Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Books I Wish I'd Read Aloud

One of my favorite parts of the day is the time I spend snuggled up with my 10-year-old daughter reading before bedtime. Unfortunately, not all books are created equal when it comes to reading them out loud. I won't mention any names, but I have stopped mid-book to say, "Why don't you finish this one on your own because I just can't keep reading these clunky sentences to you."

Other books I cherish. Right now we're reading Down Sand Mountain by Steve Watkins. I'm not sure that I'd fully appreciate the characters' wonderfully unique voices if I weren't reading the book aloud. I also loved reading Shannon Hale's Book Of A Thousand Days to my daughter. And I wouldn't have wanted to miss hearing the sound of each well-crafted sentence in East by Edith Pattou (okay, so some of the Norse was a little tongue-twisting).

Sometimes I wish I'd read a book aloud. I bet The Underneath by Kathi Appelt would be wonderful read that way. I kind of wish I'd gotten to really bring alive the characters in Jenny Moss' novel Winnie's War. And Waiting For Normal by Leslie Connor would've been a good one too. My daughter's teacher has read several Class of 2k9 books to the class too--and I envy her that reading experience.

Which books do you wish you'd read out loud to someone?

(Posted by Sydney Salter)
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3 comments:

  1. UnknownMarch 17, 2010 at 5:22 AM

    Oh, yes -- those (unnamed) clunky books! I've put a few down after a few pages too. Shannon Hale is great -- we have the audiotape of GOOSE GIRL and my son has probably heard it a dozen times -- he can quote from it at length! And the LITTLE HOUSE books are very soothing to read. And HARRY POTTER though I stopped reading them aloud after the first three I think. My kids are loved THE WILLOUGHBYS by Lois Lowry.

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  2. JeanneMarch 18, 2010 at 5:53 AM

    My kids are younger, but I just finished reading Varjack Paw out loud. I first encountered this book on CD so I knew it would be a good one. I also just read Charlotte's Web out loud, which I wish I could do again and again. I think this was my official third time. I remember my Dad reading Heidi to me when I was a kid and I remember loving it.

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  3. Sydney SalterMarch 22, 2010 at 8:09 AM

    I read Goose Girl aloud too--great read. Anything Shannon Hale works because she writes so beautifully.

    Jeanne--nothing's better than Charlotte's Web. I read that one to each of my daughters and would happily do it all over again. How nice to be at the beginning of your read aloud novel years. My 14-year-old isn't quite as interested anymore. Sigh.

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