A few months ago we did an episode on children’s books I love. It was episode 43 airing on November 29th. Find that episode HERE. It was a fun episode to talk about because reading to our kids books is such a big part of our lives and has been since they were born. My goal today is to make it possible to easily see and read that list we talked about. I can’t share them all here, but I think talking about 5 of them will keep things realistic.
Andrew Henry’s Meadow
To start I’d like to talk about one of my favorites which is Andrew Henry’s Meadow by Doris Burn. It is a story about a boy with several siblings that has a gift unique to him. The way she writes the story it really draws the reader in and encourages children to embrace their gifts. The reader will find the images are drawn in simple pencil and again encourage young readers to imagine instead of relying completely on the book.
This book was written, quite a while ago, in 1965. It leaves some of the modern changes to children’s literature out. I find myself looking for older books more and more for both me and the kids. I would recommend this book for parent led reading at ages 4-10.
When Lightning Comes in a Jar
The next one our family really enjoyed was When Lightning Comes in a Jar By Patricia Polacco. This book talks about the big family reunions a family has every year. I know in our family the reunion was always such an important thing. This book really brings that back for me. It talks about one girl in particular, and how things were with her grandmother. Then when she became the grandmother it became her story. The kids love this one, maybe because it took up a few extra minutes at bedtime, but we also have a reunion every year they love.
Again I would say for parent led reading this one would be best for age groups from 4-10. My oldest also enjoyed reading it herself between the ages of 7 till present. This one was written in 2002, and contains no questionable themes.
The Elephant and Piggie Books
These books are so much fun. Rather than a single book with this pick it is a several book series. In these an elephant and a pig are friends, and these books contain their adventures together. Many themes in the books talk about friendship, and the importance of supporting friends. There are only a few words on most of the pages. Most of the story is played out in the pictures, and with some wacky sound effects. We do all the voices here!
I would recommend these to kids between 1-6 to listen to and to read. As stated above they are very simple with few words, so are perfect first readers. Unlike many first readers they lack the formulaic pattern, so may be slightly more challenging to read.
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
One of the best chapter books of all time! At least in the top 20 anyway. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane By Kate DiCamillo. The first time I read this book I was an adult, and it was very enjoyable. The kids all loved it too, we listened to it together in the car during a road trip. The car has never been so quiet. The story follows the journey of a toy rabbit and all the people that owned him. He changes throughout the story, as anyone does in the course of their life. The story really brings to life the journey and its’ passenger.
Written in 2006, this book is recommend for children to read at about 7-10. But I believe older kids will enjoy it as well. Some of themes are difficult like being lost, and death. This book has some very sad parts that may not be easy for younger listeners.
The Chronicles of Narnia
This isn’t technically one of the books I love. It’s a series of books I love. The Chronicles of Narnia are obviously well known books, not only in their own right, but the movies have also been popular. If you and your kids have only watched the movies I strongly recommend reading the books as well. C. S. Lewis wrote this series of 7, and he was a true story teller. The books are filled with adventure and imagination like nothing that has been written since.
These books were released one at a time starting in 1950. At the time, they were written as an early chapter books, but now are more appropriate for kids 8 or 9 and older. I read them as an adult and still found them to be entertaining. Like many series of books, the themes get more serious as the series goes on.
If you aren’t using Libby yet for your book needs I highly recommend it. It is great for checking audio books for car listening. Try Cronicles of Narnia on your next car trip. Your kids will thank you.
I can’t say I read every book before my kids, but it is a good practice. I try to at least read a review before I put a book in my kids hands. It is a little harder these days with so many adult themes being written into children’s books. These books, recommended here, are a great place to start. Happy reading!
