Read-alouds and series
Books to read after Magic Tree House
After finishing the first dozen Magic Tree House, many kids are ready for longer chapters but still want short, fast ones.
Titles, authors and publication details were checked against Open Library in October 2026; age ranges follow publisher and library guidance and are approximate. Series order is the order of publication. Checked 2026-10-25. Nobody paid to be here. The buy links are plain search links, not affiliate links, so Peabody earns nothing from them.
The 13-Story Treehouse
Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton · Ages 6-10
A treehouse with a bowling alley, a shark tank and a marshmallow machine. Illustrated and silly.
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The Boxcar Children
Gertrude Chandler Warner · Ages 6-10
Four orphans live in a boxcar. Slow-paced, quiet and an old series.
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Knights of the Kitchen Table
Jon Scieszka · Ages 7-10
Time Warp Trio #1. Three boys and a magic book travel in time; funny and quick.
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Sideways Stories from Wayside School
Louis Sachar · Ages 7-10
Thirty odd stories in an upside-down school. Read in any order.
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Dragon Masters
Tracey West · Ages 6-9
Fantasy with dragons and short chapters.
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A to Z Mysteries: The Absent Author
Ron Roy · Ages 6-9
Three kid detectives, easy mystery.
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Who Was Albert Einstein?
Jess Brallier · Ages 8-12
The biography series that works like Magic Tree House for history.
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The Notebook of Doom: Rise of the Balloon Goons
Troy Cummings · Ages 6-9
Monster-fighting kids in a quick, funny comic-prose mix.
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Fantastic Mr. Fox
Roald Dahl · Ages 6-9
A shorter, funnier tale of animals against three farmers.
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A bedtime book should slow down by the last page.