Books for boys

Every night, before going to sleep, I would read to my son. It was our special time, a time of bonding. And what better way to bond than over books? We read all sorts of stories, letting our imaginations soar above the clouds. But, as with everything in life, there were some books that became favourites and we returned to them again and again (sometimes two or three times in one evening). Here are some of them:

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

This beloved book, which I am sure needs  no introduction, has lulled generations of children to sleep and is one of those classics whose appeal will never fade.

“Good night room

Goodnight moon

Goodnight cow jumping over the moon”

Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson

This is a cute book about a red-haired (friendly) witch and her cat, who ride a broom, lose a few things, make some new friends and scare off a monster – all in one night.

““Down!” cried the witch,

and they flew to the ground.

They searched for the hat

but no hat could be found.”

Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae

At the annual Jungle Dance all the animals are able to dance – except for Gerald the giraffe. But with the advice of a friendly cricket, Gerald finally finds his own sweet tune. There is a lesson that children can learn from this book – that we are all unique and in the end we will all find our special niche.

“With that, the cricket smiled

And picked up his violin.

Then Gerald felt his body

Do the most amazing thing.”

If You Take a Mouse To The Movies by Laura Numeroff

My son absolutely loves this book. Even now that he is almost ten, this book gets taken off the shelf every Christmas season and is re-read time and again. The book came with a mouse soft-toy in red dungarees. It was love at first sight. My Mischief Maker and the little mouse (who was named Cheddar) are inseparable to this day.

“If you take a mouse to the movies, he’ll ask you for some popcorn,

When you give him the popcorn, he’ll want to string it all together.”

Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman

This is the perfect book to make little boys giggle, especially since aliens end up on Earth for the sole purpose of stealing underwear.

“They like them red, they like them green,

Or orange like satsumas.

But best of all they love the sight

Of Granny’s spotted bloomers.”

How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

This is another well-loved tale that I am sure you are all familiar with. The Grinch ranks right up there with Scrooge when it comes to hating the Christmas season. But, like Scrooge, he also has a change of heart. This story, told in Dr. Seuss’ imitable style, is one that appeals to both the young and the young at heart. It is a book that we really enjoy and which we read with that  same sense of wonder year after year.

““Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store.

“Maybe Christmas … perhaps … means a little bit more!””