My Favorite Books from 2017
One of my favorite things to do at year’s end is look back on all the reading I’ve done and decide which books were my very favorite. It’s both impossible to choose favorites and impossible not to love doing it!
I keep track of everything I read in a simple reading journal which makes it really easy to remember what I read even a year ago. It turns out I’ve read nearly 100 books this year (!!!).
If you’re curious about how I found time to read so much, you’ll find my best tips for reading more (even when you’re super busy) in episode 70 of the Read-Aloud Revival podcast. If reading more is high on your priority list for 2018, give it a listen.
Over the next couple of weeks… I’m going to be posting some other favorites (like “best cover” AND “a book that made me laugh out loud” over on Instagram. Wanna join me? Make sure you’re following the Read-Aloud Revival on Instagram so you don’t miss the posts, and then you can play along!)
Without further ado…
My favorite reads in 2017
(in no particular order)
Keep up with what I’m reading on Instagram. Follow me: @readaloudrevival
I always appreciate your recommendations. Thank you! I just finished reading your amazing new book on Kindle. Now I need paper copy that I can mark up! I’ve been keeping track of my books on Good Reads since 2007 – before kids! 😃
Thanks for another great list! We read so much at our house that I am constantly online requesting another batch of books just about every week. I just requested about every book on your list. My eldest is currently 7, so some of your recommendations for slightly older ages I’m going to read through and then see if he would like it or save it for when he’s a little older. Blessings!
Few other AMAZING stories that were our favorites as well are:
-As Fast As Words Could Fly, Pamela M. Tuck (a great interactive read aloud version is found in Storylineonline either their website or their youtube channel)
-The Three Questions, John Muth
-My Rows and Piles of Coins, Jordyn Goddard
-Helping Me Be Good Series, Joy Berry (these are great!)
-God Gave Us Series, Lisa Tawn Bergren (these are great too!)
My favorite books are:
-Patricia Polacco: Tucky Jo / Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam / Gifts of the Heart, Welcome Comfort,
-The spider and the Fly, , Mary Howitt
-Papa’s Song, Jim McMullan
-The Golden Rule, Ilene Cooper
-Do Unto Otters, Lauri Keller
-Irena’s Jar of Secrets, Marcia Vaughan
-The Can Man, Laura Williams
-Will God’s Mighty Warrior, Sheila Walsh
-A Bike LIke Sergios, Maribeth Boelts
-Love Twelve Miles, Glenda Amand (AMAZING!!)
Christmas:
-The Sparkle Box, Jill Hardie
-My Christmas List, Amy Parker
-It’s a Wonderful Life for Kids, Jimmy Hawkins
-I Want It all, Barbara Ciletti
-Santa’s Book of Names, David McPhil
– Twas the Evening of Christmas, Glenys Nellist
-A Birthday for Jesus
I have other 100s of great stories read aloud in my Youtube Channel “Stories that Build Character and More…” at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKlb-nJqzyK2D-9lsM0jvaA?view_as=subscriber
We love the Green Ember Series, The Wormling Series, The Wingfeather Saga and Rush Revere.
I am not a book cryer but “Okay for Now” had me in tears at several points. What a beautiful and redeeming story. Gary Schmidt’s characters are so robust and even the “villains” turn out to be redeemable in some way. Most everyone is just trying to do the best they can despite their set of challenges and that reflects real life in such a true and beautiful way.
I was also reminded to be thankful that as a society we have changed the way we treat soldiers and veterans of wars. Even if you don’t agree with a war, there’s no cause to take it out on the soldiers. I can’t imagine the salt in already deep wounds it must have been for so many injured vietnam veterans, so many of whom were just boys.
Our favorites were John Ronald’s Dragons by Caroline McAlister and Eliza Wheeler, The Christmas Doll by Elvira Woodruff, A Tree for Peter by Kate Seredy, The Ramona books by Beverly Cleary, The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Warner, and D’Aulaires Book of Greek Myths :)
?? For someone. Kinda new to this. In regards to audible. Com is there a way to allow my kids to listen to audiobooks that I have purchased without allowing them access to the discover section? There is content/ pictures there that I don’t want my kids to “discover!”
Thank you for recommending Okay for Now! Adored it and sent me on a Gary Schmidt reading frenzy. Have a few more from this list on my to read pile now. Here is a link to my list from my 43 books I read this year. https://thegrowinggrimms.wordpress.com/2017/12/28/best-books-i-read-in-2017/
Professor Diggins Dragons
Prayer journal by flannery O’Connor
Some kind of ride by Brian Andreas
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
My favorite book I read this year was Unbound by Ann E. Burg. It’s written in verse and so moving. I loved it so much I had my husband read it. And he loved it so much he recommended it to his boss!
Everything by ND Wilson
The Incorrigible Children
The White Company
Bleak House
I stumbled upon Chris Van Dusen a few weeks ago at the library. My son can’t get enough. Look forward to checking your favorites out!
Sarah,
Finding good books is time consuming and I don’t have time. Thank you, Sarah, for making it easy! I see all these books and I can trust that you’ve picked great ones, safe ones! Now which do I borrow or buy first! Oh my goodness! I want a library room like at the Biltmore Estate!! Thanks Sarah!!
~from Jenny who’s just getting started
I recently decided to read the Wilderking trilogy to my kids based on your recommendation. My original intent was to read the first book to them to make sure I was OK with the content. If I was, then I was going to let them read the other two on their own. However, I got so into the story that I just had to read the remaining books aloud as well. When we had only a couple of chapters left, my kids refused to let me read them for several days. They didn’t want the story to end! There was a cloud over our home for a few days after we completed the series. They were so sad the story was finished. Thank you for the great book recommendations!
Watership Down was our absolute favorite this year! As I was reading it aloud, my husband was listening and commenting on what a good story it was. He grabbed it for himself and disappeared to the bedroom for an entire weekend, so he could read it on his own!
Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss was my favorite from 2017. Convicting, beautiful, and heart-wrenchingly joyful and emotional in turns. For any woman who wants encouragement in her faith. ❤️
We (husband, son 9, and myself) loved Number the Stars, Walk Two Moons, The Best (worst) Christmas Pageant Ever (kept us in stitches/laughing). We enjoyed so many books together this year!
Ok, so I just finished the survey and this list reminded me of something I should have said there; namely, could you recommend more books for the 6-9 year old age range? Things seem to breakdown into youngers (picture books) and olders (10+). I really need would appreciate recommendations for that in-between group. Thank you for all of your work!
For 6 – 9 years old I will highly recommend the books from Patricia Polacco. Even though those are picture books, they have tons of words per page, and the majority of her books are for ages 6 and up. Most of her books takes between 20 – 30 min to read, so definitely more targeted to older than 4 year old. On top of that, pretty much all of her stories are great (love, love her stories) and most of them have a moral lesson. If you want to take a pick to her books, I have over 40 of them on my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpH6m6XNooGqapY2KrAbb9AACZW3flbY&disable_polymer=true
Thank you for this list (and all of the comments)! We’re traveling this week and were able to grab a few of these (audio) from our library for the trip; yay!
Our favorites from this year:
Water and the Wild series (last book comes out in May – my daughter has been counting down the months since June).
The Rangers Apprentice series
Grace Lin Trilogy
Animas series
Seven Tales of Trinket
Land of Stories series (was a favorite of my daughter’s she read on her own)
Oh those Incorrigible Children! That series was a delight for me personally. I’m looking forward to checking out the other suggestions you gave here. Thank you for making it SO EASY to discover great books.
We targeted Hilda Van Stockum books these years and loved them all. The books about the Mitchells were so delightful and kept our kids laughing. Also we enjoyed Falcons of France. Too bad, these books are lost in stacks in the libraries nowadays!
I absolutely love The Incorrigible Children of Ashton place series! A definite favorite for years to come. I also enjoyed The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill and The Inquisitor’s Tale my Adam Gidwitz. My son’s favorites are Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief and the Ranger in Time series.
I’ve enjoyed reading your list Sarah and those in comments too. I’ve updated in Goodreads “Want to Read” list.
My favorite book this year was The Nightingale. So moving and powerful.
I’m having a hard time picking a favorite picture book. Though our favorite authors are Eric Carle, Jan Brett, Beatrix Potter, and Sandra Boynton.
The One and Only Ivan, The Hiding Place, The BFG, Kisses from Katie, Small Great Things
A friend just told me about your website this week. I look forward to reading your book next year. Thought you may also like to see my book on reading aloud that was just released this month:
Communal Reading in the Time of Jesus: A Window into Early Christian Reading Practices https://www.amazon.com/dp/1506432506/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Z5MoAb3QF6WB0
The Hiding Place was a life-changing read for me in junior high. I’m 50 now and have probably read it 20 times plus every other Corrie ten Boom book.
My 13 year old son is a huge fan of Brandon Mull, thanks to your recommendation!! He especially loves the Fablehaven series.
All the Incorrigible Children books (on your recommendation-and the Audible version is the BEST), Peter and the Starcatchers Series (also, love the audible version), and the Wingfeather series. : )
Despite my father’s urging when I was younger, I only this year read the Pyrdain Chronicles and am looking forward to sharing them with our boys! Also, Mercy Watson, Cowardly Clyde, Anatole, and The Seven Silly Eaters have all found their way into our regular read alouds this year.
I can tell you why Nobody Likes a Goblin is such a hit!
Ben Hatke knows and uses traditional tropes and characters in new and lively ways. He depends on his readers being well-versed in goblins and castles and how those stories play out–Revivalers are the perfect audience for his work! Then he tweaks the expected story just a touch and brings a new story to life.
Jojo has the whole book memorized! ;)
I’ve read a lot of books this year, but my favorite new read was The Forgotten Room by Karen White. It was a random find at the library—I think it was at the end of a row and the cover caught my eye. The story was so wonderful that it was hard to homeschool thinking about what was going to happen next! I have some of your list on my to read list for 2018. I can’t wait!
I read Hiding Place for the first time a couple of years ago, and I loved it. Like you I couldn’t believe I had left it so long before reading it. I have added some of these to my amazon wish list for future inspiration.
Happy Christmas Sarah, I’ve been thinking of you and hoping all is well – and as I see here, it is! May 2018 bring you more joy than you can imagine.
xo, Penny (from VT ;))
Sarah, I listened to The Hiding Place on audio this summer and found it absolutely fascinating! I had never read the book myself and remembered my sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Conley, reading it aloud to us however, she stopped reading to us when they were arrested. Now as an adult I wish she would have read all of it to us but understand that times were a bit different in the early 80’s in small town America so I get it. I do believe though it would have made us even better individuals if we had heard and discussed the entire book.
My question for you is; When you say you read 100 books this year is that all the books you read and the ones you read aloud to your family? Or just the book count for your personal reading?
A favorite (but kinda heavy-hearted) book that has stayed with me was “A Thousand Splendid Suns” but I have to admit that right behind this one is the book mentioned on a couple of your podcasts in 2016 (I think) called “Wonder.” I asked my husband, “Is there something wrong with me? I cannot put this middle grade novel down.” And then I heard your podcast on how you find time to read books and you explained why middle grade novels are so good! I was relieved. I also enjoyed “A Long Walk to Water” and bought a copy for my mother-in-law who loves to read. This year for Christmas I bought my mother-in-law Katherine Paterson’s autobiography “Stories of My Life” and snagged a treasury of some of Katherine’s most popular works: “Bridge to Terabithia, Jacob Have I Loved, The Great Gilly Hopkins.”
On another note I just purchased “Edge of Extinction #1” for a nephew who is not a reader but I’m the annoying aunt who keeps giving books at Christmas, carefully chosen for a non-reader in the hopes they may just fall in love with reading. I purchased the set of “Mother-Daughter Book Club” which was mentioned in Let The Kids Speak at the end of one of your podcasts for my niece. And I bought my eldest nephew “War on Wednesdays” based on your recommendation for teen books.
Thank you for all the information you share. I heed what you say.
The Wilderking Trilogy was up there for sure. The Audible rendition was fantastic!
My boys also loved “Nobody Likes a Goblin”, We borrowed it from the library,may have to own this one. My eldest is getting “The Bark of the Bog Owl” for Christmas from his uncle and aunt, can’t wait to read it!
Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary is the winner for my daughters this year. They are 10 and 7 and both enjoyed listening to it beyond words! Another discovery is Louis Sachar. The Wayside school brought the breakthrough for my reluctunt reader.
Hmmm the two of these I read this year I also really loved… so considering I have four others on my shelf, I should hop to it! Thanks for sharing your favorites :)
Out of my reading stacks, the favorites would be Big Little lies by Liane Moriarty and Educating Esmé by Esmé Raji Codell. Out of the books read with 7 yo DD, favorites would be Pinocchio, Pollyanna, A Christmas Carol.
Grace Lin’s trilogy for sure! my 5 year old and 3 year old boys loved the Chinese folktales within the story. The illustrations are gorgeous. We are just finishing up When The Sea Turned to Silver. So. Good.
I LOVE Chris Van Dusen! Have you every read Chris Van Dusen’s King Hugo’s Huge Ego? I discovered it a few months ago; it quickly became my favorite book of his.
One of my very favourites from this past year is The Road Home by Katie Cotton and illustrated by Sarah Jaboby. I bought quite a few copies to give as gifts!
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin. Loved reading this aloud to my kids. Enjoyed the Chinese folklore woven into the main story. Coherent and exciting plot that kept my kids aged 6 and 8 riveted!
I really loved that one too!
We read the Wingfeather Saga this year so of course that was my favorite! ;0)
My personal fave this year was Joseph Laconte’s A Hobbit, A Wardrobe, and a Great War. Really fascinating and inspiring read! Our favorite read aloud was The Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald. LOVE that you have The Hiding Place on your list. I read it in high school and have returned to it a few times in my life. Thank you for all the wonderful resources!
My oldest and I together read The War that Saved my Life and The War I Finally Won. While sequels often don’t live up to the original, this one was NOT a disappointment… and the bar was set high.
We look forward to more from the author.
Angie Sage’s Septimus Heap series; Jonathan Stroud’s Lockwood & Co. series; John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice series; The Girl Who Drank the Moon; Double cross; book scavenger.
My 14 year-old daughter is begging me to start Angie Sage’s series. :) She also loved Book Scavenger.
We loved the rollicking adventure of Septimus Heap, but I did feel uncomfortable with the crossover of good and evil at times. I was glad that I was listening with my kids.
Seven Sons and Seven Daughters by Barbara Cohen and Bahija Lovejoy. We found this on the Sonlight booklist. My kids and I resd it as quick as we could and sought to steal moments throughout the days to hurry through this. It is a love story but nothing innapropriate.
“Okay for Now”–that has been a fab of mine for years. Such a good, good book!
I love this list! So many new titles to explore :) The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place is already in line to be our next read-aloud (on your recommendation, of course). A few of my favorite discoveries this year were:
Gone-Away Lake, by Elizabeth Enright
Mystery & Manners, by Flannery O’Connor
Middlemarch, by George Eliot
Notes From the Tilt-A-Whirl, by ND Wilson
Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier
. . . but that’s only a few! They’re fresh in my mind, though, because I’m working on my own annual list of favorites for my blog :)
Oh, you read Middlemarch this year! It’s been on my to-read list for a long time. Can’t wait for the Favorite Books post!
I would love to know where you blog, and to read that favorite book post!
I read The Edge of Extinction and Code Name Flood out loud to my 11 and 9 yr old daughters. They absolutely LOVED both of them. By far our favorite books this year!
So hard to put down, right? :)
Great list! I taught The Hiding Place in our home school co op last year (I hadn’t read it since my high school years) and it was so good. Mr. Ten Boom is right up there with Atticus Finch on my list of “favorite dads from literature”. My boys and I read By the Great Hornspoon by Sid Fleishman since we were learning about the California gold rush. It was our favorite read aloud this year other than Alice in Wonderland.
By far, my favorite was The War that Saved My Life (which I expected to make this list). I also just read The War I Finally Won which was good too. Hattie Big Sky and 100 Cupboards would be a tie for 2nd. My favorite non-fiction was Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World.
The War That Saved My Life —LOVED IT! Listened as an audio book. Very powerful, beautiful story. Definitely a fave from this year!
We love Chris Van Dusen too, but the one we love is If I Built a House! The illustrations are fabulous!
Mmm… I also love to make my list at the end of the year. Will have to get to it. But I have to agree with Echo… A master piece of an audio book.
I read Rebecca and LOVED it… and I also ‘pre-read’ The Trumpeter of Krakow (19289 Newberry winner) for my 10 year old boy- beautiful and it brought back memories as I lived in Slovakia for 2 years and visited Krakow twice