What books would/did you encourage your kids to read? Or make sure to read to them?

[Cogswel_Cogs]

The books that I remember having effect on me and have stuck with me in many ways

Harold and Purple Crayon books(Encoraged and Read with Daughters)
Dr. Seus books (Encouraged and Read with daughters)
Roald Dahl especially (Wonka -James and giant Peach(Encoraged and read with Daughters)
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (Never Encouraged- but probabbly should have- only thought of this nw when trying to remember things I enjoyed reading)
Call of the Wild (did not encorage)
Around the World in 80 days(did not encorage)
Dr. Dolittle books(did not encorage)

High School
To Kill a Mocking Bird (Encouraged)
Cather in the Rye (Oldest Ds favorite book - Shes not big reader)
Hitchhikers Guide to Galaxy (both dauhgters hate it)
Vonnegut (many) oldest daughter not impressed youngest alomst of age
Red Badge of Courage(did not encourage)
Call of the Wild (did not encorage)
Alice in Wonderland(Youngest read a little of - lost interest)
Of Mice and Men (I think somehow remembering bits and pieces of this book in my subconscious - might go back and reread.)
Brave New World (did not encourage)
Hobbit (did not encourage)
Lion Witch and Wardrobe (Encouraged youngest read most of them - she reads a lot - did not like as much as I did)
Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde (did not encourage)

Without Doubt Youngest Daughter would Add Harry Pottter books to this list.

 

[Magpie]

I encouraged my son to read whatever he wanted, I was happy if he was reading. He loved books, would climb on the lap of anyone who came and sat down in our house with a book in his hand and ask to be read to. He had a Teddy Ruxpin who read him to sleep every night and who he learned to read from before he was 3. He still reads all the time, if there is any time he is just sitting, on a bus, in a restaurant, waiting on a bus, in class (goes to UGA) and has already done his work - he is reading. I didn't and don't care what he read, as long as he was reading. All my family are big readers, the public library was our go to place. My Mama made me read the classics - I read War and Peace when I was about 13 and didn't understand much of it. She made me read Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice. I also had to read Pearl S. Bucks books but was also allowed to read whatever I wanted, Nancy Drew and Little Women were my favorites until I was about 11 then I started reading adult mysteries and biographies. And yes, I did read To Kill a Mockingbird and Gone with the Wind and actually still read Gone with the Wind every year. I worked in the Comparative Literature Dept. at UGA for awhile and back then the freshmen students had to read Norton's Anthologies Vol. 1 and 2. I figured if they had to read it, so should I so I would sit at my desk reading it when I didn't have anything else to do, my boss would actually tell his students that his secretary read it just because so they certainly could.

I remember finding copies of Norton's Anthologies when I was in middle school! I think I found them in the 11th grade classroom, and just absconded with them (as I had a habit of doing with books that caught my eye). They're really, really good! I've still got Vol. 2 on my shelf, actually.

 

[JaneBanks]

Besides those that others have mentioned ...

All of Judy Blume's books.

Right now I'm reading the middle grade/ya series Seeds of America by Laurie Halse Anderson. I'm still reading book 1 which is called Chains. As I read it, I keep thinking that this should be required reading for those learning about slavery and/or the Revolutionary War. It is so well written.

As the Revolutionary War begins, thirteen-year-old Isabel wages her own fight...for freedom. Promised freedom upon the death of their owner, she and her sister, Ruth, in a cruel twist of fate become the property of a malicious New York City couple, the Locktons, who have no sympathy for the American Revolution and even less for Ruth and Isabel. When Isabel meets Curzon, a slave with ties to the Patriots, he encourages her to spy on her owners, who know details of British plans for invasion. She is reluctant at first, but when the unthinkable happens to Ruth, Isabel realizes her loyalty is available to the bidder who can provide her with freedom.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

I never encouraged my kids to read anything specific, they were encouraged to read whatever they wanted as long as they were reading.
They are teens now, my dd loves fiction, my one ds has always had a love of biographies, and my other dh likes non-fiction.

This.
My oldest DD and DS both like fantasy and my youngest DD likes teen dramas. I have made recommendations, based on my past reading, but we mostly follow their lead. As long as they were reading!

DS started reading comics, and one teacher had an issue with that, until I pointed out to her that he had straight A's, started reading at 3, and was reading at 8th grade level in 1st grade. He wasn't mature enough for 8th grade novels, and the 1st grade books went quick. So, Sonic the Hedgehog, Spiderman and Captain America comic became his go to reading.

 

[adelaster]

My list:

The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings

The Jungle Book, by Kipling

The Ancillary Series, by Ann Leckie

Harry Potter

Peter Pan

Watership Down

The Narnia Series

Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders series

Louisa May Alcott's books

The Wizard of Oz books by L. Frank Baum

All the classic fairy tales (particularly Bros Grimm)

Classic Greek Myths

Your basic Bible stories


My daughter's list (she doesn't have children yet, but this is the plan):

Almost all of my list above (minus the Bible), plus...

Anything by Roald Dahl

Anything by Tamora Pierce

The Uglies series by Scott Westerfield

Redwall series

DiscWorld! Also, Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

She also says she'll make any kid of her's watch Inside Out at a young age, "so we have vocabulary to talk about feelings!"

And selected Anne McCaffrey (though she feels some of what I let her read at a young age might have been inappropriate).

(Adding: She may have a point. She was reading one of the Talent series books at breakfast her grandmother, when she was eight, and suddenly exclaimed, very loudly, "Oh, so THAT's what an orgasm is!" )

What's on your list?

Such good lists! I read many of these aloud to my siblings.

Sci-fi/fantasy reading taught me a lot about sexuality before I was quite ready. Some of it gets weird. I stopped with McCaffrey because of that. Granted. a photographic Warhol book was also tremendously educational...

I don't have children, but I have been blessed to help many children learn to love books, and I hope that is always the case. Nothing beats connecting a child with something that speaks to them on the most magical level. It would be hard to say "must read" at this point- but certainly highly recommend. Forced reading may not be the best...according to reviews from my now 20-something siblings.

 

[ELKA]

I first read Gone With The Wind at age 12 after falling in love with the film. My mother loved the book and was thrilled at my desire to read it.

I had a Children's Illustrated Bible that I adored as a child.

Some of my favorite books were Charlotte's Web, The Hundred and One Dalmatians and the Little House Books.
I also read a Walt Disney biography (the one by Bob Thomas) and other non fiction at an early age. Helter Skelter gave me nightmares for a while.

I also read Helter Skelter when I was about 13 years old. Even though I read it in 3 days, I closed the book when it got to be too intense.

 

[BLAZEY]

DD8 is currently reading the Ramona Quimby series in English and Bad Kitty series in French. I still have many of my books from my childhood, so she will have plenty of books to read. Among the ones she will be able to read from my collection: Anne of Green Gables series, Narnia series, Harry Potter series, Little House books, plus there is quite a bit of newer stuff out there. I would rather her read and enjoy what she's reading, than try to force her to read stuff I enjoyed reading as a child. I would like her to learn to love reading, and what she reads is less important.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Anything. No banned books in our house. DH and I are avid readers, plus my sister is the classic "crazy cat lady"--she gives us boxes of books, every time we see her. Not only do we own thousands of books, but we've built two reading nooks into our current house--one out of a second closet in DD14's room, one under the stairs.

The only limitation we've ever put on reading was years ago--I had a well-read teen, and a very advanced young reader. My younger DD was reading at a HS level before she hit kindergarten--no lie. Her sister is 8 years older, and had many books on topics that weren't appropriate for her sister. So, we just had older DD keep those books in her room, where her sister wasn't likely to find them. I do think parents have to be careful about content for younger kids, who might have difficulty with some subjects (death, war, etc.) Now my youngest is 11--any topic is fair game, and I'm always willing to discuss anything.

 

[Art08]

I always loved to read, I'm not sure where I got it from. I would definitely want my kids to read Harry Potter, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Reader.

 

[brookmey]

I was an avid reader growing up. I loved mysteries and the Trixie Belden series was my favorite. My grandmother was a librarian, so she also got me into Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys. I also liked all the Judy Blume books. Island of the Blue Dolphins was one of the first non mystery books I ever read and it blew me away. It's still one of my all-time favorites. In high school I read To Kill a Mockingbird and Animal Farm and loved both.

For me, reading was an escape from real life, so I also read a lot of "fluff," as my mom put it. I grew up with ultra controlling parents and the books I was reading was a constant battle between my mom and I. She was not content with letting me choose the books that interested me or with me reading my grandmother's recommendations. She was always pushing the "classics" on me, which totally turned me off to them. It is still a sore spot in our relationship because I felt like reading is a personal thing and my mom couldn't just let me have it. She had to control that aspect of my life as well.

So, with my kids, I have never said no to a book and I've never pushed one on them. My 13 year old DD loves to read but my 11 year old DS does not. I've made suggestions to DD but she is very opinionated and strong-willed, so I know she's going to read what she wants. My approach is to be aware of what she's reading and if I have concerns, then to read the book myself to be able to talk about it if she has questions.

I did suggest Harry Potter and some biographies, but her preferred genre is science fiction/fantasy. She loves all the Percy Jackson books and anything by that same author, the Lunar Chronicles, pretty much anything that puts a twist on fairy tales.

She had to read The Outsiders for her summer reading going into 8th grade and was so not happy about it. I had read it in 8th grade and loved it so I told her to keep an open mind because I thought she would like it. And she did. She stayed up all night reading it because she couldn't put it down. So now she listens a tiny bit more when I suggest a book.

 

[MIGrandma]

I have always loved to read, but the only books I can remember encouraging our kids to read were the Little House on the Prairie books (for DD) and the Hardy Boys (for DS).

They both were good readers in school, and enjoyed reading. I think if a child can read well, they do so much better with all their subjects in school.

I've always encouraged our grandchildren to read as well, reading to them (and our own kids too, of course) when they were very small and having books here for them to read as they got older.

DH did a lot of reading while growing up, as his religion (Mennonite) didn't allow for TV or radios/stereos in the home. He still enjoys reading, but just doesn't have much time for it.

 

[Monykalyn]

Oh thank goodness for the Trixie Belden love! I was even in the fan club lol!

So, with my kids, I have never said no to a book and I've never pushed one on them. My 13 year old DD loves to read but my 11 year old DS does not

Try the Amulet series by Kazu Kibuishi. My son loves it, plus it's a graphic novel so it's less daunting to read.

I may have a problem...we have probably 80% of the books listed on here in our house...and we regularly go to library. The teen area librarian and kids area librarian are simply awesome at our local library- many a time a kid has gone on after finishing a series or book they've loved and the librarian has been able to point them to their next beloved book!

 

[Aladora]

I did suggest Harry Potter and some biographies, but her preferred genre is science fiction/fantasy. She loves all the Percy Jackson books and anything by that same author, the Lunar Chronicles, pretty much anything that puts a twist on fairy tales.

If your DD likes scifi/fantasy, you might want to get her to look at a few of my favourite authors:
Monica Hughes
O.R. Melling

She may also enjoy the Incarnations of Immortality series by Piers Anthony.

 

[Magpie]

Such good lists! I read many of these aloud to my siblings.

Sci-fi/fantasy reading taught me a lot about sexuality before I was quite ready. Some of it gets weird. I stopped with McCaffrey because of that. Granted. a photographic Warhol book was also tremendously educational...

I don't have children, but I have been blessed to help many children learn to love books, and I hope that is always the case. Nothing beats connecting a child with something that speaks to them on the most magical level. It would be hard to say "must read" at this point- but certainly highly recommend. Forced reading may not be the best...according to reviews from my now 20-something siblings.

Ah, you've just reminded me!

When I was a young teenager, raised by a single mother and attending a private girls' school, we got a very basic "tab A goes in slot B" biology-based sex ed curriculum in school. I could tell you what a frenulum was, but knew very little about human sexuality, culture and relationships. Really didn't understand why women bothered with men at all, unless it was because they wanted to get babies (So I planned to adopt, and just skip over the whole messy procreation business). Homosexuality was not a topic of discussion anywhere in my world, and if I thought about it at all, it was with a sense of vague confusion that two "tab A"s would just have nowhere to go, so how could it possibly work?

Then a friend of mine lent me her Mercedes Lackey books, the Valdamar series. And suddenly, I was hit by several revelations in a row. 1. Relationships are about LOVE and sex is an expression of that love! And 2. Physical expressions of love can manifest in many ways, far beyond just tab A and slot B. And finally, 3. You can absolutely love someone of the same gender as you, in a romantic way, if that's the way you lean.

Mercedes Lackey's fantasy romances changed my whole view of relationships. Although, I did eventually have to learn that gay men are not all long haired, sensitive, magical beings.

My other formative sex-ed experience was thanks to the movie, Grease, with Olivia Newton-John. "Wait, you mean girls actually WANT to have sex? It's not just boys? And having sex doesn't make them bad people?"

Sheesh... my mum and my school both left a lot of important info out, when they were teaching us about sex.