Mystery in Rocky Mountain National Park by Aaron Johnson
Several families in our neighborhood rave about this series, and we bought it for Tally at Christmas (when I mentioned it on Instagram, I got a whole other slew of messages from people saying how much they and their kids loved it). I think it will be fun to read the first one together!

The Story of the Rover by Jasmine Warga
When I asked for children’s books they loved The wild robotThis has appeared a million times and I’ve never read it! And I have read and loved it ever since The MartianI have a passing interest in Mars!

The Mouse from the Umbrella by Anna Fargher
I love some historical fiction in our read alouds and this one has stellar reviews and is set during World War II, but features animals more heavily than most. I think this will be a success.

No purchase necessary by Maria Marianayagam
This is a book club pick for 2026 and I often enjoy reading them aloud to my kids during the summer. This one is about a boy who is forced to steal a candy bar and then when the boy who told him to do so rejects it, he opens it and discovers that it is a million dollar prize winning candy bar.

Which witch? by Eva Ibbotson
I’ve been meaning to have it read aloud in October/Halloween for the past few years, but then time flew by, so I’m hoping I can make use of it this year! The reviews on this are excellent and it seems so fun and entertaining, which I love in a Halloween book (true scary is NOT my thing).

The Paper Bag Christmas by Kevin Alan Milne
I’m always looking for new Christmas chapters to read to my kids in December, and I’m excited about this one in which two brothers volunteer at a children’s hospital for the holidays and discover that the true magic of Christmas comes from compassion and connection, especially through a brave little girl who helps them see the season in a whole new way.