Looking for a good summer classic

[leann77]

Hi I am looking for a good summer read that I can share with the kiddos so we can all read it together. Thanks for any suggestions.

[Max Tyrone]

I know most would say C. S. Lewis and the Narnia series, though I haven't read past the first book. I would actually suggest Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury. Following an adolescent boy in the gold of summer, it has certain elements of science fiction, such as most of Bradbury's work, but what drew me into the text was its style, the characters, the overall ambiance of the novel: nostalgic, at times bursting with energy, yet leveled with the consequences of growing up. It's one of my favorite reads, and I cannot recommend it enough.

[leann77]

Thank you so much I will look for that book!

[aarchul2]

Anne of Green Gables is one of my all-time favorites. It would be even better if you were reading it with your children, especially if you have a daughter. I find that I love it because I am just like Anne (without being a redheaded orphan with elderly adopted parents living in Canada). It also shows the emotions that most little girls are told to ignore. It shows that it is okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from them. It also shows some of the flaws in vanity while saying "if you have a pretty nose, then it is okay to be happy with that pretty nose".

[bree1103]

Peter Pan may be a good one.

[debbiebee]

Have you tried Mary Norton's 'Borrowers' books? Or maybe some anthologies from various mythologies.

[godreaujea]

Little Women is always good!

[CarrieMe]

There are some great recommendations in here! I read all of these as a kid and definitely enjoyed them all. If your kids like animals, Charlotte's Web or Where the Red Fern Grows would be great. The Golden Compass series is also wonderful!

[Storygamer88]

I suggest classic books that have movie adaptations so you can watch with your kid after reading together. And since they're kids, maybe children's books? Holes and The BFG come to mind, but I'm sure there's plenty other good ones, depending on your children's tastes.

[jemgirl202]

The Hobbit! I read that one to my oldest son one summer when he was 2! I made different voices for all the characters and he absolutely loved it!

[TobiOrNotTobi]

If you're looking for books to read with your kids, I highly recommend A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. This book series is amazing! I read it for the first time a few months ago, and I don't know why I never read this series when I was a kid. It would have given me so much excitement and hunger for more (of the books or other books). I don't know any other kids books/series like this one.


There are 13 books in total, but the text is quite large and the books are not really long at all, so you'll probably fly through the books in no time (depending how much you're going to read with the kids). Your local library should have them in the kids section under fiction (I think).

[Alice Heritage]

You don't mention the children's age or tastes but I highly recommend Jacqueline Wilson for family reading. My daughter, aged nearly 12, loves me to read Jacqueline Wilson books to her. The first one I read was "Diamond". It's about a girl who grew up in a destitute family in Victorian times and was sold to the circus by her father. It's just brilliant. The story of Tracy Beaker might also be a good place to start.
Admittedly Wilson addresses some difficult social themes so if you're not into that, I can also recommend Philippa Pearce. "Tom's Midnight Garden" is amazing.

[Brandi Noelle]

I know summer is over, but if you're still looking for great books to read to your children, I highly recommend my two favorites: "Tuck Everlasting" by Natalie Babbitt and "Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Patterson.

Not sure how old your children are, but I read these when I was 10.

[CaitlinGonya]

A Tale of Two Cities, all the Sherlock Holmes, and the Wizard of Oz stories are really good summer reads. I mean they are great year round but there's something in them that I always picture summer.

[Lil Reads]

For summer reads for kids, I recommend something like Charlotte's Web, the Anne of Green Gables series, Alice in Wonderland with its sequel, the Winnie the Pooh series, among others. Several libraries and book stores might also have lists if you are looking for something age or genre specific.