Monday, May 12, 2008

Turn off the television and read: By Guest Tip Mom Sarah

Too often today’s families spend their free times in separate rooms watching television, playing video games or fiddling on the computer. Why not vow to spend at least one day away from a screen and together as a family reading?

Growing up my mother spent many evenings reading a chapter or two of a book to my two sisters and me before we were old enough to read full-fledged novels. Each night my sisters and I looked forward to what the next chapter contained. Reading together as a family spurred our imaginations and prompted many discussions. Below are some books that I recommend for family reading nights:

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

The Cricket in Time Square by George Selden

The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Eric Rex series by Kaza Kingsley

The Fledgling by Jane Langton

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit

9 comments:

christy said...

we recently completed the spiderwicke chronicles, and we are now working on hugo cabret! all really good!

Lizzy @ The Tip Spot said...

Afton and I will finish up our first big book this week, Charlotte"s Web. I have loved reading a long book to her and love this list I have to choose our next book from!

Shepherd Family ACALPM said...

This is something I have been thinking about for a few months now, were to start on "big" books with my 4 year old, somethings I think would be to scary, (witches) But I am excited about this list, I think H.Potter is too much for her but I am going to look into the others, thanks! I would love more suggestion for kid big books....

sugaryfrogs.blogspot.com said...

Thanks for the book suggestions! We just finished reading James and the Giant Peach. I would love more book suggestions!

Sarah said...

The Little House on the Prarie series is great to read with kids along with The Borrowers and the Boxcar children books.

christy said...

a few of our other favorites have been: the "mrs. piggle wiggle" series by betty macdonald, "kidnapped" by robert louis stevenson, and "mr. popper's penguins" by richard and florence atwater.

Sarah said...

Here are some more suggestions for books to read with your kids:
The Secret Garden and The Little Princess - by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
Pippy Longstocking
Black Beauty - Anna Sewell
Heidi - Johann Spyri
My Father's Dragon - Ruth Stiles Gannett
Five Little Peppers and How They Grew - Margaret Sidney

Lizzy @ The Tip Spot said...

I am loving this list! Thanks Sarah!

Sarah said...

I have my mom to thank for the last list. She spent some time the other day going through some old books that my sisters and I used to enjoy. My mom also works in a library so love of books runs in our family!!