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I'm a wife to my "Mr. Right". A momma of five. A maker of slow food and simple living. A collector of memories, a keeper of books, and a champion for books that make memories. An addict who likes my half-and-half with a splash of coffee. A fractured pot transformed by the One Who makes broken things beautiful. I heart homeschooling, brake for libraries, and am glad you're here with me on the journey! Be sure to subscribe to my monthly newsletter. Or, follow along with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google +, Youtube, or Pinterest.

Read Aloud Favorites of 2013

Read Aloud Favorites of 2013-The Unlikely Homeschool

You may well remember my read aloud goals for 2013. As usual, I took those goals as a suggestion, not a dogma. 

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Confession...I veered from the plan a bit.
But, that's OK. The best journeys are the ones with a few unexpected detours. Wouldn't you agree?

So, while I take inventory of the read alouds that we DIDN'T get to for 2013 and begin adding them to my goals for 2014, why don't you take a peek at the ones we DID get to.

(I'd recommend these titles for elementary aged kids.  While my 1st grader and preschooler listened in on our read aloud time, most of these books were hard for them to follow without additional explanation from me.)

Here's a list of our FAVORITE read alouds from the year in no particular order.  

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien
The Twenty-One Balloons by Willian Pene Du Bois
Centerburg Tales (The sequel to Homer Price) by Robert McCloskey
Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary
American Girl Rebecca Series by Jacqueline Denbar Greene
A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond
Detectives in Togas by Henry Winterfeld*
Moccasin Trail by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
A Little House Christmas Treasury by Laura Ingalls Wilder

*Due to the nature of Roman culture, this book demands parental discretion. My children and I were able to enjoy many thoughtful conversations about Roman culture and religious practices while reading it together. That being said, I would not allow them to read Detectives in Togas on their own.

For more thoughts on reading aloud:

Great Read Alouds for Lower to Mid Elementary
13 Books to Read Aloud in 2013
Books Every Preschooler Should Enjoy
Summer Read Aloud Goals
Top 10 American History Read Alouds (with a bonus list of 10 Historical Readers)
Why I Choose a Living Literature Approach to Learning
Hidden Benefits of Reading Aloud to Your Kids

6 comments:

  1. It's always wonderful to get read-aloud suggestions...thanks for sharing this! The Sonlight curriculum also has fabulous read-alouds that you can find on their website, even if you don't use their curriculum.
    Wishing you and your family a happy, healthy, and blessed New Year!

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    1. Yes, we consult the Sonlight catalog on occasion too...when we need a good book suggestion.
      Wishing you and yours a great New Year!

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  2. The 21 Balloons and Mrs. Frisby are two of my all-time childhood favorites. They are on our list for 2014. We read Paddington this year, too and it was laugh-out-loud funny!

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    1. What is the exact title of the Paddington book?

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    2. There are a few Paddington sequels, but this one is the original/first one. It is called A Bear Called Paddington.

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  3. Hi Jamie not sure if you will see this comment in an older blog but I’ve gone through literally dozens of your blogs looking through all your familys favorites & have added to my ever growing book list. You have 3 boys & one girl like me so I totally get that you have a lot of “boyish” type of books. My daughter is 11 and just finished reading little women & little men. Do you have a blog that has recommended books for middle aged girls ?! I would love that so much. Thanks for all you do to help us mommas out!

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