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Value This Life

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Some of Our Favorite Books to Read Aloud

Reading aloud is one of my favorite parts of family life and homeschooling.  We’ve made many a good memory curled up together with a great book, even during all the years of being interrupted by noisy toddlers and diaper changes.

There have been times when my children stared at me when I choked back tears while reading certain parts. Those are some of the best books.

Here, in no particular order, are some of our favorite books to read aloud together.  Many of them have been read over and over as the next group of children cycles through a period of history.

Note:  the first three books on the list are among our all-time favorites!

The Locked Crowns by Marion Garthwaite (Out of print book we found at an old library sale years ago—one of our all-time favorites!  We read it when we study Vikings and early Britain.)

The Great and Terrible Quest by Margaret Lovett (Listed by everyone as one of their all-time favorites!)

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Unbroken (Young Adult Version) by Laura Hillenbrand

The Boys in the Boat (Young Readers Adaptation) by Daniel James Brown

Caddie Woodlawn and Magical Melons by Carol Ryrie Brink (Love them both!)

Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin

Bread and Butter Indian by Anne Colver (A favorite with little girls)

The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald

The Princess and Curdie by George MacDonald

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander

The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander

The Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander

The High King by Lloyd Alexander

The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis

Otto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle

Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischmann

The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom (I re-read this one personally every year or two)

The Winged Watchman by Hilda van Stockum

Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates by Mary Mapes Dodge

Mama’s Bank Account by Kathryn Forbes

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

All of a Kind Family by Sydney Taylor

On to Oregon! By Honore Morrow

Time at the Top by Edward Ormondroyd

Banner in the Sky by James Ramsey Ullman

Freckles by Gene Stratton-Porter

The House of Fifty Fathers by Meindert DeJong

The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Bonanza Girl by Patricia Beatty

Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

If you have a favorite that’s not on this list, please share!

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About Charlotte

I'm a grateful wife & mom of 12 amazing persons. I love to inspire & teach busy women to find beauty in everyday life by caring for themselves, creating comfortable homes with their families and living out ordinary days with grace and gratitude. I'd love to encourage YOU!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Selina says

    August 16, 2012 at 11:20 am

    Our children have enjoyed all of the writings of Eleanor Porter, but their favorites would be, “Pollyanna” and “Just David.”

    Reply
  2. Jennifer Flanders says

    August 16, 2012 at 12:12 pm

    Love the list, Charlotte. Our family loves to read, too, and there are several titles here that are unfamiliar. We’ll have to check those out for read alouds this fall.

    Reply
  3. Jennifer Flanders says

    August 16, 2012 at 12:14 pm

    Lloyd Alexander is one of our favorite authors, too. If you haven’t read any of his other titles, we’d recommend THE IRON RING and THE FIRST TWO LIVES OF LUCAS KASHA. Both are excellent.

    Reply
  4. Betty says

    August 16, 2012 at 12:42 pm

    The boy who sailed around the world. (True story.)

    Reply
  5. Gayle says

    August 16, 2012 at 1:57 pm

    One of our favorites is Star of Light, by Patricia St. John. Gives the kids new insight into a different culture. Kids love it! Also Gifted Hands, by Ben Carson. And Heidi, by Johanna Spyri, is an all-time favorite. We have lots!– as you do– but I think these are our top three.

    Reply
  6. Frieda says

    August 16, 2012 at 2:04 pm

    For anyone who’s interested, there is an e-book form of The Locked Crowns at Bethlehembooks.com

    Reply
    • fruitvine says

      August 16, 2012 at 2:09 pm

      Ooo, thanks for sharing that, Frieda!! 🙂

      Reply
    • Bobbe says

      August 16, 2012 at 10:25 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  7. Wendy McLoughlin says

    August 16, 2012 at 3:38 pm

    Thank you for sharing! and so quickly after the request for it. Blessings!

    Reply
  8. Lisa says

    August 16, 2012 at 6:30 pm

    A new favorite we discovered this summer….Summer of the Monkeys. FABulous, inspiring, heart-warming book! Teaches about perseverance, innovative thinking, problem-solving and overcoming selfishness. I laughed and cried and underlined my way through the whole book. It is now on my top 10 list; which, btw, includes Little Britches (Ralph Moody), Laddie (Gene Stratton-Porter), and the others have already been mentioned. 😉
    Thanks for all the other suggestions….adding them to my to-read list!

    Reply
  9. Wendy Hoskin says

    August 16, 2012 at 10:15 pm

    What are your expectations for quiet while you’re reading aloud? (I have 5 boys & 1 girl age 12 and under)

    Reply
    • fruitvine says

      August 20, 2012 at 2:32 pm

      Mmm–we’re flexible on this, understanding that there may be interruptions, but it’s also a good opportunity for training. Read aloud time was our time to use Busy Boxes, confined to a blanket. https://charlottesiems.com/thislovelyplace/busy-boxes-for-toddlers

      Reply
  10. Ronda says

    August 16, 2012 at 10:22 pm

    Oh, there are SO many I can only throw in a few, but we have dearly loved all of Elizabeth Enright’s books: Gone Away Lake and Return to Gone Away, and the Saturdays series–wonderful creative books. The Twenty-One Balloons is a favorite, all the Little House books, the Little Britches series(though they need a little editing on the fly,) all the series by Robert Elmer (Young underground) and Lois Walfrid Johson (Northwoods) and lots of Margaret Peterson Haddix’s books–those generate very interesting discussions! I could go on and on–can you tell? 🙂

    And we’ve read most of the books listed above and loved them, too! I need to check out The Locked Crowns–thanks for the tip, Frieda!

    Reply
  11. Robin says

    August 17, 2012 at 7:20 am

    One of my all time favorites is Red Sails to Capri. I’ve been talking and singing to my food ever since! 🙂

    Reply
  12. Ruth says

    August 17, 2012 at 8:55 pm

    We have read many of these over the 20+ yrs. of homeschooling…here is one of our favorites “My Escape From the Auto De Fe At Valladolid” by Don Fernando De la Mina (Sp?) We have tried to read a Dickens every winter. He was paid by the word…hence the long sentences which make it harder to read to ones self, but make it very interesting for out loud! 🙂 We read a lot of biographies- our favorites include George Mueller’s autobiography and Sylvia Tarniceriu’s, “God Knows My Size”. Reading out loud is our FAVORITE family past time, and has been since the children were young. It was well worth the time and energy invested. It amazes me how well they remember stories read to them in their toddlerhood all the way up.

    Reply
  13. Linda says

    August 19, 2012 at 8:04 pm

    Treasures of the Snow is fantastic! I also really love Where the Red Fern Grows.

    Reply
  14. Carolyn says

    October 4, 2012 at 8:36 am

    Summer of the Monkeys!

    Reply
  15. Becky says

    January 5, 2013 at 9:36 am

    A Murder for Her Majesty and The Ravenmaster’s Secret are two of our favorites.

    Reply
  16. Lisa Manske says

    October 25, 2018 at 1:52 pm

    All of the Little House books

    Dr. Doolittle

    The books by Thornton W. Burgess such as The Adventures of Chatterer the Red Squirrel

    The Hardy Boys books (although, when I read them aloud I skip all the references to people’s body shape/size)

    Mandy by Julie (Andrews) Edwards

    ALL the Beverly Cleary books. Who doesn’t love Ramona Quimby?

    Anne of Green Gables

    Catwings by Ursila Le Guin

    Reply

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I'm a grateful wife & mom of 12 amazing persons. I love to inspire & teach busy women to find beauty in everyday life by caring for themselves, creating comfortable homes with their families and living out ordinary days with grace and gratitude. I'd love to encourage YOU! Read More…

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It’s not so much having a lot to do and many res It’s not so much having a lot to do and many responsibilities....it’s over-committing and the energy of “not being enough” that leads to burnout and adrenal fatigue. Your body will cooperate until it doesn’t.  Check in with yourself: What is driving all this doing? What’s behind all the striving, pushing, proving? Sit with that....and then STOP being so hard on yourself, sweetie. Give yourself a break. See where you can simplify. Think about what refreshes you and bring more of that into your life. 🌱
Day 8 of city-water-shortage-after-frozen-pipes ha Day 8 of city-water-shortage-after-frozen-pipes hair. Today they gave the go-ahead for dishwashers and clothes washers, so this girl will be washing her hair without guilt. A week ago it was snowing and -26 windchill, today it’s 71 degrees and sunshine. Don’t tell anyone, but I like variety so Oklahoma weather suits me.😍
Family favorite: No-Bake Cookies! Our recipe is ju Family favorite: No-Bake Cookies! Our recipe is just right, both chocolate-y and peanut butter-y. We like to eat these while they’re still warm and gooey!  Best No-Bake Cookies  1 stick butter  1/2 c. milk  2 c. sugar  1/2 c. cocoa  Mix in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until melted and combined.  Boil 1 1/2 minutes only! Remove from heat and stir in:  1/2 c. peanut butter  1 tsp. vanilla  3 c. oats (either quick oats or old-fashioned)  Drop by spoonfuls on waxed paper.  Let set and enjoy!
Living and loving with your whole heart.💕That s Living and loving with your whole heart.💕That sounds lovely but exhausting. Maybe it’s because we’re zoomed out, looking at the whole day and our whole life. 
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God is not asking you to do it all. Especially not all at once. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. 
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Zoom back in to this moment. Do the next thing, but do it with your whole heart. 
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While you’re doing the thing, stop thinking about all the OTHER things you have to do. The most important things WILL get done, but not all at once.❤️
Pretty college student on her 21st birthday. Our 1 Pretty college student on her 21st birthday. Our 10th child. Straight A student. Absolute delight. And when I found out I was pregnant with her, I couldn’t see how it would work out. All I could see was the current circumstance, the feelings and the fear of the future. Maybe this will encourage you today about a situation in your life. There’s a lot of good and hope in your future.🌱
Snow is rare where I live in Oklahoma. Today it’ Snow is rare where I live in Oklahoma. Today it’s still at the pretty stage, when it covers bare ground and sparkles in the sun. Stray snowflakes are falling like glitter. The melting gray slush is coming, but for today it’s a fairy landscape. Reminds me that we can’t stop time or hold on to life’s moments. We can look for the good right where we are and trust God for the “different” good coming.❄️
A good word for when you’re tempted to be mean t A good word for when you’re tempted to be mean to yourself ❤️
Nobody sittin’ on this garden bench in two degre Nobody sittin’ on this garden bench in two degree weather today!🥶Unusually cold, with rare snow and more to come in Oklahoma. This weather event has disrupted “life as usual.” Prayers for those without power, water or heat right now—rolling power blackouts have begun...
Have you ever procrastinated about doing something Have you ever procrastinated about doing something, with thoughts of dread and overwhelm?😬And then done the thing,  finding that it was easier and faster to get done than you thought it would be?🥴Yeah, me too. Note to self: The dreading and putting off costs a whole lot more emotional energy than just doing the thing. 😊
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valuethislife

valuethislife
It’s not so much having a lot to do and many res It’s not so much having a lot to do and many responsibilities....it’s over-committing and the energy of “not being enough” that leads to burnout and adrenal fatigue. Your body will cooperate until it doesn’t.  Check in with yourself: What is driving all this doing? What’s behind all the striving, pushing, proving? Sit with that....and then STOP being so hard on yourself, sweetie. Give yourself a break. See where you can simplify. Think about what refreshes you and bring more of that into your life. 🌱
Day 8 of city-water-shortage-after-frozen-pipes ha Day 8 of city-water-shortage-after-frozen-pipes hair. Today they gave the go-ahead for dishwashers and clothes washers, so this girl will be washing her hair without guilt. A week ago it was snowing and -26 windchill, today it’s 71 degrees and sunshine. Don’t tell anyone, but I like variety so Oklahoma weather suits me.😍
Family favorite: No-Bake Cookies! Our recipe is ju Family favorite: No-Bake Cookies! Our recipe is just right, both chocolate-y and peanut butter-y. We like to eat these while they’re still warm and gooey!  Best No-Bake Cookies  1 stick butter  1/2 c. milk  2 c. sugar  1/2 c. cocoa  Mix in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until melted and combined.  Boil 1 1/2 minutes only! Remove from heat and stir in:  1/2 c. peanut butter  1 tsp. vanilla  3 c. oats (either quick oats or old-fashioned)  Drop by spoonfuls on waxed paper.  Let set and enjoy!
Living and loving with your whole heart.💕That s Living and loving with your whole heart.💕That sounds lovely but exhausting. Maybe it’s because we’re zoomed out, looking at the whole day and our whole life. 
.
God is not asking you to do it all. Especially not all at once. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. 
.
Zoom back in to this moment. Do the next thing, but do it with your whole heart. 
.
While you’re doing the thing, stop thinking about all the OTHER things you have to do. The most important things WILL get done, but not all at once.❤️
Pretty college student on her 21st birthday. Our 1 Pretty college student on her 21st birthday. Our 10th child. Straight A student. Absolute delight. And when I found out I was pregnant with her, I couldn’t see how it would work out. All I could see was the current circumstance, the feelings and the fear of the future. Maybe this will encourage you today about a situation in your life. There’s a lot of good and hope in your future.🌱
Snow is rare where I live in Oklahoma. Today it’ Snow is rare where I live in Oklahoma. Today it’s still at the pretty stage, when it covers bare ground and sparkles in the sun. Stray snowflakes are falling like glitter. The melting gray slush is coming, but for today it’s a fairy landscape. Reminds me that we can’t stop time or hold on to life’s moments. We can look for the good right where we are and trust God for the “different” good coming.❄️
A good word for when you’re tempted to be mean t A good word for when you’re tempted to be mean to yourself ❤️
Nobody sittin’ on this garden bench in two degre Nobody sittin’ on this garden bench in two degree weather today!🥶Unusually cold, with rare snow and more to come in Oklahoma. This weather event has disrupted “life as usual.” Prayers for those without power, water or heat right now—rolling power blackouts have begun...
Have you ever procrastinated about doing something Have you ever procrastinated about doing something, with thoughts of dread and overwhelm?😬And then done the thing,  finding that it was easier and faster to get done than you thought it would be?🥴Yeah, me too. Note to self: The dreading and putting off costs a whole lot more emotional energy than just doing the thing. 😊
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