The 19 Best Read Aloud Books For All Ages
Our favorite all-ages bedtime scripts.
by Rachel Shukert
October 2, 2008
15. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Do your kids a favor; if you’re going to let them watch the Tim Burton version on DVD, tell them you have to finish reading the book together first. Chances are, they won’t even be able to get through the movie — an almost bafflingly pale imitation of the real thing. There may be no character in children’s literature weirder, wilder, or warmer than the wonderful Willy Wonka, whose vibrance and vitality radiates off the page — and makes Johnny Depp’s creepy cold fish portrayal look as crazily off the mark as serving liver cooked in milk at a child’s birthday party. Let’s take back this story for the book — and it is glorious, full of the kind of scrumptious details that roll off the tongue and that film, no matter how glossy and expensive, can never quite replicate. And when you’re done, there’s the sequel…
16. Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl
This underrated sequel to the first Charlie book is so bizarre, it’s downright confounding. Charlie and the Buckets accompany Mr. Wonka to a luxury hotel in Outer Space, where they run into the President of the United States (presciently characterized as a buffoonish mental midget) and memorably, an enormous Vermicious Knid, a giant ball of a shape-shifting phlegm with enormous eyes that lurks in the elevator.
17. Knight’s Castle by Edward Eager
My personal favorite of the Edward Eager books; the children of the aforementioned Katherine and Martha of Half Magic are brought together by a magical toy castle that transports them into the yeomanly world of Ivanhoe, where they must joust with Templars and defend the honor of exotic Jewesses. Plus, it’s never too early to talk to your child about the Crusades.
18. Curious Tales by Milos Macourek
I have no idea how and why I got this book – I think it was a gift from a relative. However, the collection of stories, translated from the Czech, has haunted me my whole life – in a good way. Ottilie, who is covered in so many inkblots her mother washes her in bleach – and Ottilie disappears; Julie, the houseplant that eats roast turkey; the box of macaroni that goes out to a restaurant and is fed itself for dinner. The stories are so elegant, so dark, and true to form, so curious, that never mind your kids – you won’t ever be the same.
19. Stories for Children by Isaac Bashevis Singer
If you’re Jewish, I think they present you with a copy of this book at your bris; for the rest of you, allow me to direct you to what might be the greatest collection of children’s stories ever written. Singer’s stories have witches, demons, holy men who fight evil, talking goats, and total morons – a fair approximation of the world if I’ve ever heard one. And the stories themselves are beautifully written: each word prefect and precise, their pure simplicity ideal for reading out loud and particularly to the very young. It’s a must-have, and a must-read.
©2008 Babble
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