Book List, Part 1

The 3 R's ...

Reading, (W)riting, and (A)rithmetic...not exactly 3 R's, but who am I to complain? And who would I complain to? Hmmm..

The greatest of these is Reading! At least in my book. (Pun intended...accidentally, of course.)

I am an avid reader. And not too particular either. I LOVE historical fiction, thrillers, mysteries, and books that make me laugh out loud. (My husband hates it when I read those in bed, while he is trying to get his beauty sleep!) I also enjoy reading books that teach me valuable skills and inspirational stories that touch my soul. I read a lot of Christian fiction, but also enjoy some secular authors, as long as I have my trusty white-out pen nearby. (I have one book that has more white marks than words, but the story was good.)

But what do my children read? Anything that I read, as long as it's age-appropriate. Face it, my 9 year old son isn't going to enjoy a John Grisham novel about corruption in the courtroom! And maybe in 5 years, my 13 year old daughter will appreciate a Francine Rivers romance or a Dee Henderson mystery. For now though, they have plenty to keep them busy.

This is list 1 of our reading lists. It is appropriate for elementary aged kids. We use our local public library for most books, but have found many at garage sales and trade-in bookstores. When we do have to buy books, Amazon is a great resource, as well as Sonlight.

Elementary

Cricket in Times Square
Strawberry Girl
Great Brain series
Magic Treehouse series
Mr. Popper's Penguins
Phantom Tollbooth
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle
The Year of Miss Agnes
Hundred Dresses
The Little House on the Prairie series
The Viking Quest series
Amelia Bedelia
Frog and Toad books
Third Grade Detectives series
Ralph S. Mouse
The Whipping Boy
The Courage of Sarah Noble
Sarah, Plain and Tall
Stone Fox
Detectives in Togas
Henry Huggins
Dr. Suess....and there are MANY!

This is just a sampling of some of the books that our grade-school age kids have enjoyed. While some books have been read on their own, others have been wonderful for read-alouds. The idea is to find books that are engaging, so that our children will develop a love for reading and learning.

And if you have a finicky reader (I've had a couple!), keep track of the books that they've read by keeping a visual where they can see it. Watch the pride in their faces when another book (or bug in our case), goes up on the wall!

And don't stress if your son/daughter isn't reading at the level you think he/she should be at. Practice makes perfect, and with the right books, perfection is just a page away.