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I maybe did a happy dance in my chair when I found a link to Wired’s 67 Books Every Geek Should Read to Their Kids Before Age 10… hello, BOOK NERD DREAM! I thought it’d be fun to talk about a few books that made their list (talking about all 67 would be a little lengthy, y’all) and dish about which books we each plan to share with our kids before the ‘tween years kick in.
Where the Sidewalk Ends
Of course of course of course Where the Sidewalk Ends is on the list — and on mine. Whenever I think of this book I flash back to second grade when my teacher (shout out to Mrs. Carr!) read it to us. As far as I know, this was my first introduction to Shel Silverstein, and it was a magical one indeed. Siiiigh.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Confession: like the good Harry Potter geeks we are, we’ve already read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone to our three-year-old… twice. The first time was right after he was born, and the second time was a few months ago. I have no clue if he even noticed it was going on the first time around, but he very raptly paid attention to everything that was happening in the second reading. We’re slowly making our way through Chamber of Secrets, which doesn’t seem to hold his attention the same way.
The Borrowers
I was so excited to see The Borrowers on the list! I hadn’t thought of this book in YEARS until it was mentioned, and it was great to revisit. If you’ve never read it, it’s about a family of inches-tall people who live under a normal-sized house and the mischief they get up to.
James and the Giant Peach
This is another grade school fave that made me cheer: I was obsessed with James and the Giant Peach in fourth grade. In what other book are a little boy, a ladybug, grasshopper, silkworm, glowworm, and centipede such excellent friends? The group sails across the Atlantic atop a gigantic peach to New York City, encountering many foes (including peach-eating sharks) along the way.
Which books from the list do you love — and what other books did they totally leave out?
Some of the books I want to share with my daughter that haven’t been mentioned are
Harriet the Spy
Ballet Shoes
Dancing Shoes
Gone-Away Lake (and the follow up)
The Children of Greene Knowe
The Melendy Quartet (four book series that starts with The Saturdays)
The Hero and the Crown
The Cricket in Times Square
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
Secret Garden
Murder for Her Majesty
She’s only 7 weeks old and I read to her every day, even if it is just a board book like “Moo Baa La La La.”
I know this is an old post but I just had to share! XD I just started reading Harry Potter with my five year old and she LOVES it! We’re waiting to show her the movies until after the book is finished, but we have started using Pottermore (an interactive walkthough of the book. If you haven’t seen this yet and you’re a fan, CHECK IT OUT!) and she’s gotten really into it. Her favorite characters so far are Hermoine, Hagrid, and Professor Quirrell. (keep in mind its her first readthrough) I’m so glad she’s spending more time on Harry Potter these days than Disney Princesses. I hope this is a trend that will continue.
Ender’s Game (probably the entire Ender & Shadow series) most definitely without a doubt! as a matter of a fact i just read it a few months ago, and i’ll probably read it again out loud this time in my 3rd trimester.