Our 2018 – 2019 Family Read Aloud Books

I love reading aloud to my kids.

Our family has enjoyed so many funny conversations and memorable moments over the years because of the titles we have read together.

Even as my kids have entered their teen years, I find a few titles each year to read with them.

This list includes titles from last year (2018) as well as the titles we have enjoyed so far this year (2019). When we began reading these titles, my kids were in 10th, 8th, 6th, and 4th grade. They are all a year older as we are finishing up our list.

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Our Family Read Aloud Books 2018-2019

The titles below include a few of our thoughts after reading. I will continue to update it as we finish books for 2019.

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper

We all adored this story. It was powerful. It made us mad and happy at the same time.

And like all good stories that I read out loud, I cried. More than once while reading. The kids are used to it.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

I made it into adulthood without reading this book! I decided to finally read this classic by reading it out loud with my kids. We had a great time reading it and then watching several movie versions together.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness.

I didn’t know anything about this book when I started reading it to the kids. It was such a powerful story and we had plenty of discussions about grief and love and family. Of course, it is extremely sad and I sobbed while reading out loud the last chapter. (The child’s mom is dying of cancer.)

Refugee by Alan Gratz.

This was our first title by Alan Gratz and it did not disappoint. Three stories of refugees in different historical time periods but with lives that weave together. I loved this book. I hope we read more by this author.

I cried while reading this one too. It’s just what I do.

Note: All storylines don’t always end well so be aware for sensitive kids.

The Martian by Andy Weir

We loved this book! It kept us on the edge of our seats while making us laugh hysterically.

I was reading it out loud so I was able to edit the language, but I later learned that there is a Young Readers Version that eliminates the language.

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

CONTENT WARNING: This one has a ton of language so it’s not the best family option. There is a young reader’s version that would be more appropriate for younger children.

That said, I listened to this one on audio during one of our long drives. I needed something for me. Before I knew it, the kids were listening along and we all laughed hysterically. It continues to be one of our all-time favorites and the audio is so worth it!

Learning How to Learn: How to Succeed in School Without Spending All Your Time Studying; A Guide for Kids and Teens by Barbara Oakley

I can’t say that this was a favorite for anyone, but it was full of useful information. This book was full of practical study techniques and ideas for memorizing information. It might not have been anyone’s favorite but it was definitely worth reading.

Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt

We had a great time reading this one for our Middle School Boys’ book club. This title was full of great characters, hysterical moments, and Shakespeare. What more could you ask for?

And our book club celebration was so memorable and a ton of fun.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

We read this one and listened to parts of it on audio. It was a fun one for our family because the main character is a homeschooled girl who decided to attend public high school, which was the situation in our family this year.

The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz

I read this one with my daughter a few years ago and knew my boys would love it one day. This year my husband read it to our boys as part of their Medieval History year.

The boys forced him to spend extra time reading by the time they got near the end because they were dying to finish the story. They loved it.

Countdown by Deborah Wiles (60’s trilogy book one)

We just began this one on audio and I love the way this book is arranged. You need the book for the images, but the audio is fantastic as well. The book includes newspaper photos and images from the 60’s at the start of each chapter. It’s important to look at the images and quotes to better understand the time period.

Revolution by Deborah Wiles (60’s trilogy book two)

This title is up next.

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

I plan to listen to this one on audio with my boys on our way to Florida soon.

Mississippi Trial, 1955 by Chris Crowe

This is another one on my family read-aloud list this year. It is part of Patricia’s literature list but I want the boys to listen as well.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

Somehow we have made it through life and never read this one. It’s on the list for December as part of my 7th grader’s booklist this year, but we’ll read it as a family.

I can’t wait to begin our list for 2020!

Related Posts:

Literature List for 7th/8th Grade Book Club

Booklist for our 5th/6th Grade Book Club

Book Choices for my 7th Grader

2019 Fall Booklist for Mom

2019 Summer Booklist for Mom

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Mary Wilson

Mary is a writer and mother to four kids ranging from elementary to high school.

She believes that creativity, laughter, and fun are the backbone for engaging and inspiring homeschools. You can find her encouragement and tips on this blog, Mary Hanna Wilson.

She is an enneagram 7 and an extrovert. She enjoys traveling, tea (iced or hot), good conversations, and books. You can connect with her on Instagram and Facebook.

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