The first real chapter books I remember reading were &quot;Maniac Magee&quot; by Jerry Spinelli and &quot;The Phantom Tollbooth&quot; by Norton Juster, but I believe those were in 3rd grade. I do vividly recall reading both &quot;Tom Sawyer&quot; and &quot;Huckleberry Finn&quot; in the summer before 4th grade -- the perfect summer books. I went back and re-read both when I was in high school, and was amazed at all the social commentary that flew over my head when I was 9.