Looking for a great, read aloud chapter book for bedtime? Try one of these classics!
Bedtime is often my favorite time of the day because I can relax with my boys and read them a great story or two. Here are some of our favorite, classic books that we have read several times.
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (Dell Publishing 1987; originally published in 1911)
Spoiled and contrary Mary Lennox is sent to live with her uncle in England. She soon discovers a garden that has been closed up for ten years. As Mary learns how to care for the garden, she makes friends with a local boy and finds another secret hidden away in Misselthwaite Manor.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Signet Classics 1984; originally published in 1900)
Children who find the movie to frightening to watch may enjoy the book. Dorothy and her new friends have to find their way to the Emerald City and are sent to kill the Wicked Witch of the West, but that is only half the story. The other half has them continuing on their journey to find Glinda so that Dorothy may finally return home to Kansas.
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder (Harper Collins 1932)
The first book in the Little House series is written to appeal to both boys and girls. The story of young Laura and her family living in the woods in Wisconsin is sprinkled with the stories that Pa told his girls in the evenings. These short stories focus on Pa and his father and often involve wild animals and the dangers of pioneer life.
There are so many fantastic books to choose from, but the important thing is not what you read, but that you read to your children. Make it a nightly habit.
