Read-A-Loud Books for Families
Fiction
Song and Dance Man by Karen Ackerman - Grandpa demonstrates for his visiting grandchildren some of the songs, dances, and jokes he performed when he was a vaudeville entertainer.
My Dad's a Birdman by David Almond -
In a rainy town in the north of England, there are strange goings-on. Dad is building a pair of wings, eating flies, and feathering his nest. Lizzie is missing her Mom and looking after Dad by letting him follow his newfound whimsy. What's behind it all? It's the great human bird competition.
Bub, or the Very Best Thing by Natalie Babbitt - Barnes & Noble: "A very silly, very beautiful picture book, written and illustrated by the Newbery Honor-winning author of Tuck Everlasting. The King and Queen don't know what's best for the Prince. Nobody else knows either, except the Prince himself, and the Court Jester, too--even though they're the only ones who aren't asked about it."
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall - While vacationing with their widowed father in the Berkshire Mountains, four lovable sisters, ages four through twelve, share adventures with a local boy, much to the dismay of his snobbish mother.
Fanny’s Dream by Caralyn Buehner - Fanny Agnes is a sturdy farm girl who dreams of marrying a prince, but when her fairy godmother doesn't show up, she decides on a local farmer instead.
Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary - The family routine is upset during Ramona's year in second grade when her father unexpectedly loses his job.
The Janitor’s Boy by Andrew Clements - Fifth grader Jack finds himself the target of ridicule at school when it becomes known that his father is one of the janitors, and he turns his anger onto his father.
The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis - The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an African American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastically changed after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963.
Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech - Thirteen-year-old fraternal twins Dallas and Florida have grown up in a terrible orphanage but their lives change forever when an eccentric but sweet older couple invites them each on an adventure, beginning in an almost magical place called Ruby Holler.
Children of the River by Linda Crew - Having fled Cambodia four years earlier to escape the Khmer Rouge army, seventeen-year-old Sundara is torn between remaining faithful to her own people and enjoying life in her Oregon high school as a "regular" American.
The Day They Gave Babies Away by Dale Eunson - When the six Eunson children were left orphans the day before Christmas, 1868, the oldest, twelve-year-old Bob, took the responsibility of finding homes for his younger brothers and sisters.
The Boy Who Saved Cleveland by James Giblin - During a malaria epidemic in late eighteenth-century Cleveland, Ohio, ten-year-old Seth Doan surprises his family, his neighbors, and himself by having the strength to carry and grind enough corn to feed everyone.
Riches by Esther Hautzig - After following the advice of the wisest rabbi in the area, a rich storekeeper discovers that giving of himself is better than merely giving money.
Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer Holm - As the only girl in a Finnish American family of seven brothers, May Amelia Jackson resents being expected to act like a lady while growing up in Washington state in 1899.
Piper Reed, Navy Brat by Kimberly Holt - Piper is sad about leaving her home and friends behind when her father, a Navy aircraft mechanic, is transferred yet again, but with help from her often-annoying sisters and a surprise from their parents, she finds happiness in their new home in Pensacola, Florida.
The Animal Family by Randall Jarrell - Barnes & Noble: "This is the story of how, one by one, a man found himself a family. Almost nowhere in fiction is there a stranger, dearer, or funnier family -- and the life that the members of The Animal Family live together, there in the wilderness beside the sea, is as extraordinary and as enchanting as the family itself."
Mom Pie by Lynne Jonell - Because their mother seems too busy preparing for company, Christopher and Robbie cook up the idea of a Mom pie to serve as her surrogate.
Mama Do You Love Me? by Barbara Joosse - A child living in the Arctic learns that a mother's love is unconditional.
Martin Bridge: Blazing Ahead! by Jessica Scott Kerrin - In two separate stories, Martin must survive a Junior Badger overnight camping trip with his prankster best friend and help his father fix the old cranky lawnmower.
The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler - After finally convincing her mother that she should take swimming lessons, twelve-year-old Emily discovers a terrible and wonderful secret about herself that opens up a whole new world.
The Mouse Family Robinson by Dick King-Smith - After a close call with the cat who stalks the hallways, a family of wild mice, including adventurous, young Beaumont and elderly Uncle Brown, emigrates to a more mouse-friendly house down the block.
Worth by A. LaFaye - After breaking his leg, eleven-year-old Nate feels useless because he cannot work on the family farm in nineteenth-century Nebraska, so when his father brings home an orphan boy to help with the chores, Nate feels even worse.
A Ride on the Red Mare’s Back by Ursula K. Le Guin - With the aid of her magic wooden horse, a brave girl travels to the High House in the mountains to rescue her kidnapped brother from the trolls.
Day of Tears by Julius Lester - Emma has taken care of the Butler children since Sarah and Frances's mother, Fanny, left. Emma wants to raise the girls to have good hearts, as a rift over slavery has ripped the Butler household apart. Now, to pay off debts, Pierce Butler wants to cash in his slave "assets", possibly including Emma.
I Love My Pirate Papa by Laura Leuck - A pirate's son shares the things he loves about his father, including climbing the mast together to yell "Land ho" and sharing the booty when they find buried treasure.
The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry - In this tongue-in-cheek take on classic themes in children's literature, the four Willoughby children set about to become "deserving orphans" after their neglectful parents embark on a treacherous around-the-world adventure, leaving them in the care of an odious nanny.
The Root Cellar by Janet Lunn - Twelve-year-old orphan Rose, sent to live with unknown relatives on a farm in Canada, ventures into her aunt's root cellar and finds herself making friends with people who lived on the farm more than a century earlier.
Baby by Patricia MacLachlan - Taking care of a baby left with them at the end of the tourist season helps a family come to terms with the death of their own infant son.
The Linden Tree by Eleanor Matthews - In 1948, nine-year-old Katy Sue's mother dies suddenly, and she and her family spend the next year trying to recover from their loss, assisted by her Aunt Katherine, who quits her teaching job to help out on their Iowa farm.
Families by Ann Morris - A simple explanation of families, how they function, how they are different, and how they are alike.
Five Minutes' Peace by Jill Murphy - Mrs. Large tries to take a peaceful, relaxing bath but her family has other ideas.
Rascal by Sterling North - The author recalls his carefree life in a small midwestern town at the close of World War I, and his adventures with his pet raccoon, Rascal.
The Borrowers by Mary Norton - Miniature people who live in an old country house by borrowing things from the humans are forced to emigrate from their home under the clock. Includes a letter and a sketch of Homily and Arrietty by the author.
Fancy Nancy by Jane O’Connor - A young girl who loves fancy things helps her family to be fancy for one special night.
Clementine by Sara Pennypacker - While sorting through difficulties in her friendship with her neighbor Margaret, eight-year-old Clementine gains several unique hairstyles while also helping her father in his efforts to banish pigeons from the front of their apartment building.
The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco - A homemade quilt ties together the lives of four generations of an immigrant Jewish family, remaining a symbol of their enduring love and faith.
The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant - The relatives come to visit from Virginia and everyone has a wonderful time.
Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto - Maria tries on her mother's wedding ring while helping make tamales for a Christmas family get together, but panic ensues when hours later, she realizes the ring is missing.
A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban - Ten-year-old Zoe Elias, who longs to play the piano but must resign herself to learning the organ instead, finds that her musicianship has a positive impact on her workaholic mother, her jittery father, and her school social life.
Nobody Here But Me by Judith Viorst - With his mother on the phone, his father checking e-mail, and his sister playing with her friends, a little boy feels as if he is all alone in the house, and no matter how badly he behaves, no one comes to stop him.
The Mennyms by Sylvia Waugh - The Mennyms, a family of life-size rag dolls living in a house in England and pretending to be human, see their peaceful existence threatened when the house's owner announces he is coming from Australia for a visit.
Hazel’s Amazing Mother by Rosemary Wells - When Hazel and her beloved doll Eleanor are set upon by bullies, Hazel's mother comes to the rescue in a surprising way.
Our Granny by Margaret Wild - While grannies come in all shapes and sizes "our granny" is unique.
A Chair for My Mother by Vera Williams - A child, her waitress mother, and her grandmother save dimes to buy a comfortable armchair after all their furniture is lost in a fire.
Nonfiction
Family Fun Nights by Lisa Bany-Winters - Barnes & Noble: "Filled with imaginative activities to bring the family together and create lifelong memories, this resource for parents and grandparents is full of activity ideas that require little or no preparation and use materials that are easily found around the house."
The Family Book: Amazing Things to Do Together by Philippa Wingate - School Library Journal: "Think of this as a one-stop guide for all types of activities, from practical jokes to magic, and what to do in an emergency."
Little Britches by Ralph Moody - Amazon.com: "Ralph Moody was eight years old in 1906 when his family moved from New Hampshire to a Colorado ranch. Through his eyes we experience the pleasures and perils of ranching there early in the twentieth century."
Song and Dance Man by Karen Ackerman - Grandpa demonstrates for his visiting grandchildren some of the songs, dances, and jokes he performed when he was a vaudeville entertainer.
My Dad's a Birdman by David Almond -
In a rainy town in the north of England, there are strange goings-on. Dad is building a pair of wings, eating flies, and feathering his nest. Lizzie is missing her Mom and looking after Dad by letting him follow his newfound whimsy. What's behind it all? It's the great human bird competition.
Bub, or the Very Best Thing by Natalie Babbitt - Barnes & Noble: "A very silly, very beautiful picture book, written and illustrated by the Newbery Honor-winning author of Tuck Everlasting. The King and Queen don't know what's best for the Prince. Nobody else knows either, except the Prince himself, and the Court Jester, too--even though they're the only ones who aren't asked about it."
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall - While vacationing with their widowed father in the Berkshire Mountains, four lovable sisters, ages four through twelve, share adventures with a local boy, much to the dismay of his snobbish mother.
Fanny’s Dream by Caralyn Buehner - Fanny Agnes is a sturdy farm girl who dreams of marrying a prince, but when her fairy godmother doesn't show up, she decides on a local farmer instead.
Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary - The family routine is upset during Ramona's year in second grade when her father unexpectedly loses his job.
The Janitor’s Boy by Andrew Clements - Fifth grader Jack finds himself the target of ridicule at school when it becomes known that his father is one of the janitors, and he turns his anger onto his father.
The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis - The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an African American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastically changed after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963.
Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech - Thirteen-year-old fraternal twins Dallas and Florida have grown up in a terrible orphanage but their lives change forever when an eccentric but sweet older couple invites them each on an adventure, beginning in an almost magical place called Ruby Holler.
Children of the River by Linda Crew - Having fled Cambodia four years earlier to escape the Khmer Rouge army, seventeen-year-old Sundara is torn between remaining faithful to her own people and enjoying life in her Oregon high school as a "regular" American.
The Day They Gave Babies Away by Dale Eunson - When the six Eunson children were left orphans the day before Christmas, 1868, the oldest, twelve-year-old Bob, took the responsibility of finding homes for his younger brothers and sisters.
The Boy Who Saved Cleveland by James Giblin - During a malaria epidemic in late eighteenth-century Cleveland, Ohio, ten-year-old Seth Doan surprises his family, his neighbors, and himself by having the strength to carry and grind enough corn to feed everyone.
Riches by Esther Hautzig - After following the advice of the wisest rabbi in the area, a rich storekeeper discovers that giving of himself is better than merely giving money.
Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer Holm - As the only girl in a Finnish American family of seven brothers, May Amelia Jackson resents being expected to act like a lady while growing up in Washington state in 1899.
Piper Reed, Navy Brat by Kimberly Holt - Piper is sad about leaving her home and friends behind when her father, a Navy aircraft mechanic, is transferred yet again, but with help from her often-annoying sisters and a surprise from their parents, she finds happiness in their new home in Pensacola, Florida.
The Animal Family by Randall Jarrell - Barnes & Noble: "This is the story of how, one by one, a man found himself a family. Almost nowhere in fiction is there a stranger, dearer, or funnier family -- and the life that the members of The Animal Family live together, there in the wilderness beside the sea, is as extraordinary and as enchanting as the family itself."
Mom Pie by Lynne Jonell - Because their mother seems too busy preparing for company, Christopher and Robbie cook up the idea of a Mom pie to serve as her surrogate.
Mama Do You Love Me? by Barbara Joosse - A child living in the Arctic learns that a mother's love is unconditional.
Martin Bridge: Blazing Ahead! by Jessica Scott Kerrin - In two separate stories, Martin must survive a Junior Badger overnight camping trip with his prankster best friend and help his father fix the old cranky lawnmower.
The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler - After finally convincing her mother that she should take swimming lessons, twelve-year-old Emily discovers a terrible and wonderful secret about herself that opens up a whole new world.
The Mouse Family Robinson by Dick King-Smith - After a close call with the cat who stalks the hallways, a family of wild mice, including adventurous, young Beaumont and elderly Uncle Brown, emigrates to a more mouse-friendly house down the block.
Worth by A. LaFaye - After breaking his leg, eleven-year-old Nate feels useless because he cannot work on the family farm in nineteenth-century Nebraska, so when his father brings home an orphan boy to help with the chores, Nate feels even worse.
A Ride on the Red Mare’s Back by Ursula K. Le Guin - With the aid of her magic wooden horse, a brave girl travels to the High House in the mountains to rescue her kidnapped brother from the trolls.
Day of Tears by Julius Lester - Emma has taken care of the Butler children since Sarah and Frances's mother, Fanny, left. Emma wants to raise the girls to have good hearts, as a rift over slavery has ripped the Butler household apart. Now, to pay off debts, Pierce Butler wants to cash in his slave "assets", possibly including Emma.
I Love My Pirate Papa by Laura Leuck - A pirate's son shares the things he loves about his father, including climbing the mast together to yell "Land ho" and sharing the booty when they find buried treasure.
The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry - In this tongue-in-cheek take on classic themes in children's literature, the four Willoughby children set about to become "deserving orphans" after their neglectful parents embark on a treacherous around-the-world adventure, leaving them in the care of an odious nanny.
The Root Cellar by Janet Lunn - Twelve-year-old orphan Rose, sent to live with unknown relatives on a farm in Canada, ventures into her aunt's root cellar and finds herself making friends with people who lived on the farm more than a century earlier.
Baby by Patricia MacLachlan - Taking care of a baby left with them at the end of the tourist season helps a family come to terms with the death of their own infant son.
The Linden Tree by Eleanor Matthews - In 1948, nine-year-old Katy Sue's mother dies suddenly, and she and her family spend the next year trying to recover from their loss, assisted by her Aunt Katherine, who quits her teaching job to help out on their Iowa farm.
Families by Ann Morris - A simple explanation of families, how they function, how they are different, and how they are alike.
Five Minutes' Peace by Jill Murphy - Mrs. Large tries to take a peaceful, relaxing bath but her family has other ideas.
Rascal by Sterling North - The author recalls his carefree life in a small midwestern town at the close of World War I, and his adventures with his pet raccoon, Rascal.
The Borrowers by Mary Norton - Miniature people who live in an old country house by borrowing things from the humans are forced to emigrate from their home under the clock. Includes a letter and a sketch of Homily and Arrietty by the author.
Fancy Nancy by Jane O’Connor - A young girl who loves fancy things helps her family to be fancy for one special night.
Clementine by Sara Pennypacker - While sorting through difficulties in her friendship with her neighbor Margaret, eight-year-old Clementine gains several unique hairstyles while also helping her father in his efforts to banish pigeons from the front of their apartment building.
The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco - A homemade quilt ties together the lives of four generations of an immigrant Jewish family, remaining a symbol of their enduring love and faith.
The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant - The relatives come to visit from Virginia and everyone has a wonderful time.
Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto - Maria tries on her mother's wedding ring while helping make tamales for a Christmas family get together, but panic ensues when hours later, she realizes the ring is missing.
A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban - Ten-year-old Zoe Elias, who longs to play the piano but must resign herself to learning the organ instead, finds that her musicianship has a positive impact on her workaholic mother, her jittery father, and her school social life.
Nobody Here But Me by Judith Viorst - With his mother on the phone, his father checking e-mail, and his sister playing with her friends, a little boy feels as if he is all alone in the house, and no matter how badly he behaves, no one comes to stop him.
The Mennyms by Sylvia Waugh - The Mennyms, a family of life-size rag dolls living in a house in England and pretending to be human, see their peaceful existence threatened when the house's owner announces he is coming from Australia for a visit.
Hazel’s Amazing Mother by Rosemary Wells - When Hazel and her beloved doll Eleanor are set upon by bullies, Hazel's mother comes to the rescue in a surprising way.
Our Granny by Margaret Wild - While grannies come in all shapes and sizes "our granny" is unique.
A Chair for My Mother by Vera Williams - A child, her waitress mother, and her grandmother save dimes to buy a comfortable armchair after all their furniture is lost in a fire.
Nonfiction
Family Fun Nights by Lisa Bany-Winters - Barnes & Noble: "Filled with imaginative activities to bring the family together and create lifelong memories, this resource for parents and grandparents is full of activity ideas that require little or no preparation and use materials that are easily found around the house."
The Family Book: Amazing Things to Do Together by Philippa Wingate - School Library Journal: "Think of this as a one-stop guide for all types of activities, from practical jokes to magic, and what to do in an emergency."
Little Britches by Ralph Moody - Amazon.com: "Ralph Moody was eight years old in 1906 when his family moved from New Hampshire to a Colorado ranch. Through his eyes we experience the pleasures and perils of ranching there early in the twentieth century."
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