Classic Books to Read Aloud to Kids - Shakespeare, Twain & Dickens Stories Collection | Perfect for Bedtime Reading, Homeschooling & Family Bonding Time

I purchased this book for an ESL student that has some trouble with pronunciation and word flow. I believe that reading stories aloud helps develop a native, natural feel for the English language. I cannot say enough that is good about this particular volume.The language in these stories is beautiful. The vocabulary is rich. The stories are legacies of our culture that ought not to be missed. As I listened to my ESL student struggle to read a story aloud from this book, my heart ached for our children and our culture. The love that I feel for these stories and this literature is deep and I know that I did not instill that love in my own children nearly enough. As the years passed by, we were so very busy. We had lessons, we had AP tests, we had service projects, and even though our home did NOT have a television, we were still running on empty on that hamster wheel of life. Please fill your children's tank with stories that should by all rights be a part of who they are. Take the time to read these more complex stories to your older children. Don't stop reading when they tire of Goodnight Moon and start reading on their own. Yes, they have to read "Heart of Darkness" and "Slaughterhouse Five" but realistically, these classroom tomes are boring for them, and although they might spark their intellect, they do little to spark the imagination. I am 100% sure that the "Common Core" will only make this worse, as kids will increasingly be told to read Microsoft instruction manuals for credit so that they can become little heartless proles for big business. But I DIGRESS! Sorry about the political rant.Anyway, as you may know from my other reviews, I homeschool. Next year, my high school senior (finished with all available AP English related classes) will do nothing but joyful, imaginative reading for credit. We will also work on writing stories together. I plan to have her read this aloud to me. I deserve a story.