04 Jun, 2020 Summer Reading: Awesome Books for the Whole Family!
by Katrina Cheshire
Summer is almost here, and what better time is there to read? Three cheers for summer reading! Especially in this quarantined season where it may not be possible to do as many outdoor activities as usual, it is essential to be giving your children quality books.
Stories have the power to change a life and to form a character. They can communicate truth in ways that nothing else can, but they can also poison a child’s mind with filth if we aren’t careful. It is so important to choose the best books for your children and to encourage them to read!
Reading engages the brain in a way that screen time cannot. Forming a habit of reading as a child can stay with a person throughout their entire life.
Check out some of these awesome titles to get your kids (and yourself!) reading good stories.
Some fun ideas to get your kids into summer reading
Have them choose a new book each week and race each other to finish!
Discuss their favorite stories (and why they love them) each night at the dinner table.
Give them a goal of a certain number of books to read, and give them a special prize when they complete it!
Have them read a chapter each day before having any screen time.
7 and under
The True Princess by Angela Hunt
Miss Fannie’s Hat and Jeremy, the Tale of an Honest Bunny by Jan Karon
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
The Parable Series by Liz Curtis Higgs
Blueberries for Sal and Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Mooki the Berry Bandit by Kari Smalley Gibson
The Treasure Tree by John Trent
Stories to Grow By Series by Kathryn Wheeler
The Most Wonderful Doll in the World by Phyllis McGinley
The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame
The Song of the King and The Children of the King by Max Lucado
You Are Mine and You Are Special by Max Lucado
The Princess and the Kiss and The Squire and the Scroll by Jennie Bishop
God Gave Us Book Series by Lisa Tawn Bergren
Jesse Bear Series by Nancy White Carlstrom
Pre-teens
Anne of Green Gables Series by L.M. Montgomery
The Chronicles of Narnia Series by C.S. Lewis
The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Petersen
The Kingdom Series by Chuck Black
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Tales of the Kingdom Series by David R. Mains
Hind’s Feet on High Places by Diane Layton and Hannah Hurnard
Little House on the Prairie Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge
The Rachel Yoder Series by Wanda E. Brunstetter
Grandma’s Attic Series by Arleta Richardson
Little Pilgrim’s Progress: From John Bunyan’s Classic by Helen Taylor
Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink
The Lamplighter by Maria Susanna Cummins
Star of Light by Patrica St. John
The House at Pooh Corner and Now We are Six by A.A. Milne
The Dream Traveler’s Quest Series by Ted Dekker
Teens
The Lord of the Rings Series by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Knights of Arrethtrae Series by Chuck Black
The Emily Series and Jane of Lantern Hill by L.M. Montgomery
Linnets and Valerians by Elizabeth Goudge
Shadow of the Almighty by Elisabeth Elliot
The Cat of Bubastes and For the Temple by G.A. Henty
Pearl Maiden by H. Rider Haggard
Emma by Jane Austen
The Bronze Bow and The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
A Basket of Flowers by Christoph von Schmid
Vinegar Boy by Alberta Hawse
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham
The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois
Red Sails to Capri by Ann Weil
Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
Christian Heroes: Then and Now by Janet and Geoff Benge
Young Adults
The Wars of the Realm Series by Chuck Black
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
The Castle on the Hill by Elizabeth Goudge
Quest for Love and Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot
The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
The King’s Mercy by Lori Benton
Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss
The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer
The Left Behind Series by Tim Lahaye
Adults
The Awakening of Miss Prim  by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers
The Bird in the Tree, Pilgrim’s Inn, and The Heart of the Family by Elizabeth Goudge
Living Water by Chuck Smith
Discipline: The Glad Surrender by Elisabeth Elliot
Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry
The Jerusalem Assassin by Joel Rosenberg
Please comment and add your suggestions for summer reading!
Katrina Cheshire is a home school and Bible college graduate and the author of Seller of Dreams.Â
She is passionate about good stories and the power they can have in shaping a life. With seven siblings, her life is full of adventure and excitement. She loves to design and sew clothing, write endless stories and read even more of them, make music with her brothers and sisters, and dance for the glory of God.
Neil Andrews
Posted at 13:59h, 14 JuneHomelanders series by Andrew Klavan is pretty good for teens.
Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer I remember reading back in elementary school and enjoyed them very much. So maybe pre-teens and up?
I also remember reading and enjoying Sherlock Holmes when I was a child.
My daughter loved The Box-Car Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner when she was in grade school.
My son’s favorite series as a child was the Redwall series by Brian Jacques, also in grade school.
Two other books I remember reading as a young child were Homer Price, by Robert McCloskey and The Marvelous Inventions of Alvin Fernald, by Clifford B. Hicks. To remember them still after almost 60 years, I obviously enjoyed them.
Rebecca Wadsworth
Posted at 10:34h, 30 JuneCarry On, Mr. Bowditch is a historical novel that inspires learning. It would be a good book for parents to read to their kids if they are a little younger, and teens to read alone. It has a lot of big words in it that are great for buildimg vocabulary.
Marcia Hornok
Posted at 14:05h, 01 FebruaryEric Metaxas is a creative Christian author. For Teens and Adults: “7 Men and the Secret of Their Greatness” / “7 Women and the Secret of Their Greatness.” His 3 children’s picture books (with Tim Raglin) are hysterical: “Donald Drains the Swamp” / “Donald Build the Wall” / “Donald and the Fake News.” Those are political, but they show what President Trump’s brave accomplishments were.
One picture book by Chris Van Allsburg is instructive on the dangers of too much screen time: “The Wretched Stone,” (The reader must figure out what the stone is.). And I love, love “The Girl and the Bicycle” by Mark Pett for the values it teaches. This book has no words, so the child gets to tell the story by observing the pictures.
CCM Team
Posted at 19:41h, 01 FebruaryThank you for the added recommendations!
Tina Marie Griffin
Posted at 22:50h, 03 FebruaryThank you for your info! I actually know Eric very well. I was on his show about two years ago and had the best time! I’m actually going to hear him speak this weekend here in Nashville Tennessee. I love his info! If you want to hear our interview I think you’ll really like it. Check it out right here: https://omny.fm/shows/the-eric-metaxas-show/tina-marie-griffin