12 Fall Read Alouds Your Whole Family Will Love

The crisp fall air, some hot apple cider, and a good book! All calling for some “couch time.” How lucky we are to be homeschooling where we can cozy up with our children and a great book and call it school.

Here are 12 Fall read alouds your whole family will love.

 

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

 

Pumpkin Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington

A young boy plants pumpkin seeds in the spring. Come fall, he harvests his pumpkin and carves it for Halloween. And he saves the seeds to plant again next spring. Beautiful pictures!

 

 

Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert

Leaf man is made up of beautiful fall leaves. The wind blows him over a marsh, prairie, and orchard where he meets other leaf friends. Such a creative story and pictures. Great book to go with leaf collecting.

 

 

Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

Stellaluna is a fruit bat who is separated from her mother and raised by birds. But in the end, she is reunited with her mother. So clever and sweet. I can’t count the number of times I read this book to my children! A favorite for sure.

 

 

The Story of the Root-Children by Sibylle von Olfers

Begins in winter with all the root children underground asleep. Mother Earth wakes them up for Spring. The root children busily ready for springtime and then play all summer long, until the autumn winds blow again.

 

 

 

Whisper from the Woods by Victoria Wirth

A beautiful, simple story about a little acorn that grows into a big, strong oak. And what happens in the forest when the old trees die. Very touching and magical. 

 

 

 

 

Woody, Hazel and Little Pip by Elsa Beskow

The autumn adventures of two little boys and their friend, all little nut children who can ride on the backs of squirrels and float on rafts made of leaves.

 

 

 

 

Johnny Appleseed by Reeve Lindbergh

A beautiful book with rhymed text and illustrations relating the life of John Chapman, whose distribution of apple seeds and trees across the Midwest made him a legend and left a legacy still enjoyed today.

 

 

Molly’s Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen

Molly is a Russian-Jewish immigrant who is mercilessly teased by her classmates. During a class project about Thanksgiving, the teacher helps Molly and the other children see the parallels between Thanksgiving and the Jewish harvest traditions, and between the experience of the the Pilgrims and Jewish immigrants. Beautiful. It will give you lots to discuss around the Thanksgiving dinner table.

 

 

 

Firefly Hollow by Alison McGhee

This gentle novel follows the friendship of Firefly, Cricket, and the little giant, Peter. They share many adventures and support each other through their fears and losses. Heartwarming, charming and full of courage.

 

 

 

The Wind Boy by Ethel Cook Eliot

A wonderful story of a brother and sister who can see a magical fairy land just above our own. The wind boy invites them into a mystical world in this old-fashioned, ethereal book. So very sweet.

 

 

 

 

Farmer Boy by Laura Engalls Wilder

This is the second book in the Little House series and a great one for the fall. It begins in January, but then goes through a year of the farmer boy’s life who grows up to marry Laura. The chapters on the Fall Harvest and Haying and fall foods are some of the best parts of this book. You can also get the whole series as a set here.

 

 

 

 

Walden by Henry David Thoreau

First published as Life in the Woods, this book is a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings. Two years of living in a cabin in the woods. Great for pre-teens and teenagers. This book is on many high school reading lists.

 

 

 

Enjoy the Fall reading adventure with your family!

Looking to winter? Check out Wholesome Winter Holiday Books for Children here.