TOP 8 List of Storybook Characters for Elementary Students: Making Reading Fun
Share This:
Engaging students with reading can sometimes feel like a daunting task, but the right book characters can make all the difference! Children love diving into stories with relatable, hilarious, or adventurous characters who spark their imagination. Let’s explore why making reading fun is essential, check out the TOP 8 list of storybook characters kids can’t get enough of, and discover practical ways to foster a love for reading that will last a lifetime:
Why Making Reading Fun is Important
When reading is enjoyable for students, it stops feeling like a chore and becomes an adventure! Fun and engaging stories create positive associations with books, helping students transform into lifelong readers.
Research supports that making reading fun allows children to experience:
- Better academic performance
- Stronger communication skills
- Heightened emotional growth
- Greater confidence
- Increased creativity
*This post contains some affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
List of Storybook Characters for Kids
Introducing your young students to characters who are silly, bold, and easy to relate to will instantly make reading more fun for them! Check out these favorites for your K-4 classrooms:
- Mercy Watson
- Mr. Putter & Tabby
- Minnie and Moo
- Poppleton
- Junie B. Jones
- Elephant & Piggie
- Pig the Pug
- Lulu
Mercy Watson
Mercy is a loveable pig who loves buttered toast! She’s curious, fun-loving, and often finds herself in grand adventures with her owners, Mr. and Mrs. Watson.
Your students will love her funny antics and how she brings people together— even in the most chaotic situations.
Mercy Watson’s stories emphasize friendship, problem-solving, and showing compassion for others (even if Mercy is usually focused on finding her next snack!).
Mr. Putter & Tabby
Mr. Putter is a kind and imaginative older man who shares fun adventures with his loyal cat, Tabby. Their stories are full of warmth, patience, and the beauty of intergenerational friendship.
Kids love Mr. Putter’s sweet and caring personality and the comfort found in each story. These books teach about kindness, the joy of companionship, and finding happiness in simple things.
Minnie and Moo
Minnie and Moo are two hilarious and determined cows who often get into mischief. Their escapades usually involve trying to help others or fix things and are full of moments that will make your students belly laugh!
These cows intrigue young readers with their goofy optimism and creative problem-solving. Students learn about teamwork, perseverance, and staying positive even when plans don’t go as intended.
Poppleton
Poppleton is a gentle, quirky pig who enjoys life in his small town with his friends. He is thoughtful and loves quiet moments but also loves to seek out adventures and meaningful connections.
His calm demeanor, mixed with whimsical moments, helps keep kids engaged while they learn about empathy, the importance of good friendships, and embracing differences.
Junie B. Jones
Junie B. Jones is an outspoken, spunky kindergartener. She views the world with pure, hilarious honesty. She navigates her life at home and school with a larger-than-life personality that will keep your kids laughing.
Young students relate to her emotions and enjoy her imaginative and mischievous adventures.
Junie B. Jones helps kids learn about self-expression, emotional regulation, and how to work through tricky social situations.
Elephant & Piggie
Gerald (Elephant) and Piggie are two best friends with completely different personalities. Gerald is careful and serious while Piggie is carefree and excitable.
Their funny, heartwarming interactions celebrate friendships and expressing one’s feelings. Kids relate to Gerald and Piggie’s conflicts and enjoy their silly resolutions.
These books are perfect for teaching students about emotions, compromising, and how to be a great friend!
Pig the Pug
Pig is a greedy, self-centered pug who often finds himself in silly, grand adventures. His flaws, like selfishness and jealousy, lead to laughable endings with valuable life lessons.
These stories emphasize humility, sharing, and understanding others’ perspectives.
Lulu
Finally, your students will LOVE Lulu! She is a feisty, determined girl who is passionate about rescuing animals and creating adventures with her best friends. Lulu is creative, caring, and not afraid to speak her mind.
Kids admire her big heart and love for animals and will learn what it looks like to advocate for what you believe in, show initiative, and be responsible.
Each of these characters will bring so much joy and laughter to your students and are great tools for integrating social-emotional learning into your classroom!
Studying Characters from Favorite Books
Once you get your students excited about some of these super fun characters, it’s time to get them to think critically by studying them.
As students explore characters more in-depth, they build important skills like:
- Comprehension
- Empathy
- Analytical thinking
- Making literacy connections
Book Study Character Journals
These fun character journals are the perfect companion for all classroom read alouds and independent reading options!
How to Use Character Journals in Your Classroom
Use these journals to help your students keep their thoughts organized about characters they meet in class read alouds and reading groups.
While reading or listening, encourage students to pay attention to:
- Relationships
- Adventures
- Lessons Learned
- Likes & Dislikes
- Connections they have with the character
While using character journals, choose to work together as a class or assign pages for students to work on at the end of each chapter or section of the book you are reading.
Working Independently with Character Study Journals
Encourage your students to flip back through their books to really analyze their characters at different points throughout the story.
Working as a Class with Character Study Journals
When working together as a class, additional visuals like diagrams or charts are helpful learning tools!
The FREE Character Study Journal includes teacher directions for you AND directions in kid-friendly terms for your students. Select the boy or girl title page, then print in black and white or in color if you plan to use these as decor for your classroom or hallway!
You can also use these journals to assess your students’ progress and understanding of the books you read.
More Opportunities for Making Reading Fun
Use read alouds, independent and partner reading, reading with special grownups, and class voting to help students truly fall in love with reading while they’re in your class this year!
Read Alouds
Don’t underestimate the power of YOU reading aloud to your students! Yes, you can find lots of amazing read alouds online these days, but there’s just something special about students watching and listening as their own teacher morphs into the different characters of a story.
Let yourself truly transform into an animated storyteller in front of your students, and your students will begin to see how much fun reading can be!
Independent and Partner Reading
Try your best to allot time each day for students to read independently or with a partner. By prioritizing reading time in the midst of your busy schedule, you are sending your students a message that reading is worth the effort.
The continued practice they have will allow them to become stronger readers too!
Reading with Special Grownups
It’s also important to get special grownups excited about reading with their child, and encourage them to read together frequently.
Consider these ways to involve parents and other special grownups:
- Host a Family Reading Night in your classroom
- Send home simple readers or reading passages each Monday with small incentives for returning them on Friday with a grownup’s signature for reading aloud to them at least twice
- Provide handouts with tips on reading with and to children like using animated voices, story mapping, and asking questions while reading
Taking time to get special grownups involved so helps build positive home-school relationships.
Making Reading Fun with Class Voting
Finally, get your students excited about reading and new book characters with some good ole’ class voting!
Let students vote to determine their favorite character. Keep the prize simple like only reading books with the winning character for the next week or two. Your kids will love it!
Capturing your students’s love for reading starts early by introducing them to unforgettable book characters who inspire laughter, curiosity, and creativity. By making reading fun, studying characters critically will be an enjoyable task. Dive into the top 8 list of storybook characters, and watch your students discover their new favorites!
Let me know if you have any questions about anything you see here. Don’t forget to pin this post to refer to it later!
Other posts you may enjoy:
10 PERFECT Winter Books and Activities for the Elementary Classroom
Top 10 Spring Books To Read Aloud To Your Students… Plus Some Comprehension Goodies!
20 POWERFUL Books on Kindness for Elementary Students
MAKE COMPREHENSION INTERACTIVE AND FUN!
Retelling Bookmarks
This FREEBIE is going to change the way your students spend their “after reading” time!
Diane Romo
Thank you for being here! I love sharing ideas with other teachers! If you are looking to enhance your teaching and build a positive classroom community, you have come to the right place!
