Carlene Moore’s wonderful list of potential books for her and her mother to read on their upcoming spring break road trip got me thinking about a mother/daughter book club list from a different perspective.
My daughter is in the third grade and is an avid reader. While she still sits and listens while I read picture books each night before putting her and her kindergartener brother to bed, she has moved on in her own reading and absolutely devours books quicker than we can check them out at the library. While I am super-proud of her love of reading, I have found that I miss the connection we used to share when everything she read, we read together. Sometimes I find myself wishing I was reading the same books as her just so we’d be able to talk about them. So with spring break fast approaching and summer vacation around the corner, here are a few books I’d put on my own mother/daughter book club list.
Little House on the Prairie. One of my favorites as a child, this book (or even the entire series) is a fun one to read as an adult. You come at it with such a different perspective. I remember thinking Laura led the most exciting life, full of adventure as she and her family struggled to make a life for themselves in the Wild West. Now as a mom myself, I find myself thinking how hard it must have been for Carolyn, their mother, to do the things necessary to keep her family fed and clothed on a daily basis.
Pollyanna. I never did read this book as a child, but it was a gift to my daughter at Christmas, and it’s sitting on her shelf calling out to me. I think this is a great choice to both read and then watch the movie for an interesting discussion on what happens when a book is made into a movie.
Trixie Belden mysteries. Trixie Belden was a sort of tomboyish Nancy Drew. I remember that when I read these books as a child, I actually felt like I was Trixie, out on adventures solving mysteries. In my opinion, she’s a great role model for young girls and a counter to the princess culture of today.
Princess Academy. This makes the list partly because I felt like I should have something written in this century, but also because it quickly became one of my daughter’s favorite books. As one of the many books she’s read that I never have, it’s the first that has me really longing to pick it up and start reading. With this one, she’ll have the advantage in our discussions of having been the first to read the book!
What are some of your favorite childhood books that you’d love to share with your kids? What books are they reading that have made your list?
Karen M. Alley is a freelance writer and editor living in Elkin, N.C. While reading has always been one of her passions, these days she’s reading more to her children than for herself, something which is just as pleasurable and fulfilling in its own way.