Top Books to Read Aloud
Reading chapter books aloud to your children is a great way to introduce long-form stories and offers numerous benefits for families. It enhances language development by exposing children to new vocabulary and complex sentence structures. Listening to stories improves comprehension skills and stimulates imagination, fostering a love for reading. Read-alouds also promote bonding between the reader and the listeners, creating a shared experience that strengthens family relationships. Furthermore, they help develop listening skills, concentration, and critical thinking. Overall, reading aloud is a joyful and educational activity that supports cognitive and emotional growth.
In the books below you will find our list of favorite read-aloud books that are safe for all kids.
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg is a Newbery Medal-winning classic. The story follows a brother and sister from Greenwich who run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. They manage to live secretly in the museum for an entire week! While sneaking past guards […]
When my child was ready to move on from picture books but not quite ready for chapter books, we discovered the Nate the Great series—and it was a perfect fit! While there seem to be plenty of “girly” options in this reading stage, featuring unicorns and princesses, there aren’t as many choices that might appeal […]
The first book of the Heartwood Hotel Series by Kallie George and illustrated by Stephanie Graegin for Little Brown Books for Young Readers was truly delightful. I really believe that well written early chapter books that are aimed toward girls are hard to find. This is a gem. It has adorable illustrations and deals with […]
The Dead Sea Squirrels is a fun early chapter book series that is character-driven. Each book starts with a bible verse and you can bet the characters will encounter a situation that puts that biblical virtue to the test. The main characters are 2 adventurous boys (and in later books 1 girl) who find themselves […]
My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett with illustrations by Ruth Chrisman Gannett for Random House books is so clever, we really enjoyed this Newberry Award winning book! In a world where animals can talk and hold a dragon hostage, a boy named Elmer traverses Tangerina Island to free the dragon and go for a […]
I just introduced this series to my 6-year-old daughter and it is a great book for the perfect age. (Bonus there are 21 books in the series right now!) The whimsical illustrations on every page hooked my daughter. It is a great introduction to read-aloud chapter books because they can still look at the illustrations […]
Bring books to life! We brought Little House in the Big Woods to life this spring by visiting historic log homes in a local park. Being from the Midwest we had several parks with log homes to choose from! We discussed some scenes from the book and imagined what it would have been like to […]
Bring Books To Life! When you read books aloud together it’s always a fun idea to do more with the book. It’s natural to talk about the characters and plot of course but do you ever do more? I love to go on a special outing after finishing a book that brings it to life […]
I picked up these books for my niece who loves animals. These books are historical fiction based around 1900 about a girl who loves animals and tries to help injured animals. She befriends the town vet and has a grandpa who teaches her about nature. These are good middle-grade-sized fiction books at just over 100 […]