I love reading to my daughters. We read often throughout the day. Generally our daytime reading is reserved for shorter picture and board books, and the quiet time right before bed is dedicated to our longer chapter books. I am always looking for new titles to explore and would love to hear any suggestions you may have.
Here is a running list of chapter books we have read this school year [2011-2012]. They rarely coincide with lessons or curriculum and are read purely for enjoyment.
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Current Read-Aloud-
The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz
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Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne – I was really looking forward to reading this classic after I bought a really cute collector’s set. Sadly, I found it one of my least favorite books that I have read to the girls. I think this is one of the few books I have read where I actually prefer the movie better.
The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne – Even though I didn’t enjoy reading these aloud the girls wanted to finish them.
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Clearly
Tangled: The Junior Novelization by Irene Trimble – this was the first book we read together off of our Kindle. I figured I would test our latest gadget with a princess book (and the fact that the kindle version was only $1 helped).
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Clearly
Ramona the Brave by Beverly Clearly
Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Clearly
Dragonsdale by Salamanda Drake *audiobook
My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Clearly – I started this book but Mira told me she thinks this book should be read by dad. So he’ll take over and I’ll start up with Ramona and Her Mother when they finish.
Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner – Nanny read this one aloud to the girls during their sleepovers.
Matilda by Roald Dahl – We really enjoyed reading this one. Mira literally gasped when Miss Honey stated that Mrs. Trunchbull was her aunt.
Peter Pan by JM Barrie
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter by Beatrix Potter *audiobook* It’s so nice to listen to Potter’s tales read in an English accent.
The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Zathura by Chris Van Allsburg
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder***Reread this book. We read it for the first time together last Christmas and since then we’ve been picking up theMy First Little House series at library geared for younger children. It renewed Mira’s interest in it and she asked to read the “big” version again. I definitely recommend the younger series to kick start their interest. It has really given us a deeper appreciation for the original work.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll -
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien – Daddy couldn’t wait to introduce this story to his girls. His entertaining read-alouds were hard to mimic– the few nights I tried to fill in for him Mira informed me that I had the voices all wrong and would correct me on my pronunciation of the characters’ names. A more detailed blog post on this read aloud can be found here.
Ramona and Her Mother by Beverly Clearly
The Enchanted Castle by Edith Nesbit -We didn’t get to read this one the whole way through. It was a bit of a reach for my young girls at this time. We will definitely revisit it again at a later date and give it another try.
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren – The three main Pippi books were a HUGE success. My girls and I adore Pippi and loved reading about her crazy adventures together. This read-aloud prompted its own blog post.
How To Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater
TumTum and Nutmeg by Emily Bearn – This book was an impromptu hit for us. We just picked it up off a library shelf and instantly fell in love with it. You can read my review here.
If you don’t mind a bit of mischief, take a look at Nicholas and the Gang – It’s a series of absolutely delightful books. Kind of like Ramona the Pest cubed in France. Also the Redwall series is great to read aloud.
Never heard of Nicholas. Thanks for the heads up! We’ll add that to our list.
We’ve been doing a bit more of picture books and board books at night because my 2 year old was losing interest in the longer books. I can’t wait to pick up a good chapter book again!
The Magic Treehouse books are a good series. They have good themes and have great suspenseful chapters. The Junie B. Jones series is also a favorite of mine. She’s cooky and has fun adventures.
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I’m really impressed that you read The Hobbit. I only read it last year for the very first time in my life! You know, my girls would probably like it, though.
Thanks for linking up to RAT
I originally pressed Howard to wait a few more years to tackle The Hobbit with the girls, but he was adamant on starting. I was really pleased with how much the girls seemed to grasp and retain. I expanded a bit more on a recent blog post. I will link it in the Hobbit’s listing above.
Great list! We’ve read a few on this list and I’ll definitely remember to come back and look again when it’s time to pick a new one =)