Books to Read to Kids I Want to One Day Read to Mine
Some books to read to kids: classics, young reader, and children’s book recommendations I enjoy as an adult and also want to share.
Three years ago I was a broke, debilitatingly anxious, out of work film production coordinator who had no idea where her life was going but a lot of intrusive thoughts of how bad it might get that kept me up at night. I was only slightly less single than a nun (nuns have at the very least one man in their life), living in a windowless bedroom in Brooklyn, and paying my rent primarily by writing SEO real estate blog articles. If someone were to ask me if I wanted kids one day back then, I would answer, “Depends on who is offering, which right now is no one.” Three years later I work from home on a farm in Pennsylvania with a profound sense of calm and purpose and many happy dreams for the future I think about every day, in the house I share with my fiance. And I am not special. I say this not to tout my accomplishments because of much of what brought me these blessings was due to the unpredictable help and kindness of others.
My most central belief is essentially a version of the butterfly effect. One small seemingly innocuous event in your life can be the catalyst for your greatest joy. I talk about this a little more in my most recent Substack post, but it is the inspiration for everything I write. You never know when you are going to wake up on the day that your dreams start coming true. That the happiness you never thought you’d feel just arrives, completely invisible at first but present nonetheless. I love to write but more so than that I want to create spaces for people to feel good about themselves: messages that encourage everyone to have hope and faith that they can live a happy life. That belief might be the hardest one of all to invite into one’s heart. I know it was for me. But everything good starts with it. We just have to find a way to believe.
To me it seems that hope for the future is in very short demand right now. I consider myself someone blessed with many circumstances throughout the span of my life that supply the precious resource of hope and even for me finding a path that made me feel consistently good and hopeful everyday felt herculean. It also seems to me that there is no greater blind hope for the future than the desire to have children.
I am not a mother yet, but I now dream to become one one day which is not something I ever expected to be able to say at twenty eight. I really believed that if I met someone who I felt was my husband it was going to be at fifty and he would already have one child from a previous marriage and we’d get married at the courthouse in a charming but sober ceremony then get dinner. A fantasy of which is perfectly acceptable (and I still find kind of charming and romantic) but interesting coming from a twenty one year old, the age at which I conjured it first. I wanted love and I had to dream something and that was what felt possible which is better than nothing.
And dreaming that dream did fill me with hope. That I could love and live with joy un-alone one day. Now what feels possible and my fantasies for the future are very different. Sometime a dream is just a stepping stone that gets you to where you’re going and it’s no less valuable for it. I now dream of a happy marriage, that creates happy children, and a happy home life. A dream which does sound herculean but I’m willing to dream it anyway now.
A practice I think is really nourishing when it comes to daring to believe in your hopes for the future is “acting as if.” In small ways, taking action as if your dream IS possible and IS coming true. Nothing huge. Trying a different coffee shop with new baristas who you might lock eyes with and fall in love at first sight. Applying for a job you have absolutely no experience for but know you would love. Or just buying a book. I do like to read middle grade and young reader books which I talk about a bit more here but now I also keep my eye on the children’s section and even the adult stacks with a mind to a dream: of sitting by the bedside of a happy child as I read from a book I love and they are coming to love on a normal night in my future life. Here are the ones I’m holding in my dream. These books make for really special family reading time for both parent and child.
Emma by Jane Austen
I know Austen seems unrealistic for any kid who still wants a bed time story but hear me out. Emma is very gentle, non-violent, and chaste. It’s themes are about forgiveness, human imperfection, love, and personal growth. And it’s just so beautiful. It’s one of my favorites and a baby doesn’t know the difference between Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and regency prose anyway.
There are a lot of benefits to reading (peaceful) adult literature to children that help them develop language skills and comprehension. But it also means you can read a book that might be a little more enticing to you than a picture book once in a while. In my case, I’d get to share something I really love with my kid in the hopes they might one day love it too. And if one day they are a teenager and they scorn Austen and reading for fun completely and decide to get really into DJing, fine. But hey, you can’t knock a girl for trying.
If you need some mental stimulation and are in need of bedtime stories for kids, I think Austen is a treasure trove. Emma is my favorite Austen. I prefer it much more to Pride and Prejudice because I think it is funnier, the plot is more gripping, and the characters are even more lovable.
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
I absolutely love a good middle grade book. Some of the prose I’ve read in middle grade books rivals Tolstoy and I will die on that hill. The poetry, elegance, and wisdom of a really wonderful middle grade book is so special and Kate DiCamillo is the queen of this type of book. These are some of my favorites for adults.
I love her writing so much. Her book, The Beatryce Prophecy is one of my all time favorites and I just started reading The Tale of Despereaux after I went to her website and read her On Writing essay which changed my life (not hyperbolic.) What I love about this book and a lot of her books is that it really feels like she’s speaking both to parent and to child. The humor and the wisdom form this layered symphony that brings me so much joy. I can really see this one being both didactic and fun for kid and parent.
This is Not My Hat by John Klassen
This is Not My Hat is a board book so it’s definitely for very young kids. I stumbled upon it one day because a friend of mine from childhood who is also a fellow book lover and I like to take our coffees to the children’s section of Barnes and Noble when it’s not occupied. I really champion the healing power of adults engaging with childhood pastimes outside of being parents so it’s not unusual for me to pick up something like a board book.
But this one is just so silly and funny to me! I won’t even try to explain it because it is inexplicably brilliant. Basically it’s a fable about the consequences of stealing. I suppose it is slightly dark but not in any way that a child would register. It’s a bit of cheeky fun for you and curiosity for kid. Like vaudeville!
The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
I adore Winnie the Pooh. Winnie the Pooh is my role model and no that is not a joke. He’s kind and emotionally resilient, empathetic and supportive. As an adult one of my favorite books is the Tao of Pooh but I think for a kid the original book achieves the same lessons with less existential fuss (even if I personally I enjoy existential fuss.) The Tales of Winnie the Pooh hits that sweet spot again of cozy, wise, cheerful, fun, and didactic for both parent and kid.
Learn Your Flowers!
And in a bashful but enthusiastic bout of self promotion, I have created two kids activity books for kids ages 4-8 full of educational fun! Kids can color, do dot-to-dot activities, and practice writing and reading all masked by the fun of learning about pretty flowers. Level One is out now and Level Two will be out in a couple months.
Learn Your Flowers Level One!
Level Two will be out next month!
That’s all for now folks! Thank you for reading! 🧸
and for updates on more posts like this with special extras and more of my experience experimenting with small, gentle ways to build a life full of love, you can subscribe (for free) to my Substack below.
