If you have an “emerging reader,” chances are you are looking for things to read to them that encourage their love of books, of stories, and of language without talking down to them. You know, a step beyond “Go Dog, Go” and their favorite board books. Something that’s not “Angry Birds” that’ll get them to sit still for more than a minute.
Welcome to our Beyond “Go Dog, Go!” series about children’s books with sophisticated language that have subject matter that may appeal to your three, four, or five year old now and for some time to come. Your mileage may vary- be sure to read ahead and review the subject matter yourself. I’ll never forget the day I thought, “Oh, let’s read Heidi. Such a sweet story… he’ll love it!” Only to find out that the litany of people who had died and left the little girl alone in the world had slipped my mind… and went on for PAGES AND PAGES AND PAGES. We didn’t finish that one. Here are three to get you started:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling
The story starts when Harry is just one year old, and the bulk of the book takes place the year he is 11. There’s just enough conflict to keep it interesting without it being too scary. Nobody dies. Your kid will LOVE hearing about how Harry learns to fly a broom, gets mail by owl, and eats treacle tart. Harry IS an orphan, so if the loss of a parent is a hot-button topic, hold off on this one for now. We read this series to the third book. The flying car was loads of fun, but we’re going to hold off on the teen angst for a while- plus, the death of a friend in the fourth book might be a bit difficult for some little ones.
The Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Life on the frontier will spark a bevy of questions, introduce a lot of new words, and is a really interesting read for the parent, as well. We read this series up until Laura’s teen years- Ian is not interested in how she might have worn her hair, but he’s been begging to move the wood pile indoors, he loves hearing about people travelling on horseback and by sleigh, and bears are not too scary for him!
The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy Winkle by Beatrix Potter
Some of the characters in the books by this author of Peter Rabbit fame are ruthless and bloodthirsty, but there’s rarely any actual violence in any of the 22 books, and what there is happens “off scene,” as it were. Unless your child is particularly sensitive, the whole collection is probably okay. If you DO have a sensitive kiddo, check out this tale of a little girl who finds her lost “pocket handkins” and has a nice cup of tea with Mrs. Tiggy Winkle!
I’ll be back soon with some more. In the meantime, happy reading! Heads up though… if you’re thinking of downloading these titles to your e-reader, buyer beware. I was deeply disappointed to find out my “Complete Works of Beatrix Potter” was abridged to the point where the stories made no sense.
