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6 Chapter Books on Our Summer Reading List

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School is out and that means summer has officially started for us. While I like to read to my children all year, summer is a time when I typically pick a few special chapter books that I think the children will enjoy. Trying to come up with books that will at least entertain my oldest four who are now 12 1/2, 9 1/2, 7 1/2, and 4 1/2 isn’t always easy.

This summer I have chosen 6 classic books from our bookshelves that I have never read to the children, a few of which I have never read. Here is our list.

  1. The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss
  2. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
  3. Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard & Florence Atwater
  4. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
  5. Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
  6. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

Have you read any or all of these books? I will let you know what we think about each book when we finish reading them.

Here is a list of chapter books I have read aloud to my children during the past three summers. I may have forgotten one or two, but this is a pretty good recap. (As you can see, last summer was the summer of Beverly Cleary. 🙂 )

What books are on your list to read to your children this summer?

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  • Sara

    Those books all sound wonderful! I’m impressed that the littlest ones sit still for that. A couple months ago, I started reading Anne of Green Gables to Anneke, one chapter a night. She got about two chapters from the end and got bored with it. Even though she loves reading (she and grandma read a total of 9 hours in two days over the past weekend!) I think the books without lots of pictures are still a bit boring for her! I’ll try again soon- our local library has a summer reading program where kids can earn cool prizes for every 100 hours they read. Anneke’s already excited about that and even reminds me to write our reading time down, so maybe that will help get her back into the chapter books!

    • It sounds like Anneke loves to be read to if she was willing to sit for 9 hours in one weekend to listen to stories. Wow! I wouldn’t worry about her not being interested in all of Anne of Greene Gables. Joseph fell asleep when I was reading Pippi Longstocking tonight and it was pretty interesting. I have heard that even if the children are playing quietly while you read they can still hear you and gain the benefits of being read to. Janna often plays on the floor while I read the chapter books, or sometimes nurses to sleep so she doesn’t just sit on my lap and listen to the chapter books. It sounds like your library’s reading program will be a great motivator for Anneke. BTW, there is an “Annika” in Pippi Longstocking. 🙂

      • Sara

        That sounds like such a pleasant time reading with all the kids! We’ll have to check out Pippi Longstocking- I didn’t know that!

        • I didn’t realize it either until we started reading. We are almost finished with the book and I will share my thoughts about it soon. The oldest three kids have been very interested in the story and have been asking me to read 2 chapters a night. It is a pleasant time. 🙂

  • Lisa

    Nice list of books. My boys are too young yet (3 years, 4 months) to follow long stories without pictures. We have listened to all the Narnia books, Winners the Pooh and Mr Popper’s penguins during long car rides. We really enjoy audio theater and audiobooks. I read Charlotte’s Web when I was 25 or so, I never read it in school and my husband bought it for me.

    • Thanks, Lisa! I love your audiobook idea. We are going to be taking a trip this summer and, considering it makes me sick to read in the car, I think we will have to get some audiobooks.

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