Books

From the publisher:

Learn to make art like the masters with art masterclass! In each book, undertake 12 lessons including drawing, coloring, and sketching activities that are designed to show you how the artist worked. Like Monet, you'll use dabs and strokes to show light, do a painting outside, and use bright colors to show different times of day. Then you can use everything you’ve learnt to create your masterpiece on the pull-out poster at the back using the sticker sheet.

What can you find in a poem about a robin's nest? Irene Latham masterfully discovers "nestlings" or smaller poems about an astonishing variety of subjects--emotions, wild animals, natural landmarks on all seven continents, even planets and constellations.

Wild Peace follows a girl whose imagination helps her escape her frenzied home and discover the joys of nature. After enjoying the serenity of the forest, she is finally ready to return to her family, where peace welcomes all that is wild, and kisses the forehead of every child.

Real pet dogs are a thing of the past: after they were found to be carriers of a sickness the government ordered them all killed. But one day an incredible antique shows up at the farm: a D-39 robodog, "Real as a dog can be!" Klynt is overjoyed, but the good luck doesn't last.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Frank has always been obsessed with elephants. He loves their hosepipe trunks, tree stump feet, and swish-swish tails. So when Miss Fancy, the elephant, retires from the circus and moves two blocks from his house to Avondale Park, he's over the moon! Frank really wants to pet her.

Two poets, one white and one black, explore race and childhood in this must-have collection tailored to provoke thought and conversation. How can Irene and Charles work together on their fifth grade poetry project? They don't know each other . . . and they're not sure they want to.

Spend a day at a water hole on the African grasslands. From dawn to nightfall, animals come and go. Giraffes gulp, wildebeest graze, impalas leap, vultures squabble, and elephants wallow.

Experience summer like you've never experienced it before by traveling to Antarctica with evocative poetry. The sun rises, ice melts, grass grows, seals squabble, whales sing, and young penguins slide, glide, and belly flop.

FROM SARAH:

I loved this one! It's the best kind of book about a nonfiction topic—lovely illustrations, wonderful storytelling, and worthy of a good rainy afternoon's reading.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A farmer and her son carefully plant seeds in their garden. In the wild garden, many seeds are planted too, but not by farmers’ hands. Different kinds of animals transport seeds, often without knowing it. Sometimes rain washes seeds away to a new location. And sometimes something extraordinary occurs.

FROM SARAH: 

A beautiful gardening book that is unique and heartwarming. I love multigenerational stories like this.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Every summer, Mayumi visits her grandfather in Japan, and they tend the garden together. Raking the gravel is her favorite part. Afterward, the two of them sit on a bench and enjoy the results of their efforts in happy silence. But then one summer, everything changes.

Illustrated in full color. The animals on this farm have nothing to fear from the blizzard--they're snugly nestled away in their barn. With a soothing, rhymed text reminiscent of Margaret Wise Brown, here's a cozy tour through a wintertime haven that will lull little ones off to dreamland.

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse--Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him.

Science is everywhere, in everything we do, see, and read. Books-all books-offer possibilities for talk about science in the illustrations and text once you know how to look for them.

Young naturalists explore a variety of birds, their habitats, and how their beaks help them build, eat, and survive.  From the twisted beak of a crossbill to the color changing bill of a seagull, readers will learn fun facts about how beaks are designed and used as tools by birds of all shapes and sizes.

Children are invited to feast their eyes on bridges from around the world that carried llamas loaded with firewood, let people dance over lazy rivers, and some that were for defending castles.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

This beautifully designed book aimed at Kindergarten to Fifth Grade teachers highlights seventeen works of children’s literature, both fiction and non-fiction, that provide a springboard into biological concepts such as seed dispersal, soil composition, and the interrelationships of animals and plants. Published under the auspices of the National Gardening Association, Books in Bloom is a model of how connections between content areas can and should be developed. Full colored and accurate illustrations by Suzanne LeGault give the book immediate eye- appeal inviting teachers, parents, and children into indoor and outdoor adventures in literature and science.

FROM SARAH:

I met the author of these books at a conference years ago. I love that they are like Bob Books, but with better illustrations (in full color!)

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

10 Books plus a Parent Guide Book. Phonics based lesson page in each book followed by a 10 page story your child will love. 

FROM SARAH:

Tim Egan's charming tales of Dodsworth around the world are worth adding to your collection!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Dodsworth and his duck have just arrived in London via hot air balloon. There is so much to see!

FROM SARAH:

Tim Egan's charming tales of Dodsworth around the world are worth adding to your collection!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Dodsworth wanted adventure. He wanted to see the world. He especially wanted to visit New York City. What he didn’t want was to be joined by a duck. A crazy duck. A duck that misbehaves.

FROM SARAH:

Oh, how I *laughed* my way through this book the first time my kids read it to me! Bound to be a classic. Hilarious.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

In a trio of stories for beginning readers, author David LaRochelle introduces the excitable Max, who lets the book know in irresistibly emphatic dialogue that the text is not to his liking.

FROM SARAH:

Oh my goodness, these books are *so* funny. My boys especially loved them. (Note: the humor in these books is definitely geared toward 5-year-old boys, so don't be too surprised if your kids like them more than you do!)

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A perfect read-aloud with snappy, rhythmic text, this series will bridge the gap between picture books and chapter books and fill the Elephant-and-Piggie-shaped hole in young readers' hearts.

FROM SARAH:

A charming early reader, perfect for spring and summer.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

It's springtime, and the perfect day to plant a garden. The brother and sister from Pumpkin Day!, Apple Picking Day!, and Snow Day! return and plant peas in their backyard.

FROM SARAH:

A sweet addition to your early reader's collection!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

In this sweet, silly, rhyming story, a troop of knight owls is on a mission. Can they find the dragon, save the kingdom, and even find time for a snack? Lots of lots of giggles are guaranteed!

FROM SARAH:

Vibrant and energetic illustrations, paired with rhythmic text, A great early reader.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

 Uncluttered text keeps the same basic pattern on each spread, so new readers can focus on one changing word at a time.

FROM SARAH:

This whole series of Beginner Book collections were what I'd have my kids bring to read (or "read") while waiting at the dentist or their brother's track meet. They pack several great early readers into a single volume! It's worth it to own a few of these.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A perfect introduction to reading that will whet young readers appetites for additional books in the Beginner Book series.

FROM SARAH:

This whole series of Beginner Book collections were what I'd have my kids bring to read (or "read") while waiting at the dentist or their brother's track meet. They pack several great early readers into a single volume! It's worth it to own a few of these.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A perfect introduction to reading that will whet young readers appetites for additional books in the Beginner Book series.

FROM SARAH:

This whole series of Beginner Book collections were what I'd have my kids bring to read (or "read") while waiting at the dentist or their brother's track meet. They pack several great early readers into a single volume! It's worth it to own a few of these.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A perfect introduction to reading that will whet young readers appetites for additional books in the Beginner Book series.

FROM SARAH:

This whole series of Beginner Book collections were what I'd have my kids bring to read (or "read") while waiting at the dentist or their brother's track meet. They pack several great early readers into a single volume! It's worth it to own a few of these.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A perfect introduction to reading that will whet young readers appetites for additional books in the Beginner Book series.

Where was the first mile of highway paved? Who was the 38th President of the United States? What is the nation's most remote National Park? What was the first bottled soda pop in this country? Find the answers to these questions and many more in M is for Mitten: A Michigan Alphabet.

FROM SARAH:

This is a UK version, and there is some use of language in this version of the book that keep it from being widely recommended at RAR. It is, however, one of my own favorite reads! You can easily edit the language on the fly if you read it aloud.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

1944, and London is under attack. Young mouse Pip Hanway's safe and quiet world is turned upside down when her home, umbrella shop James Smith & Sons, is destroyed by a bomb. Orphaned and alone, she must begin a perilous quest to find a new home.

But the only way to get there is by joining Noah’s Ark, a secret gang of animals fighting with the resistance in France, operating beneath the feet of the human soldiers. Danger is everywhere and as the enemy closes in, Pip must risk everything to save her new friends.

FROM SARAH:

Easily one of my favorite books of all time. Don't give up until you've read to at least through James's departure to the war. Even if greek gods and goddesses aren't your thing... keep reading! Especially wonderful on audio (Audible | LibroFM).

Recommended for mamas, and for teens 16+.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A sweeping, multi-layered romance set in the perilous days of World Wars I and II, where gods hold the fates--and the hearts--of four mortals in their hands.

They are Hazel, James, Aubrey, and Colette. Their story, as told by the goddess Aphrodite, who must spin the tale or face judgment on Mount Olympus, is filled with hope and heartbreak, prejudice and passion, and reveals that, though War is a formidable force, it's no match for the transcendent power of Love

FROM SARAH:

his beautifully poetic exploration of nature encourages young readers to discover the wild in unexpected places. I'm a *major* fan of Abigail Halpin's art.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A lovely, lyrical picture book with gorgeous illustrations that explores the ways the wild makes itself known to us and how much closer it is than we think.

FROM SARAH:

Lovely! This one is from Stephanie Graegin, who also illustrated the Heartwood Hotel series by Kallie George.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

When a young girl brings her beloved stuffed fox to the playground, much to her astonishment, a real fox takes off with it! Wandering deeper and deeper into the forest, they come across a tall hedge with an archway. What do they find on the other side?

FROM SARAH:

What's a girl gotta do to get some peace at the beach? 😉

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

It's a glorious summer day at the shore, and all Jamie wants is to finish her art project in the sand. A little time to herself is all she needs. But everyone around keeps asking her pesky questions she doesn't know how to answer.

FROM SARAH:

A playful story, perfect for a summer afternoon.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

On a perfect day, the hours stretch endlessly ahead. Scribbling with chalk, running with kites, digging for shells . . . paddling, climbing, dreaming. Hour unfolds upon hour, with reassuring comfort and sleep beckoning at the end.

FROM SARAH:

Patricia MacLachlan and Micha Archer pair up in this stunning book... it may be one of my favorites on this list! We chose it for RAR Premium Family Book Club and got to talk with Micha about making the gorgeous collage illustrations.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Cool summer mornings begin with the rose orange sun and the smell of earth, and fade into hot summer nights with a yellow moon, covered in a quilt of stars. There are wagon rides, farm dogs, trips into town, and games of kick the can. These are prairie days.

FROM SARAH:

My own kids aren't exactly hands-on when it comes to creepy crawlies... so they were fascinated by this story of The Bug Girl. See if your library has it!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Sophia Spencer has loved bugs ever since a butterfly landed on her shoulder--and wouldn't leave!--at a butterfly conservancy when she was only two-and-a-half years old. In preschool and kindergarten, Sophia was thrilled to share what she knew about grasshoppers (her very favorite insects), as well as ants and fireflies... but by first grade, not everyone shared her enthusiasm.

FROM SARAH:

Especially good for kids age 3-6, these books have nice illustrations and just enough text. Excellent for nature study or simply an afternoon read-aloud.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Did you know that a grasshopper makes its distinctive sound by rubbing its bristly hind legs together? Amazing discoveries abound in Backyard Books: Are You a Grasshopper? by Judy Allen with illustrations by Tudor Humphries, an intriguing tale of a day in the life of a grasshopper.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

The book follows a ladybug through its life cycle from an egg to getting its wings.

FROM SARAH:

Especially good for kids age 3-6, these books have nice illustrations and just enough text. Excellent for nature study or simply an afternoon read-aloud.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Backyard Books: Are You a Bee? by Judy Allen with illustrations by Tudor Humphries shows that--from the perspective of a honeybee--the backyard is a busy place. A young bee faces many challenges as it takes its place in the hive and joins in the work of the bee community.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Backyard Books: Are You an Ant? by Judy Allen with illustrations by Tudor Humphries will give children who love to track ants an inside look at the everyday life of this fascinating insect, as they explore the similarities and differences to themselves.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Caterpillar, chrysalis, butterfly; follow the metamorphosis of this familiar backyard creature as it evolves into a delicate flying insect.

FROM SARAH:

A well-written picture book biography about Charles Herny Turner and his fascination with bugs.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Can spiders learn? How do ants find their way home? Can bugs see color? All of these questions buzzed endlessly in Charles Henry Turner’s mind. He was fascinated by plants and animals and bugs. And even when he faced racial prejudice, Turner did not stop wondering. He constantly read, researched, and experimented.

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:

One of my best 2021 reads. This book, set in Atlanta during Reconstruction (post Civil War), features a heroine you will fall in love with and root for, an advice column that will steal your heart, and a story that will keep you turning pages. Recommended for ages 16+ for a bit of mature content (not so much explicit as implied). Wonderful on audio (Audible | LibroFM).

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

By day, seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan works as a lady's maid for the cruel daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Atlanta. But by night, Jo moonlights as the pseudonymous author of a newspaper advice column for the genteel Southern lady, "Dear Miss Sweetie." When her column becomes wildly popular, she uses the power of the pen to address some of society's ills, but she's not prepared for the backlash that follows.

FROM SARAH:

My favorite from Ann Patchett. Everyone I know who has read this book absolutely loved it, which makes it very easy to recommend! Wonderful on audio (Audible | LibroFM).

Recommended for ages 16+, I think, though I'm not sure a teen will enjoy it as much as you will, and it wasn't written for young adults. Strong language warning, discretion advised. 

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

At the end of the Second World War, Cyril Conroy combines luck and a single canny investment to begin an enormous real estate empire, propelling his family from poverty to enormous wealth. His first order of business is to buy the Dutch House, a lavish estate in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia. Meant as a surprise for his wife, the house sets in motion the undoing of everyone he loves.

FROM SARAH:

This book sent me on a major Romanov rabbit trail, and I found myself reading everything I could about them. I knew nothing about the fall of the Russian Imperial empire before reading it, but I've learned a lot since! I found this book hard to put down, but also tricky to follow, so I'd recommend reading a paper copy (not an e-book or audiobook) so you can flip back and forth when you need to clarify a date or a character.

This one has an intense scene toward the end, and I probably wouldn't hand it to a child under 18. This is not a feel-good-and-cozy read, either, so read it when you want a suspenseful page-turner that will make you think.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A young woman bearing an uncanny resemblance to Anastasia Romanov is pulled shivering and senseless from a canal. Refusing to explain her presence in the freezing water or even acknowledge her rescuers, she is taken to the hospital where an examination reveals that her body is riddled with countless horrific scars. When she finally does speak, this frightened, mysterious young woman claims to be the Russian grand duchess.

FROM SARAH:

Anne Bogel recommended this book, and suggested you read it without reading any descriptions or blurbs first. And I agree! Especially wonderful on audio.

Please note: strong language throughout novel, discretion advised.

FROM THE PUBLISHER: 

"The story of your life never starts at the beginning. Don't they teach you anything at school?"

So says 104-year-old Ona to the 11-year-old boy who's been sent to help her out every Saturday morning. As he refills the bird feeders and tidies the garden shed, Ona tells him about her long life, from first love to second chances. Soon she's confessing secrets she has kept hidden for decades.

FROM SARAH:

Susan Meissner is my very favorite living writer. If she writes it, I read it! This is one of my favorites, and tells a story we don't hear often—about the Germans who were sent to internment camps in the U.S. during WWII. Highly recommended for historical fiction lovers. I tend to recommend Susan Meissner's books for ages 16+, and that's about right for this one.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

In 1943, Elise Sontag is a typical American teenager from Iowa—aware of the war but distanced from its reach. Then her father, a legal U.S. resident for nearly two decades, is suddenly arrested on suspicion of being a Nazi sympathizer. The family is sent to an internment camp in Texas, where, behind the armed guards and barbed wire, Elise feels stripped of everything beloved and familiar, including her own identity.

FROM SARAH:

I read this on a whim, and was surprised by how much I loved it! I found myself marking up passages that could apply to other creative work, and also to my homeschool. Learning how the creatives at Pixar drum up ideas, nurture them into projects, and then iterate and iterate and iterate some more was really inspiring to me.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Creativity, Inc. is a manual for anyone who strives for originality and the first-ever, all-access trip into the nerve center of Pixar Animation—into the meetings, postmortems, and “Braintrust” sessions where some of the most successful films in history are made. It is, at heart, a book about creativity—but it is also, as Pixar co-founder and president Ed Catmull writes, “an expression of the ideas that I believe make the best in us possible.”

FROM SARAH:

When you're feeling like your creative side needs a little TLC, this book may just do the trick! I'm a big fan of Todd Henry's work, and this book is responsible for giving me the courage to do a lot of what we do here at RAR.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Die Empty is a tool for people who aren't willing to put off their most important work for another day. Todd Henry explains the forces that lead to stagnation and introduces practices that will keep you on a true and steady course.

FROM SARAH:

Oh, how I love this book. Every bit of it is insightful and practical, helping us be a genius about what truly matters, and lazy about the rest. Highly, highly recommended. We'll be reading this in Mama Book Club, Fall 2021.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Discover a better way to approach your relationships, work, and piles of mail. Be who you are without the complication of everyone else’s "shoulds". Do what matters, skip the rest, and be a person again.

FROM SARAH:

This is one of my absolute favorite nonfiction books—it may win the prize as "Sarah's most re-read book!" Implementing the ideas in Essentialism have had a tremendous impact on my homeschool, my work at Read-Aloud Revival, and my parenting. If you feel pulled in too many directions, try some of the ideas in this book and see if it helps. (This book also makes a great gift for that handsome guy in your life, if you're looking for a book for him! 😘)

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Essentialism is more than a time-management strategy or a productivity technique. It is a systematic discipline for discerning what is absolutely essential, then eliminating everything that is not, so we can make the highest possible contribution toward the things that really matter.

FROM SARAH:

If you knew that the most memorable parts of any experience are how it begins, how it ends, and the high/low in between, how would that impact your family life? Your vacations? Your homeschool day? These are the kinds of questions I started asking after reading The Power of Moments. Enjoyable and packed with interesting data.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

This book delves into some fascinating mysteries of experience: Why we tend to remember the best or worst moment of an experience, as well as the last moment, and forget the rest. Why “we feel most comfortable when things are certain, but we feel most alive when they’re not.” And why our most cherished memories are clustered into a brief period during our youth.

FROM SARAH:

Alan Jacobs is one of my very favorite nonfiction writers. I feel smarter after I've read them, and like my soul has been spiffed up, too. Don't miss my conversations with Alan Jacobs on the RAR Podcast: #145 The Importance of Reading at Whim and #163: A Reader's Guide to a More Tranquil Mind.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Most of us don't want to think, Jacobs writes. Thinking is trouble. Thinking can force us out of familiar, comforting habits, and it can complicate our relationships with like-minded friends. Finally, thinking is slow, and that's a problem when our habits of consuming information (mostly online) leave us lost in the spin cycle of social media, partisan bickering, and confirmation bias. In this smart, endlessly entertaining book, Jacobs diagnoses the many forces that act on us to prevent thinking - forces that have only worsened in the age of Twitter, "alternative facts", and information overload - and he also dispels the many myths we hold about what it means to think well. (For example: It's impossible to "think for yourself".)

FROM SARAH:

I didn't expect to love this treatise on creativity from a modern dancer, but love it I did! I've lost track of how many times I've re-read it now, but I always find just what I need in its pages, when I'm in a creative funk. The practical suggestions can be implemented widely, no matter what kind of creative work you do.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

An inspiring guide to unlocking one's creative potential provides a wealth of exercises, anecdotes, and advice that comprise evaluating one's creative history, stimulating oneself by becoming active, and making time for creative change.

FROM SARAH:

Read. this. book. The end.

😉 Ok fine, I'll give you more than that. Katherine Paterson's essays on what children's literature does for the humans soul are unparalleled. They make me want to drop everything and read, read, read. Read alone. Read with people I love. Read. There are various collections of these essays (with a lot of crossover), but they are all out of print and can be difficult to find, so just get your hands on whichever one you can.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

With the same perception, wit, and generosity that characterize her fiction, a much-honored writer shares her ideas about writing for children, as well as her passion for reading, her spiritual faith, and her conviction that the imagination must be nourished.

FROM SARAH:

I've read this food critic's memoir twice. I'm not a foodie, but no matter! This book is such fun, and Ruch Reichl could probably write about paint drying and manage to make it interesting. Highly recommended if you need something enjoyable and easy to read.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Garlic and Sapphires is Ruth Reichl's riotous account of the many disguises she employs to dine anonymously. There is her stint as Molly Hollis, a frumpy blond with manicured nails and an off-beige Armani suit that Ruth takes on when reviewing Le Cirque. The result: her famous double review of the restaurant: first she ate there as Molly; and then as she was coddled and pampered on her visit there as Ruth, New York Times food critic.

FROM SARAH:

Shauna Niequist is a beautiful writer (sometimes I just stare her sentences to see how she made them). This book combines her captivating writing with the inspiration to live life fully, right where you are, as you are. I loved it.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

In these pages, New York Times bestselling author Shauna Niequist invites you to consider the landscape of your own life, and what it might look like to leave behind the pressure to be perfect and begin the life-changing practice of simply being present, in the middle of the mess and the ordinariness of life.