The Reading Raft

A tradition that has emerged at our house is gathering every night on the couch for an adventure. We usually read aloud for about thirty minutes, sometimes longer, which over the years has resulted in a large list of books that we have experienced together. That time together before bed quickly became our favourite part of the day. Any negative feelings, stress, or worry seem to melt away in the humor and adventure of the masterful stories. We go to bed with thoughts of adventure, accomplishment, and unity.

Top Ten Read Alouds

A living list that will change as more masterpieces are discovered

  • The Yearling

    The Yearling

    Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

    Review

  • The Chestry Oak

    Kate Seredy

    Review

  • The Bronze Bow

    Elizabeth George Speare

    Review

  • The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

    Mark Twain

    Review

  • The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

    Mark Twain

    Review

  • The Story of Rolf and The Viking Bow

    Allen French

    Review

  • By the Great Horn Spoon!

    Sid Fleishman

    Review

  • Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers

    Ralph Moody

    Review

  • Johnny Tremain

    Esther Forbes

    Review

  • Treasure Island

    Robert Louis Stevenson

    Review

Reading Raft Book List

  • The Hobbit

    J.R.R. Tolkien

  • Owls in the Family

    Farley Mowat

  • The Chronicles of Narnia Series

    C. S. Lewis

  • The Twenty-One Balloons

    William Pene du Bois

  • The Little Prince

    Antoine De Saint-Exupery

  • Where the Red Fern Grows

    Wilson Rawls

  • Little Britches: Man of the Family

    Ralph Moody

  • The Green Ember Series

    S.D. Smith

  • The Swiss Family Robinson

    Johann David Wyss

  • A Wrinkle in Time

    Madeleine L’Engle

  • The Call of the Wild

    Jack London

  • Sign of the Beaver

    Elizabeth George Speare

  • Anne of Green Gables

    L. M. Montgomery

  • Carry On, Mr. Bowditch

    Jean Lee Latham

  • My Side of the Mountain

    Jean Craighead George

  • Harry Potter Series

    J. K. Rowling

  • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

    Roald Dahl

  • The Singing Tree

    Kate Seredy

  • The Good Master

    Kate Seredy

  • A Little Princess

    Frances Hodgson Burnett

  • Understood Betsy

    Dorothy Canfield Fisher

  • Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin

    Marguerite Henry

  • Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

    Grace Lin

  • The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood

    Howard Pyle

  • Charlottes Web

    E. B. White

  • The Wizard of OZ

    L. Frank Baum

  • Freckles

    Gene Stratton Porter

  • The Princess and the Goblin

    George MacDonald

  • The Princess and the Curdie

    George MacDonald

  • The Whipping Boy

    Sid Fleischman

  • Five Children and It

    E. Nesbit

  • The Wouldbegoods

    E. Nesbit

  • Little House on the Prairie

    Laura Ingalls Wilder

  • Caddie Woodlawn

    Carol Ryrie Brink

  • The Moffats

    Eleanor Estes

  • My Father's Dragon

    Ruth Stiles Gannett

  • Pippi Longstocking

    Astrid Lindgren

  • Velveteen Rabbit

    Margery Williams

  • Alice in Wonderland

    Lewis Carroll

  • Heidi

    Johanna Spyri

  • Cheaper by the Dozen

    Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. & Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

  • The Penderwicks

    Jeanne Birdsall