Top 10 Tuesday - Chapter Books for Girls

I'm a Reader - this you know, if you've read my blog more than once. One of my favorite joys of homeschooling (or just parenting in general) is watching my daughters become Readers too. These are our Top 10 Chapter Books (for reading aloud or alone):

1. The Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. We put our vintage set together from thrift stores and yard sales - but I can't believe anyone would actually get rid of these books. We read them over and over again! (The girls also enjoy the audio c.d. versions, which we pick up at our library.)

2. Anne of Green Gables and other "Anne" books by L.M. Montgomery. My grandparents gave me the complete set when I was a little girl. Mine are falling apart now, so I've started collecting the same edition of Bantam paperbacks for my girls. (My girls also enjoy several of the books on c.d. which we bought at a library sale.) I can't wait to share other books by L.M Montgomery with the girls: books like Emily, The Story Girl, Pat and Marigold.

3. Heidi by Johanna Spyri.We have two different translations of this one. We finished reading this aloud just a month or so ago. I would read from one and the girls kept the other one handy so we could see how the translators had chosen different words.

4. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I know a lot of folks like the Tasha Tudor illustrations but I'm partial to this copy, since this is what my library had when I was a girl. I bought our girls a copy just last year. (I think from Alibris but I can't exactly remember)

5. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. This is the first "big" chapter book that Polly read. Her copy is a Barnes and Noble edition that she won from the library summer reading program. The girls also have an audio version on cassette which we got, you guessed it, at a library sale. They've just about worn it out.

6. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White. One of the first books I ever read aloud to Polly. Still a favorite!

7. Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter. Yes, we love the Disney movie version. But this book is so much more than the movie (as usual). Polly read this one a year or so ago and could hardly put it down. Should be easy to find at a thrift store or used book store but please avoid the abridged versions!

8. Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink. Some folks like to argue whether they prefer this or Laura Ingalls Wilder's books about frontier life. I think there's room for both! (When I was a girl, Baby Island  by Carol Ryrie Brink was one of my favorite books. I haven't picked up a copy for our girls yet but I'm pretty sure Polly will like it just as much as I did.)

9. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin. A bit more difficult, perhaps, than some of the above books. My girls haven't read this one yet, but I always enjoyed it.

10. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Definitely the thickest on this list. Polly is reading this now and not because I told her she ought to. The girls listened to the audio version last year and Polly found it on one of our (many) bookshelves. She asked if she could read it. I consented, thinking she would give up when she saw how long it was or how difficult. Nope. She's almost done and she has fallen in love with it just as so many girls have before her.

So, what books did you love as a girl? Which of your favorites did I miss?

This post is linked to Top Ten Tuesday at Oh Amanda.

This post contains Amazon Associate links. Any action taken with these links could result in compensation for me. Opinions are my own and I encourage you to check your library or Paperback Swap first - these books are worth it!