoy this kind of content on my blog. Thank you for your support!

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

This is a classic for a reason! Both of my kids loved this book. Since reading it out loud to them, they have played imaginatively for hours with a toy spider and a stuffed pig.

George’s Marvelous Medicine by Roald Dahl

For the little ones who love to mix up “potions” and “soups” in the backyard – this story is really fun! Though I did have to make sure my daughter knew to never ever mix cleaning products or random ingredients and how dangerous it is in reality!

The Doll Shop Downstairs by Yona Zeldis McDonough

We both *loved* this story. This is one of the first read-alouds that my daughter and I read just the two of us (without her big brother in the mix). I think it will always hold a special place in my heart. It’s about a family in New York at the start of World War I who make and sell dolls. My daughter loves her dolls, and she loves to craft. Surprisingly there are not very many stories for this age-range that have dolls in them anymore. I wish there were more like it.

Cats in the Doll Shop by Yona Zeldis McDonough

If you loved the Doll Shop Downstairs, you will also enjoy the sequel – The Cats in the Doll Shop! Dolls and Cats? My 5 year old daughter just loved this story.

Miss Hickory by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey

This story was delightful to read, and also is one of the few that I have found that features a doll as a central character. Newberry Medals Winners have always been safe bets for me.

Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne

Another classic for a reason! These stories are so sweet and gentle and my daughter just loves Winnie the Pooh and Piglet. I recommend the original by A.A. Milne. Though we also enjoyed the audiobook read by Stephen Fry, Judi Dench and others.

Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild

This is our current read-aloud but I feel confident including in this list even though we haven’t finished it yet because we are loving it. It’s a bit slow to get going, but we are really enjoying the characters and the story.

The School for Cats by Esther Averill (Jenny’s Cat Club series)

We loved Jenny Goes to Sea and this is the first book in the Jenny’s Cat Club series that we enjoyed too. Personified cats who get into mischief? A hit with my daughter.

26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie De Paola (series)

Both of my kids really enjoyed this autobiographical series by Tomie de Paola. He writes his autobiography of his life as a 5-6 year old in 1940. 26 Fairmount Avenue is the first in the series. They are gentle and interesting.

Shorter Chapter-Book-like stories with lots of pictures

I thought I’d include a few others that I enjoy reading to my daughter, but that have more pictures and maybe wouldn’t qualify as a “novel”.

Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo

Mercy Watson is fun and wacky, and a joy to read aloud. The names and some of the harder-to-read words just really flow off the tongue in a poetic way. 54 Deckawoo Drive is just fun to say. My kids love these stories.

Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel

I didn’t discover Frog and Toad until I had kids. I don’t know why I had never heard of these stories as a kid – but they are beloved characters to me and my kids now. I feel as if I’ve known them all my life.

Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem

The illustrations in this story are just beautiful – I find myself mesmerized by the little mouse homes – and my daughter is too!

I hope you find the next story to read with your daughter (or son!) in this list!

Warmly,

-Heather

Enjoyed this post? Check out some of my other recent posts!

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• Kids Books About Compassion

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