Family Read-Alouds for Your Library

“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” — Joseph Addison

My children love to read! And I love that my children love to read… What parent wouldn’t? I believe that fostering a love of reading begins at a very young age. My husband used to sit for twenty minutes (at least) every day and read little baby books to my girls. Now that they are older, and we have several more kids, he reads aloud at night to the family, and he will still read occasionally to the toddler and baby. Since we homeschool, I also read several times throughout the day to our children. I think that fostering a love of reading takes two things. First, it takes parents who like to read and model that for their children; second, it takes a lack of electronic entertainment. The second element is especially important in order to grow and develop a child’s attention span. 

My husband and I are also very big on the type of books that we purchase. They have to be well written, and we have to enjoy reading them (this goes for baby books too). Also, if a book has illustrations, they have to be beautiful and well done. Now, everyone is going to vary slightly with their taste in art and literature, and that is fine. But it is so important to surround yourself with books that you and your children love. Believe me, this enriches life so much more! 

Here are a few suggestions for fun family reading. You can follow the link if you would like to add them to your library. My children loved and still love these stories.

Books to Read to Smaller Children

• The Little Bear series by Else Holmelund and illustrated by Maurice Sendak

  https://amzn.to/3KqWw9G

• Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel

  https://amzn.to/4nrJc3y

• The Paddington Treasury by Michael Bond, illustrated by R. W. Alley

  https://amzn.to/4nUhWdU

Books to Read to Grade-Schoolers

• The Little House on the Prairie Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder

  https://amzn.to/46YamsW

• Peter Pan, The Classic Starts Version

  https://amzn.to/46ASOTL

Books to Read to Older Children

• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

  https://amzn.to/46BSDWN

• Robin Hood by Paul Creswick, The Calla Editions Version

  https://amzn.to/485iTLF

• The Complete First Edition The Original Folk & Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm

  https://amzn.to/48zE1tB

• The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

  https://amzn.to/3IK5leb