My friend asked me to make a list of books that I would recommend for the little peeps. We have been reading to our kids a lot lately (I should qualify that by saying Rob has been reading to them a lot more than I have). Anyway they have really enjoyed it and Lucy has been reading like a madwoman on her own. I couldn't be prouder as reading may very well be the one talent I have really mastered. Here are some recommendations. I know I haven't discovered all the wonderful books out there so feel free to give your suggestions as well.
For the 4/5 year old crowd:
The Frog and Toad books by Arnold Loebel (any books by him my kids love)
The Little Bear Books by Maurice Sendak
The Magic Treehouse series
For 5/6+ years old (my test of age is that Tucker loved these books and Anders wouldn't sit for a page):
Books by Robert Kimmel Smith :
Chocolate Fever
Jelly Belly
War With Grandpa
How To Eat Fried Worms
Books by Roald Dahl (These have been a HUGE hit at our house)
James and the Giant Peach
The BFG
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Matilda
The Witches
Danny Champion of the World
Books by Frances Hodgesen Burnett:
The Secret Garden
The Little Princess (These are both painful for me to read, but I loved them when I was little and the kids really like them)
The Magic Treehouse Series
(There are 30 something of these but just read them in order. Quick, fun, and entertaining for the kids. These Anders likes as well. Lucy can read one in about 20 minutes and Tucker LOVES them. Easy fun.)
Books by Beverley Cleary
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
Runaway Ralph
Ralph S. Mouse
The Boxcar Children Series
(Anders liked these too).
Half Magic by Edward Eager
Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawles
Books by Judy Blume
The Fudge books (Fudge, Superfudge, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing)
A Cricket in Times Square by George Seldon
The Great Brain Books by John D. Fitzgerald
The Little House on the Prairie Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder (I adored these and read them every year when I was little. Lucy and I read them in Omaha and she loved them.)
The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (Anders loved this as well)
Lucy loves the Bill Wallace books about puppies and kittens
Junie B. Jones series by Jane O'Halloran
age 7/8+:
Peppermints in the Parlor by Barbara Brooks Wallace
The Indian In the Cupboard by Lynn Reid Banks
The American Girl Collections (Meet Kit, Meet Felicity, Meet Kirsten....etc. Lucy can't get enough of these books. She adores them and is learning a ton. She even joined and American Girl book club at Barnes and Nobles where they discuss the books and learn more about the time periods.)
age (8+)
Anne of Green Gables series all seven or so of them plus any other books by Lucy Maud Montgomery (I read these books over and over and over and over and over. I loved them!)
Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ririe Brink (she also wrote some books that my family read and loved while we were growing up...Family Sabbatical, Winter Cottage, and lots more)
Nancy Drew series (I never read these but Lucy loves them)
Wolves of Willoughby Chase/Midnight Is a Place/Blackhearts at Battersea etc by Joan Aiken
The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling (These are absolute must, must reads. So fun! In fact I am reading them again right now).
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankwieler by E.L. Konigsburg
Okay I know this list is missing MANY wonderful books so if you have any suggestions or can think of some major missing jems please add them to the comments. I know my sister Emily's kids read a ton so she may know some not-to-be-missed reads that we haven't yet discovered.
5 comments:
My kids read a ton and love all kinds of books. Lizzy really likes the easy to read books they have great pictures and she tries to memorize them. Max is reading the Harry Potter books right now and loves them. He loves Magic treehouse books but can read them in 20 minutes. He has also enjoyed The Boxcar Children, and the Beverley Cleary books. Madeline really likes A series of unfortunate Events, The Gumm Street Girls, and the Children's classics. They take the classics, Huck Finn, Pride and POrejudice and abridge them for younger readers. We love the Narnia Series and all the books Anna has mentioned. We also love all the David Shanon books, the David series, and A Bad Case of Stripes are some of our favorites.
When I was in abt 5th grade I loved any book by Mary Downing Hann, they are mysterys and ghost stories (Madi might like them).
We love the picture books by MO Williams, The Cuirous George books, Books by Chris Van Allsburg, The "Bear" books by Karma Wilson, and the storybook collection books that Disney puts out. We have not yet made it to chapter books but I cant wait! It is one of my favorite memories with Mom. Sitting by her while she read to us!
Thanks Anna, I knew I could count on you. My kids will be thrilled to read something new.
Read on little darlin's. It all sounds very fun.
Pop-Pop
Great list! We have loved many of these too, and I look forward to reading your suggesting that we haven't.
Another suggestion is one of our newest favorite finds, My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett. It's a Newbery honor book from the 30s. It's so incredibly darling and my kids loved, loved, loved it. Very clever and funny. I can see Tucker and Anders really getting a kick out of it...but it won't be too babyish for Lucy either. This is a trilogy, but the first story is definitely the best (and can stand on it's own if you choose not to read the later two).
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