Early chapter books about friends

[Coco_Clark]

My 7yo LOVES Toad and Frog, Henry and Mudge, Mr Putter and Tabby, Iris and Walter...because "they're about true friends". He wasn't impressed by Nate the Great or Amelia Bedelia or any of the Seuss collection.

 

Any early chapter book recommendations about "true friends"? He's hesitant to make this jump, but he's read nearly every easy-reader in our public library. He devours them at a rate of 10-12 a day. I think a really good first selection might make all the difference and convince him he really can move on to this next step.

[Eagle]

The Lighthouse Family (by Cynthia Rylant) would probably be a good next step. A little more than easy readers, but still very small chapter books. They are about animals that become great friends and form a little family together. The first book in the series is The Storm. They are truly charming books.

[Ellie]

There's a series about Billy and Blaze by C.W. Anderson. They aren't juvenile novels (IOW, no chapters) but they might have a a higher reading level that will satisfy him.

 

In fact, here's the 1000 Good Books list. You might get some good ideas from it.

[eternallytired]

Both my kids got hooked on A to Z Mysteries by Ron Roy after their cousin recommended them.  They're written at roughly 3rd grade level.  There's also the Calendar Mysteries, also by Ron Roy, that are slightly shorter and written at roughly 2nd grade level.  Both are about groups of friends who solve mysteries.  I like them because the content is clean (even the ghost was someone dressed up to try to scare people away from a hotel they wanted to buy) and the protagonists are polite and generally well-behaved.