I love reading books to my children that have enough depth that I am challenged by the message as much as the children.
A few months ago I was given a review copy of Patrick of Ireland. We have read it aloud slowly, traveling with Patrick as he was kidnapped from his home in Britain and sold as a slave in Ireland many centuries ago. Hearing how Patrick prayed and waited on God, then risked his life to carry the Gospel to the Irish was powerful.
Patrick of Ireland is a young reader's edition on David Bercot's book Let Me Die in Ireland. I had read that book quite a few years ago so was familiar with the content, but Patrick of Ireland not only introduced my children to this amazing missionary, but inspired me as well.
Patrick of Ireland includes fictional details, but it doesn't repeat the myths and legends surrounding St. Patrick. Instead it is based on Patrick's own Confessions that he wrote as an old man. The many footnotes in the book were proof to me that the author had took great effort to keep it true to Patrick's written account of his own life.
Scroll Publishing is offering a free copy of Patrick of Ireland to a Home Joys reader. If you are looking for a family read aloud for the new year, I recommend this one. The short length of the book keeps it from being daunting, but the powerful message of Patrick's life is unforgettable. You can purchase your own copy at Scroll Publishing.
To enter the giveaway, let a comment on this post with your email address and share a favorite family read aloud you have shared with your children.
Giveaway is open to US postal addresses and will be open for one week. I was given a review copy of this book, but all opinions shared are my own.
Thank you Gina for this giveaway. When my girls were younger I read to them Children's Pilgrim's Progress. It took several nights but it was an enjoyable time for us.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to add my email address:
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One winter we read through the Little House series. eldon.crystal@gmail.com
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ReplyDeleteThis winter one of our favorites have been Blind Johnny. My family enjoyed that book!
We enjoyed the Ralph Moody books. days2135@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteWe have many family favorites, and continue to discover new ones! Currently I'm reading Lucy Winchester to my children, and I know they enjoy it because they ask for story as soon as lunch is over. And we can hardly stop reading! I'm thinking of going on to other Christmas Carol Kauffman books when this one is finished. Thanks for the giveaway, Gina! I've read Let Me Die in Ireland, but didn't know this one was available.
ReplyDeleteMary Beth Martin
iamrichlyblest@gmail.com
Thank you for this giveaway! Some of my favorite read-alouds include books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Enid Blyton, Lois Lowry, Gertrude Chandler Warner, L. M. Montgomery, Arleta Richardson, and others.
ReplyDeleteMy children were captivated by Charles Dickens 'Scrooge' so over the holidays I read them the complete unabridged version of A Christmas Carol. My oldest is ten and the youngest is three so it was too much for her and I'm sure even the older ones didn't get everything but I don't think it hurts to read above their heads. Some of it I explained in simpler language so they could understand better. I love the sentiment of tiny Tim, "God bless us,everyone!" crystaldsauder@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteRight now we are reading Summer of the Monkeys.
ReplyDeleteWe just finished The War that Saved my Life and are now reading it's sequel The War I Finally won. Such a great story.
ReplyDeleteThanks for telling us about this new book. I loved "Let Me Die in Ireland" but was not aware of this one. When I was teaching middle grades I read "Brother Andrew, God's Smuggler". They drank it up and I'd recommend that one.
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We listened to an audio version of Let Me Die in Ireland...I am sure the children's version would be enjoyable. A book we enjoyed aloud as a family
ReplyDeletewas Grandma's Goose, a Rod and Staff book about a Canada gosling who was separated from its family and adopted by "grandma".Jean
I’m enjoying reading the Grandma’s Attic books by Arleta Richardson to my little girl. Thanks for this giveaway
ReplyDeleteThanks Gina..
ReplyDeletewe have greatly enjoyed reading Home on the Rockpile by Paublo Yoder. Lots of good laughs!��
Thank you for the giveaway Gina. It sounds very interesting. As a family, we have enjoyed the following read alouds: "Little House on the Praire" series, "Anne of Green Gables", and "The Avion Mon Oncle Flew". -Elizabeth
ReplyDeleteOne of the fun books I remember we read together was The Moffats, by Eleanor Estes. More recently I read The Hiding Place with my older children, very worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds really good! I like Let Me Die in Ireland, and would love to have the children's version. As far as favorite read-alouds, there are so many I don't know where to start! One we read about Patrick was Flame Over Tara, although it's one of those that is more fiction than fact. Right now, our favorite read-alouds are the Little Britches series by Ralph Moody; we're reading the third one right now. By the way, if you need book recommdations, my daughter has a book reviews website, www.learningresourcedirectory.com.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful giveaway! When my children were young I read "The Gingerbear' First Christmas. While not a Christian book, per se, it was about doing kind things for others in secret. I now read it to my grandchildren. Sadly, it is out of print (and a wonderful collectible).
ReplyDeleteI have great memories of reading 10 P's in a Pod to our whole family! Kenyakurtzs@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteWhere the Red Fern Grows was a favorite of ours! Thanks for doing another giveaway.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy reading to my children! We have the cd Let me die in Ireland and enjoy listening to it on road trips. Just finished The children of Noisy village. I enjoyed it as much as the children.
ReplyDeleteWell, I don't have any bio children, but I read dozens of books to my littles when I was a teacher. I love the Little House on the Prairie Series, Pioneer Stories Like On Yonder Mountain by Milly Howard and James Herriot's Stories for Children.
ReplyDeleteA good read aloud for my boys is the Shiloh series.
ReplyDeleteMy family is not one to read aloud much, especially since we children are older. But recently I read the 'The Pushcart War' to my siblings. Definitely a must read for the older ones!
ReplyDeletekristajb99@gmail.com
While I don't have any children, I remember enjoying the Little House on the Prairie series at home. It was a favorite of mine! Thank you for the opportunity and recommendation! ~Eunice
ReplyDeleteThe Lamplighter is an excellant family read aloud! chashieb@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a child, my family enjoyed "Angels Over Waslala" by Pablo Yoder. tisha98@juno.com
ReplyDeleteA book I read recently to my students was Fate of the Yellow Woodbee by Dave and Neta Jackson. It is historical fiction based on the five martyrs in Ecuador (Jim Elliot and Nate Saint, etc).
ReplyDeleteAlthough I don't have children, it sounds like a book that I might like to read to my students.
"Lantern in the Window" and "Henry's Red Sea" are some of my favorites to read to my students.
ReplyDeleteSir Malcom and the Missing Prince is one of our favorite read alouds.
ReplyDeleteSuzie
doublejoys@msn.com
Currently the read aloud favourite around here is the read and Share Bible for children, it's being read aloud several times throughout the day.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
anedavy@gmail.com
I love your book suggestions. One of our favorites was Uncle Tom's Cabin. dvhalteman@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteOur oldest enjoys the Laura Ingalls Wilder books and he loved the stories by Pablo Yoder, especially Home on the Rockpile.
ReplyDeleteRachel mnrluv4ever@gmail.com
Wilson Rawls' Where the Red Fern Grows and Summer of the Monkeys
ReplyDeletejayswife86@gmail.com
We finished "The Family Pilgrims Progress" recently and our 5 year old wanted to read it again so we started over. melanie@dominantseventh.net
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm mostly at the elementary stage of reading out loud still, but we did enjoy some of Laura Ingall's as well as "The Family Under the Bridge". Eheatwole07@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteBooks are favored at this house...there are books in every room in our house... There were books in and by the beds from little up. I read the little house set to each of the 5 children. Its hard to list books we've read...we only have 1 in school now, but we still have story time! Jdhistand7@frontier.com
ReplyDeleteProbably our favorite read-alouds have been the "Little House" series. But we read so much aloud- it is just fun to all experience a book together. Even though our oldest is 19, everyone still loves to listen to a book!
ReplyDeleteOur favorite also is The Little House series, esp. Farmer Boy. I'm always interested in another book recommended by others as a good book to read aloud to the children!
ReplyDeleteWe've just completed "Scout" by Julie Nye. Even my husband and the older children would lay aside their own books to listen when I read this aloud to the younger ones.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Dorcas
jondorsolly@gmail.com
We love wintertime evenings and reading books aloud! Of all the books we’ve read, probably the books my family of boys enjoyed the most were the Jim Kjilgaard books, the books that seem to have made the deepest impressions though were the Pablo Yoder books. This winter, because of a harder than normal pregnancy, for the first time I was unable to read aloud in the evenings. I tried, and started “A Life Redeemed” by Harvey Yoder. They enjoyed the few chapters I read but since I couldn’t finish, the older ones read it and told the younger ones how it ended. Patrick of Ireland looks like one we would love!!
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What a wonderful idea to have people mention their favorite read-a-alouds. I have read many books to our family and am always on the lookout for new ones, which I think I will find in these comments. Just a few of our favorites: The Bears and I, Summer of the Monkeys, Where the Red Fern Grows, Follow My Leader, Little House on the Prairie Series, One-of-A-Kind Family, Charlotte's Web, When the Dikes Broke, Treasures of the Snow, Saved at Sea, Caddie Woodlawn, The Penderwicks, The Railway Children, A Strong Tower, Light From Heaven, to name a few :)
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I love that you asked for read-a-loud book recommendations because I am always looking for new ideas myself and hope to find some in the comments above. I've read many books to my family and will name some of our favorites: The Bears and I, Follow My Leader, Light From Heaven, The Little House on the Prairie Series, Caddie Woodlawn, Where The Red Fern Grows, Charlotte's Web, Saved at Sea, A Strong Tower, Summer of the Monkeys, and All-of-a-Kind Family, to name a few. I would love to add this new book to my collection!
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Let me die in Ireland was one of my favorite books and I've been looking forward to my boys being old enough to read it to them! I didn't know this book was out for younger ones! What a nice option!
ReplyDeleteA book I've just finished reading to my second grader is "Skippack School" by Marguerite de Angeli. He loved it! About a boy who learned to appreciate school under the patient teaching of Christopher Dock. It also included his opportunity to see a printing press. Inspiring to me and to my son.
I just realized my email didn't show up on here jbobp1989@gmail.com
DeleteMy children were spellbound as we stumbled through the miseries and victories of A Good Different by Harvey Yoder.
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The Warm Summer by Craig Massey was a book I read to students in the past.
ReplyDeleteWe have recently enjoyed 'Missionary Stories With the Millers'!
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I'm praying for you right now. God bless you.
ReplyDeleteLaura of Harvest Lane Cottage
A family favorite is the Little House series. My family enjoys storytime and it's a great pastime for winter evenings. I appreciate your book recommendations, thanks!
ReplyDeleteOnce, on a family trip, I read the entire book of "The Man in Bearskin" one day to the total enjoyment of my husband and children! I ended up using a flashlight to finish because no one wanted me to stop! The children traveled much more quietly as well! :) Good memories! We haven't read Patrick in Ireland yet... my email address is rdmiller@emypeople.net
ReplyDeleteWe loved Miracle on Maple Hill. The House at Pooh Corner was lots of fun too! I think Dad and Mom enjoyed it more then the children :) I am currently ready to start reading Night Preacher, a children's book about Menno Simon. sharonmisaac@gmail.com
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My girls really enjoy books...but at this point we stick to some basic quick readers. Their ages are 4,2, and 1. But I look forward to times of reading some of these books as well!!
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My youngest kids love books by Bill Peet. His illustrations are fantastic. He is a secular author so some discretion is needed.
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Our children enjoyed many books...
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Pablo Yoder books, The bishops shadow, Tip Lewis and his lamp, The white river raft, to name just a very few.
Blessings to you! And may you find God your true companion who is always at your side.
marcosmill@gmail.com
Our children enjoy when daddy reads to them evenings. They enjoy lots of different books but ones they just recently read through were Fiddle sticks and Freckles and Salt and Pepper by Sam Campbell. weaverfamily2002@gmail.com
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