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nealmorsefan -> Reading to children - suggestions (2/22/2008 11:03:25 PM)

So, I finished reading the entire Chronicles of Narnia series to my children a little while ago. I read about 15-30 minutes to them at night before they go to bed. They then wanted me to read "Bridge to Terebithia" which I did, though I edited several words along the way. My question is: what children's stories would you recommend I start reading to them now? I have thought about the Left Behind kids series, but it might be a little over their head. They are girls, ages 10 and nine. Thanks in advance for your input!



fwmade -> RE: Reading to children - suggestions (2/23/2008 6:33:41 PM)

My daughter is 8 and I've been reading the Little House series to her. She loves it. HTH



Auben -> RE: Reading to children - suggestions (2/24/2008 11:24:34 PM)

little house books
anne of green gables
encyclopedia brown
rascal
the hobbit
ramona books
e.b. white books
my side of the mountain
the mixed up files of mrs. basil e frankweiler
alice in wonderland
something by george macdonald



barbhuff -> RE: Reading to children - suggestions (2/25/2008 12:29:48 AM)

KidsRead.com

Excellent resource.

Some of my recent favorite reads:

Ida B
The Higher Power of Lucky
City of Ember
Al Capone Does My Shorts



DenimDiva -> RE: Reading to children - suggestions (2/25/2008 7:22:42 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Auben

little house books
anne of green gables
encyclopedia brown
rascal
the hobbit
ramona books
e.b. white books
my side of the mountain
the mixed up files of mrs. basil e frankweiler
alice in wonderland
something by george macdonald


Some great books there!
They'd probably enjoy just about any of the Beverly Cleary books.



Auben -> RE: Reading to children - suggestions (2/25/2008 10:04:54 AM)

One thing to remember...reading aloud can work well with things both above and below their reading level. I prefer to choose things a bit above because I hope to encourage my kids to try things a bit harder than they're doing...but even my 9 year old will come in and listen to me read Sandra Boynton books to my 3 year old. They just enjoy the fun (and even the repetition) of a really well-done story.

Some more suggestions:

The Phantom Tollbooth (a fantasy using language as a source of adventure)
Heidi (classic about the little Swiss girl raised by her uncle on the mountain)
Swiss Family Robinson (classic about a family marooned on an island)
The Door in the Wall (boy is made lame by disease and can't become a squire..how he contributes)
Julie of the Wolves (girl alone, taken in by wolves)
The Wind in the Willows (classic frog and toad silliness)
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (one of my favorites at 11-12, creative girl raised by aunts so she can get an education and help her family)
The Secret Garden (classic...girl finds friendship and peace in 2 boys and a secret garden)
A Wrinkle in Time (children travel through time and space to save their father and the universe)
The Jungle Book (classic..boy raised by wolves in the Indian jungle)
Harriet the Spy (girl writer gets herself into trouble when her friends read her secret notebook)
Lois Lenski has a few interesting ones like Strawberry Girl, usually about poor/rural girls
Caddie Woodlawn (another Wisconsin pioneer book but fiction this time)
Catherine Called Birdy (journal of a teen during the middle ages, can't remember this one may be a year or two off)

That's my second pass. I checked some books in the other room but I haven't gone through the boys' bookshelf yet.

I really recommend Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, unless your girls need to have true-life stuff. Its a fun book and the chapters are each interesting by themselves.



stellaluna -> RE: Reading to children - suggestions (2/25/2008 10:07:17 AM)

My nephew loves Call of the Wild. My brother read it to him several times before he could read it himself. He also likes the Boxcar Children books.



uncabeeil -> RE: Reading to children - suggestions (2/25/2008 3:10:05 PM)

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings
Brian Jacques' "Redwall" series
The Once and Future King, The Book or Merlyn, Mistress Masham's Repose - all by TH White
Did anybody mention Charlott'es Web?



barbhuff -> RE: Reading to children - suggestions (2/25/2008 8:13:56 PM)

Tale of Desperaux is much better read aloud than to yourself, so I would suggest it! Of course, A Series of Unfortunate Events have that same vibe of addressing the reader.



_Cinderella_ -> RE: Reading to children - suggestions (2/26/2008 4:46:09 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: DenimDiva

They'd probably enjoy just about any of the Beverly Cleary books.


I would suggest those also



nealmorsefan -> RE: Reading to children - suggestions (2/26/2008 8:43:39 AM)

Thanks for all the great suggestions everybody! This will keep me busy for quite awhile!



floydette -> RE: Reading to children - suggestions (2/26/2008 8:54:30 AM)

When you get done with those.... [:D] I suggest a book called The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. It lists many great books to read aloud.



stellaluna -> RE: Reading to children - suggestions (2/26/2008 10:28:29 AM)

Moby Dick



Auben -> RE: Reading to children - suggestions (2/26/2008 6:30:30 PM)

Moby Dick?



Jenny-Fair -> RE: Reading to children - suggestions (2/26/2008 7:14:33 PM)

quote:

Caddie Woodlawn (another Wisconsin pioneer book but fiction this time)

Au contrar! Caddie Woodlawn is not fiction. I think they classify it as such but it's actually like the Little House books. In this case it's the story of the author's grandmother, I believe.

A fantastic read, even my boys loved it. Same author has another great book, especially for boys...Andy Buckram's Tin Men, I think it's called.



DenimDiva -> RE: Reading to children - suggestions (2/28/2008 4:01:02 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: _Cinderella_

quote:

ORIGINAL: DenimDiva

They'd probably enjoy just about any of the Beverly Cleary books.


I would suggest those also


I had a blast reading those books when I was growing up!



RJR_fan -> RE: Reading to children - suggestions (3/2/2008 7:46:50 PM)

quote:

Harriet the Spy (girl writer gets herself into trouble when her friends read her secret notebook)


One caveat: the author of this book is a lesbian, and the sequel to Harriet the Spy is not suitable for Christian children.



RJR_fan -> RE: Reading to children - suggestions (3/2/2008 8:02:57 PM)

quote:

My question is: what children's stories would you recommend I start reading to them now?


Elizabeth Nisbet's Enchanted Castle, Four Children and It, The Carpet and the Phoenix, are all memorable. You can find some of these at projectgutenberg.com!



9drtr -> RE: Reading to children - suggestions (3/2/2008 8:53:03 PM)

I don't know if they're still available, but my brother read Swallows and Amazons and its sequels to me when I was a child. Arthur Ransome wrote them from 1929 to 1947.



Auben -> RE: Reading to children - suggestions (3/3/2008 6:44:16 AM)

I didn't know that about Caddie Woodlawn! Cool. Then its like Across Four Aprils which is a 'fiction' account of a boy growing up during the Civil War on his parents farm...except that its all based on the author's grandfather's stories of his time during the war.

Based on a true story. [;)]



barbhuff -> RE: Reading to children - suggestions (3/3/2008 1:31:11 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: RJR_fan



One caveat: the author of this book is a lesbian,


And what does the author's personal life have to do with the quality of her work?


quote:

and the sequel to Harriet the Spy is not suitable for Christian children.


Why would that be? I haven't read it since I was younger myself, but I don't remember anything that would lead to a statement like that.



RJR_fan -> RE: Reading to children - suggestions (3/3/2008 5:54:38 PM)

quote:


Why would that be? I haven't read it since I was younger myself, but I don't remember anything that would lead to a statement like that.


In the second book, her contempt for Christianity flares up in a number of condescending ways.



mjf_114 -> RE: Reading to children - suggestions (3/3/2008 8:14:44 PM)

I got a book for my birthday last year that I loved. It's called Everyday Graces, by Karen Santorum--it's a collection of stories and some poetry from a lot of different sources. It's so much easier to instruct through storytelling.

Also, it's not reading to them, but has anyone tried putting Devotionables in their child's lunchboxes? My children like that, and I think anything that gets them to read and helps me connect with them is good, especially if it's simple.



barbhuff -> RE: Reading to children - suggestions (3/5/2008 4:56:51 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: RJR_fan

quote:


Why would that be? I haven't read it since I was younger myself, but I don't remember anything that would lead to a statement like that.


In the second book, her contempt for Christianity flares up in a number of condescending ways.


I don't remember that, but it sounds like a good opportunity for a teaching moment to me...



EmilyAnn -> RE: Reading to children - suggestions (3/7/2008 12:58:52 PM)

My favorite book when I was that age was Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech.



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