Two Great Books to Read Aloud to Daughters

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Dear Michelle,

Well I’m not a lawyer, I’m Caucasian and clearly I am not married to the president-elect. However, I empathize with your challenge on the next phase of your motherhood journey as your usher your daughters into the White House and help them adjust to public scrutiny.

Personally I have always found reading a book to be a great escape—especially for a child. Reading out loud to one or both of my daughters while cuddling under a fuzzy blanket transports us all to another time and place—a respite that you may turn to with your children in the stressful weeks, months and years ahead. So while I cannot offer you guidance on setting up your own foundation or preparing inspiring speeches for crowds of thousands and certainly not greeting foreign dignitaries with graciousness, I can offer book suggestions.

Here are two to get suggestions that I found both enjoyable and full of discussion points as a parent of daughters. I hope that you can find time to read one or both.


Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

We started this book with my 14 year old niece reading out loud to my then 11 and 8 year old daughters while sitting on a dock. Pratchett’s ability to write accents phonetically allow anyone to read the book and portray a Wee Free Man with a broad Scottish brogue—pretty entertaining to hear a 40 year old New England woman sounding like a Scottsman—you too could provide peals of laughter! The trilogy begins with a 9 year old girl quickly learning witchcraft to save her younger brother. And as a mother, it teaches how witchcraft is really about listening to people, hearing their needs, helping them with their problems—certainly a gift to bestow upon a child, a gift which it sounds like you have already given your daughters.


Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

While many reviewers categorize this book as for Grades 5 to 8, I found reading it aloud to my daughter when she was in grade 4, opened up all sorts of teachable moments (okay, you likely have a plentiful supply of such moments) as well as being enjoyable and educational for both of us. I imagine that your daughters may catch snippets or more of discussions around some of the world’s atrocities as they go about their daily lives. This author while not condoning horrendous behavior in adults or children does create characters that move to the more sympathetic in a truly believable manner.

I am grateful for the time you, your husband and your children are giving to the United States. I hope that I can live up to my end of the bargain and make the country better each and every day.

Sincerely,