we love that book!
Our definitive TOP TEN BOOKS... these are the ones we have read again and again.... give them a go and see what you think...
1. Parrot Park (Walker Stories) Paperback by Mary Murphy (2006)
Our all time number 1 book- we love this book so much! 3 stories in one book, all as good as the next and 2 books in the series. Stories telling the small moments of family life. The Murphys live at 53 Parrot Park, Dublin. There's Mammy, Rory, Anna and Mary (the twins), Cormac (who's wild), Catherine and Susan (who is only one – she is full of smiles and listens to nobody). Whether they're mowing the lawn or getting rid of headlice
2. Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl
We love Roald Dahl but this one is the family favourite for sure... Chickens from Farmer Boggis, ducks and geese from Farmer Bunce, and turkeys from Farmer Bean and the foxes who try and steal them. We are whole heartedly on 'side fox' as the farmers are so horrible! We've read this over 10 times, it has a good rhythm to the story and has short chapters. A classic Roald Dahl :)
3. "Dial a Ghost" by Eva Ibbotson
Such a great writer of children's books. We loved that the main character is a child. Started our love for Eva Ibbotson, we now have all her books. Slight warning, the story does have some genuinely scary ghosts in so read with caution re. 'the Shriekers"! Not suitable for little readers.
4. "Who's for Dinner?" by Claire Freedman.
A great opportunity to do some good voices, esp. the Bull character! Good twist at the end and always fun tricking foxes ;)
5. Five-Minute Stories: 30 stories (Bumper Short Story Collections) by Enid Blyton.
Really loved by both my children, short and quick- always with a moral to the story and some interesting characters. Lots of magic themes and fun stories for a quicker bedtime!
6. "The Explorer" By Katherine Rundell.
hands down Sophias favourite book. Read and re-read again and again!
7. "Where The Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak.
Not many words in this book but the illustrations are beautiful. The words are poetic and thoughtful, favourite line "in his room a forest grew and grew until his ceiling hung with vines and the walls became the world all around"... beautiful <3
8. What the Ladybird Heard by Julia Donaldson
This was the first book I ever read to Sophia always makes me smile. Clever and fun to read- beautiful illustrations by Lydia Monks. Clever trick at the end and good opportunities to make some animal sounds with the kids!
9. " Big Ideas for Curious Minds: An Introduction to Philosophy" by The School of Life
Genuinely helped the family form better connections and understand each other and the world around. The focus of these chapters are incredibly meaningful, some of my favourites include ‘People are unhappy, not mean’, ‘Learn to say what’s on your mind’, ‘Good things are (unexpectedly) hard’ and ‘Politeness matters’.
10. "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (Harry Potter, 1), by JK Rowling.
We think this first book is a masterpiece and is well loved in the household, you must start at the first book. I promise the books are better than the films (if you can believe it!) The first chapter is amazing. We are big Potter fans! There are 7 books in the series, the first few are suitable for younger readers but from book 3.