What should I read to the children at bedtime?

What should I read to the children at bedtime? (Suggestions gratefully received!)

Reading at bedtime or 'being read to' at bedtime has always been something to look forward to....

whether tucked up in a warm bed with a good book and a warm drink, or curled up on the sofa by the woodstove,surrounded by a very furry warm dog and numerous cats, there is something about a cosy setting for a good story that makes for a very relaxing end to the day.

But and it's a big but! it has to be the right story...

too exciting and you won't be able to put the book down, or if you can, your brain or their brains!, will be so alive and rushing about that the chance for a good nights rest has gone with the wind! this seems especially true when reading to children...

and the choice is even trickier when reading to different ages at the same time, a mildly exciting story can be fine for the 7/8 year old but be a recipe for overexcitement and nightmares for the younger 5/6 ... some books have to relagated to the 'daytime only' reads pile, others to the "older child only" and some to the "when you're both older pile"

So I thought I'd record some of our shared reads and see which books (for us at least) make the grade!

The Wonder Clock by Howard Pyle

A Chance library find. This is a satisfyingly fat book, first published in 1887 (the year of my Grandfather's birth) It contains twenty four stories. The binding states "Four and twenty marvelous tales, one for each hour of the day" of which we have so-far, read the first two,"Bearskin" and "The Water of Life" one on each evening since it arrived home.
Each story is illustrated with black and white drawings (engravings I suspect?)of a very William Morris /Craftsman feel. The stories are interesting and end satisfactorily and the audience is requesting more.







There is an interesting entry at wikipedia on Howard Pyle



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Pyle



Of the Wonder Clock they state..."Each tale was prefaced by a whimsical verse telling of traditional household goings-on at that hour, illustrated by his sister Katharine. The tales themselves were written by Pyle based on traditional European folktales."


EDIT
Oh drat and darn it ..I didn't preread the third story and it opened with a basket of ducklings being sat upon and not surviving the experience...instant result ..horrified look on face of six year old..self realising that quick thinking wasn't going to get me out of that hole... [well quick thinking might have but my brain wasn't in any sort of state to do anything that involved quick.. I was more ready for bed than they were and I'm afraid that is not an unusual state at 7 pm]
result floods of tears, not quite the intended bedtime ambiance I must say.
So back into the library bag it goes until I have time to have a good read first and out with the picture books...gosh I like Helen Oxenbury!