I must begin with a caveat that most books aimed at the six to nine year old age group could be read aloud. However, I have probably read a couple of thousand books to my children and there are a few standouts that our family have loved.
I have endured one too many repetitive plotlines over the years (I’m looking at you Rainbow Magic). So, I’m now more careful about what I will agree to read aloud. If I am going to spend hours reading to my kids, I need to enjoy it. If not, they will sense it is a chore. And I never want reading to feel like a chore.
This being said, it is fantastic if a child is encouraged to read by engaging with a particular book or series. Sometimes I just have to put my literary snobbery aside and let them read what they like. But if it is Fart Boy or Captain Underpants, I’m not getting involved. They can read those on their own.
Two of my children are now proficient readers and can happily read to themselves. Despite this, my husband or I still read something with them most nights. I hope they will let me do this well into their teen years as there are so many benefits.
I love the quiet time before bed when we cuddle up and enjoy a good story together. Often, they become motivated to keep reading to themselves after I am done reading with them. My eldest and I have a longstanding joke that I have half-read so many books. Her impatience often leads her to read ahead without me thus depriving me of closure on numerous occasions. I give her a hard time but I’m secretly pleased when she loves a story so much she just can’t wait to get to the end.
The following books are some of our favourite read-aloud books for six to nine year olds. I will continue to add more as others make it onto our list of treasured stories.
Runt, Craig Silvey
Runt by Craig Silvey is our most recent read-aloud and I will never stop raving about this book. It has everything. This book made us all laugh so hard in parts I had to stop reading. Other times we were left feeling a bit heartbroken for the protagonist. It is a story about a young Australian girl, Annie, whose best friend is a once-stray dog named Runt. It follows their complicated journey to compete at Krumpet’s dog show in London to help save their family’s farm. There is just the right amount of drama, family antics and a comic villain to keep the story moving while not too overwhelming for a sensitive audience. This is now at the top of my “giftable books” list.
Leo and Ralph, Peter Carnavas
Just thinking about this book makes my heart smile. I am so glad there are authors like Peter Carnavas who put pen to paper (or diligently type at their keyboard) to share stories like this one with the world. I’m not sure storytime has ever been quite so emotional as when we read this book together. My girls regularly stopped me to comment on the storyline or cry out at what they felt was injustice toward the main character, Leo. Even hubby gathered round to hear the story of Leo and Ralph. I am overjoyed when my love of reading leads us to find a treasure such as this one.
The Travelling Bookshop series, Katrina Nannestad
This is such a sweet series by ever-popular Katrina Nannestad. My daughters fully engaged with the relatable main characters. There is a lovely sibling relationship as well as humour and lots of problems to solve. I really like the way the children are the ones who often help the adults in the series. There is also a lovely international feel as the bookshop travels to different parts of Europe. Beautiful illustrations are by Cheryl Orsini who is a big hit in our household. My youngest actually has a bedroom themed after a Cheryl Orsini illustrated book, The Fairy Dancers. If you are looking for a light-hearted read with plenty of charm, you can’t go past The Travelling Bookshop.
Pages & Co series, Anna James
This is one of the series where I have finished the books on my own as my eldest couldn’t wait for me to finish reading with her. The concept of people being able to travel into books is really the stuff of dreams. Tilly lives with her grandparents above a bookshop and discovers she can bookwander into stories. This series is incredibly clever and imaginative.
I would suggest this one is perhaps for those around eight or nine-years old as the language is more complex than some of the others we have read. I do find the start of the story can also be slow so I expect my daughter may have lost interest if I had not pushed her along. But once you get to the good bits, the story really grips you.
Charlotte’s Web, E. B. White
I hesitated to add this book to the list. There is a running joke between my primary school friends and I (yes, we’ve been friends for a long time) and I am tagged anytime Charlotte’s Web comes up on social media. I hold the reputation for being that kid on the mat who was balling her eyes out while the teacher attempted to finish the story. I feel the only way to read this book is with your children so you can council them through it. Just make sure one of them can read so they take over the role of reader while you quietly cry into your sleeve at “that part”. Just saying in case that happens to you.
The Faraway Tree series, Enid Blyton
Oh! The pure joy and delight of entering into the world of The Faraway Tree. These remain my favourite books ever. First published in 1939, it is a marvel that the timeless stories still captivate readers today. It was a special day when I first introduced my eldest to Moonface, Silky, the Saucepan Man and the children of The Enchanted Wood. All three of my daughters love the series and my eldest and youngest have read (or listened) to it numerous times. It is a classic and for good reason.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, J. K. Rowling
I purposefully avoided including the whole Harry Potter series here. Of course, many do read the whole series with their children. Personally, I chose to read the first book with my daughter around age six to simply introduce her to the series. I believe J. K. Rowling wrote the books in such a way to mature along with her readership. Therefore, I have deliberately not gone any further in the series. If my daughter wishes to continue reading, she is more than welcome. But I am aware she is a sensitive reader and I have warned her that the series does become pretty dark and scary. I would also like her to fully appreciate the magic of the books. I feel she may do better to wait a few years when she can really grasp the depth of the story and characters.
The Ramona Series, Beverly Cleary
Full disclosure: I have not actually read the Ramona series. However, my eight-year-old daughter devoured the series last year after her amazing Year 2 teacher started reading the series to her class. I expect my daughter warmed to the characters, relatability and humour in the stories. Also, let’s never underestimate the impact a good teacher can have on a child’s love of learning (and reading!).
Gangsta Granny, David Walliams
I have included a David Walliams book in this list with some apprehension. The children’s book community is somewhat divided on the tone and themes of Walliams’s books. I don’t go out of my way to promote his books in our household, but I’m equally happy for the kids to borrow them from the library for an easy read. I happened to purchase Gangsta Granny on a whim in KMart one day and began reading it with my eight year old. As usual, she found my pace too slow and read ahead without me until about three chapters from the end when she got to “the scary bit”. I sat on the egde of her bed and read the last few chapters aloud and cried my little heart out. I had not expected that from David Walliams. The blurb says “heartfelt” and I would have to agree.
The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone, Jaclyn Moriarty
This book is part of Jaclyn Moriarty’s Kingdoms and Empires series and is such a breath of fresh air. It is witty, clever, full of adventure and plenty of odd and likeable characters. Again, I only read the first few chapters about Bronte Mettlestone’s adventure before my daughter rudely read ahead and left me in her literary dust. But it is such a fun and imaginative book to be enjoyed by both children and parents.
What Snail Knows, Kathryn Apel
This is one of the loveliest, heart-tugging stories I have read in a long time. There were parts where both my daughter and I didn’t want to keep reading because it was too sad. Yet, we really needed to know it was all going to work out okay. So, we persevered. And I’m so glad we did. This was my first introduction to a children’s verse novel. It took a bit of getting used to. The pace of What Snail Knows is very different to a typical prose narrative. But once we got into the flow, the book about sweet, sweet Lucy just carried us along. Truly, a book I looked forward to reading each night.
What are some of your favourite read-aloud books for six to nine year olds? Please do share them in the comments!
