Read aloud books for older kids

[EmilyGF]

I'm not sure I'm sold on the value of read-alouds for older kids, but I want to give it a try for a month or so.

 

Can you recommend books that *I* would like and that offer some level of trickle down for my younger kids (dd8 and ds5)?

 

We've enjoyed The Hobbit but I'm not ready to embark on the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Esio Trot got a lot of laughs out of everyone and was funny and out-of-the-ordinary enough that we all loved it (it only took two sittings). We listened to Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe in the car and that was a hit. Also, I read Christmas Carol aloud in the car and everyone was at least almost-OK with it (dd8 demanded it not be read in the dark because it would give her nightmares). 

 

Suggestions?

Thanks,

Emily

 

ETA: The oldest is nearly 12 and enjoys personally reading Dickens (Oliver Twist most recently) and Twain (Roughing It).

Edited January 8, 2017 by EmilyGF

[maize]

How old are your older kids?

[Amateur Actress]

Little House on the Prairie books

Pippi Longstocking books

[EKS]

The value of read alouds for older kids lies in the idea that the books read aloud are at a higher level than they can read themselves. It kind of defeats the purpose if you want your young children to get something it of it as well.

[EmilyGF]

The value of read alouds for older kids lies in the idea that the books read aloud are at a higher level than they can read themselves. It kind of defeats the purpose if you want your young children to get something it of it as well.

While I agree with this, it seems like there are books that offer something for the youngers while having meat for the oldest. You know, the way I enjoyed Les Miz in 6th grade for the music and value it for its redemptive plot line as an adult. 

 

Emily

[mamamoose]

My older kids enjoyed "A Wrinkle in Time" and my youngest did somewhat too...

[EKS]

Ok, I reread your OP and I guess I was confused about your situation.  Are you asking what books would be enjoyable for *you* as well as for your 8 and 5 year olds?  I was under the impression that you had children who were older than 8 and 5 who you wanted to target the reading towards.

 

If this is the case, there are *tons* of books that can be appreciated on various levels.  Here are some books that I enjoyed along with my children at your children's ages.

 

Roald Dahl books

Beverly Cleary books

Oz books

The Chronicles of Narnia

Charlotte's Web

Stuart Little

Little House books

The Secret Garden

 

 

 

[EmilyGF]

Oldest is nearly 12. He and dd10 can read basically anything they want wrt sounding out.

 

Emily

[SanDiegoMom]

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place is a wonderful read aloud. And I highly recommend the audiobook. Great acting voice and the book is extremely witty and well written.

 

The Dark is Rising Trilogy is another favorite. And the Evolution of Calpurnia Tate.

[maize]

I second both The Incorrigible Children and The Dark is Rising.

 

My own parents read to us throughout our growing up years, the level of the book was never a big deal--they each read whatever they enjoyed reading. We each got...whatever we got out of it.

 

My dad came to visit once when I had a new baby; he was sitting in my living room reading a book he had picked up at the airport. I asked him about it and he just started reading where he was; sitting there and listening to his voice brought back so many wonderful memories--even as an adult having my dad read to me was a real treat.

[indigomama]

My oldest is 12 and we do a lot of read alouds. 

Favorites:

Carry on Mr. Bowditch

Swallows and Amazons (haven't finished, but everyone likes it so far)

Anything by Edith Nesbit

Peter Pan

 

 

[MerryAtHope]

I read to my kids through high school and absolutely believe it has value (I still remember my 10th grade literature teacher reading to us occasionally, and how he made the passages come alive--it helped me understand how to read other parts of the book). When my dd got stuck with some of the vocabulary in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, reading it aloud made all the difference for her. I remember my son sitting through the first 1/3 of Pride and Prejudice, none-too-happy--and then one day he said, "I get it! I understand why it's called Pride and Prejudice!" Then he explained it, and from that time on started asking me to read extra chapters. He'd have never read it on his own. But one of my favorite times was reading The Scarlet Letter out loud to my kids when they were in 10th and 8th grades. I knew the language would be a bit beyond them for reading on their own, plus some of those long descriptions go on for pages. They changed the whole book for me when they thought Pearl was laugh-out-loud funny! I had never seen her character quite that way before--quirky, yes, mild humor, yes--but their reaction helped me read her in a new way and we actually had fun with that book. I also find that it's much easier to have deeper conversations about certain themes, scenes, and characters when we are reading it together. I love the discussions we've had over the years.

 

Most of the read-alouds we used came from Sonlight--from the books they identify as "read-alouds" up through junior high, and then I chose books from the literature in the high school cores.

 

Have fun!

[Tanaqui]

The value of read alouds for older kids lies in the idea that the books read aloud are at a higher level than they can read themselves. It kind of defeats the purpose if you want your young children to get something it of it as well.

That's one potential value. Another is simply that reading together can be a fun thing to do as a family.

 

OP, that's quite a range of kid ages. Let me give this some thought. I can't promise I'll come up with anything worthwhile first bat, but I'll try.

[Rosie_0801]

Have you already read them all your favourite books from when you were a kid? 

 

 

*shrug* I read Pride and Prejudice to my language delayed dd in kindergarten, because I felt like it. She didn't understand all there was to understand but enjoyed it anyway. She'd seen the BBC production on telly enough times that Lizzie and Darcy were old friends.

[KristaJ]

In my household, I read aloud for 30 minutes every day, and my DH reads aloud from a different book for almost an hour every night.  It has been a great bonding opportunity.  Honestly, I love getting out a coloring book while my husband reads to the entire family after dinner.  We have lively discussions as a family and everyone brings a different point of view to the story.  I’ve also noticed that since starting our family read alouds, my kids’ vocabularies have increased dramatically and they have better reading comprehension skills.  I also think that reading some of the classics aloud has helped them be more prepared to understand older and more varied language once they are ready to read them independently.    

 

I think the trick is to read something that you will enjoy as well.  I’ve tried to read some more modern children’s books and I struggled to get through them because they didn’t have any depth (at least not the books my 7 year old selected).  We usually stick to the classics that I either loved as a child or regret not reading as a child.  I also think, for the sake of your own stamina, it is good to mix it up.  I just spent the first half of the school year reading older books with challenging language and I needed a break, so I switched it up and opted for a Little House book because it is easier to read aloud.

 

My kids (ages 10, 8, and 7) have enjoyed these books as read alouds:

Alice in Wonderland

A Little Princess

The Secret Garden

The Swiss Family Robinson

Peter Pan

The Jungle Book

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Charlotte’s Web

King Arthur and his Knights

Anne of Green Gables

All of the Harry Potter books

Many of the Little House books

 

BTW, I loved Esio Trot as a kid!  It’s such a cute book. 

[Guest]

Get on the Sonlight website (or request a catalogue) and go through their read aloud for the older aged cores. Tons of ideas there. If you don't want to do the read aloud yourself, buy the Audible version instead and listen in the car etc. It's definitely a family bonding experience. I didn't start homeschooling dd until she was almost 12 and didn't think about the read aloud thing then. I wish I had. The ones we've done on Audible we've really enjoyed together. We did things like The Golden Goblet and Witch from Blackbird Pond etc. Now she's 14 and we share podcasts. It's a fleeting thing- read alouds. Coming from a mom who wishes she had done more with oldest, I think it's great you're trying it for a month!

[wintermom]

When I do the read-alouds, there is a lot of discussion and that adds to the value. Audio books are great, too, especially for those really long books like Lord of the Rings.

 

We've also read plays and poems aloud and the dc have taken turns to read. That has been a lot of fun and excellent educational value. 

 

Just as a parallel to understand why listening to prose and poetry is of value, think about music - especially classical. Listening to music played well is of very high value to students of music. By becoming familiar with the sounds of dynamics, rhythm, emotion, intonation, they can then mimic these themselves as they learn to play. The positive neurological processes and development going on during both listening and producing sound is well documented.

 

 

[Mergath]

Wait, so the eight and five year olds are your "older" kids? :huh:  I assumed you were talking about teens or something. A five year old is just getting to the age where you can do the really good read alouds!

 

First of all, if you haven't done so already, get a copy of The Read Aloud Handbook and read it to yourself. You'll find a ton of great book recommendations.

 

The Enchanted Forest Chronicles are great, and there are four books, so you can stretch them out for a while. Ditto for the HP books, obviously.

 

The Little House books can be fun if you're in the right mood, but they're kind of obnoxious to read aloud. They have short sentences that don't flow very well and by the end you'll never want to read aloud again, lol.

 

Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book and Coraline are fantastic if your kids have a reasonably high tolerance for scary stuff. Ample opportunities to practice your best British accent.

 

Just keep in mind that not every read aloud has to be a classic literary masterpiece. There's nothing wrong with going to the library, browsing the juv lit section, and grabbing something that everyone thinks will be a fun read. We've found some of dd's favorite books that way, like Claire LeGrand's Some Kind of Happiness and Scott O'Dell's Island of the Blue Dolphin.

 

We also liked Nim's Island, Because of Winn-Dixie, The Wild Robot, James and the Giant Peach, and The Tale of Despereaux, Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher, and a bunch of others that I can't think of offhand. Actually, just go ahead and add everything by Kate DiCamillo to your list. Her books are fantastic.

[stutterfish]

Some books I read to my older kids:

The Kin by Peter Dickinson (some beautiful descriptions which are lovely to read out loud)

Little House on the Prairie series

Harry Potter

Roald Dahl books (aimed at younger kids but they make great read alouds).

Michael Morpurgo books (War Horse, Private Peaceful, etc. He writes great read alouds :) )

Sun Horse Moon Horse (has human sacrifice in that one, albeit not in graphic detail, so not for the timid)

 

We've had plenty more on audiobook. (The Roman Mysteries series was fab, but not many of those on audiobook.)

 

Ray Bradbury short stories would also probably be good.

 

I only read books that I enjoy and that make good read alouds. Some books are best read silently, others have beautiful language or fast-paced stories that make them great for reading out loud.

 

Edited January 8, 2017 by stutterfish

[EmilyGF]

My oldest is 12 and his favorite authors are Dickens and Twain.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Farrar]

I'm not sure why this request is so difficult? Maybe I'm getting an edited version of the OP so it's clearer... but it sounds like you want read alouds that are primarily engaging for your 10 and 12 yo, but that are also appropriate and somewhat appealing to your 8 and 5 yo.

 

That's a big range. One of the benefits of read alouds for the 12 and up crowd is that you can continue to tackle harder books that would be intimidating for them to tackle on their own. But if your 12 yo is already reading Dickens for pleasure, then he doesn't precisely need that read aloud benefit.

 

I'd just aim for books that are potentially enjoyable for everyone then. So... Hm... Just throwing a variety of different ideas out there...

 

Comet in Moominland... absurd and whimsical enough for everyone?

 

The Saturdays... sweet enough for everyone?

 

Sherlock Holmes stories... a stretch for the 5 yo, but engaging for the older kids and interesting enough for everyone?

 

Fortunately, the Milk... hilarious and silly

 

Millions by Boyce... engaging and heartwarming enough for all (Boyce's Cosmic is another that is a little genre bending and possible)

 

Savvy by Ingrid Law... great story that has multiple layers...

 

A Long Way from Chicago and A Year Down Yonder... actually, these are probably perfect - great stories for anyone...

 

The War That Saved My Life... dark topic but dealt with in a way that's very gentle for younger listeners...

 

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase... scary, but not too scary... rich enough language to satisfy the older kids but plot driven enough for the youngers? (Her Arabel's Raven stories are also really good for a wide range of ages - very Roald Dahlish)

 

The Great Brain... episodic... actually, a lot of my ideas are sort of episodic books... funny

 

Ember or maybe Gregor the Overlander... you said they liked Narnia, so I'm thinking more fantasy series could be good

 

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry... a deep and nuanced book about race in the Depression, but from the POV of a young child so it could satisfy the need for depth for the older kids but without being too much for the younger ones...

[raptor_dad]

You could do higher level stuff meant to be read aloud and let the youngers take what they can from it. Poetry is fun that way... maybe Heaney's "Beowulf" or Fagle's, or your favorite translators, versions of Homer. We've also enjoyed longer works like  Scott's "Lady of the Lake" and Longfellow's longer poems as read alouds.

[2_girls_mommy]

My kids are 12 and 14 (and 2.) We read aloud daily.  We read so that I can read things above their level, or at least above the 12 yr old's level. We read so we can discuss and enjoy together. We read so that they also get their own reading on their own books, but can double up and have more books going than one.  We read for content from non fiction books like science and history. We read from Bible together, etc.  We read books below their level just to enjoy.  For example, for Christmas I didn't have a copy of Dickens around, and kept forgetting to get it at the library. So instead we reread aloud The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. It is still enjoyable and has a good message even though it is a short easy younger read. We also did Advent Bible Readings together.  This week I have also finished reading the Gilgamesh the Hero aloud to my 12 yr old, several chapters of D'Laire's Greek Myths for review to both, and from an animal encyclopedia just because it went with a video we were watching. I read several Dr. Seuss books in Spanish aloud over Christmas break for some exposure for my child doing some beginning Spanish. And I have some art books I am planning on reading next. We are currently listening to Harry Potter series on CD on car rides and I haven't yet picked our next read aloud novel, though I think dd14 had a request. I need to get back with her.  And dd14 has an hour a week at co-op where a mom is reading a novel aloud for pure enjoyment while her little sis is in a class. 

I think they benefit greatly from our read aloud habit. 

[KrissiK]

Oh, there are so many wonderful books! Right now I'm reading aloud "Moccasin Trail" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw, they enjoyed "The Green Ember " by SD Smith, "The Farthest Away Mountain"'by Lynne Reid Banks, "Where the Red Fern Grows", "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart. I am currently reading "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli aloud to my 8th grader, and just finished "The Outsiders" by SE Hinton to him, which he loved.

[Emba]

I am a big believer now in reading aloud as a way to increase my kids' vocabularies and allow them to experience literature at a higher level than they can read on their own.  However, none of mine (the oldest is 11) are anywhere close to reading Dickens yet. 

 

For years, though, before I read much about the benefits of reading aloud, we read aloud to our kids just as a family bonding experience.  It's a good way to de-stress, and gives us a shared experience that we can refer to later, instead of, as is often the case with books, many unrelated and individual experiences.  And I have many fond memories of both of my parents reading aloud to my siblings and I.

 

So with the reading levels of your older kids, I'd just pick stories that I felt would appeal reasonably well to all.  You mentioned The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  That's one I've found appeals to all of my kids, though of course the older ones have a better understanding of what's going on than the youngest.  Maybe some of the other Narnia books would work.  I'd just look for things that appeal to you and that your kids would like.

 

What about the Redwall books?

[KrissiK]

 

For years, though, before I read much about the benefits of reading aloud, we read aloud to our kids just as a family bonding experience. It's a good way to de-stress, and gives us a shared experience that we can refer to later, instead of, as is often the case with books, many unrelated and individual experiences. And I have many fond memories of both of my parents reading aloud to my siblings and I.

?

My oldest son is extremely difficult. Extremely. But, he loves to be read aloud to. And that is one of the reasons I read aloud to him. I need something positive with him, something peaceful, and reading aloud provides that. It really helps our relationship.

[lllll]

nm 

 

Edited January 19, 2017 by .qp_

[Bluegoat]

I think with that group of kids, one of the advantages of read aloud is that they can enjoy it together. 

 

The books that come immedatly to my mind are ones that would be enjoyable but maybe are a little more challenging language wise - often that happens with books that are a little older.

 

Rikki Tikki Tavi would probably be something any age group would enjoy, and I know there is a nice audio version available.  Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens.  Maybe some L.M Mongomery.  Narrative poetry as someone suggested above might also be a good fit, a lot of it is really meant to be read out loud rather than silently.  The Song My Paddle Sings is one my kids enjoyed that is very much an out loud sort of poem.

[LindaOz]

I have just read my kids Princess Academy by Shannon Hale. It was a hit and most of my kids are older than yours. My 16yo was practically begging for more chapters. We read aloud heaps - even my 21yo still enjoys it. It's just part of our family culture and something we enjoy doing together.

 

NB: Even though this sounds like a girlie book, my ds12 still gave it 8 out of 10. 😊

[Tanaqui]

NB: Even though this sounds like a girlie book, my ds12 still gave it 8 out of 10. 😊

 

It's interesting you say that. Shannon Hale has some thoughts about  this marketing of "girl" and "boy" books.

 

Edited January 11, 2017 by Tanaqui

[LindaOz]

It's interesting you say that. Shannon Hale has some thoughts about this marketing of "girl" and "boy" books.

Ah yes. Interesting thoughts, and I really like the first comment by the 6th grade lit teacher. It's true. We have the book on kindle so my ds12 didn't see the cover but I think the word 'Princess' in the title didn't score major points to begin with. But...the story won him over. Mind you, this kid is used to listening to whichever book I choose to read - he's also currently enjoying Mara, Daughter of the Nile. It's a shame that boys sometimes miss out on a great book because of the attitude towards 'girl' stories. I guess they shouldn't be labeled 'girl' stories but stories about great characters doing interesting/amazing things.

 

Anyway, enough raving, I guess. Thanks for the link 😊.

[newhsmom]

Read aloud is an area of extreme passion for me.  I heartily recommend The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease for great read aloud suggestions.  In the RAH, Jim Trelease shares that in reading aloud we : build vocabulary, condition the child's brain to associate reading with pleasure, create background knowledge, provide a reading role model, and plant the desire to read.  

 

The magic of read aloud is that we can relate to the book in different ways, but we are experiencing it together.  And those experiences lead to cherished memories of our time together.  Our favorite read alouds inevitably lead to big juicy conversations between siblings of all ages.  I don't think we get too old to enjoy the magic of read aloud.  

[Alice]

My oldest is 13 and a voracious reader. We still read aloud, mostly because we all enjoy the shared experience. 

I would say it's only in about the last year that I find myself reading a lot of books that appeal to all three kids (now 7,10 and 13). Before that I would read aloud two books at night. One was geared more toward the youngest and the other one was more for the older two. I found that my oldest would still come in and listen to the one for his sister, although he would often do something else at the same time (sometimes reading his own book). And the youngest would still usually listen to the book for her brothers but she wouldn't always follow it as well and would play during it. My middle child joked that it was the one time that being the middle was the best...he liked both books. :)

 

Books they have all liked but that are "younger": 

E. B. White (yes, they are young but even my 13 yr old liked Trumpet of the Swan last year)

The Saturdays series 

Ginger Pye/Pinky Pye/The Moffats 

The Doll People series 

 

Others that we have all enjoyed as audiobooks but that are probably a little scary for the 5 year old: 

The Frog Princess series 

The Sisters Grimm series

Gregor the Overlander series 

 

Ones with wide appeal: 
Narnia 
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

A Tale of Desperaux

 

Ones for just the older two: 
Mysterious Benedict Society series 

A Pocketful of Murder 

 

 

Edited January 11, 2017 by Alice

[Upennmama]

My 12 and 14 year olds like me to read almost anything they enjoy reading. I consider it to be a good activity to evoke conversations and to establish common family jokes and culture. My 12 year old is enjoying Little Women, she liked To Kill a Mockingbird, and Pride and Prejudice. They both like hearing Harry Potter, too. Even Dad comes to listen to most of these. Also theology books, Shakespeare plays (act them out!), and anything else they like.