After many years of loving and reading books with my own children, and in Christian and homeschool classrooms, I continued sharing my love of learning and literature with young families through a weekly storytelling program, Tale-Spin Stories with Miss Kathy lasting seven years.
Next to dramatizing the best stories on the bookshelves for children of all ages, my favorite thing was to point parents in the direction of the best literature for their children to read at their specific interest and reading level. I designed the My Every Day a Story Journal, My Every Week a Book Journal, and Every Week a Read Literary Forensics Journal to help students grades K-12 to keep of record of their reading. See photo, left.
Here's a tip-of-the-iceberg list of classic books, series, poetry, and more to establish a top-notch Family Literacy Lifestyle in your home library. I've included books that you'll find recommended by many other lovers of literature and learning, as well as many of my own personal favorites.
I hope you enjoy your family reading adventures.
Many of these books will intrigue and delight you as an adult,
becoming much-loved stories you’ll want to return to again and again.
Next to dramatizing the best stories on the bookshelves for children of all ages, my favorite thing was to point parents in the direction of the best literature for their children to read at their specific interest and reading level. I designed the My Every Day a Story Journal, My Every Week a Book Journal, and Every Week a Read Literary Forensics Journal to help students grades K-12 to keep of record of their reading. See photo, left.
Here's a tip-of-the-iceberg list of classic books, series, poetry, and more to establish a top-notch Family Literacy Lifestyle in your home library. I've included books that you'll find recommended by many other lovers of literature and learning, as well as many of my own personal favorites.
I hope you enjoy your family reading adventures.
Many of these books will intrigue and delight you as an adult,
becoming much-loved stories you’ll want to return to again and again.
No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally – and often far more – worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond. ― C.S. Lewis
TIPS FOR OPTIMIZING FAMILY LITERACY LIFESTYLE MOMENTS:
CUSTOMIZE your title selections to the reading capacity of your child (i.e. students in the 3rd-4th grade levels may be able to manage books listed in the 5th-6th grade levels).
READ ALOUD books with elevated language and concepts to young children (i.e. a 5th-6th grade level story to 1st-2nd grade level students). Younger children have the ability to process and understand elevated stories that are read aloud, even though they cannot read them yet, on the printed page.
DISCUSS what you read and help your child develop the critical thinking skills to discern biblical principles within the story. Use Charlotte Mason's "narration techniques to further comprehension.
MARK-UP the pages of chapter books with a highlighter and pencil in notes to collect new words or grammatical figures of speech to review. Read to enjoy--but read to learn how to write, too.
FOLLOW-UP with interactive field trips or art projects related to elements in the story for greater impact and memory making. Journal reflections of your reading adventures. Use the My Every-Day-a-Story Journal For Girls Who Read and For Boys Who Read, My Every-Week-a-Book Journal, and Every Week a Read Literary Forensics Journal available from Pageant Wagon Publishing to keep a record of your reading.
CUSTOMIZE your title selections to the reading capacity of your child (i.e. students in the 3rd-4th grade levels may be able to manage books listed in the 5th-6th grade levels).
READ ALOUD books with elevated language and concepts to young children (i.e. a 5th-6th grade level story to 1st-2nd grade level students). Younger children have the ability to process and understand elevated stories that are read aloud, even though they cannot read them yet, on the printed page.
DISCUSS what you read and help your child develop the critical thinking skills to discern biblical principles within the story. Use Charlotte Mason's "narration techniques to further comprehension.
MARK-UP the pages of chapter books with a highlighter and pencil in notes to collect new words or grammatical figures of speech to review. Read to enjoy--but read to learn how to write, too.
FOLLOW-UP with interactive field trips or art projects related to elements in the story for greater impact and memory making. Journal reflections of your reading adventures. Use the My Every-Day-a-Story Journal For Girls Who Read and For Boys Who Read, My Every-Week-a-Book Journal, and Every Week a Read Literary Forensics Journal available from Pageant Wagon Publishing to keep a record of your reading.
Preschool & Kindergarten (read-aloud)
Richard Scarry’s Best Word Book Ever, by Richard Scarry
Good Night Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown
The Runaway Bunny, by Margaret Wise Brown
Aesop’s Fables, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle
Storytime and the Millers, by Mildred A. Martin
The Complete Tales of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter
A Home for Virginia, by Patricia St. John
The Real Mother Goose, by Blanche Fisher Wright
The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge, by Hildegarde H. Swift
Visit the library each week and allow your child to choose books that interest them. Choose books with interactive elements, tight texts, rhymes, repetition, and engaging illustrations. Make time to “visit” with the storybooks you borrow from the library every day before returning them for new titles.
Richard Scarry’s Best Word Book Ever, by Richard Scarry
Good Night Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown
The Runaway Bunny, by Margaret Wise Brown
Aesop’s Fables, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle
Storytime and the Millers, by Mildred A. Martin
The Complete Tales of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter
A Home for Virginia, by Patricia St. John
The Real Mother Goose, by Blanche Fisher Wright
The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge, by Hildegarde H. Swift
Visit the library each week and allow your child to choose books that interest them. Choose books with interactive elements, tight texts, rhymes, repetition, and engaging illustrations. Make time to “visit” with the storybooks you borrow from the library every day before returning them for new titles.
Grades K, 1, & 2 (read-aloud/beginning reading)
Bob Books – Box sets by Bobby Lynn Maslen (great for teaching HOW to read)
The Little Engine That Could, by Watty Piper
The Little House, by Virginia Lee Burton
Maybelle the Cable Car, by Virginia Lee Burton
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, by Virginia Lee Burton
Mother Chicken’s Eggs: Choosing to Grow into Greater Things, by Kathryn Ross
Bugaboo-Bee’s Bop: Patience for the Prize, by Kathryn Ross
Wisdom and the Millers: Proverbs for Children, by Mildred A. Martin (series)
The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats
The Cat in the Hat, by Dr. Suess
Blaze and Thunderbolt, book series by C.W. Anderson
Caps for Sale, by Esphyr Slobodkina
Amelia Bedelia, by Peggy Parish
Curious George, by H.A. Rey
Blueberries for Sal, by Robert McCloskey
Stone Soup, by Marcia Brown
Bread and Jam for Frances, by Russell Hoban
Loving One Another, by Neta Jackson
Frog and Toad All Year, by Arnold Lobel
Make Way for Ducklings, by Robert McCloskey
Story of Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf
Lentil, by Robert McCloskey
Fritz and the Beautiful Horses, by Jan Brett
Tuesday, by David Weisner
The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein
Time of Wonder, by Robert McCloskey
Song and Dance Man, by Karen Ackerman
St. George and the Dragon, by Margaret Hodges
The Brambly Hedge Series, by Jill Barklem
When I Was Young In the Mountains, by Cynthia Rylant
When the Relatives Came, by Cynthia Rylant
Bunny Bungalow, by Cynthia Rylant
The Boy Who Held Back the Sea, by Thomas Locker
Roxaboxen, by Barbara Cooney
Only Opal, by Barbara Cooney
Miss Rumphius, Barbara Cooney
Emily, (about Emily Dickinson) by Michael Bedard and Barbara Cooney
The Young Artist, by Thomas Locker
The Bear Who Heard Crying, by Natalie Kinsey Warnock
All the Places to Love, by Patricia MacLachlan
A Song for Lena, by Hilary Horder Hippely
Make Way For the Ducklings, by Robert McCloskey
Autumn with the Moodys (5 book series), by Sarah Maxwell
Love You Forever, by Robert Munsch
The Boxcar Children, book series by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Mr. Popper’s Penguins, by Florence Atwater Richard Atwater
Sarah, Plain and Tall, by Patricia MacLachlan
James Herriot’s Treasury For Children, by James Herriot
The Courage of Sarah Noble, by Alice Dalgliesh
Missionary Stories and the Millers, by Mildred A. Martin
Little House on the Prairie boxed set of 9 books, by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Velveteen Rabbit, by Marjery Williams
Town Mouse, Country Mouse, by Jan Brett
Winnie the Pooh, by A. A. Milne
Roxaboxen, by Alice McLerran
The Raft, by Jim LaMarche
The Spider and the Fly, by Mary Howitt and Tony DiTerlizzi
The Book of Virtues, by William J. Bennett (read-aloud for all ages)
Bob Books – Box sets by Bobby Lynn Maslen (great for teaching HOW to read)
The Little Engine That Could, by Watty Piper
The Little House, by Virginia Lee Burton
Maybelle the Cable Car, by Virginia Lee Burton
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, by Virginia Lee Burton
Mother Chicken’s Eggs: Choosing to Grow into Greater Things, by Kathryn Ross
Bugaboo-Bee’s Bop: Patience for the Prize, by Kathryn Ross
Wisdom and the Millers: Proverbs for Children, by Mildred A. Martin (series)
The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats
The Cat in the Hat, by Dr. Suess
Blaze and Thunderbolt, book series by C.W. Anderson
Caps for Sale, by Esphyr Slobodkina
Amelia Bedelia, by Peggy Parish
Curious George, by H.A. Rey
Blueberries for Sal, by Robert McCloskey
Stone Soup, by Marcia Brown
Bread and Jam for Frances, by Russell Hoban
Loving One Another, by Neta Jackson
Frog and Toad All Year, by Arnold Lobel
Make Way for Ducklings, by Robert McCloskey
Story of Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf
Lentil, by Robert McCloskey
Fritz and the Beautiful Horses, by Jan Brett
Tuesday, by David Weisner
The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein
Time of Wonder, by Robert McCloskey
Song and Dance Man, by Karen Ackerman
St. George and the Dragon, by Margaret Hodges
The Brambly Hedge Series, by Jill Barklem
When I Was Young In the Mountains, by Cynthia Rylant
When the Relatives Came, by Cynthia Rylant
Bunny Bungalow, by Cynthia Rylant
The Boy Who Held Back the Sea, by Thomas Locker
Roxaboxen, by Barbara Cooney
Only Opal, by Barbara Cooney
Miss Rumphius, Barbara Cooney
Emily, (about Emily Dickinson) by Michael Bedard and Barbara Cooney
The Young Artist, by Thomas Locker
The Bear Who Heard Crying, by Natalie Kinsey Warnock
All the Places to Love, by Patricia MacLachlan
A Song for Lena, by Hilary Horder Hippely
Make Way For the Ducklings, by Robert McCloskey
Autumn with the Moodys (5 book series), by Sarah Maxwell
Love You Forever, by Robert Munsch
The Boxcar Children, book series by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Mr. Popper’s Penguins, by Florence Atwater Richard Atwater
Sarah, Plain and Tall, by Patricia MacLachlan
James Herriot’s Treasury For Children, by James Herriot
The Courage of Sarah Noble, by Alice Dalgliesh
Missionary Stories and the Millers, by Mildred A. Martin
Little House on the Prairie boxed set of 9 books, by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Velveteen Rabbit, by Marjery Williams
Town Mouse, Country Mouse, by Jan Brett
Winnie the Pooh, by A. A. Milne
Roxaboxen, by Alice McLerran
The Raft, by Jim LaMarche
The Spider and the Fly, by Mary Howitt and Tony DiTerlizzi
The Book of Virtues, by William J. Bennett (read-aloud for all ages)
Grade 3 & 4
Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin, by Marguerite Henry
Betsy-Tacy Treasury: First Four Betsy-Tacy Books, by Maud Hart Lovelace
Tales from Shakespeare, by Charles and Mary Lamb
Caddie Woodlawn, by Carol Ryrie Brink
Sarah Whitcher’s Story, by Elizabeth Yates
Thee, Hannah!, by Marguerite De Angeli
The Bears on Hemlock Mountain, by Alice Dalgliesh
Paul Bunyan and His Great Blue Ox, by Wallace Wadsworth
Dangerous Journey: The Story of Pilgrim’s Progress, by Oliver Hunkin
Pollyanna, by Eleanor H. Porter
Dr. Doolittle Books, by Hugh Lofting
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by Frank L. Baum
Twig the Collie, by Craig Massey
The Borrowers, 5 book series by Mary Norton
Mountain Born, by Elizabeth Yates
Stuart Little, by E.B. White
Story Times With Grandma, by M.E. Yoder
More Story Times With Grandma, by M.E. Yoder
Brighty of the Grand Canyon, Marguerite Henry
Treasures of the Snow, by Patricia St. John
Scout: The Secret of the Swamp, by Piet Prins
A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Little Lord Fauntleroy, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Mary Jones and Her Bible, by Mary Ropes
Shepherd of the Highlands, by Lily A. Bear
Mama’s Bank Account, by Kathryn Forbes
Twenty-One Balloons, by William Pene du Bois
The Hundred Dresses, by Eleanor Estes
The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame
Tell Me About Heaven, by Randy Alcorn
The Yearling, by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
The Treasure Seekers, by E. Nesbit
The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams
The Water Babies, by Charles Kingsley
The Railway Children, by E. Nesbit
Mary Poppins, by P.L. Travers
The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh, by A.A. Milne
Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh, by Sally M. Walker
The Town that Fooled the British, by Lisa Papp
The Scarlet Stockings Spy, by Trinka Hakes Noble
Simeon’s Gift, by Julie Andrews Edwards
The Reluctant Dragon, by Kenneth Grahame
The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo
Because of Winn Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo
Ellen, by E.M. Almedingen
The Journeyman, by Elizabeth Yates
From Sea to Shining Sea: A Treasury of American Folklore & Folktales, by Amy Cohn
Dangerous Journey, by John Bunyan
Tales of the Resistance, by David R. Mains
Tales of the Kingdom, by David R. Mains
Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin, by Marguerite Henry
Betsy-Tacy Treasury: First Four Betsy-Tacy Books, by Maud Hart Lovelace
Tales from Shakespeare, by Charles and Mary Lamb
Caddie Woodlawn, by Carol Ryrie Brink
Sarah Whitcher’s Story, by Elizabeth Yates
Thee, Hannah!, by Marguerite De Angeli
The Bears on Hemlock Mountain, by Alice Dalgliesh
Paul Bunyan and His Great Blue Ox, by Wallace Wadsworth
Dangerous Journey: The Story of Pilgrim’s Progress, by Oliver Hunkin
Pollyanna, by Eleanor H. Porter
Dr. Doolittle Books, by Hugh Lofting
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by Frank L. Baum
Twig the Collie, by Craig Massey
The Borrowers, 5 book series by Mary Norton
Mountain Born, by Elizabeth Yates
Stuart Little, by E.B. White
Story Times With Grandma, by M.E. Yoder
More Story Times With Grandma, by M.E. Yoder
Brighty of the Grand Canyon, Marguerite Henry
Treasures of the Snow, by Patricia St. John
Scout: The Secret of the Swamp, by Piet Prins
A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Little Lord Fauntleroy, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Mary Jones and Her Bible, by Mary Ropes
Shepherd of the Highlands, by Lily A. Bear
Mama’s Bank Account, by Kathryn Forbes
Twenty-One Balloons, by William Pene du Bois
The Hundred Dresses, by Eleanor Estes
The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame
Tell Me About Heaven, by Randy Alcorn
The Yearling, by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
The Treasure Seekers, by E. Nesbit
The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams
The Water Babies, by Charles Kingsley
The Railway Children, by E. Nesbit
Mary Poppins, by P.L. Travers
The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh, by A.A. Milne
Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh, by Sally M. Walker
The Town that Fooled the British, by Lisa Papp
The Scarlet Stockings Spy, by Trinka Hakes Noble
Simeon’s Gift, by Julie Andrews Edwards
The Reluctant Dragon, by Kenneth Grahame
The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo
Because of Winn Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo
Ellen, by E.M. Almedingen
The Journeyman, by Elizabeth Yates
From Sea to Shining Sea: A Treasury of American Folklore & Folktales, by Amy Cohn
Dangerous Journey, by John Bunyan
Tales of the Resistance, by David R. Mains
Tales of the Kingdom, by David R. Mains
Grade 5 & 6
The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick
Hittie: Her First Hundred Years, by Rachel Field
Miss Hickory, by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey
Run for Your Life, by Betty Swinford
A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L’Engle
The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Pinocchio, by Carlo Collodi
The Swiss Family Robinson, by Johann Wyss
The Little Britches series, by Ralph Moody
My Side of the Mountain Trilogy, by Jean Craighead George
The Bronze Bow, Elizabeth George Speare
King Of the Wind, Marguerite Henry
Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery
Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell
Cheaper by the Dozen, by Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr.
Gentle Ben, by Walt Morey
Heidi, by Johanna Spyri
Johnny Tremain, by Esther Forbes
Freddy The Detective, by Walter R. Brooks
The Trumpeter of Krakow, by Eric Kelly
Old Yeller, by Fred Gipson
All-of-A-Kind Family, by Sydney Taylor
Across Five Aprils, by Irene Hunt
Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe
Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson
Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls
The Door in the Wall, by Marguerite De Angeli
Robin Hood: Children’s Classic, by Louis Rhead
Around the World in Eighty Days, by Jules Verne
Paul Bunyan and His Great Blue Ox, by Wallace Wadsworth
A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens
Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
The Chronicles of Narnia (all 7 books in one), by C.S. Lewis
The Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare
Encyclopedia Brown (older books of the series only), by Donald J. Sobol
Ester Ried’s Awakening, by Isabella Alden
Mr. Pipes and the British Hymn Makers, (series of 4) by Douglas Bond
Amos Fortune, Free Man, by Elizabeth Yates
Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott
The Golden Goblet, by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Peter Pan, by J.M. Barrie
The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame
The Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Paddle-to-the-Sea, by Holling C. Holling
Baby Island, by Carol Ryrie Brink
The Chestry Oak, by Kate Seredy
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, by Joan Aiken
Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll
Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang, by Ian Fleming
Little Pilgrim’s Progress, by Helen L. Taylor
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick and Chronicles of Harris Burdick, by Chris Van Allsburg (creative writing inspiration)
Whatever Happened to Penny Candy—An Uncle Eric Book, by Richard J. Maybury (excellent resource series about economics, teaching critical thinking for a healthy understanding about money and capitalism from an early age)
The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick
Hittie: Her First Hundred Years, by Rachel Field
Miss Hickory, by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey
Run for Your Life, by Betty Swinford
A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L’Engle
The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Pinocchio, by Carlo Collodi
The Swiss Family Robinson, by Johann Wyss
The Little Britches series, by Ralph Moody
My Side of the Mountain Trilogy, by Jean Craighead George
The Bronze Bow, Elizabeth George Speare
King Of the Wind, Marguerite Henry
Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery
Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell
Cheaper by the Dozen, by Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr.
Gentle Ben, by Walt Morey
Heidi, by Johanna Spyri
Johnny Tremain, by Esther Forbes
Freddy The Detective, by Walter R. Brooks
The Trumpeter of Krakow, by Eric Kelly
Old Yeller, by Fred Gipson
All-of-A-Kind Family, by Sydney Taylor
Across Five Aprils, by Irene Hunt
Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe
Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson
Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls
The Door in the Wall, by Marguerite De Angeli
Robin Hood: Children’s Classic, by Louis Rhead
Around the World in Eighty Days, by Jules Verne
Paul Bunyan and His Great Blue Ox, by Wallace Wadsworth
A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens
Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
The Chronicles of Narnia (all 7 books in one), by C.S. Lewis
The Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare
Encyclopedia Brown (older books of the series only), by Donald J. Sobol
Ester Ried’s Awakening, by Isabella Alden
Mr. Pipes and the British Hymn Makers, (series of 4) by Douglas Bond
Amos Fortune, Free Man, by Elizabeth Yates
Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott
The Golden Goblet, by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Peter Pan, by J.M. Barrie
The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame
The Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Paddle-to-the-Sea, by Holling C. Holling
Baby Island, by Carol Ryrie Brink
The Chestry Oak, by Kate Seredy
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, by Joan Aiken
Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll
Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang, by Ian Fleming
Little Pilgrim’s Progress, by Helen L. Taylor
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick and Chronicles of Harris Burdick, by Chris Van Allsburg (creative writing inspiration)
Whatever Happened to Penny Candy—An Uncle Eric Book, by Richard J. Maybury (excellent resource series about economics, teaching critical thinking for a healthy understanding about money and capitalism from an early age)
Grade 7 & 8
Safely Home, by Randy Alcorn
I, Juan de Pareja, by Elizabeth Borton De Trevino
In His Steps, by Charles M. Sheldon
The Hawk That Dare Not Hunt by Day, by Scott O’Dell
Dr. Oma: The Healing Wisdom of Countess Juliana von Stolberg, by Ethel Herr
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, by Jean Lee Latham
The Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan
The Prince and the Pauper, by Mark Twain
Tanglewood Tales, by Nathaniel Hawthorne
I Dared to Call Him Father, by Bilquis Sheikh
The Ocean of Truth (the story of Sir Isaac Newton), by Joyce McPherson
Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, by Howard Pyle
Around the World in 80 Days, by Jules Verne
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Verne
The Anne Series, by L.M. Montgomery
The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter (series of 8 books), by Susan Wittig Albert
Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott
Little Men, by Louisa May Alcott
Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson
David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens
Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage, by Alfred Lansing
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank
Hittite Warrior, by Joanne Williamson
The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom
The King’s Shadow, by Elizabeth Alder
Men of Iron, by Howard Pyle
Sherlock Holmes Mysteries, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
A Piece of the Mountain (The Story of Blaise Pascal), by Joyce McPherson
Peace Child (Sharing the Gospel with Cannibals), by Don Richardson
The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis
The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Lord of the Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Redwall Series, by Brian Jacques (for the child who is hard to interest)
Safely Home, by Randy Alcorn
I, Juan de Pareja, by Elizabeth Borton De Trevino
In His Steps, by Charles M. Sheldon
The Hawk That Dare Not Hunt by Day, by Scott O’Dell
Dr. Oma: The Healing Wisdom of Countess Juliana von Stolberg, by Ethel Herr
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, by Jean Lee Latham
The Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan
The Prince and the Pauper, by Mark Twain
Tanglewood Tales, by Nathaniel Hawthorne
I Dared to Call Him Father, by Bilquis Sheikh
The Ocean of Truth (the story of Sir Isaac Newton), by Joyce McPherson
Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, by Howard Pyle
Around the World in 80 Days, by Jules Verne
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Verne
The Anne Series, by L.M. Montgomery
The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter (series of 8 books), by Susan Wittig Albert
Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott
Little Men, by Louisa May Alcott
Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson
David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens
Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage, by Alfred Lansing
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank
Hittite Warrior, by Joanne Williamson
The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom
The King’s Shadow, by Elizabeth Alder
Men of Iron, by Howard Pyle
Sherlock Holmes Mysteries, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
A Piece of the Mountain (The Story of Blaise Pascal), by Joyce McPherson
Peace Child (Sharing the Gospel with Cannibals), by Don Richardson
The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis
The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Lord of the Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Redwall Series, by Brian Jacques (for the child who is hard to interest)
High School and Up
Invitation to the Classics, by Louise Cowan and Os Guinness (Excellent overview of Western literature beginning in ancient times through 20th century)
The Bard and the Bible: A Shakespeare Devotional, by Bob Hostetler
The Chosen, by Chaim Potok
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
The Eagle of the Ninth, by Rosemary Sutcliff
The Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas
Through Gates of Splendor, by Elisabeth Elliot
Evidence Not Seen: The Jungles of World War II, by Darlene Deibler Rose
Gulliver’s Travels, by Jonathan Swift
Moby Dick, by Herman Melville
War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy
The Idiot, by Fodor Dostoyevsky
The Brothers Karamazov, by Fostoyevsky
Through My Eyes, by Tim Tebow
Shaken, by Tim Tebow
Evangeline, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe
A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens
Ben Hur, by Lew Wallace
The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas
Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo
Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens
Hinds’ Feet on High Places, by Hannah Hurnard
The Robe, by Lloyd C. Douglas
Crime and Punishment, by Fodor Dostoyevsky
Middlemarch, by George Eliot
Complete Shakespeare Plays and Sonnets, by William Shakespeare
The Princess and the Goblins, by George MacDonald
The Princess and Curdie, by George MacDonald
At the Back of the North Wind, by George MacDonald
Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, by H.C. Anderson
All Creatures Great and Small, by James Herriot
Essays by Flannery O’Connor
The Lords of the Earth: An Incredible but True Story from Papua’s Jungle, by Don Richardson
Nicholas and Alexandra, by Robert K. Massie
The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis
Paradise Lost, by John Milton
The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer
Josephus
Majestie, by David Weems
Tyndale, by David Weems
Silas Marner, by George Eliot
Anne of Green Gables Complete Book Series, by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Betsy-Tacy Complete Series, by Maud Hart Lovelace
1984, by George Orwell
Animal Farm, by George Orwell
Watership Down, by Richard Adams
The Divine Romance, by Gene Edwards
Christy, by Catherine Marshall
A Man Called Peter, by Catherine Marshall
The Caledonia Series Books 1 & 2 (Celtic Stone, Ancient Strife) by Michael Phillips
The Cadfael Series by Ellis Peters
Lord Peter Whimsey series, by Dorothy Sayers
The Chronicles of Barsetshire, by Anthony Trollope
Daughter of Time, by Josephine Tey
The Jeeves Omnibus, by P. G. Wodehouse
North and South, by Elizabeth Gaskill
All novels by Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, George MacDonald, George Eliot, Ted Dekker, Michael Phillips, Steven Lawhead, J.R.R. Tolken, C. S. Lewis, G.K. Chesteron. Frank Peretti, Dorothy Sayers, P.G. Wodehouse
Anything from Lamplighter Books, republished 19th & early 20th century literature
Invitation to the Classics, by Louise Cowan and Os Guinness (Excellent overview of Western literature beginning in ancient times through 20th century)
The Bard and the Bible: A Shakespeare Devotional, by Bob Hostetler
The Chosen, by Chaim Potok
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
The Eagle of the Ninth, by Rosemary Sutcliff
The Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas
Through Gates of Splendor, by Elisabeth Elliot
Evidence Not Seen: The Jungles of World War II, by Darlene Deibler Rose
Gulliver’s Travels, by Jonathan Swift
Moby Dick, by Herman Melville
War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy
The Idiot, by Fodor Dostoyevsky
The Brothers Karamazov, by Fostoyevsky
Through My Eyes, by Tim Tebow
Shaken, by Tim Tebow
Evangeline, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe
A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens
Ben Hur, by Lew Wallace
The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas
Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo
Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens
Hinds’ Feet on High Places, by Hannah Hurnard
The Robe, by Lloyd C. Douglas
Crime and Punishment, by Fodor Dostoyevsky
Middlemarch, by George Eliot
Complete Shakespeare Plays and Sonnets, by William Shakespeare
The Princess and the Goblins, by George MacDonald
The Princess and Curdie, by George MacDonald
At the Back of the North Wind, by George MacDonald
Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, by H.C. Anderson
All Creatures Great and Small, by James Herriot
Essays by Flannery O’Connor
The Lords of the Earth: An Incredible but True Story from Papua’s Jungle, by Don Richardson
Nicholas and Alexandra, by Robert K. Massie
The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis
Paradise Lost, by John Milton
The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer
Josephus
Majestie, by David Weems
Tyndale, by David Weems
Silas Marner, by George Eliot
Anne of Green Gables Complete Book Series, by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Betsy-Tacy Complete Series, by Maud Hart Lovelace
1984, by George Orwell
Animal Farm, by George Orwell
Watership Down, by Richard Adams
The Divine Romance, by Gene Edwards
Christy, by Catherine Marshall
A Man Called Peter, by Catherine Marshall
The Caledonia Series Books 1 & 2 (Celtic Stone, Ancient Strife) by Michael Phillips
The Cadfael Series by Ellis Peters
Lord Peter Whimsey series, by Dorothy Sayers
The Chronicles of Barsetshire, by Anthony Trollope
Daughter of Time, by Josephine Tey
The Jeeves Omnibus, by P. G. Wodehouse
North and South, by Elizabeth Gaskill
All novels by Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, George MacDonald, George Eliot, Ted Dekker, Michael Phillips, Steven Lawhead, J.R.R. Tolken, C. S. Lewis, G.K. Chesteron. Frank Peretti, Dorothy Sayers, P.G. Wodehouse
Anything from Lamplighter Books, republished 19th & early 20th century literature
Poetry
101 Famous Poems (a MUST for every homeschool library)
New Treasury of Children’s Poetry, by Joanna Cole
Poems for Children by Eugene Field
A Light in the Attic, by Shel Silverstein (and other titles)
One Year Book of Poetry (365 devotionals featuring Scripture and classic poetry)
A Child’s Garden of Verses, by Robert Louis Stevenson
Shakespeare’s Sonnets
Works of William Wordsworth
Works of Walt Whitman
Works of Tennyson, Lord Alfred
Works by Robert Frost
Works by Emily Dickinson
Poetry for Young People Series (separate books include: Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Maya Angelou, Walt Whitman, Edgar Allan Poe, William Shakespeare, Carl Sandburg, Langston Hughes, Rudyard Kipling, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Lewis Carroll, Robert Lewis Stevenson, Robert Browning, William Butler Yeats, etc.
101 Famous Poems (a MUST for every homeschool library)
New Treasury of Children’s Poetry, by Joanna Cole
Poems for Children by Eugene Field
A Light in the Attic, by Shel Silverstein (and other titles)
One Year Book of Poetry (365 devotionals featuring Scripture and classic poetry)
A Child’s Garden of Verses, by Robert Louis Stevenson
Shakespeare’s Sonnets
Works of William Wordsworth
Works of Walt Whitman
Works of Tennyson, Lord Alfred
Works by Robert Frost
Works by Emily Dickinson
Poetry for Young People Series (separate books include: Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Maya Angelou, Walt Whitman, Edgar Allan Poe, William Shakespeare, Carl Sandburg, Langston Hughes, Rudyard Kipling, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Lewis Carroll, Robert Lewis Stevenson, Robert Browning, William Butler Yeats, etc.