That is a difficult questions! I’m going to cheat and just direct you to my blog post about books we’ve read aloud for homeschool book club from now back to 2010.
We read Anne last year to kids from babies and toddlers to high school. My kids who really listened and loved it were 14, 10, 9, 7, 6, 4, 3. My boys loved it as well as my girls, which was neat. They loved that Anne was always getting into scrapes.
We did read it in short readings more often instead of an hour at a time.
We’ve really loved Dickens — Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Great Expectations.
When my kids were younger we did Don Quixote and they really loved that too. I’d have to look back but I think it was the whole book, not an abridged version.
On a lighter note — we love the Incorrigibles series by Mary Rose Wood.
Thanks Tristan! I was just talking to a friend the other day about how I’m feeling an Anne re-read coming on. With fall right around the corner, it always makes me want to cozy up with Anne.
My oldest two are 9 & 7. I think my daughter will enjoy Anne, but I’m not so sure about my son. However, I will definitely give it a try with him and see how he does. If it doesn’t captivate him, then maybe I’ll save it for a special read a loud for my daughters and I. My younger daughter is 4, and may sit and listen, but I wouldn’t expect her too.
Would you recommend the whole Anne series be read aloud at these ages?
@Carolyn – is there a preferred edition of Robin Hood and Children of the New Forest that I should look for? I’ve been wanting to read Robin Hood with my 7 year old son. 🙂
I saved Anne of Green Gables until my daughter was 5th gradish so she could better appreciate Anne. I wanted her to fall in love with Anne as I had and she did! I saved the second Anne book until she was 7th grade and she will read the remainder sometime during high school.
We both love the Anne books and movies and the spinoff show from years ago-Road to Avonlea. I slowly bought a season here and there until we owned them all.
We did just the first Anne book aloud. They can go further on their own or I may introduce one here and there. We also have the Anne movies and like 1 and 2, but not 3 so much. Another great one written by Montgomery is The Story Girl! And there is an entire dvd series related to that one called Road to Avonlea.