We can never get enough of books around here – and our library fines are proof :D It’s still cheaper to pay the late fees when they occur than to dish out the money for brand new books all the time, but we do keep our eyes open at second hand stores, yard sales, online and splurge on birthday and Christmas presents.
I often like to combine our extra reading with what we’re currently learning in school, but it doesn’t always happen. Other times we’ll get into a theme or series of books and just drop everything until we are finished with them. And more often than not I find myself scrambling to keep our shelves and baskets stocked with material as the kids whip through and read them multiple times, leaving them hungry for more!
Though there are myriads of books out there to read, it can be difficult to choose which ones. It’s quite overwhelming actually, and I sometimes feel like we’re missing so much! It keeps us reading and searching for more books though, and we are finding new ones all the time. Asking friends and reading blogs is the #1 best way to find great material to read – which is why this post is here for you!
This will be consistently updated with Our Favourite Read Aloud Books for 5-9 Year Olds (watch for other lists to be developed also!) as we continue to read and explore the world of books! As I get time I will try to add some simple descriptions to whet your appetite and anything that you may need to be aware of in the stories for sensitive readers.
All of these books make great read alouds, though some of our older kids have read them on their own as well. I’ve tried to include books that you can find easily online, but some you may have to dig around in second hand stores and yard sales for. I’ve also included some good audio book versions you can listen to – because sometimes mom just needs a break from talking!
Enjoy and please share your favourites in the comments!
Our Favorite Read Aloud Books for 5-9 Year Olds
Biblical / Character
Lamplighter – Teddy’s Button (free Kindle version – the dramatized story from Lamplighter is also fantastic!)
Lamplighter – Jack the Conqueror
Pilgrim’s Progress (abridged and dramatized audio)
The Evergreen Wood (an illustrated retelling of Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress)
Christian Heroes Then & Now YWAM biography series
Hero Tales series (Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3)
Arnold Ytreeide’s Advent Triology – Bartholomew’s Passage, Jotham’s Journey, Tabitha’s Travels
Amon’s Adventure – A Family Story for Easter
The Lamb (our review – you MUST get this book for Easter!)
Fantasy
Chronicles of Narnia (the radio drama version by Focus on the Family is also tremendous!)
Red and Blue Fairy Book (the original fairy tales are quite different from what Disney tells us. Some of these are a little bit disturbing, and we definitely did not read all of the tales in the book.)
Passages – Arin’s Judgement, Darien’s Rise, Annison’s Risk – This is the popular series from Adventures in Odyssey. We’ve listened to the audio and are looking forward to enjoying the books! (though it says for ages 8-12, younger readers will certainly enjoy it as a read aloud).
Historical
Trial and Triumph (stories of martyrs from church history)
A Child’s History of the World (it’s very comprehensive, but written in a fun, story-telling way and the kids – even the younger ones! – really enjoyed it!)
Historical Fiction
Viking Quest series
Sea Star: Orphan of Chincoteague
GA Henty – The Cat of Bubastes (free Kindle version, audio version on Librivox)
GA Henty – Under Drake’s Flag (Kindle and audio dramatization)
GA Henty – Winning His Spurs: A Tale of the Crusades (free Kindle: The Boy Knight, and Librivox recording)
The Trailblazer Series (action-packed historical novels based on the lives of true heroes of the Christian faith.)
Little House on the Prairie (OF COURSE! :D)
Otto of the Silver Hand (free Kindle version)
Classical Kids Audio series – Mozart’s Magic Fantasy, Mozart’s Magnificent Voyage, Vivaldi’s Ring of Mystery (this was my FAVOURITE as a child, even moreso after having been to Venice!) Beethoven Lives Upstairs
The Whipping Boy (Kindle version and movie)
Fiction
The Borrowers and The Borrowers Afield (movie)
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
The Lighthouse Family (series)
My Father’s Dragon (series)
The Mysterious Benedict Society (series and audiobook – SO GOOD! We borrowed them from the library)
The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail (audiobook)
Classics
Black Beauty (and, of course, the movie)
Hans Brinker or The Silver Skates (free Kindle version)
James Herriot’s Animal Stories (also available on audiobook)
The Railway Children (Masterpiece Theater production DVD)
Treasures of the Snow (I loved the movie too!)
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (there are many versions!)
The Story of King Arthur and His Knights (audiobook or Librivox recordings are the way to go on this one!)
The Five Little Peppers (series, also free on Kindle or $0.99 for all 9 in a bundle)
Mary Poppins (the original? NOTHING like the movie, but just as good :D And while you’re at it, you may as well get Saving Mr. Banks and Mary Poppins together on DVD)
Oliver Twist (audio version, Focus on the Family radio theater drama)
Science / Nature / Creation
Thornton W. Burgess – all the animal stories! We bought some new and scored a box full from a friend. Or listen to them on Librivox.
The Burgess Bird Book for Children (Librivox audio recording)
The Burgess Animal Book for Children (Librivox audio recording)
Handbook of Nature Study (I thought this would be dry, but it’s really quite fascinating and interesting!)
Snowflake Bentley (see our unit study)
