Reading with your child is a bit different than reading to your child or having your child read to you. Reading with your child is best done with an illustrated text (picture book).
*Here I would like to make an important point. Illustrated texts are often called "picture books" and are considered to be for young children only. In truth however, many illustrated texts are very elevated in language and subject matter. These books can be informative and enjoyable for adults as well as children.
Illustrated Texts for Shared Reading
Yo, Vikings!
By Judith Byron Schachner
This book is based on an event that actually happened to the author’s daughter Emma. She was able to obtain a life size replica of a Viking ship. For a number of years the ship was in the Schachners’ backyard.
Mailing May
By Michael O. Tunnell
This is a true story set in Idaho in the winter of 1914. Charlotte May Pierstorff’s parents find a creative and economical way for five-year-old May to visit her grandmother.
The Way of the Stars: Greek Legends of the Constellations
By Ghislaine Vautier
A beautifully illustrated introduction to constellations and the legends that resulted in the names. This book also contains a guide to the Greek characters in the legends.
Century Farm: One Hundred Years on a Family Farm
By Cris Peterson
This nonfiction account of life on a family farm in Wisconsin is illustrated with wonderful photographs. Much of the history of the farm is told using vintage photos, as well. This book is written by the actual farmer.
When Pappy Goes Hunting
By Kurt Bonello
Kurt Bonello is a local author from Bedford County. The book is illustrated by his wife Christi. This is a sensitive portrayal of the sport of deer hunting.
The Owl and the Pussy-Cat
By Edward Lear
This is a charmingly illustrated edition of Lear’s rollicking poem. It is a lot of fun to read and discuss.
The Boy and the Ghost
By Robert D. San Souci
A folk tale set in the American South; this is the story of a ghost guarding a treasure in an old plantation house.
Nine for California
By Sonia Levitin
This is a humorous tale set in the old west. The story is about a mother and her children who travel by stagecoach from Missouri to California to join the father who went to the gold rush. The book contains good historical information especially about the stagecoach.
A Big Cheese for the White House: The True Tale of a Tremendous Cheddar
By Candace Fleming
The true story of Elder John Leland of Cheshire, Massachusetts who made a 1,235-pound cheese as a present for President Thomas Jefferson. Informative and funny.
Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride
By Pam Munoz Ryan
Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt were friends and had adventures together.