[latina4dubya]

i like the Kate Dicamillo books, especially The Tale of Despereux... excellent read aloud... this summer my sons are listening to The Children’s Homer... they recently listened to The Red Badge of Courage... A Wrinkle in Time... Cricket in Time Square is excellent... Johnny Tremain is very good... Carry On Mr. Bowditch... The Witch of Blackbird Pond is good...

as a family we are listening to Uncle Tom’s Cabin... very long... they also heard At the Back of the North Wind this year... and the original Pinocchio... and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry... as you might tell, we’ve been studying the Civil War period of American History...

past books: The Wind in the Willows, The Secret Garden, The Narnia Books, Shilo, Tom Sawyer, Treasure Island... Black Ships Before Troy, The Bronze Arrow, The Golden Goblet...

gosh—we do read alouds all year long, so we have covered many, many, books... i cannot think of them all... oh—The Indian in the Cupboard series is good... Mr. Popper’s Penguins... From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (this is one my 4th grade teacher read to our class 33 years ago—i was glad my kids loved it, too...) and Where The Red Fern Grows...

if i think of others, i will post again...

this summer we are covering: Farenheit 451 (currently), The Children’s Homer and The Illiad...

if i had to recommend just one, i would choose The Tale of Despereaux... easy to read aloud... good, good story...

[mollynme]

I'll second your "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" recommendation. That was one I read over and over again.

I would also recommend "The Borrowers" series. There is something fascinating about tiny people living secretly in the walls and under the floors that really appeals to kids.

[incredulous joe]

Thanks.

Great stuff. Sounds about up our alley. Our guys loved Johnny Tremain.

Shelby Foote has a recounting of The Battle of Shilo. You gotta hear it in his voice, with that slow southern draw!! It’s awesome!

If you like the historical stuff. My entire family enjoyed “Lewis & Clark” by Ken Burns on CD. They had anensemble of readers and it was presented very nicely. My daughter was just 5 and she listened in.

[jabchae]

From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (this is one my 4th grade teacher read to our class 33 years ago—i was glad my kids loved it, too...)

My 4th grade teacher read this to our class too, 33 years ago.