Family Read Aloud Books – How to Add to Your Homeschool

Family Read Aloud Books

Homeschooling or not, reading together as a family is such a wonderful way to spend time together.

I decided to write this post with a list of all of our favorite family read aloud books without the word “homeschool” in the title simply because reading aloud together isn’t only for school time.

It’s a time to connect as a family and a great way to introduce your child to some classic stories they may not choose to read on their own.

We do incorporate family read aloud in our homeschool day and I’ll share more on how we do below ☺

Favorite Part of Our Homeschool Day

Since our kids were babies reading together as a family has been a big part of our day. It’s been a part of their bedtime routine that we enjoy together, even as my kids have gotten older.

And it’s for sure one of our highlights – actually I think it’s our favorite part of our homeschool day. 

Each school day we start with our read alouds. My kids and I each read a chapter of a book aloud and usually discuss a little after each one of us reads.

Sometimes I will have my kids answer comprehension questions, or illustrate a favorite part of the book that we have read so far. My kids have also have completed lapbooks, which they love. 

Another great idea is to keep a log or list of all the books you read aloud together as a family!

Make a notation for your favorites or note if there are some you don’t love. It’s fun to look back, even over the course of one school year and re-visit all you’ve read together.

There are some read aloud journals I’ve seen for purchase, but I just use a composition book to record ours. Your kids could help decorate it and take turns recording the title and author. 

How We Choose Our Read Aloud

Choosing family read aloud books together can be so fun.

As I mentioned in a previous post on choosing the best homeschool reading curriculum, my picks tend to be along the more classic route: Anne of Green Gables, The Wind in the Willows, Narnia series, the Little House series etc., while my kids will choose (with my help) a chapter book that will appeal to all. 

We have amassed quite a collection of books in our home. We have many bookcases filled with books. 

As the kids have gotten older and we are reading more and more chapter books & series, we can’t possibly own them all.

This is where the library comes in handy! 

I have expressed my love for the local library in more than one blog post ha, but it’s so true – I LOVE THE LIBRARY!

Reasons I LOVE the library:

1. Being able to take my kids and let them check out as many books as they want, starting at a very young age. Having a designated spot, like a basket, in your house is crucial to making sure you don’t lose the gazillion books you’ll come home with!
2. The ability to reserve books through the online catalog for pickup when it’s convenient for me.
3. The local library is an excellent resource for audiobooks. Hoopla is a free service that allows immediate streaming from your library’s catalog of movies, music, audiobooks, e-books, comics and TV shows. You also have the choice to download the file to your device to listen when you may not have constant internet access like in the car or on vacation.
4. Free programs, classes and endless opportunities for homeschool enrichment!

Basically, the library is the best homeschooling resource out there, and it’s FREE!

Favorite Family Read Aloud Books:

Before we get to my list of favorite family read aloud books, I want to share that I also love checking out seasonal books from the library to add to our read aloud times.

There is something so special about reading a book about winter or Christmas curled up together on the couch or in front of the fireplace.

Such an easy way to embrace the season and create some wonderful memories. I wrote a post all about how to have some homeschool fun, including our love of seasonal homeschooling.

These are some of our favorite family read aloud books – chapter books specifically, that we have loved.

Our favorite family read aloud books – chapter books specially, that we have loved:

Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion Witch & the Wardrobe: by C.S. Lewis. Such a great, classic fantasy story about 4 children sent to live in the English countryside during WWII and a magical old house. There is also a very well made movie to watch after finishing the book (something we love to do too!). 

Little House Series: by Laura Ingalls Wilder. We started with The Little House in the Big Woods and we absolutely loved it! We are big fans of the whole Little House Series and of learning about the pioneer days. 

Stuart Little: by E.B. White. Great for kids of all ages. Such a sweet story and again, a cute movie to watch after you’ve finished reading. 

Ramona Series: by Beverly Cleary. One of my favorite series when I was younger and I have absolutely loved re-reading it with my kids. They adore Ramona and all of her antics. So well written – Ms. Cleary was so, so talented and really knew how to appeal to all ages. 

Fudge Series: by Judy Blume. Another favorite author from my childhood and one I have really enjoyed listening to my oldest read to us all. The Fudge series is comprised of four books, each one connected to the others yet enjoyable as a stand-alone book. Very entertaining and my kids love this series so much!

Mr. Popper’s Penguins: by Richard & Florence Atwater. I know there is a movie based on this book, and it’s cute; however the book is definitely better. Fun, heartwarming and such a joy to read aloud. I highly recommend! 

Peter Pan: by J.M. Barrie. There is a Classic Starts version of this book (as there are with many classics) which is what we read as part of a homeschool book club. A classic childhood story told in a very easy to understand way.

The Secret Garden: by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The start of this story is upsetting – the main character, a young girl, is orphaned. However if you skim over that chapter or if you choose to read with your children, it turns into such a magical, fantastic story. 

Anne of Green Gables: by L.M. Montgomery. We are currently reading this lovely book – the original version. I read the series as a young girl and am loving reading this again. My kids love how they can relate to some of Anne’s feelings & behaviors despite the fact that there is a 100+ year age difference. Cool to see your kids understand how people lived long ago can be so similar to today’s life. (UPDATE: we have now read 3 in the Anne series and we are so hooked!)

American Girl Historical Character Stories: by various authors. Another great example of learning how children lived throughout history. These stories are all well written and tied into important times in U.S. History. My girls are big American Girl fans, but even if yours aren’t, the stories are very engaging and great to read aloud. 

The Wind in the Willows: by Kenneth Grahame. Another classic story, providing your children exposure to some fantastic vocabulary. While some of the language may seem antiquated, by reading aloud to them you will be able to explain the wording that may seem different than today’s vocabulary. Great story with all animal characters who act both like people and animals, which my kids really liked. 

Winnie the Pooh (the collection): by A.A. Milne. Sweetest characters ever in my opinion! The stories in the whole collection are such wonderful read alouds for all ages. While Winnie the Pooh may seem like a younger child’s choice, the stories and themes are perfect for older children too. I would recommend starting with “When We Were Very Young”, and “Winnie the Pooh” and then “The House at Pooh Corner”. Try not to cry at the end of “The House on Pooh Corner”…it’s so sweet!

The Mouse and the Motorcycle: by Beverly Cleary. Another great series by my favorite childhood author! We have only read this one together so far, but it’s a great read aloud. Full of imagination and fun action, this book is sure to keep your kids’ interest. 

Start your own family read aloud book collection

Now I am sure I forgot some books that we’ve loved – I really should be more diligent with my read loud log, and when I think of more I’ll add them to this list!

Also, I know I mentioned the library but if there are some books that you want to own, it can be a fun project to hunt down vintage versions of the classics!

There are online resale sites I check for used books (Abe Books & Thrift Books are my top picks), but also be on the hunt at local thrift shops or used book stores. 

I am very grateful that my mom is an avid reader and kept a lot of her childhood favorites as well as some of my grandmother’s books, and has given them to me to share with my kids. These books are something I treasure and I love to see my kids learning to do the same. 

Hope you find this list helpful! Happy reading ☺