Captain Underpants & Other Greats

[jenevang]

I remember when one of my boys loved the Captain Underpants books & even reading the titles makes me understand why.

When I was a kid, I have distinct memories of loving The Boxcar Children books, even though my daughter thought they were terribly dull when she tried to read them at my request. Kids these days, right? hehe. She did enjoy the Cul de Sac Kids, which sound pretty similar (but maybe younger, I can't recall).

Right now, my 8 year old son likes the Geronimo Stilton books and my 11 year old daughter LOVED the Wings of Fire series (I mean, she cried after she read the last one, LOL).

So... what do your kids love to read? What books to you remember them loving? Or what do you remember reading as a kid?

 

[IntenseMagic]

My 25 year old loved Captain Underpants, as does my 11 year old. They are a lot of fun to read and we've read many of them together. I even have a photo when my oldest was 17 and decided to dress himself and the youngest, who was 2, as Captain Underpants. He's in his boxers with a towel around his neck and the little one in his diaper with a dish towel around his neck. I totally need to scrap that photo sometime!!

My oldest and my daughter weren't big readers, but the oldest really liked Goosebumps books. My youngest loves to read. His favorites are the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, the Percy Jackson series, and anything creepy/weird he can get his hands on. He's reading the Asylum series now.

I did not like reading at all when I was younger. My mother tried to get me in to the Nancy Drew series, but it just didn't happen. I didn't really start to LOVE reading until later in high school and college when I read all the VC Andrews books, starting with Flowers in the Attic.

 

[jenn mccabe]

My son liked those Captain Underpants books when he was younger too. I never understood those! But he loved, loved loved them! He also liked the Percy Jackson series and both kids loved the Dairy of a Wimpy Kid series.

Now my son is 16 & barely picks up a book, my daughter (15 yrs) still loves to read when she has time...and is all over the place with genres, but they both really like the teen/dystopian stuff ... like the Maze Runner series (newest book was just released) & The Legend Triology. She also loves mysteries.

Jan, @IntenseMagic I was given a giant box of hand-me-down Nancy Drew books and my mom tried to get me to read those too! I couldn't stand them though. I loved the Judy Blume books and I remember reading Flowers in the Attic but I don't think I read the others? I loved the Secret Garden and had a collection of EB White books too ... Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, etc.

I'm sure as more people chime in ... I'll remember more. Right now I am drawing a blank, but I did like to read as a child.

 

[jesskab]

8yr old boy is all about Pokemon guides these days. I miss the days when he read a Cam Jansen book every day.
6yr old boy is all about Little Critter, Clifford, & the Berenstain Bears. He also loves old Thomas the Tank Engine stuff.
When I was a kid, I loved Judy Blume, Sweet Valley High, & Encyclopedia Brown. I still love a good mystery. At 10 I started reading Jonathan Keller man & Agatha Christie. Still two of my favorite authors.

 

[klee73010]

I loved Boxcar Children and Nancy Drew. I used to read far more regularly than I do now, but I'm trying!
My children are about the age to start chapter books, but are mostly still picture books. I can't wait to get them started!

 

[tkradtke]

My son loved Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, 39 Clues, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, etc. when he was younger. He also loved the Hardy Boys Mysteries. He doesn't have much time to read now with his school work.

My daughter has never really liked to read, but did burn through quite a few Geronimo Stiltons back in the day.

They both liked read alouds at bedtime, so we read through The Box Car Children, Narnia, The Penderwicks, The Mysterious Benedict Society and others.

I'm with @IntenseMagic and @jenn mccabe - I just couldn't get into Nancy Drew. But I LOVED Trixie Belden Mysteries. I read those like crazy. In middle school I remember passing around Sweet Valley High books with my friends. I remember reading the Judy Blume books, and Flowers in the Attic too.

Jenn - The Secret Garden is one of my all time favorite books, but I didn't read it until I was an adult.

 

[jenn mccabe]

The Mysterious Benedict Society

OMGoodness, this was literally the last book we read together outloud as a family. sigh. I miss those days!

 

[klee73010]

When did you stop reading aloud to your kids?
@jenn mccabe @tkradtke @AnneofAlamo
Just wondering. I actually enjoy reading to them now, so I hope it doesn't go away too soon!

Also, I have seen an Usborne books info graphic that says something about discontinuing reading aloud usually happens around 4th grade, but that it impacts some future reading abilities/comprehension if you stop at that age... I hope we can move past that. Idk! It's still awhile away for us... my kids are little still.... 4 and 3!

 

[jenn mccabe]

5th/6th grade (son was in 6th/daughter was in 5th) was the last time I read to them together outloud. Every year our school has a turn off the TV week and families are encouraged to read a book together during the usual TV time. I would take the kids to B&N and get a book that we all agreed on ... and The Mysterious Benedict Society was the last one they picked. Sniff Sniff.

 

[jenn mccabe]

When did you stop reading aloud to your kids?
@jenn mccabe @tkradtke @AnneofAlamo
Just wondering. I actually enjoy reading to them now, so I hope it doesn't go away too soon!

Also, I have seen an Usborne books info graphic that says something about discontinuing reading aloud usually happens around 4th grade, but that it impacts some future reading abilities/comprehension if you stop at that age... I hope we can move past that. Idk! It's still awhile away for us... my kids are little still.... 4 and 3!

everything changes once they hit 7th grade!

 

[wvsandy]

I read Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and everything else I could get my hands on. My favorites were a large series of biographies/ autobiographies from the library. They were orange books without covers, worn on the edges but wonderful stories of life from many different viewpoints.

My kids never read as much as I did but it was usually the series you have already mentioned. I'll have to check with my grandkids and see what they are reading now.

Books have always been my favorite gifts for every occasion. I hope that many of them have been read.

 

[IntenseMagic]

Also, I have seen an Usborne books info graphic that says something about discontinuing reading aloud usually happens around 4th grade, but that it impacts some future reading abilities/comprehension if you stop at that age... I hope we can move past that. Idk! It's still awhile away for us... my kids are little still.... 4 and 3!

I still read aloud to my 5th grader last year, or we would take turns reading pages (that was fun). This year, I am making him do more reading on his own, especially when it comes to the AR point books, but I have him read a certain number of pages and then we spend time in the car or during down times talking about what he read and having him keep me updated on what's going on in the book. He thinks I'm curious, but I'm actually working on his comprehension

Books have always been my favorite gifts for every occasion. I hope that many of them have been read.

Mine, too!! I hit up the book fairs at the school and used book sales to stock up for gift giving time

 

[tkradtke]

When did you stop reading aloud to your kids?

We pretty much followed the info graphic... around 4th or 5th grade here. With my two, it got harder and harder to find a book that they both wanted to listen to as they got older.... plus school, friends and activities began to get in the way. We read aloud at bedtime and they weren't necessarily heading to bed at the same time anymore.

 

[klee73010]

We don't have a set reading time each day... it's not "at bedtime" or whatever. I am thinking it should be like, right after dinner, before TV, and may try to instill that. My kids love books right now, but they also love TV and shows. In fact, this morning, we had book/reading time for about an hour, semi- self - directed time!

So sorry for hijacking Jen...
But I am hoping to get some good ideas in this thread of books to try once we start chapter books! We are also exploring audiobooks for the kids...

 

[AnneofAlamo]

When did you stop reading aloud to your kids?

I haven't! lol
I do have "kids" in their 20s, but..............
I still read to my Littles, and my grown kids love to be there for it.
I admit to now, putting on a good kids book narrative...and we color around the fireplace all together.
My then 17 year old was in the room...and we were listening to a book called
Nightmares

This is a charming read rather than an edgy, dark thriller, more Tim Burton and Roald Dahl than Lemony Snicket. NIGHTMARES! the first in a trilogy by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller

Well, He was gone the next night, and asked if he could listen to the part he missed.
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

 

[HeatherB]

We're still reading Dr Seuss at bedtime and occasionally Skippyjon Jones books (which I love to read aloud).

 

[gonewiththewind]

I'm not sure what Olivia is reading these days . . . she's mostly in the art studio and when she has free time, I know she Netflix binges. LOL

Daniel is reading some books for a library reading incentive at his school, so they are a mix of everything. If you give him a choice, he will "read" his LEGO idea books.

As a child, I loved:

As I got older:

 

[BevG]

Artemis Fowl for those tweeners/teens. Bit fantasy, bit teenage rebellion, bit mystery. Artemis starts out as a very smart, rich brat in the first book and becomes a hero somewhere around book 4 or 5. I prefer this series over Harry Potter, which is another good series for reading aloud with older ones.

Chronicles of Narnia
Lord of the Rings

My boys are huge readers. Daughter, not so much. She keeps trying different books but has not found much that she will read until the end - unless it is required reading for school.

 

[enjoyyourpix]

Absolutely LOVED the Box Car books!! Sweet Valley was my jam starting when I got them for my birthday in 7th grade. (13th?) I saved my change and used to buy one at a little bookstore next to where I took ballet classes. The obsession continued probably through 9th grade?? I'm not sure how high I got. I think up into the 80s???

I can absolutely credit the SVH books for scaring me from never considering trying drugs. In one of the books, a secondary character tried cocaine at a party ONCE and DIED!!!

 

[LeeAndra]

The Anne of Green Gables series (except Rilla of Ingleside -- ugh!) are still my favorite books of all time.

My 7yo daughter currently loves Magic Treehouse & Katie Kazoo books. I recently got her started on Amelia Bedelia books now that she's old enough to understand the humor in them.