Family Night – Hot Cocoa and Read-Aloud Books

Winter is a superb season to take advantage of cooped-up days and weekends to read together as a family.  Not unlike device time, families can often find themselves reading solo in separate rooms – everybody absorbed in their own genre of a book.  Why not set aside time to read aloud together, and share some hot cocoa, too?    

Hmmm, you wonder…isn’t reading aloud just for preschoolers at bedtime?  Not so!!  As a homeschooling family, we have always incorporated great literature into our curriculum.  Reading aloud to and with the kids has been my favorite activity.  Alas, sometimes it feels like so many books…so little time! 

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Encouraging Read-Aloud

Two of the best recommendations I can give you of books praising the merits of reading aloud are:

The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie

If you haven’t heard of Sarah Mackenzie’s wonderful website Read Aloud Revival, you are missing out!  She gives fabulous book recommendations for families and kids of all ages while offering sage advice for worn-out Moms.

The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease

The original bible of all read-aloud wisdom, this book has stood the test of time.  Mr. Trelease extols the benefits and long-lasting advantages of reading aloud at every stage of development.

Grab the hot cocoa and a book!

Folks, even teenagers enjoy being read aloud to and I can attest that a weary Mom enjoys being read aloud to as well.  And don’t forget to share any illustrations no matter your age.  Some of those are pure art and deserve to be appreciated as such.  They can bring immense life to a story. 

Bottom line is…stories are significant.  Stories touch our hearts and can teach us beautiful lessons about humanity.  Good stories tell us who we are and why we matter.  When we read a great story aloud with others we can laugh, cry, question, and open a door to discussion that we may have never thought possible.  Open that door with your family and friends….open a book and begin to read aloud. 

Would you like some ideas for books to read aloud on a cold wintry evening?  Heat some hot milk on the stove, pour in your favorite hot cocoa powder and get settled with a mug.  (I’ve got a free knitted mug warmer pattern to keep that mug toasty!)

Here are some terrific books to get you started:

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

It helps to use your best Yorkshire accent when in character for Dickon and his lovely mother.  My daughter really enjoyed my attempt at that!  This book will have you dreaming of your spring garden, too. As far as the illustrations, I am very partial to the delightful Tasha Tudor editions.

The Book of Virtues by William Bennett 

We have a tradition in our house where my husband reads a story from this book every Sunday evening.  When we’d like to focus on encouraging particular virtues, such as Patience or Courage, we choose a story from that section.  The tales portray characters choosing or rejecting the virtue, and the subsequent consequences.  They’re a great way to discuss the idea of making choices in life. 

Walk in the Light and Twenty-Three Tales by Leo Tolstoy

This book was assigned to my son for a literature course he took last year.  Oh my…who knew that Tolstoy wrote such little gems?  Many of us are familiar with his LONG War and Peace book, but these are enlightening tales of goodness, beauty, and humanity at its’ best and worst.  They don’t take long to read, so are therefore easy choices for a read-a-loud session to tweens and older.  Despite being short in length, they remain in your heart for a long time.

Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White

This timeless classic is a great book for all ages.  I am partial to it, as one of my fondest school memories is of sitting by my 2^nd grade teacher Mrs. Marinel’s rocking chair as she warmly knit this tale to a bunch of wide-eyed 7 year-olds.

Capture the magic of read-aloud!

It’s astonishing how the simple act of reading with our children can so thoroughly affect them (and us), isn’t it? I suspect that for most of us, reaching our kids in this way – at the core of their souls, where they feel and love most deeply -matters more to us than almost anything else.

Sarah Mackenzie