I’ve been a reader my whole life, so much so that as a kid, I didn’t watch TV shows or movies until I was well into elementary school. I preferred to curl up with a book, anywhere and everywhere. My passion for books has continued into adulthood though as a busy mom, reading has become a luxury rather than a regular pastime.
My kids are readers too. Ever since they were willing to sit still on my lap, our bedtime routine has included three books before lights out. What that means is we read a lot of books – and any parent knows how sick you get of reading the same stories over and over and over again. As a connoisseur of kids’ books nowadays, I have become picky about what I like to read and don’t. For example, I groan every time Easton selects any sort of a licensed character story – the Scooby Doo books are endlessly long and also nonsensical, so when we check those out of the library, they tend to “go missing” until their due date.
Whenever possible, I steer the kids toward things that I don’t mind reading over and over again. This new #NeverDoneWithFun weekly series will give you my five quick picks of books that my kids love – and I don’t hate.
As a mom, I’m always striving to inspire my kids through reading to do more, want more, and be more. To that end, I offer my favorite books that teach kids to dream big, follow their heart, and be true to themselves. Isn’t that what we want most for our little ones?
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5 Books That Teach Kids to Dream Big
- Rosie Revere, Engineer (and Iggy Peck, Architect and Ada Twist, Scientist) Hands downs, this series by Andrea Beaty is our family’s favorite. It’s hard to pick which one is the best, but we started with Rosie Revere, Engineer, and it has a special place in my heart. You know a book is a keeper when your child is absolutely still and engaged reading every single word, and you get choked up from the message.
Rosie Revere is the story of a little girl who engineers fantastical contraptions. Iggy Peck builds with whatever he can get his hands on. Ada Twist’s exquisite sense of smell leads her on scientific exploration. The books rhyme, making them fun to read and engage younger listeners too. Sawyer demands “Ig Peck wif Easton” nightly, so it’s a perfect family bedtime choice.
- Cleonardo, The Little Inventor Cleo comes from a family of great inventors, and all she wants is to be a great inventor herself. She tries to help her father in his workshop, but he never uses her ideas. This story’s message of persistence and self-confidence is worth a read for every child, but the focus on girls and STEM makes it particularly on-trend. It’s written and illustrated by Mary GrandPré, who did the cover artwork for all of the Harry Potter series, so the illustrations are as fantastical as you might expect.Side note: I’m determined that my boys will grow up to never even question that girls can do anything boys can; with the all the girl-power messages we read, I sometimes feel the need to emphasize that both boys and girls can accomplish any goal they put their minds too. Don’t want them thinking only girls should follow their dreams!
- The First Drawing An inquisitive caveboy sees art in the natural world all around him, but his family is dismissive of his vision – until one day when he picks up a burnt stick and creates the first drawing on the walls of his cave. Written in the second-person voice, it asks your child to imagine they are the caveboy protagonist – so they experience the frustration of being ignored and the wonder of discovering how to translate a vision into reality. I love this story for its theme of daring to trust your instincts and follow your heart. As an anthropology major in college, teaching my kids about cave paintings is an added bonus.
- Miss Rumphius Alice is a little girl who longs to travel the world and live in a house by the sea, but she also makes a promise to her grandfather to do something to make the world a more beautiful place. Based on a true story of the woman known as the Lupine Lady, who scattered seeds everywhere she went, this quiet story shows kids the importance of bringing more beauty into the world and leaving a legacy behind. The delightful illustrations, with a million tiny details to discover, reinforce the story’s important theme.
- Gaston Gaston is a headstrong French bulldog in a family of proper poodles, and he has to work so hard at his lessons that come naturally to his sisters. When the family encounters a family of French bulldogs one day at the park, they wonder if a switch should be made. But everyone soon realizes that family is about love, not appearances, in this simple story that appeals to the youngest readers as well. Kids identify with Gaston’s struggles to be “proper” and learn to embrace the traits that make them unique. Kelly DiPucchio has recently published the next title in the series, called Antoinette, so we’ll be checking this one out at the library on our next visit.
I am always looking for recommendations for books that I won’t hate to read. Let me know what you’re reading with #NeverDoneWithFun on social media.
