Recommendations for books to read at bedtime with 4 and 6 year olds?

[ourbabygirl]

We've read all of the Little House books, all of the Ramona Quimby (and Henry Huggins) books, along with two of the Ralph/ Mouse/ Motorcycle ones. Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, can't remember what else. Currently reading an Alphabet Mystery one (by Ron Roy), but the kids can read those on their own & I'd rather read more of a story with them (more of a classic/ something that's not part of a series, etc.). I'd like to avoid scary stories, as DS wakes up often with bad dreams, often about what he's read or seen.

We're heading to the library tomorrow morning, & need a new book to start tomorrow night, so would love your ideas!
Thanks for your help! :waving4:

[Smillow]

Homer Price and The Enormous Egg.

[acmom]

My kids both really liked the Anna Hibiscus series and I loved them too! I read them when they were 6 and 4.5. Or what about Stuart Little?

[wellyes]

My Father's Dragon

[Pinky]

We read the Beatrix Potter books and then also the original Pooh books by AA Milne. My 5 year old loved them.

[ncat]

DD loved Tales of a Forth Grade Nothing at that age. We also liked Mrs. Piggle Wiggle.

I'm a bit of a read out loud failure. My goal for DS1 is to get him interested enough in a chapter book that he'll finish the book on his own. I enjoyed Junie B Jones more than most of the other current books.

[candaceb]

We have read Mary Poppins and Alice in Wonderland (original, pre-Disney versions of both).

[schrocat]

I'm reading Stuart Little to my 4 year old right now. He also really liked Tales of My Father's Dragon. I'm reading Alice in Wonderland to my 6 year old. They both like Beatrix Potter.

[baymom]

The Phantom Tollbooth

[Tenasparkl]

We love the Pippi Longstocking books

[rkold]

My 4.5 DD really enjoyed Wizard of Oz (the original) when DH read it to her. He read her a few excerpt from the Hobbit as well, but she lost interest and wanted something else. Right now he is reading some story called Momo to her. It's in German, so they only go through a page or two every night because he has to look up word in the dictionary and translate after each sentence. It's a little frustrating because I don't know any German so when he isn't home I can't continue the story.

[hillview]

wind in the willows
james and the giant peach
greek myth stories are big hits here
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0440406943/ref=amb_link_423148522_119?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-2&pf_rd_r=1EWEA212PTHZ7MV6K0FV&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1926107842&pf_rd_i=9660210011

Mr poppers penguins
where the sidewalk ends (poems)

[anonomom]

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle

Gail Carson Levine's fairy books (the titles escape me. I think one is something like The Quest for the Egg?)

[Swirvin]

Just about anything by Roald Dahl
Charlotte’s Web
The Little Prince
The Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton

[AustenFan]

My middle two are that age! Here's what we're reading to them right now.

Betsy-Tacy (the first four books in the series, after that, they get to high school, which is not as interesting for those ages) by Maud Hart Lovelace--these definitely are girlie
The Moffats series and the Pye books by Eleanor Estes
B is for Betsy books by Carolyn Haywood
Boxcar Children series (just the original 19 by Gertrude C. Warner)--my 6 year old DD LOVES these, but 4 year old is not quite as into them

At that age DS also loved The 21 Balloons William Pene du Bois and the Paddington Bear books by Michael Bond (great for nighttime reading because each chapter is basically its own little short story)

[sariana]

The Boxcar Children (I've read only the first one, but there is a series. The first book can stand alone.)

[RiverRat]

The Ivy and Bean Series is great! We read a chapter every night.

[lizzywednesday]

Mine's 5 and we're doing one chapter of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz per night.

I've got plans to do Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass next, followed by either Peter Pan or The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, depending on what I feel like reading. I'm also looking at Anne of Green Gables and The Secret Garden, but I'll have to re-buy Anne.

[123LuckyMom]

Mine's 5 and we're doing one chapter of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz per night.

I've got plans to do Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass next, followed by either Peter Pan or The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, depending on what I feel like reading. I'm also looking at Anne of Green Gables and The Secret Garden, but I'll have to re-buy Anne.

Just be aware that the vocabulary in Anne of Green Gables is very advanced. Even for my guy, who has a spectacular vocabulary, it was clear when I started reading it to him at age 5 that it was beyond him. It might be time to try again. He did fine with C.S. Lewis, Enid Blyton, and E.B. White. We also read the first three Harry Potter books aloud. I think it's time for Frances Hodgson Burnett.

[lizzywednesday]

Just be aware that the vocabulary in Anne of Green Gables is very advanced. Even for my guy, who has a spectacular vocabulary, it was clear when I started reading it to him at age 5 that it was beyond him. It might be time to try again. He did fine with C.S. Lewis, Enid Blyton, and E.B. White. We also read the first three Harry Potter books aloud. I think it's time for Frances Hodgson Burnett.

I've been a fan of the Anne books since I was about 8; I know what the vocab is like, so it's actually beneficial that I don't currently own a copy (I handed mine down to my cousins; d'oh!) because it'll require a lot more thought before I introduce it.

I'm also looking at getting the fully illustrated Harry Potter that came out earlier this month, but I don't really "need" to - my copies (except Prisoner of Azkaban) are in pretty good shape.

[123LuckyMom]

I've been a fan of the Anne books since I was about 8; I know what the vocab is like, so it's actually beneficial that I don't currently own a copy (I handed mine down to my cousins; d'oh!) because it'll require a lot more thought before I introduce it.

I'm also looking at getting the fully illustrated Harry Potter that came out earlier this month, but I don't really "need" to - my copies (except Prisoner of Azkaban) are in pretty good shape.

Oh, good! I've read everything L.M. Montgomery ever wrote, but I was surprised when I started to read AoGG aloud. I had remembered that book as significantly "younger" than the Emily books, for example, but it read much older than I had remembered.

[ett]

Oh, good! I've read everything L.M. Montgomery ever wrote, but I was surprised when I started to read AoGG aloud. I had remembered that book as significantly "younger" than the Emily books, for example, but it read much older than I had remembered.

I've been reading the Anne books to DS2 who is 8. Even at 8, there are words that he doesn't know that I need to explain to him. We're on the fifth book (Anne's House of Dreams now) and we've come across some mature topics(i.e. suicide) so just a heads up if you're reading it to younger kids. Not in the first 2 books, but some of the later ones.

[lizzywednesday]

I've been reading the Anne books to DS2 who is 8. Even at 8, there are words that he doesn't know that I need to explain to him. We're on the fifth book (Anne's House of Dreams now) and we've come across some mature topics(i.e. suicide) so just a heads up if you're reading it to younger kids. Not in the first 2 books, but some of the later ones.

Well, she grows up over the course of the books. House of Dreams is one of the saddest, IMO; so is the final book, Rilla of Ingleside, which is set during World War I.

[SoCalMommy]

What about the Amelia Bedelia books? They seem silly but light.