- How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell – A humorous tale of Hiccup, a young Viking struggling to earn his place in the clan by training a dragon. Unfortunately, Toothless the dragon is nothing short of a whiny brat, making Hiccup’s job all the more difficult. As you can imagine this tale doesn’t end there for Hiccup or Toothless.
- Penelope Barrows: The Case of the Blowing Whistle by C.C. Beechum – Penelope is a smart and curious girl detective and along with her sidekick Ben Walters, they solve the mystery of the blowing whistle in this first of 2 Penelope Barrows books. (Let’s hope Beechum pens a 3rd book soon!)
- Judy Moody by Megan McDonald – I remember stumbling across this book when my eldest daughter was little and reading it to her long before she could grasp what I was saying (I was a tad eager to build her excitement and love for books) and now at 8-years-old she loves the series about a little girl who’s full of spunk and individuality. A very relatable book that helps young children remember it’s okay to be different.
- Flat Stanley Series by Jeff Brown – Stanley was actually flattened by a mishap with a bulletin board, but it has certainly opened up his travel options. Each adventure will delight your children – even more so if they are participating in the Flat Stanley program at their school.
- From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg – Claudia is the eldest of 4 children and itching to breakaway from the restraints of being … well, a child. Along with her brother, Jamie, she runs away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where they live undetected for a week. Their journey is just beginning as Claudia resolves to track down the former owner of a statue in the museum, one that just might have been sculpted by Michelangelo.
- Roscoe Riley Rules Series by Katherine Applegate – Roscoe is a first-grader who tends to find himself in some amusing mix-ups and mishaps. A great series to read aloud because it gives parents the opportunity to explain actions and consequences, but your kids will enjoy the humor as well as the life lessons.
- Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo – DiCamillo’s name appears on this list a few times because she is incredibly talented at creating characters that pull at the heart strings of her readers young and old. Children will be naturally drawn to this story of a little girl and her newly-adopted dog, Winn Dixie. Winn Dixie helps her find her way in her new town and begin the journey towards mending the broken heart she has as a result of her mother leaving 7-years earlier.
- Just Grace Series by Charise Mericle Harper – Grace is a precocious young girl that will quickly become a favorite character in your house. The series tackles feelings, emotions and navigating relationships, which, lets face it, we could all use a few lessons in these areas.
- Clementine by Sara Pennypacker – Everyone is constantly telling third-grader Clementine to pay attention, and she is, just not necessarily to what she’s supposed to be focused on. She’s an instantly lovable character and the trouble that finds her is highly entertaining.
- Horrible Harry Series by Suzy Kline – Harry is a second-grader who is a bit of a trouble maker, but not in a way that should turn parents away from reading this book aloud. Harry is at the heart, a good friend who young readers will easily relate to and be eager to read more books in this series.
- Nim’s Island by Wendy Orr – This book has a very Swiss Family Robinson or Robinson Cursoe vibe to it, but it might be more accessible for today’s young readers. Nim’s Island is the tale of a young girl, Nim, who along with her scientist father, lives on an island and spends her days with a sea lion, iguana and a sea turtle. When her father goes missing at sea, Nim’s link to the outside world is through her father’s laptop and an email correspondence with the author of a book she is reading. And of course this was made into a motion picture, but I urge you to take the time to read the book first.
- The Magic Treehouse Series by Mary Pop Osborne – If your children are in elementary school, than odd’s are they are familiar with Osborne’s series about siblings Jack and Annie and the magical treehouse they discover that allows them to travel through time and space and have some fabulous adventures.
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What are some of your favorite modern stories to read aloud to your family?
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