The Prairie Thief

The Prairie Thief is one of the best read alouds our family has ever heard. Maybe it was because we listened to the author, Melissa Wiley, read it to us live on social media, but everyone in our family loved it. Our toddler was mesmerized. My 10 year old even asked if I could buy the book after so he could read it again. Even I shushed my husband when he tried to talk to me while she was reading.

Title: The Prairie Thief
Author: Melissa Wiley
Publication Year: 2012
Website: http://melissawiley.com/
Age Group: Kindergarten, Early Elementary, Mid Elementary
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Comments: My family loved this book about a girl living on the prairie who has to prove her father is innocent of a crime. The interactions she has with the magical creatures she meets on her journey are absolutely delightful. The descriptions of those creatures and the repugnant family that she is staying with are extremely entertaining. This is basically the perfect family read aloud for large families with a wide age range.

I think because we were watching a video of the author reading instead of just listening, even my 3 year old would stay quiet on the couch and watch. My 10 year old son is usually pretty biased against books that have a female protagonist, but he loved this book. He loved it so much that he asked me if I would buy it for him after we finished listening to it so he could read it on his own again. The very night it arrived, he set aside the Calvin and Hobbes comic books that he usually reads in his bed to stay up late re-reading this book.

I’m hoping that the author will leave them up, but if you are able, I would definitely recommend checking out the replay videos of the author reading the story aloud. Melissa Wiley is a very talented storyteller in addition to being a talented author.

Included on Lists:

1. Personal Family Favorites: Kindergarten
2. Personal Family Favorites: Early Elementary
3. Personal Family Favorites: Mid Elementary

Related Links:

Best Books for Kids
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