What I’m Planning On Reading Aloud to My Girls This Year
There’s something so delightful about making a book list for our year of reading aloud – it’s a fun way to think about our reading for the year, plus it makes it easier for us to smoothly transition from one book to the next as we finish one, instead of scrambling to figure out what to read next.
I combed through the recommendations on this Instagram post, plus other book lists and some classics I want to read with the girls. I’m so excited about these titles (and a key part of reading aloud for me is books that I am excited about – if it’s not fun for me, it’s so hard to make time for it because I just don’t want to do it).
Will we get to all these books this year? Almost certainly not (this list has 16 books on it and last year we only read 13), plus I’m always open to reading something that pops up or catches my eye as the year goes on.
But it’s nice to have somewhere to start!
14 Books I’m Planning On Reading Aloud to My Girls This Year
After we read Sir Charlie last year, my two older girls have been asking to do more non-fiction in our read alouds. I first learned about Shackleton in college when a friend wrote a paper about him and I was hooked on this incredible story of Ernest Shackleton and his 27 men who got trapped in ice as they attempted to cross Antarctica and then spent five months camping on ice floes, finally navigating 800 miles of open ocean in a tiny boat to find a rescue ship and my father-in-law has recommended this book to me with the HIGHEST praise, so this is the year.
The Frost Fair by Natasha Hastings
With strong winter themes and also lots of sweets, this fantasy title feels like the perfect book for February. Will it make me want to go back to London ASAP? Yes, it mostly certainly will.
Wishing Upon the Same Stars by Jacquetta Nammar Feldman
This is one of the title’s from my friend Preethi’s Global Children’s Book Club list this year and I’m excited to read it aloud to my girls. It’s about two girls in Texas who both feel like they don’t fit in (one is Arab American and one is first-generation Israeli American). It’s recommended for fans of Front Desk, which Ella and I both LOVED.
Glitch by Laura Martin
This is from the annual Beehive list (they do an annual list of nominees in children’s fiction, picture books, graphic novels, information books and young adult categories) and this one with time travel and historical elements ABSOLUTELY caught my eye. I’m really looking forward to reading this one aloud!
The School for Whatnots by Margaret Peterson Haddix
I’ve enjoyed pretty much every Margaret Peterson Haddix book I’ve read (she has written approximately a million) and both of my older girls have read quite a few of her books, but I don’t think either of them have read this one, which is a stand alone.
All of a Kind Family by Sydney Taylor
I read this to Ella years ago and its one of my favorite series from my own childhood about a Jewish family with five girls living in New York City in the early 20th century. I cannot wait to revisit it, especially with my three younger girls who haven’t read any of the series.
Distress Signal by Mary E. Lambert
This is another book from the Beehive list and since Ella especially loves survival stories, I thought this story about a sixth-grade camping trip to the Chiricahua wilderness that goes badly awry when a flash food separates the group would be RIGHT up her alley.
A Comb of Wishes by Lisa Stringfellow
A week or so ago, I had Ella go through my shelf of new(ish) middle grade novels and pick out some of the ones she thought looked fun for read alouds. I shouldn’t have been surprised that this fantasy middle grade novel that involves mermaids caught her eye!
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by
I’ve heard about the Wingfeather Saga series for YEARS – people absolutely love it – and I’m ready to give it a try this year! I’m excited!
Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
I’m actually not sure I’ve EVER read this beloved classic so this feels like the year, especially when we read Where the Red Fern Grows last year. Am I going to sob my eyes out? Very likely.
This was on last year’s list for me and we didn’t get to it, so I’m trying again this year! It’s a perfect pick for October and the spooky season! Ophelia discovered the night that she lost her father that she can see ghosts. Now Ophie works as a maid with her mother in an old manor house. And . . . that manor house is filled with ghosts.
Dust & Grim by Chuck Wendig
If we have time for two read alouds in October, I’d love to read this one about siblings who meet for the first time when they’re orphaned and have to figure out how to split the family business which is a mortuary for monsters.
The Star That Always Stays by Anna Rose Johnson
I noticed this book last week when it showed up as a super ebook deal. It follows Norvia who loves her Ojibwe heritage but when her family moves to the city in 1914, her mother wants her to pretend she’s not Native, including to her new stepfather and stepbrother. And as if that isn’t enough, a world on the verge of world war gives her plenty of other things to worry about.
Winterfrost by Michelle Houts
Several people mentioned this as a perfect read for December on this Instagram post and I’d never heard of it! But all the raves plus the excellent reviews on Amazon convinced me that this is our December read aloud for 2023!
And if you’d like a printable copy of this read aloud list that you can take to your library or screenshot on your phone for easy access, just pop in your email address below and it’ll come right to your inbox!
You may enjoy reading aloud my book for children, “THE ADVENTURES OF ROBBIE AND THE GOGGLE 👀 NOGGINS”. A story of a special boy who has just discovered tiny wee creatures in his back yard, that are fuzzy, round like a ball, wear huge glasses and like to help others.
Kids of all ages have enjoyed this book and makes a great bedtime story, reading a chapter a night.
You can find me on Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, or most other large book outlets.
Thank you
Sharon L Macbeth.
You have no idea how this blog post has changed my life! I’ve been searching for the title of a book that I read back in fourth grade (24 years ago) and have never figured it out. I’ve typed every key word I could think of into Google. Then tonight, I just stumbled upon your blog and saw the cover for “All of a Kind Family” and thought “that looks familiar… could this be it?” So I did a little research and I think it is! What luck! The great mystery has finally been solved and my soul can rest. That achey feeling of not knowing is finally gone. So thank you for posting this! You’ve been a life saver!
Thank you for the list and the idea to write down what I want to read aloud for the year. Why haven’t I done this before? With the age of my boys (9, 12, 14) it is getting a bit more challenging. We have to split it up a bit between two books depending on the book. My list is long, but here is a taste. The War That Saved My Life (oldest loved this one years ago), Sweet Home Alaska, A Place to Hang the Moon, The Vanderbeekers Make a Wish, Sweep, Among the Hidden (I found as a 5th grade teacher this was a good one to introduce SciFi), Graphic Novel of Midsummer Night Dream and Romeo and Juliet (upcoming units at school), Chasing Vermeer or Mixed Up Files of Basil E. Frankwieler, Boys in the Boat Junior Version ( with the younger two)h, plus a few more. The challenge I have right now is finding books for a 14 year old boy to read aloud together as well as the time. That should be a goal for me to plan how to make that work with the activity schedule.
Love, love, love your blog and the balance between Children’s and Adult books. You are now my favorite. 🙂
that is so kind of you -thank you!
We just started Wingfeather Saga for read loud in January. I’m totally taking a few of your other suggestions for later in the year. Before this we just finished all the Wayside School Series.
Thank you so much for sharing this varied list! I’ve already requested half of them from our library. ❤️
You may have mentioned this series before – in fact it’s VERY possible I heard about this author from you! – but just in case other readers are looking for another fantastic read this year, we adored and devoured the three-book series by Rita Williams-Garcia that starts with “One Crazy Summer.” We borrowed the audiobook for each one as we read it aloud at bedtime so we could also listen on our way to school, book-ending our days with these beautiful stories. HIGHLY recommend! ❤️