Can you remember which books your kids loved each year of their lives? Since I started Growing Book by Book over 5 years ago, I’ve shared my oldest son’s favorite books of the year. And, since he is turning 6 (where has the time gone) this month, it’s time to share a new book list. Here are his favorite books for 5 year-olds.
Buckle up, you are in for some reading treats.
Books for 5 Year-Olds
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Picture Books
Mother Bruce by Ryan Higgins is not only one of my son’s favorites but, one of mine too. It’s clever, fun, and oh so entertaining. Bruce is in need of eggs to make a special meal. As he gathers all his supplies, the eggs hatch. Immediately he ends up with a lot more than he bargained for.
Hoot Owl dons different costumes in search of capturing a meal in Hoot Owl: Masters of Disguise by Sean Taylor.
The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton is the story of Princess Pinecone who requests a strong warrior horse for her birthday. What she receives is a chubby small pony. Though her gift isn’t what she expected, her pony comes in handy on the day he is truly needed. My son loved the humor in this one.
The Night Gardener by Terry and Eric Fan is gorgeous. My son loved studying the illustrations. A boy discovers a tree outside his window that has been sculpted to look like an owl. These topiaries keep popping up around town. Who is creating these masterpieces and for how long?
Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev packs a great message about not excluding someone based on looks. The local pet club will not accept elephants into their club. So, a little boy and his pet elephant start their own club where all animals are welcome.
My 5 year-old could not get enough of Bloom by Doreen Cronin. Bloom is not your average fairy. She loves mud, has dirt under her nails, and wild hair. After not feeling accepted, she ventures off to live in the woods. When the kingdom she left begins to fall apart, the king and queen come to her for answers. They don’t believe the answer that she shares though. It takes a common girl to connect with Bloom and help save the kingdom. In the process, the young girl learns about finding your voice and standing up for yourself.
Troll and Oliver by Adam Stower is the story of a hungry troll who wants to eat an Oliver. He tries and tries to capture and Oliver but, turns out he doesn’t like the taste of Olivers. He much prefers sharing a cake with Oliver instead.
It’s Only Stanley by Jon Agee is a funny tale. The Wimbledon family keeps hearing strange noises in the house at night. Each time a family member checks on the noise, it’s determined that it’s only Stanley. Little do they know that this clever dog is turning their house into a rocket ship for a special mission.
Chapter Books
Age 5 was a magical time for my son in regards to books (well, other things too.) He truly fell in love with chapter book read-alouds. Each night at bedtime, we snuggle together and I read him a chapter or maybe two. These were his absolute favorites.
Books are like friends. Kids love to visit them over and over again. So, finding a series of books that a child loves is like having a friend over for playdates time and time again. We started by reading every single Nate the Great book by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat. Then, we listened to several of the audio book versions of the books. Then, he dictated several new Nate the Great books to me which he then illustrated. We were living, breathing, and eating pancakes with Nate the Great.
Then came The Boxcar Childrenby Gertrude Chandler Warner. Well with over 140 books in the series, we are still there. My son is ADDICTED to this series. He heads straight to the shelf that houses these books at the library to stock up for the week. And, each month he downloads 10 audio versions from Hoopla. We’ve had to set the sleep timer at night to shut off after an hour or else he would listen to an entire book each night in bed. In fact, his birthday cake this year will be based on The Boxcar Children.
So, there are my son’s favorite books for 5 year-olds. It’s exciting to think that in the next year or so he may be reading these books on his own. But, I’ll still always read to him too.
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great list! I loved Mother Bruce books too! And The Night Gardener! And so many others on your list.
Thank you!