If only I could travel back in time to a literature class that required me to read and discuss the most thought-provoking works to date. Throw in a professor to lead the discussion and offer insight while sitting under a tree on a beautiful spring day- perfection! To think I had that life in college and didn’t appreciate it fills me with regret.

The closest I have come to recreating that type of experience since then is through my monthly book club gatherings, and truth be told, we get off-topic rather quickly. With eight women in a room, nice wine, and a delicious spread, the latest book (some of) the group read is obviously just an excuse for a girls-only night out.

So, Aunties, this is your chance to get your nieces and nephews on excited about classic books they will be “forced” to read in the coming years. Re-read them yourself along with the kids, prepare some discussion topics (if they’re not in the back of the book, you can easily find them online), and find a shady spot outside to talk.  

Here are a few of my favorites to get you started:

The Catcher in the Rye (by J.D. Salinger). Get inside the head of one of literature’s most fascinating teens, Holden Caulfield. Your nieces and nephews may think he speaks strangely, but remind them that there’s so much more between the lines.

Pride and Prejudice (by Jane Austen). It’s been reincarnated time and time again in pop culture (Pride Prejudice and Zombies, anyone?), but nothing compares to Auntie Jane Austen’s time-tested classic. Plus, who can resist the pull of a leading man like misunderstood Mr. Darcy?
 
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (by C.S. Lewis). An epic fantasy adventure beloved by generations, this classic has something to offer kids of all ages. If you’re looking to spend some QualAuntie time with them, this book is prime read-aloud material.

Wuthering Heights (by Emily Brontë). Arguably the darkest tale by one of the famous Brontë sisters, this isn’t your average happy-ending love story. Heathcliff and Cathy’s tragic romance is sure to spark up some interesting discussions between you and your niece or nephew.

To Kill a Mockingbird (by Harper Lee). Unforgettable in its poignant lessons and atmospheric drama, the story of Scout, Atticus and Boo Radley will forever be ingrained in the American psyche. One of the rare cases in which the movie is almost as good as the book, take the opportunity to further the discussion by watching the Academy Award-winning film version together after the reading is over.

Other essentials include:

Don Quixote (by Miguel de Cervantes)
A Tale of Two Cities (by Charles Dickens)
Canterbury Tales (by Geoffrey Chaucer)
Jane Eyre (by Charlotte Brontë)
The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings (by J.R. R. Tolkien)
Animal Farm (by George Orwell)
The Wind in the Willows (by Kenneth Grahame)
The Iliad & The Odyssey (by Homer)
Gulliver’s Travels (by Jonathan Swift)
War and Peace (Tolstoy)
Rabbit series (by John Updike)

The list goes on and on. What is the one classic book you would love to share with your niece or nephew? Please comment…we want to know!

Karen Gallagher is the owner of The Lollipop Book Club

Published: August 10, 2011