Forty-Eight
Found this reading challenge (if that’s what you’d call it) on Jennifer’s blog. I didn’t do as well as she did, but I have a lot of the books listed on my book shelf. Surprisingly enough, most of the books I read with my kids while homeschooling.
The Rules: Mark the selections you have read in bold. If you liked it, add a star (*) in front of the title, if you didn’t, give it a minus (-).
Then, put the total number of books you’ve read in the subject line.My comments are in italics. If I couldn’t really remember loving it, I didn’t star it, but I starred books that are memorable in one way or another.
*Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White (Read this last year with the kids)
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
*Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
*The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
*Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (This was my all time favorite as a kid, yet I haven’t read it much with my own kids. I’m afraid it would give them nightmares. Though I think this book helped me stand up to the monsters in my dreams. Literally, I would be chased by a monster in my dream as a kid and then stop and turn around and say, “I’m not afraid of you. This is just a dream.”)
*Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch (This one still makes me cry)
*The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (This one makes me cry also)
*The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls (Saw the movie:)
The Mitten by Jan Brett
*Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
*The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
*Where the Sidewalk Ends: the Poems and Drawing of Shel Silverstein by Shel Silverstein
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
Oh, The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss
Strega Nona by Tomie De Paola
*Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? by Bill Martin, Jr.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (Saw the movie)
*The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (my son read this one, and we saw the movie)
*How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by John Archambault
*Little House on the Prarie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (Saw the movie)
The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne (Never made it all the way through this one)
*The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks (This is on our reading list this year, and loved the movie)
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell (We did a literature study on this last year and rented the movie)
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
The BFG by Roald Dahl
The Giver by Lois Lowry
*If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
-James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl (I remember loving this as a kid, but when I read it to my kids, there were some disturbing parts and language)
*Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien (I tried to read this numerous times. I wanted to read it. I just could never get into it. Maybe now since I’ve seen the movies I could?, dittoing Jennifer’s sentiments.)
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O’Brien
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (Remember trying to get through this as a kid, never made it all the way through.)
*The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
*Corduroy by Don Freeman
Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg (Loved the movie)
Math Curse by Jon Scieszka
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls (Love the movie. Have the book!)
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
*Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary (Could have read this. Not sure.)
The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White (Also on our reading list)
*Are You My Mother? by Philip D. Eastman
*The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (Great book for Math lovers!)
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
The Napping House by Audrey Wood
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt (On our reading list. Loved the movie)
The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Have the book, saw the movie:)
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery (Have the series, loved the movie)
Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss
Basil of Baker Street, by Eve Titus
*The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
The Cay by Theodore Taylor
Curious George by Hans Augusto Rey
Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
Arthur series by Marc Tolon Brown (I haven’t read all of them, but my fair share)
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
*Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
*The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton (LOVE this one)
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
*Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh (Saw the movie)
*A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater
My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
Stuart Little by E. B. White
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
The Art Lesson by Tomie De Paola
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
Clifford, the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell
Heidi by Johanna Spyri
Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare (On our reading list)
The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
*Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
The Paper Bag Princess by Robert N. Munsch
I’m adding some more to the list, but not tallying them in the numbers.
*One Foot, Now the Other by Tomie DePaola
*Clown of God by Tomie DePaola
*Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
*One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey
*Sam the Minute Man by Nathanel Benchley
*George the Drummer Boy by Nathanel Benchley
*Red Fox and His Canoe by Nathanel Benchley
(I’ll probably add more to the list as I remember them!)
I would love to know how some of my well-read friends fare, so if you want to take it up, please do, and let me know in the comments. And feel free to add your favorites to the end of the list.
