I have been an avid reader since forever, so naturally, I have worked to instill the love of reading in our kids. Our kids have been going for weekly library trips since they were in the womb :).
We have always incorporated great quality living books into our schooling and now that we are freeschooling our books have become even more foundational in our learning. I get asked often how I find “good” books. I don’t rely on one resource, but several. I have lists I have been referring to for years and I am always looking for new resources.
Two of my favorite current resources are The Good & The Beautiful Book List and Sarah Makenzie’s blog and IG Feed at Read Aloud Revival.
(Click here for a special link for a free download of TG&TB Book List through 11/11/17)
I thought it might be fun to document here what we are reading as a way of keeping track for myself, but also for those of you who need some more ideas!
So here’s what is currently being consumed at our house!
Morning Read Alouds (for everyone)
~ I spend about an hour and a half reading aloud to everyone to start our school day.
- The Giant Pumpkin Suite, Melanie Heuiser Hill
- 10 Girls Who Made a Difference, Irene Howat
- Emily Dickinson Poetry for Kids
- Every Living Thing, James Herriot
- 100 Dresses, Eleanor Estes *
- The Llama Who Had No Pajama, 100 Favorite Poems by Mary Ann Hoberman *
*finished in October
Monday Read Alouds (for my younger three)
~ On Monday’s I get some time with just my three younger kids and I pick some fun books just for them. I typically read 3-4 a week and then we chase the spark for our lessons that day from something that interested them in the reading.
~ These books go with our Autumn Leaf Study and lead to some great discovery about hibernation and how to tap a Maple Tree to make your own syrup!
- Ox-Cart Man, Donald Hall
- Little Tree, Loren Long
- A Book for Bramble, Lynne Garner
- A Tree is Nice, Janice May Judry
- I am a Bunny, Richard Scarry
- Luck, Jean Craighead George
- The Lion Inside, Rachel Bright
- Aesop’s Fables
- The Nutty Nutchase, Kathryn White
Personal Reading
~ Part of our school day is time set aside for independent reading.
- My Seven Year Old ~ The Courage of Sarah Noble, Alice Dalgliesh
- My Ten Year Old ~ Jeremy: The Tale of an Honest Bunny, Jan Karon
- My Twelve Year Old ~ One Crazy Summer, Rita Williams-Garcia
- My Fifteen Year Old ~ A Little Princess, Frances Hodgson Burnett and she just finished Heidi, Johanna Spyri (*she prefers audiobooks to get her reading done)
On My NightStand
- Atomic Weight of Love, Elizabeth J. Church
- When Children Love to Learn,
- Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv
AudioBooks
~ If we have a day of errands or a road trip we usually have an audiobook going. I watch for deals through Sarah’s site and stock up when they are under $2.
This month we have listened to:
- Hank the Cowdog: The Case of the Halloween Ghost, John R. Erickson
- Tumtum and Nutmeg: Trouble at Rose Cottage, Emily Bearn
Bedtime Read
~ My husband and I are taking turns reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone to our three younger kids before bed. We are right at the end and they BEG every night for more! They can hardly go to sleep wondering what’s going to happen next!
What is your family reading right now?
Maggie
PS – I didn’t include my hubby in the lists above, but he just finished Chip Gaines new book and LOVED it!