FROM SARAH:

Lauded by many as some of the best American books of all time for children, the Little House series is based on Laura Ingalls Wilder's real life. I prefer to listen to these on audio (narrated by Cherry Jones) rather than reading them aloud. Highly, highly recommended for all ages. Also wonderful on audio (Audible | LibroFM).

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

The first in Laura’s story about her family of American pioneers. Join the Ingalls family as they celebrate Christmas and the harvest and their first trip to town.

FROM SARAH:

The author/illustrator of this book was homeschooled himself! This book (my favorite of his) tells the true story of his own family's adventure building... well, their house. A family favorite.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A family tale of building a new house. Kids will love all the details about how a house is made, parents will enjoy the nods to the (exhausting) work of parenting, all while celebrating that beauty that is a family in its own place in the world. Your kids can meet the (homeschooled!) author/illustrator Jonathan Bean at his Author Access video replay in RAR Premium.

FROM SARAH:

"It's funny how ideas are, in a lot of ways they're just like seeds. Both of them start real, real small and then... woop, zoop, sloop... before you can say Jack Robinson, they've gone and grown a lot bigger than you ever thought they could." This is one of my top recommendations for teens. An absolutely unforgettable read-aloud.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

It's 1936, in Flint, Michigan. Times may be hard, and ten-year-old Bud may be a motherless boy on the run, but Bud's got a few things going for him...

FROM SARAH:

This historical novel will take you to the American frontier with a girl who faces the harsh natural world in order to find out what it really means to be home.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

For most of her life, sixteen-year-old Hattie Brooks has been shuttled from one distant relative to another. Tired of being Hattie Here-and-There, she summons the courage to leave Iowa and move all by herself to Vida, Montana, to prove up on her late uncle’s homestead claim. Despite daily trials, Hattie continues to work her uncle’s claim until an unforeseen tragedy causes her to search her soul for the real meaning of home.

FROM SARAH:

I love this book so much, I selected it for its own Family Book Club at RAR Premium.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Newbery Medal-winning author Patricia MacLachlan’s poignant text and award-winning artist Kenard Pak’s gentle and rustic illustrations paint the picture of a beautiful red barn and the people who call it home.

FROM SARAH:

From our very own Waxwing Books, this picture book with gorgeous illustrations by Gabrielle Grimard will, we hope, become a bedtime favorite!

FROM THE PUBLISHER: 

Just before first morning light, Little Shrew is awakened by the moon.

A mysterious fragrance leads her to a garden of moonflowers, where moths flutter, crickets hum, and frogs and peepers keep the beat. Join Little Shrew’s merry romp in the moonlit garden in this bedtime story for adventurous souls.

FROM SARAH:

Here's the deal. If you ever (ever ever ever) see a book by Cynthia Rylant, you should buy it and add it to your home collection. This particular title includes Wendy Anderson Halperin's charming illustrations that will certainly keep your kids looking a little longer than necessary! Highly recommended.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

With gracious text and enchanting images, Newbery medalist Cynthia Rylant and acclaimed illustrator Wendy Anderson Halperin invite readers home--to remind us why there's no place like it!

FROM SARAH:

A story of loss, belonging, home, and forgiveness, told in an unforgettably beautiful way. Best for teens (and mamas!).

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Abilene Tucker's father sends her ot hte immigrant town of Manifest in rural Kansas with little explanation, and Abilene feels abandoned and alone. In her room, she discovers a a hidden cigar box full of memories... memories that will change Abilene's experience forever. Gorgeous language, a compelling plot, and characters who will stay with you long after you close the pages.

FROM SARAH:

We're big fans of Sally Clarkson around here! This book is a particularly lovely invitation to creating a haven at home, where everyone feels seen and loved.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

There is good news waiting for you in the pages of The Lifegiving Home. Every day of your family’s life can be as special and important to you as it already is to God. In this unique book designed to help your family enjoy and celebrate every month of the year together, you’ll discover the secrets of a life-giving home from a mother who created one and her daughter who was raised in it: popular authors Sally and Sarah Clarkson.

FROM SARAH:

This story is epistolary perfection! Perfect for when you're learning about The Great Depression, letter writing, or springtime/gardens. It's one of my all-time favorites.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

It's the Great Depression, Uncle Jim is grumpy, and Lydia Grace is shipped off to live with him. She worries she'll have nowhere to plant her beloved seeds, and she also wonders if she'll ever see Uncle Jim smile. One of my all-time favorites.

FROM SARAH:

This book is balm for the homeschooling soul. It tells the story of a girl named Fred who attends a one-room schoolhouse in remote Alaska, 1948. We meet the new teacher, Miss Agnes, whose first order of business is to throw out the textbooks and lesson plans, and read aloud Robin Hood instead. ⁣It only gets better from there. 😉⁣

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Ten-year-old Frederika (Fred for short) doesn't have much faith that the new teacher in town will last very long. After all, they never do. Most teachers who come to their one-room schoolhouse in remote, Alaska leave at the first smell of fish, claiming that life there is just too hard.

But Miss Agnes is different -- she doesn't get frustrated with her students, and she throws away old textbooks and reads Robin Hood instead! For the first time, Fred and her classmates begin to enjoy their lessons and learn to read and write -- but will Miss Agnes be like all the rest and leave as quickly as she came?

FROM SARAH:

This new middle grade novel, set in WWII London and featuring three orphaned siblings is EASILY one of the best novels I’ve read in a long while.⁣ There is the English countryside. And tea. And a mischievous boy named Edmund (yes! Edmund!), siblings who work together to get themselves through a rough patch, and a librarian you will fall in love with. ⁣There are bookish references galore. ⁣
⁣
Read it aloud to all ages (probably 7+ will enjoy it most). Or just read it yourself! It’s an utter delight. ⁣Want the RAR Family Book Club Guide to go with it? Join RAR Premium to get it.

The audiobook is especially well done. One of the best books I've ever shared with my kids. (Audible | LibroFM).

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

It is 1940 and William, 12, Edmund, 11, and Anna, 9, aren't terribly upset by the death of the not-so-grandmotherly grandmother who has taken care of them since their parents died. But the children do need a guardian, and in the dark days of World War II London, those are in short supply, especially if they hope to stay together. Could the mass wartime evacuation of children from London to the countryside be the answer?

FROM SARAH:

An informative book with lots of photographs of The Great Depression. Best for ages 10+.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:
The Great Depression for Kids provides a balanced and realistic picture of an era rife with suffering but also deep-rooted with hope and generosity. Beginning with a full chapter on the 1920s, the book provides important background knowledge to help set the stage for an in-depth look at the decline of the economy and attempts at recovery over the next decade.

FROM SARAH:

One of my new tippy-top favorites. This gorgeous book, told in one windy sentence that twists and turns, is a delight. If you like big-family stories like Home in the Woods by Eliza Wheeler or The Seven Silly Eaters by Maryann Hoberman & Marla Frazee, this book is for you!

FROM THE PUBLISHER: 

Step inside the dollhouse-like interior of Farmhouse and relish in the daily life of the family that lives there, rendered in impeccable, thrilling detail. Based on a real family and an actual farmhouse where Sophie salvaged facts and artifacts for the making of this spectacular work, page after page bursts with luminous detail and joy. Join the award-winning, best-selling Sophie Blackall as she takes readers on an enchanting visit to a farmhouse across time, to a place that echoes with stories.

FROM SARAH:

A book by Gary D. Schmidt, Phyllis Root, and Melissa Sweet? YES, PLEASE. I loved this beautiful picture book biography. Perfect for fans of Miss Rumphius.

FROM THE PUBLISHER: 
Celia Thaxter grew up on a desolate island off the coast of Maine, where her father worked as lighthouse keeper. This picture book biography tells the true story of when Celia’s family moved to nearby Appledore Island, where her father built a large hotel, and Celia planted a bigger, ever-growing garden with nearly sixty types of flowers, from asters to wisteria.

FROM SARAH:

From the author of The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street comes a stand-alone story about a newly homeless New York City family. Karina Yan Glaser's classic hopeful writing style, in a completely new story. Excellent, I think, for ages 8-14.

FROM THE PUBLISHER: 

It's June’s first day at Huey House, and as if losing her home weren’t enough, she also can’t bring her cherished viola inside. Before the accident last year, her dad saved tip money for a year to buy her viola, and she’s not about to give it up now. Tyrell has been at Huey House for three years and gives June a glimpse of the good things about living there: friendship, hot meals, and a classical musician next door.

FROM SARAH:

My very first picture book, inspired by something Jeanne Birdsall (yes, THAT Jeanne Birdsall) said to me during a walk through her neighborhood in Northampton. Hear about the making of this book here and here!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Sly as a fox and swift as a bird, Lou Alice is determined to leave each day a little more beautiful than she found it. But when she moves away from her little house, no one in town notices she's gone. No one, that is, except a little girl, who sets out to carry on Lou Alice's work. But doing so is not enough. Can the girl find a way of her own to make the world a little more beautiful?

FROM SARAH:

What is a home? This book explores homes all around the world, for all kinds of people! Your kids will love the simple and lovely illustrations.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

The picture book debut of Carson Ellis, acclaimed illustrator of the Wildwood series and Lemony Snicket's The Composer is Dead, this is a gorgeous, imaginative celebration of the many possibilities of home. Home might be a house in the country, a flat in the city, or even a shoe. There are clean homes, messy homes, sea homes and bee homes. Home resides on the road or the sea, in the realm of myth, or in the artist's own studio. This loving look at the places where people live brims with intriguing characters and is a visual treat that demands many a return visit.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

FROM SARAH:

I think the covers of this series are unfortunate and don't accurately depict the quality of the text within! This is a great book for ages 8+ that will give your kids a solid fundamental understanding of this time in history.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

On October 29, 1929, life in the United States took a turn for the worst. The stock market – the system that controls money in America – plunged to a record low. But this event was only the beginning of many bad years to come. By the early 1930s, one out of three people was not working. People lost their jobs, their houses, or both and ended up in shantytowns called “Hoovervilles” named for the president at the time of the crash.