Books for the lower-mid primary years, mid-upper primary years and a wish list to start your Christmas stories collection for this year!
We've reached the stage in our house where our oldest child doesn't want a story anymore at bedtime. In fact, some nights, he goes to bed at the same time as us or after!
We're still reading to our youngest and reminiscing about the story times gone by, but our evenings have changed. No longer do we have a bedtime routine that's the same every night. Gone are the days of the CBeebies Bedtime Story in our bed before lights out. We're here, there and everywhere being a taxi to and from their activities, but if Fern's in bed before 9pm, we still read a story. One day, we won't have that extra pressure before bedtime and I'm sure we'll miss it sometimes!
A story before bed has so many benefits. Not only does reading to children, even when they can read themselves, provide huge benefits for their vocabularies, it also provides a time for them to connect with you as they settle to sleep. The first few moments in the day, and the last few, are said to be the most important for building connections and secure relationships. Bring on the mum-guilt as we look back on times when things haven't gone so well and they've gone to bed without that last cuddle! It's completely normal for there to be times like that but let's focus on the days where the evening goes to plan and we can fit in that all-important story.
Here are our top picks, sorted into age phases and a Christmas category!
Upper Primary
If you've got mid-upper primary aged children who still like a story, here is a list of our top five for you to buy to read now or save for Christmas stockings:
The Last Bear https://amzn.to/3NdbCxH
This has been my favourite of all time! It actually made me cry. Hannah Gold has struck gold with this heartwarming story of determination, perfectly linked to climate change.
The Boy at the Back of the Class https://amzn.to/4f9BXsD
Very much on topic and thought provoking. A story about refugees, friendship and standing up for others. We loved this one!
The 100 Year Old Boy https://amzn.to/3zOPWVB
Another story that was full of emotion, we couldn't put this book down! Imagine living for over 1000 years and being the only one who knows!
The Neverending Story https://amzn.to/3NdbH4t
We haven't actually read this yet but it's in the queue and it's a must read before we watch the film. It's a film I remember fondly from my childhood so I really hope Fern enjoys it, too.
The Land of Stories (set) https://amzn.to/3BueFyV
My hubby's recommendation; he's working his way through the box set of these books and Fren's enjoying them, too!
Lower Primary
For those with children in the lower-mid primary years, these stories might fit the bill:
Mrs Pepperpot Stories https://amzn.to/3XVU5io
Another story from my childhood; many people have never heard of Mrs Pepperpot, the lady who shrinks to the size of a pepperpot and then ends up in all kinds of mischief!
My Naughty Little Sister https://amzn.to/4eQNahc
"Well now," with it's old-fashioned sayings, this book is perfect for following the tales of the cheeky little sister, who doesn't actually have a name but gets into a few sticky fixes and always learns a good life lesson!
The Worst Witch series https://amzn.to/3YcF7WQ
Do you remember watching Mildred Hubble and her fellow trainees on TV? It's still on! Here's a lovely book set that you might start to read, but before the end, your son or daughter might take over the reading! They're a great way to move into reading chapter books.
The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark https://amzn.to/3BvPqMG
This is a gorgeous story and is perfectly short for those venturing into chapter books at bedtime.
The Faraway Tree https://amzn.to/3XXTpsS
I missed these as a child but managed to catch up more recently and now I know who Moon Face is and the significance of the tree, too!
The Magic of Christmas
With Christmas hurtling towards us as lightning speed, you might want to line up your Christmas stories to start when Chris Rea sets off on his drive home for Christmas, and before Mariah dominates the radio again! Snuggle up with a hot water bottle and while away the dark nights with a great story or two!
The Christmasaurus https://amzn.to/3TW1RrE
What a gorgeous set of books for the lead up to christmas! The first was my favourite but our children have really enjoyed the others. Journey to the North Pole with the Christmasaurus and save the day!
The Night I Met Father Christmas https://amzn.to/3XUill3
This one is a little more grown up but still great to share as a bedtime story. We've loved Ben Miller's books and this is no exception. It's on our list as apossible for this year as Fern hasn't heard it yet.
The Christmas Pig https://amzn.to/4eBp7mT
Tissues at the ready! This one will melt your heart. Like films, there's an action section in the middle that adults could skip by a bit, but Will enjoyed it so much he read it again and with Fern, out came the tissues!
Secrets of a Christmas Elf https://amzn.to/3BymZ0y
Another funny book by Ben Miller, these three stories go round the world to remind us of the true meaning of Christmas.
The Christmas Pine https://amzn.to/4eRd8RT
Chapter books are great for sparking imaginations but there's something magical about an illustrated Christmas Story, and Julia Donaldson is one of our favourite authors from the younger years. There's a little bit of history in this story with all the usual vocabulary and imagination you would expect from Julia.
Which will you choose?
So there we are; a whistle stop tour through the bookshelves and hopefully some inspiration for your pre-Christmas shopping! With bedtime stories comes a love of books that can last a lifetime.
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