Classics to Read Aloud to Your Children: Selections from Shakespeare, Twain, Dickens, O.Henry, London, Longfellow, Irving Aesop, Homer, Cervantes, Hawthorne, and More

I am a read aloud volunteer for a local middle school. I selected the poems to read, and the children really enjoyed them. I find that poetry is better heard than read, and hoped to pass along the love of poetry to those who would most likely not read it themselves. Would highly recommend this book to any educator, parent, or anyone wishing to share the love of reading to a child.

This book has some good recommendations and good stories, very age comprehensive. However, that is also it's draw back. As my children are 7 and 10 year olds, the selection of recommended readings for them are limited to those ages. It is a good book to keep around to refer back to when the children get older.

My sons 8 and 10 really enjoyed the bedtime reading of Greek myths from a collection by this same author - so we decided to try this "Classics" collection. They have really enjoyed most of the stories - and I enjoy exposing them to classics like Don Quixote, Romeo and Juliet, and Tom Sawyer. The stories are excerpted\simplified while maintaining key aspects of the language and key phrases "...would not a rose by any other name..."

The book is broken into different age-related sections -which appear to be pretty accurate. My ten year old really enjoyed the reading of "Call of the Wild" (Level III for 11 yr old and above), while the 8 year old struggled with the language and lost interest.

The story lengths vary from 15 mintes to nearly an hour - the latter being a little too long for bedtime reading. Still, I recommend this book for introducing your children to some classic stories that "every kid should know".

This is a keeper! Your kids will love to have you read aloud from this book. It is a compilation of stories arranged according to age-appropriate listening levels. All are well-known stories from well-known authors. Many stories, particularly the longer ones, are only excerpts; the editor has deliberately done this to whet the listeners' appetite.

If you like this book, you will like its companions: More Classics to Read Aloud to Your Children, and Classic Myths to Read Aloud.

It's been years since I've read aloud from this wonderful anthology to my twin sons who are now 16. But they still remember vibrant, lively selections like "Half a league, half a league, half a league onward ... " (The Charge of the Light Brigade) and "The Ransom of Red Chief" (which they loved but didn't really "get" until they were about 13). I credit this wonderful book with providing truly excellent literature to feed their hungry young brains. This book is part of their current success in school and life! BUY IT for your child or grandchild - or donate it to your local school library!