Richer Than I You Can Never Be
Strickland Gillian penned these words:
“You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be—
I had a Mother who read to me.”
My mom read to me when I was little, my grandma read to my mom, my great-grandma read to my grandma, and all that reading mattered. When I grew up, I read to my kids, and it mattered. The benefits of reading with your children are multifaceted and intergenerational.
Here’s the list of books my 19-year-old daughter read in 2021 (sorry it doesn’t include authors!) Buckle up, folks:
The Odyssey
The Lost Choice
The Four Loves
Fablehaven, 1-5
Jane Eyre
The Scarlet Pimpernel
Nicholas Nickleby
The Wide-Awake Princess
Typee
Ranger’s Apprentice, 1-10
Brave New World
Northanger Abbey
Scarlet Letter
Mansfield Park
Call of the Wild
The Mysterious Benedict Society, 1-3
The Death of Ivan Ilych
Old Man and the Sea
The Three Musketeers
Agnes Grey
The Wealth of Nations
Robinson Crusoe
Persuasion
Phantom of the Opera
The Chronicles of Narnia, 1-7
Pride and Prejudice
My Antonia
Chronicles of Prydian, 1-5
Surprised By Joy
Les Misérables
Their Eyes Were Watching God
The Stranger
Harry Potter, 1-7
Wuthering Heights
The Road to Serfdom
Anne of Green Gables, 1-8
The Secret Garden
Crime and Punishment
Great Expectations
Dragon Slippers, 1-3
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Boys in the Boat
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
Percy Jackson, 1-5
Chronicles of Avonlea, 1-2
The Abolition of Man
The Mystery of Mary
Kilmeny of the Orchard
Fahrenheit 451
Emily of New Moon, 1-3
The Story Girl
The Golden Road
Beyonders, 1-3
Heart of Darkness
Ender’s Game
Ender’s Shadow
Shadow of the Giant
Shadow Puppets
Shadow of the Hegemon
A Study in Scarlet
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
The Return of Sherlock Holmes
The Blue Castle
The Enchanted April
Little Dorrit
Cranford
Bleak House
Far From The Madding Crowd
Atlas Shrugged
The Prince
Nicomachean Ethics
King Lear
The Little Prince
Murder on the Orient Express
After the Funeral
The ABC Murders
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Crooked House
Death on the Nile
Sparkling Cyanide
Thirteen at Dinner
Cradle 9+10
Little House on the Prairie, 1-7
The Matchmaker’s Lonely Heart
Silas Marner
Total books read: 132
She read all these books for fun on top of her full-time college courses (except in the summer) and a part time job. Over two-thirds of these she read the old-fashioned way, with eyes on paper. She listened to the others on audible. I read the unabridged version of Les Misérables last year and I considered it a win. She read that AND 131 other books. My great grandma would be proud.
When asked what her favorite and least favorite books were, she said:
“My favorite category is probably 18th and 19th century classics, specifically Dickens, the Bronte sisters, and Austen. I was also surprised that I ended up really loving Agatha Christie’s murder mysteries, which is kind of out of character for me. The Anne of Green Gables books and the Beyonders series are among my all-time favorites.
I totally hated The Stranger by Albert Camus, mostly because it’s written to be unpleasant and existential and get you to feel like life is absurd. Heart of Darkness was also a struggle, and although Atlas Shrugged had many valuable insights, it was pretty disquieting and SO FREAKING LONG. Speaking of long, The Wealth of Nations—another really intellectually stimulating read—falls under that category.”
As far as favorites by category she made this list:
Favorite non-fiction: The Boys in the Boat
Favorite fantasy: Harry Potter
Favorite series: Beyonders
Favorite by Austen: Persuasion
Favorite by Dickens: Nicholas Nickleby
Favorite mystery: Murder on the Orient Express
Made me cry most: Les Mis or Anne of Green Gables
Made me laugh most: Chronicles of Avonlea?
Least favorite: The Stranger or Heart of Darkness
All around favorite: Beyonders
If your kids don’t grow up to read 132 books in a year (or a lifetime), don’t despair! No time on the lap of a mother or father is ever wasted. Read to your children. It’s fun (when it’s not exasperating) and the rewards are everlasting. This daughter of mine is smart as a whip, funny as heck, and wiser than most.
Want a solid suggestion for a parent/child novel read aloud? Try the Peter and the Starcatchers series by Dave Berry. My six-year-old and I had a blast reading these together. They’re engaging for kids and adults alike.
More book suggestions to come (in case the list above doesn’t keep you busy).
Now, go read with your kid!