I'm reading aloud all the time, in various settings (front porch, living room couch, bed) and to various combinations (all four boys together, just the oldest two, just Calvin, just the little boys, etc.). Calvin LOVES being read to, and I realized that I've read 49 books aloud to him from the end of August to the end of December. These are usually early chapter books or graphic novels. Sometimes, I make him read some pages, but I often just read the whole thing to him even though he can read independently. When I read to all 4 boys, it's mostly picture books although we do listen to a lot of audiobooks all together in the van. Anyway, I'd like to read more books to just the older two boys, especially when related to school, but it can be difficult to find the uninterrupted time.
Here's a record of the books I read to both Carter and Calvin this year:
What Are the Summer Olympics? - I love this series. We read it during the summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Who Was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart? - This was during our composer study on Mozart.
The Storm (Lighthouse Family) - I tried to read this one to all 4 boys, with some success. I'll probably continue the series with just Calvin.
Roll with It - This was on one of Carter's lists to read, so I decided to read it aloud to both boys. We kind of slogged through it.
I Survived the Attacks of 9/11 - I read this book aloud to my boys around the 20 year anniversary. I've read this entire series, and this was another good one. Ground Zero is a lot more in-depth and enthralling, but this was good for a 7 and 9 year old.
The Apostle - They got a little confused at times, but for the most part, it was great to have this visual depiction of Paul's life. I especially liked how it connected parts of his letters along with the Acts narrative.
Appleblossom the Possum - I think I discovered this book from a book-list recommendation as a good read-aloud. I was hoping for something that my 2yo and 3yo sons might also be interested in, but it ended up just being me and my oldest two (9 and 7). I liked parts of it and learned some facts about possums, but it took us forever to get through -- really dragged in some parts.
Haggis and Tank #2 Digging for Dinos - I’m really enjoying this series! I read it out loud to my boys (9,7,3,2). The younger ones stay engaged because of all the illustrations, and I like drawing attention to and explaining all the homophones to the older boys. Well done!
Haggis and Tank #3 Howl at the Moon - I've enjoyed this series! It's helpful to read this one after #2 because #2 refers to some things they've never done before (that they do in this book). I love all the puns and homonyms/homophones. My 9yo, 7yo, and 3yo sons were all engaged as I read this aloud.
No. 1 Car Spotter - We had listened to the Anna Hibiscus series, so I was pleased to find this book when we were studying Africa. I read it aloud to my 9yo and 7yo sons. They weren't too thrilled with it, but it provided some good conversations.
Child Soldier - Very well done. I appreciate the disclaimer at the beginning, but this book may have been a bit much for my sensitive 7yo son. We've been studying Africa and have read A Long Walk to Water and When Stars are Scattered, but this one was even a bit more horrific, though presented well. It's longer than a picture book but shorter than a traditional graphic novel.
Best Christmas Pageant Ever - I've read this several times and was even the main character (Beth - the narrator) in a play in middle school. I wanted to read it to my two oldest boys this Christmas, but alas, we just finished it this morning on New Years Day. My boys weren't crazy about it, possibly because I tried to squeeze it in while we were incredibly distracted by their younger brothers. Maybe I'll try it again with them in a couple years. As always, I loved it.
The Christmas Pig - I wrote about this as one of my favorite middle grade fiction books of the year. We read it together during the month of December. I love the imaginative elements and how short the chapters were.
Here were some of my other lists from 2021:
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