One thing I struggle with at this time of year — when the sun stays up so long and the kids protest bedtime because of it, is finding books I don’t get bored with. These are the kinds of books that I actually look forward to turning the pages on every night as I lay in bed with my daughter.
Well let me tell you, I’ve found a great number of books that will be harder for you to leave with them at night than they are to pick up in the first place. What that means is they are awesome.
So next time your kids are complaining about it being too bright outside to go to sleep, huddle up with one, or all, of these, and get reading.
Crash Adams [1]
by Mike Adamick
Crash Adams is the young hero I wish I had been when I was growing up. We have read the first book, One ear returns, and hope to pick up more of this series that follows Crash on her adventures through the wild with her sidekick dog, Zorro.
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Vol. 1 [2]
by by Amy Reeder and Brandon Montclare
This is most definitely the kind of superhero sage you and your kids can enjoy together. If there’s one thing my daughters have always considered to be a certainty in life, it’s that a dinosaur would make a great partner in fighting crime.
Daddy, Fly [3]
by Leah Reynolds and Mike Reynolds (me!)
Well, this is kind of my list and my daughter and I have written a couple of really short bedtime stories and so I’m putting it right here. This is the story of a parent realizing how wonderful it can be to live in the dreamworlds our kids create.
The Princess of Spadina [4]
by Ramabai Espinet
“Three little girls living in Toronto find magic on its streets in The Princess of Spadina. With each girl coming from a different culture, these three friends encounter a real princess in dreadlocks who leads them on a merry and magical adventure. What's the princess' secret? Her magical running shoes, of course!”
DC Super Heroes: My First Book of Girl Power [5]
by Julie Merberg
This one is a shorter one, maybe meant more for your younger kid who keeps begging for one more story before they have to “go to sleep.” There were a few superheroes I had never even read about and gave us the opportunity to make up our own superhero stories about them using the powers we read about in the book.
Mike is an Ottawa born-and-raised husband to one and father to two girls who are changing the world as you read this. He’s mildly obsessed with making sure his daughters never learn to colour inside the lines and with making sure they know they’re both one-of-a-kind. He also writes bedtime stories with his daughters about everything from robots who play soccer to giants who play hopscotch.
He shares stories about the trials and tribulations of raising two girls after growing up in a house full of boys.
MIke also blogs at PuzzlingPosts.com [12] and can be found on Twitter @EverydayGirlDad [13].