10 Favorite Books to Read Aloud to Children
These must-read books are my all time TOP 10 Favorite Books to Read Aloud to Children. These are the books that will make your children fall in love with reading. Reading aloud to your children everyday is a proven way to motivate your children to read on their own. Children who are read to are usually the best readers in their class and they have large vocabularies and write well.
I started reading to my firstborn before he could walk. He loved books and would literally carry arm loads of books for me to read to him, over and over and over. When he started Kindergarten, he was already a great reader. I wish he would read as much today as he did when he was younger, but Minecraft pulls him in another direction at the moment.
I started to read chapter books at bedtime so many years ago, and it is now part of our daily routine and has been for years. It is a part of the day my girls really look forward to. Over the years, I have read hundreds of books to my children, from board books to the classics. Reading aloud happens all day at our house really, in school and at bedtime.
Reading aloud to your children everyday is a proven way to motivate your children to read on their own. Children who are read to are usually the best readers in their class and they have large vocabularies and write well. I can say in all honestly since my son refuses to read for pleasure any longer, his writing and vocabulary have taken a stand still.
I love that my girls will get lost in the spell of a beautiful book. We listen to books on CD in the car and then my girls will beg for me to read that book to them aloud. I love that they are voracious readers!
We have read so many books over the years, it really was hard to pin point our favorites, but I have complied a list of books that I have read more than once, making them favorites in our home. Obviously, this is a biased reading list of books for children based on what we enjoy.
10 Favorite Books to Read Aloud to Children
The BFG, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Twits, George's Marvelous Medicine, The Witches & James and the Giant Peach, all by Roald Dahl.
Phizz whizzling fun! What can I say?! Many favorites in our house from Roald Dahl. We have so many giggles over these delightful books! The first Roald Dahl book I read to my chidlren was The Twits . . . so very funny! I think I have read it at least 6 more times. The BFG is another loved favorite and George’s Marvelous medicine. Those are our top three favorites. We even saw The Witches at a local Chicago university production.
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
When suburban Claudia Kincaid decides to run away, she knows she doesn't just want to run from somewhere, she wants to run to somewhere -- to a place that is comfortable, beautiful, and, preferably, elegant. She chooses the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Knowing that her younger brother Jamie has money and thus can help her with a serious cash-flow problem, she invites him along.
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The discovery of a neglected garden transforms the life of a sullen and unloved little girl-and everyone around her, too. When the newly orphaned Mary Lennox leaves her native India and arrives at her uncle's mansion in Yorkshire, everything seems strange to her. Then Mary hears of a mysterious garden where no one has set foot in 10 years. With the help of some new friends, she plans to uncover its secrets...and make it blossom once again.
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
At first a brand-new toy, now a threadbare and discarded nursery relic, the velveteen rabbit is saved from peril by a magic fairy who whisks him away to the idyllic world of Rabbitland. There, he becomes "Real," a cherished childhood companion who will be loved for eternity. Treasured for generations, here is a timeless tale about the magic of boundless love, newly available with the luminous color of the original edition.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
A Wrinkle in Time and the wonderful and unforgettable characters Meg and Charles Wallace Murry, and their friend Calvin O’Keefe. When the children learn that Mr. Murry has been captured by the Dark Thing, they time travel to Camazotz, where they must face the leader IT in the ultimate battle between good and evil—a journey that threatens their lives and our universe. A Newbery Award winner. We were lucky enough to see A Wrinkle in Time in an off broadway production here in Chicago at a local university.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Follow the adventures of young Dorothy Gale and her dog, Toto, as their Kansas house is swept away by a cyclone and they find themselves in a strange land called Oz. Here she meets the Munchkins and joins the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion on an unforgettable journey to the Emerald City, where lives the all-powered Wizard of Oz. This is one of those classics that really has to be read to your children. You will fall in love with this story all over again when you read it aloud.
A Series of Unfortunate Events, 1-13 by Lemony Snicket
Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky. In the first two books alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, a lumpy bed, a deadly serpent, a large brass reading lamp, a long knife, and a terrible odor. In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted. Never before has a tale of three likeable and unfortunate children been quite so enchanting, or quite so uproariously unhappy. Read the entire series! You and your children will be hooked! This is a series I began reading to my son and then my daughters would sneak in to hear because my son would beg for me to not ever stop reading. It took awhile to get through the entire series, but I did read ALL 13 books — THEY are hilarious and wonderfully written.
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Generations of children have roamed the English countryside in the company of Rat, Mole, Toad, and Badger, the immortal animal pals of The Wind in the Willows. From summertime picnics along the river's edge to cozy parlor firesides on crisp winter nights, the tales evoke a timeless atmosphere of friendship amid the natural world. This is my odlest daugther favorite book, besides The Velveteen Rabbit. It holds a special place in her heart and because of that, mine as well.
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
A loving threesome, they ranged the dark hills and river bottoms of Cherokee country. Old Dan had the brawn, Little Ann had the brains -- and Billy had the will to train them to be the finest hunting team in the valley. Glory and victory were coming to them, but sadness waited too. And close by was the strange and wonderful power that's only found... An exciting tale of love and adventure you'll never forget. Where the Red Fern Grows is a story I recall reading as a child and just sobbing because it broke my heart. This is a sad story, but so well written and one of our favorites. My daughters teared up a bit, but they didn’t sob.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Epic battles between good and evil, fantastic creatures, betrayals, heroic deeds, and friendships won and lost all come together in this unforgettable world, which has been enchanting readers of all ages for over sixty years. We rean this after we saw the movie becuase we just knew the book would be so much better - and IT IS! This edition presents the seven books—The Magician's Nephew; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe;The Horse and His Boy; Prince Caspian; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; The Silver Chair; and The Last Battle—unabridged and arranged in C. S. Lewis's preferred order.
The Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The set includes: Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Prairie, Farmer Boy, On the Banks of Plum Creek, By the Shores of Silver Lake, The Long Winter, Little Town on the Prairie, These Happy Golden Years, and The First Four Years. I started these books as a reading series for school and we enjoyed them so much, that we started reading them for pleasure. We ended up purchasing the DVDs as well becuase the books and the television show are both equally good and one that I think children should read today.
Okay, I know I have more than 10 books on this list.