7 Books Your Kids Will Love to “Help” You Read

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved to read.  As a high school English teacher, I’ve seen the benefits of loving to read.  I could give you all of the lines about exploring new places and hearing new perspectives through reading, and all of that is true.  What is also true is that school tends to be much easier for kids who like to read. It’s easier for them to access information on anything they are passionate about learning, and I can’t imagine a greater gift to give a child.  
When I had my own children, I went looking for books that would get them excited about reading.  I got lots and lots of books, and I borrowed many more from the library. I found that the books my kids were most excited about were the books they could, at an early age, “help” me to read.  For the most part, these were books with silly sounds or rhyming lines that the kids could remember and shout when I got to that part of the story. Reading these books together has been such a joy (over and over and over again…).  They’re well worth picking up!

Trains Go! by Steve Light
Spoiler: Different kinds of trains make different sounds.
Best line for kids: “Squeak clang ting, bing bing bing!”
Also great: Cars Go!

Snuggle Puppy by Sandra Boynton
Spoiler: Snuggle puppy is loved.
Best line for kids: “I love who you are; I love what you do, ooh I love you.”
Also great: Pretty much everything by Sandra Boynton.  Our other favorites are Pajama Time! and Moo, Baa, La La La!

Red Truck by Kersten Hamilton
Spoiler: Red Truck saves the day when a school bus gets stuck in the mud.
Best line for kids: “Vroommm!”

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox
Spoiler: This is a celebration of all little babies and ends with a sweet line that’s really just an excuse to give your child a bunch of kisses.
Best line for kids: “And both of these babies, as everyone knows, had ten little fingers and ten little toes.”

All the Biscuit books by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Spoiler: Biscuit is a cute little puppy who sometimes gets in a little trouble but has a wonderful relationship with his little girl.
Best line for kids: “Woof woof!”

Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
Spoiler: Knuffle Bunny gets left at the laundromat.
Best line for kids: “Knuffle bunny!”
Also great: everything else by Mo Willems. His Elephant and Piggie books for beginning readers are fantastic.

Just One More by Jennifer Hansen Rolli
Spoiler: Ruby always asks for “just one more.”
Best lines for kids: “And what’s this? Just one more kiss? Ok, Ruby. Just one more.” “Again! Again!”

This is a fun book that, like this other books on this list, will have your kids saying, “Again! Again!”