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Matilda
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Posted: Jan 02 2010 at 11:41am | IP Logged Quote Matilda

We have been through the read aloud classics....

E. Nesbit
Edgar Eager
E.B. White
Roald Dahl
Laura Ingalls Wilder and prequels
etc...

Have you read any books aloud that you might not see on a typical list of favorites but that you had a lot of fun reading? I would prefer something for boys and girls since I have two of each!

Thanks!!!


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jenk
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Posted: Jan 02 2010 at 12:14pm | IP Logged Quote jenk

We've enjoyed Freddy the Pig books by Walter Brooks. I think they would appeal to both boys and girls- both my boys liked them.
Freddy the Detective and Freddy goes to Florida were probably our favorites of these.

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Chari
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Posted: Jan 02 2010 at 1:42pm | IP Logged Quote Chari

Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne was a big hit here. (the newer movie sucks, btw )

and, probably the best fun we have had was with Howard Pyles four King Arthur books. His story telling is wonderful! He also handles the Queen/Lancelot affair very well........"some people think badly of these two, but I don't.......there never were two people more good and devoted to Arthur..." totally paraphrasing............but SAFE!!!

these stories are priceless!!

The Phantom Tollbooth was well-love, too.

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JuliaT
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Posted: Jan 02 2010 at 1:50pm | IP Logged Quote JuliaT

Some of the books that we enjoyed this year:

Book Thief by Cornelia Funke
Roald Dahl books--if you havn't read them yourself then I would advise you to do that first as some people do not like them. We espeically liked The BFG.
We have started reading the Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander. We are reading the first book, Book of Three and even my 6 yr. old is enjoying it.
There is also the MistMantle Chronicles that is supposed to be good but we haven't read them yet.


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ekbell
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Posted: Jan 02 2010 at 3:18pm | IP Logged Quote ekbell

We've also enjoyed the Phantom tollbooth. My oldest daughter has read the Narnia books and the Wizard of Oz to her younger siblings. I read a fair amount of A Christmas Carol over the holidays (not all of it as we also watched three movie versions). I'm currently planning to read aloud The Story of Doctor Dolittle and perhaps The Princess and the Goblin by George Macdonald.

I spent a fair amount of last year reading through a good children's anthology with the understanding that my children could ask for more of any particular story or excerpt. We ended up reading a good deal of Greek myths and fairy tales but there was quite a bit more that the girls could have chosen. We also read the first book of the Borrowers and Sarah Plain and Tall


On a different note my children have quite enjoyed our early 1980's copies of Childcraft, The King of the Golden City, The Life of Our Lord, The First Christians and A Little History of the World .
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guitarnan
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Posted: Jan 02 2010 at 4:22pm | IP Logged Quote guitarnan

And now for something completely different:

No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman is the funniest book we've read all year. There is mention of the main character's parents' divorce (because the dad is a chronic teller of tall tales, not because of any particular bad event) at the beginning of the book, but the rest of it is pretty much a crazy romp through a school play production and football season.

The Betsy-Tacy books are personal favorites of mine (by Maud Hart Lovelace) but they are a tad girly. They're fun nonetheless.

If you haven't read The Penderwicks and its sequel, they are both excellent.

Edward Eager's books are great fun, and pay homage to E. Nesbit, Eager's favorite author. There's magic (the good and fun kind, the kind that helps the children grow into better people) in each one, and the main characters are four siblings, both boys and girls.

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Posted: Jan 02 2010 at 5:25pm | IP Logged Quote lapazfarm

As soon as we get settled in Alaska I am starting Redwall with dd. Ds has already read most of them, but he loves to listen in to a good read-aloud anyway.

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pmeilaen
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Posted: Jan 02 2010 at 8:16pm | IP Logged Quote pmeilaen

What about books by Michael Ende? He's German, but his most famous ones have been translated into English: The Neverending Story, Momo, Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver.

Also, most books by Astrid Lindgren are fun to read.

Simply Charlotte Mason has a good list with read-alouds.

The Waldorf Student Reading List is another good resource for some more unusual books.

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Posted: Jan 02 2010 at 9:48pm | IP Logged Quote Courtney

We second Astrid Lingren here. My ds has loved the series about Emil and both loved Mischievous Meg. I remember reading it when I was in 4th grade and loved it then.

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Posted: Jan 05 2010 at 6:56pm | IP Logged Quote donnalynn

We really loved reading the Bantry Bay series - these are just so fun especially if you have even slightest bit of Irish in you!

Another really fun read aloud was this Paddington Treasury- my youngers loved this (8 and 6 at the time) but my then 11 yo dd also enjoyed the many play on words in the story and the funny scenarios Paddintion gets himself in. After you're finished you can have a picnic complete with cocao, marmalade sandwhiches, and ginger biscuits! I think the more mature illustrations make a big difference in appealing to a wider age range. The ones illustrated by R.W. Alley really do not seem to capture the true Paddintion - IMNSHO.



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pmeilaen
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Posted: Jan 05 2010 at 7:05pm | IP Logged Quote pmeilaen

One more idea: Anything by Enid Blyton.

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CrunchyMom
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Posted: Jan 05 2010 at 7:29pm | IP Logged Quote CrunchyMom

We just loved the Ralph Moody Little Britches series. The first book is a bit boy heavy, but the next ones involve his relationship with his sister and mother more. My favorite so far is Mary Emma and Company just because his mother really shines forth as the main character, and I think she ranks up there with Ma Ingalls, Marmee, Jo, and Anne as a favorite literary mother.

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Posted: Jan 05 2010 at 8:38pm | IP Logged Quote teachingmyown

Red Sails to Capri. We laugh out loud through the whole book, each time!

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Posted: Jan 05 2010 at 9:02pm | IP Logged Quote Marybeth

I can not recommend highly enough Dr. Doolittle. My three year old even loved it.I couldn't believe how much she listened in and followed the story. Well, thinking back I guess she was even 2 1/2 at the time.
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle
Mr. Popper's Penguins
Homer Price
Henry Huggins
Mouse and the Motorcycle
Snow Treasure
Wizard of Oz
The Chocolate Touch

Happy Reading!

Mb



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Posted: Jan 05 2010 at 10:24pm | IP Logged Quote MicheleQ

Have you read the Tom Playfair series? My boys AND girls loved those as a read aloud. It's been a few years since we read them and my kids are asking for them again!

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Posted: Jan 07 2010 at 1:35pm | IP Logged Quote Chari

Oh, yes! Tom Playfair! I second that!

I will say I edited out a bit of the story now and then......but DO NOT shy away from that...the stories are EXCELLENT and you will fall in love with the characters.

I am about to start reading them aloud to me second half of kids.

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Posted: Jan 07 2010 at 3:39pm | IP Logged Quote jdostalik

The Princess and the Goblin is a great book to read aloud for boys and girls of all ages...

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Posted: Jan 08 2010 at 7:54pm | IP Logged Quote Marcia

we like the Marguerite Henry books....

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Posted: Jan 14 2010 at 9:22pm | IP Logged Quote Michiel

Have you tried Eleanor Estes? Especially Ginger Pye? That was the first that my non-sitter, non-listener would sit and listen for. I love all her books.

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Mary G
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Posted: Jan 15 2010 at 5:33am | IP Logged Quote Mary G

Y'know what we're reading ... and really enjoying ....

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

My kids are loving it! They've seen video images of Tom Sawyer-like movies but I've never read Twain's words to them ... they are amazing! Of course, the only problem is that with my already VERY dramatic kids ... Tom Sawyer is proving a dramatic role model:
Quote:

He pictured himself lying sick unto death and his aunt bending over him beseeching one little forgiving word, but he would turn his face to the wall and die wtih that word unsaid. Ah, how would she feel then? And he pictured himself brought home from the river, dead, with his curls all wet and his sore heart at rest. How she would throw herself upon him, and how the tears would fall like rain, and her lips pray God to give her back her boy and she would never, never abuse him any more! But he would lie there cold and white and make no sign -- a poor little sufferer, whose griefs were at an end.

That particular scene had the kids giggling and acting it out!

It's wonderful to read these classics just cuz we want to rather than for an assignment ... and there's so much to talk about as you read! We love read-alouds!

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