Just in time for summer reading and by special request here is our list of favorite read aloud books for girls.  I wrote about our favorite read alouds for boys here.  Most of my daughter’s favorites were loved by my son and vice versa, so be sure to check out both lists.  I’ve included a few duplicates if they were absolutely beloved.

Time spent reading aloud to my children, in the quiet of the evening, is among my most treasured memories… and I’m so glad we still have more memories left to make.  I love the time spent talking about the books we are reading, the world of ideas and experiences that are opened to us.  Now that my children are getting older, we are choosing our read aloud books with more and more care… knowing the finite time left to us.  Each book read is a treasure.

These are books that have been read aloud and are not necessarily reading age appropriate.  This is also not a complete list… since it would be too long.

Age 1:

• Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
• Piggies by Audrey and Don Wood
• You Are My I Love You by Maryann K. Cusimano
• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? By Eric Carle

Age 2:

• Our Nest by Reeve Lindbergh
• We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury -read about my kid’s real life “bear hunt” here.
• The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear by Audrey and Don Wood
• I’m as Quick as a Cricket by Don and Audrey Wood

Age 3:

• Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae
• Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
• Wild About Books by Judy Sierra and Illustrated by Marc Brown
• Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson Illustrated by Axel Sheffler
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr., John Archambault and Lois Ehlert

Age 4:

• Emma Kate by Patricia Polacco – We couldn’t help but love this book, since it’s my daughter’s name…
• Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes – Again my daughter’s name… but also a wonderful book.
• Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell Illustrated by David Catrow – perfect for the vertically challenged like us
• Angelina Ballerina by Katharine Holabird
• The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson Illustrated by Axel Sheffler
• The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson Illustrated by Axel Sheffler

Age 5:

• Fanny’s Dream by Caralyn and Mark Buehner – One of my all time favorites, but I still getting choked up when I read it- darn it all.
• Nonsense! by Sally Kahler Phillips – What to say when someone says something not true about you.  We still use the skills learned by reading this book!
• Odd Velvet by Mary E. Whitcomb – It’s OK to be different… and learning to accept others who are different from you.
• Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
• Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Age 6:

• Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave by Marianna Mayer Illustrated by Kinuko Craft – This maybe a bit scary for a lot of 6 year olds, but my girl’s loved and still love it.
• Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood by Mike Artell
• Dove Isabeau by Jane Yolen
• I Wish I Were a Butterfly by James Howe
• Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo – This series was my girls favorite early reader chapter books too.

Age 7:

• The Spider and the Fly Based on the poem by Mary Howitt and BEAUTIFULLY illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi
• The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
• Little House On The Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• Harry Potter books 1 and 2 by J.K. Rowling

Age 8:

• Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
• The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye
• The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall
• Harry Potter -the rest of the series by JK Rowling
• The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo

Age 9:

• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
• Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery  – the book we are reading now… there are no words for how wonderful it is.

“There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all.”

— Jacqueline Kennedy

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