Book List

MAMA RUCH’S BOOK LIST

Compiled by Katherine Ruch (and her children)

not exhaustive, growing longer as you read

Key

(B): Primarily of interest to boys

(G):  Primarily of interest to girls

Otherwise, most likely of interest to both

Levels of enjoyment (not necessarily reading levels)

L1:  Level 1: Approximately ages 2-5

L2:  Level 2: Approximately ages 4-7

L3:  Level 3: Approximately ages 7-10

L4:  Level 4: Approximately ages 10 and up

     

PICTURE BOOKS

A

Alsburg, Chris Van                       

            The Wretched Stone (L2 and up)

Anno, Mitsumasa

            Anno’s Journey (There are several Anno books.  Most are wordless and the reader

has to find Anno in various landscapes—very fun even for young  children) (L1 & L2)

Ardizonne, Edward

            The Tim series  (mostly B) (L2)

                        Tim and Ginger

                        Ship Cook’s Ginger

                        Tim and Charlotte

                        Tim to the Rescue

                                                …and more

Armstrong, Jennifer

            Pockets  (L2)

B

Barker, Cicely Mary

            The Lord of the Rushie River (L2 & L3)

Barklem, Jill

            The Brambly Hedge series (the illustrations are exquisite)  (mostly G) (L2 & L3)

                        Poppy’s Babies

                        Summer Story

                        Sea Story

                        Autumn Story
                        The Secret Staircase
            Children of the Forest

                        Winter Story

                        The High Hills

                        Spring Story

Bernadette 

            Varenka (a Russian story of a delayed answer to prayer and the miracle that results)(L2 and up)

Beskow, Elsa (all I’ve read of hers are great) (L1 & L2)

            Pelle’s New Suit

            Peter’s Old House

Bishop, Jennie  (These books are about preserving purity) (L2)

            The Princess and the Kiss

            The Squire and the Scroll

Bolton, Michael

            The Secret of the Lost Kingdom (L2)

Brett, Jan

            A Christmas Treasury (this includes most of her great stories with their gorgeous,
            lush illustrations;  you can easily find many of her individual books.) (L1 & L2)

Brisley, Joyce Lankester (L2)

            Milly-Molly-Mandy and sequels (G)

Brown, Margaret Wise (L1)

            The Little Fur Family (a house favorite)

Brumbeau, Jeff

            The Quiltmaker’s Gift            (phenomenal illustrations) (L1 & L2)

Bunting, Eve

            One Candle (a Hanukkah story—very moving) (L2 & L3)

C

Cannon, Janell (L1 & L2)

            Verdi

            Stellaluna

Caudill, Rebecca

            A Certain Small Shepherd (Christmas) (L2 & L3)

Caseley, Judith

            Mama Coming and Going (L1)

Celenza, Anna Harwell

            Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue (C.D. incl.) (L3 & L4)

Collington, Peter

            A Small Miracle (wordless Christmas story—a family favorite) (ALL)

Cooney, Barbara

            Miss Rumphius (L 2 & L3)

            Eleanor (about Eleanor Roosevelt’s life) (L2 & L3)

            Basket Moon (L1)

Craft, Charlotte

            King Midas and the Golden Touch (L2)

Cullen, Lynn

            The Mightiest Heart (L2 & L3)

D

Deedy, Carmen Agra

            The Yellow Star (L2 & L3)

DePaola, Tomie  (many Christian themes and saints’stories;  great illustrator;  a few

 suggestions:) (L1 & L2)

            The Clown of God

            Pascual and the Kitchen Angels

            The Holy Twins

            Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland

            The Night of Las Posadas   (Christmas)

DeRico, Ul

            The Rainbow Goblins (L1 & L2)

E

Early, Margaret

            Robin Hood (medieval looking illustrations—one plate per story) (L2 & L3)

Everett, Gwen

            John Brown:  One Man Against Slavery (L2)

F

Fair, Sylvia

            The Bedspread (G) (L2)

Field, Rachel

            Hitty (I like the one rewritten by Rosemary Wells and illus. by Susan Jeffers—a
            cross betw. a picture book and a chapter book—lovely, full page illustrations)  (G) (L2 & L3)

G

Gilman, Phoebe

            Something From Nothing (L1)

Gruelle, Johnny

            Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy series (L2)

            Wooden Willie (a little known one, but a family favorite) (L2 & L3)
            The Paper Dragon (L2 & L3)

Guarnieri, Paolo

            A Boy Named Giotto (L2 & L3)

H

Haas, Irene

            The Maggie B (L1 & L2)

Hall, Donald

            The Ox-Cart Man (L1)

Herriot, James

            A Treasury for Children  (great retellings from his veterinarian books) (L2-L4)

Hest, Amy

            When Jessie Came Across the Sea (L2 & L3)

Hissey, Jane

            Little Bear’s Trousers (L1)

Hoban, Russell

            The Frances books (mostly L1)

Hobbie, Holly (The Toot and Puddle series is good, but these are our favorites)(L1 & L2)

            Toot and Puddle

            Wish You Were Here

Hodges, Margaret (great retellings of many stories) (L2 & L3)

            Merlin and the Making of the King

            The Kitchen Knight

            Saint George and the Dragon

Houselander, Caryll

            Petook, an Easter Story (illus. by Tomie dePaola) (L2)

Hyman, Trina Schart (mostly an amazing illustrator) (L2)

            Retellings of Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, and Little Red Riding Hood

Hughes, Shirley (a house favorite—author and illustrator) (L1 & L2)

            All About Alfie (This is a compilation of Alfie stories.  They also are published

            individually as Alfie Gets in First, Alfie’s Feet, Alfie Gives a Hand, and

            An Evening With Alfie or individual stories)

            Dogger (had to read this one every night for weeks)
            Alfie Wins a Prize

            The Big Alfie Out of Doors Storybook

            The Big Alfie and Annie Rose Storybook

            

            Tales of Trotter Street

            Alfie and the Birthday Surprise

I

Iwamura, Kazuo  (for young children—cozy family stories and illustrations) (L1)

            The 14 Forest Mice and the Summer Laundry Day

            The 14 Forest Mice and the Spring Meadow Picnic           

            The 14 Forest Mice and the Winter Sledding Day

J

Johnson, Crockett

            Harold and the Purple Crayon (L1)

Johnston, Tony

            Yonder (L1)

K

Kellogg, Steven

            Paul Bunyan (B)(L1 & L2)

            Mike Fink (B) (L1 & L2)

Kinsey-Warnock and Helen Kinsey

            The Bear That Heard Crying (based on a true story about Sarah Witcher) (L2)

Krauss, Ruth

            A Hole is to Dig (L1)

L

Lasker, Joe

            A Tournament of Knights (L1 & L2)

Lindman, Maj (L2)

            Flicka, Ricka, Dicka (and all the different stories)

            Snip, Snap, Snurr (and all the different stories)

Lunge-Larsen, Lise

            The Race of the Birkebeiners (L2 & L3)

M

Mayer, Marianna

            Beauty and the Beast (beautiful illustrations) (L2)

MacLachlan, Patricia (I find her books painfully beautiful)

            All the Places to Love (L2)

            Through Grandpa’s Eyes (L2)

Mazer, Anne

            Salamander Room (B)(L1)

McClintock, Barbara

            Dahlia (L2)

McCloskey, Robert (L1 & L2)

            Lentil

            Make Way for Ducklings

            One Morning in Maine

            Blueberries for Sal

McLerran, Alice

            Roxaboxen (L2)

Meisel, Paul

            Zara’s Hats (L2)

Mills, Lauren

            The Rag Coat (L2)

N

Nesbit, E.

            The Book of Beasts (B) (L2)

Northcote, Nancy

            Pottle Pig  (hilarious stories with great illus. about a very mischievous pig) (L2)

O

O’Connor, Sandra Day

            Finding Susie (L2)

Oram, Hiawyn

            Badger’s Bring Something Party (L1 &L2)

P

Paterson, Katherine

            The Angel and the Donkey  ( a wonderful, beautifully illustrated retelling of the

            story of Balaam and his donkey) (L2)

Peet, Bill

            Capyboppy (L2)

            Chester, the Worldly Pig (L1)

Philbrick, Margaret  (All)

            Back to the Manger (lovely Christmas story with great local references & illus.)

Phillips, Mildred

            The Sign in Mendel’s Window (L2)

Potter, Beatrix (try getting the very small books as she published them) (L2)

            Peter Rabbit

            all her other books

Polacco, Patricia  (great current children’s author who illustrates her own books; appeals

to a broad range of children; celebrates family, miracle, and heritage.  I do not like all of her books because they express attitudes or moral choices with which I disagree, but the ones listed below are excellent.) (L2, unless otherwise noted;  enjoyed by all)

            Uncle Vova’s Tree            (an Epiphany story)

            The Trees of the Dancing Goats

            Betty Doll   (G)

            The Keeping Quilt
            Thunder Cake
            Rechenka’s Eggs

            Just Plain and Fancy

            Chicken Sunday

            Thank you, Mr. Falker

            The Christmas Tapestry (an amazing Christmas story)

            An Orange for Frankie  (a touching Christmas story)

            Tikvah Means Hope

            The Butterfly (heavy subject matter—Jews plight during the Holocaust) (L3)

            Pink and Say (for older children—a Civil War story) (L2 & L3)

            The Bee Tree

            January’s Sparrow

Poole, Josephine

            Joan of Arc (illus. by Angela Barrett) (L2)

Provensen

            The Master Swordsman and The Magic Doorway   (B) (L2)

R

Rand, Gloria

            Sailing Home (L2)

Riordan, James

            Jason and the Golden Fleece (a beautifully illustrated retelling) (L2)

Robertson, Bruce

            Marguerite Makes a Book (beautiful in showing how illumination was done) (L2)

Robinson, Joan

            Teddy Robinson (an easy chapter book—a house favorite) (L1 & L2)

Rogasky, Barbara (L2)

            Sleeping Beauty (illus. by Trina Schart Hyman)

            Rapunzel (illus. by Trina Schart Hyman)

            The Water of Life:  A Tale of the Brother’s Grimm
Rylant, Cynthia
            Let's Go Home (L1 & L2)
            Cobblestreet Cousins series (L2 & L3)
            The Relatives Came (L2 and up)

S

Sanderson, Ruth  (L2)

            The Crystal Mountain

            The Twelve Dancing Princesses

            Rose Red and Snow White

San Souci, Robert D.

            A Weave of Words (L2)

Sherman, Josepha

            Vassilisa The Wise (L2)

Steig, William (L1 & L2)

            Brave Irene

            Dr. DeSoto
            The Library

Stewart, Sarah (L2)

            The Money Tree

            The Gardener

            The Journey

T

Thayer, Jane

            The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy (precious story) (L1)

Tudor, Tasha (mostly known for her lovely illustrations) (All)

            Pumpkin Moonshine

            A Time to Keep

            A Doll’s Christmas

            Wings from the Wind (an anthology of poems)

V

von Stockhum, Hilda
            A Day on Skates (L2 and L3)

W

Waddell, Martin

            The Hidden House (G) (L2)

Wangerin, Walter, Jr. (L2--L4)

            Peter’s First Easter

            Mary’s First Christmas

Wells, Rosemary

            My Very First Mother Goose (L1)

            Lassie Come Home (a retelling—beautifully illustrated) (L2 & L3)

Wilde, Oscar

            The Selfish Giant (retold by many different authors;  I like the one by Fiona

            Waters, illus by Fabian Negrin, but I have seen others I love). (L2)

Wildsmith, Brian

            Joseph (a beautifully illus. retelling of the story of Joseph and his brothers)(L1)

Williams, Margery

            A Velveteen Rabbit (this is a lovely story; just make sure you find one with

            equally beautiful illustrations, as the options are plentiful.)(L2)

Wheeler, Lisa

            Sailor Moo: Cow at Sea (L1)

Wise, William

            The Black Falcon (from the Decameron, retold by Wise) (L2 & L3)

Wood, Audrey and Don

            Elbert’s Bad Word (great story, and they never tell you the bad word—yea!)(L1)

            King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub (L1)

           A Cowboy Christmas: The Miracle at Lone Pine Ridge (Christmas)(L2 & L3)

Wynne-Jones, Tim

            The Zoom Trilogy  (B) (L1 & L2)

 

CHAPTER BOOKS

Alcott, Louisa May (G) (L3 & L4)

            Little Women

            Little Men

            Jo’s Boys

            Eight Cousins

            Rose in Bloom

            Jack and Jill

Alexander, Lloyd
            The Pyrdain Chronicles (several books) (B) (L3 & L4)
Atwater, Richard

            Mr. Popper’s Penguins (L2)

Banks, Lynne Reid

            The Indian in the Cupboard (and sequels;  one of them has some weird spiritual

            aspects—may want to skip that one) (B) (L2 & L3)

Beatty, Patricia

            Turn Homeward, Hannalee (L3)

Blyton, Enid (a British author born at the turn of the century who wrote around 800

             books.  She has a cult following; worth exploring.)(L2 & L3)

            The Famous Five series

            The Children of Cherry Tree Farm

            Tales of Betsy Mae

Birdsall, Jeanne

            The Penderwicks (and sequels) (L3 and up)

Bond, Michael

            A Bear Called Paddington stories (L2)

Brink, Carol Ryrie (L3)

            Caddie Woodlawn

            Magical Melons

Brooks, Walter (L2—L4)

             Freddy series (aprox. 20 in the series;  written in the 1920’s—about a poet

             detective pig--humurous and clever) some of our favorites:

            Freddy goes to Florida

            The Clockwork Twin

            Freddy Goes to the North Pole

            Freddy, the Detective

            Freddy and Mr. Camphor

Browne, Frances

            Granny’s Wonderful Chair (fanciful stories) (L2 & L3)

Burnett, Frances Hodgson

            The Little Princess (L3)

            The Secret Garden (L3)

            The Racketty-Packetty House (L2)

Cassanova, Maria

            Moose Tracks (and sequel) (L3)

Caudill, Rebecca

            Happy Little Family (L2)

           Up and Down the River (others in this series, as well) (L2)

Cleary, Beverly (L2 & L3)

            Henry Huggins

            Henry and Ribsy

Dalgliesh, Alice

            The Silver Pencil (L3—L4)

            Bears on Hemlock Mountain (great boy story) (L1 & L2)

            The Courage of Sarah Noble (L2)

deAngeli, Marguerite

            Door in the Wall ( L3)

            Thee, Hannah (L3)

            (others, as well)

Dicamillo, Kate

            The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (L3 & L4)

            Mercy Watson series (L2)

Dillon, Eilis

            A Family of Foxes

            The Lost Island

Eager, Edward

            Knight’s Castle (L3)

            The Well-Wishers (L3)

            Half-Magic (L3)

Eckert, Allan W.

            Incident at Hawk’s Hill

Enright, Elizabeth (L3 & L4))

            Gone Away Lake

            Return to Gone Away Lake

            The Melendy Quartet (The Saturdays, The Four-Story Mistake, Then There Were

            Five, Spider Web for Two)

Estes, Eleanor (L2 & L3)

            The Hundred Dresses

            The Moffats and all the sequels

Fisher, Dorothy Canfield

            Understood Betsy (L2)

French, Allen (L3 & L4) (excellent boy stories!)

            The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow

            The Red Keep
Goudge, Elizabeth
             Linnets and Valerians
            The White Horse
Gallico, Paul

            The Man Who Was Magic
            The Snow Goose (L3--L4)

George, Jean Craighead

            My Side of the Mountain (and sequels) (L3 & L4)

            Julie of the Wolves (and sequels) (L3)

Gipson, Fred

            Old Yeller (L3 & L4)

Godden, Rumer

            The Doll’s House (G) (L3)

Goudge, Elizabeth

            The Little White Horse (L3 & L4)
            Linnets and Valerians (L3 & L4)
            Gentian Hill (G) (12 and up)

Graham, Kenneth

            The Wind in the Willows (I do like the one abridged and illustrated by Inga

Moore.  She doesn’t change the language, but does edit out lengthy description that for some children is cumbersome—including mine.) (L2 & L3)

Green, Roger Lancelyn  (one of the Inklings; wrote great versions of these and many

            other classics) (L3 & L4)

            The Adventures of Robin Hood

Grover, Wayne

            Dolphin Adventure (great short books;  true stories) (L2)

            Dolphin Treasure (L2)

Haywood, Carolyn

            “B” is for Betsy (and all the sequels) (G) (L2)

Harrison, Michael

            Don Quixote (a retelling of the Miguel de Cervantes tale) (B) (L3)

Henry, Marguerite

            Misty of Chincoteague (and sequels) (L3)

            King of the Wind (L3)

Henty, G.A. (the books are dense;  we prefer Jim Weiss’ edited & audio versions)(B)(L4)

            The Lion of the North

            The Reign of Terror

            The Young Carthaginian

            many more

Jacques, Brian

            Redwall (and all in the series) (great boy books!) (L3 & L4)

Jefferies, Richard

            Bevis, the Story of a Boy (written in 1906) (B)(L3)

Jewett, Eleanore M.

            The Hidden Treasure of Glaston (L3 & L4)

Jones, Elizabeth Orton

            Big Susan (G) (L2)

            Twig (G) (L2)

Konigsberg, E.L.

            The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (L3)

Larson, Kirby

            Hattie Big Sky (L3 & L4)

Lawhead, Stephen (though the writing is not completely even, these are solid page-

              turners) (L4)

            The Pendragon series (Taliesen, Merlin, King Arthur, etc.—Christian worldview,

             portrays the Druids as early Christian mystics)

            The Robin Hood series (Hood, Scarlet, Tuck)

LeFeuvre, Amy

            Teddy’s Button (great boy story) (written in 17^th century? republished by

            Lamplighter Publishing) (L2 & L3)

Lewis, C.S.           

            The Narnia Chronicles (All)
            All of his books as soon as children can read them, esp. The Screwtape Letters and The Great 
            Divorce (L4)
Lovelace, Maud Hart

            Betsy-Tacy (and all the sequels) (G)(L2 & L3)

MacDonald, Betty

            Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (and sequels)(L2)

MacDonald, George 

            The Princess and the Goblin (L2 and up)

            The Princess and Curdie (L2 and up)

            The Light Princess (L2 and up)

            Wise Woman (L4)

            all the books edited by Michael E. Phillips (ie. The Fisherman’s Lady, The

            Marquis’ Secret, etc.) (L4)

MacLachlan, Patricia (L3 & L4)

            Sarah, Plain and Tall (and all the sequels—painfully beautifully)

            Edward’s Eyes (beautiful, but very heavy subject matter—a child dies)

Mains, David and Karen (Christian fantasy for older children)(L3 & L4)

            Tales of the Kingdom

            Tales of the Resistance
            Tales of Restoration

Martin, Ann M. and Laura Godwin

            The Doll People (L3)

McCloskey, Robert

            Homer Price (L3)

McGraw, Eloise Jarvis (books have an Egyptian belief system—easy to discuss with

             older children) (L4)

            The Golden Goblet

           Mara, Daughter of the Nile

McSwigan, Marie

            Snow Treasure (WWII) (L3 & L4)

Milne, A.A.

            Winnie-the-Pooh (Certainly this is one of the best children’s books of all time.

Make sure to read the real version, not just all the picture book selections.  The whole family can enjoy the different levels of humor.)(All)

Montgomery, Lucy M.

            Anne of Green Gables series (L3 & L4)

            Emily of New Moon (and all the sequels) (L3 & L4)

Moody, Ralph (L3--L4)

            Little Britches (and all the sequels) (great boy books, though not exclusively so)

            Seabiscuit

            Shiloh trilogy

Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds (L3 & L4)

Nesbit, E. (L3 & L4)

            The Enchanted Castle

            The Railway Children
            Five Children and It
            The Phoenix and the Carpet

Norton, Mary

            The Borrowers (and all in the series) (L2 & L3)

O’Brien, Robert C.

            Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (L3)

Park, Linda Sue (L3 & L4)

            A Single Shard
            The Kite Fighters

Pearce, Phillipa (L3)

            Tom’s Midnight Garden
            Minnow on the Say

Peck, Richard (L3 & L4)

            Way Down Yonder

            A Long Way From Chicago

Perkins, Janet and John

            Haffertee Hampster Diamond (and sequels) (L2)

Peterson, John

            The Littles (and the sequels) (L2)

Pyle, Howard
            Men of Iron (L4)
            The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (L3--L4)
            King Arthur (L3--L4)
Ransome, Arthur

            Swallow and Amazons (and all in the series) (L3 & L4)

Rawling, Wilson

            Where the Red Fern Grows (L4)

Ray, Mary (historical fiction) (L4)

            The Ides of April
            Beyond the Desert Gate

Reilly-Giff, Patricia (L3 and up)
            Nory Ryan's Song
            Maggie's Door
            Eleven
            "R" My Name is Rachel
St. John, Patricia (L3 & L4)

            Treasures of the Snow

            Star of Light

            several others

Seldon, George

            A Cricket in Times Square (L3)

Shemin, Margaretha

            The Little Riders (a WWII story about a girl who is very courageous)(L3)

Seredy, Kate

            A Tree for Peter (an amazing redemptive story; a generational favorite in our

            family) (L2 & L3)

Sidney, Margaret

            The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew (and sequels) (L3)

Speare, Elizabeth George (L4)

            Calico Captive (a story of a woman captured by American Indians)

            The Bronze Bow (set in Jesus’ time; excellent story)

            The Witch of Blackbird Pond (set in medieval times in which people assumed

                     anyone strange was a witch;  this woman was a Quaker.)

            The Sign of the Beaver

Spyri, Johanna

            Heidi (not all sequels are written by Spyri, but are good) (L4)

Steig, William

            Dominic

            Abel’s Island

Stratton-Porter, Gene (L4)
            Laddie (one of my all time favorites)
            Freckles
            Keeper of the Bees
            Girl of the Limberlost
            The Magic Garden (G)
Sutcliff, Rosemary (wrote more than 60 children's books;  the ones we have read are amazing.  Here
             is a sampling):
            Black Ships Before Troy (retells The Illiad;  not for the faint of heart) (L2—L4)

            The Wanderings of Odysseus (retells The Odyssey) (L2--L4)
       these books are excellent historical fiction:  (L3--mostly L4)   
           The Eagle of the Ninth
           The Lantern Bearers
           The Shield Ring

Taylor, Sidney

            All of a Kind Family (and sequels) (L3)

Tolkien, J.R.R. (PLEASE do not let your children watch these movies until they have read the books!)

            The Hobbit (L3 & L4)
            The Lord of the Rings (L4 and up) (try the audio version read by Rob Inglis!!)

Von Trapp, Maria

            The Story of the Trapp Family Singers           

Von Stockum, Hilda

            The Winged Watchmen (WWII) (L4)
            The Mitchells series

White, E.B. (L2—L4)

            Charlotte’s Web

            The Trumpet of the Swan

White, John

            Archives of Anthropos

Wilder, Laura Ingalls

            The Little House books (all of them)(L2 & L3)

Wiggin, Kate Douglas, ed.

            The Arabian Nights (L4)

Williamson, Joanne (writes amazing historical fiction;  slowly being republished by

            Bethlehem Books—check their website)(L4)

            Hittite Warrior

            God King

Winthrop, Elizabeth

            The Castle in the Attic (L3)

Wright, Harold Bell

            Shepherd of the Hills (a generational family favorite) (L4)

 

COMIC BOOKS

Goscinny, R. and Uderzo, A.  (These comic books are translated from the French and are

                                                 clever stories set in the ancient world.)  (B)

            Asterix and Obelix and all the sequels (L4)

Herge  (These comic books, first written in 1929, are translated from the French.)

            The Adventures of Tin Tin  and all the sequels (L4)

ANTHOLOGIES

D’Aulaire, Ingre and Edgar

            Book of Greek Myths

Ferris, Helen

            Favorite Poems Old and New

Kennedy, Caroline, ed.

            A Family of Poems

Kennedy, X.J. and Dorothy

            Talking Like the Rain:  A Read-to-me Book of Poems

Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales

            Find a well illustrated anthology

Perrault, Charles

            The Complete Fairy Tales

Rosen, Michael

            Classic Poetry:  An Illustrated Collection

Stevenson, Robert Louis

            A Child’s Garden of Verses

Tudor, Tasha

            Wings from the Wind:  An Anthology of Poems

BIBLE STORY and DEVOTIONAL BOOKS

There are many great Bible story books.  Here are some that might be less familiar.

Bible Experience (an audio reading of the Bible by African American actors—annointed,

                             phenomenal;  my children love it)

Lindvall, Ella K.

            Read-Aloud Bible Stories (several volumes) (These are great for young children,

            ages 2-5)

The Picture Bible (yes, a comic strip Bible.  Surprisingly, this is an excellent source for

                              children to learn the Bible stories, and they love it.)

Hartman, Bob

            Early Saints of God (excellent stories of different saints with reflective questions
                                                and prayers) 
Jackson, Dave and Neta
            Hero Tales (a whole series of great biographies)
Lloyd Jones, Sally

            The Jesus Storybook Bible (fantastic storytelling, shows the unfolding story of Jesus even
            throughout the Old Testament;  the audio is exceptional)
Martin, Mildred A.

            Missionary Stories with the Millers (Excellent.  Avoid chapter 17, “Martyred at

                                  Midnight,” in which children watch the murder of their father.)

Tada, Joni Eareckson and Bobbie Wolgemuth

            Passion Hymns for a Kid’s Heart (several hymn volumes w/ accom. C.D.)
Vos, Catherine

            The Child’s Story Bible

YWAM publishers have amazing biographies of missionaries and heroes of faith

A Visit With Mrs. G (some of the best audio Bible story telling I’ve ever heard)

order online:  www.biblestoriesaliveministries.org

 

AUDIO BOOKS

Focus on the Family Radio Dramas (very well done, but abridged;  I much prefer having children listen    to these read first) Narnia series, Secret Garden, Little Women, Les Miserable, The Hiding Place, Ben Hur, Anne of Green Gables

Look for all of the chapter books above in audio version;  many are available.

 

BOOK LISTS

Wilson, Elizabeth

Books Children Love

Kilpatrick, William

Books That Build Character

Michael O’Brien

            Landscape With Dragons (book list in the back)

Sonlight curriculum catalog (this is a homeschooling curriculum, but the booklists in

 their catalog are phenomenal)

            consult website:  www.sonlight.com

Chinaberry catalog (great suggestions for early books;  some great suggestions for older

 children, but use caution.)

            consult website:  www.chinaberry.com