What makes a great family read-aloud novel?
“You’re looking for something that will appeal to a range of ages, and something that will appeal to the adults as much as it will to the children,” says Megan Daley, award-winning teacher-librarian and co-host of the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast. “So you want something that can cover and capture a wide reading span, and I’m often looking for something at the feelgood end of the spectrum.”
As Megan says, if you can get your kids to sit down to listen to a family read-aloud, you want the experience to be a time of warmth and nurturing and togetherness, so perhaps leave the more dramatic or ‘thematic’ books for reading specifically with an older child.
Megan also suggests looking for some humour, and for characters who are a little bit older than the children being read to. “I find children like to listen to stories about older kids,” she says. “It gives them something to look forward to, and helps them to navigate the next few years in their own lives.”
My own criteria include chapters of manageable lengths (so that if you do decide to read ‘just one more’ you’re not their until midnight) and a ‘voice’ that sings with wry humour and inside jokes – I love John Flanagan’s Ranger Apprentice series for this reason, and it’s something that was always in the back of my mind when I was writing The Mapmaker Chronicles series.
Three reasons to try a family read-aloud novel
• Role modelling: In our recent podcast discussion ‘Real Talk About Literacy and Literature‘, Megan and I emphasised the importance of role modelling reading at home for children who may be losing interest in books. A ‘family book’ is a great way to make reading a part of family life.
• Elevating comprehension: In reading together, you can introduce books – some of the classics perhaps – well before a child’s individual reading age, and by discussing the way the story plays out, you’re building comprehension in a natural way.
• It’s actually just fun: Reading books together allows the whole family to embrace a great story. It doesn’t have to be a chore – but it does have to be a priority. Scheduling in a regular 20 minutes for a chapter or two is a good way to put reading back on the table at your place.
To get you started, we asked the Your Kid’s Next Read community to nominate their favourite family read-aloud novels. Click the title to read a description of the book and to purchase if you wish.*
The top 10 most-nominated family read-aloud novels
‘The Wild Robot’ by Peter Brown
‘Charlotte’s Web’ by E. B. White
‘The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane’ by Kate DiCamillo
‘Leo and Ralph’ by Peter Carnavas
‘Marge In Charge’ by Isla Fisher
‘Pippi Longstocking’ by Astrid Lindgren
‘Vincent and the Grandest Hotel on Earth’ by Lisa Nicol
Nevermoor (series) by Jessica Townsend
The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
50+ more great family read-aloud novels
‘The Invention of Hugo Cabret’ by Brian Selznick
‘The Mapmakers’ Race’ by Eirlys Hunter
‘The Silver Sword ‘by Ian Serraillier (‘Even had my husband captivated and that’s saying a lot’ – Louise)
‘Wishtree’ by Katherine Applegate
‘The Sheep-Pig’ by Dick King-Smith
‘The Trumpet of The Swan’ by E. B. White
‘Polly and Buster’ (series) by Sally Rippin
‘Pearly and Pig’ (series) by Sue Whiting and Rebecca Crane
‘The Book Without No Pictures’ by B. J. Novak (‘Hands down the best book we have ever read aloud to ours when they were small’ – Angela)
‘Ella At Eden’ (series) by Laura Sieveking
The Travelling Bookshop (series) by Katrina Nannestad
Ming (series) by Jackie French (‘Great read alouds for my two (boy and girl) as there’s lots to discuss about history, lifestyle and places.’ – Stella)
The Mapmaker Chronicles (series) by A. L. Tait
‘My Brother Ben’ by Peter Carnavas
‘The One and Only Ruby’ by Katherine Applegate (‘A lovely book to help 6-10 year old children talk about their worries; easy to read as a family’ – Caroline)
The Ateban Cipher (series) by A. L. Tait
Harry Potter (series) by J. K. Rowling
Winnie The Pooh (series) by A. A. Milne
Kingdoms and Empires (series) by Jaclyn Moriarty
Deltora Quest by Emily Rodda (‘Great for slightly older children’ – Kim)
‘The Explorer’ by Katherine Rundell
‘The Children of Noisy Village’ by Astrid Lindgren (‘One of my favourites as a child’ – Ula)
The Ranger’s Apprentice (series) by John Flanagan
‘Anne of Green Gables’ by L. M. Montgomery
‘The Tale of Despereaux’ by Kate DiCamillo
‘The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe’ (series) by C. S.Lewis
Paddington Bear (series) by Michael Bond
‘The Wolves of Greycoat Hall’ (series) by Lucinda Gifford
Heartwood Hotel (series) by Kallie George
‘What Snail Knows’ by Kathryn Apel
Ramona (series) by Beverly Cleary
Pages & Co (series) by Anna James
‘Wurrtoo’ by Tylissa Elisara and Dylan Finney
Mary Poppins (series) by P. L. Travers (‘Too zany for me but my kids loved it even when they were small – we read the whole series’ – Gillian)
‘Stella by Starlight’ by Sharon M. Draper
‘The Muddleheaded Wombat’ by Ruth Park
‘Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables’ by Tim Harris and James Hart
‘The Power of Positive Pranking’ by Nat Amoore
‘A Place to Hang The Moon’ by Kate Albus
‘The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street’ by Karina Yan Glaser
11 Ruby Road (series) by Charlotte Barkla
Miss Penny Dreadful (series) by Allison Rushby
‘Stuart Little’ by E. B. White
‘Where The Mountain Meets The Moon’ by Grace Lin
‘The Silver Arrow’ by Lev Grossman
‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’ by Eiko Kadono
‘The Golden Swift’ by Lev Grossman
‘Spies In The Sky’ by Beverley McWilliams
*Post contains affiliate links. See contact page for details.
Are you new here? Welcome to my blog! I’m Allison Tait, aka A.L. Tait, and I’m the author of middle-grade series, The Mapmaker Chronicles, The Ateban Cipher, and the Maven & Reeve Mysteries. My latest novel THE FIRST SUMMER OF CALLIE McGEE is out now. You can find out more about me here, and more about my books here.
If you’re looking for book recommendations for young readers, join the Your Kid’s Next Read Facebook community, tune in to the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast and sign up for the Your Kid’s Next Read newsletter.
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