The Hero’s Journey: How Reading Books Can Inspire Your Path to Greatness
The benefits of reading out loud to children are plentiful and well-documented. From expanded vocabulary to instilling a love for reading, consistently reading out loud to children has a long-lasting impact. And, of course, when it comes to books, the greater the quality the better. But perhaps the greatest reason to read good books out loud to your kids is not as easily measured as improved reading ability. The inner thoughts, ideas, and character developed through being invited into the world of inspiring characters is harder to measure but has much greater significance. Do you want to instill gratitude and prolonged resilience? Read Pollyanna as a family. Do you wish to inspire personal accountability and empathy for all living things? Introduce your child to Sam Beaver and his friend, Louis, in E.B. White’s The Trumpet of the Swan. Friendship and the beauty of childhood? Read the adventures of Betsy and Tacy in the Betsy-Tacy series. So many friends and new world’s are ready to be explored and treasured. The magic of reading together is that you never know what might spark inspiration or create momentum in the life of your budding hero. If you’re looking for some inspiration on where to start, try checking these out on your next library trip:
Books for heroes 8 and under –
- The Peter Rabbit Library by Beatrix Potter
- “B” is for Betsy Series by Carloyn Haywood
- The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
- The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White
- All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor
- The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
- The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling
- The Tuttle Twins Series by Connor Boyak
- The Otis & Charley Series from Andy Frisella
Books for Heroes ages ~ 8-12 year olds–All of the above as well as,
- Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan
- The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
- The Way of the Warrior Kid by Jocko Willink
- Theodore Boone by John Grisham
- The Ocean of Truth by Joyce McPherson
- Huguenot Garden by Douglas M. Jones III
- The Beatinest Boy by Jesse Stuart
- Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
- Sarah, Plain, and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
- Heidi by Johanna Spyri
- Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
- Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
- Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
- The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Great stories motivate great character. Carving time to read together as a family is a beautiful and simple way to encourage heroic living in our children. Sarah Mackenzie said it best in her book, The Read-Aloud Family,
“A didactic lesson or reprimand from Mom or Dad will only go so far. There is simply no substitute for story. When it comes to imparting truth to our kids, nagging lectures from an adult simply can’t compare with a story whose time has come. A story meets the child where he is. It sparks an authentic desire within him to do better, try harder, and love more. It allows each of our kids a vicarious experience, giving them the precious gift of practice. Stories reach us where nothing else can and quicken the heartbeat of the hero within us.”
What great book will you welcome into your home next?
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