The Best Chapter Books on Epic

Mr. and Mrs. Watson’s portly pig Mercy loves to hit the road in the backseat of the Watson’s convertible. But one day things go awry when their elderly neighbor Baby Lincoln plops down in the car, and Mercy ends up having to take the wheel. Soon there’s a policeman on her tail, a struggle for the brake and even more hilarious chaos. 

The silly illustrations and zany story make this early chapter book a great option for reading out loud together (even if they can read it on their own).

One of the best chapter books on Epic is “Ivy +Bean.” When 7-year-old Bean plays a trick on her sister, her new neighbor Ivy (who she does not want to be friends with) unexpectedly comes to her aid. This leads to an unlikely friendship between the two, and kicks off a super addictive book series filled with humor and charm. Your kid will love this delightful children’s book, promoting empathy and understanding and proving that sometimes people who don’t like each other can still become friends.

“Flat Stanley” is one of the best books of all time and is way up there on our list of faves. 

Meet Stanley Lambchop: one morning he wakes up to find his brother Arthur yelling. Apparently, while Stanley was sleeping, a bulletin board fell on him, and now his whole body is only half an inch thick! Soon Stanley is getting rolled up, mailed, even flown like a kite. The upside of his transformation is that he gets to help catch two dangerous art thieves, making him a hero. Kids will delight in the silly situations brought to life with goofy illustrations that will keep ’em laughing.

Epic Originals alert! The 5th grade has just started for Robin Loxley, and the school bully, Nadia, already rules recess with an unfair Playground Tax. Robin refuses to be pushed around. So she has to stand up to Nadia, face the wrath of Assistant Principal Johnson, and become a legendary outlaw at Nottingham Elementary—all while forming a merry band of new friends along the way.

Kids can’t get enough of this Robin Hood–inspired illustrated novel about defying expectations and writing your own story. 

12-year old kit (with a small “k” because her mother says when she was born she was too small for capital letters) has a super-weird superpower: whenever she feels stressed, she turns into a naked mole rat! It first happens after she watches her best friend Clem fall during an acrobatic performance on TV. But then the transformations continue. And she keeps them from Clem because after the accident she hasn’t been the same—she’s sad and angry, and keeping a secret of her own. When the secrets start to come between the friends, kit must save the day. 

In this illustrated Read-To-Me chapter book, brothers Cooper and Cruz are spending the summer at Camp Nowhere and right away they’re not happy. The camp is rundown, has no Wi-Fi (which is bad enough) and soon the boys hear creepy howls coming from the mountains. The counselors seemed unfazed, but the previous year, four campers disappeared! So the boys and their fellow campers decide to investigate.

From the Newbery Medal-winning author of “Holes” comes “Sideways Stories from Wayside School.” This is the first kids’ book in a hilarious series about a wacky 30-story school that was accidentally (oops) built sideways. Filled with laughs for young readers, it’s not just one of the best novels on Epic, it’s one of the top titles in kids’ lit.  

Wayside School (especially in Mrs. Jewls’ class on the 30th floor) has some of the wackiest classes in town. Not to mention some of the oddest students!

Boys don’t keep diaries—or do they?

Greg Heffley does (it’s a journal, though, if you ask him). And as the new school year starts, he’s got plenty to write about. He shows up to his first day of middle school, along with his sidekick and best friend Rowley—only to discover he now has to share the halls with boys who are taller, meaner and already shaving. When Rowley starts to become more popular, Greg tries to use it to his advantage, triggering a series of events that test their friendship.

Another one of the best chapter books on Epic is this silly and hilarious story.

When Buzz meets an not-so-ordinary fly, it kicks off a glorious friendship in this slapstick story.

It all starts when Buzz is hunting for a smart pet for The Amazing Pet Show, and he catches a fly in a jar. When the angry fly says “Buzz!” the young boy is so impressed that the insect knows his name, he decides he’s found his pet, and names him Fly Guy. 

Explore the strangest creatures under the sea—like anglerfish with their attached fishing rods, and eight-foot tube worms! Your kid can get up close and personal with these wacky creatures and more in this brilliantly illustrated book. 

This accessible children’s book brings together amazing images from National Geographic and a wealth of fun facts to keep curious kids captivated. Plus it’ll introduce them to tons of new vocab about deep-sea life.

For 500 years, the Cahills have been the most powerful family in the world, carefully and secretively guarding their source of their power. And that source is the 39 Clues (ingredients to a serum that can create the most powerful person on Earth). But the Cahills have finally opened their vault to reveal the story of the most coveted work of art in the world, and the many attempts through the centuries to steal it.  

This first book in the extraordinary children’s book series chronicles the very first attempt in the 1600s. Then it moves forward to young Grace Cahill’s efforts to save the precious artwork from the Nazis during WWII.