As we have we have spent countless hours reading aloud as a family, we have discovered many treasures. The books listed below are some of those favorites. They were written to varying age ranges, but read-aloud sessions in our house typically include everyone. Some text might be over my littlest ones’ heads, but they glean tidbits from the books to feed their minds until they’ll read them again in the future. On the flipside, I have found that my oldest kids still enjoy hearing chapter books written for the younger crowd as well.
Pippi Longstocking The silly story of a spunky girl with a big heart and her outrageous adventures (ages 6-9)
The Bears on Hemlock Mountain One boy’s quest to find out if there are bears on Hemlock Mountain (ages 6-9)
The Little Pilgrims Progress A children’s version of Pilgrims Progress, this story is a beautiful allegory of the Christian journey (ages 5-10)
The Trumpet of the Swan A fantastic story of a swan’s life as he overcomes obstacles and finds love (ages 6-10)
Caddie Woodlawn The story of brave Caddie and her exciting adventures. Written in 1935, this book is a treasure! (ages 9-11)
Understood Betsy This favorite is the story of Elizabeth Ann, who is a nine year old raised by two worried aunts until she is sent to live with relatives in the country. As her life drastically changes she finds herself doing things she never thought she could. (age 7-10)
Stuart Little Stuart is a mouse on an amazing adventure! This has been a classic for more than 75 years (ages 5-8)
Charlotte’s Web The touching story of a pig and the spider who saves his life (ages 6-9)
The Secret Garden An orphan is sent to live at her uncle’s mansion on the Yorkshire Moors and uncovers a mystery there.
The Story of Dr. Dolittle Dr. Dolittle, the man who can communicate with animals, sails off to Africa to help some monkeys in need. This is the first book of twelve. (ages 8-12)
Mr. Popper’s Penguins A humerous classic about the adventures of a house painter and his family as they welcome in a group of penguins. (ages 6-9)
A Bear Called Paddington This is the first of nineteen books about a marmalade loving bear and his mishaps (ages 5-9)
The Wild Robot A robot finds herself needing to survive in the wilderness. (ages 7-11)
The Cricket in Times Square A long time favorite about a smart mouse, a kind alley cat, and a talented cricket. (ages 6-9)
The Adventures of Robin Hood The story of Robin Hood, defender of the poor and oppressed. (ages 10-13)
The Phantom Tollbooth An Alice in Wonderland type book about a boy and his journey through a strange land where language comes alive. (ages 8-12)
The Apple and the Arrow The captivating story of William Tell, the greatest bowman in the land of Uri. (ages 10-12)
The Railway Children Three children and their mother go to live in the country after their father must go away with two strangers one evening. The book tells of their adventures and how an old gentleman helps them solve the mystery of where their father went and how they can help him return. (ages 9-13)
Homer Price The story of Homer’s day to day adventures in small town America (ages 8-11)
The Toothpaste Millionaire A book that will spark lots of discussions with your kids as you read the story of some entrepreneurs turned accidental millionaries… who happen to be sixth grade friends. (ages 8-11)
The Children of Noisy Village The author of Pippi Longstocking wrote this book about six Swedish children enjoying their lives as neighbors and friends. (ages 5-8)
[…] season to spend extra time reading aloud together. I shared some of our favorites from years past in this post. You can also try writing and illustrating a story together as a family, or one on one with a […]