Type: chapter bookAges: 8-12Author: Lynne Reid Banks One of my childhood favorites! Decades had passed since I last read it, though, so I found time earlier this year to re-read…this time aloud to my children! They thoroughly enjoyed it and…
Type: chapter bookAges: 9-14Author: Gail Carson Levine You never know what a gift it is to be able to make your own decisions! Comedy is infused throughout the story, breaking up the “groan” scenes as the reader feels Ella’s pains…
Type: chapter bookAges: 7-12Author: George MacDonald The gravity lost refers to both the physical and psychological aspects. Not only does she float to the ceiling if someone forgets to hold onto her, but she also laughs constantly at everything, even…
Type: picture bookAges: 4-8Author: Jim AylesworthIllustrator: Barbara McClintock The story begins in the past, where the narrator’s grandfather immigrates to the United States at an early age. He works hard, falls in love, and lives to see 3 more generations…
Type: storybookAges: 4+Author: Arnold Lobel This is for adults just as much as for children! Some of the morals to the stories were very thought-provoking and could generate excellent conversations with your family. Here are a few favorites of mine:…
Type: biographical chapter bookAges: 9+*Author: Richard HannulaIllustrator: Marcus Mashburn *If this is a family read-aloud, it would be pretty easy to replace the maltreatment mentions and allow younger ages to hear most of each story. Some of the above conversation…
Type: chapter bookAges: 8-12Author: Elizabeth Jane Gray This book gives us such a unique view into the past! Gray artfully infuses the story with accurate historical facts and practices. It’s an overall fairly mild read, but there are definitely a…
Type: picture bookAges: 4-8Author: Toni BuzzeoIllustrator: Nancy Carpenter The note in the back describes how elements of this story are based on real history, which is neat. I appreciated the realness of the kids’ feelings–there was some worry and sadness–but…
Type: very long picture bookAges: 5+ (listening), 8+ (reading)Author: Marguerite de Angeli Although Quaker theology isn’t fully biblical and there are certainly legalistic issues with their lifestyle, the overall message of the book is still worth the read. Besides seeing…
Type: picture bookAges: 2-6Author: Kelly Paul Briggs A lot of lighthouse books concentrate more on the light management, ships at sea, storms, etc. (and I love them!). But this one focuses on how a little boy ends a particular wintery…
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