My personal reading goal this year was to tackle fifteen books, and I didn’t make it. Not even close. Meanwhile, our son, the Captain, set out to beat his 51 titles from last year which he accomplished by June. After that, he just decided to go wild and shoot for double or bust, and he did it, just in time for New Year’s Eve! Today’s post covers everything he read including his personal ratings and reviews, written in his own words.
Plus, we’ve got 2 PRINTABLES FOR READING FAMILIES!!
Check out the two printable products at the end of this post (a reading log book mark + an imagination-building play jar) to help inspire more reading in your homes this year! We hope you enjoy.
PLEASE NOTE: Today’s post is too long for most email servers. Click the link to see the whole post and printables above! 😀
Reading Captain
“I finished this one, can I have another?”
Sometimes it seems our son breathes books. In the time it takes a single book to twiddle its thumbs on my nightstand, I watch as a dozen or more sprint across his.
HOW? How does this boy read so much? Actually, I know exactly how our son reads so many titles in the course of a year and why I . . . ummm . . . do not. It all comes down to three little practices.
The Captain’s 3 R’S for a Rich and Rigorous Reading Life:
1.) His reading is a RITUAL.
The Captain is an early riser. Goldilocks and I are not. We blame it on our need for beauty sleep. Our boys may roll their eyes at us from time to time, but they know firsthand how badly we girls need our full eight (me) and ten (she) hours. Unfortunately, we girls are also very light sleepers; double trouble. So, out of necessity, I had to make a “reading-only” rule in the mornings for the Captain a few years back to make sure his playing wouldn’t wake Goldilocks and begin the downward spiral of our day. A few years later, I count this decision-of-desperation a pivotal one for our son. The Captain is able to read most mornings for an hour or so before the girls even emerge, and he loves the quiet, cozy time in his bed before having to start chores. It is not uncommon for him to complete an entire short novel (or comic book) in one morning.
This morning ritual of his I count as the most essential element of the Captain’s reading life, perhaps even the most essential of his entire education.
2.) He REPEAT-READS with abandon.
There are things we fret about around here (such as messy rooms and mountain lion tracks), but what to read isn’t one of them. We do not pressure the Captain to read a new title every time he starts a book. In fact, reading and re-reading and re-re-reading old favorites is one of the absolute joys of being a book lover. I think of it this way: picture a time that you made a new meal for your family and they went wild for it. Did you make it again? Of course you did! It’s the same with reading. When a child enjoys a yummy, yummy book, it’s just so lovely to provide them the opportunity to return to it as often as they like.
3.) His reading is RECREATIONAL.
The Captain reads what he wants (within reason) and we let him. Other than titles that are too mature, dishonoring to God and/or family, or poorly written, we let our boy free-range read for the most part. The only thing I do gently enforce with the Captain is what we call in our home a “well-rounded reading diet.” In short, he is not permitted to only read comics or fluffy series. Most of the time, however, the Captain manages his book stacks quite well without parental involvement.
And HERE’S THE PROOF that his methods are working. At a glance, here’s our son’s reading stacks from the past three years! Is it ok to say we’re super proud of our now middle-sized scholar?
Over his years of deep reading, the Captain’s vocabulary has become substantial, his reading comprehension exceptional, his interpretations beautiful, and his applications powerful. Best of all though is the true love he has developed for literature and the way he has allowed years of stories to fill his mind and soul, flow through his veins, fill his lungs, and become a part of his own life story.
For more ideas on delight-directing a child’s reading, check out our: 📚 21 Ways to Help Your Child Fall in Love with Reading!❤️
Well, here they are, written in HIS OWN WORDS!
The Captain’s 102 Reads & Reviews for 2024!
It is common to measure a child’s growth each year in inches. What if we did the same with volume as we do with height, and measured his growth in words, pages, and bindings?
WHERE WILL HE GO FROM HERE? 200 books? 😆 Hitting that hundred titles mark is a milestone neither the Captain nor I anticipated. What a triumph! Next year, we’ve decided to track his reading in inches over titles. So, to help set a reading goal for this upcoming year, we measured up that book stack!
The Captain’s 2024 Book Stack measured in at 48.5 inches, which means it is tall enough to ride most roller coasters! 😆
#1-6. Sugar Creek Gang Series by Paul Hutchens
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
Adapted from last year’s review: “This series is great for Christians and Non-Christians alike. I like how mysterious [these books are] and how [the] characters in [them] come to know the truth. The leader, Big Jim, is a firm Christian and a loyal boy scout who doesn’t like beating people up unless he has to. I also like Little Jim; he’s a super strong Christian and wants others to know about God.”
#7-21. Encyclopedia Brown Series by Donald J. Sobol *including repeat reads*
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
“These are very good books for people who would rather exercise their minds than read another novel. They are cool mysteries.”
#22-34. Ranger in Time Series by Kate Messner *including repeat reads*
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
“Ranger travels through time to help people who are in trouble in different periods of history. These stories are exciting with a bunch of cool facts from history.”
#35-36. Ember Falls & Ember Rising by S.D. Smith
🦉🦉🦉🦉 (4/5 owls)
“There are battles and exciting backstories of characters that are descended from the king. These books were too intense and frightening, so I didn’t finish the series. Also, in book two there are parts that are very, very boring. I will probably finish these when I’m a little older.”
#37. Extreme Animal Rumble
🦉🦉🦉 (3/5 owls)
“It seems like they chose which animal they wanted to win first and then figured out a way to make it win. Also, the fights in this series are much more rushed than the originals which were very good. Check out my review of the original Who-Would-Win Books here.”
#38. Little Pilgrim’s Progress by Helen L. Taylor
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
🏆3rd Favorite Book of the Year🏆
“An exciting book with incredibly beautiful illustrations. This book is very intricate and covers a lot of lessons for young Christians.”
#39-40. Ereth’s Birthday by S.D. Smith (read twice; this is a favorite repeat read)
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
“A very good story with a lot of intricate plot points. Ereth is a character who is rough along the edges but really is very nice. But be warned about the gross things Ereth says. There is one thing that Tumble the Fox says to Ereth that is really, very mean. He says ‘you’re as useless as parboiled pumpkin puke.’ The fake cuss words that Ereth says are really funny. The grossest one he says like ever is ‘squirrel splat soup.'”
#41-58. The Secrets of the Hidden Scrolls Series by M.J. Thomas (he loved this series so much, he read it twice!)
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
🏆Favorite Series of the Year🏆
“These are very funny books with a good amount of adventure (they are Bible stories after all). I like a lot how these characters time-travel to different stories in the Bible. First they go to the Garden of Eden, then the ark, then to Egypt with Moses, and so on through the Bible but they really linger a lot on the Jesus stories because the series ends when Jesus rises from the dead.”
#59. The Wonderful Locomotive by Cornelia Meigs (a repeat read from last year)
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
From last year’s review: “This book was a mix of excitement, charm, and a small bit of danger. I like in this book how the train is kind of magical and the boy gets to travel on it to help people. I like the creator of the train also.”
#60-62. Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl (read three times; a new beloved repeat read)
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
🏆5th Favorite Book of the Year🏆
“This is a very adventurous book that young readers can take on with a great deal of ease. I love that the main character is a fox because hardly any books or movies duplicate this. Mr. Fox is a lot like Roald Dahl’s other character Willy Wonka. He speaks quickly and says things that are really funny.”
#63-68. National Parks Mystery Series by multiple authors (read and then re-read his favorites; a new beloved repeat read series)
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
🏆2nd Favorite Books of the Year🏆
“Other than book three, which was a bit dumb because of the jealousy between Jake and Amber, the rest of this series were my favorite reads of the year. These books are funny and adventurous with two intertwining stories from 1880 and modern day. Much like the Boxcar Children, except the friends are recovering treasures in ten different national parks.”
#69. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (a repeat read from last year)
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
From last year’s review: “I love how magical this book is and how it is full of heroes! I really enjoy reading about the end of the witch. It’s a great book for Christians or Non-Christians. This book tells the redemption story. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was my second-favorite book in the series!”
*Note from Mama: It is worth noting that the Captain has re-read the Narnia series (other than The Voyage of the Dawn Treader & The Horse and His Boy which are not his favorites) twice since Papa read the series aloud to him two years ago.
#70. Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis (a repeat read from last year)
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
From last year’s review: “This is a great book for anyone who loves adventure and magical creatures.”
#71. The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis (a repeat read from last year)
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
From last year’s review: “This is one of my favorites in the series. It’s great for those who love danger and beauty all in one.”
#72. The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis (a repeat read from last year)
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
From last year’s review: “A great book for anyone who loves mystery, suspicion, and reading about evil people. This book is one of the treasures in the series.”
#73. The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis (a repeat read from last year)
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
From last year’s review: “This book is for people who love excitement, suspense, and escaping the world you are in. The Last Battle is my first favorite of the series. I love how the characters all get to be together at the end.”
#74. Tales from the Arabian Nights as told by Lee Wyndham (a repeat read from last year)
🦉🦉🦉🦉 (4/5 owls)
From last year’s review: “Packed with danger, violence, and a lot of magic, these tales are among the treasures of my reading list this year. The illustrations are kind of mystic and very colorful. Unfortunately, this version of these tales is out of print. Mama says you can get a used copy though.”
*Warning from Mama: There is sorcery in the classic Alladin tales. Our family chooses to have discussions about such content from a Biblical perspective.
#75-76. The BFG by Roald Dahl (read twice)
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
🏆4th Favorite Book of the Year🏆
“Actually, The BFG is a pretty scary book. For kids that are under six, they should probably read it with their parents. This is a very adventurous story that mixes fantasy with real life people like the way the BFG mixes dreams.”
#77-78. Henry Reed’s Babysitting Service & Henry Reed Inc. by Keith Robertson
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls for Babysitting Service) and🦉🦉🦉🦉( 4/5 owls for Inc.)
From last year’s review: “I recommend this title to anyone who likes funny books or enjoys when bullies get humiliated. I will say, Henry Reed’s Babysitting Service was one of my favorite books of the year because it was super funny and kind of mysterious.”
*Word of warning from Mama: this book is very old and the boy, Henry, spanks the child he is babysitting. Also, the Captain didn’t love the rest of the series nearly as much as Babysitting Service.
#79. Tonight on the Titanic, Magic Treehouse by Mary Pope Osborne (reread his favorite of the series from last year)
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
From last year’s review: “This series is great for anyone who loves history and enjoys the idea of traveling back in time. Some of the stories are a little bit violent, but these are some of the best books I’ve read. I love how they meet animals and do sign language and stuff like that. I also love when the kids meet old heroes like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.”
*Word of warning from Mama: There is magic in these books, including sorcery. Our family chooses to have discussions about these elements from a Biblical perspective.
#80. Treasure Island Junior by Robert Luis Stevenson
🦉🦉🦉🦉 (4/5 owls)
“The unabridged version of this book is better because it doesn’t leave out the main character’s faith in God and is a much more complex story.”
#81. The Missing Gator of Gumbo Limbo by Jean Craighead George
🦉🦉 (2/5 owls)
“This is a pretty slow book and has an ending that I didn’t care for.”
#82. One Day in the Desert by Jean Craighead George
🦉 (1/5 owls)
“Do not read this book if you like animals. I’m not going to get into the details but I think people would much rather read My Side of the Mountain, also by Jean Craighead George, because this book has an ending I didn’t care for. The cougar you follow throughout the book dies at the end.”
#83. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (a favorite repeat read)
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
“This is a very funny and adventurous book that I don’t think kids who are overly obsessed with candy should read because your mouth can start watering and you may end up chewing the book.”
#84. Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
“I might actually like this one better than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory because of the vermicious knids who eat humans and the shooting stars we see are actually just shooting knids exploding when they try to come through the earth’s atmosphere. I like this because it’s about space and very creative.”
#85. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
“I really like how Sam, the main character, runs away and learns how to fend for himself in the wild. As Sam continues on his adventures, he realizes that he is very lonely without his family or anyone to keep him company.”
#86. By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman (a favorite repeat read)
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
From last year’s review: “This book is for people who like cowboy-esque stories. It delivers on suspense, loud action, and a good amount of humor. You will especially enjoy this book if you like boxing matches.”
#87. The Secret School by Avi
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
“This book is an adventure in which the bad guy thinks that girls may not need to go to school. And if I had been there and it had been my sister instead of the main girl, well, he would have had a broken nose after he said that he doesn’t even know if girls need to be in school and get an education. But the guy doesn’t get his way and they get to continue on with the girl as the teacher.”
#88. The Mercy Watson Series by Kate Dicamillo (counted altogether as one title; read aloud to Goldilocks)
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
“These are very funny books about a pet pig that goes on many different adventures. The books have very colorful and shiny illustrations on every page. I do think I’m a little old for this series. I read them to my little sister which was a very nice experience because I like to hear her giggle.”
#89. The Deckawoo Drive Series by Kate Dicamillo (counted altogether as one title; read aloud to Goldilocks)
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
“I like this series more than the Mercy Watson Series (above) because they are for a little bit older kids, more my age. All of these stories take place on Deckawoo Drive, the street where Mercy Watson the pig lives. Much of the time, all the featured characters end up at the Watson’s table eating buttered toast with Mercy the pig. Some of the stories in this series are exciting and some are funny.”
#90. Flora and Ulysses by Kate Dicamillo
🦉🦉🦉🦉 (4/5 owls)
“This is an overly funny story about a squirrel who gets sucked up by a giant vaccuum (a Ulysses 2000X) and then goes on a great adventure. The squirrel befriends a girl named Flora and makes enemies with the girl’s mother. It does not seem like the same writer at all as Because of Winn Dixie. I would have given it a full five stars if it weren’t for the characters acting out of destiny and not God’s plan. However, I liked how this book was part comic book and part novel.”
#91. Frindle by Andrew Clements (repeat read)
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
“Frindle is a very funny book about a kid who comes up with a different word for pen and becomes rich for it. I also like how the teacher is smart and punishes her students by having them write ‘I am writing this punishment with a pen 100 times for saying the word frindle’ in order help it become a real word and be added to the dictionary.”
#92. Danny, the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
“A very interesting book because the ‘good guys’ are actually poachers and everything is a little bit backwards. The main character’s dad is a good father but he’s also a poacher and stealing from a really, really, nasty man (which makes it more commendable). At one point in the book, the doctor tells a story of the nasty rich man coming for a shot and kicking the doctor’s dog. So, the doctor takes his oldest, rustiest needle and files it blunt, then rams it into the nasty rich man’s backside! The son Danny becomes the best poacher of all and comes up with the best trick ever to fill up raisins with sleeping powder.”
#93. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl (a favorite repeat read)
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
“This is another book by my most consistently favorite author, Roald Dahl. I really like how this book follows James on his grand adventure inside the giant peach and the story kind of goes on and on with a lot of small adventures along the way. This is one of those books that is ten times better than the movie. I like the story a lot and how the bad aunts (spelled a-u-n-t-s) are eventually crushed by the peach. Also, I like the funny songs that the centipede sings.”
#94. The TinTin Series by Hergé (counted as one title altogether)
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
🏆This Year’s Favorite Comfort-Read🏆
“Tintin is a great series, but don’t let younger kids read it because they could learn some snarky things that Tintin says. This series is addicting; when you pick it up and read it you don’t want to get back up but want another book of it. It’s so well-written and I like the Captain’s fake swearing when he says things like, ‘thundering typhoons or blistering barnacles!’ I really like the action, fighting, and facial expressions in these comic books.”
#95-97. The Mouse and the Motorcycle Series by Beverly Cleary (repeat read)
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
“The Mouse and the Motorcycle is another great comfort-read series. Strangely, the second and third books are actually the best. Beverly Cleary is one of my favorite authors because all of her stories are funny but she keeps you interested because there’s actual weight to the stories.”
#98. The Van Gogh Deception by Deron Hicks
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
🏆1st Favorite Book of the Year🏆
“The Van Gogh Deception is a very well-done, exciting book. This book is more realistic than other favorites of mine, such as Roald Dahl books, and should be read by bigger kids because it’s actually pretty scary. As you probably guessed from the title, this book is about art and the bad guys are art forgers. The main character and his father are the only people in the whole world who can stop a museum from buying the fake art. It’s an exciting and suspensful book that leaves you hanging at the end of each chapter.”
#99. Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
“Ramona is a very naughty little sister. It’s fun to see Ramona get her come-uppence when she does naughty things. However, this does not happen half as much as it should. Beezus’ mother is not nearly strict enough which is annoying but makes for a very fun story.
*Warning from the Captain: “Beezus doesn’t like her sister Ramona at times and thinks mean things.”
#100. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robertson (a favorite repeat read)
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
“One of my favorite Christmas books, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is hilarious and has real depth to it. I like how the Herdmans, the ‘worst kids in the history of the world,’ learn about how Jesus was born.”
#101. History Readers (counted altogether as one title; read aloud to Goldilocks)
🦉🦉🦉🦉 (4/5 owls)
“These readers teach you about happenings from history like Henry Ford’s first race in the car he built, and how Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery and stored letters in his hat. These books are very cute for younger readers, and I enjoy reading them to my sister.”
#102. A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig (a favorite repeat read)
🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 (5/5 owls)
“This is a great book to read at Christmastime. There’s magic, candy, reindeer, and the story of how Nicholas becomes Santa Claus. “
Want to inspire more reading in your home? Here’s TWO FUN PRINTABLES to help!
First, an Imagination-Building Book-It Play Jar!
Next, a Reading Log Bookmark!
Access the printable download and instructions here: 🦉Our 4th grader read 51 books this year!📚 How he did it, his ratings & reviews, + a reading log bookmark!
May many beautiful books bless you and your family this year! Subscribe below to never miss a post!
Love, ~Candace Arden~
