There are books we’ve struggled to finish—like Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth, which read like a tedious lecture on Icelandic volcanic formation. And there are wonderful books, like A. A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh stories, that the boys enjoyed when they were little but have since outgrown.
Anyway, it all got me reflecting on which books we read as a family are likely to land. For what it’s worth, I’ve settled on four guidelines that seem to work for us.
First, I like it when the book is sophisticated enough to prompt questions and discussion. I think it’s a good sign if I feel like my role as the reader is actually necessary, if they’d struggle without me rephrasing things and answering questions. I’m not looking for Tolstoy, but I do want something a little outside their comfort zone.
Second, it can be a good thing if the book is a little overwritten, so long as the plot is clear and the characters are interesting. I’m happy to streamline and update as I go—pruning overwrought scene-setting, tweaking language, and the like. This can expose them to neat stories that they otherwise might not be inclined to pick up.
Third, it helps if the book has a bit of an edge. A little mystery, weirdness, or bad behavior seems to work well for us. That gives us more to talk about, surfaces funny reflections over breakfast or at bedtime, and fuels their interest in what’s going to happen next.
Finally, I prefer when I have a connection to the book. If I’m picking it up cold, reading together doesn’t feel as much like a shared experience. One reason I like reading to my kids is to expose them to old stuff that I loved, think they’ll like, and wouldn’t expect them to discover on their own.
Well, a number of correspondents have asked me if I have any suggestions beyond the familiar tales like the Narnia books, James and the Giant Peach, The Phantom Tollbooth, or Harry Potter—more titles found off the beaten path. The truth is, some of our best experiences are with books that aren’t as widely familiar today.
For what it’s worth, here are five books I heartily recommend. As befits a column called “Old School,” all of them are at least four decades old. So it goes.
