Children’s Book Characters Named Charlie

Here are just a few children’s books with characters named Charlie. Please comment below if you know of one I missed. I hope this encourages your kiddo to read!

A Place in my Heart by Mary Grossnickle

A Place in My Heart tells the simple story of Charlie, a chipmunk adopted by a family of squirrels, who starts to wonder about his birthparents. At first he is scared that this might upset his family but feels much better when he talks to his mother. The story reassures children that it is okay to ask questions about their birthparents without upsetting their “forever” (adoptive) parents.

• Other characters: Abby, Libby, Sophie, Chester, & Max
• Rating: Amazon-4.8
• 2-5 year olds or Preschool-Kindergarten

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, Illustrator: Quentin Blake

Only five lucky children will be allowed inside the factory. And the winners are: Augustus Gloop, an enormously fat boy whose hobby is eating; Veruca Salt, a spoiled-rotten brat whose parents are wrapped around her little finger; Violet Beauregarde, a dim-witted gum-chewer with the fastest jaws around; Mike Teavee, a toy pistol-toting gangster-in-training who is obsessed with television; and Charlie Bucket, Our Hero, a boy who is honest and kind, brave and true, and good and ready for the wildest time of his life!

• Rating: Amazon- 4.7 Goodreads- 4.2
• 6-9 year olds or 3rd-7th grade
• Lexile Measure: 810L

Charlie & Mouse series by Laurel Snyder 

Four hilarious children’s stories, two inventive brothers, one irresistible and award-winning beginner chapter book—now in paperback! Join Charlie and Mouse as they talk to lumps, take the neighborhood to a party, sell some rocks, and invent the bedtime banana. 

• Includes Characters: Lilly, Helen, Tess, Jack, Max, Lottie, Marley, Sylvia, Spenser, Nora Ann, Sam, Mr. Erik, Miss Margaret, and Mr. Michael
• Rating: Amazon-4.6 or Goodreads-3.9
• 4-7 year olds or 1st-4th grade
• Lexile Measure: 420L

Charlie Hernandez & the League of Shadows (series) by Ryan Calejo

When Charlie begins to experience freaky bodily manifestations—ones all too similar to those described by his grandma in his favorite legend—he is suddenly swept up in a world where the mythical beings he’s spent his entire life hearing about seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Hispanic folklore and into his life. Soon, Charlie finds himself in the middle of an ancient battle between La Liga, a secret society of legendary mythological beings sworn to protect the Land of the Living, and La Mano Peluda (a.k.a. the Hairy Hand), a cabal of evil spirits determined to rule mankind. 

• Other characters: Mr. Henry, Mrs. Ambers, Mrs. Kirilenko, Mrs. Tannenbaum, Lynda, Alice Coulter, Sam, Mrs. Wilson, Juan Garcia, Mrs. Grant, Alvin, Joanna, 
• Ratings: Amazon- 4.7  Goodreads-3.9
• 10-14 year olds or 5-9th grade
• Lexile Measure: 780L

Charlie the Caterpillar by Dom Deluise, Illustrated by Christopher Santoro

As Charlie the Caterpillar meets one group of animals after another playing together and having fun, he asks if he can join in. But each time he’s told not welcome — because he’s ugly. As winter approaches, Charlie spins himself a cocoon. When spring arrives, the cocoon opens and out comes Charlie — now a beautiful butterfly. Everyone wants him to be part of their group. But Charlie puts these fair-weather friends properly in their place in this heartwarming story about the meaning of true friendship.

• Includes Character: Katie
• Rating: Amazon- 4.9  Goodreads-4.1
• 2-6 year olds or Preschool-3rd
• Lexile Measure: AD540L

Charlie the Ranch Dog series by Ree Drummond, Illustrated by Diane deGroat

Charlie’s a ranch dog. Breakfast is his life, especially when bacon is involved. Charlie has dangly ears, floppy skin, and big fat paws. And he loves living in the country. That’s because he works like a dog…fixing fences, gardening, and helping his family out on the range.

• Rating: Amazon- 4.8 Goodreads- 4.1
• 2-6 year olds or Preschool-3rd
• Lexile Measure: AD530L

Chilly Charlie (Level A Reader) by Dana Meachen Rau, Illustrator: Martin Lemelman

Charlie is chilly all over and needs a hug to warm him up.

• Ratings: Amazon- 5.0  Goodreads-3.0
• 5-6 year olds

Midnight for Charlie Bone (series) by Jenny Nimmo

An academy for magic and special talents. A destiny unfulfilled. A secret legacy. Since his father died, Charlie Bone has lived with his mother and her mother in the house of his other grandmother, Grandma Bone. Looking at a picture of a couple with a baby and a cat, he suddenly discovers he can hear their voices. Although he tries to hide his new gift, Grandma Bone and her scary sisters soon find out and send him to Bloor’s Academy. Charlie quickly finds life at Bloor’s pretty tough, with its strict rules and the malevolent head boy, Manfred, set against him. When Charlie discovers that the child in the photograph is being held, hypnotised, against her will, he and his new friends with ‘gifts’ try to awaken her. But can they overcome Manfred’s sinister hypnotic gifts?

• Includes characters: Benjamin Brown, Amy, Maisie, Eustacia, Julia Ingledew, Emilia Moon, Paton Yewbeam, Mr. Onimous, Gabriel Silk, Fidelio, Zelda Dobinski, Dr. Bloor, Emma Tolly, Lucretia, Billy Raven, Leo, Venetia, Olivia Vertigo, Mr. Paltry, Asa, Grizelda, Ezekiel, Runner Bean, & Nancy.
• Ratings: Amazon-4.6  Goodreads-3.8
• 8+ year olds or 3rd-6th grade

Midnight Rider by Krista Ruepp, Illustrator: Ulrike Heyne

Charlie becomes friends with Mr. Grimm through her love for his horse, and the two of them share a secret that even wise Old Fig doesn’t know.

• Ratings: Amazon- 4.5  Goodreads- 3.8
• 7-9 year olds or 2nd-3rd grade

My Brother Charlie by Holly Robinson Peete

“Charlie has autism. His brain works in a special way. It’s harder for him to make friends. Or show his true feelings. Or stay safe.” But as his big sister tells us, for everything that Charlie can’t do well, there are plenty more things that he’s good at. He knows the names of all the American presidents. He knows stuff about airplanes. And he can even play the piano better than anyone he knows.

• Other characters: Callie and Harriett
• Ratings: Amazon- 4.7  Goodreads- 4.3
• 4-8 year olds or 1st-5th grade
• Lexile Measure: AD540L

Oliver’s Tree written and illustrated by Kit Chase

Oliver, Charlie, and Lulu love to play outside together. Their favorite game is hide-and-seek, but it’s not fun for Oliver when his friends hide in the trees—he can’t reach them! So the friends set off to find a tree that Oliver can play in.

• Rating: Amazon-4.9  Goodreads-3.9
• 3-5 year olds

On with the Show (Pet Hotel #4) by Kate Finch 

The Pet Hotel’s newest guest is also its most unique! Chance is a Seeing Eye mini pony. He helps his blind owner get from place to place, just like a Seeing Eye dog would. At the hotel, he bonds with someone who could use his skills-Velvet the Persian show cat. Meg and Charlie hope that Chance’s responsible ways will help them keep the spirited cat spotless and out of trouble.

• Rating: Amazon- 4.9 Goodreads-4.3
• 7-10 year olds or 2nd-5th grade
• Lexile Measure: 720L

Pixar Character Encyclopedia by Shar Last

Now featuring more than 320 characters, this new edition has been updated and expanded to include characters from Pixar’s recent releases. Find out more about the greatest and funniest heroes, villains, sidekicks and oddballs from across every Pixar movie, including 2020’s Onward and Soul, as well as 2021’s box-office hit Luca and 2022’s Turning Red and Lightyear.

• Includes characters: Charlie from Monsters Inc, Jenny and Charlie from Finding Dory 
• Ratings: Amazon- 4.8
• 7-9 year olds or 2nd-4th grade

Who was Charlie Chaplin? series by Patricia Brennan Demuth, Illustrator: Gregory Copeland

Charlie Chaplin sang on a London stage for the first time at the age of five. Performing proved to be his salvation, providing a way out of a life of hardship and poverty. Success came early and made Chaplin one of the best loved people in the United States until the McCarthy witch hunts drove Chaplin from his adopted country. This is a moving portrait of a multi-talented man—actor, director, writer, even  music composer—and the complicated times he lived in.

• Rating: Amazon- 4.7 Goodreads-4.3
• 8-12 year olds or 3rd-7th grade
• Lexile Measure: 730L