Our family has a real obsession with books! We have TRIED to cut back the number in our house… but sometimes you just have to buy a new bookshelf and admit you have a problem!

Lately, I have found that I enjoy reading juvenile and young adult fiction because I am so excited about sharing stories from my childhood with my kids. Or maybe it is just because I can finish the story before my mommy brain forgets what is going on.

Here are several of the books that I loved growing up (and a few I discovered as an adult)!

1. Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik- (AR Book Level 2.4)- We are currently reading this with the Champ. It is a sweet collection of tales about an imaginative baby bear and his loving mother bear. I may be cheating by calling this a chapter book, as each of the four “chapters” is a separate story. But, it is the perfect book to snuggle up with at bedtime.
2. Sable by Karen Hesse- (AR Book Level 3.8)- When I was little, I went to a yard sale with my grandparents and found a ratty old book marked down to 10 cents and I had to have it. Much like the main character of this sweet story, I wanted a dog and my mom did not want something else to take care of. Lo and behold, this was probably my favorite book growing up.
3. Ten Kids, No Pets by M. Martin Ann- (AR Book Level 4.4)- This is another story about not being allowed to have a pet (hmm… do I see a theme here?). This time, the story is about TEN siblings that are plotting to get a pet of their own. As an only child, I was intrigued by the possibility of a family this large. There is also a sequel called Eleven Kids, One Summer
4. Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix- (AR Book Level 4.8)- This was my first exposure to dystopian novels. It is set in a society where the Population Police limit each family to two children. Illegal third children are referred to as Shadow Children. Among the Hidden is the story of a Shadow Child named Luke, who makes a friend for the first time in his life. This is the first book in the Shadow Children series.
5. The Littles by John Peterson- (AR Book Level 3.3)- Like the title suggests, this book is about little people. The Littles look like people with tails and they live in the walls of the Bigg house. When the Bigg family rents the house out for vacation, the Littles have daring adventures with mice and cats! This is the first book in a series.
6. The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh- (AR Book Level 3.9)- Sarah and her father travel to Connecticut to build a house on land purchased from the Indian tribe there. When her father must leave her in the care of the Indians, Sarah must be brave and learn to trust people from a different culture.
7. Lassie Come-Home by Eric Knight- (AR Book Level 5.4)- When young Joe Carraclough’s dad is out of work, they sell his dog, Lassie, to the Duke of Rudling. The Duke takes Lassie to Scottland, where she escapes and makes a thousand-mile journey to meet Joe at the school gate as she has always done. This is one of the few dog books that does not attempt to humanize the dog. Instead, it focuses on the natural instinct, Lassie’s interactions with man, and how these two influences help her along her journey.
8. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl-(AR Book Level 4.8)- When I was in third grade, I read this book because I loved the movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. I sincerely thought from the title that this book was it’s sequel. It wasn’t! The movie was based on this book and renamed.
9. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien-(AR Book Level 5.1)- I would not read this book when I was younger because I was terrified by the movie “The Secret of NIMH.” However (based on a recommendation from a trusted friend), I decided to give this book a shot as an adult. Somehow, the book was not as dark as the movie. While I already knew what the The Secret of NIMH was, I was completely captivated by this story of a single mother’s attempt to protect her family.
10. The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary-(AR Book Level 5.1)- Ralph S. Mouse lives in a hotel with an overprotective mother. The discovery of a toy motorcycle lures Ralph into a life of reckless adventure with an unlikely friend.

Remember that it is best to ALWAYS read (or get a review from a trusted source) the books that you allow your children to read to ensure they align with your family’s morals.