I have been reading the Little House series to Milo and Oliver every night before bed. We usually read two chapters and I admit that I love reading them as much as they love listening! At first I thought they might be a bit too young to appreciate and understand this series, but I was pleasantly surprised when Oliver and Milo begged me to keep reading. I love the attention to craft and detail- each chapter may go on for pages and pages about how a certain task was done; harvesting a crop, how a cobbler made shoes, the painstaking task of building a log cabin from scratch. Not only do my boys sit quietly through each chapter, they bring up days later some random knowledge or appreciation for how something is made. Aside from how great these books are, reading out loud to my kids has to be one of my favorite things in the world. I can’t explain why…
With the gifting season right around the corner, I wanted to make this recommendation, since we received the entire set as a gift from my own mama for the boys’ birthdays last August. Highly recommend! What are you/your kids reading?
I just started Caleb’s Crossing, by Geraldine Brooks, about a Puritan family and Native Americans living on Martha’s Vinyard in the 1600s. So appropriate for Thanksgiving, and very intriguing.
I love this series, I really do. And I was amazed at how much my son enjoyed it too. If you’re ever in South Dakota you can visit the actual Ingalls homestead. I think it was my kids’ favorite part of our vacation last year.
Right now I’m reading Charlotte’s Web to my youngest. We’re near the end and even though it makes my daughter cry, she won’t let me stop reading it to her.
I don’t want to toot my country’s horn but… actually never mind, I do want to toot my country’s horn: THE MOOMINS!!! The Moomins are magical and tender and anarchistic and optimistic and dark and safe! Read the Moomins.
Also, in other Scandi kids classics: anything by Astrid Lindgren, although a few books of hers are more appropriate when they get interested in learning about life and death. Pippi Longstocking, The Tomten for Christmas, Ronia The Robber’s Daughter, Emil (!!!!Perfect for little boys, especially ones named Emil, though it might inspire him to mischief once he’s old enough to get it ;), the Noisy Town…
Also Eduard Uspensky.
And a word on age-appropriateness. Based on my own experience, I don’t know if such a thing exists on the plane of comprehension. It certainly does in terms of themes, but as far as something being too complex for little ones to get, in order to enjoy, I think reading “beyond their level” actually encourages verbal and intellectual development. When I was less than two my mom got sick of reading the kinds of kids books with pictures and decided to start on first the Moomins, then The Hobbit s by the time I was two and found my attention just as rapt as it had been with things like “Duck Goes To The Doctor”. Now, I would not read the Lord Of The Rings to my two-year-old, but I’ve found the same to be true for kids around me, if they’re into stories and most kids are, it could just as easily be the paper, or the Golden Notebook. They’re just amazed by words and stories it seems.
Happy Reading, sorry about my mega-comments once more…
Thanks for the suggestions! And Milla, I agree about reading beyond their level. The only hitch is when one or both lose interest if it is too far beyond their level, and begin to goof off during the story. But you’d better believe I’m going to check out the Moomins, and Emil (don’t worry- that little rascal already has mischief in his blood!). Never, never apologize for long comments. I truly love them and read every one!
Sounds wonderful. We are reading and rereading Mother Gooses’s nursery rhymes.. I found this gigantic 150 page book on a New York street.. and he loves it. We are also reading I’m A Big Brother Now.. in anticipation of the upcoming baby
I remember reading that series as a kid, they were wonderful. I know my old copies are still at my mom’s, I’ll have to bring them home! We are still mainly reading books with pictures, but W’s attention span is better all the time and I’m sure we’ll be up for something like this soon.