Our Reading List: Books We’ve Enjoyed Recently

Our family loves reading – but sometimes I have a hard time finding good books! I’ve started keeping the below lists of books we enjoy so that we can read them again and again, and in the hopes that other people will find it helpful, too. We value books that have engaging stories, traditional Christian values, and beautiful illustrations. (And by the way, the below list is much more extensive than a “top ten favorites” – while some would be more “favorite” than others, I think all of these books are worth reading over and over, and enjoyable for both the listener and the reader.)

You can find my tips on using the Pikes Peak Library District here.

Links to books are affiliate links to Amazon.

Picture Books

Great illustrations and engaging stories for younger kids

Mama Seeton’s Whistle
The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter
A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee
A Porcupine Named Fluffy
A Tree is Nice
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Be Nice to Spiders
Bear Snores On
Blueberries for Sal
Brambly Hedge Series
Caps for Sale
Cheerful: A Picture Storybook
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Dear Garbage Man
Five O’ Clock Charlie
Giggle, Giggle, Quack
Harry the Dirty Dog (Series)
Honkers
How Many Days to America?
I Like To Be Little
If I Built A Car
If I Built A House
It Could Always Be Worse
Jumanji
Katy No-Pocket
Least of All
Let Me Hold You Longer
Little Elephant’s Trunk
McDuff Moves In (Series)
Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel
Mirette and Bellini Cross Niagara Falls
Miss Lady Bird’s Wildflowers
Miss Rumphius
Ox-Cart Man
Petunia (Series)
Princess of 8th Street
Roxaboxen
Socks for Supper
Stone Soup (Marcia Brown version)
Tacky the Penguin
The Best-Loved Doll
The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes
The Giraffe that Walked to Paris
The Little House
The Llama Who Had No Pajama
The Man Who Walked Between The Towers
The Money Tree
The Old Red Tractor
The Seven Silly Eaters
The Story of Ferdinand
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree
Train to Somwhere
Warm as Wool

Longer Read-Alouds and Chapter Books

Longer books that are suitable for reading out loud over a period of time or for personal reading for kids

All of a Kind Family Series
Betsy-Tacy Series
Caddie Woodlawn Series
Charlotte’s Web
Dr. Doolittle Series
Homer Price
In Grandma’s Attic Series
Little House Series
Misty of Chincoteague Series
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Wanda Gag version)
The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
The Most Wonderful Doll in the World
Winona’s Pony Cart

Books for Emerging Readers

Shorter chapter books for independent but younger readers, most with not-too-small words, larger line spacing, and illustrations throughout. Plus, most of these are series which is great for kids to get into! I have not personally read all of these books.

Tales from Maple Ridge Series
Billy and Blaze Series
Adventures of Sophie Mouse Series
Greetings from Somewhere Series
Cobblestreet Cousins Series
The Lighthouse Family Series
Mercy Watson Series
Tales from Deckawoo Drive Series
Ivy and Bean Series