5 New Family Favorite Books 2024
It’s been another school year with reading ruts and reading marathons, but here are the most memorable books that we found ourselves in this year.
1) The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright
We are on book three of this series and the kids are still asking to read more. First published in 1941, the story revolves around 4 siblings living in New York right before and during World War 2. The children shine with independence and creativity and realistic, but mostly happy relationships with one another. She invites you into the family accomplishments and bonds that are the magic of childhood, but too often under praised in our modern world.
2) The Lost Princess by George MacDonald
I found this thin chapter book on the shelf of a used bookstore and recognized the author as the writer who inspired C.S. Lewis to faith. The fairy tale is sharp and too the point, shedding light on the selfish bias of humans and our ability to choose right. It follows two girls and their parents as they interact with “the wise woman”. Each night I was eager to hear what would happen next. The vocabulary needs explanation at times for elementary listeners. Undeniably, it’s a book I could read over and over again.
3) Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
I know, it seems obvious because who doesn’t love these stories, but I had NEVER read them! We were addicted to the humor, her irreverence and sweetness and unrealistic strength. She is the perfect hero with soul and friendship and not an ounce of meanness. Read all of them!
4) Papa is a Poet by Natalie Bober
This is a picture book biography about Robert Frost. When I read a picture book and share it with my husband, and he also lights up, I know it’s special. Maybe it spoke to us because Frost took a risk to follow his path as a writer, maybe because the book highlighted his love for his family. It allows you to feel their closeness and the special way he viewed the world and was motivated to share that with others.
5) Letters from Rifka by Karen Hesse
I found this in the free library box at the park. I thought maybe it would be good read for my daughter. I skipped to the last chapter to see if I liked the ending. (Don’t hate me for it.) I was transported back to my childhood and I realized this was a long-lost book/friend. Tidbits were still vivid in my memory. Every time I think of Ellis Island, I remember a story about a young boy throwing toilet paper around and an older child being scared of severe punishment. For them it was a shock and initial window into the American dream to realize America was a place where paper was not a precious possession. This imprinted anecdote was from this book!!
I wouldn’t suggest this book for young children as it is honest about the brutality many Jews faced in Russia, but I would suggest Gittel’s Journey: an Ellis Island Story as a picture book companion. (This also beautifully draws you into the story of a Jewish immigrant girl.)
