What advanced reading books are you reading to your 3 and 4 year olds?

[Carlashelle]

I've been reading For the Children's Sake and wanted to start some books as she advocates. I've read some other chapter books to them, but not like Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe or Pilgrim's Progress. Have any of you read these to your children this young? I ask, not because of the advanced nature, necessarily, but I've avoided the term "witch" with the kids and I don't know about introducing that concept so young? And, Pilgrim's Progress I do think is a bit lengthy. I have a children's version of it, but that may defeat the purpose???

[inesperada]

:popcorn

[blessedmama]

I know where you are coming from. I have always desired to read the best literature out there to my kids...to help them to develop a broad vocabulary by reading books a little above their current level. BUT...I personally would never read any of the Chronicles of Narnia (or Pilgrim's Progress) to a three or four year old. (My eight year old is just now reading The Magician's Nephew on her own.) The content of these books is uninteresting to little ones because they are unable to relate to it and to experience what the author intends the reader/listener to experience. The themes are lost on them. Their background and life experience are simply too narrow. And to me it is a cardinal sin to make reading uninteresting and tedious. :yes

What did/do I read to them? Beatrix Potter, for one! I love phrases like, "flew to him in great excitement and implored him to exert himself." Young children can relate to the escapades of a mischievous rabbit or a gullible puddle-duck. I read all of the Potter books over and over to my young ones. I also like the original Pooh stories, not the dumbed-down, feel-good Disney versions. I have a beautifully illustrated James Herriot book that they absolutely love as well. The vocabulary in it is such that I have to stop occasionally and explain it. But the more they hear it, over and over, the more it belongs to them. On the lighter side, Dr. Seuss is great for laughs, life lessons, and language development! My kids have Yertle the Turtle and Gertrude McFuzz practically memorized.

I'm really an advocate of repetition in reading...of reading the same enjoyable picture books over and over. That's what kids that age love, anyway. All too soon, they'll be ready for the heavy stuff.

[Punkie]

Have you looked at the Ambleside Year 0 list (http://amblesideonline.org/00.shtml)? They have some chapter books on there as well as smaller picture books with great language. We've been very pleased with the list :)

[blessedmama]

Have you looked at the Ambleside Year 0 list (http://amblesideonline.org/00.shtml)? They have some chapter books on there as well as smaller picture books with great language. We've been very pleased with the list :)

This is a great list; we own most of the books on it, and have checked the others out from the library. Thanks for the link!

[erinee]

I was going to recommend the Ambleside year 0 list, too. Although we aren't homeschooling this year, and next year we will be using the virtual school, I still use the Ambleside list as a reading list for both my kids.

I agree with the other suggestions. Beatrix Potter is *wonderful* even though they aren't chapter books. They expose the kids to such rich language as well as good artwork. And I love the way A.A. Milne plays with words in the Pooh books. It is sooooo different from the Disney versions. We have a James Herriot treasury, too. I love his books for adults, and I was so happy to discover that he wrote versions for children.

Just So Stories also have wonderful word play in them. They are a pleasure to read aloud.

I may be starting the Wizard of Oz (I found one at the library with lots of nice illustrations) with Megan. I think we read it to Zach when he was her age.

The first chapter book for both my kids was Charlotte's Web. It remains one of my very favorites, and the last line is my very favorite last line from any book ever. :heart

I'm going to go get some of these out now and do some reading with Megan today!

[MotherSong]

DH just read _Charlotte's Web_ to our daughter, who turned 4 last week--and our 1.5-year-old son listened, too. Now they're reading _Stuart Little_, also by E.B. White.

I like Jim Trelease's _The Read Aloud Handbook_ for ideas of books to read out loud to kids. My mom read through many of those books aloud when I was growing up. He describes each book and gives recommended ages and similar books kids might enjoy. We usually get on an author we like and then gobble up each book one at a time.

The Caldecott and Newberry books are good--especially the older ones.

[Punkie]

I like Jim Trelease's _The Read Aloud Handbook_ for ideas of books to read out loud to kids. My mom read through many of those books aloud when I was growing up. He describes each book and gives recommended ages and similar books kids might enjoy. We usually get on an author we like and then gobble up each book one at a time.


:yes This is one of my favorite books to give to new parents :)

[Mama Calidad]

Boy? Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. It's DS's hands down favorite book. DD prefers Alice in Wonderland.

[LittleSweetPeas]

How do you break up the chapter books with your ltitle ones? We tried Charlotte's Web with my 3.5 year old and it was a bit too much. I have a hard time just stopping mid-chapter though. Is that what you have to do? Any other thoughts on making it easier to get through?

[Punkie]

If it is too much for them to listen to a chapter, then I usually put the book aside until they are ready for it :)

[Carlashelle]

Great ideas, thank you!! I do have the Winnie the Pooh books by A. A. Milne and those are the ones we have read in the past. We recently moved and things are still upheavled as we just had a baby so I've forgotten what all I have!! lol I also have a Peter Rabbit treasury and Tommy got PR in his Easter basket with a little plush bunny. :) One note of disturbance for that book though, Father Rabbit being put in a pie. I skip that sentence. T&B are rather disturbed by the tone of the book. They don't like Mr. MacGregor. Neither do I! lol Okay, enough of a tangent...I have the Jim Trelease book as well as Honey for a Child's Heart. I have some cute little books by Janette Oke, Spunky's Diary, Ducktails, The Prodigal Cat. I'm glad to know others feel the same way about Lion, Witch and Wardrobe. I LOVE those books; just not ready to introduce them yet. :)

What a good discussion we are having! :D

[AmyWA]

Well, unlike PP's we read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to our daughter when she was only 4. She loved every single moment of it and would BEG to hear more. It was the first chapter book that we read to her and now we are almost done with the 5th book in the series. She has jumped right in to the chapter book thing because of these books. So, if they're read, they're ready for them - and I think the Chronicles of Narnia series is awesome. No matter what age they are.

[HuggaBuggaMommy]

Ds liked The Secret Garden when he was 4. And he's now 5 and loves Narnia as well. I also use the Ambleside reading list, and Sonlight's list, too.

[FourCutieBugs]

I am having to save the Narnia books for when ds is older too. I tried the Magician's Nephew about a year ago, and he was interested, but had too short an attention span. Peter Pan has been a good one too. My mom read him some of that one I think... I have thought of all the books you guys have mentioned here but I haven't tried it cause I thought maybe my Narnia experiment meant he wasn't ready for chapter books yet at all.

We do Beatrix Potter too. I have a book about her which tells of her being criticized for using such big words in children's stories, but she defended her choice by saying that people don't give kids enough credit for being able to learn language. Even back then.

This is a great list. We should make a Barnes and Noble listmania list. or at least a sticky here.

[Bonnie]

We did Stuart Little (although I did skip one chapter...I skim ahead, and I'm glad I did) and now we're about a third of the way through Charlotte's Web. Pondering what next... thanks for the ideas! I'll wait on Narnia, I think, partially because he's aware of the movie and definitely not ready for it. We bought Charlotte's Web on DVD the other day and the rule is we have to finish the book first. :giggle Off to check out the Ambleside list...

[caringmommy]

We did Stuart Little (although I did skip one chapter...I skim ahead, and I'm glad I did) and now we're about a third of the way through Charlotte's Web. Pondering what next... thanks for the ideas! I'll wait on Narnia, I think, partially because he's aware of the movie and definitely not ready for it. We bought Charlotte's Web on DVD the other day and the rule is we have to finish the book first. :giggle Off to check out the Ambleside list...


We just finished Stuart Little. I'm so curious which chapter you skipped? :giggle Sorry, I just can't figure it out.

[Carlashelle]

nak here checking out ambleside's list again. I have my old copies of CWeb and SLittle upstairs. :D oh and secret garden and of course lion witch and wardrobe. sorry in a chatty mood lol

[SueQ]

I am reading The Little House series to my boys again and my 3 yo loves them! I read it to my now 8 yo 2 years ago. My now 5 yo was 3 yo then and really enjoyed them then, too. He enjoyed Charlotte's Web and Pinoccio too. He listens to everything that I read to his older brothers and so far has enjoyed most of what I read to them. :yes

[klpmommy]

:popcorn I am reading very simple chapter books to my kids right now, but would love to read more detailed ones to them.

[Rabbit]

My dad read us the Chronicles of Narnia, starting when I was 5 and my brother was 3. We were enthralled. He read to us as much as our attention spans could handle, every night before bed.

[Bonnie]

We did Stuart Little (although I did skip one chapter...I skim ahead, and I'm glad I did) and now we're about a third of the way through Charlotte's Web. Pondering what next... thanks for the ideas! I'll wait on Narnia, I think, partially because he's aware of the movie and definitely not ready for it. We bought Charlotte's Web on DVD the other day and the rule is we have to finish the book first. :giggle Off to check out the Ambleside list...


We just finished Stuart Little. I'm so curious which chapter you skipped? :giggle Sorry, I just can't figure it out.

:giggle The one where he substitute teaches. I just found it...odd, in a not good way.

[BekahsBoys]

Some we have read, are reading, and plan to read very soon:

Little House Series
Charlotte's Web
Trumpet of the Swan
Among the _____ People (books from www.yesterdaysclassics.com)
Christian Liberty Nature Readers
Various Chapter books from Rod and Staff Publishers
A.A Milne Books: When We Were Very Young, House At Pooh Corner, etc
Men of Iron
Burgess books: Animal, Bird, Seashore, etc
Mr Poppers Penguins
Misty of Chincoteague
The Black Stallion
Rascal by Sterling North and Gentle Ben by same author (boys loves these)

[FourCutieBugs]

I remember several of those from when I was a kid, Bekah! Nice list. :)

I also wanted to highly recommend "The Little White Horse" by Elizabeth Goudge. It one of my favorite books of all time. I still love rereading it. But it may be more on the Narnia level. Just wanted to get that one out there though. Actually I love all her books. :)