My Favorite Books to Read with Kids

As I look back at my time with kids at home, some of my very favorite memories center around reading with my kids. There’s nothing like snuggling up with your kids and getting immersed in a good story together!

Here are some of our favorite story books (for kids aged 3-6). They are fun and offer good lessons to talk about. I still have these books handy on my shelf and read them often with nieces and nephews and little friends who come to visit.

The Saggy Baggy Elephant

Where the Wild Things Are

A Lion for Lewis

Crysanthemum

Stellaluna

Olivia

By Dr Seuss: The Sneeches, Horton Hears a Who, What was I Scared Of?

 

Here are some of our very favorite read-aloud chapter books:

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and The Tale of Despereaux (beautifully written stories full of adventure and opportunities for empathy – these are my favorite books by Kate DiCamillo but she’s written many other great children’s books as well) 

Chasing Vermeer (about some kids who help recover a Vermeer painting – has some great stuff about art and history)

Pippi Longstocking (imaginative and fun adventures of a very unique girl)

Miss Spitfire (about Helen Kellar’s wonderful teacher, Annie Sullivan)

Hatchet (about a kid who has to survive on his own in the wilderness)

The Chronicles of Naria (especially The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Magician’s Nephew, and The Last Battle)

Books by Roald Dahl: James and the Giant Peach, The BFG, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (about a girl who has to survive a harrowing journey on a ship)

A Little Princess (I read this many times when I was a child and have read it a few times with my kids – so many good lessons in there!)

The Phantom Tollbooth (imaginative story that helps kids see both problematic and helpful behavior patterns)

Anne of Green Gables (classic story of a plucky orphan, part of a whole series)

The Wild Robot (this wasn’t around when my kids were little but my brother teaches 3rd grade and introduced it to me, I’ve read it with some kids and they LOVE it)

Reading these books together offered great opportunities to talk to my kids about so many important topics plus gave us a shared narrative to refer back to when issues arose (i.e. “Remember how Milo found out how important it is to pay attention after he ended up in the Doldrums – pay attention to what you’re doing!”). So many of the stories and lessons in these books have contributed greatly to the values we’ve tried to instill in our kids. Also, reading time brought on such a nice chance for physical connection – my kids would often play with my hair or give me or each other little back massages or arm tickles while listening. Reading built their attention spans and imaginations. Plus reading together helped the younger ones and anyone struggling a bit with independent reading to develop a positive connection to reading and want to get to where they could read better on their own

Did the kids happily listen to books with all their hearts from day one? NO. But as I hyped up reading time and read with expression and passion, they learned to get excited about reading together and often begged for another chapter. 

Share your favorite books and why you love them in the comments!

About Saren Eyre Loosli

Saren adores her five energetic, adventurous kids (ages 13-18) but doesn't totally adore the mess and busyness and bickering that that comes with them! She grew up all over the world, got her Bachelor's degree at Wellesley College and did her Masters in Education at Harvard University (these days, the diplomas on her wall mostly serve as visual aids when she's trying to convince her all-too-smart teenagers that she DOES know a thing or two!). She went on to design and implement enrichment programs for kids and training programs for teachers. But it was only after she finally found her wonderful husband, Jared, and had five children in five years, that her education and work experience began in earnest!

When she's not trying to answer five - or six - different needs and questions at once, she works on this website (she's Founder and Director of Power of Families).

She currently lives in Ogden, Utah and loves reading, hiking, and biking with her family (or by herself when possible!). She often struggles with balance but finds joy in being involved in many things that are meaningful to her.