Family Read Alouds {Winter 2023, Age 8 & 10}

We’re in a season where family read aloud times feel hard-fought for; between a baby-turned-toddler and increased academic reading for older kids, the leisurely pleasure reading hours have grown shorter. Interestingly as well, the kids have taken to asking for board game time in the evenings, which was often reserved for reading. I think the time is still well used. At any rate, below are the read alouds we enjoyed from roughly January through March.

Books

A Long Road on a Short Day by Gary D. Schmidt. This is a 50 page novella and we enjoyed it in one sweet sitting. A boy sets out with his father to attempt to procure a milk cow for the boy’s mama and baby sister. Along the way the boy learns about trading and a dose of perseverance as they walk through the snow in an increasing blizzard. I appreciated the family dynamic and service for others above self.

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett. Chasing Vermeer was such a fun read! It took us at least a month to complete amongst our history read alouds, but the boys begged for more reading time! (My listeners are 10y and 8y.) Art and mystery are intertwined as friends Calder and Petra become involved in solving an international art scandal. I love the way this novel got the kids talking about art and looking closely at paintings, and it was a perfect book leading up to our field trip to an art museum. The illustrations by Brett Helquist were a mystery of their own, with hidden clues that intersect with the story. Pentominoes are involved in the story as well, for a fun math tie-in. There are 4 books in the series, but we read just this one.

Winter (Growly #5) by Philip Ulrich. We started reading the Growly series when my now 10 year old was 5. They were a bit of a stretch for him at the time, due to the length and long descriptive passages. However, they were a perfect fit for him as a sensitive listener because there are no “bad guys.” These books are full of the most endearing characters who persevere against challenges and demonstrate grit and self sacrifice at each step. They’re perfect for nature lovers as they all center around adventures in the outdoors. They are infused with such a spirit of teamwork and fighting for the good of others, even at great personal cost. And they all have happy endings 🥰 We finished book 5 today and my 10yo now wants to go back and reread the others, on his own.

Audiobooks

Vanderbeekers to the Rescue and Vanderbeekers Lost and Found. We continued our re-read of this charming series. The latter had some heavy themes but were handled deftly by the author.

Romeo & Juliet from Charles & Mary Lamb’s Tales from Shakespeare. The introduction to this set was beautiful (until the end when it took a weird, sad turn into the educational disparities between girls and boys, in particular their exposure to great literature, but I digress…). If I had any doubts about using adaptations of Shakespeare’s works (I didn’t), well those have been resolved. The Lamb versions are so well done, interweaving original language whenever possible, and even avoiding the use of any words/terms that have developed in the years since Shakespeare. We just read Romeo & Juliet for now, but I plan to sprinkle these in now and then. It’s challenging listening for my 10 and 8 year olds, but worthy.

Hotel Flamingo by Alex Milway. This is a charming little book, the first in a series. It was a quick listen (1hr 15m), and truthfully probably meant for kids younger than mine. That said, we enjoyed it and the kids asked to listen to the others in the series next. It reminded me of the Heartwood Hotel series with a cast of lovable animals in a hotel setting. The main character showed tenacity, integrity, and heart as she worked to bring the dilapidated hotel that she inherited back to vibrancy.

What have you been reading lately? Connect with me in comments below or on my social accounts instagram / facebook.