Want more connection in your family? Try this!
Hey Friend! One of the best ways I know to connect with my family is to grab a great book, pile on the couch together and just read. Family read-aloud works as a powerful connector for two reasons:
It doesn’t take any extra work, creative energy, or advanced planning – other than having a stack of good books at hand (and I can help you with that – see my list of books-to-get-you-started at the end of this article.)
It takes us all on a this wonderful imaginative journey TOGETHER as a family . We share tears, laughter, suspense, reconciliation, courage, love, and adventure… all together.
Connecting as Couples
When Stanton and I were newlyweds we didn’t have a TV. We lived out of state from our families. Evenings were spent together reading a historical fiction series! When the hero and heroine fell in love, there is a scene where he overhears her singing in the woods and he’s smitten.
And we were smitten for each other all over again in those cozy hours snuggled up together reading on the couch. The power of shared story!
When Harry Potter first came out we read out loud together late into the night in guilty pleasure knowing we both had work coming early the next morning – his work and university classes and my work caring for our young children – but we couldn’t resist the pull of the story.
When a chapter ended we looked at each other and raised our eyebrows with the question “just one more chapter?” and we turned the page.
Around that same time we also read a series about a family during World War II. We plowed through those books shoulder to shoulder on the couch. We cried, laughed, and worried over the characters. It’s how we spent our time together.
Connecting with Children
Starting young, books were a huge part of our kids’ lives and served as a means of unifying our family. I remember board books so used and loved they finally fell apart. I have pictures of the toddler on the lap of her older brother with her tiny fingers poking through the pre-punched holes in The Very Hungry Caterpillar as they read the story together. We read the various Dr. Seuss stories again and again.
I remember snowy mornings when the rest of the world outside our front room window was pushing through the snow to get to school and work and because we homeschooled, we were warm in our home, snuggled on the couch with blankets plowing through a magnificent story together. Books like The Chronicles of Narnia, Little House on the Prairie, Phantom Tollbooth, and Charlotte’s Webb.
Connecting as Families
When our children were growing up we couldn’t wait for Dad to get home in the evening so that after the rush of the day and dinner was over, we could pile on the couch and pick up where we left off the night before in the book we were reading. Stanton read in his strong, warm voice and we hung on his every word as the stories unfolded.
We shared all this together in real time in the warmth of our home. From the hero and heroine’s good choices and mistakes we learned life lessons about overcoming and becoming. We witnessed Christlike character forged and maintained even in the face of adversity. We watched how families are there for each other in hard times.
Books like Little Britches, Summer of the Monkeys, Laddie: a True Blue Story, The Tale of Despereaux, and Where the Red Fern Grows.
Road trips we spent hours on the edge of our seats listening to audiobooks like The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Harry Potter, Carry On Mr. Bowditch, and The Way of Kings.
Recently we have loved listening to powerful podcasts as we drive long distances.This has lead to great discussions with our teen and young adult children: questions about life, what it means to be successful, how technology affects our relationships, how to achieve goals, and big life ideas.
I miss those days of reading aloud at home as a family now that everyone is older and we don’t spend as much time in the same space as we used to with one son married, kids working, attending classes, and forging courageously into their own lives.
One day recently I was feeling that pull to have more heart-moments with my 16-year old daughter. In between her classes and babysitting jobs, things felt a little frenzied and we needed some time to connect in the little time she had between one activity and the next. I suggested we read some story books. She got a great big grin on her face.
We plopped on the couch with a stack of our favorite story books from her childhood and read out loud together. In that moment we felt all that same warmth come back. Our hearts connected. And when the last page turned it was OK to head back into the rush of life because we were connected again – all through the power of a good story.
If you are yearning for more connection in your family, decide today to read aloud with your family pulled close. Share an adventure, a triumph, some laughter, and some tears as you cheer on your favorite characters together. It has proven to be one of the best things we ever did as a family to feel close in the moment and to forge strong bonds in the long run.
As I’m reading through this for the last time before publishing this article, I realize I’ve used one word A LOT. Have you noticed how many times I used the word “together”? I couldn’t help it. It’s the only and best way to describe what reading aloud as a family has done for us…it has brought us TOGETHER. Physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It has connected us in all the ways that it means to be human. And I love it for that.
My Reading Recommendations to Get You Started Reading Aloud as a Family
I have too many favorites to list them all here in this post, but here a few off the top of my heart…ones that have left a deep impression on me over the years of reading aloud with my children. They’re all great and a wonderful place to start reading aloud with your family.
Let the adventure begin!
Board Books for Babies:
The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle
Why I love this book:
The collage artwork is beautiful and the die-cut holes are just perfect for tiny fingers to poke through making this book lovely to look at and interactive for little people.
Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown
Why I love this book:
The sweet artwork and gentle story of saying goodnight to everything in the child’s room created a peaceful ritual for bedtime for my children. After our story and I tucked them in, they would say goodnight to a few favorite things in their own room, helping them settle nicely to sleep.
Barnyard Dance, by Sandra Boynton
Why I love this book:
I have such fun memories of reading this with my littles and giggling over the silly sounds of the words and the rhythm they created as they rolled off our tongues. Fun artwork and characters.
Big Red Barn, by Margaret Wise Brown
Why I love this book:
This peaceful story of a day on a farm was a perfect way to settle the chaos of our own day.
Storybook favorites:
We’re going on a Bear Hunt, by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury
Why I love this book:
Great life lesson that there are some things you can’t go over, around, or skip – you just have to go through them and it’s OK. Beautiful watercolor illustrations.
Guess How Much I Love You, by Sam McBratney
Why I love this book:
I love the watercolor art in this book and the message that we are loved more than we can even comprehend or imagine. This is one my 16-year-old daughter chose to read together on our recent story-snuggle on the couch. You’re never too old to be reminded how much you are loved.
Oh The Places You’ll Go, by Dr. Seuss
Why I love this book:
The message is big, monumental and life-changing all wrapped up in whimsical art and tongue-tickling word-play. A favorite book I like to give to graduates as they head off into the world.
Blueberries for Sal, by Robert McCloskey
Why I love this book:
This is just a sweet little story of two mamas and two little ones that is heartwarming as well as fun to read with all the onomatopoeia going on with sentences like “kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk!”.
Little Bear, by Else Holmelund Minarik and Maurice Sendak
Why I love this book:
A collection of stories about Little Bear and how he goes through his days with a big imagination and courage and sometimes just needs the comfort of his mother.
Little Cottontail, by Carl Memling
Why I love this book:
I love how this story teaches the virtue of exact obedience with real consequences for disobedience. Classic watercolor illustrations of adorable meadow animals.
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, by Laura Numeroff
Why I love this book:
This story is so fun! It illustrates just how our distractions can take us from one place clear to another one all together.
My Favorite Time of the Year, by Susan Pearson and John Wallner
Why I love this book:
Every time I read this with my children I try to figure out which is my favorite time of the year and everytime I come up with the same answer – all the times! Be ready to feel the splendor of each season through taste, smell, sight and sound.
A little longer easy-reads for the whole family:
Charlotte’s Webb, by E.B. White
Why I love this book:
I first read this book as a little girl on my bed and I remember feeling the deliciousness of crying my eyes out over characters I’d come to love. Reading it later with my kids was just as delightful as we cried together at the end too!
Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams
Why I love this book:
This is a timeless story that gets better each time you read it. I love the message about what it means to become real.
The Courage of Sarah Noble, by Alice Dalgliesh
Why I love this book:
Want to inspire your young girls to know that they can do hard things and make a difference? This is the one.
The Matchlock Gun, by Walter D. Edmonds
Why I love this book:
My kids and I were on the edge of our seats as the suspense in this story grew. Great message of courage.
Little House in the Big Woods, by Laura Ingall Wilder
Why I love this book:
The whole series is wonderful but this first in the series is so sweet in its depiction of family, simple homelife, industry, obedience, and love.
Oh-So-Awesome Virtue-building novels:
Little Britches Series, by Ralph Moody
Why I love this book:
This book taught our family the importance of building our “character houses” in enduring and unforgettable ways.
Laddie: A True Blue Story, by Gene Stratton Porter
Why I love this book:
This book has it all! Strong family values, humor, romance, suspense, betrayal and redemption. This may be our all time favorite read-a-loud. Just beware it takes a bit to get into it at the start, but soon you’re hooked and there’s no going back.
Caddie Woodlawn, by Gene Stratton Porter
Why I love this book:
A book of adventure about a spunky girl. Super fun read.
Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery
Why I love this book:
My very favorite feisty girl! I remember when all of us looked at each other with wide eyes and open mouths during some parts of this story because of Anne’s crazy antics. But besides the fun this story is full of heart and beautiful language and imagery.
The Chronicle of Narnia Series, by C.S. Lewis
Why I love this book:
The books in this series catch your imagination on fire and teach such deep truths that they make you cry – at least they made me cry. So good! My favorites are The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe and The Horse and His Boy.
Summer of the Monkeys, by Wilson Rawls
Why I love this book:
Not only is this story full of fun and surprises, it is full of family love, sacrifice, and heart.
The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo
Why I love this book:
This story glitters with the hope of the best that we can all become. That change and overcoming and beauty are possible.
Because of Winn-Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo
Why I love this book:
Oh I cried in this book! A story of hopes lost and found, forgiveness, and redemption, all with the backdrop of an adorable dog.
The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict, by Trenton Lee Stewart
Why I love this book:
Yeah, this was another crier. The truths that enlightened my mind at the end of this story and how this character grows and changes are the perfect cherry on top of a really good story.
Reading aloud together as a family is one of the best things we’ve done as a family to create great memories and forge bonds of connection. I hope you’ll find a book from the over 25 suggestions given here to start a FAMILY READ-ALOUD tradition with your family.
What are your favorite books for family read-aloud? How has reading aloud as a family been awesome for your family?
Hey Friend, please leave a note in the comments. Don’t be shy! 🙂 I’d love to hear from you!
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