Favorite Family Read Alouds of the Year (2021)

As has become our New Year’s Eve tradition, I pulled out a list of all of the family read aloud books we completed the past year (audiobooks included) and we spent some time over sparkling cider reminiscing and rating our favorites. I do adore bookish traditions!

Here are my kids’ and my top favorites. The kiddos are age 7 and nearly 9 (1st and 3rd grade), with pretty stellar listening attention spans 🙂

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#1 Top Favorite of the Year

All three of us ranked Little Pilgrim’s Progress, adapted and illustrated by Joe Sutphin, at 5/5 stars!

The original Pilgrim’s Progress was written in 1678 by John Bunyan and has never gone out of print! In the 1950s, Helen Taylor adapted the story for younger readers, Little Pilgrim’s Progress. This summer the story was published in a “reimagined” version, with illustrations by Joe Sutphin. The characters have been reimagined into woodland creatures. There are over 100 illustrations in the new version, with a new prologue, intermission, and epilogue, told entirely in sketches. And it’s simply gorgeous! It’s a lengthy read (which took us several months to complete, even reading every day).

I found that each reading stayed with me, truly an allegory with teaching power to transcend the story and connect with my life. My children were enthralled by the story and always begged for more chapters. Although there are some intense scenes (the most intense being the few chapters when the main character and his friend are imprisoned for their faith and beaten; the friend is martyred). My older boy is very sensitive, but he was able to handle this. It was written so powerfully and beautifully that the joy of serving and loving their Good Prince covered all of the hard edges.

Our Runner Up Favorites

A Place to Hang the Moon. 14/15 stars combined among the three of us! The characters in this story have our hearts. Siblings William, Edmund, and Anna are orphaned as the story begins, as London children are being evacuated in 1940 during WWII. Their solicitor for their family’s estate hatches a plan to have them go with the evacuees and find a host home, in hopes of forming a bond with their new family before revealing they need a permanent home. In their new lodgings, however, they encounter unfair and harsh treatment at every turn. I personally could hardly stand some of the scenes the children find themselves in but it certainly was an exercise in empathy building as we listened, and an eye opening historical period to learn about. References to books and stories abound as the librarian is the bright light during the darkest times and the siblings are voracious readers. My kids loved that they had read many of the same classic stories the characters were reading. I had tears in my eyes at the end, in the most satisfying way.

The Very, Very Far North. The magic of this book is in the characterization, and I find myself wanting to revisit my quirky friends now that it’s been almost a year since we finished this! We fell in love with polar bear Duane and his tender heart for those he meets, and his exploring nature too! 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… (The sequel ranked near the top of our list as well, though one listener knocked this down to 3.5/5 while the other two kept it at 5/5!)

The Hoboken Chicken Emergency. My kids loved this zany old story (copyright 1977). Truth be told, not my personal favorite. A few aspects feel dated but the story is fun. Arthur is sent to pick up his family’s thanksgiving turkey but finds there was a mix up at the butcher and there is no bird for his family, nor any in the whole of his town. Desperate, he comes across a mysterious ad for Professor Mazzocchi, inventor of the “chicken system.” Arthur ends up heading home with a 266 pound super chicken on a leash, who he makes his pet… until things get even whackier. There are some interesting themes of the spread of misinformation before the era of the internet as neighbors panic and report sightings of a crazed 15-foot polar bear, or possibly a gorilla. A town-wide dose of compassion and empathy save the day.

How Winston Delivered Christmas. This Christmas story also received 5/5 stars all around. It was such a fun read that we enjoyed in the two weeks leading up to Christmas. Adorable, pure hearted Winston finds a letter to Santa on Christmas Eve and realizes he must deliver it himself in order for it to reach the North Pole in time. The adventures he encounters as he completes his selfless mission are so fun! After each chapter is a fun activity for readers to try out– (although, truth be told, we did not) recipes, simple crafts. The illustrations are lovely as well!

Springtime with Geraldine Woolkins. We adore Geraldine! This is the third of her adventures (I think her others have appeared on our year-end wrap ups too!). 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.

All-of-a-Kind Family. We listened to the entire series following this sweet family living at the turn of the 20th century. I learned some parenting tips from Mama, and we were all interested to learn about the family’s Jewish holiday traditions. A wholesome family novel in the best possible way.

Other High Ranking Favorites

Angus and Sadie

The Secret Garden

Skunk and Badger

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car

I can’t wait to see what makes our 2022 reading list! Please share your family’s favorites in the comments below or connect with me on social: instagram / facebook.