These books by Peter Spier, filled with delightfully detailed pictures and in the case of The Erie Canal and
The Star Spangled Banner with historical information, offer a chance to sing and read. Reading a book by singing
can sometimes help reluctant readers to join in as the words to the song become familiar through repetition. A follow up to
Raffi's Songs To Read
Books for storytelling by Peter Spier give a child the opportunity to look at the pictures and develop the story line from
the illustrations. Fun to pour over together on the couch.
- Peter Spier's Christmas
- Peter Spier's Rain a wordless book filled with pictures of a rainy day adventure. It can provide a satisfying end to a rainy day adventure.
It captures the beauty and wonder of a brother and sister’s joyous experiences in the rain. Come along as they explore
their neighborhood, splash through puddles, see where the animals hide, and make footprints in the mud.
- Peter Spier's Circus
- People
- Noah's Ark
And if you are interested in books about Noah, this Noah's Ark book by Rien Poortvliet is my all time favourite. All of the books by this artist offer a simple story and delightfully detailed
drawings. He also did the books about gnomes. Being Dutch myself, I enjoyed his book Daily Life In Holland In The Year 1566.
With the popularity of Shrek, you may enjoy reading other books by the originator of Shrek – William Steig. Three of our favourites
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Chapter Books
Jeremiah in the Dark Woods by Janet and Alan Ahlberg
A transition from picture books to longer wordy books. A delightful romp through fairy tale characters as Jermiah searches
for the "no good robber who stole my auntie's tarts." For ages 4 and up. MY husband has a class set and reads them with his
grade 4/5 class. They enjoy the humour in the books.
The Family Under The Bridge and others by Natalie Savage Carlson
A fantasy about love and family - This story that can lead to a lot of discussion about homelessness, children being abandoned,
but it can also be read just for the warmth and concern for each other that Armand and the children develop. I particularly
like her stories about the Happy Orphelines. The stories are dated - printed in 1958 but the care and concern for each other
that the characters express will never go out of date. Ages 5 and up
Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
One of my favourite's to read aloud and to use to illustrate many of the points I make when talking about homeschooling.
The author was one of the first supporters of using the Montessori method in the home and in educational settings in the US.
A lovely story about a little girl coming into her own on a farm in Vermont. She discovers that while she is at a 3rd grade
level in arithmetic, she can read at a 7th grade level. She begins reading out loud at home in the evenings and is surprised
to find that she can give so much pleasure to the adults in the household by reading to them. Ages 5 and up. Good read loud
in a classroom setting for grade 3 and up
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The Trolley Car Family by Eleanor Clymer
This book is out of print but can be purchased second hand or found in libraries. A warm and satisfying story about a family
coming up with a creative solution to the father's job loss. This past summer, I rode on a trolley car in Seattle. I kept
thinking about this story as I rode on the trolley. It made the ride even more delightful. Ages 5 and up – classroom
grade 3 and up
The Moffats and Rufus M by Eleanor Estes
Charming stories of family adventures that bring back an earlier time of life that wasn't as frantic. It's been delighting
readers for more than 50 years. For ages 4 and up.
The Betsy books by Carolyn Haywood
These books were ones my daughter particularly enjoyed. They have simple vocabulary so are great for readers who are just
starting chapter books. Fun stories about the various adventures of Betsy and her friends. The first book starts with Betsy
in first grade. She's a bit scared to go but finds that she likes it and learns all sorts of things. Warm, simple and entertaining
stories that 5 - 8 yr. olds will like. B Is For Betsy is a great read aloud for first grade!
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Miss Happiness and Miis Flower, The Story of Holly and Ivy, The Doll's House by Rumer Godden
Her stories about dolls make good read aloud books. Rumer Godden manages to have parallel stories running throughout her
books. Her book, The Story of Holly and Ivy is a Christmas books that I read aloud every Christmas. I enjoy her writing for
adults, too. Ages 5 and up Classroom grade 2 and up
A Toad For Tuesday by Russell E. Erickson
Warton the toad goes to visit his Aunt Toolia. He's traveling on skis and gets caught by an owl. Can an owl and a toad
be friends? The rest of the story takes surprising twist but ends happily. A delightful story that children 4 and up will
enjoy. Worth searching for second hand or in your library as are all the others by this author about the toad brothers. .
Ages 6 and up
Ida Early Comes Over the Mountain and Christmas With Ida Early by Robert Burch
One of my all time favorite books along with Christmas With Ida Early. I still read this book to myself every Christmas.
I used to read it to my children every year as part of our December reading. They are now all adults, but still enjoy reading
it when they come home for Christmas. It is one of the defining things about Christmas for them. My husband reads these books
out loud with his grade 4/5 class. The students enjoy the stories and look forward to hearing a new chapter each day. For
5/6 yr olds and up
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The Good Master and The Singing Tree by Kate Seredy
These two stories about Kate and Jansci take place in Hungary before the First World War. Kate learns about life on a big
farm and how to take care of animals and people. The second story continues with the same characters and describes the changes
that happen with World War I and how it affects everyone on the farm. A set of beautifully told stories that broach a difficult
subject - war and families - sensitively and with courage. Great read aloud books illustrated by the author. These books always
make me cry when I read them. Grades 4 and up If you’re reading these to your children at home a 7 year old may enjoy
them. You know your child best, so read a little in the books to determine if they are suitable.
If you have a child interested in war, her book The Chestry Oak is a story about the Second World War told from the point of view of a young boy - Michael, Prince of Chestry in Hungary.
Another beautifully told story of courage, loyalty and love. Be prepared to cry if you read it outloud. Grades 4 and up
Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
I read this story and others by Marguerite Henry as a child and loved them. I was in love with horses. We lived in an apartment.
There was no way my mom could afford riding lessons, so these books were the next best thing. I read all of Marguerite Henry's
books in this series to my children. They loved the books, too. Suitable to read to 6 year olds and up
