Both of my kids go to bed at the same time and they share a bedroom (bunkbeds). Typically, while I’m reading a bedtime story to the youngest (almost 4) - the oldest listens.
The 11-year old is a voracious reader of pretty much anything. Historical fiction, horror, romance, science fiction, fantasy, suspense, nonfiction, joke books, trivia books, etc. The youngest is starting down this same path, although she’s really into princesses at the moment and isn’t too keen on scary stories. (No, she doesn’t know how to read yet but she’s eager for me or her sister to read to her.)
I’m looking for suggestions for a collection of short stories or chapter books (with relatively short chapters) that would appeal to both kids. It would be great if there were maybe one or two illustrations per story to appease the 4 year old, but it’s not a big deal. Lately I’ve been having her just close her eyes and listen – mainly in hopes that she’d fall asleep faster.
We have some of the Andrew Lang Fairy Tale books which are enjoyable, but I don’t want to read that all the time.
So, any suggestions? Preferably at least slightly upbeat stories – the little one dreams very vividly about her day (she talks in her sleep, so I have a good idea of what she’s dreaming about) – and I don’t want to read anything that’s too distressing.
Lots of the Roald Dahl stuff, especially Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Jerry Spinelli’s Maniac Magee had nice short chapters and was very interesting, but it had its possibly disturbing parts too.
The Jeff Kinney Diary of a Wimpy Kid series has very short chapters, lots of pictures, and is very funny and engrossing, but about half way through I realized that the protagonist is just a really rotten kid. It was no problem for us…we just talked about what he should have done differently, or why he was wrong.
Don’t look at me. My dad read me The Three Musketeers and Uncle Tom’s Cabin (I was slightly older than four at that point though…maybe six? eight? Can’t recall)
Anyway, one book he read to me that I have since reread many times myself is Children of the New Forest. It’s historical fiction, and I guarantee the the 11-year old will like it. The four-year-old may get bored by the later chapters, but the beginning should be interesting to her as well; it’s about four children (the youngest not much older, IIRC) learning to survive more or less on their own (they have an adult with them for the first few years) on a farm. They raise animmals (lots of cute baby animals), cook, hunt, and generally grow up. At the same time, they have to hide from Cromwell’s soldiers. There is some violence, but most of it is off screen (i.e. the characters learn later that so-and-so was killed/died in a fire/executed, but nothing graphic.)
I remember my parents reading The Little Prince, when I was a little kid. Of course, then I learned how to read and read a few pages every night, and slept with it under my pillow. I enjoyed the book when I was 6, 11, 18, and now (25).
My dad was the one doing the readings most of the time (unless I was at my grandparent’s, then it was grandpa). We had a collection (it was a Spanish translation) of short story books, color coded… The Orange Book of Bedtime Stories, the Yellow Book of Bedtime Stories, and the blue, purple, red, green versions. Six or seven in the series, total.
The stories were about 2 pages long (small print), and the pages all had illustrations.
Sadly, Amazon is not giving me good returns, other than perhaps the series is out of print.
My kids’ are a little closer together in age, but they both liked listening to The Hobbit and The Wizard of Oz. The Hobbit does have some scary parts, though.
I just want to second the Hobbit my mom read it to my often until I was old enough to read it my self and I still own the illustrated copy that she used to read. Another fun one which might be a bit old but I enjoyed it when I was ~8 was My Side of the Mountain it might spilt their ages nicely.
Thanks everyone for the suggestions, I’ll definitely check them out this weekend. I didn’t spend a lot of time in the children’s section of the library when I was young so I’ve missed a lot of the classics.
I’ve never read the Hobbit, but I’m pretty sure that I’ve heard that it’s really heavy on descriptions of everything. Is that correct or am I thinking of Lord of the Rings - which I’ve also never read. I’m not heavily into fantasy (the “weird” names/language tend to ruin the flow of the story for me), but I think they’d enjoy listening to the worlds and things being described.
Septima, I’m always on the lookout for books that are new for the oldest. It’s getting difficult to find books that have interesting themes, are written well but aren’t too mature (swearing, sexuality, violence) for her age. She and her friends are starting to venture into the Young Adult section, which is a minefield to navigate. Thankfully, she’s reading the Redwall series at the moment. I hope that will keep her busy for awhile.
A book your girls might like: The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye. Definitely G-rated and princessy for the youngest, but a story that the oldest will also enjoy.
I have fond memories of my parents reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder books to me.
I think I was around ten when I read The Hobbit for the first time. I am a Tolkien fan, but I must admit that when I tried to read The Hobbit aloud to my niece some years ago, I found it a tough slog. It seemed to take FOREVER to get going, and I kept feeling pressured to speed things up. We never did finish it, although that was probably just because I didn’t see my niece often enough to keep up the thread of the story.
The Black Cauldron, by Lloyd Alexander, and the rest of the Chronicles of Prydain series, is a much easier choice for reading aloud.
I enjoyed the book when I was 6, 11, 18, and now (25).