Is it just me, or does a library have a certain smell? This statement is not to be compared with how I describe my front closet during soccer season, which also has a certain smell. We won’t discuss it.
But the library smells pleasant. Very…I don’t know…bookish? And in the summer, it smells ten times better like…what? Like air-conditioned books. Yes. I love this smell. Someone should make a candle with this scent. You know I’m right (and also a bit strange).
At our house, we’ve just hung up, put away, and close the door on all of our “assigned reading” for the school year. Who cares that we actually loved almost every book we read this year? Summer is coming and that means we can read…
Just For Fun.
Why does it feel different to read in the summer compared to reading during the school year? I have no idea. There’s just something about the freedom of it all, with its “I can read whatever I want and walk leisurely down all the library aisles while inhaling all the air-conditioned book smells…”
We always check out huge stacks. We can sit in the sun and read. Or we can sit in the air conditioning and read. We might lay on the trampoline and read. I will definitely sip iced coffee and read. The kids can drink sweet tea and read. Ahhhh, summer reading, how I love you.
Reading as a Family
A few summers ago, after our oldest boys headed to counsel at church camp, I picked All of a Kind Family off our shelf and read through it with Malachi during the hottest parts of the day. We finished that one and ran to the library to get the next in the series. We loved the books so much we read every book in the series and cried at the end because the series had ended. (To be fair, Malachi didn’t actually cry. I did though, because I always cry at the end of a good book. You already know this about me.)
I definitely cried at the end of this one.
Then we plowed through the entire series.
Who wants to smell the library with me this summer?
What I mean is, let’s all read together all summer long. Want to? Whether it’s library books or books you already have on your shelf, or books you might order to add to your collection, let’s read. Whether it’s Mom taking some glorious time to read for relaxation on her own (do this) or families taking time to read a book or series together in front of an air conditioner or under a shade tree (do this too), or everyone in the family sitting and reading silently to themselves while simply enjoying the comfort of togetherness (most definitely do this)…
Join our Summer Reading Party!
We want to encourage the beauty of family reading this summer!
Malachi and I look back on the summer of reading All of a Kind Family series as if it was the summer of perfection. All my boys and I can look back with joy on summers of reading together back in the days they were littler (and actually home). On the days they are home this summer, we will definitely spend time reading. I just got a few books delivered a few days ago that the boys had requested. Perfect timing!
Let’s all do this together and make great memories with our families!
Tell me about this Summer Reading Party!
Well, you can make this whatever you want for your family, but to get you motivated…
First we have a huge packet of free printables for every family who signs up for our Summer Reading Party. Use these however you wish – for incentives for your kids, for activities for your kids, for a challenge for everyone in your family – however you want. They are free for you and you can use them in whatever ways you like!
Sign up here to join our Summer Reading Party and to get the free packet of printables!
My Favorite Party Favor
Included in this printables packet is a suggested Bible reading check-list for you to use with your family. Read these passages with your family during breakfast. Or read them at night before bed. Or read them at whatever time of the day works best for you. Because reading the Bible with your family is more important than any other reading you can do.
This Summer Bible Reading Guide is included in the Summer Reading Printables Packet. Get yours here.
Alix says
We just moved 740 miles from home with our little boys. Today was our first day out while my husband worked, we of course, went to our new library! It was so much better then I had hoped (I’m coming from very big city to small town) and it smelled wonderful. The first thing I told my mom on the phone after was, “it even smells like a library!”.
Krystal says
I can’t choose a favorite, but I really enjoyed The Raven Cycle series!
Christina B. says
I loved the Tamora Pierce books. There not for everybody but I like Sci-Fi books. I also loved the Gallagher Girl Spy books by Ally Carter. I have a daughter and I love finding books with strong female characters or really Good Guys (gentlemen)! Hopefully, in some way, it will help her find the right kind of relationships.
Bethany says
My kids love to read. We are working on reading more out loud to enjoy books together! A recent favorite is the Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic. It was so silly and funny that the kids and I laughed all the way through it.
JoannaTopaz says
My daughter and I loved the All-of-a-Kind Family books a few years ago, too. This year, she encouraged me to read “Wonder,” and there are several more on her list that she’s now recommending to Mom. I told her to write them down because I can’t remember them all.
Kristy B says
We loved All of a Kind Family too. For family read aloud was have also loved the Penderwicks Series, the Map to Everywhere Series, Freddie the Detective, and have recently discovered the Fablehaven Series.
Sarah says
We just finished Treasury for Children by James Herriot. So sweet! Even my 12 and 11 year olds loved it.
Amanda says
Reading all day are some of my best childhood memories. Last summer, we read the Ramona books together, and we all enjoyed them.
Brighid says
I grew up going to the library and loving. And now, I love it still! My boys are older so I’ll be buying books for their friends who are going off to college. One of my favorites to give: Good Cheap Eats. It’s a different kind of reading, but still full of promise, hope and the excitement of something new.
Bethany says
We are a family of book lovers and Charlotte’s Web holds a special place in our heart!
Heather says
My kids are loving the Humphrey book series right now!
Tracey says
We have so many favorite read-alouds – The Bronze Bow is probably at the top of the list!
Christy says
I’m reading that right now!
Annette says
I read mostly inspirations books and one I recently read (that I really liked) is Unlocking Heaven’s Power by John Paul Jackson. It was written in a great style and the message was clear and positive.
Kimi says
We enjoyed reading the Little House on the Prairie series and Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. Thanks for the great summer ideas!
Melissa says
We loved The Mysterious Benedict Society! Such a great series!!!!
Sheri says
We are working through many of the Dear America books this summer. Love them! Because history textbooks are boring but history is exciting.
Kelly says
We have been reading aloud the Boxcar Children series!
Lori says
Planning on setting this up for my 12 year old- she doesn’t like to read!!!!
Sarah says
I think we’ll definitely look into “All of a Kind Family!”
Lisa Brown says
My daughter always enjoyed Anne of Green Gables
Lori says
I’ll have to check in to All of a Kind Family for my boys. We all love to read, and Lynn Austin is one of my favorite authors. I like it when an author can transport you to a different time period and you feel like you’re really there.
Kim Jackson says
tried to sign up for my childcare kids but got an error :(
Laura says
I just checked and it looks like you got signed up via email. Now you’ll just need to find and click through the confirmation email so the freebie can be emailed to you! (If you don’t see this email, check your spam folder. Not sure why it goes there sometimes!)
Jenny fretz says
We really enjoyed both of those series! Our Librarian suggested little
Britches as a read aloud when my son was about six
And then we recently read it again as part of our homeschool curriculum!
My kids favorite series is probably the Boxcar Children. They enjoy reading them and also listening to
Them as audio books
Jessica says
We have been reading the Seven Sleepers Series.
Tera B says
I want to smell the air-conditioned books, too. Right now my son and I are taking a break from Harry Potter to read the newest Rick Riordan.
C. Webb says
I’ve heard great things about the Little Britches series, but the book I checked out from the library had “cuss words” in it. I can’t read that to my kids! Did I get the wrong book?
Laura says
So sorry I forgot about that. Yes, there are a few words I edited out when I read them to my kids. They were never the wiser!
Deanna says
One of my favorite series growing up was All of a Kind Family!!! Sooooo good. I also read Gone Away Lake and Return to Gone Away Lake many times.
Then there are favorites like The Count of Monte Cristo, The Scarlett Pimpernel, Narnia. There are so many wonderful books.
Kathy says
I’ve been reading aloud with my kids for 20 years. At present, I have a 13 and 23 year old at home. They started reading the Harry Potter books and have been loving them. So now I’m starting with them. We have tons of favorites. Often a child will get a nice hard copy edition of a favorite. The Hobbit was one. :) Love reading your blog!
Heidi says
My son is really into Ancient Greece right now and is reading through the Percy Jackson books. We went to the library a few days ago and found books with tales from the Odyssey and he has read 1 1/2 of those already!! He also decided to learn the Greek alphabet this summer???? I love when a great book causes so much excitement in my kids!
Jen says
We have just started the Little House on the Prairie series-again. Read them with the bigger kids about 6 years ago, but have started it again for the littles who weren’t around the last time. Funny thing – the biggers stop what they are doing to listen. Reading aloud is contagious:-).
BUSY MOM IN AL says
Thank you for the Bible reading printable. I love it!!
Jennie says
Thanks for the giveaway. We love read aloud here. It’s hard to pick one. It also depends on if you ask my boys or if you ask my girls. All in the family is a favorite here too. Wonderful book for both. We also enjoy family under the bridge. We also love silly kids books. That make you laugh. Don’t let the Pigeon drive the bus. Way down south. I love you stinky face. Thanks for the giveaway
Aimee says
Our family has enjoyed The Chronicles of Narnia, and we’re now working out way through the Pippi Longstocking series.
Paige says
The Narnia books are our absolute favorite. We are in the process of reading them a second time. I think I love them more than my boys. :)
Linda says
I read to my 11 yr old son every night. Best part of my day!
Brooke says
We do lots of reading throughout the summer. Yay summer!
Angel says
We have such great memories reading together as a family, and am excited for another summer of memories to add to them!
Emily Adams says
One of my favorite books is Brush of Wings by Karen Kingsbury.
Christy says
We have been loving Tolkien this year. We also love the Moody series that you mentioned and will probably read them all again next year. :)
Amy says
Today I am loving the Mrs. Jeffries mystery books for my own “fun” reading. As a family, our latest find is a book we read on Harriet Tubman. We loved it!
Mary Christriansen says
Some of my favorite books are Ben Hur, books by Frank Perretti, John Grisham, Ted Dekker, and C.S. Lewis. I should add that I am a 66year old grandmother. I read to my kids when they were younger,,,,Little House books, Narnia Series. I live in a small town and our library is within walking distance, it is one thing I am very thankful for. Thanks for the Bible reading chart!
Melissa says
What?!? You want me to pick a favorite book? That is neigh impossible! I have so many loves, it’s like picking a favorite child.
Beth @ Turn2theSimple says
We love reading as a family! Last summer we started a tradition of reading the Narnia series each summer. This year I think we may listen to the Radio Theater Audio drama version. I also use Sonlight’s summer reading lists to choose books for my 3rd grader to read as well as ones to read aloud to the younger ones. We also may start our Core A books “early” this summer!
Gigi says
My family’s favorite book of all time is _Pride and Prejudice_. Every summer, I read a Jane Austin book aloud to my children, and then we watch the movie(s) of the same title. Last summer was the only exception; I read aloud _The Lord of the Rings_ trilogy, instead, and only the older children watched those movies with me.
Karolyn K. says
We like a lot of books. Someone of our favorites are the Little House series, the Anne of Green Gables series, the Mandie Series, and Ms. Piggle Wiggle. Another author we enjoy a great deal is Jenny L. Cote.
Wendi S says
The Penderwicks series is our family favorite summer read-aloud {or audio}. We listened to the first book in the series on our way to the beach a few years ago.
Melanie says
Can I get my teenagers to do this?
Laura says
Absolutely! :)
Rae says
Our favorite read-aloud are the Bible (I read to my wee ones after they are tucked in for the night, and it does wonders in helping them sleep!) and “the sowers” series of biographies from Mott Media.
Jaime says
Great giveaway! So many books I want to buy!
Abigail says
We like the Little House on the Prairie books and my little boys like Billy and Blaze books!
Abigail says
Another great set of books is The Sugar Creek Gang series, they are awesome!
Tosha Kelly says
We are reading the Poppy series this summer after we finish Swiss Family Robinson. My three year old wants to read anything having to do with rainforests or dolphins!
Emily C says
I loooove the Little House on the Prairie series… can’t wait to read it to my daughter :)
Sarah H says
This sounds awesome! I tried to sign up, but I got an error. But as far as sharing favorite books, I love the classics. And I have discovered Usborne’s illustrated classics titles. I LOVE them! It’s so much fun to share these favorite books with my little ones in a fashion that they find interesting as well!
Laura says
I just emailed the freebies to you. :)
Missy says
My boys love books, even audio books. We have listened to chronicles of narnia.
catherine brown says
love family books
Mary Beth Elderton says
I just gave my older grand-daughter a set of Nancy Drew books—I loved them myself as a kid. Summer reading will be both complicated and exciting this Summer. The family is moving across country in early June, so getting settled enough to join a reading program will be a challenge. However—There Will Be A New Library To Explore! That will be exciting!
Olivia says
We like the Moody family books by Sarah Maxwell! So uplifting… my kids love this series… it is all about a home school family that is reaching out to the lost. Highly, highly recommend!!!
C Sherwin says
Already reserved several book suggestions from the library! Fun reading for the summer.
Tricia says
So excited for summer reading! Our kids range from 4-14 (3 boys then 1 girl) so I’m trying to come up with a good series for the oldest to read to the younger siblings that will hold everyone’s attention.
Elena says
I like Little Women
Lauren Scott says
Oooo…how fun! We love books around here. :-)
Jessica says
I have to pick one?!?! :) Boxcar children, little house on the prairie, nancy drew, etc. etc. As a “grownup” I read more fantasy type books (when I find time!) I really want to try reading Little Britches with our kids…going to check if our library has it, otherwise I will have to buy it!
Missy says
I tried to sign up also but got an error page.
Melissa says
We are currently reading through Anne of Green Gables again- a favorite! My older daughter is reading the In Grandma’s Attic series. My oldest son is reading the Wayside School books to his little brother at bedtime. We’ve also been listening to The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place when in the car. We have all been loving Joyce Sidman’s poetry picture books as well. Oh man! TMI?!
Janette says
I like true stories and one of my favorites is “Goodbye Is Not Forever” by Amy George.
Brenda Haines says
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls is one of my favorites and I just found out they made it into a movie. I am so excited! Wood Harrelson is playing the father, so that sounds promising.
For kids books, I suggest, Howe books. Bunnicula, Howliday Inn, The Celery Stalks at Midnight and more. I love those books!
Mandi says
Love reading and so do my kids!
Shiree says
The first book that totally swept me away was The Secret Garden.
Melissa Jackson says
Our whole family loves the Narnia series. My kiddos listen to the audiobooks while they go to sleep.
Lauren McCray says
I’m going to start the little house series with my daughter this summer!! So excited to introduce her to these books. :)
A says
I love this. And I cried at the end of Little Britches too. We need to get the rest of the series.
Sue D says
My favorite book series as a kid and to read to my kids and grandkids has been the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Naomi says
We love to read aloud. We have many favorites, but I’ve have to say that lately we’ve really enjoyed The Bronze Bow, Twice Freed, and The Door in the Wall. All of a Kind Family is one that we read several years ago and I plan to read again now that we have adopted two younger kids.
Tanya says
We homeschooled our 7 children, now all grown, but we had a lot of fun reading together. We used Sonlight and enjoyed so many great books especially F Eastern Hemisphere. Great and Terrible Quest by Margaret Lovett and Lost Prince of Samavia by Frances Hodgson Burnett were some of our favorites. We also read Little Britches series and liked them as well. I have 4 grandchildren, who love books as well. Love your blog, Laura!
Michelle bonsell says
All my kids really enjoy reading.
Gina says
I have always LOVED Sarah, Plain and Tall. The whole series. Little House on the Prairie and Anne of Green Gables a close second. And the Mandy series! Love that too. I have loved sharing my love of reading with my kids.
Crystal says
The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe is in my top ten favorite books. I haven’t taken time lately to really sit and read a book for fun but plan to take some more down time this summer as we scale school work back to writing, science and life skills/home ec in a few weeks. Two years of homeschooling and still trying to find our way. Summer is so hot in south Florida so we have been going year-round.
Breanne says
So fun! My kiddos will love this!
Bethany Ann Hutchinson says
I have so many favorites, it’s hard to narrow down! My sappy side loves Ella Enchanted, which is a Cinderella-esque story. I’m also a big fan of the Dresden Files, which is a fantasy series starring a wizard and set in Chicago.
Suz says
I can’t wait to go back through the comments and see others’ favorites. We all love reading and have so many favorites, but I think our best read-aloud memories would have to be The Chronicles of Narnia and the Little House on the Prairie series. We re-read them for years (and just saying it is making me want to go re-read The Long Winter, to counteract this unseasonably hot streak). Thanks!
Kelly Stowe says
The Giver is definitely my favorite book!
Jessi D says
Let’s read! We love the library and go every week! We read a lot of animal books! We just love to find new books at the library! It is also a great way to set goals….we need to try our best to read all the books we pick out before we go the next week. We love the illustrated books by David Catrow! The books he illiterates are funny! Dog gone dog and ain’t gonna paint are some of our favorites!
Kathy says
I’ve read so many good books lately and one of my most favorite was Boys in the Boat. Sooooo good!
Kelli says
My children and I love reading and going to the library!
Bethany B. says
Choosing a favorite book is like choosing a favorite child…I just can’t do it! There are soooooooooo many!!! Little Pilgrim’s Progress was the first book I remember reading that I loved, but the kids and I are going through the Chronicles of Narnia now and we all love those too…
SOOOOO many books, so little time!!!
Lisa Lawton says
I love anything by Katie Ganshert. My kids are reading the Rush Revere books and liking them!
Lora says
Love the idea!
Jenny S. says
My kids love reading and I think we may start reading the Little House series this summer, one of my favorites!
Stephanie says
My four year old and I are currently reading through all the My Little Pony chapter books:)
Audrey says
I love reading to my daughter.
carol clark says
one of the first books i ever read to read was when i was 16 and i couldnt tell you bout it but the memory of finishing it has always stuck with me i love cat in the hat books the rythem
MARIE says
We enjoyed all The Little House books, The Hiding Place, and A Land Remembered which is one of my all time favorites. Thank for the chance
Sonja says
My favorite book is Not My Will by Franscena Arnold. I also really enjoy books by Lori Wick- two in particular about sisters (probably because my sister is my best friend ever!) Pretense and and Every Storm
Laura says
My older children are loving The Chronicles of Narnia right now!
Lauren says
Picking a favorite book is too hard! Anne of Green Gables will always be special due to my childhood hours spent with Anne with an ‘e’. I can’t wait to read them with my daughters when they are older.
Chrissy M. says
Our favorite family read aloud was Pilgrim’s Progress :)
Jessica says
I hopped on Amazon and ordered All of a Kind Family per your suggestion. My favorite summer activity is reading novels to my kids. We travel to different worlds, laugh together and cry too????.
Jessica G says
I’m not sure if this is the spot to leave a comment for the raffle about a favorite book, but here it is anyway. ;)
We’re in the middle of The Long Winter in the Little House series. Who doesn’t love that series?! We’ve also read All of a Kind Family (and were sad when it ended, too!), but we haven’t read Little Britches yet. That’s on the list.
Kimmie says
So my all time favorite book is Charolettes Web by EB White. My daughter (2) loves Dinosaur Roar, Who’s Nose and Toes?, Elmo’s Potty Book (which we scored from a Little Library), and a Nursery Rhyme book. I wanted to also mention an author who has a initiative for summer breaks called #bookaday. This initiative is a challenge for adults to literally read at least a book a day in the summer and then share the experience on social media about it using that hash tag. Her name is Donalyn Miller. Her blog is called Nerdy Book Club. She has two books that are absolutely wonderful, “Reading in the Wild” and “Book Whisperer”.
Rachel says
My favorite book is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Laura A says
I can’t have just one favorite!
Right now we are really enjoying Thornton Burgess’ Nature Lore. Who knew skunks ate wasps?!
Erin says
My all time favorite book is Gone with the Wind. We have read so many good books as a family. I would love to buy more!
Helen says
My 6yo has just gotten into Magic Treehouse and he reads them out loud to his sister :)
Ashley says
Reading together is the best part of homeschooling! So many good books! We loved Little Britches this year.
Leah says
What a fun summer challenge! We spend a lot of time at our library during the summer!
livivua chandler says
i love the chronicles of narnia
Leigh says
Thank you!
Christi says
Love books of all kinds for me and my kids!
Beth S says
One of my favorite series is Little House on the Prairie, but I also love Anne of Green Gables. I think it night be good to read some of my childhood favorites with my kids this summer.
Elizabeth says
I read aloud to my children (preschool through high school) every day during lunch time. I read while the older ones fix lunch. This is a great way to take a break in the middle of the homeschool day while using our time carefully. And no one complains about the kitchen chores because they get to hear a great story! We plan to continue this during the summer. We love to read!
6SweetViolets says
What a good idea for a time to read to them! I’m going to give it a try!
6SweetViolets says
We love books, too! Even my 13 and 15 year olds still listen when I read to my crew, and they are such sweet times they remember, like your kids. We’ve read so many good books together, and this summer plan to read “The Cat of Bubastes” first, as it goes along with what we were studying this past school year. Blessings to you and your family!
Olivia Hamilton says
I am reading Little Women with my 3 boys aged 7, 9 & 12; they wanted to read this after we read Little Men! We are going to read Ralph Moody next!
Larena says
We love to read. My oldest likes diary if a wimpy kid & my youngest loves pete the cat.
anna chan says
I just love summer reading, I encourage it with my children, we don’t have a favorite book that we read together, maybe we’ll find one for this summer.
Kathie says
We finished reading Little Britches while flying home from a trip. My daughter was so embarrassed because I was crying so hard :) Loved that book!
Jennifer says
I love the hiding place!
Jennifer says
I love the book The Hiding Place!
R says
There are so many good books to choose from. Instead of repeating ones that have been mentioned, I think I’ll add the MacDuff series. It’s a very cute series about a little dog and its family.
Kayla Byer says
I love this reading party. My eldest, who is 8, just got into reading. She reads at least one book per day. I can’t even keep up with her love for reading. I’m running to the library every week and buying books online. I wouldn’t change it. I love reading and I’m thrilled she does too. She loves books about animals. I like to read everything. I don’t have a favorite but now I am reading angels in the ER.
Angelica Dimeo says
I like Queen Of the damned
Niki C says
What a great giveaway! Thanks for the opportunity.
September says
Our favorite children’s books are The Chronicles of Narnia series. The dramatized audio versions are perfect for read-aloud time!
Barb G says
Looking forward to summer reading with the grandchildren. The Amazon gift card would help. Thanks for the opportunity.
Mary Buzzell says
The library is my favorite place. I love to “read” cookbooks!
April P says
We are really enjoying The Penderwicks right now.
Ruth says
OH My Goodness!!! I LOVE the library smell and the library! Yes, it makes me happy indeed to spend days in the library!! Your reading party sounds awesome! I will definitely be joining with all my crew. :-)
Ruth says
Oh, and my favorite book (s), are the ones by Marguerite Henry, though I can’t really pick A favorite of the wonderful world of books. I might just have to go with the Bible as my Very favorite.
Christy says
I can barely keep tabs on all the things being read around here. My oldest just finished Narnia (the whole series) for the second time (in two months). Second boy just got hooked on Ramona. Third boy is Magic School Bus obsessed at the moment, with a bit of Jan Brett on the side. Fourth boy loves all books (and acts out everything he hears) — I couldn’t pinpoint a favorite. Fifth boy prefers chewing on them at this point (he’s seven months). ;)
Out loud, we’re reading the Light Keepers “Ten Boys Who . . . ” series occasionally during lunch. And endless, endless picture books.
Karen D says
My favorites tend to be mystery series by women authors.
Courtney Williams says
I love reading! This is my first year homeschooling my 3 boys, 9, 7 and 5. I hope that they will have as much of a love of reading as I do. One of my favorite books is Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.
Lisa J says
My son loves all the books from the Magic Treehouse series.
Heather G says
A couple of years ago before a trip to Disney World my kids and I read the Kingdom Keepers series and loved it. We also love anything by Chuck Black! My 5 year old and my 15 year old are total book worms, but my 6 & 10 year old Need more motivation. Thanks for giving us a reason, since the libraries around us don’t provide any.
Kory says
I love the Chronicles of Narnia. We are going to start reading them with my 5 & 7 year old.
Katie says
I love reading with my kids. We are currently working on the Dr. Dolittle series but our favorite read aloud thus far has been Fantastic Mr. Fox.
Darcy Carmichael says
My favorite book that I’ve read recently is Control Girl.
Lee says
We love our library! They have a limit of 100 books at a time (ask me how I know). We have all of a kind family on our read aloud list right now. My daughter’s favorite read alouds are all in the chronicles of narnia series. She loves everything about them.
Ruthie Wright says
Love your site! Little Britches is on our list!
Jaclyn says
My family is loving the Narnia series right now, as we read aloud each night.
Rhoda says
Oh so many good books out there. My personal favorite is Celia Garth, set in the Revolutionary War. As for read alouds, we are working our way through YWAM’s (Youth With a Mission) missionary stories. All that we have read thus far have been challenging and motivating. They have great audio’s of many of the books which my son really enjoys.
Thank you for a wonderful read along party and for the give away.
Katrina Britton says
I LOVE reading and am thankful to be turning my little boys into book worms as well! I, too, have four boys (so far), only mine are ages 4 and under. :) Reading books is sometimes the only sane part of our day! We hit up the library every other week and also have shelves of our own teeming with books! Curious George books are a big favorite with my children right now! I am currently re-reading Shepherding A Child’s Heart, which is proving to be one of my favorite parenting books. :)
Lynette Williams says
My children and I are totally loving the Classic Starts version of Peter Pan retold by Tania Zamorsky. It’s our current read-aloud where we take turns reading to each other. (My children are 6 and 9.)
Laura says
My boys and I are finishing up Little House on the Prairie right now, but I think our favorite one we’ve ever read together was The Boxcar Children. My oldest just loved that book!
Shelly says
We loved the Little Britches series, too! Currently reading through the Little House series (again), because they are a personal favorite of mine. :)
Lara says
We have Little Britches and All of a Kind Family on our list of read-alouds for next year. I’ve heard they are wonderful and am looking forward to reading those. We loved The 21 Balloons and Johnny Tremain, the Ramona series and several biographies — Eli Whitney, Lewis and Clark, George Muller…reading together is my favorite time of the day!
Dawn says
I really liked Crispin Cross of Lead to read with my son.
Dawn says
I enjoyed reading Crispin Cross of Lead with my son.
Terri S says
My all time favorite is Shel Silverstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends.
Lori says
We are loving the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place right now. It is laugh out loud funny.
Melody says
For my little ones I love all of Sandra Boynton’s books.
Katie says
We love The Who was it series
Darlene says
Looking forward this! I’m looking forward sharing, ‘The Biggest Bear’ with my daughter who is becoming a bookworm. It was the first book I got lost in when I first learned to read.
Melissa says
We love reading Shel Silverstein’s poems.
sarah says
We love the library! We especially love the summer reading programs with activities, prizes, etc. My friend teaches 1st and 2nd grade and tries to always take a trip to the local library during the year. She and I are both amazed at how many kids have never been. So sad. We live in the city where we regularly visit several libraries.
Lisa Leyboldt says
LOVE Little Britches!!
Erica says
Our 6 year old just learned to read this year and is loving the Elephant and Piggie books.
As a family we are in the middle of reading Green Ember.
Karen says
I am looking forward to sharing the Lord of the Rings with my children this summer. Right now we’re reading A Pddington Treasury.
Amy says
I loved going through “The Railway Children” with my kids. Audio books are my friends!
Jennifer says
I just read Harry Potter for the first time last year and now my 8 year old nephew is reading them! He just finished 2nd grade yesterday and he was the best reader in the entire grade. So happy he is following in his aunt’s footsteps ;)
Heather says
I like the reading Bingo board in the pack! My daughter is excited to read the Little House on the Prairie books with me this summer.
Leanne says
I am excited to use the bingo cards with my kids. They normally slack off on their reading in the summer so I think this will help motivate them.
Christine says
I loved the Little House books as a child. I’m so delighted that my 10 year old daughter has decided that she wants to read the whole set this summer. We always do some kind of reading incentive for the girls during the summer. They enjoy it and I love knowing that they are still learning. Thanks for the giveaway.
Rhonda says
So many good books to choose from! I’m rereading “A Town Like Alice” by Neville Shute. I miss having children at home to read to:)
Jenny Lamb says
Our family has really been enjoying reading aloud The Sugar Creek Gang series and The Boxcar Children. Summer is such a great time for reading! Thanks for the printables!
Deborah says
Oh my, I have been raising, and reading to my kids for 32 years now, so it is impossible to pick a favorite. The ones we remember the most are the emotional ending books, like “Where The Red Fern Grows”, Charlotte’s Web”, “Shiloh”. I see a theme, we love animal characters, lol!!
Sarah says
We LOVE reading!! I’ve got 5 boys ages 10, 8, 4, 2, and 6 months. My older two seem to always have their noses in books (when they are not building with Legos).. I love your idea of reading during the hottest part of the day! Definitely doing to be doing that!
Tracy says
I love the Little House series as a kid. Can’t wait to do that, and Chronicles of Narnia with my own kids!
Kelly M. says
Growing up, my all time favorite books were the Little House on the Prairie series :)
Hope says
My husband has read the Chronicles of Narnia maybe 4-5 times out loud over the course of years with our nine kids. More to come as some are just babies!
Amy says
Looks like a fun list!
Thanks!
Hayley says
So many favorites here, too! The Giver, Where the Red Fern Grows, Number the Stars, Summer of My German Soldier…those are all favorites of mine from my childhood that I can’t wait for my girls to be ready for!
Jone says
So, pretty much anything by C.S. Lewis – fiction and apologetic. Also, currently reading Pride and Prejudice and loving it.
Robin B. says
My favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird. My daughter enjoys the Imagination Station books, Chronicles of Narnia, and the American Girl books.
Anna says
My kids love me to read to them! My oldest is six so we still have a lot to explore… Right now we’re going through the the Misty of Chincoteague series for at least the third time : ). They also have loved the “Childhood of Famous Americans” series; and “The Mitchell’s: Five for Victory” has been a major favorite too!
Sheri Beeker says
I am always glad for new books for our family to read!
Stephanie says
We loved reading aloud Pippi Longstocking and The Penderwicks! My girls loved these!!
Jennifer says
I love reading a mix of classics (Sherlock Holmes, Little Women, Jane Austen) and new Christian fiction.
Rust says
I love a good mystery/thriller and am really enjoying the Natchez Burning trilogy by Greg Iles.
Karen Milone says
My children signed up for the summer reading programs at the local library ever year!
Colleen M says
I am a teacher and look forward to summer to be able to read all the books I didn’t have time for during the school year. My girls are older now so family read-alouds don’t happen but we all cherish our lazy days of summer to read for pleasure.
Andrea says
Thanks for sharing. I love following you and learning from you.
Katherine Rhodes says
We just finished reading The Swiss Family Robinson together as a family. We celebrated by watching the movie and decided the book was so much better!
Christina says
One of our all-time favorite series that we read at bedtime together several years ago was the Sugar Creek Gang, all 36 books! Currently, we are enjoying the Whatever After series (more light-hearted, but has some good lessons). We’ve also enjoyed The Green Ember, Ember Falls, Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, and The Bronze Bow. These have definitely been our favorites! I look forward to reading with you this summer! :)
Nicole says
I have a question for you. Have you ever been really really behind in school for the school year? My husband has had a really weird schedule this year/ part of the year unemployed which was really difficult and so now we are really behind. He is finally starting the summer schedule which is normal mon-fri day hours. yay!! But we are like…maybe 40ish lessons behind. Its bad. We live in ny and I am going to have to send a letter today saying our quarterly report is going to be super late. And this is my first year working with the state because last year my oldest was only five. Has this ever happened to you??
Laura says
Our state has different requirements, but this kind of thing happens to ALL of us at one time or another for all kinds of reasons. That’s the beauty of homeschooling, though if you have to report in to the state, it can feel like pressure! Work a little through the summer to catch up – take breaks when you can so you’ll find refreshment. You’ll catch up!
Nicole says
Thanks for making me feel better! I just remember this morning that this is also probably due to the fact that I’m pregnant :) and it was probably when I was sick that we missed so much time. I have one more question. This year I am thinking about changing it up with my “mr. rambuctious son”. I used abeka k with my first and also abeka first grade and it has worked great with him (1st son is super excited about and loves school). I am finding out that my 2nd son is completely different so I am using abeka k but I am having to kind of improvise and change it to work with him but 1st grade is super heavy on wksheets so I KNOW this will not work for him. You have 4 sons so I am wondering if you have any curriculum suggestions for 1st grade that will work for a active kid who hates handwriting. Also he is having a little trouble with long vowels..which I did not experience with my first so…a bit of a puzzle there. There are so many curriculum options though…its a bit overwhelming. Thank you!!
Laura says
We followed Sonlight curriculum which was literature based instead of workbook based. LOVE IT! Granted, it suggested workbooks too, and it included way more books than was really good for our sons to get through, so we we cut out part of it to keep their schooling doable and fun. I read a lot of books to them while they played with hands on toys like legos. There are always going to be a few workbook/writing activities – like math and grammar, learning to write letters and words, handwriting – but I always kept it to what was absolutely necessary. Some workbooks we did orally (they would tell me the answer instead of writing it down). Or some I would do a mixture of both (they would write two of the answers and tell me the rest orally). I’ve found that following curriculums loosely and making adaptions according to my sons’ needs was the way to go!
Stefany Anno says
This exactly how we love to spend our summers! Thank you!!
Judith Martinez says
I love all of Jane Austen’s books and nearly everything Francine Rivers has written. Probably my favorite adult fiction books are the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers. My favorite children’s books have to be The Chronicles of Narnia.
Erica says
We are doing story of the world voulume 3 for homeschool. I woul definitely pick up some books to use with that.
Rachel Neely says
This is a really fun idea!
Missy Wainman says
I love the smell of libraries too! Takes me back to the public library in my small hometown in Tennessee! ??
Dawn S says
We read the Redwall series last summer. Still trying to decide what we will read for this summer. Looking forward to it!
Jaimie Ramsey says
I have sooo many favorite books. Some of my favorites as a kid were the American Girl books, Boxcar Children, Little House, Elsie Dinsmore, Anne of Green Gables, and many others!
Gayle Greeley says
My goal for 2017 is to read 26 books. One for every letter of the alphabet. I am using Author’s last name as my letter. I have read books with authors with last names beginning with A-G so far and am half way through my book with author last name beginning with H right now. I got a slow start due to my son’s senior year leading up to graduation this week. After we get past the open house in the first week of June my time will free up and the reading can speed up as well. It has been a year full of great reads so far. Cannot wait to see what the rest of the year brings. The library is my friend :) Borrowing is so much more cost effective! Have a great summer.
Kim Lofquist says
Getting ready to experiment this summer by “strewing” my kids’path with good books and see what happens. Maybe I’ll strew some in my path too…
Sharon says
The Little House books were my favorites as a girl and now my daughters love them as well.
Melissa says
We LOVE the Little House series. And my husband is reading through Harry Potter with my oldest…they love it!
Anna Jefferies says
One of my favorite books to read is Gone with the Wind and one of my kids’ favorites is The seven silly eaters!
Laurel says
I am planning to start doing some Five in a Row with my kids, but we also are firm believers in reading for fun, and do so every night. I am really looking forward to using the Bible reading freebie! Thanks!
Mom in NJ says
I love Ann of green gables, but my kids prefer the rangers apprentice series.
Karen says
We love listening to books as a family. Some of our favorite series are The Chronicles of Narnia, The Meledy Quartet (so fun!), Little House on the Prairie series, the Kingdom series by Chuck Black, Winnie the Pooh, and the first two books of the Anne of Green Gables series (after pre-reading the third book, I decided it was not worth reading to my girls). The first two series on my list we have on CD and the whole family can practically quote them from hearing them so many times.
Some of our favorite stand alone books are Treasure Island, Little Britches (we edited out the few objectionable words as it was read aloud), Around the World in 80 Days, Swiss Family Robinson, Treasures of the Snow, Pollyanna, many of the G.A. Henty books (we are up to about 25 now), and several books by Lamplighter Publishing.
Somewhere we have All of a Kind Family. I will have to find and read it aloud soon (unless I find it as an audio book first – LOVE audio books!).
Adrienne says
Thanks so much for the Bible reading chart :)
Charity says
This is so exciting! I am going to try and read through some American Girls books with my daughters this summer. They are old enough to enjoy chapter books finally.
Corrie says
The little house series is probably my favorite set of read aloud books. We have also enjoyed some of George McDonald’s childrens books, and are in the middle of his “at the back of north wind” right now.
Toni B says
My almost 3 yr old son is home for the summer and I plan to utilize our library and this time to get in a lot of reading together! Thanks for the suggestions!
Laurie says
We love reading, and I still read bedtime stories to my younger kids (ages 8, 10 and 15). It’s also funny how often the ones no longer still living at home – and their friends – happen to stick around during story time! :) We love the Little House books, Louisa May Alcott, the Christian Heroes Then and Now set, and too many others to name.
Amanda Sikes says
We LOVE reading the Little House series in the summer. My kids play out each book as we read through it. Some of my favorite times/memories.
Betsy says
Oh, how I love our library! Our current favorite read is The Windows Blew by Patrick Hutchins. Perfect for the 2 and 3 year old in our home!
Laura D says
We really enjoy reading books about missionaries. My two favorites this year were one about Gladys Aylward and another called “And the Word Came with Power.”
Eillem says
Great ideas! Love reading Anne of Green Gables with my daughter.
Abbygail says
We just finished In Grandma’s Attic and soooo loved it! I put the next one on hold at the library.
Sarah says
I was dissatisfied with the local library’s summer reading programs last year… so I’m especially excited about this one!
My favorite children’s picture book is Susan Jeffert’s illustrated version of Robert Frost’s “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Love it!
Carmen N says
Our favorite books lately have been anything written by Mo Willems – especially the Pigeon books!
Shelby says
My girls and I LOVED The Giver series!!
Jana says
We love the little house books
Leanne says
We love the Little House series and also the Ralph Moody books.
Becky says
My favorite book to share is…. I can’t pick just one! For me, my all time favorite book is Wuthering Heights, I also loved the Help, Pride and Prejudice, The Accidental Empress.
Barb says
Love the library!
Steph J says
Hard to pick a favorite, but the first that come to mind:
Ramona series by Beverly Cleary
Chronicles of Narnia
I’m hoping to get my reluctant reader started on some series this summer that will keep him reading!
Faith Dossett says
The library in my very small hometown was such a treat for me as a child and teenager. Oh, how I loved to go there. Some of my favorites to read were the Nancy Drew books, The Trail of the Lonesome Pine, the Anne of Green Gables books — books along those lines. What a wonderful giveaway you have here — thank you!
Angela Wezowicz says
going to look into all of a kind family. love all these suggestions. thank you!
Erica says
Favorite book recently – a polygamist daughter!
Jessica says
Summer reading is my favorite! I have made booklists for my three boys. And one for myself, of course!
Erin says
This motivates me to make it a priority
Karen says
I love so many novels. But I am really into Jodi Picoult lately! Especially Small Great Things.
Whitney says
Hi, I have been enjoying reading your blog. You encourage me to try and have a healthier and more frugal lifestyle!