12 Family Favorite Read-Aloud Books & Series

One of my favorite times of day when I was growing up, besides outside time, was reading time. We all would gather in the living room and settle into our spots to listen while Mama read from our favorite books and series. The littlest one at the time would be napping, playing on a blanket on the floor, or having a bunch of fun in their play area next to us. We older ones would get out our current craft project -be that cross stitch, our crochet afghan, a knitting project, or our sketching. Mama would get comfortable with a glass of water nearby and she would pick up where we left off in our latest book.

These books hold special memories from that time and reading them since and even picking them up now, I can still remember those days in the living room and all the conversations we would have about the story. I thought I would share these now as an introduction post to the all read aloud books we have loved over the years.

There may be a few of these books that could be too deep for younger children to completely understand, but as we loved reading so much growing up and always had a chapter book with us, Mama decided on upper level books for our reading time together. It was great to have an open conversation about themes that we didn’t understand in the books and we truly learned so much.

This list of books is in no particular order and they all have various ranges in topics and interest, yet we all have enjoyed them and maybe your family will now. Or maybe you might want to just pick one of these up and read it for yourself just for the fun of it!

*A few of these links are affiliate links through Christianbook. My family and I have been long time shoppers of Christianbook and have loved finding new series there. Clicking on these links supports me a little with no extra cost to you so that I can continue to serve you by recommending more family books and series.

The Hobbit by J.R. Tolkien

The story of a hobbit and a ring and so much more. The Hobbit is a must read for anyone interested in the rest of Tolkien’s books. This book is a classic and the allegory is easy enough for children under ten to understand. This was one of the very first books that my Mama read to us when we were younger. She was able to explain any questions that we had regarding the story.

Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis

Through the wardrobe to an adventure beyond imagination. While reading The Chronicles of Narnia, children will come to love Aslan and who he represents. These timeless classics have been made into more than one movie series. Reading the books brings so much more understanding to what takes place in the movies. I remember reading these again when I was older and grasping even more of the allegory. Parents love to read these out loud to their children for the first time, then they can watch the movies together!

The Terrestria Chronicles by Ed Dunlop

The Terrestria Chronicles and its sequel series Kingdom Tales from Terrestria also by Ed Dunlop are easier for much younger children to understand. These follow the journey of a young prince as he discovers the love of his King through the joys of service and the sage examples of many previous travelers. This series is one of the first allegories that I recommend for younger children. The stories are simple and follow along like a Pilgrims Progress story. I love how the allegory is very present and real to the reader.

Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Little House books will always be a staple on our bookshelves. Laura tells all about prairie life back in the late 1800s with humor and excitement. The stories are taken from Laura’s experiences detailing the joys and sorrows of life on the frontier. We have also enjoyed watching the original tv series many times as they are a wonderful show for the whole family to enjoy.
Before I could read on my own, I loved hearing my parents read this special series to us. I’ve read these no less than six times in the last 20 years. I have even collected the rest of the Little House sets about Laura’s ma, grandmother, great grandmother, and her daughter Rose. These will forever be a favorite for children of all ages.

The Elsie Dinsmore seriesby Martha Finley

This 28 book series tells the fictional life of Elsie Dinsmore from when she was a child long before the Civil War all the way through her grandmother years. They focus on more of her family members in the later books. We read through the whole original series and enjoyed getting to know each character along the way. The stories are realistic and emotional with a lot of history mixed in.
The Elsie books are well known and talked about in other book series as well. They have been rewritten and updated for younger readers as well. Though we still enjoy the original series, young girls may enjoy reading Elsie’s stories in the Life of Faith series.

G. A. Henty seriesby G. A. Henty

G. A. Henty wrote many books on heroism and truth in the mid-1800s. Because he wrote from his own experiences, Henty’s stories are realistic and understandable. Papa loved to read these to us for the historical perspective as well. The stories are great for young teenage boys who love to read about heroes defending the truth and staying strong despite their circumstances.

Love Comes Softly seriesby Janette Oke

My family and I really loved reading all of the Love Comes Softly series together when we were younger and they continue to be a favorite now. This historical fiction series follows the story of a young woman as she and her husband move out west, detailing the trials and joys she faced along the way. We had already read these when the tv movie series came out. Though the movies do stray from the stories, they still are wholesome for the whole family to watch.

Seasons of the Heart seriesby Janette Oke

The Seasons of the Heart series is another of our favorite series by Janette Oke! These tell the story of a young man as he learns lessons about faith, love, and family. This four book set tells about the people that shaped this man’s life and how important family really is. We all loved this series as it teaches the realistic and simple, yet deep lessons of life.

Canadian West / When Calls the Heart seriesby Janette Oke

Obviously a well-known favorite in the historical fiction genre, the Canadian West series is full of adventure, humor, and life. Follow along with Elizabeth as she moves out west to a mining town to teach. Despite the hardships she faces, she sticks it out and comes to love the people of this small western town.
Janette Oke and her daughter have added to the original series with another series called Return to the Canadian West. These books are a loose adaption of the now favorite and widely known tv series When Calls the Heart.

Shepherd of the Hillsby Harold Bell Wright

Harold Bell Wright’s books, written in the early 1900s tell some of the most captivating stories. We enjoyed reading Shepherd of the Hills and went on to read The Calling of Dan Matthews, The Winning of Barbara Worth, and The Printer of Udells. The stories teach hard work, integrity, and community. Though some of his stories have been adapted to film, we enjoyed the outdoor play of The Shepherd of the Hills in Branson, MO the best! That was truly an experience we won’t forget!

Old Squires Farm book seriesby C. A. Stephens

The Old Squires Farm books were a favorite for us. They tell stories from long ago about a family growing up in rural New England. The stories are full of character building and humor. They teach lessons about hard work, honesty, and determination. Sure to keep the kids and you laughing!

The Stonewycke Trilogyby Michael Phillips & Judith Pella

The Stonewyke Trilogy series and its sequel series The Stonewycke Legacy tells the fascinating story of three generations of a noble Scottish family. With a lot of intrigue, justisce, and unsolved mystery, these books are definitely for those who can get captured in a good story. I recommend for kids older than 12 who love mysteries and can keep up with the Scottish history as well.

I hope you have enjoyed this list of my family’s favorite read aloud books. This is only a few of the many that we read together over the years. We had many discussions about the books and it was fun to sit around and talk. Each of us have stories to tell and reading these books showed us the many unique ways to tell our story.

Also remember that many of these books you can find on audiobook. They are great to listen to while you are working on a project or driving in your car or so you can listen with the kids during craft time!

Feel free to comment what books and series you love to read aloud with your family. We love to know what other wholesome series we can add to our book shelves!

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable
–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.
Philippians 4:8 NIV