When I sat down to make our read aloud list for homeschool this year, I kind of panicked. We’ve never been that dedicated to real aloud time during school, but I wanted to make this a top priority this year.
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After listening to a few homeschool podcasts, and seeing my friend Stacy diving into it with her kids, I knew I had to make an effort. But, what should we pick? Well, I had a lightbulb moment about that.
Make your read aloud list from books you already have.
Oh snap! Mind blown. Since we are moving very soon, I didn’t want to purchase new books for the list, and I knew I couldn’t depend on the library for books (bye-bye favorite librarian!).
So, I went around the house and collected many books that I knew the kids and I would enjoy.
Our list is for our 11 year old son, 6 year old daughter, and 2 year old toddler boy. I wanted a variety of books that all 3 would enjoy in some way, shape or form.
Yes, some of these my older son has read on his own, and some I have read on my own, but we’ve never read them together. That’s what this is all about, right?
Enjoying a book together during our school day. Below is a list of the books we’ll be reading this semester, and a small list of books I have picked for next semester. All of the books in this post were found right in our home.
Books Mom Will Read
The Thief of Always – This is actually my copy of the book from when I was 12. My Dad bought it for me, and it has been one of my favorite books since the first time I read it. I can’t wait to read it to my kids.
Politically Correct Bedtime Stories – We actually found this for 50 cents during a library sale. After reading a few pages during the sale, and giggling, my husband and I decided we needed it in our library.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – A classic! This was our first read aloud book for this year, and the kids loved it. They also got to watch both movies, and make their own chocolate popcorn, once we finished it.
The BFG – Can you tell that we love Roald Dahl? It’s been ages since I read this book, and we wanted to read it together before seeing the Disney movie adaptation, but didn’t succeed. Now, we’ll get it done.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens – I mean, if you are a regular of our blog, you know why we had to put a Star Wars book in the mix.
If you’re not sure why, check out my son and I in this commercial. We might be big Star Wars fans, or something.
The Beast Within: A Tale of Beauty’s Prince – I read this last year, and kept it for good reason. If you and your kids are Disney fans, you have to add this series to your read aloud list.
My kids were just introduced to Beauty and The Beast a few weeks ago, so they are going to love hearing about Beast’s backstory.
Pinocchio – A classic. This was given to my son from family members when he was younger. He and Dad read it together during bedtime years ago, but it’s going to be fun to read it for school and with the other children.
Treasure Island – Another classic that Brandon and my husband read together for bedtime years ago. It’s been sitting in his library since.
The Jungle Book – This is what we’re reading right now in October. Again, it’s another Disney favorite for us, so we’re going to enjoy reading the book together.
Where The Sidewalk Ends – Shel Silverstein was my favorite writer when I was in grade school. I read everything he wrote. This book was my favorite one of them all. Last year, we read a few of these poems for Poetry Tea Time, but we’re going to dive into them all this semester.
Books For Alannah To Read
When we talked about her goals for homeschool this year, my girl said that she wanted to “be a better reader.” So, at least once a month, she’s going to read to us. These are the books I grabbed for her to read (that aren’t the Dr. Seuss ones she’s memorized already).
Love Your Curls – This is a book I received from Dove during a conference. I love the lesson within the book, and it should be a good reading book for Alannah.
The Book With No Pictures – A bedtime favorite of ours, this book makes everyone laugh. She may have this one almost memorized, but I wanted to add a book she was familiar with to boost her self-esteem.
Babies Ruin Everything – Another book I snagged during a conference, and it’s full of comedy. As a big sister, she’s going to enjoy reading this one to everyone.
Books For Next Semester
Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship of The Ring – We own all of the Lord Of The Rings books, but we’re going to start with this one and see how the kids like it. They’ve seen the movie, but the book is so much better!
Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone – My son will actually read this one to us next semester. He’s read the whole collecting many times, but his sister hasn’t experienced them yet. Again, if they love reading them during read aloud, we’ll continue with the 2nd and 3rd books.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – We have a really old copy of this classic story, and I cannot WAIT to read it to the kids. I’m hoping they love it, so I can add Alice Through The Looking Glass to our list for next year.
This is still a working list for our next semester, but I’ve been going through the Read Aloud Revival Book List for more ideas.
If you need inspiration or ideas on books you should add to your homeschool read aloud time, you have to download this list. BONUS: it’s FREE!
That’s a great list! I don’t really plan our read-alouds in advance, other than the annual “Harry Potter” (which turned into a more-than-annual read because we couldn’t wait). We’re currently listening to “Little Women.” It’s the first time we’ve done an audiobook rather than actually reading it, and I’m not sure I like it as much.
I was wondering how families, or if families, are enjoying the audiobook option. I didn’t add them to our list because we’re so new at read aloud time, but we may try them eventually.