Hi moms! I am looking for some book recommendations for my son, he's 4 years old but LOVES to be read to. He's gotten very interested in the concept of how things were a hundred years ago, and he'll ask very specific questions, like "did your mom's mom's mom's mom have a TV?" and so on. When I was little I was obsessed with the Little House on the Prarie books and the American Girl books. But do they have any stories like that for boys, to help him understand what life was like back then? I started reading Little House in the Big Woods but he got bored after a few chapters, I think a story with more boys in it would keep his attention better. Thanks!
Great recommendations everyone, thanks & keep them coming! Yes, I know chapter books are a bit advanced for his age, but we start out reading one chapter every night before bed, and he wants to hear just one more chapter, just one more chapter, etc. I went ahead and got the first Magic Tree House book at the library today and he loves it!
get some of the magic tree house books. they have a bunch that are from a long time ago.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Tree_House_series#Magi...
Take him to the library! The librarian will have great suggestions :)
Off the top of my head I am thinking of the Eyewitness Book series by DK publishing. They cover many subjects including history, science, nature, art, sports, you name it. They are big, colorful and detailed with lots of interesting facts, pictures and a fair amount of text for him (or you) to read. My kids, especially my son, LOVED those books.
They're not classics like the Little House books, but you might try reading him some of the Magic Tree House books. My son *devoured* these at 5. They're very well-written and boy-friendly, and there's one for just about every historical era (at least everything remotely appropriate for young kids).
Caddie Woodlawn is a great book. Yes, the main character is a girl, but she has a couple brothers who are featured prominently, and there are all kinds of prairie adventures. It's also humorous, and based on a real person. It takes place in the 1860s and I think the family lived in Wisconsin.
The Matchlock Gun is good, too. That features a boy.
We have a few books that I bet he would love...If You Grew up with George Washington, If You Grew Up with Abraham Lincoln....
http://www.amazon.com/If-You-Grew-George-Washington/dp/05...
http://www.amazon.com/If-You-Grew-Abraham-Lincoln/dp/0590...
Look on Amazon or at your bookstore...there is an entire series like this including covered wagons, 100 years ago, when there was slavery, etc.
Magic Tree House!! My four year old girls LOVE LOVE LOVE this series. Each book is about a different time in history and is short enough that every page has action or something interesting. We're also reading the Little House on the Prairie series and I'd say it's a bit more advanced.
There is a book in the Little House in the Big Woods series that is about Laura Ingalls Wilders husband Almanzo. For the life of me I can't remember the name of it, but if you google the series and you'll find the name of the book. He might like having you read that one out loud to him.
The book Megan is referring to is called Farmer Boy. Fun book.
My kids do like the "If you grew up with..." books.
At 4, their attention span tends to be much shorter than older children. And, you will need to take it in small snatchets of time. Sometimes we take their interests and run way too fast with them. You don't want to overwhelm him and turn his interest into work. :) Enjoy!
I agree that "Farmer Boy" might be a good choice. What about something like "Hatchet" or "My Side of the Mountain" - they're about boys doing wilderness survival type things, but in more present day situations. "Where the Red Fern Grows" and "Shiloh" are awesome boy books that are sort of... 50s ish timeframe. What about "The Sign of the Beaver" or "Johnny Tremain" or "The Legend of Jimmy Spoon" or "The Light in the Forest"? You'll probably want to read everything first to check out any scary subjects or troubling topics you'll need to discuss if you read the book. Johnny Tremain, for example, has a silversmithing accident where the boy's right hand is damaged. Where the Red Fern Grows has several deaths in it (a boy and some dogs).
I ended up trying to read "Farmer Boy" to my 3 year old, and it didn't go so great. The first chapter was a giant in-depth discussion of every article of clothing this little boy was wearing, then they talked about the big boys beating up the teacher at school. And this was right before my son was starting school for the first time. I didn't think it would be necessary with this book I remember loving as a child, but it looks like I will be prescreening everything I try to read with him at bedtime for a little while. At least then, I can have some idea of what I need to think about or shorten or if it's a good time for the subject (like we didn't read Stuart Little right before my younger son was born because I didn't want my older son wondering if he was going to get a mouse brother - but now that my younger son has been born, it would probably be a fun book).
Not only historical books, but also science books or books on inventions, also would talk about how things used to be.
ie: the invention of electricity. The invention of the radio. Dinosaurs. The invention of Velcro, the invention of the rocket, etc
Many topics.
And he is only 4... so that is why he probably gets "bored" when you read Chapter books to him. Normal. He is not at the age where "chapter books" are interesting. There are no, pictures.
Kids books on "inventions" would be interesting for him. Versus "historical" books.
Just make sure you Google search for KIDS or Toddler books, as the key word. Otherwise, you will get books that are too beyond his attention span, per his age. And you'd need "picture books" that show these things. THEN he will be more interested.
Barnes and Noble, is a good place to search for these books. I have seen them on their shelves, in the kiddie section.
For example:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/inventions-struan-reid/11...
Have you thought about taking him to some old battlefields or historic homes? My kids LOVE that. My 6 (almost 7) year old picks a battle field for his birthday trip each year. Last year he went to Antietam and this year he will go to Gettysburg. We also did the reenactment of the Battle at Cedar Creek.
It's pretty neat! Then they get to talk to people who "are" the old timers and see what like was really like.
