Derek and I have been doing some reading aloud again, and we just love the great boys’ books out there. We can’t wait to share these favorites with Tommy in a few years:
Homer Price by Robert McCloskey. Homer is one of those clever small-town boys who always has us in stitches. We don’t want Tommy adopting a skunk as a pet any time soon, though.
Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan. I think my brothers and I read this book religiously at least once a year for a decade. We love how a few clever Norwegian children outwit Nazi occupiers.
The Winged Watchman by Hilda van Stockum. Another Willett family favorite, this is another WWII classic that has it all–adventure, Resistance activities, family dynamics, and the sweet love of a boy and his dog.
Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder. We love how much Almanzo can eat, and oh! how he loves his father’s horses!
The Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald. You could say we fell in love reading these to each other…we certainly were reading this series aloud on a school trip the week we started dating. From the amazing water closet to Tom’s escapades in his Catholic boarding school, this Utah family has us hooked.
Escape from Warsaw (The Silver Sword) by Ian Serrallier. This one isn’t as well-written as the previously mentioned WWII adventures, but we Willett children still loved the adventures of three children trying to escape to Switzerland and find their father while dodging enemies left and right!
Eddie the Dog Holder by Carolyn Haywood. Derek actually introduced the Eddie series to me, and since they’re out of print, we’ve been scanning book sales for copies ever since. There’s something so great about a little boy and his dog when an author captures it well, and I can’t wait to read more in this series.
The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois. The definitive inspirational book for boys who dream of inventing, ballooning, or setting up their own colony in a desert island somewhere.
Detectives in Togas by Henry Winterfield. A definite read-aloud, the crazy adventures of these Roman lads will capture any boy’s attention…and he won’t even realize how much Roman history he’s learning on the side. =)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. I’m not as much of a Dahl fan as Derek is, but there are some images in this book that just can’t be beaten. Reread the beginning where Charlie’s dad loses his job screwing on toothpaste caps onto tubes and the four grandparents share the one bed, and you’ll be pulled into the story again, even if you’ve had the misfortune to see either motion picture travesty of the same name.
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. Sometimes Derek or I will just whisper out of the blue, “Death-or-Glory Toads!” just to get a chuckle. Toad’s adventures are hilarious, and Mole and Rat are great friends, too.
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. Pirates-adventure-sailing-treasure-and a great movie adaptation starring a young Christian Bale. Maybe I should add this one to the girl’s list just for the sake of the eye candy. Sigh.