The best children's books ever?

[Alec John Moore]

This Guardian article by Lucy Mangan helped me a bit in thinking what new directions to guide our children in when it comes to reading to them. Here's the link to the lists onliine:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/may/12/best-childrens-books-ever

The comments have closed now on the Guardian website but it would be interesting to read about others experiences of reading to their children. I find it more enjoyable and engaging with the kids when the story lends itself to be read out loud. I'm thinking Room on the broom by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler or His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman for the older ones. However, I have found the older "classics" like Swallows and Amazons or The Hound of the Baskervilles to be a bit of a chore.

Alec

[Ondine]

I no longer read to mine but happily feed them a diet of audiobooks. We started with audiobooks as well as reading to when they were about 4 and it seemed to morph when they became very independent readers, but they have retained their liking for audiobooks and I think it has helped their listening skills a good deal, which is brilliant for school

The 9 yr old obsessively reads and listens to Happy Potter and is at different places in the books and audiobooks and quite happy with that! 12 yr old uses a teen reading guide she got for christmas and follows the recommendations in there. So she has recently read and loved Catcher and Mockingbird but listens to younger stuff very happily at bedtime when she's tired. A big Just William CD collection from the Book People gets endless play, for example. She read a set of classics in year 6 - Hound of the Baskervilles, Treasure Island, Black Beauty - that sort of thing and that seemed to suit her at the time.

[Fuschia]

Another vote here for audiopbooks (esp in the car) Fidgety child no 1 will listen for hours. We get them from the library.

When he was small we liked stuff that was good to read, yes... Gruffalo, Bear Hunt etc, and stuff with beautiful pictures

Mr F has read all of the Narnia books and lots more besides... we have listened to Swallows and Amazons many times on CD.

Son no 1 now reading Enid Blyton, Mr Gum etc and in the car we are listening to Eoin Colfer also recently the Runaway Troll (hilarious, must get more by that author)

A 3-6h audiobook is perfect for a weekend away or a long journey

[Alec John Moore]

Interesting to hear about the use of audiobooks in the home rather than just in the car. Ours value/demand the parental involvement of reading aloud - the parents value it too. Even our 11 yr old son who has read every Harry Potter book, watched all of the DVDs, achieved all levels of the PS games and used his pocket money to buy the Lego sets on ebay quietly insists that I read to him as well as to the others - we're ploughing our way through Swallowdale at the moment. I may try to introduce him to Big Toe Books on the Beeb.

[Ondine]

There's a good set of Horowitz' Alex Rider series on CD - he might like those.

[Fuschia]

Alec, wen o read to our children too. Mr F reads to child no 1 at bedtime every night (aged 7) and it is a habit we don't wnat to drop, I think it contributes to his love of books.

[missse22]

My all time favourite books when i was young were....The hungry caterpillar, The tiger that came tea, Burglar bill, and Dogger!! I cant wait till my son is old enough for me to read him these classics!!!

[Alec John Moore]

bedtime does take a long time in our house when only one of us is available to read to all three. Still, I agree with Fuschia that it really helps to instill the love of books. Our youngest (aged 3 1/2) is usually very clear about which one he wants to be read. We both like The Pencil by Alan Ahlberg, very imaginative, funny and a little bit scary but with a happy ending. I remember reading the Alex Rider series a few years ago to my older son who is now 11 and that was a good experience. There's another series by the very prolific Mr Horowitz (he also writes Foyles War or ITV amongst other TV stuff) called the Power of Five which older son has been introduced to by a friend. I've been reading Milly Molly Mandy to our daughter who is 6 1/2 and I found that a surprisingly pleasant experience. I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions for "classics" I could try to introduce our 11 year old to. The Guardian list suggested Tom Sawyer which might be a good start. While it occurs to me, I also found reading the Just William stories a good experience. A good writer is so much easier to read, particularly when you are reading out loud. Alec

[Fuschia]

Yes, we like Just William.

Narnia...

[Fuschia]

THis is GREAT http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/matt+haig/the+runaway+troll/6312830/

[redjam]

Thanks for the link to the Guardian article, AJM, I hadn't seen it. I am finding one of the unexpected joys of motherhood is rereading all my old favourite books with my daughters (and discovering new ones along the way). Little Plum by Rumer Godden, Milly-Molly-Mandy, Enid Blyton, My Naughty Little Sister - and I'm looking forward to dusting down my old copies of the Narnia books and Elizabeth Goudge's Little White Horse when they're older. But it's also such fun to discover new books together - there are so many wonderful picture books in particular, from Julia Donaldson (though funnily enough the only one I'm NOT keen on is The Gruffalo) and John Burningham, to Lauren Child and Lynley Dodd. We're very lucky having access to so many great titles.

The only real disappointment I've had is trying to read Winnie the Pooh out loud - virtually impossible with all the references to 'you' (meaning Christopher Robin). I have to improvise madly and cut huge chunks out as I go along with that one, though both my kids still love the story.

[Fuschia]

Helen Dunmore Ingo series is great (we listened to it in 2008 when son no 1 was 5 but I think it's really aimed at 9+)

They have the CD at the library

[Alec John Moore]

Ah yes, Lynley Dodd and Slinky Malinki. That is one of my favourites to read out loud but our youngest isn't so keen on that. Thanks for the suggestions, really helpful to think about what next. Alec