One by one...

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

Daring and irrepressible, Madeline just says "pooh, pooh" to the tiger in the zoo. Her adventures have been a favorite of children for decades. (Ages 3-6)

 

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton.

how Mike and his steam shovel try to dig a cellar for Popperville's town hall in a single day, and how they find a permanent home in an unlikely place. (Ages 4-6)

 

The Legend of the Bluebonnet by Tomie dePaola.

How a little Comanche girl sacrifices her only doll to end the drought ravaging her village. (Ages 4-8)

 

Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban.

Frances is in bed, but she can't sleep - she hears a noise, she needs a drink of water, she's scared of the dark. Both parents and children will enjoy the gentle humor of this and other stories about Frances and her family. (Ages 4-8)

 

The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf.

All Ferdinand the bull wants to do is sit and smell the flowers, even when he;s in the bullring in Madrid. (Ages 4-8)

 

Lentil by Robert McCloskey.

Since he can't whistle or sing, Lentil learns to play the harmonica, and his musical talent saves the day when Old Sneep tries to sabotage the town band. (Ages 5-8)

 

Flossie and the Fox by Patricia McKissack.

Although Flossie's only a little girl, she's smart enough to outwit the fox who meets her on the road. (Ages 4-8)

 

Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco.

When a coming thunderstorm scares her granddaughter, Granny teaches her how to make a genuine thunder cake from eggs, flour, milk - and a secret ingredient! The recipe is included. (Ages 4-8)

 

Doctor DeSoto by William Steig.

The sly fox is in pain and in need of the mouse's dental skills. Should Dr. DeSoto risk going into the fox's mouth in the name of medicine? (Ages 5-8)

 

Many Moons by James Thurber.

What can a king do when his daughter wants the moon for a present? He consults all the wise men in the kingdom, but only the Court Jester comes up with the solution. (Ages 6-9)

 

The Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward.

A boy who goes out to get his bear comes with a bear cub - but even a cub grows up, and then what will he do? (Ages 4-6)

 

It Could Always be Worse by Margot Zemach

The one-room hut is already full to bursting with mother, wife, and six children, but when the rabbi advises the husband to bring in all the animals, he has to do it! (Ages 4-7)

 

Chapter by chapter...funny and fantastical

The Wish by Bill Brittain.

When four people buy wishes at the county fair, three of them end up in big trouble: a girl who talks like a frog, a young man who turns into a tree, and a family whose drought-stricken farm sprouts wells everywhere. Can the last wish save them all? (Ages 8-11) 

 

The Enormous Egg by Oliver Butterworth.

When Nate Twitchell's hen lays a stegosaurus egg, Nate has his hand full trying to feed his baby dinosaur. And what will happen when it gets too big to keep on the farm? (Ages 8-10)

 

The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene.

John Midas loves candy so much that, when he finds a magic coin that changes everything he eats to chocolate, he's overjoyed - at first. (Ages 8-10)

 

Warton and Morton by Russell Erickson.

Two brother toads, off on a camping trip, are separated during a flash flood and have many adventures before they are re-united. (Ages 7-9)

 

My Father's Dragon by Ruth Gannett.

Nine-Year-old Elmer Elevator frees a baby dragon from captivity on Wild Island. Their whimsical adventures continue in two more books. (Ages 7-9)

 

My Grandmother's Stories by Adele Geras

Traditional Jewish tales of kings and farmers, told with humor and shrewdness by a grandmother to her granddaughter.

 

The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame.

The boy who finds him knows that the dragon is harmless, but how can he convince the frightened villagers, and especially St.George the dragon killer, that there's no cause for concern? (Ages 8-11)

 

A Stranger Came Ashore by Mollie Hunter.

When a ship-wrecked stranger seems to be dazzling Robbie's sister Elspeth, Robbie wonders if his grandfather's stories about selkies - seals who take human shape - may be true. A suspenseful story set in Scotland. (Ages 9-12)

 

Little Tricker the Squirrel Meets Big Double the Bear by Ken Kesey.

Is Little Tricker smart enough to bamboozle a double-big, double-bad, double-hungry grizzly bear? A tall tale told in rich mountain language. (Ages 8-12)

 

Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling.

These stories are meant to be read aloud - the language is rhythmic and full of high-sounding words. The collection includes "How the leopard got his spots," "The elephant child," and "The cat that walked by himself." (Ages 8-12)

 

Tales of Uncle Remus by Julius Lester.

The well-loved stories of Brer Rabbit and his friends get a new look in the hands of master storyteller Julius Lester. The tales continue in two more volumes. (Ages 7-10)

 

The Great Piratical Rumbustification & the Librarian and the Robbers by Margaret Mahy.

Two wild and wonderful stories about pirates and robbers. In the second tale, the beautiful librarian, Serena Leburnum, not only outwits the robbers but even teaches them the Dewey Decimal system. The exuberant style and rich language beg to be read aloud. (Ages 9-12)

 

Birdy and the Ghosties by Jill Paton.

If young Birdy really has second sight, does that mean she can see ghosts? A short, lyrically written story about families and the power of imagination. (Ages 6-9)

 

Rootabaga Stories by Carl Sandburg.

In Rootabaga Country, the pigs wear bibs and the railroad changes from straight to zig-zag. The inspired nonsense of these stories is not for every reader, but those who love them will never forget them. (Ages 8-12)

 

The Hobbit y J.R.R.Tolkien

How stay-at-home Bilbo Baggins finds himself caught up in adventure, including trolls, dragons and a ring of invisibility. Children who enjoy this can go on to read the trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, when they're older. (Ages 8-12)

 

Mary Poppins by P.L.Travers.

The original story about the nanny who blew in with the east wind and stayed to take care of Jane, Michael, and the twins is full of humor and magic. If your children know Mary Poppins only from the well-loved movie, make sure they don't miss the book. (Ages 7-9)

 

Chapter by chapter...real adventures

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken.

Brave little Bonnie, her sweet cousin Sylvia, and their faithful friend Simon are left in the care of the terrible Miss Slighcarp, in a tongue-and-cheek adventure set in pseudo-Victorian England. (Ages 9-12)

 

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Sullen, bad-tempered Mary Lennox is sent to Misselthwaite Manor, where she meets Dickon and Colin and finds the secret garden that changes their lives. Also try another favorite by this author, A Little Princess. (ages 8-12)

 

The Stories Julian Tells by Ann Cameron.

Each chapter is another episode in the life of seven-year-old Julian, who plants a garden, looses a tooth, tries to grow taller and finds a friend. (Ages 6-9)

 

Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
Ramona meets lots of interesting people n kindergarten, but then something happens to turn her into the first-ever kindergarten dropout. Her adventures continue in seven more books. (Ages 6-9)

 

Rufus M. by Eleanor Estes.

For the youngest Moffat child, nothing is simple, but everything is interesting. In this story he gets his first library card, solves the mystery of the Invisible Piano Player, and studies ventriloquism. Look for the three other Moffat books, too. (Ages 6-9)

 

The Midnight Horse by Sid Fleischman.

An orphan boy named Touch, his wicked great-uncle, and a magician who can turn straw into horses all come together in a tale of trickery, humor and suspense. (Ages 8-12)

 

Babe, the Gallant Pig by Dick King-Smith.

When Babe is adopted by Fly, the old sheepdog, he turns out to make a marvelous "sheep-pig." Could it be because he's the first animal who speaks politely to the sheep? (Ages 9-12)

 

The Magical Hat of Mortimer Wintergreen by Myron Levoy.

A pair of orphans run away from the evil Aunt Vootch and join up with a would-be magician in this hilarious adventure story.

 

In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord.

When Shirley Temple Wong and her family leave China for Brooklyn in 1947, Shirley knows only two words of English, but after a few months in fifth grade, she's learned to play baseball and root for the Brooklyn Dodgers. (Ages 8-10)

 

All About Sam by Lois Lowry.

Anastasia Krupnik's younger brother Sam gets to tell his own story - from the baby's point of view. Hilarious and very real. (Ages 6-9)

 

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachian.

Caleb and Anna are afraid that Sarah, a mail-order bride, will return to Maine and leave them still motherless. A heart-warming family story told with simple grace. (Ages 6-9)

 

The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier.

When their father is imprisoned by the Nazis and their mother taken away for forced labor, the three Balicki children must depend on their own resources to survive wartime Europe. This suspenseful story is based on fact. (Ages 9-12)

 

Auks, Rocks and the Odd Dinosaur: Inside Stories from the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History by Peggy Thomson.

Twenty short chapters introduce readers to some of the most remarkable treasures in the "nation's attic," ranging from the Komodo Dragon to the Allende meteorite, the oldest known object in the world.

Tips for reading aloud...especially for families...

• Find the time. There's no one magic time for reading aloud. Some families like bedtime, others like after dinner. Just fifteen minutes a day can be enough to get everyone in the reading habit.
• Take your time. Savor the language and enjoy the story along with your children. If you like the book, your listeners probably will, too
• Keep trying. If one book doesn't interest your children, don't push it. Try another on this list, or ask you children's librarian for another suggestion.
• Have fun! Reading aloud from the best in children's literature is bound to be fun for listeners and readers.

Tips for reading aloud...especially for teachers...

• Skim the book yourself before you share it with a group of children. This gives you a chance to judge whether you like the book, as well as alert you to any difficulties with language or subject matter.
• Make your listeners comfortable. It's easier for them to pay attention if they're facing away from bright windows and lots of other activity.
• Find a comfortable time each day. Children will listen better after recess or lunch than they will before.
• Start small. If your children haven't been read to much, your first sessions may need to be short. For first and second graders, ten or fifteen minutes maybe ebough. Older, more experiences listeners may enjoy half-hour sessions.
• Pay attention to your listeners. Look up from the book from time to time to make eye contact with the group. This way you'll know whether they're still spellbound or ready for a break.
• Don't stop! Middle school students are not too old for reading aloud. In fact, some of the best books for reading aloud are most enjoyed by this age group.
• Have fun! Don't try to read books you don't enjoy yourself - your lack of enthusiasm will come through. Do allow this to be fun for both you and the children.