I’m looking for some books to read aloud to my 9 and 12 year old girls. The youngest likes to read but my oldest hates it. I was a big reader as a kid and I feel like maybe if I do the work of reading for her I can get her into it but even if not, I would like to share meaningful stories with them both.
I’m thinking of starting with A Tree Grows in Brooklyn… what else would you recommend? I’m open to anything but I think “coming of age”, relatable stories will capture their attention most. They’re not much into fantasy. I love a good tear jerker but when we read Charlotte’s Web, my oldest was hysterical (a couple years back) and that was just at chapter 2.
I remember A Prayer for Owen Meany seriously affecting me in high school but I realized today that it’s more religious than I remembered and I can’t recall if there is anything too mature.
Also thinking about reading The Giver - that’s about as dark or sad as I would want to go at their age I think.
Would love your recommendations.
Ella Minnow Pea is a super fun book to read aloud!
i just want to say not everyone is a reader and while i do think all children need to read more forcing your children by reading allowed to them your favorite books and not something they are interested in will only cause friction and make them hate reading. Let your child pick a book that would interest them or even a audiobook, libraries still have audiobooks in them and most can be digital on a phone tablet or computer.
your 12 year old is only going to become more stubborn the more you force the issue. Give them a option like you can stay up later if you are reading or listening to a book instead of tv or video games.
Introduce them to the library and let them pick what they want.
Just because you love reading does not mean your children will too they are their own people with their own interests.
I’m happy to read anything she wants but she’s not interested in anything so I’d like to introduce some books to her that she might end up loving. I don’t force reading on her.
Do they like fantasy, realistic, historical fiction, mystery, adventure, sci fi, etc.? What kind of books, TV shows, and media do they like? That’s the key to finding something they’ll enjoy. I’m a librarian and I’m happy to recommend something based on my knowledge, though there are certain genres I know/prefer better than others.
They love graphic novels which are not really read aloud material - but the stories they tend towards are things like The Babysitters Club, everything Louis Sachar ever wrote - both loved Holes and the Wayside series, both enjoyed Dork Diaries but the oldest has outgrown that. As far as movies and TV my oldest likes sitcoms - Fuller House, Modern Family, again The Babysitters Club but also things like Stranger Things and horror movies like the Scream series. I think what has happened is that her interests re outpacing her reading level. She actually had to read The Skin I’m In for school and enjoyed it a lot. It was the first book that she was ever assigned they had more mature themes and I think it kept her very engaged.
Anne of Green Gables
In the same vein, Little Women
Ohhh I forgot all about Anne with an E - and she’s a red head too 🥰
I still read aloud with my 11 year old. Here are ones he has liked in the last few years:
The Explorer Academy series
Harry Potter
The Book That No One Wanted To Read
Holes
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
They loved Holes! Thanks for the recommendations.
High key recommend the Percy Jackson series. The main character is about 12 to start and the series grows with the reader. Fun characters, modern takes on mythology, and—if the kiddos end up liking the series—a dozen books of various continuations to tackle
My daughter is 11 and in the past few years I’ve read 8 or 9 books to her, and her/our favourites were Secret Garden, Buried Giant (though with that one I did some instant censoring once or twice) and Watership Down.
Honestly, maybe ditch “meaningful” for fun, exciting, or thrilling? When I was 12, I was into Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie. When I was nine, I was into Madeline L’Engle and Jules Verne. Try Percy Jackson (“The Lightning Thief”), the Faerie novels by Catherynne Valente (“The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making”), Holly Black (“Doll Bones”), Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising series (“Over Sea, Under Stone”).