The Joys of Reading Aloud

Last week as part of a series of posts reflecting on my sabbatical, I shared my reading list for that three-month journey. Amidst that list of books, there were several accompanied by this little comment in parentheses: “a read-aloud with Kelly.” I didn’t think much of that, since my wife, Kelly, and I have been reading books aloud for a long time. But one reader, Jerry, commented: “Please describe what a read-aloud with Kelly consists of—the how, what, where, why.” I appreciated Jerry’s comment and took it as an invitation, so here goes.

Kelly and I have read books aloud since before we were married, while we were in college. In fact, we read the entire Chronicles of Narnia aloud during the time of our engagement and first year of marriage (including one volume brought with us on our honeymoon). Over the years we have read many different books out loud together, such as G. K. Chesterton’s Father Brown mysteries or those mentioned on my sabbatical reading list, plus more demanding reads, like Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace during the pandemic (because…we had time on our hands and why not?).

When our sons were born, we read aloud with them. Perhaps at first, we read aloud to help them grasp language and develop intelligence. But as time went along, reading aloud as a family or with the children before bedtime became a favorite family activity. It offered us focused time together, helped the children settle down before bed, and brought us all great joy over the years. As our children grew older, we would still read aloud, sometimes taking on series that we would read at night or while on roadtrips together. We all enjoyed reading through what my kids today recall as some of their favorites: J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Samuel Clemens’ The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, or Andrew Peterson’s Wingfeather Saga.

Now with our kids largely out of the house, Kelly and I continue to read books aloud together. We usually read books out loud in the evening when we have time or sometimes in the car on trips. It is rare that we read more than a chapter or two of a book in one sitting, but sometimes we do find a book so entrancing that we find it hard to put down. We both take turns reading aloud, but I think I may end up doing more of the reading. When our kids were young, I think it was because they liked the voices I used for different characters, but I am pretty sure that’s not why Kelly lets me read more these days. When we were in college in a class on the works of William Shakespeare, Kelly and I read aloud with friends because, as dramas, they were much easier to understand aloud than they were while read quietly inside one’s head. My read-aloud community has been my family and spouse, but when we had visitors over while the kids were young, sometimes we would invite guests to join us in the joy of reading aloud. I can imagine any number of read-aloud communities taking shape. If you read aloud, I would enjoy hearing about your own read-aloud community.

Although in the past we have occasionally read non-fiction books aloud, we have found non-fiction works harder to persevere with. So we default toward reading fiction aloud with some occasional poetry mixed in (most recently Wendell Berry’s wonderful This Day: Collected and New Sabbath Poems). Within fiction we usually gravitate toward young adult fiction (although I don’t love that name for a category) because these works tend to be easier to follow by listening. Let me tell you, when we tried to read William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury aloud, it did not work. It was just too hard to figure out what was going on as the listener. And I’m pretty sure the only reason we finished reading Tolstoy’s War and Peace aloud was because of the strangeness of the pandemic (when we read it) and sheer force of will.

We’re always open to recommendations from others, which is how we found Peterson’s Wingfeather Saga, and I often check end-of-the-year booklists for ideas. Some of our most recent reads are from the Newberry Medal or honoree lists. At least with this sort of list as a guide, you know that a group of solid readers have agreed upon the suggestions.

To return to Jerry the reader’s comment, he asked about the “why” of reading aloud. I mostly commend reading aloud for the joy that it brings. Reading a book to yourself can be a wonderful experience. There are books I choose to read that Kelly wouldn’t enjoy and also books Kelly chooses to read that I may not enjoy, which is a normal experience. But when we share the experience of encountering a book together it is a joyous experience. It is delightful in the moment and memory-making. It is a source of conversation and intimacy within relationship. It is a wonderful alternative to staring at screens because it is personal and relational. Put plainly, reading aloud has brought me so much joy in life.

Perhaps some of you read aloud as well. I’d love to hear your experiences with it or recommendations on books you’ve enjoyed reading aloud. Two resources aimed at children that we utilized over the years for suggestions with reading aloud were Jim Trelease’s Read-Aloud Handbook (now in its 8th edition) and Gladys Hunt’s Honey for a Child’s Heart: The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life (now updated by her son, Mark). However, the possibilities are nearly limitless. Just ask a good friend or acquaintance, “What are some of the best books you’ve read recently?”