Our Favorite Read Alouds!

This year, we will start the year by talking about the benefits of reading aloud as a family. In preparation for these conversations, we wanted to share some Classical Conversations staff favorites.

Our Favorite Read-Alouds

Shorter Stories

Read before nap time; as a reward after a job well done; when a child just needs some snuggle time; with a snack; to start the morning. These are excellent for starting discussions about characters, plot, setting, language, and choices that all members of the family can participate in.

1. “The Pokey Little Puppy” by Janette Sebring Lowrey
2. “How Now Brown Cow?” by Alice Schertle
3. “Click, Clack Moo” by Doreen Cronin
4. “Rusty Rings a Bell” by Franklyn M. Branley and Eleanor K. Vaughan
5. “Peter Churchmouse” by Margot Austin
6. “The Quiltmaker’s Gift” by Jeff Brumbeau and Gail de Marcken
7. “Once Upon a Time” by Pamela Prince and Jessie Wilcox Smith
8. “Mouse, Look Out!” by Judy Waite and Norma Burgin
9. “Five Minutes’ Peace” by Jill Murphy
10. “An Edward Lear Alphabet” by Edward Lear and Carol Newsom
11. “The Lord is My Shepherd” by Gennady Spirin
12. “The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes” by DuBose Heyward and Marjorie Flack
13. Short stories by Beatrix Potter

Longer Books

Rread one chapter a day in the morning or before bed; read straight through on a sick day or during a trip; have older children take turns reading a chapter to the family; read while children do quiet activities (coloring, crocheting, playing with blocks, trains, or Legos); read a chapter outside on a beautiful day; read a chapter with a snack; read while mom or children are doing chores to make the time pass pleasantly.

1. The Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
2. Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater
3. The Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis
4. The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
5. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
6. Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
7. The Story of Doctor DooLittle by Hugh Lofting
8. The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
9. The Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll
10. Laddie by Gene Stratton Porter
11. ​The Little Prince by Antione de Saint Exupéry
12. Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
13. The Golden Key by George MacDonald
14. The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
15. The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss
16. The Apprentice by Pilar Llorente
17. The Green Ember by S. D. Smith
18. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
19. The Wildwood Chronicles by Colin Meloy
20. Teddy’s Button by Amy Le Feuvre
21. Little Britches by Ralph Moody
22. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
23. The Wilderking Trilogy by Jonathan Rogers
24. The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson
25. Just David by Eleanor H. Porter
26. Kildee House by Rutherford G. Montgomery
27. Our Island Story by H.E. Marshall
28. Gorgias by Plato

Reading First this School Year

As you begin your planning, we thought you might want to see what some of us are reading with our families to kick off a new year:

1. Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
2. Miracle on VooDoo Mountain by Megan Boudreaux
3. The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
4. The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
5. The Striped Ships by Eloise McGraw
6. Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
7. The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
8. The Magic Runes: A Tale of the Times of Charlemagne by Emma Leslie
9. The Bible with other selected short snippets from time to time

Happy Reading Adventures Await!

We hope this list of our favorite read alouds inspires some exciting conversations and memorable moments around the bookshelf in your home this year. Whether you’re snuggling up with a short story before nap time or diving into a longer chapter book together each night, the shared joy of reading aloud is a gift that keeps on giving. So grab a book, gather your family, and get ready for some wonderful reading adventures together!