Read Aloud Book Club 2020

Reading aloud to our kids is a great way to bond, have fun, and create a love of reading! Join the Read Aloud Book Club and spend 2020 connecting with your family over books!

Reading out loud to my kids is one of my favorite ways to spend time with them. It’s fun for me AND fun for them! Win-win!

Being read aloud to is a very important aspect in the developing reader’s life and future love of reading. In fact, even after kids are able to read chapter books on their own, it’s still so important for them to be read to!

Why? Well, reading aloud to kids helps them improve their own reading skills. They can hear how you read–the rhythm, flow of the sentences, intonation, pronunciation, etc. Plus, being able to just enjoy the book rather than focusing on sounding out words helps them really get into the story! It’s more fun and that love of books and reading really takes shape for them.

What a beautiful gift to give our kids!

Not only that, but reading aloud encourages snuggling, discussion, and connection. When you read and enjoy a book together, it’s almost like you share this secret connection–this new world and characters and awesome story that now bonds you two together. Seriously, reading aloud is one of my favorite ways to grow closer to my kids!

The Read Aloud Book Club is Born

With all that said, I’ve wanted to be better at reading novels with my son. As much as I love reading, I wasn’t reading aloud to him as often as I wanted to. And I knew other parents had the same desire and struggles.

So I decided to create a Read Aloud Book Club to help myself and others spend more quality time reading with our kids. And my son was SO excited for the project and wanted to help me plan and prep and get this thing going RIGHT AWAY. I hope your kids are just as excited!

Important Note: Due to some personal circumstances, the Read Aloud Book Club was cancelled as of March 17, 2020. You can still access the first two month’s book activities below, and feel free to keep reading along on your own. You can also still sign-up below to get the reading chart if you wish to keep reading! But no new posts with corresponding activities will be added from this point on. I’m so sorry for any disappointment!

Choosing the Books

To choose the books, my son and I glanced through our own bookshelves and read several blog posts about great read alouds. We jotted down anything that stuck out to us.

Then we started to narrow it down, making sure we had a good variety of books. Some classics, some newer books. Various genres like fantasy, historical, and contemporary. Varying lengths of books. And more.

Then I started to arrange them into months. I tried to start with the shorter books, and work my way up to longer books in the summer when school is out. Hopefully starting with shorter books will help uninterested kids and busy mamas get into the swing of things!

The 2020 Read Aloud Book Club Book List

January: Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting

With the new movie coming out January 17, I thought this was a great one to start out with.

Note: Older versions of this book have some content that is disrespectful to ethnic minorities. Newer prints of the book, like the one we read, have been censored to remove that content. The version I purchased has been updated and is linked HERE.

The Doctor Dolittle post in now live HERE.

February: Frindle by Andrew Clements

I read Frindle in the third grade and remember LOVING it! Like, obsession level love. And I’ve been excited to read it with my own kids ever since. I can’t wait to finally relive this story with my own son!

The Frindle post is now live HERE.

March: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

I’ve read Number the Stars more times than any other–about ten times, I believe. It’s one of my very favorites and I can’t wait to dive into it again! I’ve always loved reading and learning about World War II, and this story of a very brave little girl has always had my heart.

April: Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Honestly, I’ve never read Because of Winn Dixie. I know, I know…a book lover, who reads quite of bit of children’s literature, and I’ve never read this classic? But it’s true. My son’s teacher read it to the class last year and he begged me to add it to our book club list. How could I say no? I can’t wait to experience this book with someone who already loves it!

May: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was one of the very first books I read aloud to my kids and they soaked up every last word! It’s funny. It’s interesting. It’s mysterious. It’s a fun one to visualize. Plus, it has not one, but TWO movie versions to enjoy afterward. And who doesn’t love Roald Dahl? He’s a must-read!

June: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein

I’ve wanted to read Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library for awhile now, but haven’t gotten around to it. I thought it would be a fun follow-up to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory because it’s a sort of retelling of the Roald Dahl classic. And there’s a made for TV movie version on Netflix!

July: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Secret Garden was another one of my favorites as a little girl. I loved the story! I honestly don’t remember a ton about it, so I’m excited to revisit it as an adult.

August: Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

When I read the description of Harriet the Spy to my son, he got really excited about it, so on the list it went! I’m not sure if I read the book as a kid or not, but I know I loved the movie!

September: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

How could I make a read aloud book club without including The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe? I’m so excited to read this with my kids!

October: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

Yes, for those of you waiting for the perfect moment to start Harry Potter with your kids, this will be a great time to do so! I’m probably  going to use the illustrated version because it’s just so fun (and is still a full text)!

November: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Oh, the magic of Ella Enchanted! I remember being entranced and enthralled with every single word of this book. What an amazing and fun story! I just had to include this one on my list.

December: Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff

This fairy tale retelling series by Liesl Shurtliff is so much fun! I’m excited to dive into Rump, the first in the series. As I understand it, the series connects characters, but can be read in any order. With that said, I still thought we should start with the first for book club.

Join the Read Aloud Book Club

There you have it: the Color My Happy 2020 Read Aloud Book Club list!

If you still want to read on your on, you can sign-up below and we’ll send you a free printable tracking chart with all the year’s books.

Hopefully these freebies will help build excitement in your home for your Family Read Aloud Book Club! If you join in and post about what you’re reading on social media, use #CMHreadaloudbookclub so we can all follow along!

Which book are you most excited for?

If you want some tips on how to help your kids love reading, check out the post below:

Britney is a wife and mom with a passion for helping other women see the good inside of them. She loves podcasts, polka dots, and dancing around the kitchen with her family.