Family Read Alouds {Age 6 and 8, Winter 2021}
These long, dreary, wet, cold days have been GREAT for read aloud time! We’ve enjoyed every one of these books so much! A mix of older and new, these characters and adventures have a special place in our hearts now!
Family Read Alouds
Angus and Sadie. This is an older title but a companion to Toaff’s Way which we read this fall. We were so charmed by Toaff and wanted to explore that world some more, this time focusing on the border collies we met in the first book. I love the author’s use of point of view as the story flows back and forth from one puppy to the other, and “Mister and Missus” as well. Dog lovers will enjoy this one, especially the insightful ways the author explores the dogs’ perspectives and how they interpret the world. The story follows the dogs through the changing of seasons on their Maine farm and their growth from 8 week old puppies through their first year. It’s also strongly a sibling story, highlighting how different siblings can be and the process of embracing your own strengths.
The Very, Very Far North. We became just a little obsessed with this book… we read the first 100 pages in 3 days! The magic of this book is in the characterization. We fell in love with polar bear Duane and his tender heart for those he meets, and his exploring nature too! The cast of characters have become beloved friends of ours, with all of their quirks and idiosyncrasies. It’s not action packed, but it keeps us turning pages nonetheless. (The plot so far is largely the polar bear wandering around/exploring and meeting various characters.) As a parent I appreciate the way Duane accepts the quirks of his new-found friends. (One character, C.C. the owl, does not like to be hugged/touched; Duane, a hugger, works hard to respect this and transfers his new understanding to others he meets. A nice “consent” message tucked in an unlikely place.) I’ve heard it compared to Winnie the Pooh. I can see that comparison– the cast of characters with their unique qualities, all tied together by a lovable bear…
So nice when a sequel lives up to its predecessor! We zoomed through this because we loved it so much! Slightly darker with a “bad guy” character who tempts the characters to doubt each other. So many lovely lessons to be learned.
Springtime with Geraldine Woolkins. We adore Geraldine! This is the third of her adventures. We love the sweet mouse family and the lessons that are effortlessly weaved into the story. Geraldine is now a “middle mouse,” older and wiser and with many questions about the world. She wonders about change and the nature of friendship and the involvement of Very Very Big Hands (i.e. God) in everyday life. In very accessible and tangible ways, the author explores deep, philosophical and spiritual concepts. Not an action packed thriller (but perhaps more adventure-filled than I’m letting on 😉) but my 6 and 8yo boys beg for more (and the chapters are quite long). Geraldine is a friend we are happy to visit again in this installment.
Audiobooks
James Herriott’s Treasury for Children, borrowed through our library’s Hoolpa service. Such sweet stories in that collection! Heartwarming and gentle stories of a country veterinarian.
All of a Kind Family, also borrowed through Hoopla. We listened to the first together and then my kids discovered the others on the Hoopla app and listened to the following four novels within about a week and a half. This is a super sweet, gentle, old fashioned story of a Jewish family living in New York City in the early 20th century. The five girls are called “all-of-a-kind” by neighbors and such. In these stories we learn much about Jewish customs and holidays.
The Silver Arrow. The kids loved this one! It was a tad heavy handed and had a *few* word choices that made me flinch (my tolerance level is super low to be fair), but overall a fun fantasy with an environmental conservation theme. My kids laughed a lot at the rather deadpan humor. It is the story of two siblings whose lives are just too ordinary and boring, until an uncle they hardly knows gifts them with The Silver Arrow, a locomotive that turns out to be magical and takes them on an incredible, eye opening adventure during which they learn about conservation from a variety of exotic talking animals.
Read To Us by the Second Grader
After completing his reading program, my son’s reading time now consists of him reading aloud a chapter a day to his brother and me. He selected these books: Zoey and Sassafras; Magic Treehouse Knight at Dawn; Ranger in Time: Rescue on the Oregon Trail; McBroom’s Wonderful 13 Acre Farm
