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Family read-alouds create lifelong memories as you experience adventure, love, loss, laughter, and thoughtful moments together in the pages of a book. Books become a part of who you are and a family culture of reading good books is a treasure! “Just one more chapter,” will become the common phrase as you dive into a good story with these excellent read-aloud book series for families.
Good Books Feed the Heart and Mind
Good stories are good for the mind. They build vocabulary, instill sentence syntax, teach about history, and develop an ear for the flow of beautiful language; however, good stories are also good for the heart. They develop character, deepen empathy, and broaden world views. One of my favorite authors and Christian apologists said, “Since it is so likely that children will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage.” C.S. Lewis, “On Stories: And Other Essays on Literature” (1966) Don’t expect everyone to sit still and listen. Let kids play with Legos, draw, sculpt play dough, etc. They can even be used to make folding clothes or cleaning more fun! Take turns reading or try audio books, which are especially useful for long car rides! Also, at times it might be wise to stop and look up unusual words or find places from a book on a map. Don’t let these activities interrupt the flow of the story though. Save them for a good place to pause and learn more. These five series are some of my family favorites for all ages! See The Read Aloud Family or Honey for a Child’s Heart for more suggestions on how to read aloud together and for book suggestions by age.
Five Read-Aloud Book Series for Families
The Green Ember Series
Join Pickett and Heather, two brave rabbits, on harrowing adventures to save rabbitkind from their enemies in The Green Ember. Prepare for adventure, betrayal, ingenuity, and morale! S.D. Smith crafts excellent storytelling with cliff hangers and surprises. We are currently on the last book in the series, Ember’s End. I can’t wait to see how Smith wraps it all up! (The author offers free coloring sheets if you give him “five.”)
The Chronicles of Narnia
This is my all time favorite series! You need to read The Chronicles of Narnia with your kids! C.S. Lewis is a master storyteller who can weave in beautiful, obvious symbolism without being awkward or preachy. Enjoy the story for the adventure, bravery, and fun, then go back and look again at the deeper meaning that points to Jesus. And, as usual, the books are so much better than the movies! Netflix is about to release a new Chronicles of Narnia series. I am so excited! (Read the books first!)
The Five Little Peppers
As I grew up, my mom had a stack of old books she had kept since her high school years. Among those was The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew. I read and loved that book as a child, and even named my first son partly after one of the characters! Only a few years ago, I found out that The Five Little Peppers has a whole series! We’ve read several of them out loud as a family. Follow the story of a widowed mother and her children going from hard times to a new life while sticking together and loving each other.
Childhood of Famous Americans
This series is both interesting and informative. The authors turn the lives of famous Americans into novel form that tells about the person and the time period in a way that is appealing to all ages. In The Childhood of Famous Americans series, we’ve read about such people as Abraham Lincoln, Ray Charles, Harry Houdini, and more!
Christian Heroes Then and Now
Though a longer read than the others, I love this series. It has helped me and my children grow in our faith as we read about famous missionaries and how God worked in their lives. From David Livingstone in the jungles of Africa to Lottie Moon in the starving villages of China, the true accounts of these godly men and women are as exciting as any fiction novel.
Take this series a step farther with To Every Nation, a geography and missions curriculum from Not Consumed.
Books educate, entertain, and draw us closer, but don’t forget to read the more important book together, The Holy Bible. Remember, though God uses other writers and stories to help us grow, it is only His Word that are life. (John 6:63) Only His Word can increase our faith.
Find great ebooks and audio books on Kindle, Audible, Scribd, and Librovox (free public domain e-books and books read by volunteers). Right now Scribd is our favorite reading/listening app with unlimited books for $8.99 a month. Use my link for a 60 day free trial.) Of course, nothing beats holding a book in your hands! Shop at Amazon or your favorite bookstore!More Family Encouragement From I Want Them to Remember
I loved the Childhood of Young Americans series! And Narnia is still one of my favorite series.
Yes! The Childhood of Famous Americans series makes history interesting and fun! We are rewatching the Narnia movies as a family which makes us want to read the whole series again! So good! Try Lewis’s Space Trilogy if you have older kids or teens. It’s a little harder to read, but worth the effort!