Books

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Ranger has been trained as a search-and-rescue dog, but can't officially pass the test because he's always getting distracted by squirrels during exercises. One day, he finds a mysterious first aid kit in the garden and is transported to the year 1850, where he meets a young boy named Sam Abbott.

**Description from Amazon: Ranger, the time-traveling golden retriever with search-and-rescue training, finds himself in 1912... on board the Titanic!Everyone says the Titanic is unsinkable, and Patrick Murphy believes this most of all. He grew up near the shipyard where the magnificent ship was built and officially started w...

**Description from Amazon: Ranger, the time-traveling golden retriever with search-and-rescue training, arrives in New Orleans as Hurricane Katrina approaches and residents start to evacuate the city. Ranger meets Clare Porter, who is searching for her grandmother. Once Ranger helps Clare find Nana, he takes shelter with them...

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Ranger, the time-traveling golden retriever, is back for the second book in Kate Messner's new chapter book series. This time, he's off to save the day in ancient Rome!

Ranger is a golden retriever who has been trained as a search-and-rescue dog. In this adventure, Ranger travels to the Colosseum in ancient Rome, where there are gladiator fights and wild animal hunts! Ranger befriends Marcus, a young boy Ranger saves from a runaway lion, and Quintus, a new volunteer gladiator who must prove himself in the arena. Can Ranger help Marcus and Quintus escape the brutal world of the Colosseum?

FROM SARAH:

This picture book biography tells the story of Katherine Johnson, including her childhood and her mission with Apollo 13. Delightful!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

As a child, Katherine Johnson loved to count. She counted the steps on the road, the number of dishes and spoons she washed in the kitchen sink, everything! Boundless, curious, and excited by calculations, young Katherine longed to know as much as she could about math, about the universe.

"The sense of immediacy is irresistible and will cause children who consider the event just ancient history to feel as if they too had left footprints on that distant, dusty surface."—School Library JournalOnly July 29, 1969, as Americans sat glued to their televisions and radios, Neil Armstrong a...

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy issued a challenge to the nation: land astronauts on the moon by the end of the decade. The Apollo program was designed by NASA to meet that challenge, and on July 16, 1969, Apollo 11 lifted off from Kennedy Space Center carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael ...

Snappy verse and retro art brings readers along for Apollo 11's historic, eight-day mission to the moon in 1969. Young readers will learn the basics about the gear, equipment, and spaceship used by the astronauts, as well as the history of NASA's moon mission. O’ Rourke’s vibrant and retro illus...

A true story from one of the Women of NASA!Margaret Hamilton loved numbers as a young girl. She knew how many miles it was to the moon (and how many back). She loved studying algebra and geometry and calculus and using math to solve problems in the outside world. Soon math led her to MIT and then to...

FROM SARAH:

This picture book introduces young readers to the real‑life “human computers” whose calculations powered rockets, guided astronauts, and changed what was possible. A fantastic read!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

They participated in some of NASA's greatest successes, like providing the calculations for America's first journeys into space. And they did so during a time when being black and a woman limited what they could do. But they worked hard. They persisted. And they used their genius minds to change the world.

FROM THE PUBLISHER: 

The inspiring true story of mathematician Katherine Johnson--made famous by the award-winning film Hidden Figures--who counted and computed her way to NASA and helped put a man on the moon!

A gorgeous introduction to the twelve brave men who have left footprints on the moon, just in time to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the first lunar landing.On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong took one small step and made history. Over the course of the next three-and-a-half years, twelve lunar ...

FROM SARAH:

A classic! This one is on all the homeschooling booklists, and no wonder why. It's funny and unforgettable. Also, it's short... and you know how much I love a well-written, short book! 😉

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Every child needs to have a pet. No one could argue with that. But what happens when your pet is an owl, and your owl is terrorizing the neighborhood? In Farley Mowat’s exciting children’s story, a young boy’s pet menagerie—which includes crows, magpies, gophers and a dog—grows out of control with the addition of two cantankerous pet owls.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

While searching for a place to rest for the night, Dr. Elwin Ransom is abducted by a megalomaniacal physicist and his accomplice and taken to the red planet of Malacandra (Mars) as a human sacrifice for the alien creatures that live there. Once on the planet, however, Ransom eludes his captors, risking his life and his chances of returning to Earth, becoming a stranger in a land that is enchanting in its difference from Earth and instructive in its similarity.

FROM SARAH:

This debut novel from Amanda Dykes is a delight! Uplifting, historical, and dual timeline (I do love a dual timeline!). Hear me talk with Amanda about this novel, and our mutual love for Maine (without ever having been!) in Episode 133.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

In the wake of WWII, a grieving fisherman submits a poem to a local newspaper: a rallying cry for hope, purpose . . . and rocks. Send me a rock for the person you lost, and I will build something life-giving. When the poem spreads farther than he ever intended, Robert Bliss's humble words change the tide of a nation. Boxes of rocks inundate the tiny, coastal Maine town, and he sets his calloused hands to work, but the building halts when tragedy strikes. Decades later, Annie Bliss is summoned back to Ansel-by-the-Sea when she learns her Great-Uncle Robert, the man who became her refuge during the hardest summer of her youth, is now the one in need of help. What she didn't anticipate was finding a wall of heavy boxes hiding in his home. Long-ago memories of stone ruins on a nearby island trigger her curiosity, igniting a fire in her anthropologist soul to uncover answers.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In this captivating and lavishly illustrated young adult edition of her award-winning #1 New York Times bestseller, Laura Hillenbrand tells the story of a former Olympian's courage, cunning, and fortitude following his plane crash in enemy territory.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Chris loves rockets and planets and pretending he's a brave astronaut, exploring the universe. Only one problem--at night, Chris doesn't feel so brave. He's afraid of the dark.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Open your ears to the wonderful concert happening every warm day and night in our yards, fields, and woods nearby. Who are making those sounds? Can you sing along?

FROM SARAH:

Who eats bugs? This is a fun picture book that will keep curious kiddos' attention.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Discover the variety of bug-eaters—animal, plant, even human—in this exploration of both poetry and the natural world. Facklam’s playful rhymes mixed with Long’s vivid illustrations introduce young readers to an array of creatures as they munch on lunch. From a mantis perched and ready to prey on ladybugs, a spider trapping a fly, to the honey-drenched fur of a big brown bear chewing on a hive full of bees,

FROM SARAH:

This book is a masterpiece. Truly. Buy it. Keep it forever. And note the masterful use of circles all throughout. RAR Members, don't miss the Family Book Club on this one!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Be transported to the seaside in this timeless tale of life inside a Lighthouse. This book won the 2019 Caldecott Award for good reason. Spend some time enjoying the lush illustrations.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Right now, all around us, thousands of insects are doing strange and wonderful things: wasps are building nests, ants are collecting food, and dragonflies are readying for the hunt. But it's not always easy to catch sight of these six-legged creatures; you have to know where to look. Guided by this book, readers will happily become insect detectives and find out just what those bugs are up to.

FROM SARAH:

The diary of a praying mantis. Funny and informative. See if your library has it!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

"May 17: I was born today! It's a beautiful, sunny spring day!"

This is the diary of P. Mantis, one of 150 brothers and sisters born on a garden bush. P. Mantis is an amazing bug: she can make herself look like a stick to hide from predators, she can swivel her head all the way around, and when she's grown up she'll even be able to fly!

FROM SARAH:

I love the illustrator's use of color in this picture book that feels just right for the end of summer.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox meets Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever in this stylish picture book about a quest for a rare and mysterious plant.Fox loves nature. There's nothing he enjoys more than reading about and picking flowers.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Follow the red canoe from page to page as it journeys down river carrying the family on a camping tour. It's the next best thing to paddling it yourself.

FROM SARAH:

Beach House brings a warm, golden summer vacation right into your lap. This book captures the sweetness of family beach days with humor and heart. A lovely companion to your family’s own summer days.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

In a funny and heartfelt celebration of family, vacations, and the joy of the sea, Deanna Caswell and Amy June Bates capture the essence of summer—building sand castles, jumping the waves, and watching the stars come out after a long day at the beach—and the love that warms every moment.

FROM SARAH:

Look for this book at your library! It'll have you pining for a long day at the ocean in no time.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Relive a day at the beach with this lovely book of memories. You can almost feel the salt spray on your face and smell the musky scent of ocean in the cool morning air. Remember how the sand squishes between your toes as the tide rushes to shore and taste the tang of the ocean on your lips. Spirited language evokes a sense of closeness and nostalgia for an old friend.

Perfect to celebrate the new baseball season, here is the life and famous words, such as "it ain't over till it's over," of Major League Baseball player and New York Yankee Lawrence "Yogi" Berra.Yogi Berra loved his family, his neighborhood, his friends, and, most of all, baseball. He was crazy for ...

A gorgeous, expressive picture-book biography of Marc Chagall by the Caldecott Honor team behind The Noisy Paint Box.Through the window, the student sees . . .His future--butcher, baker, blacksmith, but turns away.A classmate sketching a face from a book. His mind blossoms.The power of pictures. He ...

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Frank Lloyd Wright, a young boy from the prairie, becomes America's first world-famous architect in this engaging and inspirational nonfiction picture book introducing organic architecture--a style he created based on the relationship between buildings and the natural world--and transformed the America.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A child and his beloved best friend go on a grand sea adventure in this magical picture book by the author and artist who created If I Had a Little Dream.You just never know what a new day will hold if you are brave enough to find out.

FROM SARAH:

This is a timeless story about a girl's imaginative adventure on the sea. Cozy, delightful, and worth reading and rereading (which is good, because your kids will likely ask for many re-readings!).

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

In a beautifully constructed story, a little girl's wish to sail for a day on a boat named for her" with someone nice for company" comes true.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

On peaceful days on his barge in New York Harbor, Captain Barnacle loves to spin salty yarns about his life on the Seven Seas and the shipwrecks he's been in.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

One of the most beloved children's stories ever—the classic Little Golden Book tale of Scuffy, an adventurous little tugboat. Meant for "bigger things," Scuffy the Tugboat leaves the man with the polka-dot tie and his little boy and sets off to explore the world.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

From opals to orchids and tapirs to toadstools, this beautiful collection brings more than 100 incredible items from the natural world to life. Perfect for all the nature-loving readers on the planet we call home.

FROM SARAH:

In general, when you see a Jim LaMarche book, you should just buy it. This one is no exception! You'll love the pictures as much as your kids.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Inspired in part by his own childhood, this gorgeous picture book from Jim LaMarche, the beloved illustrator of A Story for Bear and The Elves and the Shoemaker, tells the story of one stubborn boy’s unexpectedly wonderful summer on the river.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

As they wait for the arrival of a new baby, Maita tells her great-grandniece the story of her remarkable childhood. Living sheltered on a lighthouse island with only her parents for company, Maita always longed for a sibling-longed not to be the only child the ragged island knew.

FROM SARAH:

Something about the way the ocean meets the sky enlivens the imagination, and the Fan brothers catch that mystery beautifully in this lush picture book.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

From the creators of the gorgeous bestseller The Night Gardener comes a stunning new picture book about a young boy who sets sail to find a place his grandfather told him about the spot where the ocean meets the sky.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

In this luminously illustrated and poetic picture book, a little girl and her father and mother journey by foot and by boat together through the fairy tale wonders of the world they share.

FROM SARAH:

Lovely illustrations that make you pine for the ocean. Don't miss my conversation with author, Max Lucado, on the podcast - RAR #240: Nourishing a Child's Heart with Books.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Best-selling author Max Lucado helps young children grasp the unending love of God in this beautifully illustrated story of discovery and wonder in exploring the amazing world that God has made.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Life with only the sea can be lonely. Just ask Pandora and Seabold—they've lived most of their lives with the sea,  and they're each quite used to being alone. Or they were. But one day, something extraordinary happens... (this book is the beginning of a series)

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

The fight for women's suffrage between women's rights leader Alice Paul and President Woodrow Wilson is creatively presented as a four-round boxing match in this energetic nonfiction picture book.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

In this inspiring tribute, award-winning author Barb Rosenstock and New York Times bestselling artist Elizabeth Baddeley tell the true story of one of America's greatest founding mothers: Abigail Adams.

FROM SARAH:

I just adore this book. It's a feast for the eyes (and that pun is most definitely intended). One of the top recommendations on this list, for all ages.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

The king is coming to visit! The lord and lady of Camdenton Manor must work quickly to prepare fo his arrival. It will take weeks to ready rooms, set up tents, and prepare the feast itself. Everyone is busy hunting and hawking, brewing and churning. This will be a feast to remember!

FROM SARAH:

Oh my, what a visual treat this book is. This story is clever, funny, and lavishly illustrated by one of my favorites, S.D. Schindler.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A clever tale that will charm book lovers Brother Hugo can't return his library book -- the letters of St. Augustine -- because, it turns out, the precious book has been devoured by a bear! Instructed by the abbot to borrow another monastery's copy and create a replacement, the hapless monk painstak...

FROM SARAH:

Barbara Cooney's Caldecott Award-winning book. This Chaucer retelling is among my all-time favorite picture books. Perfect for a Middle Ages study, a farmyard study, or when you just want to snuggle in with a darn good story. This is an RAR Premium Family Book Club pick for spring 2024.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

King of the barnyard, Chanticleer struts about all day. When a fox bursts into his domain, dupes him into crowing, and then grabs him in a viselike grip, Chanticleer must do some quick thinking to save himself and his barnyard kingdom.

FROM SARAH:

Saint books are what Demi does best, I think, and this gorgeous picture book about St. Joan of Arc is worth spending time poring over. Inspiring.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

As a young girl in a small village in France, Joan prayed daily that France would be delivered from the English and Burgundian invaders who were ravishing the country. When Joan was thirteen, she had a life-changing experience.

FROM SARAH:

Demi's light-filled illustration style is perfect for stories of the saints, and this book about St. Francis looks like it could have been taken straight from a stained glass window.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Saint Francis of Assisi is one of the most beloved and inspirational figures in the history of Christianity. The stunning illustrations of award-winning author, Demi, bring to life the story of this son of a rich merchant, who abandoned all his worldly goods in order to follow the teachings of Jesus.

FROM SARAH:

I love the illuminated style of illustrations in this lovely picture book. If your library doesn't carry it, ask them to, or get a copy for your home collection!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

C.M. Millen’s charming story of a young monk who defied the discipline of the monastery and found his own way to express the beauty of the world will inspire young readers to explore their own world and find their own voices.

FROM SARAH:

Josephine Nobisso writes some of the best Catholic picture books for kids, and this is one of my favorites. The illustrations by Maureen Hyde are moody and perfect.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

While other children’s religious titles focus on Saint Francis of Assisi as an adult, few, if any, have concentrated on the early life of the patron saint of animals and the environment. Stunning illustrations punctuate this beautifully told story of Saint Francis as a boy.

FROM SARAH:

Another delightful story about saints by Tomie dePaola, this one set in Italy during the Middle Ages. This is a book worth owning for your permanent collection.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Offers the tale about two amazing twins, Benedict and Scholastica, and their experiences as children in northern Italy that influenced their great accomplishments in their adult lives.

FROM SARAH:

One of my tippy-top favorites on this list! Beautifully told with gorgeous illustrations, this is truly a book you want to look at longer than necessary. I love the factual information included on each page, as well, which can be read or skipped without disrupting the story. Highly recommended.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Gentle verse and sweeping, majestic artwork set imaginations soaring in a handsome and illuminating ode to the ancient art of falconry.

FROM SARAH:

The glorious story of St. Joan of Arc, told by Diane Stanley. Stanley's picture books tend to be on the longer side, so I like to recommend them for ages 8+, or for younger kids with an especially strong attention span.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Against the fascinating tapestry of France's history during the Hundred Years' War, Diane Stanley unfolds the story of the simple thirteen-year-old village girl who in just a few years would lead France to independence from English rule.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Acclaimed author-illustrator Bonnie Christensen adopts the voice of Galileo and lets him tell his own tale in this outstanding picture book biography. The first person narration gives this book a friendly, personal feel that makes Galileo's remarkable achievements and ideas completely accessible.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Was Pippo the Fool really Pippo the Genius? The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence was a marvel of art, architecture, and engineering. But it lacked a finishing ornament, a crown--a dome! The city fathers had a solution: to invite the finest masters to compete for the chance to design a dome.

FROM SARAH:

One of my very favorite books on this list. It shows the step-by-step process of making illuminations during the middle ages, as seen by a young girl named Marguerite. This one is a joy to read aloud!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Paris in the 1400s. A young girl named Marguerite delights in assisting her father, Jacques, in his craft: illuminating manuscripts for the nobility of France. His current commission is a splendid book of hours for his patron, Lady Isabelle, but will he be able to finish it in time?

FROM THE PUBLISHER

With her thoroughly researched, lively narrative and superbly detailed illustrations, Diane Stanley has captured the life of an artist who towered above the late Renaissance--and whose brilliance in architecture, painting, and sculpture amazes and moves us to this day.

**Description from Amazon: With the same wit and perception that distinguished his stylish books on Paris, London, and Rome, M. Sasek pictures fabulous, big-hearted New York City in This Is New York, first published in 1960 and now updated for the 21st century.  The Dutchman who bought the island of Manhattan from the Native...

**Description from Amazon: It is spring in the valley and the Moomins are ready for adventure! Moomintroll and his friends Snufkin and Sniff find the Hobgoblin's top hat, all shiny and new and just waiting to be taken home. They soon realize that his is no ordinary hat; it can turn anything―or anyone―into something else!

FROM SARAH:

This book has a vintage feel, and captures the story of a little leaf that isn't quite ready to let go.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

This is a story for anyone who has ever been afraid of facing the unknown--and a celebration of the friends who help us take the leap.

FROM SARAH:

The slightly true narrative of how a brave pioneer father brought apples, pears, plums, grapes, and cherries (and children) across the plains. Apples, ho! Get a Family Book Club Guide and listen to the author and illustrator talk about making this book in RAR Premium.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

When Papa decides to pull up roots and move from Iowa to Oregon, he can't bear to leave his precious apple trees behind. Or his peaches, plums, grapes, cherries, and pears. Oh, and he takes his family along too.