To celebrate the start to Family Literacy Month, parents on the Inspired Teaching team recommended inspired reads for you and your family!

Cosby, Senior Officer, Teaching & Learning: We love Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf, a great story about a character who charts his own (non-violent) path.

Aleta, Founder & President: When my daughters were young children, we loved reading the Madlenka stories–particularly Madlenka and Madlenka’s Dog by Peter Sis. The book builds in young children, and their parents, a sense of place. We learn we can be in a very small place and a very large place all at once. We learn the importance of context; everything matters: Madlenka’s discovery that her tooth wiggles is as important as the universe. As we read the book, we engage in Wonder-Experiment-Learn as we walk around Madlenka’s neighborhood with her and wonder about the context in which we live too.

Hetal, Director, Finance & Operations: We love to read The Wonderful Things You Will Be by Emily Winfield Martin. My daughter and I read this book every night and I love it because it promotes using her imagination and curiosity.

Martha, Director, Development & Strategic Partnerships: My children and I always enjoy reading I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.

Mary, Interim Executive Director : My son Ian and I have been reading Carl Hiaasen’s books for young adults.  I love Carl Hiaasen’s novels for grown-ups and it’s been fun to share his writing with my 11-year-old.  We’ve read three so far and have enjoyed making predictions about what’s going to happen next, which characters we like best, and what themes we see coming up across the books.

Becky, Manager, Teaching & Learning: Good Night, Gorilla is my favorite book to read with my one-year old. It combines many of my daughter’s favorite things: animals, reading at bedtime, and hiding. I love it because the words are simple and minimal, so we can make up a slightly different story every night and talk about the pictures. My husband says he likes it because there are so many little details in the story, he and my daughter have fun finding them together. It’s fun, mischievous, and inspires our imagination.

If you have a favorite book you read with your family, that promotes one of Inspired Teaching’s four I’s (Intellect, Inquiry, Imagination, Integrity), let us know! Tag us on Twitter at @InspireTeach.