Celebrate the Holiday Season By Reading With Your Kids

Our 2020 Holiday Gift Guide of "DADvisor-Approved" Books to Read Aloud

by Scott Beller, Daddying Blog Editor

I remember the joy of book fairs as a kid. The endless new possibilities for adventure. It's why I never put limits on my own children when they've wanted to shop for books, and why I loved volunteering to work at their elementary school fairs. I was probably even more excited than they were to browse all the new titles.

I also remember staying with my grand and great grandmothers – seeing all the books they read. Mostly, I loved my grandmother's Agatha Christie collection, many of which she shared with me, contributing to my growing love of books.

Most importantly, I remember that awesome feeling that awaited me beyond the cover of a good book because my mom, grandmother, and teachers read to me often. Their voices narrating tales that piqued my imagination, stoked my creativity, and inspired me to seek out those kinds of stories and authors, again and again.

It's all their fault (the book hoarding). But it was a good habit they instilled in me. One I’ve tried to pass along to my daughters since before they could even sit up unassisted on my lap.

While I had early success maintaining their good habit, it has gotten harder now that they’ve reached their middle-school years. Digital competition has moved in with full force, tempting them with Roblox, Minecraft, and Among Us!

And although I've found it harder to make time to read (for pleasure) as an adult, I’m thankful for the opportunities I've had as a dad to sit with my girls on my lap or curled up beside me in their beds as I read to them. So many studies have shown the myriad benefits parents and children receive when they read together. Not the least of which is the strong relationship bonds we create in the process. And those benefits aren't just gained by developing toddlers. New research shows that even older kids and their parents derive positive results when they read aloud together. And reading together may be especially beneficial during stressful times, like this lingering pandemic.

So, this holiday season, as you ponder the perfect gifts for your children, consider giving them...the world. Give them a pile of books you'll both enjoy reading and read to them every chance you get. You'll give them the joy of discovering something new together. You'll give them the incredible feeling of warmth of being near you and of your voice as you make all the characters and sound effects come to life. You'll give them that irreplaceable feeling of connection. Best of all, you'll give AND receive all these things, even if they've outgrown your lap.

To that end, the merry DCG DADvisory Team and I have curated the following collection of our all-time favorite books. The collection includes books we enjoyed reading or having read to us as kids as well as books we've enjoyed sharing with our own children and/or grandchildren. I'm sure you'll find many of your own favorites among them, but we hope you'll find at least a few that are new to you. We've included links so you can knock out your whole shopping list before the Thanksgiving turkey is in the oven.

After you've finished shopping for books here and other Daddying holiday gifts in our DADvocacy Store, you might also consider donating a few new or used books to your child's school or local nonprofit. Or maybe you'll consider contributing to a national organization like First Book, which provides books to children in need, many of whom don't yet own a book of their own. First Book emphasizes that for the millions of kids it serves, "books provide comfort, an escape from the unknown, and a chance to 'try on' the world before they must go out into it."

So, here's to giving the gift of a good book (or Daddying stress ball) this holiday season. Of course, you could always just make up your own bedtime stories for the kids...

Happy holidays, keep reading, and Daddy on!

My Top 20-ish recommendations:

Allan Shedlin, Founder, DADvocacy Consulting Group, DADDYING contributor:

Rob Richardson, DADvisor & DADDYING contributor:

Ben King, Founder of Armor Down, DADvisor, & DADDYING contributor:

Anthony Fleg, DADvisor & DADDYING contributor:

Monica Zamora, DADvisor & DADDYING contributor:

Hakim Bellamy, DADvisor & DADDYING contributor:

Dr. Randell Turner, Principal DADvocate & DADDYING contributor:

Nigel Vann, DADvisor:

Neil Tift, Principal DADvocate & DADDYING contributor:

David Goldstein, DADvisor & Director of Special Projects:

Jenise Davis, DADvisor:

Ben Garber, IT Director, DCG:

And if our Daddy/Mommy-approved list wasn’t enough, here are some more recommended read-aloud books you might like to share with your kids whatever their age:

For Younger Kids (Under 8):

Older Elementary Kids (8+):

Middle School and Up:

Let us know what other books you and your family love to read together by leaving us a note below in the comments!

Scott Beller is the proud, imperfect dad of two mighty girls, Morgan and Lauren, and also Editor of the Daddying blog, DCG's Director of Communications, and book hoarder. He's a seasoned writer and PR agency veteran with more than 25 years of experience helping organizations of all sizes reach audiences and tell their stories. Prior to launching his own creative communications consultancy in 2003, he led PR teams with some of the world’s most respected agencies, including Fleishman-Hillard and The Weber Group. As a consultant, he’s helped launch two other parenting advocacy nonprofits with DCG founder Allan Shedlin. His first book, Beggars or Angels, was a ghostwritten memoir for the nonprofit Devotion to Children's founder Rosemary Tran Lauer. He was formerly known as "Imperfect Dad" and Head Writer for the Raising Nerd blog, which supported parents in inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers, and creative problem solvers. He earned his BA in Communications from VA Tech.