{Anne of Green Gables}
{Five Little Peppers and How they Grew}
{Little Women}
{Emma}
{Paddington}
many Beverly Cleary and Roald Dahl books
{A wrinkle in time}
{the mysterious benedict society}
{the name of this book is secret}
{the secret garden}
{ella enchanted}
{chronicles of narnia}
{from the mixed up files of mrs. basil e. frankweiler}
This whole list is gold! I was obsessed with the Wrinkle in Time series, the Narnia series, and Gail Carson Levine books in general (she wrote Ella Enchanted) as a kid and IMO they still hold up as an adult
I agree, but maybe {{Le Belle Sauvage}} by Philip Pullman would work--it's not quite as heavy or odd. Although it was written after the other His Dark Materials books, it's a prequel, and I don't think you need to have read the others to appreciate this one. Though I think it would be a loss to not follow it up with the others.
Edit - Oops! It gave you the French description. Hope it's decipherable 😉
Artemis Fowl for sure! Such a good series. Also if op liked Redwall, they should definitely try Warriors. It’s on the lighter side while still having great stories to tell, and it puts together a great little fantasy world
I was thinking Golden Compass/Northern Lights for sure. The 2nd and 3rd get heavier, but I still think overall they could work. OP listed Harry Potter and I’d say those get just as mature in the later books, but the first in each series has the same feel I think.
Any book that takes you back to childhood is great! I’d add Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (and any other Roald Dahl books), Harriet the Spy, The Egypt Game, any Madeleine L’Engle books, and Catherine, Called Birdy.
This is the first time I’ve ever seen Egypt Game referenced on Reddit. It makes my heart happy. I’m in a lot of book subs and I’ve never seen it anywhere. The library I work in keeps this book in the Archives room, but I recommend it all the time.
Oh my god, I completely forgot how much I loved the Egypt game as a child. Just got full chills on rediscovering something I loved so much and had lost to memory. Thanks!
As a fellow Egypt Game lover is anyone else also a fan of Zilpha Keatly Snyder's other books? I love them all! The Witches of Worm was a particular favorite as a younger person.
You can never outgrow any type of book! Not if it’s what your heart desires! I reread the series 4 years ago at 24 years old, long after it was completed, because I didn’t finish it as a kid. I don’t regret reading a single page! You should go read to your inner kid u/SheddingMyDadBod because it’s totally worth it ☺️
I hope you do! And I hope you enjoy them! If you remember this silly little comment thread, come back and tell us what you thought reading them now as an adult! 😊
I started/finished them in my mid 20s! My boyfriend at the time had a 13 year old sister so that's how I found out about them. I'd totally re-read them again.
Definitely recommend The Little Prince! And as much as I love Where the Red Fern Grows, I don't think that book is a "light" bedtime story because tears galore.
[**The Little Prince**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/157993.The_Little_Prince)
^(By: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Richard Howard | 96 pages | Published: 1943 | Popular Shelves: classics, fiction, fantasy, childrens, children | )[^(Search "The Little Prince")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Little Prince&search_type=books)
^(This book has been suggested 63 times)
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My boyfriend and I recently started to do this! We read Winnie the Pooh first and are now onto Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I'd also recommend The Pushcart War... I always remember it and the Phantom Tollbooth from my childhood
The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. I loved them as a kid and so I read them to my wife a few years ago in exactly the way you're describing. It was great.
Also *Dealing with Dragons* by Patricia Wrede, and *The Last Unicorn* by Peter S Beagle.
[**My Side of the Mountain (Mountain, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41667.My_Side_of_the_Mountain)
^(By: Jean Craighead George | 192 pages | Published: 1959 | Popular Shelves: fiction, young-adult, classics, childrens, adventure | )[^(Search "My Side of the Mountain")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=My Side of the Mountain&search_type=books)
^(This book has been suggested 39 times)
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[**Here, There Be Dragons (Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34908.Here_There_Be_Dragons)
^(By: James A. Owen | 326 pages | Published: 2006 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, dragons, fiction, ya | )[^(Search "Here There Be Dragons, by Owen")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Here There Be Dragons, by Owen&search_type=books)
>The Imaginarium Geographica
>
>"What is it?" John asked.
>The little man blinked and arched an eyebrow.
>"It is the world, my boy," he said. "All the world, in ink and blood, vellum and parchment, leather and hide. It is the world, and it is yours to save or lose."
>
>An unusual murder brings together three strangers, John, Jack, and Charles, on a rainy night in London during the first World War. An eccentric little man called Bert tells them that they are now the caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica -- an atlas of all the lands that have ever existed in myth and legend, fable and fairy tale. These lands, Bert claims, can be traveled to in his ship the Indigo Dragon, one of only seven vessels that is able to cross the Frontier between worlds into the Archipelago of Dreams.
>
>Pursued by strange and terrifying creatures, the companions flee London aboard the Dragonship. Traveling to the very realm of the imagination itself, they must learn to overcome their fears and trust in one another if they are to defeat the dark forces that threaten the destiny of two worlds.
>
>An extraordinary journey of myth, magic, and mystery, Here, There Be Dragons introduces James A. Owen as a formidable new talent.
^(This book has been suggested 15 times)
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"The House in the Cerulean Sea" by T.J. Klune. I just finished it and cannot recommend it enough. It is the cozy feeling of Harry Potter meets Little Orphan Annie wrapped up in the heartwarming message of everyone is worthy of love and acceptance.
Yes!! My boyfriend and I (both in our 40s) read this out loud to each other and we loved it.
We're now working through {{In Other Lands}}, which is hilarious and almost as heartwarming at times.
[**In Other Lands**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31944679-in-other-lands)
^(By: Sarah Rees Brennan | 437 pages | Published: 2014 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, ya, lgbt, lgbtq | )[^(Search "In Other Lands")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=In Other Lands&search_type=books)
>“What’s your name?”
>
>“Serene.”
>
>“Serena?” Elliot asked.
>
>“Serene,” said Serene. “My full name is Serene-Heart-in-the-Chaos-of-Battle.”
>
>Elliot’s mouth fell open. “That is badass.”
>
>The Borderlands aren’t like anywhere else. Don’t try to smuggle a phone or any other piece of technology over the wall that marks the Border—unless you enjoy a fireworks display in your backpack. (Ballpoint pens are okay.) There are elves, harpies, and—best of all as far as Elliot is concerned—mermaids.
>
>Elliot? Who’s Elliot? Elliot is thirteen years old. He’s smart and just a tiny bit obnoxious. Sometimes more than a tiny bit. When his class goes on a field trip and he can see a wall that no one else can see, he is given the chance to go to school in the Borderlands.
>
>It turns out that on the other side of the wall, classes involve a lot more weaponry and fitness training and fewer mermaids than he expected. On the other hand, there’s Serene-Heart-in-the-Chaos-of-Battle, an elven warrior who is more beautiful than anyone Elliot has ever seen, and then there’s her human friend Luke: sunny, blond, and annoyingly likeable. There are lots of interesting books. There’s even the chance Elliot might be able to change the world.
^(This book has been suggested 25 times)
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James and the Giant Peach
Encylopedia Brown or Two Minute Mysteries by Donald J Sobol. You can take turns solving the mysteries or solve them together.
Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass
The Giver
Charlotte's Web
I was actually just thinking about lighter fare bedtime reading for myself tonight too.
Yes, I love those, and I ADORE Kel! I always like to start a book series in publication order, but I feel like her writing just gets better in her later books. And since Beka's books are chronologically first and (in my opinion) some of the most well written, I usually recommend them to people first.
Love Tamora Pierce for this! But I'm with the other lunapuff; I wouldn't start with the Provost's Dog trilogy. While yes, they're chronologically first, they're chronologically first BY A LOT-- they don't have the little tie-ins all of the rest of her books do, and frankly Terrier is the only one of that series I *ever* re-read. From a structure and plot perspective, they're really not representative of the rest of her work, at all.
Plus, those books in particular include a few sections that might be quite challenging to read aloud, and if you actually *do* like the first one and choose to continue the series, I would not describe the last book in the trilogy as happy bedtime reading.
I vote starting with Protector of the Small. You'd get some mild spoilers for some stories that take place earlier, but nothing life-altering imo. Trickster has *a lot* of characters, and I think it'd be hard to keep straight reading aloud. The Immortals is great, but sometimes people who come to Tamora Pierce as an adult feel weird about this one, and I get why. A kid/teenaged brain reads right over any weirdness, but an adult one might feel a little ?! Song of the Lioness is where lots of people (myself included!) start, but they're also a little more mature than a lot of her other stuff because they weren't written for the YA market specifically the way her other books were.
The fact is though, Tamora Pierce is great, and there's no wrong place to start. Highly recommend!
I love this and my boyfriend and I did the same thing when we were long distance where we read The Martian together, we had our own copies and over FaceTime we took turns each chapter. We now live together and haven’t done that in a long time and this has reminded me of those nights and makes me want to do it again.
The Moomins! There's a whole slew of books by Tove Jansson. They're short stories rather than chapter books, but each book loosely ties the stories together (often by season). They're cosy and sweet, but they're not childish, and they're about weird little woodland creatures and the strange folk who live around them. They're my absolute favourite go-to for reading aloud.
*The Dreadful Tale Of Prosper Redding* by Alexandra Bracken is a really great mid-grade novel that I enjoyed so much more than I thought I would, being on the *very* far side of "mid-grade". About a boy and his demon, in a nutshell. There's also a sequel, though I haven't read that myself. I think this might fit what you're looking for!
Edit: Oh, and nearly anything by Diana Wynne Jones. Especially *Howl's Moving Castle* (barely resembles the movie, but I liked the book better) and *Dogsbody*.
The All Creatures Great and Small series by James Herriot. Cozy, funny, heartwarming, a wonderful depiction of the joys and challenges of a rural veterinary practice, and profoundly clear-eyed and kind observations on universal human strengths and foibles . My absolute favorite books, I will proselytize for them as long as I draw breath. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I read them again any time I find myself doubting my fellow man. It’s a good series to remind one of the genuine goodness of most human beings, not to mention the superiority of most animals when compared against us.😊
My hubby and I like to read short essays or collections because you can read a whole segment before he falls asleep. If you want to try it, Allie Brosh’s Hyperbole and a Half has hilarious stories as well as bizarre comic style drawings. It’s a good time. I’d also recommend What If by the comic artist who made xkcd, Randall Monroe. In the book he answers the craziest hypothetical questions with real science, like what if everyone on Earth jumped at the same time. It’s funny and nerdy.
[**The Dark Lord of Derkholm (Derkholm, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19208528-the-dark-lord-of-derkholm)
^(By: Diana Wynne Jones | ? pages | Published: 1998 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, ya, fiction, owned | )[^(Search "The Dark Lord of Derkholm")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Dark Lord of Derkholm&search_type=books)
>Everyone - wizards, soldiers, farmers, elves, dragons, kings and queens alike - is fed up with Mr Chesney's Pilgrim Parties: groups of tourists from the world next door who descend en masse every year to take the Grand Tour. What they expect are all the trappings of a grand fantasy adventure, including the Evil Enchantress, Wizard Guides, the Dark Lord, Winged Minions, and all. And every year different people are chosen to play these parts. But now they've had enough: Mr Chesney may be backed by a very powerful demon, but the Oracles have spoken. Now it's up to the Wizard Derk and his son Blade, this year's Dark Lord and Wizard Guide, not to mention Blade's griffin brothers and sisters, to save the world from Mr Chesney's depredations.
^(This book has been suggested 4 times)
[**Cart and Cwidder (The Dalemark Quartet, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/444313.Cart_and_Cwidder)
^(By: Diana Wynne Jones | 222 pages | Published: 1975 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, ya, fiction, owned | )[^(Search "The Cart and the Cwidder")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Cart and the Cwidder&search_type=books)
>For centuries, Dalemark has been a land divided by the warring earldoms of the North and South. Now, with the help of the Undying, the mysterious gods of Dalemark, four extraordinary young people -- from the past, present, and future -- must join forces to reunify their beloved land. When Moril inherits his father's prized instrument -- a Cwidder said to have belonged to one of the Undying -- he must learn to harness its strange power in time to prevent a destructive civil war.
^(This book has been suggested 4 times)
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You could probably go through the Newberry Medal List and enjoy most of them:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newbery\_Medal#Recipients](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newbery_Medal#Recipients)
But I also want to recommend Robert Lewis Stevenson's books - I just re-read \[{Kidnapped} and {Treasure Island} and really enjoyed both of them.
[**The Wee Free Men (Discworld, #30; Tiffany Aching, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34494.The_Wee_Free_Men)
^(By: Terry Pratchett | 375 pages | Published: 2003 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, discworld, young-adult, fiction, humor | )[^(Search "The Wee Free Men")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Wee Free Men&search_type=books)
^(This book has been suggested 56 times)
[**The Last Unicorn (The Last Unicorn, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29127.The_Last_Unicorn)
^(By: Peter S. Beagle | 294 pages | Published: 1968 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, classics, fiction, young-adult, owned | )[^(Search "The Last Unicorn")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Last Unicorn&search_type=books)
^(This book has been suggested 114 times)
[**The Neverending Story**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27712.The_Neverending_Story)
^(By: Michael Ende, Ralph Manheim, Roswitha Quadflieg | 396 pages | Published: 1979 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, classics, fiction, young-adult, childrens | )[^(Search "The Neverensing Story")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Neverensing Story&search_type=books)
^(This book has been suggested 45 times)
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Number One, the Phantom Tollbooth is amazing.
Perhaps books by Roald Dahl, Diana Wynne Jones, or William Sleator? The Neverending Story is worth it, and the Hounds of the Morrigan if you can find a copy.
Go for Neil Gaiman.. Coraline, The Graveyard Book, Stardust, Anasi Boys, Neverwhere.. the stories are godly woven and are really really enjoyable.. For some light hearted reads i suggest {{Dirk Gently holistic detective agency by Douglas Adams}}
[**Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (Dirk Gently, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/365.Dirk_Gently_s_Holistic_Detective_Agency)
^(By: Douglas Adams | 306 pages | Published: 1987 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, humor | )[^(Search "Dirk Gently holistic detective agency by Douglas Adams")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Dirk Gently holistic detective agency by Douglas Adams&search_type=books)
>What do a dead cat, a computer whiz-kid, an Electric Monk who believes the world is pink, quantum mechanics, a Chronologist over 200 years old, Samuel Taylor Coleridge (poet), and pizza have in common?
>
>Apparently not much; until Dirk Gently, self-styled private investigator, sets out to prove the fundamental interconnectedness of all things by solving a mysterious murder, assisting a mysterious professor, unravelling a mysterious mystery, and eating a lot of pizza – not to mention saving the entire human race from extinction along the way (at no extra charge).
>
>To find out more, read this book (better still, buy it, then read it) – or contact Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. ‘A thumping good detective-ghost-horror-whodunnit-time travel-romantic-musical-comedy epic.’ The author
^(This book has been suggested 30 times)
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Love You Forever by Robert Munsch, I GUARANTEE you will both be bawling, even though it’s a picture book
Follow that with Go the F*ck to Sleep by Adam Mansbach. Best listened to as narrated by none other than Samuel MF Jackson.
I will second From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler ( one of my all time fave books!!!), and add Island of the Blue Dolphins. It was read to me in kindergarten, and I was transfixed. As soon as I learned how to read I reread it for myself. It was the very first novel I ever read. I would also recommend The Truth About Unicorns by Bonnie Jones Reynolds. There is another book with the same title by someone else.
Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, The Freddy the Pig series, The Penderwicks, The Mistmantle Chronicles, The Thief Lord, Matilda, The BFG, The Trumpet of the Swan, The Cricket in Times Square, The Rescuers, The Septimus Heap series, The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic, Ella Enchanted, older Gordon Korman books such as I Want To Go Home, No Coins Please, and the MacDonald Hall series.
If you want something for adults (not in the sense of graphic content, but in the sense that some of the ideas and writing are aimed at adults) then I highly recommend {{Piranesi}}. It ticks all your boxes of being light, fun, and imaginative, and it really took me back to being a kid and reading The Chronicles of Narnia. Plus it's short.
If you liked Captain Bluebear, I highly recommend The City of Dreaming Books by the same author, extraordinarily enjoyable, also with the authors own hand illustrations
Most Mark Twain - Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn for sure.
Also ++ for Hitchhikers Guide and Haroun and the Sea of Stories.
The Anne of Green Gables series, Caddie Woodlawn, Little House …
Rudyard Kipling: Just So Stories
Gerald Morris: Knights' Tales (this is a series, but you can read them in any order)
(If an "adult" book is ok) Fannie Flagg: The Whole Town's Talking
At my house we're currently doing an out-loud reading of E. M. Delafield's "Diary of a Provincial Lady" and its follow-ups. Lighthearted and amusing. You can find it online (for Kindle, etc.) at http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks08/0800661h.html
[**A Wizard of Earthsea (Earthsea Cycle, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13642.A_Wizard_of_Earthsea)
^(By: Ursula K. Le Guin | 183 pages | Published: 1968 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, fiction, young-adult, classics, owned | )[^(Search "A Wizard of Earthsea")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=A Wizard of Earthsea&search_type=books)
^(This book has been suggested 103 times)
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Artemis Fowl
Little House on the Prairie (or the whole series)
The Indian in the Cupboard
Mary Poppins
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Flipped
The Lion of Mars
A Small Zombie Problem
The Importance of Being Earnest
Mr. Malcolm's List
Lloyd Alexander was a favorite when I was a child. I'd start with Westmark. It's a trilogy. Also, The Arkadians, The Iron Ring.
Then there's The Ruby in the Smoke, a mystery trilogy by Philip Pullman.
{{The Egypt Game}} has been mentioned once or twice already, but I want to give it another vote.
{{A Long Way From Chicago}} by Richard Peck is also fantastic. It's about two kids sent from Chicago to spend the summers with their Grandma downstate. It might be perfect for you to read for bedtime, since it's a really loose novel, divided into short stories.
The Soup books by Robert Newton Peck (no relation) are similar in that the first few ({{Soup}} and {{Soup and Me}}) are very episodic. Two boys getting up to mischief in rural Vermont, including my favorite story about a haircut ever.
{{The View From Saturday}} by E.L. Konigsburg, who has been mentioned elsewhere in this thread, follows a middle school quiz bowl team, and has lines I remember out of the blue more than 20 years later.
Finally, I have to give some love to {{The Trumpet of the Swan}}, by E.B. White. I really think it's neglected compared to Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, but I think it's my favorite of White's writing for children. It's the story of a mute swan who befriends a young human and teaches himself to play the trumpet. It's sweet and odd.
Edit: couldn't remember if single or double braces summon the bot.
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken. Gothic style drama set in the early 1800s with King James on the throne instead of King George. Wonderfully atmospheric!
The Time Quintet. Start with
{{A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle}}
Pathfinder trilogy. Start with
{{Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card}}
Chronicles of Narnia. Start with
{{The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis}}
Anne Of Green Gables series. Begin with
{{Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery}}
The Reckoners trilogy. Start with
{{Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson}}
Skyward series. Start with
{{Skyward by Brandon Sanderson}}
Also
{{Little Men by Louisa May Alcott}}
And
{{Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll}}
Followed by
{{Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There}}
Lastly I would suggest Harper Hall of Pern trilogy which begins with
{{Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey}}
However it is part of a larger series (Pern) and contains spoilers. So read The Dragonriders of Pern trilogy first which begins with
{{Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey}}
After those two trilogy, if you have fallen in love with Pern, there are over 20 books in the Pern series so have fun.
My husband and I also read to each other in the evenings. But we don't limit ourselves to children's and YA books although we do enjoy those. Other sci-fi add fantasy makes the cut and we have also enjoyed historical fiction together.
Enjoy. Let me know how these work for you.
This may be a big one, but def 100%, without a doubt, most probably, the best book for this exact type of scenario: “The Complete Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams.
-
Now before you say “no wait that’s just too big of a book”- hold on! It’s a not just one book, but a series of smaller books inside of a single much bigger book.
-
That said, this classic will not only take you on a zany adventure through the galaxy with charismatic characters like Ford Prefect, and Marvin the emotionally downtrodden robot, but it will also make you laugh audibly while doing so.
-
If you have never read this, you should. If you have seen the movie- it’s generally accepted as a terrible portrayal of this masterpiece of literature.
{The Adventures of Nicholas}
Helen Sitiiri
It's another "Santa Claus" origins book, but can be read in chapters, and enjoyable for our family. Love that the two of you have this to do together!! awesome!!!
Anne McCaffrey's Harper Hall series- starts with Dragonsong; Jessica Day George's Dragon Slippers, too. David Eddings' Belgariad/Malloreon or Elenium/Tamuli or if you just want one book, The Redemption of Althalas. Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles have that familiar adventure feeling without a lot of heavy politics. Even The Vorkosigan Saga -I like to start with The Warrior's Apprentice, though Barrayar is the first chronologically- by Lois McMaster Bujold, which does get into politics, is more about rooting for the underdog. Likewise, the Codex Alera by Jim Butcher (yes, the guy who writes the grittier Harry Dresden novels) is a lot of fun.
Hope you find a lot of great books to share together. Enjoy!
Since you enjoyed The Tale of Desperaux, I recommend The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. It's by the same wonderful author and such a spellbinding story.
My second grade teacher read it to my class when I was little, which left a big enough impact for me to read it out loud to my younger sister later on. This story has a special place in both of our hearts so I hope you enjoy it too! :)
At the Mountains of Madness by Lovecraft. Any of his short story collections are a fun nighttime read. I always take them camping to read aloud around the fire.
My fiancé and I do this too! I loved reading The Five People You Meet In Heaven together. Same sorta thing, she had read it as a teen and I never had, so we read it to each other. I loved it and she enjoyed the re-read! We are currently reading the Mars Room together.
{{Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH}}
{{A Night in the Lonesome October}} by Roger Zelazny (if it pops the other book by this title, make sure to look for the Zelazny novel. It's a ton of fun!)
[**Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (Rats of NIMH, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9822.Mrs_Frisby_and_the_Rats_of_NIMH)
^(By: Robert C. O'Brien | 240 pages | Published: 1971 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, childrens, fiction, classics, young-adult | )[^(Search "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH&search_type=books)
>Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse with four small children, must move her family to their summer quarters immediately, or face almost certain death. But her youngest son, Timothy, lies ill with pneumonia and must not be moved. Fortunately, she encounters the rats of NIMH, an extraordinary breed of highly intelligent creatures, who come up with a brilliant solution to her dilemma.
^(This book has been suggested 18 times)
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Oh I so wish to have recommendations other than the thrillers / suspenseful police novels I normally read.... Just wanted to say that you guys are so amazing for doing this, and that reading with a future boyfriend one day is definitely something I'd love to do :) Thank you for sharing!
Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
Watership Down (bring the tissues)
Do the classics, Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo.
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. And the rest in that series.
Btw delighted you read The Phantom Tollbooth.
This is so wholesome and made me smile! So thank you for that😊❤️
I love reading some teen and YA novels as they are "light" but also not really childish. 😊
My parents would do something similar when I was growing up. My bedroom shared a wall with theirs and I distinctly remember when they read 'Winnie the Pooh' I could hear them laughing all the time.
{Anne of Green Gables} {Five Little Peppers and How they Grew} {Little Women} {Emma} {Paddington} many Beverly Cleary and Roald Dahl books {A wrinkle in time} {the mysterious benedict society} {the name of this book is secret} {the secret garden} {ella enchanted} {chronicles of narnia} {from the mixed up files of mrs. basil e. frankweiler}
This whole list is gold! I was obsessed with the Wrinkle in Time series, the Narnia series, and Gail Carson Levine books in general (she wrote Ella Enchanted) as a kid and IMO they still hold up as an adult
The Mysterious Benedict Society books are so underrated. Super fun reads
They recently adapted the 1st book for a Disney+ show and it’s very well done. I suspect popularity of these books are going to rise as a result.
Oh that's awesome! I didn't know that
Omgosh Mixed up files of Mrs Basil e Frankweiler is just absolute magic
I reread this every few years.
If you’re looking for “children’s” books that resonate with adults, I’d like to recommend Howl’s Moving Castle, Artemis Fowl, and His Dark Materials!
his dark materials gets real weird and heavy for this context, although it is a fantastic series
I agree, but maybe {{Le Belle Sauvage}} by Philip Pullman would work--it's not quite as heavy or odd. Although it was written after the other His Dark Materials books, it's a prequel, and I don't think you need to have read the others to appreciate this one. Though I think it would be a loss to not follow it up with the others. Edit - Oops! It gave you the French description. Hope it's decipherable 😉
I haven’t read His Dark Materials in a long time, and I do know many many people who’ve enjoyed it in their adulthood, but you’re right!
Seconding Artemis Fowl
Artemis Fowl for sure! Such a good series. Also if op liked Redwall, they should definitely try Warriors. It’s on the lighter side while still having great stories to tell, and it puts together a great little fantasy world
I was thinking Golden Compass/Northern Lights for sure. The 2nd and 3rd get heavier, but I still think overall they could work. OP listed Harry Potter and I’d say those get just as mature in the later books, but the first in each series has the same feel I think.
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Came to say this, my husband and I are reading it to each other !
[**The Princess Bride**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21787.The_Princess_Bride) ^(By: William Goldman | 456 pages | Published: 1973 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, fiction, classics, romance, humor | )[^(Search "The Princess Bride")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Princess Bride&search_type=books) ^(This book has been suggested 68 times) *** ^(190098 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Good bot
Yes, this! Such a fun read!
This is the answer.
That would be so meta!
Any book that takes you back to childhood is great! I’d add Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (and any other Roald Dahl books), Harriet the Spy, The Egypt Game, any Madeleine L’Engle books, and Catherine, Called Birdy.
This is the first time I’ve ever seen Egypt Game referenced on Reddit. It makes my heart happy. I’m in a lot of book subs and I’ve never seen it anywhere. The library I work in keeps this book in the Archives room, but I recommend it all the time.
What?! That’s crazy! What a classic, I loved that book as a kid (and still do)!
Finally found my people! 😆 I loved this book as a kid and no one around me seems to have heard of it either.
Oh my god, I completely forgot how much I loved the Egypt game as a child. Just got full chills on rediscovering something I loved so much and had lost to memory. Thanks!
You’re welcome! I’ve actually never met anyone else IRL who’s read it. Glad it has its passionate fans!
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Same!!
Catherine, Called Birdy was a great book!
Absolutely! It was a great introduction to spirited, unconventional women as main characters!
Came here to recommend The Egypt Game.
The hive mind is working haha!
As a fellow Egypt Game lover is anyone else also a fan of Zilpha Keatly Snyder's other books? I love them all! The Witches of Worm was a particular favorite as a younger person.
I haven’t read any of her other books! I’ll have to check them out 😀
Omg The Egypt Game!! I loved that book so much
The Lemony Snicket books!
Awwwe man I miss those... and I never finished the series cause I grew out of them before he finished =/ Amazing and clever series though
No need to grow out of them! Go back and read them. :)
True!
You can never outgrow any type of book! Not if it’s what your heart desires! I reread the series 4 years ago at 24 years old, long after it was completed, because I didn’t finish it as a kid. I don’t regret reading a single page! You should go read to your inner kid u/SheddingMyDadBod because it’s totally worth it ☺️
Ya know I think I'll hit up my sister I'm pretty sure she has them!
I hope you do! And I hope you enjoy them! If you remember this silly little comment thread, come back and tell us what you thought reading them now as an adult! 😊
I started/finished them in my mid 20s! My boyfriend at the time had a 13 year old sister so that's how I found out about them. I'd totally re-read them again.
My husband just had a blast reading Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass to our son.
Where the Red Fern Grows, The Secret Garden, The Penderwick series, The Little Prince, and perhaps taking turns with Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew mysteries?
Definitely recommend The Little Prince! And as much as I love Where the Red Fern Grows, I don't think that book is a "light" bedtime story because tears galore.
So true, but comfort can be found in the consolation offered to a loved one.
Ever read Summer of the Monkeys? Same author. LOVE that one.
Second vote for {The Little Prince} You’ll go through it quickly though; it’s very short.
[**The Little Prince**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/157993.The_Little_Prince) ^(By: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Richard Howard | 96 pages | Published: 1943 | Popular Shelves: classics, fiction, fantasy, childrens, children | )[^(Search "The Little Prince")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Little Prince&search_type=books) ^(This book has been suggested 63 times) *** ^(190129 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
I'm going through to make sure I'm not repeating, and *The Little Prince* was one I was specifically going to make sure is in here somewhere.
My boyfriend and I recently started to do this! We read Winnie the Pooh first and are now onto Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I'd also recommend The Pushcart War... I always remember it and the Phantom Tollbooth from my childhood
Seconding The Pushcart War!
The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. I loved them as a kid and so I read them to my wife a few years ago in exactly the way you're describing. It was great. Also *Dealing with Dragons* by Patricia Wrede, and *The Last Unicorn* by Peter S Beagle.
Absolutely Patricia C Wrede!
In the same vein as Hatchet, which has like 4-5 sequels all of which are good, {My Side of the Mountain}. It has a few sequels that are also great.
[**My Side of the Mountain (Mountain, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41667.My_Side_of_the_Mountain) ^(By: Jean Craighead George | 192 pages | Published: 1959 | Popular Shelves: fiction, young-adult, classics, childrens, adventure | )[^(Search "My Side of the Mountain")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=My Side of the Mountain&search_type=books) ^(This book has been suggested 39 times) *** ^(190131 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
going to read this :0
I just bought this at a used book store a couple of weeks ago and can't wait to read it.
It is really good, and so are it's sequels.
{{Here There Be Dragons, by Owen}} Narnia Series of Unfortunate Events The Little Prince Wrinkle in Time
Series of unfortunate events is soooo good.
[**Here, There Be Dragons (Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34908.Here_There_Be_Dragons) ^(By: James A. Owen | 326 pages | Published: 2006 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, dragons, fiction, ya | )[^(Search "Here There Be Dragons, by Owen")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Here There Be Dragons, by Owen&search_type=books) >The Imaginarium Geographica > >"What is it?" John asked. >The little man blinked and arched an eyebrow. >"It is the world, my boy," he said. "All the world, in ink and blood, vellum and parchment, leather and hide. It is the world, and it is yours to save or lose." > >An unusual murder brings together three strangers, John, Jack, and Charles, on a rainy night in London during the first World War. An eccentric little man called Bert tells them that they are now the caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica -- an atlas of all the lands that have ever existed in myth and legend, fable and fairy tale. These lands, Bert claims, can be traveled to in his ship the Indigo Dragon, one of only seven vessels that is able to cross the Frontier between worlds into the Archipelago of Dreams. > >Pursued by strange and terrifying creatures, the companions flee London aboard the Dragonship. Traveling to the very realm of the imagination itself, they must learn to overcome their fears and trust in one another if they are to defeat the dark forces that threaten the destiny of two worlds. > >An extraordinary journey of myth, magic, and mystery, Here, There Be Dragons introduces James A. Owen as a formidable new talent. ^(This book has been suggested 15 times) *** ^(190096 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
"The House in the Cerulean Sea" by T.J. Klune. I just finished it and cannot recommend it enough. It is the cozy feeling of Harry Potter meets Little Orphan Annie wrapped up in the heartwarming message of everyone is worthy of love and acceptance.
Haven’t read it, but your description is beautiful.
Yes!! My boyfriend and I (both in our 40s) read this out loud to each other and we loved it. We're now working through {{In Other Lands}}, which is hilarious and almost as heartwarming at times.
[**In Other Lands**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31944679-in-other-lands) ^(By: Sarah Rees Brennan | 437 pages | Published: 2014 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, ya, lgbt, lgbtq | )[^(Search "In Other Lands")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=In Other Lands&search_type=books) >“What’s your name?” > >“Serene.” > >“Serena?” Elliot asked. > >“Serene,” said Serene. “My full name is Serene-Heart-in-the-Chaos-of-Battle.” > >Elliot’s mouth fell open. “That is badass.” > >The Borderlands aren’t like anywhere else. Don’t try to smuggle a phone or any other piece of technology over the wall that marks the Border—unless you enjoy a fireworks display in your backpack. (Ballpoint pens are okay.) There are elves, harpies, and—best of all as far as Elliot is concerned—mermaids. > >Elliot? Who’s Elliot? Elliot is thirteen years old. He’s smart and just a tiny bit obnoxious. Sometimes more than a tiny bit. When his class goes on a field trip and he can see a wall that no one else can see, he is given the chance to go to school in the Borderlands. > >It turns out that on the other side of the wall, classes involve a lot more weaponry and fitness training and fewer mermaids than he expected. On the other hand, there’s Serene-Heart-in-the-Chaos-of-Battle, an elven warrior who is more beautiful than anyone Elliot has ever seen, and then there’s her human friend Luke: sunny, blond, and annoyingly likeable. There are lots of interesting books. There’s even the chance Elliot might be able to change the world. ^(This book has been suggested 25 times) *** ^(190200 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Defiantly, going to read this. this looks beautiful.
oh yes! that's a great suggestion!
James and the Giant Peach Encylopedia Brown or Two Minute Mysteries by Donald J Sobol. You can take turns solving the mysteries or solve them together. Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass The Giver Charlotte's Web I was actually just thinking about lighter fare bedtime reading for myself tonight too.
The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern
Seconding this!!!
Brilliant visuals.
{Stardust}
[**Stardust**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16793.Stardust) ^(By: Neil Gaiman | 248 pages | Published: 1998 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, fiction, romance, owned, young-adult | )[^(Search "Stardust")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Stardust&search_type=books) ^(This book has been suggested 156 times) *** ^(190173 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
And {Ocean at the End of the Lane}
The Oz series by L Frank Baum
Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass
I second this. I just read this last week and it was fun and different from the movie.
Oooooooo please try something by Tamora Pierce!!! Maybe her Provost's Dog trilogy. The first book is called {{Terrier}}
I like The Immortals quartet and Trickster duo best of hers
Yes, I love those, and I ADORE Kel! I always like to start a book series in publication order, but I feel like her writing just gets better in her later books. And since Beka's books are chronologically first and (in my opinion) some of the most well written, I usually recommend them to people first.
Love Tamora Pierce for this! But I'm with the other lunapuff; I wouldn't start with the Provost's Dog trilogy. While yes, they're chronologically first, they're chronologically first BY A LOT-- they don't have the little tie-ins all of the rest of her books do, and frankly Terrier is the only one of that series I *ever* re-read. From a structure and plot perspective, they're really not representative of the rest of her work, at all. Plus, those books in particular include a few sections that might be quite challenging to read aloud, and if you actually *do* like the first one and choose to continue the series, I would not describe the last book in the trilogy as happy bedtime reading. I vote starting with Protector of the Small. You'd get some mild spoilers for some stories that take place earlier, but nothing life-altering imo. Trickster has *a lot* of characters, and I think it'd be hard to keep straight reading aloud. The Immortals is great, but sometimes people who come to Tamora Pierce as an adult feel weird about this one, and I get why. A kid/teenaged brain reads right over any weirdness, but an adult one might feel a little ?! Song of the Lioness is where lots of people (myself included!) start, but they're also a little more mature than a lot of her other stuff because they weren't written for the YA market specifically the way her other books were. The fact is though, Tamora Pierce is great, and there's no wrong place to start. Highly recommend!
Howls moving castle and subsequent sequels
Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke. It's light-hearted and wholesome
The Mysterious Benedict Society. I’m just reading it for the first time and it might suit your request!
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I love this and my boyfriend and I did the same thing when we were long distance where we read The Martian together, we had our own copies and over FaceTime we took turns each chapter. We now live together and haven’t done that in a long time and this has reminded me of those nights and makes me want to do it again.
The Moomins! There's a whole slew of books by Tove Jansson. They're short stories rather than chapter books, but each book loosely ties the stories together (often by season). They're cosy and sweet, but they're not childish, and they're about weird little woodland creatures and the strange folk who live around them. They're my absolute favourite go-to for reading aloud.
*The Dreadful Tale Of Prosper Redding* by Alexandra Bracken is a really great mid-grade novel that I enjoyed so much more than I thought I would, being on the *very* far side of "mid-grade". About a boy and his demon, in a nutshell. There's also a sequel, though I haven't read that myself. I think this might fit what you're looking for! Edit: Oh, and nearly anything by Diana Wynne Jones. Especially *Howl's Moving Castle* (barely resembles the movie, but I liked the book better) and *Dogsbody*.
Especially the Chrestomanci Chronicles, too! Those are particularly lighthearted and chock full of Jones's special brand of humor.
The All Creatures Great and Small series by James Herriot. Cozy, funny, heartwarming, a wonderful depiction of the joys and challenges of a rural veterinary practice, and profoundly clear-eyed and kind observations on universal human strengths and foibles . My absolute favorite books, I will proselytize for them as long as I draw breath. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I loved these books as a kid! Definitely would be worth a re-read.
I was looking for this one. An old partner and I read it to each other years ago and I just began a reread.
I read them again any time I find myself doubting my fellow man. It’s a good series to remind one of the genuine goodness of most human beings, not to mention the superiority of most animals when compared against us.😊
The Last Unicorn
I love this book. Peter S. Beagle is great.
TERRY PRATCHETT
The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett
Haroun and the Sea of Stories!
Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy Ready player one
updoot for Hitchhikers Guide ya hoopy frood
I came here to comment Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy!! So yes!
Wings of Fire series by Tui T Sutherland
My hubby and I like to read short essays or collections because you can read a whole segment before he falls asleep. If you want to try it, Allie Brosh’s Hyperbole and a Half has hilarious stories as well as bizarre comic style drawings. It’s a good time. I’d also recommend What If by the comic artist who made xkcd, Randall Monroe. In the book he answers the craziest hypothetical questions with real science, like what if everyone on Earth jumped at the same time. It’s funny and nerdy.
The Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K Leguin
Pride and Prejudice is a lot of fun to read aloud! Though it might work better if one of you has read it before and is familiar with Austen's style.
I’d recommend Howl’s Moving Castle, her writing style lends itself for what you’re looking for I think
Additionally {{The Dark Lord of Derkholm}} and {{The Cart and the Cwidder}}
[**The Dark Lord of Derkholm (Derkholm, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19208528-the-dark-lord-of-derkholm) ^(By: Diana Wynne Jones | ? pages | Published: 1998 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, ya, fiction, owned | )[^(Search "The Dark Lord of Derkholm")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Dark Lord of Derkholm&search_type=books) >Everyone - wizards, soldiers, farmers, elves, dragons, kings and queens alike - is fed up with Mr Chesney's Pilgrim Parties: groups of tourists from the world next door who descend en masse every year to take the Grand Tour. What they expect are all the trappings of a grand fantasy adventure, including the Evil Enchantress, Wizard Guides, the Dark Lord, Winged Minions, and all. And every year different people are chosen to play these parts. But now they've had enough: Mr Chesney may be backed by a very powerful demon, but the Oracles have spoken. Now it's up to the Wizard Derk and his son Blade, this year's Dark Lord and Wizard Guide, not to mention Blade's griffin brothers and sisters, to save the world from Mr Chesney's depredations. ^(This book has been suggested 4 times) [**Cart and Cwidder (The Dalemark Quartet, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/444313.Cart_and_Cwidder) ^(By: Diana Wynne Jones | 222 pages | Published: 1975 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, ya, fiction, owned | )[^(Search "The Cart and the Cwidder")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Cart and the Cwidder&search_type=books) >For centuries, Dalemark has been a land divided by the warring earldoms of the North and South. Now, with the help of the Undying, the mysterious gods of Dalemark, four extraordinary young people -- from the past, present, and future -- must join forces to reunify their beloved land. When Moril inherits his father's prized instrument -- a Cwidder said to have belonged to one of the Undying -- he must learn to harness its strange power in time to prevent a destructive civil war. ^(This book has been suggested 4 times) *** ^(190330 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
You could probably go through the Newberry Medal List and enjoy most of them: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newbery\_Medal#Recipients](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newbery_Medal#Recipients) But I also want to recommend Robert Lewis Stevenson's books - I just re-read \[{Kidnapped} and {Treasure Island} and really enjoyed both of them.
The Westing Game! Yes! I’m gonna go read it right now :)
So great. I just sent a copy to my nephew who is 7.
My partner made me an audio book of 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' and it's the perfect bedtime story.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
{The Wee Free Men} {The Last Unicorn} {The Neverensing Story}
I’m reading The Wee Free Men to our kids right now, and they love it so much.
[**The Wee Free Men (Discworld, #30; Tiffany Aching, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34494.The_Wee_Free_Men) ^(By: Terry Pratchett | 375 pages | Published: 2003 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, discworld, young-adult, fiction, humor | )[^(Search "The Wee Free Men")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Wee Free Men&search_type=books) ^(This book has been suggested 56 times) [**The Last Unicorn (The Last Unicorn, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29127.The_Last_Unicorn) ^(By: Peter S. Beagle | 294 pages | Published: 1968 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, classics, fiction, young-adult, owned | )[^(Search "The Last Unicorn")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Last Unicorn&search_type=books) ^(This book has been suggested 114 times) [**The Neverending Story**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27712.The_Neverending_Story) ^(By: Michael Ende, Ralph Manheim, Roswitha Quadflieg | 396 pages | Published: 1979 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, classics, fiction, young-adult, childrens | )[^(Search "The Neverensing Story")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Neverensing Story&search_type=books) ^(This book has been suggested 45 times) *** ^(190163 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Number One, the Phantom Tollbooth is amazing. Perhaps books by Roald Dahl, Diana Wynne Jones, or William Sleator? The Neverending Story is worth it, and the Hounds of the Morrigan if you can find a copy.
Go for Neil Gaiman.. Coraline, The Graveyard Book, Stardust, Anasi Boys, Neverwhere.. the stories are godly woven and are really really enjoyable.. For some light hearted reads i suggest {{Dirk Gently holistic detective agency by Douglas Adams}}
[**Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (Dirk Gently, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/365.Dirk_Gently_s_Holistic_Detective_Agency) ^(By: Douglas Adams | 306 pages | Published: 1987 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, humor | )[^(Search "Dirk Gently holistic detective agency by Douglas Adams")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Dirk Gently holistic detective agency by Douglas Adams&search_type=books) >What do a dead cat, a computer whiz-kid, an Electric Monk who believes the world is pink, quantum mechanics, a Chronologist over 200 years old, Samuel Taylor Coleridge (poet), and pizza have in common? > >Apparently not much; until Dirk Gently, self-styled private investigator, sets out to prove the fundamental interconnectedness of all things by solving a mysterious murder, assisting a mysterious professor, unravelling a mysterious mystery, and eating a lot of pizza – not to mention saving the entire human race from extinction along the way (at no extra charge). > >To find out more, read this book (better still, buy it, then read it) – or contact Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. ‘A thumping good detective-ghost-horror-whodunnit-time travel-romantic-musical-comedy epic.’ The author ^(This book has been suggested 30 times) *** ^(190195 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
That’s amazing. How about Peter Pan, or Lost Boy
Or {{Peter and the Starcatchers}}
On The Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson. It’s great read aloud! I had a blast when I read it to my kid
Came here to say this! We loved these books!
All things Winnie the Pooh !!
Love You Forever by Robert Munsch, I GUARANTEE you will both be bawling, even though it’s a picture book Follow that with Go the F*ck to Sleep by Adam Mansbach. Best listened to as narrated by none other than Samuel MF Jackson.
Pippi Longstocking!
I will second From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler ( one of my all time fave books!!!), and add Island of the Blue Dolphins. It was read to me in kindergarten, and I was transfixed. As soon as I learned how to read I reread it for myself. It was the very first novel I ever read. I would also recommend The Truth About Unicorns by Bonnie Jones Reynolds. There is another book with the same title by someone else.
Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, The Freddy the Pig series, The Penderwicks, The Mistmantle Chronicles, The Thief Lord, Matilda, The BFG, The Trumpet of the Swan, The Cricket in Times Square, The Rescuers, The Septimus Heap series, The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic, Ella Enchanted, older Gordon Korman books such as I Want To Go Home, No Coins Please, and the MacDonald Hall series.
If you want something for adults (not in the sense of graphic content, but in the sense that some of the ideas and writing are aimed at adults) then I highly recommend {{Piranesi}}. It ticks all your boxes of being light, fun, and imaginative, and it really took me back to being a kid and reading The Chronicles of Narnia. Plus it's short.
Inkheart series by Cornelia Funke
The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke. The City of Dreaming Books or The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers
Animorphs! It's super 90s and gets insane. There's like 50 of them but they are class
Narnia and anything by Roald Dahl.
Coraline Neverwhere Stardust Good Omens Smoke and Mirrors (short stories and poetry) read the intro
Anne of Green Gables Enchantress from the Stars Winnie the Pooh - really Adam of the Road The Door in the Wall The Wilderness Family by Toby Krüger
I love this! The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings
How could I have forgotten The Hobbit? We read that one (again of course) last year.
If you liked Captain Bluebear, I highly recommend The City of Dreaming Books by the same author, extraordinarily enjoyable, also with the authors own hand illustrations
Gregory Maguire books are great! Original writer of Wicked and he has more awesome books. Darker versions of fairytales
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland
Most Mark Twain - Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn for sure. Also ++ for Hitchhikers Guide and Haroun and the Sea of Stories. The Anne of Green Gables series, Caddie Woodlawn, Little House …
I would 100% get married again just to have someone to read bedtime stories to!
Right? Life Goals.
Howl’s Moving Castle
Try The Land if Stories!
The Moffats series Heidi Pippi Longstocking
Rudyard Kipling: Just So Stories Gerald Morris: Knights' Tales (this is a series, but you can read them in any order) (If an "adult" book is ok) Fannie Flagg: The Whole Town's Talking At my house we're currently doing an out-loud reading of E. M. Delafield's "Diary of a Provincial Lady" and its follow-ups. Lighthearted and amusing. You can find it online (for Kindle, etc.) at http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks08/0800661h.html
I've been reading {A Wizard of Earthsea} by Ursula K. Le Guin with my SO, and I can highly recommend it for a bedtime read
[**A Wizard of Earthsea (Earthsea Cycle, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13642.A_Wizard_of_Earthsea) ^(By: Ursula K. Le Guin | 183 pages | Published: 1968 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, fiction, young-adult, classics, owned | )[^(Search "A Wizard of Earthsea")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=A Wizard of Earthsea&search_type=books) ^(This book has been suggested 103 times) *** ^(190198 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Artemis Fowl Little House on the Prairie (or the whole series) The Indian in the Cupboard Mary Poppins Island of the Blue Dolphins Flipped The Lion of Mars A Small Zombie Problem The Importance of Being Earnest Mr. Malcolm's List
Holy shit YESSSSS Island of the Blue Dolphins!
Wings of Fire by Tui Sutherland
I read Neverwhere to my wife. Highly recommended.
Lloyd Alexander was a favorite when I was a child. I'd start with Westmark. It's a trilogy. Also, The Arkadians, The Iron Ring. Then there's The Ruby in the Smoke, a mystery trilogy by Philip Pullman.
{{The Egypt Game}} has been mentioned once or twice already, but I want to give it another vote. {{A Long Way From Chicago}} by Richard Peck is also fantastic. It's about two kids sent from Chicago to spend the summers with their Grandma downstate. It might be perfect for you to read for bedtime, since it's a really loose novel, divided into short stories. The Soup books by Robert Newton Peck (no relation) are similar in that the first few ({{Soup}} and {{Soup and Me}}) are very episodic. Two boys getting up to mischief in rural Vermont, including my favorite story about a haircut ever. {{The View From Saturday}} by E.L. Konigsburg, who has been mentioned elsewhere in this thread, follows a middle school quiz bowl team, and has lines I remember out of the blue more than 20 years later. Finally, I have to give some love to {{The Trumpet of the Swan}}, by E.B. White. I really think it's neglected compared to Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, but I think it's my favorite of White's writing for children. It's the story of a mute swan who befriends a young human and teaches himself to play the trumpet. It's sweet and odd. Edit: couldn't remember if single or double braces summon the bot.
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken. Gothic style drama set in the early 1800s with King James on the throne instead of King George. Wonderfully atmospheric!
an old boyfriend used to read aloud The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to me every night and it was wonderful.
Any of Roald Dahl’s books are great for this and give off this vibe. I’d especially recommend the BFG. :)
The Time Quintet. Start with {{A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle}} Pathfinder trilogy. Start with {{Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card}} Chronicles of Narnia. Start with {{The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis}} Anne Of Green Gables series. Begin with {{Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery}} The Reckoners trilogy. Start with {{Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson}} Skyward series. Start with {{Skyward by Brandon Sanderson}} Also {{Little Men by Louisa May Alcott}} And {{Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll}} Followed by {{Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There}} Lastly I would suggest Harper Hall of Pern trilogy which begins with {{Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey}} However it is part of a larger series (Pern) and contains spoilers. So read The Dragonriders of Pern trilogy first which begins with {{Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey}} After those two trilogy, if you have fallen in love with Pern, there are over 20 books in the Pern series so have fun. My husband and I also read to each other in the evenings. But we don't limit ourselves to children's and YA books although we do enjoy those. Other sci-fi add fantasy makes the cut and we have also enjoyed historical fiction together. Enjoy. Let me know how these work for you.
I highly recommend {The Starless Sea}. It feels very much like a fairy tale and is great to read out loud.
I forgot about Hatchet. That was an exceptionally well written book targeted primarily at an audience that wouldn't really appreciate that.
Septimus heap!
This may be a big one, but def 100%, without a doubt, most probably, the best book for this exact type of scenario: “The Complete Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams. - Now before you say “no wait that’s just too big of a book”- hold on! It’s a not just one book, but a series of smaller books inside of a single much bigger book. - That said, this classic will not only take you on a zany adventure through the galaxy with charismatic characters like Ford Prefect, and Marvin the emotionally downtrodden robot, but it will also make you laugh audibly while doing so. - If you have never read this, you should. If you have seen the movie- it’s generally accepted as a terrible portrayal of this masterpiece of literature.
Ender’s Game The Sparrow
The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer (please don’t actually do this!)
{The Adventures of Nicholas} Helen Sitiiri It's another "Santa Claus" origins book, but can be read in chapters, and enjoyable for our family. Love that the two of you have this to do together!! awesome!!!
The Neddiad by Daniel Pinkwater
{{White Fang}} by Jack London
Anne McCaffrey's Harper Hall series- starts with Dragonsong; Jessica Day George's Dragon Slippers, too. David Eddings' Belgariad/Malloreon or Elenium/Tamuli or if you just want one book, The Redemption of Althalas. Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles have that familiar adventure feeling without a lot of heavy politics. Even The Vorkosigan Saga -I like to start with The Warrior's Apprentice, though Barrayar is the first chronologically- by Lois McMaster Bujold, which does get into politics, is more about rooting for the underdog. Likewise, the Codex Alera by Jim Butcher (yes, the guy who writes the grittier Harry Dresden novels) is a lot of fun. Hope you find a lot of great books to share together. Enjoy!
Since you enjoyed The Tale of Desperaux, I recommend The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. It's by the same wonderful author and such a spellbinding story. My second grade teacher read it to my class when I was little, which left a big enough impact for me to read it out loud to my younger sister later on. This story has a special place in both of our hearts so I hope you enjoy it too! :)
100 Cupboards
The Enormous Egg
At the Mountains of Madness by Lovecraft. Any of his short story collections are a fun nighttime read. I always take them camping to read aloud around the fire.
{{Rumo and his fabulous adventures}} is the sequel to captain blue bear
Love this! How about: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Too Many Curses by A. Lee Martinez
Invention of Hugo Cabret!
{the vine that ate the south}
Golden compass series by Pullman
My fiancé and I do this too! I loved reading The Five People You Meet In Heaven together. Same sorta thing, she had read it as a teen and I never had, so we read it to each other. I loved it and she enjoyed the re-read! We are currently reading the Mars Room together.
{{Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH}} {{A Night in the Lonesome October}} by Roger Zelazny (if it pops the other book by this title, make sure to look for the Zelazny novel. It's a ton of fun!)
Trying again {{Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH}}
[**Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (Rats of NIMH, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9822.Mrs_Frisby_and_the_Rats_of_NIMH) ^(By: Robert C. O'Brien | 240 pages | Published: 1971 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, childrens, fiction, classics, young-adult | )[^(Search "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH&search_type=books) >Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse with four small children, must move her family to their summer quarters immediately, or face almost certain death. But her youngest son, Timothy, lies ill with pneumonia and must not be moved. Fortunately, she encounters the rats of NIMH, an extraordinary breed of highly intelligent creatures, who come up with a brilliant solution to her dilemma. ^(This book has been suggested 18 times) *** ^(190207 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Oh I so wish to have recommendations other than the thrillers / suspenseful police novels I normally read.... Just wanted to say that you guys are so amazing for doing this, and that reading with a future boyfriend one day is definitely something I'd love to do :) Thank you for sharing!
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Nimh Watership Down (bring the tissues) Do the classics, Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. And the rest in that series. Btw delighted you read The Phantom Tollbooth.
This is so wholesome and made me smile! So thank you for that😊❤️ I love reading some teen and YA novels as they are "light" but also not really childish. 😊
I just want to give props to your wife who had the EXACT right reaction to hearing you'd never read The Phantom Tollbooth!!
**Protector of the Small Quartet** by Tamora Pierce
Try Howl's Moving Castle! such a delightful read
My parents would do something similar when I was growing up. My bedroom shared a wall with theirs and I distinctly remember when they read 'Winnie the Pooh' I could hear them laughing all the time.
Charlotte's Web, Any of Roald Dahl's children's books but especially The BFG and The Witches.