30 Books Your Family Can Enjoy Together This Thanksreading

Thanksreading

Movember, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and a cornucopia of other celebratory days mean that November is busy. It's also Family Literacy Month, a cause that supports and furthers the one thing that expands minds, lives, knowledge, understanding, and compassion in ways that nothing else can…reading. But we get that there's a lot going on, so meet Thanksreading…a way of helping you connect the dots and promote our favorite thing ever (ahem, besides our stellar customers), BOOKS! Big, small, square, and tall…we have them all. Below are 30 titles for newborns to centenarians (and everyone in between) that are perfect for families (and everyone else) to read together, especially when the food coma sets in.

Wee Ones

Once upon a time, reading to babies was considered weird. Thankfully, parents, technology, and the experts finally aligned to affirm that reading to your child from birth has infinite benefits, including bonding time and language development. So, we have two words for you: Board. Books. Your newborn won't gnaw on the pages, but your six-month old will. J Cloth and vinyl are fine too, but the pages can be harder for itty bitty hands to hold. Here are five parent picks that meet infant reading guidelines (and still keep the littles entertained):

1. Bear Says Thank You by Michael Dahl
2. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
3. Baby Loves Quarks! by Ruth Spiro (because it's never too early for quantum physics)
4. Moo, Baa, La La La by Sandra Boynton
5. Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow

Preschoolers

Preschoolers are fun! And wiggly. Most aren't up for chapter books yet, but early readers will show signs of readiness, so if yours is one, here you go: Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons by Siegfried Engelmann. The preschool years are when toddlers become their own little people who may redefine where they fit in the family dynamic, make friends, develop their imaginations, and learn fundamental skills like cognitive thought, creativity, concentration, language advancement, emotional perception, and responsibility. Books like these five help nurture growth and development in ways that program kids for success. (And kindergarten.)

1. Andy and the Lion by James Daugherty
2. The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
3. Piggie Pie! by Margie Palatini
4. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
5. Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anne Dewdney

Elementary, My Dears

Somewhere between potty training and puberty, that magical moment when your child reads you a bedtime story occurs, and YAY...you've created a reader! Keeping the momentum going can be simple, yet complex. Kids are unique in their strengths, abilities, and developmental pace, so as the books you read with them advance in sophistication, struggling and/or reluctant readers will become obvious. Ideally, parents, teacher(s), and schools collaborate to ensure a child's success, but either way, parent resources such as Straight Talk About Reading and Parenting a Struggling Reader by Susan L. Hall and Louisa C. Moats and The Secret Life of the Dyslexic Child by Robert Frank and Kathryn Livingston can be game-changers.

Books for Young(er) Elementary Schoolers:

1. An Awesome Book of Thanks by Dallas Clayton
2. Frindle by Andrew Clements
3. A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L'Engle
4. The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka
5. The BFG by Roald Dahl

Books for Old(er) Elementary Schoolers:

1. Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? by Dr. Seuss
2. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
3. The Land of Stories: The Ultimate Book Hugger's Guide by Chris Colfer (Part of The Land of Stories Series)
4. Wonder by R.J. Palacio (Wonder Series Book #1)
5. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series Book #1)

The YA Crowd

Some of the best authors to ever exist write for tweens and teens (#lucky!), so YA is a fascinating and progressive genre, but by virtue of the stage of development they're in, reading with young adults can be challenging to impossible. No problem…read what they're reading! And talk to them about it. Here are five books that both parents and teens love.

1. Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn
2. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
3. The Hate U Give (THUG) by Angie Thomas
4. Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, Book #1) by Robin Lafevers
5. Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke

And Finally, Reads for the Grownups

If you've never read aloud with (or to) your spouse, significant other, bestie, or grandpa, it might make you feel self-conscious at first. But Thanksreading is about spending time with the people you love and books, so it can be a fun and meaningful way to hang that's worth trying. You may even find yourself really getting into the funny voices or snuggling during the scary parts. (And seriously...can you ever be too old for a bedtime story?) Here are some suggestions to inspire you, plus one of our favorite gratitude journals.

1. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
2. Pastoralia by George Saunders
3. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
4. The Magicians by Lev Grossman
5. May Cause Happiness by David Steindl-Rast

Happy reading and thanks for shopping ThriftBooks.com.

Read more by Beth Clark