When you teach empathy to kids, you solve a host of other problems.
Have you ever wondered how to get kids to share? How to get them to be kind to one another? How to stop bullying? The missing character trait here is empathy. So the next question is how to help kids develop empathy and what do books have to do with it?
Teach empathy by choosing the right books
Teach empathy by asking questions
Teach empathy by stepping into the characters’ shoes
In that post I talk about how stories we tell kids today have changed from when I was a child. I’m not saying all change is bad, but I wonder if we’re robbing kids today of the chance to develop real compassion and empathy because our stories are tamed down.
Among stories written in this century, I recommend the books of R. J. Palacio about Auggie who has a facial deformity. These books are characterized by realistic struggles with emotional pain.
Wonder is written for school aged kids and We’re All Wonders for preschoolers.
Note: Book cover picture is an Amazon affiliate link. Clicking through to purchase benefits this site.
Teach Empathy to Kids by Asking Questions
Michele Borba wrote the book Unselfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World. In it, she outlines three steps to interact with stories to teach kids empathy.
Step 1: Ask “What if.”
Stop reading occasionally to pose questions. What if that happened to you? What if you had to decide?
Give kids a chance to stop and think about what it’s like to be that character.
Step 2: Ask “How would you feel?”
An important task here is teaching emotional literacy. Help kids learn a vocabulary for emotions.
Start with basics like happy and sad, and move on to more complex emotions like frustrated, angry, excited and afraid.
When reading picture books, point out body language and facial expressions.
Identify what the character is feeling and relate that to feelings they’ve had.
Step 3: Ask them to think about “you” instead of “me.”
A critical step in teaching empathy is the shift in focus from self-centered to other-centered.
It’s natural to think about ourselves, our thoughts, needs and feelings. It takes effort (maybe even supernatural help!) to think about others.
Note: Book cover picture is an Amazon affiliate link. Clicking through to purchase benefits this site.
Teach Empathy to Kids by Stepping into the Characters’ Shoes
Kids are concrete and literal learners. It helps to have a visual and tactile object lesson to drive home a lesson.
In Michele Borba’s book she shares the example of a mom in Liverpool who helped her kids step into the shoes—literally— of the characters from Charlotte’s Web.
She wrote the names of the characters— Wilbur, Charlotte, Fern and Templeton— on sticky notes and put them on her husband’s shoes. The kids loved standing in each shoe and describing what that character was thinking and feeling.
This list is broken into three parts, each focusing on different elements of the Hatchet story that I find compelling.
First of all, it’s a survival story. If the popularity of the reality TV show Survivor is any indication, battling the elements and living off the land is a challenge worth witnessing.
The survival books on this list include fiction and non-fiction written for adults and mature teens.
It’s also a story about courage and self-discovery. Victory over adversity is empowering. Dire circumstances can serve as a catalyst to unearth inner courage. The section of the list that highlights courage are also written for kids. One of the best thing about books is that we can borrow the courage of our heroes, fictional or real, and wield it in our every day lives.
Finally, there’s a section of adventure stories, appealing and apropriate for all ages.
In my list of top picks some are stories of surviving alone on an island, but there’s also courage, adventure or survival in other settings as well.
My top six picks for Books Like Hatchet
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Wonder
Project Hail Mary
Robinson Crusoe
Swiss Family Robinson
Peace Like a River
Books Like Hatchet for Adults: Survival
If you enjoy adventure stories that defy death by overcoming the odds this is your place. Some are true, some invented, all contain the epic battle of man and survival, battling the elements, fighting nature and winning. Modern life doesn’t often pit us against the elements since we tend to live a more temperature controlled life. But there is something compelling about survivor stories.
Note: Pictures of book covers are Amazon affiliate links. Clicking through to purchase will benefit this site.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
“Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.
Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.
All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.
His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.
And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone.
Or does he?”–from Amazon
All the elements of a great survival story as well as science fiction at it’s best. I loved it.
Endurance by Alfred Lansing
The story of Ernest Shackleton’s leadership to bring his whole crew out alive after their vessel is lost in the South Pole Seas is inspiring.
It’s a good study in leadership and teamwork. It’s an amazing triumph over the elements, even though the primary mission wasn’t accomplished. The feat was bringing back everyone alive.
The difficult decisions faced, the feats of survival, the human interaction: these are the elements of the story that draw you in and keep you turning pages.
In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick
Tracing the journey of the the captain and crew of the the whaling ship, Essex, the author employs extensive research of the mostly Quaker community on Nantucket, to whaling in the 1700s and background on the 20 men aboard the Essex.
Interesting from a leadership and psychological standpoint, it chronicles the different choices man makes in his most desperate hours.
The journey was supposed to take 2 to 3 years, so the community wasn’t alarmed but they didn’t know the turn of events that faced the captain during his first command and a partially green crew.
The writing style moved the story along even while providing informative comparisons to others in similar situations. Another interesting tie in was the influence this journey had on Herman Melville as an inspiration to write Moby Dick.
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
In 1996, eight mountain climbers lost their lives while attempting to summit Everest. Jon Krakauer is a journalist and climber who survived and wrote about it.
There’s a lot of competing forces at play: people who spent a lot of money to summit, the commercialization of summiting, magazines that would pay a lot for the story, advertisers looking for heroes.
No one seemed to know that there was a storm blowing in.
One of the critical factors in the deaths was the enforcement of the turn around time. Hall, the team leader, had been so strict about that for other teams, but with this one, he wasn’t. He didn’t communicate clearly whether the turn around time was one o clock or two clock. On the actual summit day, people were summiting at 4 and 5 o clock.
Should a leader be making decisions that are unquestioned? Does that actually put his team at greater risk because they don’t follow their own wisdom? Actually, the genius of Hall’s leadership was to make the decisions ahead of time, not in the heat of the moment. And the actual breakdown came in not following through with those wise decisions.
The safety net wasn’t there when it needed to be.
Touching the Void by Joe Simpson
“The true story of one man’s miraculous survival after a mountaineering mishap high in the Andes of South America.” (from Amazon)
I’ve been on the prowl for another great family read aloud, along the lines of Endurance and Unbroken.
There’s a lot of climbing terms and concepts that I didn’t understand and it took a while before the story became compelling. If I hadn’t known what was coming, I’m not sure I would have stuck with it. The account is a testimony to the human will to survive. Although it was only given a passing reference, it’s also a testimony to the prayers of Joe’s mother.
It’s fascinating to me to analyze the decisions you make in the face of death. What motivates you to keep going when it’s hopeless and what motivates you to give up?
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
“Robinson Crusoe is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published on 25 April 1719. The first edition credited the work’s protagonist Robinson Crusoe as its author, leading many readers to believe he was a real person and the book a travelogue of true incidents. Epistolary, confessional, and didactic in form, the book is presented as an autobiography of the title character (whose birth name is Robinson Kreutznaer)—a castaway who spends twenty-eight years on a remote tropical desert island near Trinidad, encountering cannibals, captives, and mutineers, before ultimately being rescued. The story has since been thought to be based on the life of Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish castaway who lived for four years on a Pacific island called “Más a Tierra”, now part of Chile, which was renamed Robinson Crusoe Island in 1966, but various literary sources have also been suggested.”– from Amazon
I was impressed by the spiritual themes explored in this book that you don’t see in modern literature. That is our culture’s loss.
To Build a Fire by Jack London
A novella with the classic story of man against the elements. No one can paint the great white north like Jack London. This story intrigued me as kid and I never forgot the impact a simple story can make. Even though it’s short it packs a punch.
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand tells the fascinating, incredible life story of Louis Zamperini. Starting with his early years striving for Olympic fame as a runner, then all the twists and turns of his military career in the South Pacific and finally his return to civilian life and redemption.
Books Like Hatchet for Kids: Courage
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
“The Newberry Medal-winning story of a 12-year old girl who lives alone on a Pacific island after she leaps from a rescue ship. Isolated on the island for eighteen years, Karana forages for food, builds weapons to fight predators, clothes herself in a cormorant feathered skirt, and finds strength and peace in her seclusion. A classic tale of discovery and solitude returns to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for its 50th anniversary, with a new introduction by Lois Lowry.” –from Amazon
Much like Hatchet, Karana faces the challenge of survival alone on an island. Unlike Hatchet, this story is based on the true events of a real person.
The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
“Nine-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him.
So begins a new adventure of Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan—and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother?” — from GoodReads
Great story.
A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus
William, Edmund and Anna are siblings who are evacuated from London to the country during World War II. Their deep desire for home and family drive the story, even while they aim to be family to each other.
A love of literature is integral to the story and revisiting my childhood favorites was fun. There’s echoes of Narnia throughout as well as nods to other classic children’s lit.
I wish I hadn’t read the story synopsis before reading this sweet, heart-warming story.
Don’t read the reviews. Just dive in.
Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt
” Doug struggles to be more than the “skinny thug” that some people think him to be. He finds an unlikely ally in Lil Spicer, who gives him the strength to endure an abusive father, the suspicions of a town, and the return of his oldest brother, forever scarred, from Vietnam. Schmidt expertly weaves multiple themes of loss and recovery in a story teeming with distinctive, unusual characters and invaluable lessons about love, creativity, and survival.”– from Amazon
Excellent book. LOVED it.
Deals with so many important themes.
Abusive parent. War veterans. Learning disabilities. Young love. Poverty. Predjudice.
Recommended for older kids, beginning about age 10.
Holes by Louis Sachar
Stanley Yelnats has been unfairly sentenced to juvenile work camp at Green Lake. The boys are required to dig holes in the desert sun.
But there’s something mysterious going on connected to a decades old events that transpired before the lake dried out. Can Stanley and his friends get to the bottom of it before the perpetrators take revenge?
Wonderby R.J. Palacio
What a great book! Highly recommended for all ages.
I love the way it tackles head on mega topics: embarrassment, shame, discouragement, rising above difficult circumstances, the elements of a true friendship.
August Pullman is a likable fellow. If he were a jerk, this story wouldn’t have worked.
It strikes at the very heart of what it means to be a person. Where do you fit into society. How does society react to you?
It’s not just an overcomer story. It’s a family systems story. Our family of origin matters so much when it comes to what we believe about ourselves.
I love the middle school principal in this story. I love the way he has such a deep understanding of kids. I love how he can see what is happening beneath the surface. A great book for teachers, administrators, youth pastors, everyone who deals with kids as well as kids, themselves.
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Another well-known classic that is still loved today. Jim Hawkins stumbles into the world of Pirates and buried treasure. Treasure maps marked with an X, one legged pirates with parrots on their shoulders and other pirate lore can be traced back to the masterful story telling in Treasure Island.
What if you were marooned on an island with your wife and family of four boys? How would you survive? What would you do for food and shelter? Maybe stories of survival intrigue us because we’re all ultimately on a survival track.
The Hobbit by J.R.R.Tolkien
One of literature’s ultimate hero’s journeys, the story of Bilbo Baggins resonates deeply, even if you’re not a homebody. Bilbo certainly wasn’t out looking for adventure, because hobbits are fond of regular meals and the comforts of home.
But, if there’s a wizard and a dragon, a quest, danger, travel companions to help and hinder, a magic ring and some treasure, it all adds up to a satisfying tale with uncanny parallels to life as we know it.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
“Fantastic creatures, heroic deeds, epic battles in the war between good and evil, and unforgettable adventures come together in this world where magic meets reality, which has been enchanting readers of all ages for over sixty years. The Chronicles of Narnia has transcended the fantasy genre to become a part of the canon of classic literature.”– from GoodReads
In my opinion, it doesn’t get any better than Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia for middle grade.
But, not only middle grade. Narnia appeals to every age.
Lewis tells compelling stories with an amazing economy of words. He weaves timeless truths into tales that highlight the classic conflict between good and evil.
I can’t recommend them highly enough.
The Call of the Wild by Jack London
No one can make the great white north come alive like Jack London. Buck is a kidnapped dog taken from California to the Yukon during the the Klondike Rush of the 1890’s. Man and beast fight agains the elements, greed and each other.
Peace Like a River by Lief Enger
One of my lifetime favorite is told through the eyes of an eleven year old boy. The novel doesn’t cover a long span of time, mostly just a year.
Rueben is the eleven year old, Swede, his younger sister, and Davy their older brother. They live with their father out west, growing up in a modest
Circumstances dictate a quest to the west, search for answers to a reality that doesn’t add up.
Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne
Phineas Fogg is a man of precise ritual. All his days look the same until he makes a bet that he can circumnavigate the globe in 80 days. In the 1800s, travel by ship and steam engine and even elephant is fraught with disaster and delays.
Are he and his trusty valet up to the challenge? Can they escape the dangers and beat the clock?
If you’re looking for practical ways to have a reading family, here’s ideas that worked for our family when our four kids were growing up.
Add reading to the chore chart
Capitalize on trips as prime reading time
Do the work to surround your kids with great books
Stop the Summer Slide by taking regular library trips
Prioritize parental enjoyment of Read Aloud sessions
Discuss books like Book Club, not like school assignments
Fit reading into daily rhythms
Take advantage of weekends, sick days and vacations for more reading.
Go the extra mile to help them with reading skills
If you want to build a reading family, but feel like you’re swimming upstream, I understand. But I want to encourage you that it is possible. Even with all the temptations of screens and all the busyness of work and activities. Even with short attention spans and distracted living you can do it.
It will take intentionality. Maybe some false starts. Maybe some hit and miss. Hang in there. I believe this is an achievable goal.
I had some advantages on this front. I was raised in a reading family. It was in my DNA. My grandmother was a librarian, my mother had a masters in education. Reading was my favorite hobby and before I had kids I looked forward to reading to them. My kids got books for gifts. We visited the library regularly. Reading aloud was part of our rhythms at nap time, at bedtime and on trips.
But no matter where you start, you can do this! You can have a reading family. And, I promise, the rewards are worth all the effort.
Create an environment conducive to reading
First, you need places to read. Book nooks or window seats are great. But couches, rocking chairs, bean bags, recliners or beds can work, too. Comfortable seating and good lighting are key to creating the best environment.
There’s also a need for book storage. Bookshelves are the obvious solution, but baskets, desks and tables can serve and toy bins works for baby’s books.
Surrounding yourself with great books means you need a place to keep them. Make it a beautiful place for your sanity and mental health.
Surround your kids with great books
The selection of easily accessible books is critical. It makes a huge difference if great books are at your fingertips or not.
Separating the wheat from the chaff will take some work. Soldier on. It’s worth it.
Wonder and The Penderwicks are great places to start for school aged kids.
Buy Books and Borrow Books
Libraries are incredible places. Free books on loan. What could be better? For the voracious reader and for the vast array of choices, you can’t beat the library.
But, there is something about the books you own. You know, the ones with your name in them. The ones that were a gift from someone special. The ones that you take with you when you leave home. You know. Those books.
I’ve found in recent years that our library doesn’t have a very wide selection of board books. I’ve also noticed that Amazon sells a lot of them. Board books are good books to buy because babies eat them up. Literally.
They are also fairly reasonably priced on Amazon or Bookshop or wherever books are sold.
There’s an emotional attachment to great books and great stories in your childhood. Your world view is being formed, your beliefs and assumptions are developing. What you’re absorbing during your first 18 years is so important.
Just like Kathleen Kelly says in You’ve Got Mail, the books you read as a child impacts you in ways that no other reading does for the rest of your life. It’s worth investing some time and money. It’s worth searching for the best resources so that you’re spending money on the best books.
Just do it.
Give books for Christmas, birthdays and special occasions
Some kids seem to have everything.
It’s hard to know what to get them. Toys and clothes are great and necessary. So are coupons for experiences. But you can’t go wrong with books.
Find a good list of recommendations. When you find a list you can trust, you’ve found gold.
Two of my favorite are Read Aloud Revival’s Book List and Sonlight Homeschool Curriculum Book List.
I also have a list of recommendations for babies and one for toddlers.
Make time in the schedule for free reading
It’s tempting to overload our kids’ schedules. But how many activities do they need? Some of it might depend on the child, how much socializing versus down time they need. Don’t forget your own needs and the health of the family in general. If you’re running ragged and out of sorts keeping up with the kids’ activities, dial it back. Your life matters, too.
If older kids have a lot of games, practices and rehearsals that younger kids are dragged to, redeem the time. Pack some books, water bottles and snacks. When there’s a break in the action or you’re waiting for your athlete to get debriefed or change out of uniform, sneak in a book or two with the younger ones.
Let them see you reading
This one might seem obvious, and maybe you’re already doing it.
Or maybe life has gotten so overwhelming that you’ve lost your passion for reading or never developed in in the first place.
The other possibility is that you only read when the kids are asleep. Steven Covey, the author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, was a voracious reader, but did all of his reading when the kids were in bed. When he heard a child say they never saw him read, he changed his routine to make his habit more visible to his kids.
Read aloud at nap time and bedtime
There’s something sweet about a clean, damp-haired child in footie pajamas. Add a fuzzy blanket and a great story book and the stage is set for some serious snuggling.
Bedtime stories can be geared toward multiple ages at once. All the greatest books appeal to a range of ages.
Different story times for different ages and interests works, too.
If bedtime at your house is chaotic, give yourself permission to start small. Don’t get discouraged if it’s hit or miss. Keep trying. Establishing new habits will take time and persistence.
Prioritize parental enjoyment of family reading times
One of the critical ingredients is pleasing both audiences. Both kids and adults have to be enjoying the experience. The adult has veto power. That means that books that have been read so many times they’ve lost their attraction can mysteriously disappear. Introduce some new ones until some new favorites develop.
Let the kids pick their favorites. Curate the pool they choose from. That’s how you place your vote. They pick from the selection you’ve curated. That’s how they vote.
This is impossible to overemphasize. If you aren’t enjoying it, you won’t be able to manufacture enthusiasm for reading time.
Chosen books have to fall in that sweet spot, that overlapping area of the Venn diagram where the adults enjoy them and the kids enjoy them.
It might take a little digging. It might take some hit or miss. Don’t give up. There’s some real treasures out there.
Visit places made famous by great literature— Prince Edward Island, the houses of Gene Straton-Porter, the places where Laura Ingalls Wilder lived.
Use vacation, sick days and weekends as time for extra reading
Normal weekday schedules can be really crazy, especially if you have kids with lots of activities.
It might be possible to squeeze in short reading sessions on some days, but maybe not on others.
Take advantage of vacation days, sick days and weekends to get in longer sessions of read aloud time or free reading.
If you’re ambitious, visit places made famous by great literature— Prince Edward Island, the houses of Gene Straton-Porter, the places where Laura Ingalls Wilder lived.
Add reading to chore charts
When our kids were growing up, I was a huge fan of summer chore charts.
I loved charts.
I still do.
So, besides the normal chores of dishes, putting away clean clothes, taking out trash and getting some exercise, our kids were expected to read books.
I picked the books I wanted them to read.
There were books in my life that impacted me. I wanted them to impact my kids in the same way.
Joni, The Hiding Place, Do Hard Things.
My daughter is amazed now to think about all the work she put in during the summer just to earn a $5 rabbit as a prize.
They either didn’t know or didn’t think about the fact that not many other kids were required to read specific books.
So, they did the charts and they read the books and they won the prize rabbits.
We also had family night every week.
Sometimes we played games, sometimes we played outside but most weeks we watched movies together. I remember times when I was so tired that it was hard to play games with the kids. It was hard to concentrate. Hard to stay awake. I fell asleep sometimes with the movies, too.
Now it’s time to do things with the grandkids.
Don’t be afraid to assign specific books
This especially applies to 10-14 year olds
Looking back, I’m amazed that my kids read the books I picked out for them. Not always, of course. Sometimes they gave me push back. But, a lot of times they did.
I remember hearing Kathy Peel speak in Dallas on a Saturday about her teenage son being at home working through his assigned list of tasks that included a specific book to read. I thought to myself, “Wow. You can do that? I am definitely stealing that.”
My kids were little then, and easier to influence. But it planted a seed that I definitely nurtured and cultivated.
Watch movie adaptions of great books
Watching movie adaptations of great books is a good way to build interest in reading.
You can watch them before you read the book or afterwards.
The Jungle Book. It’s easy to forget that the movie started out as a great piece of literature.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Mary Poppins.
The Wizard of Oz
The Chronicles of Narnia.
Aladdin.
All the Cinderella stories. Ever After is one of my favorite.
Lots of great movies started out as great children’s literature.
There’s some great ones for older kids and teens as well.
The Importance of Being Earnest.
Pride and Prejudice. (I’m a fan of the Keira Knightly version.)
The Lord of the Rings.
Read aloud on road trips
We traveled thousands of miles with our kids on family road trips. We had a gray fifteen passenger van that we packed to the gills with our four kids, friends, luggage and sometimes the dog.
Usually the pressure was on to make time and cover as many miles possible in the shortest amount of time.
We were blessed to have not too much carsicknesses and not too much whining and complaining. Our kids were good travelers.
I love a long stretch of highway. The rhythm of the tires on the road. The quietness of the night time sky full of stars and an empty road ahead.
Lots of memories, lots of stories from those traveling days.
But the best memories for me were reading aloud to the kids on those trips.
Cheaper By the Dozen. The Chronicles of Narnia. The Great Brain. The Hobbit.
Books we all loved.
Listen and watch on road trips
I realize that road tripping today is different than when my kids were little. The good news is there’s more options than ever to build a reading family on road trips.
Playing songs over the car speakers also builds vocabulary and helps family bonding. Road trips are a good time to squeeze in those movie editions of great literature. Getting kids hooked on the story will open the door for reading the book. Or, you could save the movie edition for after the book is finished.
Road trips are also a great way to listen to audiobooks as a family. There’s some books that have a wide range of appeal, starting with 4 or 5 year olds up through adults. Pick some of these books to create family memories and build a family culture around books.
Finally, if everyone needs some peace and quiet, kids can pull their own books or audiobooks and earbuds out of their backpacks. The good news is, when the book bug bites your kids, they’ll want to pack their own books to bring along.
Practice new reading skills by reading aloud
Read Aloud Revival hosts a 31 day reading challenge every January where kids are encouraged to read aloud.
They can read to siblings, parents, grandparents, pets or even stuffed animals. It’s a very doable challenge with leeway for missed days but it still gives structure and something to reach for.
Get them help if they’re having trouble learning to read
Most of the time all a beginning reader needs is help learning new words, lots of practice and lots of encouragement.
But, occasionally, some extra expertise is needed for a struggling reader.
One of our kids found reading unusually challenging. We started a journey, beginning with the eye doctor, to pinpoint the difficulty and ways to resolve it. Over a period of five years we were able to uncover his learning challenge and implement an unconventional program to equip him for his education.
It’s worth the cost to help your kids jump their hurdles.
Be aware of what your kids are reading
Keep an eye on what your kids are reading. Developing their own taste for reading and choosing their own books is important. You don’t want to squelch that. But you also need to have your antenna up when your kids stumble across books in opposition to your values.
Read reviews of books you haven’t read yourself
Trying to stay ahead of a voracious reader (or 2 or 3) can be an exercise in futility. Reading reviews is a good short cut to previewing the entire book. Look for reviews that will explore content.
Kids in mind has a limited amount of reviewed books. There are some other sites that do reviews of kids’ books, like Focus on the Family’s Plugged In.
Have you ever wondered why books don’t have ratings like movies? I was curious about that and was surprised what I found out after doing some digging. There’s some opposition to rating books. The reason the movie rating system was developed was a response to a Supreme Court ruling that movies were not protected under free speech and freedom of the press laws. That ruling was overturned 37 years later, but the movie rating system had already been established. It continues to develop and serves a purpose today.
In between assigning specific books to read and giving them free range reading is the middle ground of being aware of what they’re reading, making suggestions and having great books accessible in the house for when the mood strikes.
When my son was assigned a book report that had to be a biography, I went to the library and checked out five or six good options and brought them home so he could choose.
When he needed to read a classic, I did the same thing.
Of course, be aware that during certain seasons of the parent-teen relationship, anything a parent suggests is going to be the exact opposite of what the teen chooses.
These are the laws of human nature. Every emerging adult needs to assert their independence. Sometimes that means vetoing suggestions. Take it with a grain of salt.
Make Reading the Reward
When I was homeschooling, read aloud was the favorite part of the day, for my student and for me. We saved it as the reward for getting everything else on the list done for the day.
It helped keep us motivated. It helped keep us on track. It also helped keep our list of daily tasks manageable.
One year I had a great plan to read Swiss Family Robinson, a family about four boys on a deserted island and then Little Women, a story about four girls growing up in poverty and then assigning a “compare and contrast” essay on the two books.
The first book, Swiss Family Robinson, went great.
We both loved it.
Little Women, not so much. My seventh grade son rebelled and let me know in no uncertain terms that he didn’t like my choice. I caved. The essay was never written.
I still think it was a great idea though.
Find series for kids that they love
Once kids start reading on their own, a great way to throw fuel on the fire is to help them find series that they love.
Once they get excited about a series, they can blow through it quickly. They know what they’re going to read next. They won’t spend any time searching for their next read. They’ll just spend that time reading.
Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew and Cherry Ames were series that I loved as a kid as well as Encyclopedia Brown.
Little House on the Prairie is a great read aloud series or one to read on your own.
The Penderwicks and Michael Vey books are more recently published series that kids love.
Discuss books like Book Club
Sarah Mackenzie of Read Aloud Revival suggests creating a Book Club culture in your home.
Discussions about books can be open ended questions like “Which character in the book was most courageous? Or cowardly or wicked or noble?” and “What surprised you in this book?”
You don’t have to make a literary analysis. You don’t have to look up vocabulary words. You don’t have to study it.
You can just read it for the pure enjoyment of it.
Then, instead of answering questions about it to prove comprehension and critical thinking skills, you can just discuss it the same way you would discuss it with a Book Club. The things you loved and the emotions it surfaced as well as beliefs that were challenged or reinforced.
Sarah also advocates making the book discussion an event, with food and drinks that might fit a theme or might not. The point is to have a good time and celebrate the enjoyment of a book, not turn it into a textbook to be studied.
Encourage them to do art inspired by books
There’s a lot of different ways to go here. Not only can you draw pictures, paint pictures and make little books, you can also cook up recipes inspired by the the books you’re reading.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has a recipe for fudge in the back of the book.
American kids who read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe wonder what Turkish Delight tastes like. I’ve seen some explanations, read some recipes. I think I even tried to make it once. I wasn’t impressed. But, the point is, our curiosity is piqued.
When I read through Farmer Boy, it seemed like all that family did was cook and eat great food. Homemade donuts stands out in my memory. Who am I to argue with literature inspired cooking?
Ask them share with Grandma
Sharing books with Grandma is now easier than ever with Skype and Facetime.
Older kids can talk about what they’re reading.
Babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers can actually read long distance with Grandma if both have a copy of the same book.
Send Once a Month Books
I love reliving every age and stage that kids go through again as a Grandma.
One of the best parts is finding, gifting and reading books to my grandbabies.
Inspired by Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, I send a book a month to my faraway grandson.
Dolly sends one book a month for a child’s first five years to promote literacy and education. She started in her home county, but the program has grown across her home state and around the United States and to other countries.
The fact is, when books are owned, when they are in the home, when a child is surrounded by books, it makes a difference.
Accessibility matters. Books that don’t need to be returned to the library are books that can be loved in a different way.
I reached a point when I wondered if there were any good books left. You know, masterfully written page turners that sucked you into the story and left you feeling satisfied at the end. Books that you weren’t embarrassed to be seen reading and could recommend wholesale. I wondered if there were any left because I couldn’t find them.
Turns out, I just needed to look harder. There are ways to find good clean books.
Follow book review sites
Join groups of like-minded readers
Install apps
Download booklists
Check out award winners
But, before we dive into all that, why is it so hard to find good, clean books?
Some bloggers have established their own rating systems, and rate and review books on their sites. Of course, these systems are built on the philosophies of the reviewers, which may or may not align with yours.
2. Everyone has a different definition of clean
Some readers don’t want profanity or sex scenes, others don’t want violence or triggers of abuse. Even the word diversity can mean different things to different people. So one person’s clean book might not be clean for someone else.
3. The term book rating has two different meanings
Sites like Amazon have a 5 star product review rating system where consumers can vote on how well they like the product. Of course, this includes books.
Some book reviewers use book rating in the sense of judging whether or not it has offensive content.
4. What’s your definition of good?
Is the book well-written? Is it predictable? Are the characters flat? Is it excellent quality?
An absence of profanity and sex doesn’t mean it’s a well-written story. And therein lieth the rub. How good is the book?
5. A book that is appropriate for adults might not be appropriate for young readers.
And here we get into lots of gray areas. What should 14 year olds be reading? How about 11 year olds? How about advanced readers who are only 8? You see the problem.
This is a judgment call. Who’s going to make it? The parents? The schools and libraries? The young person?
The rest of this post is divided into finding good clean books for adults and finding good clean books for young people.
How to Find Good Clean Books for Kids
Sonlight Curriculum
Sunlight homeschool curriculum puts out a highly curated list for their literature based education.
I used Sonlight Curriculum for two years of homeschooling. I love their philosophy of education. Although I haven’t read every book on the list, I haven’t found one yet that I couldn’t wholeheartedly endorse.
Besides carrying wholesome content, their picks show high standards for good literature and high quality illustrations.
Books about Books
Note: The following Amazon links are affiliate links which earn commission for this site.
Sometimes it helps to have an expert showing the way. There’s so many books out there for kids, how can you know which ones are great?
Three authors have published books with curated booklists on top of articulating a well-developed philosophy of reading to kids: Gladys Hunt, Jim Trelease and Sarah Mackenzie.
Sarah Mackenzie is the newcomer to this game. Jim Trelease’s book, The Read Aloud Handbook, is in it’s eighth edition. Gladys Hunt’s book, Honey for a Child’s Heart, is in it’s fourth edition. With that many revisions, newer books have surely been added since the time they published their first one.
I believe investing time finding great books for your kids or grandkids pays off dividends.
Pick up a copy of these books. I can recommend all three when searching for wholesome, well-written books for kids.
Read Aloud Revival’s BookList
I believe in The Read Aloud Revival’s mission. I believe you can make meaningful and lasting connections with your kids through books and reading aloud is a great way to do it.
I personally love Sarah Mackenzie’s picks. They’re almost always winners for me.
Here’s a new thought: teach kids to be aware of what they’re reading and make good decisions about what to read and what to avoid.
Parents don’t always have time to preview everything their child is reading. There’s too many books published every year for book review sites to keep up with everything.
Kids need to be taught what their family values are and when a book is not aligned with them. Obviously, this process will vary greatly depending on the age of the child and their relationship to their parents.
Trust Christian publishers as a safe bet for kids
As a general rule, Christian publishers don’t publish books with profanity or sex scenes. So advanced readers who are reading adult fiction can head for the inspirational section with relative confidence.
Zondervan, Baker, Bethany House, Thomas Nelson, Waterbrook, Revell and Tyndale are Christian publishers who are committed to putting out clean books.
Of course, we’re back to the varying definition of clean, but the overall selection is going to be more trustworthy.
The map will generate names of authors surrounding your favorite, with the closest matches near the center and more removed matches towards the edges.
Click on an author’s name in the map to see more authors similar to them.
Join the Clean Reads Group on GoodReads
Aside from getting lots of ideas for your next great read, you can read reviews about the books that interest you.
Plus it’s a good way to find bookish kindred spirits. You can interact with other readers– discuss and ask questions about particular books.
When you read reviews about a book, you don’t always get the information you’re looking for. In a discussion group, you can ask specifically about the qualities you need in a book to make a good decision about whether or not it’s worth your time to read.
Consider a book app to help you in your search
I’ll admit I’m slow to jump on band wagons. It takes a while for this old dog to learn new tricks. But some apps are helpful for book searches.
On that list of six, Litsy is one that is new to me. LibraryThing created the Litsy app. LibaryThing is a website that offered a previously paid membership (now free) for readers to discuss their favorite books with other readers.
Serial Box is another new idea emerging for the changing way we interact with the world.
What is the best way to keep good clean reads coming?
Support your favorite authors.
Post a review of their books on retail sites like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ChristianBook.com or Walmart.
Another great way is to post of picture of you with their book on all your social media accounts. Helping an author and their works to become better known no longer requires a huge marketing budget. Just a few dedicated fans who are willing to help spread the word.
The day before my youngest turned 18 I found out I was going to be a grandma.
It seemed fitting.
The end of an era. The beginning of an era.
My son and daughter-in-law are having a girl.
My grand-daughter is going to need some presents from her grandparents. Every Christmas and birthday for the next 18 years. That’s thirty-six special occasions. What if end up with 4 grandkids or ten?
That’s 360 gift giving opportunities.
What can I give her that’s meaningful? That will encourage her spiritual life? There’s a lot of negative influences on kids today.
A customer at the bookstore today told me her mother passed away. Her mother was a regular customer at the store. She bought a Seaside Bible with a zipper for each grandchild when they turned 7. Now that she was gone, her daughter was carrying on the tradition for the grandchildren who were turning 7.
I like that.
I like that it has meaning, that everyone knows and that the tradition continues after Grandma’s gone.
I like that she had an age picked out.
I like that they all got the same thing.
There’s something comforting about traditions.
(Note: This post contains affiliate links. At no extra cost to you, a percentage of your purchase will go to support this site.)
I want my grandkids to know God and love Him.
I will be giving books. That’s what I do.
Which ones will I give?
I don’t know for sure, but right now here’s my top picks for each age group:
The Beginner’s Bible has become a classic. It’s simple. It’s great for reading aloud, which of course, is the only option at this age. It stays faithful to the biblical text.
I recommend the Jesus Storybook Bible with one caveat. Okay, maybe two.
First of all, I don’t care for the illustrations, but that’s a personal preference.
Secondly, and more importantly, I feel the author has taken some artistic liberties that have resulted in some minor inaccuracies in the stories compared to the Bible.
In spite of that, I feel this book accomplishes something I’ve never seen before in a Bible storybook. Instead of recounting disjointed, individual stories from the Bible, it weaves the big themes of the Bible into the individual accounts.
The plan of salvation and the incarnation of Jesus is highlighted and put into simple language for children.
Tying together a unifying theme of the Bible is huge.
If children can grasp these critical concepts, it’s a gigantic leap forward in their spiritual growth and understanding. Effective communication of these truths is priceless.
Ages 6-9
NIRV Adventure Bible
The New International Readers Version is written at a third grade reading level. It uses an easier vocabulary.
I tell customers that if they are planning to memorize verses from it or follow along in church with the pastor, they should be aware that it won’t line up exactly with the NIV.
But, for beginning or struggling readers, this version could be helpful. Alongside the entire text of the Bible are explanations and commentary to help kids understand the Bible.
She has forgotten the her founding principles and ideals. The sacrifices made and the travail that birthed this country go unappreciated. History is either ignored or twisted.
Rush Limbaugh’s look at the past changes that. What better age group to target to revive our great heritage than junior high? Hitler himself targeted that age to win over a generation.
Rush successfully includes all the elements that fascinate and attract middle schoolers. In the process, he emphasizes the critical principles and ideals that birthed our nation. He highlights the fact that the experiment of communism failed in the very infancy of our country.
He emphasizes the religious beliefs that drove the pilgrims to come in the first place.
He articulates the freedom of religion that existed from the outset and the agreements made between believers and non-believers. It was the very beliefs of the religious that permitted the freedom for all to choose their religious beliefs, without having beliefs imposed on them by governing authorities.
These are the missing core beliefs in our culture today.
Limbaugh’s books provide the urgently needed reminder to young people of the sacrifices made for the freedoms we enjoy today.
