Books you loved sharing, or can't wait to share with your children.

Submitted by Dragonlibrarian7 t3_y1vpjn in books

I was in the Doldrums last night, and decided to reread a childhood favorite to cheer me up, as I stared at my books, The Phantom Tollbooth seemed incredibly fitting. I grabbed it off the shelf, sat down, and than promptly decided "No, not yet."

I would wait, and see if I could entice my son, who has recently really embraced reading, away from his books based on cartoons he enjoys, and embark on a journey to some of my favorite imaginary places of childhood.

I told him about the book when I got home from work today and asked him if he'd be interested, he said it sounded interesting. I helped him with his homework, and sent him to go do his nightly reading for his reading log while I started dinner, and heard him start to read the book.

He read for his required 15 minutes, and than played some video games while I finished dinner. After the usual nightly routine I tucked him in, quickly reread the several pages he'd read, and than we read several chapters together, he enjoyed it, and is looking forward to reading more.

I was worried he wouldn't, since the book was 30 years old when I first read it, and it's been 30 years since then and the world is a much different place, but he did. I'm really looking forward to reading this with him, and seeing if I can interest him in others, maybe we'll try Castle in the Attic, or Indian in the Cupboard next.

What books have you shared with your children, or are looking forward to sharing?

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Comments

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Jourbonne t1_irzooz1 wrote

The Troll Book by Michael Berenstain. It’s an out of print book by the son of the couple who did the Berenstain Bears. It is richly illustrated and fantastical. I had only ever seen it in my local library. My wife found a used version for $50, and we got it.

My 5YO son loves it, and I’m going to introduce it to my 2YO daughter soon.

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mongreldogchild t1_irzs90j wrote

The Lord of the Rings. My father read it to me as a child. His dad also read it to him as a child. It's one of my most fond memories as a child. We started The Two Towers when there was a thunderstorm and our power went out. Me and my sister were in sleeping bags on the living room floor and my dad had a little lantern shaped flashlight. My father is Greek, a first generation American, and his accent is pretty thick. He read it to us in English because we didn't know any Greek at all.

The magic of Tolkien's world and fond memories of my father like this make me want to make it a family tradition. I'd love to read with my child and share a world that me and my father shared.

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daggomit t1_irzsk0h wrote

I literally finished reading the phantom toll booth to my 8yo daughter last night. It was our second time through it. She chose to reread it the 2nd time, it’s a great book. Can’t wait to read it again when my youngest is older.

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jjbeeez t1_irzstjs wrote

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. I couldn’t wait until my grandchildren were old enough for me to read it to them.

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hypolimnas t1_irztvcd wrote

When I read that you were in the Doldrums I immediately thought of The Phantom Tollbooth. I haven't thought about that book for years, but I would love to reread it.

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Dragonlibrarian7 OP t1_irzubhy wrote

Replying to hypolimnas (#84,388)

It's funny, because that's not a turn of phrase I usually use, but that's exactly what I thought before going to my bookshelves lol. Subconsciously I must have decided to read it before I even walked over.

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nymphettesea t1_irzv926 wrote

Chrysanthemum. One of my favorite books as a child and would love to share that with kiddos! Also American Girl books something about them is so addictive and fun and screams childhood to me

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hundisen t1_irzwsta wrote

For me it’s gotta be His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. I’m considering having kids just so I can read them to them 🤓😅

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rudebish t1_is04faf wrote

I bought my favorite series, Red Rising, in hopes that when my kids get older, they'll enjoy it. right now they're not into sci fi/dystopian 😒

I kept all of my original Stephen King novels (Pet Sematary, The Shining IT) for my kids and my daughter is loving them (she's now a big horror buff)....But I may have to get new copies for her because they're from the early 80s and I want to keep them for much longer.

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CanadianContentsup t1_is0gqpj wrote

Newbery award winners. Ramona, Little House series. Watership Down. They loved to read and be read to.

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Tanagrabelle t1_is0h8pd wrote

Right now, I teach a few elementary school private students, and have taken them through Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Trumpet of the Swan, My Side of the Mountain.

There are so many I'd like to take them through, but they're ESL.

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Sherringford-Mouse t1_is0m7pt wrote

My son is currently reading The Westing Game, which is one of my favorites of all time. I can't wait for him to get to the end!

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jonmuller t1_is0siu2 wrote

I've recently read The Hobbit for the first time and the first thing I thought of was how excited I'll be to make all the voices & sing all the songs to my children someday

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maple_maypole t1_is0z0iv wrote

The Secret Island by Enid Blyton, Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, pretty much any Terry Pratchett book, but for children the Bromeliad.

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Knifeface420 t1_is19ebf wrote

Child of Faerie, Child of Earth by Jane Yolen

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tygerprints t1_is1i0yz wrote

The one book that I'd want to share with anybody, and everybody, is James Hilton's marvelous novel, "Lost Horizon." It's been made into a movie and a movie musical as well, and I happen to like both movie versions despite some people dissing the musical as too "plastic" and shallow.

But Hilton's themes of pacifism and peaceful co-existence really speak to me now more than ever, finding that longed for "shangri-La" where people never grow old and spend their days learning and exploring - I think it's a dream we all have inside of us. Well, most of us anyway.

To me it's the epitome of the idyllic society. It's a dream that deserves to be kept alive.

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boxer_dogs_dance t1_is1q5pv wrote

I don't have children, but for my nieces, I have shared Amelia Bedelia, Pippi Longstocking, Charlotte's Web, The Wizard of Oz and the Chronicles of Prydain.

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ResponsibleFly9076 t1_is21p0m wrote

The Beezus and Ramona books by Beverly Cleary. I have two daughters and the first is a responsible parent pleaser while the second is a lovable pest so they got a charge out of the characters. The movie was great too!

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i_want_carbs t1_is28lgx wrote

I love reading the Harry Potter books with my kids. My son and I read them together and now he rereads them constantly. My daughter and I just started POA a few days ago.

Chronicles of Narnia (especially LWW) was a great one to read together. Bailey School Kids is a fun series, too. We like to debate if the monster was real each book.

I find myself buying my almost 13yo all my old favorites growing up. Holes, The Hatchet, The Outsiders, Jurassic Park.

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Karimoon_658 t1_is2jotz wrote

The Witch Matilda and The Nutty Boy

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IrishPatsFan t1_is2pr2f wrote

Goosebumps. RL Stine. My son loves them and it's pure nostalgia for me.

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Klutzy_Ad_1726 t1_is3613h wrote

The Giver! Was captivated by it in 5th grade and ever since.

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crossstitchbeotch t1_is36ph3 wrote

Where the Red Fern Grows, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, My Side of the Mountain, Little House series (with discussion about the racism), Harry Potter, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

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ashweemeow t1_is3im38 wrote

I actually didn't read The Phantom Tollbooth growing up but I read it to my 5 year old earlier this year and while a lot of the wordplay went over his head, he demanded to read all the Dodecahedron's parts and I can't wait to reread it when he's a few years older.

Right now we're working through The Series of Unfortunate Events and I've forgotten how informative the series is. It is kind of crazy to hear him talking about deus ex machina at his age, not to mention all the vocabulary he's picked up. I tried to sneak in Roald Dahl's The Witches or Mathilda for October but he absolutely refuses haha.

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KombuchaBot t1_is3u49a wrote

"For Milo, who has plenty of time"

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SheepskinCrybaby t1_is3w0ce wrote

What a sweet thing to have your child read what you once loved (‘: I don’t have kids but I be it’s an amazing feeling!

I think mostly the Magic Treehouse series and the Narnia series. Narnia for its fun wonderland that many can resonate with as their parents read it to them as well - likely omitting the last book because it’s too sad and the religious overtones are not my cup of tea. I didn’t register it’s mirroring of Christianity as a kid though, it’s just a pretty depressing read imo.

I remember the Magic Treehouse being so amazing as a newly independent reader who could discover this new world on my own. My sister would tell me when new ones came out and I’d beg her to ride to the library and pick it up for me.

Likely I’d read some other classics to my kid - Rats of NIHM, The Hobbit, Shiloh, Watership Down, Alice in Wonderland, etc

I’ll admit when I’m in bookshops there’s some cute looking new kids chapter books though. I’d be just as excited to start a new reading journey with my someday kid/niece/nephew.

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MrsGideonsPython t1_is3x3fc wrote

Wind in the Willows and Stuart Little. My kid liked WITW so much that we have basically made our own fan fiction bedtime stories set in the WITW universe.

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XiaoMin4 t1_is47qem wrote

Harry potter has been really fun. And island of the blue dolphins.

And my daughter (10) and I recently read skyward together - obviously not a nostalgic book but it was a ton of fun to share the experience and have her be interested in a book that I legitimately enjoyed.

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Serithir t1_isccu21 wrote

The solitaire mystery by Jostein Gaarder (Author of Sophie’s world).

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