Suggestions to read to tweens
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Anonymous
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Looking for a book, ideally a long book or a series, to read to an 8 and 11 year old. We've enjoyed:
Harry Potter Mysterious Benedict Society Percy Jackson Hobbit and Lord of the Rings Little Women |
Anonymous
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The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
The Dark is Rising Sisters Grimm The Secret Garden The Little Princess Narnia (starting with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe) From the Mixed-up Files pf Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler Pippi Longstocking A Wrinkle in Time Just-So Stories |
Anonymous
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Both by Brian Selznick:
The Invention of Hugo Cabret Wonderstruck |
Anonymous
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The Melendy Family series: The Four Story Mistake, Then There Were Five, Spiderweb for Two. (There's a first book in the series, The Saturdays, but I don't think it's nearly as good as the other 3, and you don't need it to get into the series.)
My kids also loved Gone-Away Lake and Return to Gone-Away by the same author (Elizabeth Enright). The Wizard of Oz is a terrific read-aloud. Some other books my tweens liked: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Harriet the Spy The Secret Garden From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler My Side of the Mountain Tisha |
Anonymous
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Little House
Anne of Green Gables |
Anonymous
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Sequels to Little Women:
Little Men Jo’s Boys Gail Carson Levine - Fairest (and other books) E. D. Baker How to Eat Fried Worms Misty of Chincoteague The Westing Game The Phantom Tollbooth Tom Sawyer The Great Brain Pollyanna Roald Dahl Hidden Talents by David Lubar Nancy Drew Hardy Boys Three Investigators Trixie Belden With your youngest being 8 yo, I’m assuming she’s going into third grade, but when she gets to 4th, read Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. |
Anonymous
| OP here - thanks for the suggestions! We've read and enjoyed a few of them. Interestingly, my boys liked Little Women, but couldn't get into Little Men. Trying Lucy Maud Montgomery next and then maybe the Melendy series. Sounds similar to the Boxcar Children, which they liked. |
Anonymous
| You are reading to them? Why don't you do it book club style? At their age they should be reading to themselves. |
Anonymous
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Half Magic (and others by the same author)
The Phantom Tollbooth (seconding!) Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place |
Anonymous
God forbid a parent spend some quality time reading to their children. 🙄 It's great that the 8 and 11 year old are enjoying this together. |
Anonymous
+ 1 million. PP needs to read up on the many benefits of read alouds. |
Anonymous
It doesn’t have to be either-or. OP can read to the kids AND they can read other things to themselves. Reading can be a shared form of entertainment, like binging a series on Netflix. It doesn’t have an age limit, nor does it need to be confined to bedtime. |
Anonymous
OP here - I'll take a generous view of this comment and respond to it as a genuine question. While my kids enjoy reading independently, we generally read more challenging books together, like LOTR, or books they wouldn't choose to read themselves. My boys wouldn't have chosen to read Little Women independently, but they loved it. If it were part of a book club they'd view it as an assignment. It's a great shared experience we all enjoy for now. |
Anonymous
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The Nevermoor series was great for my kids at that age.
I loved reading to them long after they could read—SO many benefits, no downfalls. |
Anonymous
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Holes
Call It Courage Swiss Family Robinson |