FROM SARAH:

The gold standard of children's books. Really, I don't actually think books get better than The Chronicles of Narnia. Guaranteed to suck you and your kids in every time. Especially wonderful on audio (Audible | LibroFM).

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Good, evil; battles, betrayals; this classic series begins with either The Magician’s Nephew, or The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (depending on who you ask!). There are 7 books in all -- one filled with more adventure and fantasy than the next.

FROM SARAH:

One of my all-time favorite children's classics. My kids all loved this book (boys and girls alike). We're reading it as our RAR Premium Family Book Club novel in spring 2024, in fact! Also great on audio! (Audible l Libro.fm)

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

What secrets lie behind the doors at Misselthwaite Manor? Recently arrived at her uncle's estate, orphaned Mary Lennox is spoiled, sickly, and certain she won't enjoy living there. Then she discovers the arched doorway into an overgrown garden, shut up since the death of her aunt ten years earlier. Mary soon begins transforming it into a thing of beauty--unaware that she is changing too.

FROM SARAH:

The Wingfeather series is among the books I recommend most often, and for good reason! We created an entire Fairy Tale Summer around this first book. I recommend it for ages 8+ who love a heart-pounding, adventurous fantasy.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Janner Igiby, his brother, Tink, and their disabled sister, Leeli, are gifted children as all children are, loved well by a noble mother and ex-pirate grandfather. But they will need all their gifts and all that they love to survive the evil pursuit of the venomous Fangs of Dang, who have crossed the dark sea to rule the land with malice.

FROM SARAH:

If there is an author I never get tired of reading, it's C.S. Lewis. His books (fiction and nonfiction alike) always offer something new, every time you read them.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

The classic Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis, the most important Christian writer of the 20th century, contains nine sermons delivered by Lewis during World War Two. The nine addresses in Weight of Glory offer guidance, inspiration, and a compassionate apologetic for the Christian faith during a time of great doubt.

FROM SARAH:

A listener to the podcast told us that this illustrated version of The Hobbit turned her kids into J.R.R. Tolkien enthusiasts! Wonderful on audio (Audible | LibroFM).

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A beautiful gift edition of J.R.R. Tolkien's enchanting tale, fully illustrated by Jemima Catlin.

FROM SARAH:

A classic fairy tale read. Edith Nesbit's books are loads of fun! This book happens to be mentioned in both Kate Albus's A Place to Hang the Moon and Sarah Arthur's Once a Queen.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Experience the magical and enchanting world of E. Nesbit's The Enchanted Castle in this beautifully designed edition. This captivating children's novel takes readers on a magical adventure filled with mysterious castles, hidden treasures, and extraordinary powers. Join the young protagonists as they navigate the realms of fantasy and imagination in this timeless tale.

FROM SARAH:

I haven't read this classic, but everyone I know who has read it has loved it!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

When orphaned young Maria Merryweather arrives at Moonacre Manor, she feels as if she's entered Paradise. Her new guardian, her uncle Sir Benjamin, is kind and funny; the Manor itself feels like home right away; and every person and animal she meets is like an old friend. But there is something incredibly sad beneath all of this beauty and comfort--a tragedy that happened years ago, shadowing Moonacre Manor and the town around it--and Maria is determined to learn about it, change it, and give her own life story a happy ending. But what can one solitary girl do?

FROM SARAH:

When their landlord decides he's not going to renew the Vanderbeekers' lease, the five Vanderbeeker kids launch a full-blown mission to change his mind. Highly recommended for kids of all ages (I read it to all six of my kids, from preschool through teen). A practically perfect family story that's first in a wonderful series. Meet the author, Karina Yan Glaser, in RAR Premium. Also wonderful on audio (Audible | LibroFM).

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

The Vanderbeekers have always lived in the brownstone on 141st Street. It's practically another member of the family. So when their reclusive, curmudgeonly landlord decides not to renew their lease, the five siblings have eleven days to do whatever it takes to stay in their beloved home and convince the dreaded Beiderman just how wonderful they are. And all is fair in love and war when it comes to keeping their home. A modern classic in the making reminiscent of the Penderwicks series, The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street is about the connections we make and the unexpected turns life can take.

FROM SARAH: 

This is the book I recommend most often when I’m asked about troublesome content in classics. This gorgeous memoir of author Mitali Perkins’s reading life made me glad to be a reader, and eager to read even more. This will be a 2022 Mama Book Club selection in RAR Premium. 

FROM THE PUBLISHER: 

Award-winning children's author Mitali Perkins grew up steeped in stories - escaping into her books on the fire escape of a Flushing apartment building and, later, finding solace in them as she navigated between the cultures of her suburban California school and her Bengali heritage at home.

FROM SARAH:

This is one of the books by Madeleine L'Engle that I haven't yet read! It's on my TBR, and Sarah Arthur (author of A Light So Lovely and Once a Queen) assures me it's a must.

FROM THE PUBLISHER: 

Story captures our hearts and feeds our imaginations. It reminds us who we are and where we came from. Story gives meaning and direction to our lives as we learn to see it as an affirmation of God’s love and truth–an acknowledgment of our longing for a rock in the midst of life’s wilderness.

FROM SARAH:

This collection of essays from Tolkien is heady and wonderful! My oldest daughter wrote her college thesis on it. For anyone who likes to think about the soul-enriching powers of stories.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

J.R.R. Tolkien's "On Fairy-stories" is his most-studied and most-quoted essay, an exemplary personal statement of his views on the role of imagination in literature, and an intellectual tour de force vital for understanding Tolkien's achievement in the writing of The Lord of the Rings.

FROM SARAH:

I love C.S. Lewis's essay collections so much! This one is especially good for those who love reading about the moral imagination and the power of stories to enrich us.

FROM PUBLISHER:

C. S. Lewis—the great British writer, scholar, lay theologian, broadcaster, Christian apologist, and bestselling author of Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other beloved classics—was a professor of literature at Oxford University, where he was known for his insightful and often witty presentations on the nature of stories. This collection assembles nine essays that encapsulate his ideas about fiction, including "On Stories," "The Death of Words," and "On Three Ways of Writing for Children," as well as eleven pieces that were unpublished during his lifetime.

FROM SARAH:

How have I missed this book from E. Nesbit, when I love her others so much? I haven't yet read this, but it comes highly recommended from Sarah Arthur, author of Once a Queen.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Journey to the roots of Narnia. C.S. Lewis enjoyed the writings of E. Nesbit from the time he was a child. And the story of Amabel and her journey through a mahogany wardrobe so struck him, that he later created his whimsical masterpiece, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Discover the tale that inspired the great C.S. Lewis, and journey to a world of fantasy and forgiveness. Available in audio only.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:
Vicky Austin is filled with strong feelings as she stands near Commander Rodney's grave while her grandfather, who himself is dying of cancer, recites the funeral service. Watching his condition deteriorate as the summer passes on beautiful Seven Bay Island is almost more than Vicky can bear. To complicate things, she finds herself the center of attention for three very different boys: Leo is an old friend wanting comfort and longing for romance; Zachary, whose attempted suicide inadvertently caused the Commander's death, is attractive and sophisticated but desperately troubled; and Adam, her older brother's friend, offers her a wonderful chance to assist in his experiments with dophins but treats her as a young girl just when she's ready to feel most grown-up.