Books

FROM SARAH:

One of my own favorites on this list. A classic that doesn't get old.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Illustrated in full color. Mr. and Mrs. Bird's search for a "better" nest leads them to some peculiar spots.

FROM SARAH:

I think all of the early readers from All About Reading are worth owning. They were some of my younger kids' favorite books to practice reading on! Well written and illustrated. Easy to use either with All About Reading or on its own.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A phonics-based reader, Run, Bug, Run!: a collection of short stories contains charming, beautifully illustrated stories.

FROM SARAH:

I think all of the early readers from All About Reading are worth owning. They were some of my younger kids' favorite books to practice reading on! Well written and illustrated. Easy to use either with All About Reading or on its own.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A phonics-based reader, The Runt Pig: a collection of short storiescontains charming, beautifully illustrated stories.

FROM SARAH:

I think all of the early readers from All About Reading are worth owning. They were some of my younger kids' favorite books to practice reading on! Well written and illustrated. Easy to use either with All About Reading or on its own.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

12 Short stories from the All About Reading Program.

FROM SARAH:

I think all of the early readers from All About Reading are worth owning. They were some of my younger kids' favorite books to practice reading on! Well written and illustrated. Easy to use either with All About Reading or on its own.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A phonics-based reader, Queen Bee: a collection of short stories contains charming, beautifully illustrated stories.

FROM SARAH:

I think all of the early readers from All About Reading are worth owning. They were some of my younger kids' favorite books to practice reading on! Well written and illustrated. Easy to use either with All About Reading or on its own.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A phonics-based reader, Chasing Henry: a collection of short stories contains charming, beautifully illustrated stories.

FROM SARAH:

I think all of the early readers from All About Reading are worth owning. They were some of my younger kids' favorite books to practice reading on! Well written and illustrated. Easy to use either with All About Reading or on its own.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A phonics-based reader, Shipwreck!: a collection of short stories contains charming, beautifully illustrated stories.

FROM SARAH:

I think all of the early readers from All About Reading are worth owning. They were some of my younger kids' favorite books to practice reading on! Well written and illustrated. Easy to use either with All About Reading or on its own.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A phonics-based reader, Heirloom Antics: a collection of short stories contains charming, beautifully illustrated stories.

FROM SARAH:

I think all of the early readers from All About Reading are worth owning. They were some of my younger kids' favorite books to practice reading on! Well written and illustrated. Easy to use either with All About Reading or on its own.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A phonics-based reader, The Voyage: a collection of short storiescontains charming, beautifully illustrated stories.

**Description from Amazon: A 2016 National Book Award Finalist! Two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo returns to her roots with a moving, masterful story of an unforgettable summer friendship. Raymie Clarke has come to realize that everything, absolutely everything, depends on her. And she has a plan. If Raymie can win...

**Description from Amazon: From two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo comes a story of discovering who you are — and deciding who you want to be.When Louisiana Elefante’s granny wakes her up in the middle of the night to tell her that the day of reckoning has arrived and they have to leave home immediately, Louisiana i...

FROM SARAH:

Wendell Berry’s storytelling is tender, wise, and steeped in the rhythms of rural America. He offers a meditation on the quiet heroism of an ordinary life faithfully lived. Jayber Crow invites readers to lean in and rediscover what it means to be part of a community that offers belonging and relentless love. I’d recommend it for readers 15+.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

“This is a book about Heaven,” says Jayber Crow, “but I must say too that . . . I have wondered sometimes if it would not finally turn out to be a book about Hell.” It is 1932 and he has returned to his native Port William to become the town's barber.

Wendell Berry’s clear-sighted depiction of humanity’s gifts―love and loss, joy and despair―is seen though his intimate knowledge of the Port William Membership.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

As the sun rises on her snow-covered world, Little Cub wonders aloud…“What is heaven like?”With tender words, her Papa describes a wonderful place, free of sadness and tears, where God warmly welcomes his loved ones after their life on earth is over.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2016!This heartwarming classic picture book by beloved children’s book author Margaret Wise Brown is beautifully re-illustrated for a contemporary audience by the critically acclaimed, award-winning illustrator Christian Robinson.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Gus lives in a big park in the middle of an even bigger city, and he spends his days with Ida. Ida is right there. Always. Then one sad day, Gus learns that Ida is very sick, and she isn’t going to get better. The friends help each other face the difficult news with whispers, sniffles, cuddles, and even laughs. Slowly Gus realizes that even after Ida is gone, she will still be with him—through the sounds of their city, and the memories that live in their favorite spots.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

When Jack meets Old Man Death coming towards his cottage, he realises at once what's up. "You're not taking my old mother!" he cries, and hits out at Death with his fists. With each punch, Death gets smaller and smaller, until Jack is able to squeeze him inside a hazelnut shell.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

After being initiated into a neighbor's family by a solemn backyard ceremony, a young Russian American girl and her African American brothers' determine to buy their gramma Eula a beautiful Easter hat. But their good intentions are misunderstood, until they discover just the right way to pay for the hat that Eula's had her eye on. A loving family story woven from the author's childhood.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Little Bear's friends help him understand what it means to say goodbye Grandmother Bear has gone for ever, and Little Bear is feeling sad. His mother wisely suggests that perhaps asking his woodland companions what saying goodbye means to them will help him understand his loss.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Badger's friends are sad when he dies but treasure the memories he left them.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Sally and her brothers are walking home from school along the dunes in their Maine town when they come upon an enormous whale. He’s stranded on the beach. Her brother runs for help, and many people rally to respond, but the tide is going out quickly and the whale is just so big. Still, Sally is able to sit near the whale’s massive eye and tell him he’s beautiful and strong, and that she will miss him no matter what happens. Master storyteller Jane Yolen and illustrator Melanie Cataldo have created an authentic portrait of vulnerability that is at once spare, moving, and honest.

**Description from Amazon: Dr. Michael Gurian has studied and served children for thirty years. In The Wonder of Girls (2002), he presented a science-based approach to raising healthy and successful daughters. In the Minds of Girls, he pioneers new and intuitive approaches to health and wellness in all three important areas o...

#1 New York Times bestseller Brandon Mull launches Scholastic's wildly popular multiplatform phenomenon.Four children separated by vast distances all undergo the same ritual, watched by cloaked strangers. Four flashes of light erupt, and from them emerge the unmistakable shapes of incredible beasts ...

Adventure awaits in the Five Kingdoms—come and claim it with the first three books in the “fanciful, action-packed” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fablehaven and Beyonders series.Cole Randolph was just trying to have a fun time w...

One New York Times bestselling author, four bestselling series starters. This boxed set includes the first books of the Fablehaven, Beyonders, The Candy Shop Wars, and Five Kingdoms series!It’s four fantastical worlds in one! Meet magical creatures in Fablehaven, become a hero in Beyonders, taste ...

**Description from Amazon: Book 2 in the Dragonwatch series War has come to the dragon sanctuaries of the world, and nowhere is the danger more intense than at Wyrmroost. After a humiliating defeat at the hands of Kendra and Seth, Celebrant, King of Dragons, prepares to unleash his fury and take control of his native preserve...

FROM SARAH

The first book I ever read about homeschooling. This book, I think, has had the most profound impact on the way I’ve looked at education throughout homeschooling.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Shows parents and teachers how children's learning experiences can be extended to every aspect of life, giving them a new richness, stability, and joy for living.

**Description from Amazon: A love for reading is one of the most precious gifts that we can give children. It nurtures their imagination and creativity, lets them explore other worlds, and opens their minds to new truths and knowledge in appealing, inspiring ways. But how can we sort through thousands of children's books to d...

**Description from Amazon: The New York Times bestselling memoir of the heroic young inventor who brought electricity to his Malawian village adapted for young readers. Now available in paperback! When a terrible drought struck William Kamkwamba's tiny village in Malawi, his family lost all of the season's crops, leaving th...

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

If you are going to buy only one book on grief, this is the one to get! It will validate your grief experience, and you can share it with your children. You can leave it on the coffee table so others will pick it up, read it, and then better appreciate your grieving time.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A steady best-seller and The Invisible String is reaching all over the World! OVER 250,000 copies sold! "That's impossible", said twins Jeremy & Liza after their Mom told them they're all connected by this thing called an Invisible String.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

In this useful book from the First Experience series, the affable star of Mister Rogers Neighborhood helps children share feelings of the loss of a pet while offering reassurance that grieving is a natural, healing thing to do.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

My cat Barney died this Friday. I was very sad. My mother said we could have a funeral for him, and I should think of ten good things about Barney so I could tell them...But the small boy who loved Barney can only think of nine. Later, while talking with his father, he discovers the tenth -- and begins to understand.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:
Tiger Rose's kitten days are long gone and she's grown too tired to stay, so she says her goodbyes to all the creatures and the joys of her natural world—from the scolding blue jay, to the dog and children she shares her home with, to a chipmunk, startled by her gentleness, to her favorite shady patch under a piney bush. In a final vision, Tiger Rose takes one last leap into the blue sky and becomes one with all—the earth, the air, the sun. . . . This is perhaps the most reassuring book on death available for children.

"The day she was born, her grandfather made her a ring of silver and a polished stone, because he loved her already." Through the years, the little girl and her grandfather share so many happy times -- playing by the sea, walking in the mountains, working in his store. And when he grows sick, she ta...

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Buckley and his Mama live in a cozy cabin by the ocean. He loves to carve boats out of the driftwood he finds on the beach nearby. He makes:big boats long boats short boats and tall boats, each one more beautiful than the last, and sends them out to sea.

Everett Anderson's Goodbye is a touching portrait of a little boy who is trying to come to grips with his father's death. Lucille Clifton captures Everett's conflicting emotions as he confronts this painful reality. We see him struggle through many stages, from denial and anger to depression and, fi...

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Since Samantha Jane's dad died, she has been sad and quiet, keeping to herself. One day, her neighbor Mrs Cooper gently asks her about her missing smile, and Sammy Jane begins to open up about her grief, her worries, and her confusion.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

When her Grandpa Jack dies, Hope remembers the time she went with him to pick blackberries, and she realizes that he will continue to live in her and in her memories.

A little boy and his family gather at the cemetery for the unveiling of his grandpa's gravestone, bringing stones to place on the grave, in the Jewish custom. They tell stories that help the boy deal with his loss, reminding him of the wonderful memories he has of his grandpa.

Set in Mexico amidst the monarch butterflies' annual migration and during the Days of the Dead, Ghost Wings, written by Barbara M. Joosse, author of the best-selling Mama, Do You Love Me?, and illustrated with the luminescent artwork of Giselle Potter, is the touching story of a little girl whose ve...

FROM THE PUBLISHER: 

Anne Sibley O'Brien's dreamlike illustrations beautifully complement this fictional story based on real-life experiences. Back matter contains information about the admission of Cambodian refugees into the United States, specifically Maine, after soldiers forced them out of their homeland in the 1970s. An author's note and glossary are also included.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

It may be round like a pumpkin and even orange like a pumpkin, but this is NOT a pumpkin! If it's not a pumpkin, then what is it? Preschoolers and toddlers will love knowing the answer and enjoy the fun, "unexpected" ending!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

We can be sure of this: It's a circle without end. It's pumpkin seeds to pumpkins to pumpkin seeds again This treat of a picture book comes cloaked in the colors of fall.

FROM SARAH:

When it comes to Mercy Watson, I am a fan. I laugh every time I read them aloud!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

When the Watsons decide to zip their porcine wonder into a formfitting princess dress for Halloween – complete with tiara – they are certain that Mercy will be beautiful beyond compare.

FROM SARAH:

I just adore these illustrations! Helen Cooper’s masterful story and delightful characters have made this one a favorite for over twenty years.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:
Deep in the woods in an old white cabin, three friends make their pumpkin soup the same way every day. The Cat slices up the pumpkin, the Squirrel stirs in the water, and the Duck tips in just enough salt.

FROM SARAH:

A Halloween classic that’s a complete delight no matter the season! There are lots of fun editions of this one, so check out what your library has in stock.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

The witch and her cat are happily flying through the sky on a broomstick when the wind picks up and blows away the witch's hat, then her bow, and then her wand!  Luckily, three helpful animals find the missing items, and all they want in return is a ride on the broom.  But is there room on the broom for so many friends?  And when disaster strikes, will they be able to save the witch from a hungry dragon?

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A little girl chases her giant pumpkin all over town with some help along the way. It’s the perfect bedtime story to read with your little pumpkin.

FROM SARAH:

I will read (and love) anything by Margaret Wise Brown. This hidden treasure is perfect for your fall book basket.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

The celebrated author of Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny joins forces with the Caldecott Medalist of Smoky Night to tell this tender story about loving and enduring family relationships.

**Description from Amazon: Ruff! Ruff! Yip! Yip! Dog is rounding up whatever he can find in his urban apartment, even chairs. He is also driving his bird companion crazy with the commotion. Bird sends him to the countryside to find something more appropriate to herd, such as a cow. but since Dog has never seen a cow, he finds...

FROM THE PUBLISHER:
Every night the rhyme gets read. Every night Dish and Spoon run away. And every night they return--until tonight! Where can Dish and Spoon be? The rhyme can't go on without them, so Cat, Cow, and Dog set out to search for their missing friends.

**Description from Amazon: Deep, deep down in their underground town, the prairie dogs live in harmony--until a mysterious, fluorescent, very fuzzy thing (otherwise known as a tennis ball) rolls down their hole. When the prairie dogs discover that they can pluck and pull the fuzz into fabulous fashions, their fear quickly tur...

**Description from Amazon: Take an old family recipe, add four funny friends, mix in some hilarious cooking confusion, and you have a delicious picture-book treat for children of all ages!Book Details:Format: PaperbackPublication Date: 8/1/2005Pages: 48Reading Level: Age 4 and Up

**Description from Amazon: Poor Little Red Pen! She can't possibly correct a mountain of homework all by herself. Who will help her? "Not I!" says Stapler. "Not I!" says Eraser. "¡Yo no!" says Pushpin, AKA Señorita Chincheta. But when the Little Red Pen tumbles in exhaustion into the Pit of No Return (the trash!), her fel...

FROM SARAH:

Nobody draws animal expressions quite like Janet Stevens, and this book will make you and your kids laugh out loud!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Featuring Bear and Hare from their Caldecott-Honor winning Tops & Bottoms, the Stevens sisters celebrate perseverance and teamwork in this laugh-out-loud story of triumph over trickery. Bear would rather sleep all day than work on his farm, and Fox knows just the kind of help he needs—a donkey!

**Description from Amazon: Who's Epossumondas? Why, he's his mama's and his auntie's sweet little patootie, that's who. He's also the silliest, most lovable, most muddleheaded possum south of the Mason-Dixon line!Better choose your words wisely when he's around, 'cause otherwise you never know what you'll get. Epossumondas ju...

**Description from Amazon: Anne Miranda’s inventive twist on a classic rhyme tells what happens after a shopper goes “to market, to market, to buy a fat pig.” Back home the pig promptly escapes, and soon the pig’s in the kitchen, the lamb’s on the bed, the cow’s on the couch--and the rest of the animals are wreaki...

FROM THE PUBLISHER: 

It's a fine bright day, and all the animals are working--all except Anansi, that is! He's sleeping, as usual. Warthog, Lion, and Zebra laugh so hard at his messy house that they wake him up. Anansi stomps off in a huff--right into an amazing secret! Hyena has a magic stick that follows his orders.

**Description from Amazon: “A roaring good time.”—School Library Journal  You see, the jackalope didn't start out with horns. First he was a plain old hare. You know, a jackrabbit. The horns came later, along with a corny fairy godrabbit and a cranky coyote. And the trouble those horns brought—hoooo-wee!      Wit...