Are you trying to find ideas for adventure morning basket books? Here is a list of great favorite family read aloud books to add to your basket or for listening in the car. These books are full of relationships, friendships, bravery, adventure, courage, surprises, and in some cases quite a bit of humor. These are books that my kids have liked and asked for. I found myself just as interested in reading them as my children. Many of these are well done audio books that makes a nice change for character voices and adds to the nuances of the story.
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What ages are these morning basket books suitable for?
These books have been part of our read aloud time or in the car as an audio book from the time of 3rd grade through middle school with a few highschool (labeled). I note in the descriptions if there may be any points of scariness or notes.
Read Alouds for Littles
1. The Oxcart Man
The Oxcart Man is a gentle beautiful story following a New England family through the year and seasons as they go about their busy days. From collecting goose feathers, making brooms, planting and harvesting, it is a snapshot of 19th century life. This book will stay in my book collection and was one of our favorite read alouds for small children. Of course, any book illustrated by Barbara Cooney is going to have beautiful pictures.
2. The Tarantula In My Purse
The Tarantula in my Purse follows a family memoir with delightful chapters describing a wide variety of unusual pets. The escapades are interesting and fun to hear. Informative as well as enjoyable, this is staying on our bookshelf. Appropriate for the entire family.
3. Turtle and Bean Series
The Turtle and Bean series is another humorous series taking place during the depression. It follows Turtle as she is introduced to Bean and his friends in a new town. There are elements of mystery as she longs to know who her dad is. This was an audiobook from the library and like the Mo and Dale series, the lines are delivered with the right accent and nuance of the humor.
4. Mo and Dale Mysteries
The Mo and Dale series is right out there funny. It does have elements of mystery and action but we absolutely loved the humor of Mo the main character. We used this series as an audiobook, not sure of what this was going to be about at first, but soon the characters were becoming so real that we were drawn into rooting for them. The audio narrator portrays the humor and delivers southern inflection that does this story justice. I recommend the audio version for the hilarious line delivery. We were sad to have this series be concluded.
5. The Saturdays
The Saturdays and it’s sequel The Four Story Mistake, follows four siblings as they go about their adventures in the neighborhood. There are lessons learned, friendships made, and small adventures. Similar in feel to the Penderwicks, it’s main draw are the characters of the story and relationships. A nice pleasant story for the whole family.
Read Alouds for Middles
6. Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters
In this gentle story, we follow Cornelia, a young girl living in Greenwich Village and daughter to a famous pianist. She meets her new neighbor and we are taken on adventures through the neighbor’s life tales of daring. The places listed in this book are real places which adds to the interest of the stories. Take the time to pause and look up the adventure locales for an easy interesting geography and history lesson.
From Magnolia Bakery to India, even my highschooler was interested in hearing this story. I highly recommend Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters story and wish there was a next book to follow this one. This book is appropriate for elementary up through middle school.
7. The Cooper Family Series
We accidentally ran across The Cooper Family Series when we were looking up another adventure series. Frank Peretti is famous for his scary Piercing the Darkness series for older audiences. Curious, we listened to the audio version of the first book and were impressed with the strong message, bravery, and courage portrayed. Having listened to the audio versions of the most of these, I like the trust and family strength this series portrays.
Not corny or preachy, these books uphold strong truths in a well done action story. I would put these appropriate for the upper elementary through middle school but we all like them even if we are older.
8. The Accelerati Trilogy
The Alluminati Trilogy begins with Tesla’s Attic, following Nick and his younger brother as they explore the attic of the house they just moved into. The strange objects they find up there lead them on a dangerous adventure to solve the puzzle. This book is full of strange and intriguing characters with references to the famous Tesla himself. This book would be suitable for middle school. If you have a science minded middle-schooler who loves tech gadget adventure, they will enjoy this read.
9. The Secret Keepers
For lovers of the Mysterious Benedict Society, comes The Secret Keepers with a similar vibe. Reuben lives in an altered slightly dystopian world and the finder of a mysterious treasure. A sinister stranger in pursuit of his new found treasure and the secret it holds unleashes an adventure in the style of Benedict but with it’s own scene, heroes, and plot. This story would be suitable for upper elementary to middle school.
10. The Green Ember Series
The Green Ember series is a surprisingly good read. I wasn’t sure if a series on talking rabbits would grab my attention, but that soon changed as we got into the first book. This story is full of heroism, bravery, courage, honor, and action. The much anticipated finale in the series is due to be released shortly and we are all impatiently waiting since the book we finished ended on one of the best cliff hangers I have read in quite awhile. There are a few intense battle scenes with wolves- just a note for the sensitive smaller child.
11. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place Series
What to do with wild children that you find in your forest? Hire Miss Penelope to be their nanny and governess. The challenge is to bring these wolf-raised children into the civilized Victorian world. Full of intrigue, a mysterious curse, manners, and witty sayings this book held both my daughter and my son’s attention. Not to mention that I had to resist reading ahead in my own reading time.
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton book is a great opportunity to look up and enjoy the famous poems and figures that are alluded to in the books. This series is suitable for elementary to middle school. Note: some scenes involving wolves may be a little scary for youngins if you read it too intensely.
12. The Viking Quest Series
The Viking Quest Series follows a teen girl and her older brother as they are taken captive by Viking raiders and their journey. The story focuses on the girl and what it is like as she tries to escape, what being a slave was like in the Viking village, her relationship with the family and chief, and her strong witness to the chief’s brash son. Full of courage, conviction, and daring this is a great read for the middle school through highschool.
13. The Wingfeather Saga
The Wingfeather Saga, what can I say? This series has the full gamut of fantastical beasts, humor, dark somewhat scary scenes, bravery, friendship, and heroes. This book has some scenes that may be a bit scary for sensitive smaller children so be warned. I was in full cry mode in the last installment as this book brings the plot full circle in a surprising and most excellently written conclusion.
There are not too many books that I have read that self-sacrifice, heroism, and redemption are so keenly written. It took a few days before we could pick up another book, it was that much of a journey. Some of the concepts in this series may be more suitable to the older elementary aged children through highschool.
14. Chronicles of Narnia
The great classic series that needs to be on every favorite read aloud list! Chronicles of Narnia is great to read, listen to the audio version, and/ or watch the movies of the first three books in the series. This set will always be on my bookshelf. Appropriate for upper elementary to highschool.
15. The Vanderbeekers
The Vanderbeekers series is very similar to the Penderwicks but in an urban setting. This story follows five siblings in a brownstone and their interactions with their building neighbors. This story is full of relationships and friendships made as well as a few adventures. Another series for a pleasant afternoon reading or listening.
16. The Penderwicks Series
The Penderwicks series follows a family of 3 sisters and their friend as they grow up. The characters are fully developed and draw you into their lives and friendships. Very well done and a gentle series that leaves you with a good feeling.
17. By the Great Horn Spoon
By the Great Horn Spoon is a book that adds historical flair if you are studying the gold rush in history with your children. A good look into the life and world of the west gold rush and the effort to get there. Packed with humor and enjoyable “toughness” from the eyes of a young boy, this is great read. My children have requested we read through it several times.
The monikers the gold rush “cowboys” give each other as a mark of honor or acceptance are a favorite part- Jamocha Jack. I do see that there is an audio version put out that may be something look at if you need that option for variety.
18. Under the Egg
Under the Egg follows as Theo, a 13 year old Manhattan resident, struggles to keep their family home afloat while her mom is lost in math formulas and her grandpa picks arguments with everyone. Feeding the chickens, pickling beets, and scavenging for curbside freebies, she tends to stick to herself.
After her grandpa passes away, leaving a cryptic last dying message for her, she discovers that the painting in her grandpa’s studio that has been a fixture over the fireplace for decades is not all it seems. With the help of her new neighbor friend, the cool librarian, the Jewish archivist, and the MET, Theo embarks on a mystery of the painting and just who her grandpa really was. We’ve written an accompanying mini-study of links to go along with this book.
Read Alouds for Highschool
19. Black (Circle Trilogy)
This action packed series starts right at the beginning following Thomas Hunter as he tries to elude the bad guys down alley ways and soon finds himself straddling 2 separate worlds and lives. Every time he falls asleep, he enters the alternate reality and lives a chapter in that life. Slowly, we see the battle of good and evil start to unravel and overlap the two universes.
This is an intense action series, very well written with a subtle hidden plot line that many will recognize about half way through as subtly weaving Bible story elements in. This subtle plot reference adds a whole extra depth and meaning to the main story line. Well fitting to the times we are in.
The Circle Trilogy is appropriate for upper middle school and high school due to the intensity and subject matter. The audio edition is a great way to enjoy this intense series. Note: As a parent, you may need to explain that the “drowning” discussed in the series is referring to the dying to oneself and becoming a child of God. There are elements that can be creepy to some, such as the warped seductive appeal of pure evil and the twisted fixation on blood. The author ingeniously weaves together what lengths we are called to by Jesus and what He has done for us.
20. Prisoners In the Palace
In Prisoners in the Palace, Miss Elizabeth Hastings is a young lady of means and privilege in Victorian times just on the verge of the London season. When disaster strikes her family and she is suddenly thrown into a life of service, she desperately tries to adjust and learn how to be a whole new person. “Liza” finds herself in the employ as ladies maid to the young Princess Victoria in Kensington Palace.
One would think that this would be a highly desired position but the position is fraught with intrigue, danger, and manipulation. Will she be able to stay safe from the precariously changing favors of the household? And what of her growing friendship with the future Queen? Will she be able to protect the princess from the plannings of the dastardly Sir John Conroy who is bent on breaking the princess for his own gain? We had watched The Young Victoria with Emily Blunt prior to reading this and it was a happy accidental pairing that worked perfectly with the characters.
