Books

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

The exquisitely told story of the Apollo 11 Mission to the moon. Excellent especially for older kids who think they're past picture books. Watch the author/illustrator on an Author Access replay in RAR Premium.

FROM SARAH:

One of my all-time favorite picture book series, especially for nature study! All of the books in this series are worth owning and reading with kids of all ages.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:
From the creators of the award-winning An Egg Is Quiet, A Seed Is Sleepy, A Butterfly Is Patient, and A Nest Is Noisy comes this gorgeous and informative introduction to the fascinating world of rocks. From dazzling blue Lapis Lazuli to volcanic Snowflake Obsidian, an incredible variety of rocks are showcased in all their splendor. Poetic in voice and elegant in design, this book introduces an array of facts, making it equally perfect for classroom sharing and family reading.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Little Ah-Fu has a big imagination, but he can’t imagine being the Oxherd Boy . . . yet.

When the day comes for Ah-Fu to bring the huge family ox home from the woods, he worries that he’s not big enough to do the job.

Will fear and self-doubt drive Ah-Fu home empty-handed? Or can he rely on his wits and compassion to become the Oxherd Boy his family expects—and prove to himself that he is, indeed, big enough?

Tomie dePaola’s beloved and bestselling Strega Nona gets in some friendly competition in this beloved addition to the series!Strega Nona (Grandma Witch) has cures for warts and headaches, even lovesickness. She uses old-fashioned potions and magic and the villagers in Calabria flock to her door. B...

FROM SARAH:

I love the original Frances books these early readers are based on, and the early reader versions are equally delightful.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Frances is a fussy eater. In fact, the only thing she likes is bread and jam. She won't touch her squishy soft-boiled egg. She trades away her chicken-salad sandwich at lunch. She turns up her nose at boring veal cutlets.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Follow Jane from her childhood in London watching a robin on her windowsill, to her years in the African forests of Gombe, Tanzania, invited by brilliant scientist Louis Leakey to observe chimps, to her worldwide crusade to save these primates who are now in danger of extinction, and their habitat. Young animal lovers and Winter's many fans will welcome this fascinating and moving portrait of an extraordinary person and the animals to whom she has dedicated her life.

**Description from Amazon: Kids need help learning how to manage their anger. Blending solid information and sound advice with humor and lively illustrations, these anger-management tips guide kids to understand that anger is normal and to learn they can express it in healthy ways. The book teaches them how to recognize anger...

A new book of unique reversible poems based on Greek myths from the creator of Mirror Mirror     What happens when you hold up a mirror to poems about Greek myths? You get a brand-new perspective on the classics! And that is just what happens in Echo Echo, the newest collection of reverso poems fr...

FROM SARAH:

The author of this book homeschooled all of her kids! A delightful early reader.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Fox and Crow can agree on two things: their love of cheese and loathing of each other. These cagey animals will do whatever they can to outwit their sworn enemy and claim sole possession of the prized cheese they keep finding.

FROM SARAH:

A fun and fact-filled apple book as a class travels to an orchard. A fun bonus is the beautiful surprise that happens when you cut an apple perpendicular to the core.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

In this playful, humorous, and child-friendly classroom story, the students learn a lot about apples and apple orchards—including how apples are harvested, how cider is made, and what the different varieties of apples are—while trying to solve a riddle. The book also celebrates how some children learn differently than others.

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.

FROM SARAH:

This book destroyed me, but it was also one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read. A historical fiction account of the son of Shakespeare, who died at 11 years old, leaving behind his twin sister, but really the story of his mother’s grief. A heart-wrenching, gorgeous book I could not stop listening to. The audiobook narrated by Ell Potter is astounding. I wouldn't hand this to an under-18. Also: heads up for two open-door scenes.

Recommended for Mamas.

FROM THE PUBLISHER: 

A young Latin tutor—penniless and bullied by a violent father—falls in love with an extraordinary, eccentric young woman. Agnes is a wild creature who walks her family’s land with a falcon on her glove and is known throughout the countryside for her unusual gifts as a healer, understanding plants and potions better than she does people. Once she settles with her husband on Henley Street in Stratford-upon-Avon, she becomes a fiercely protective mother and a steadfast, centrifugal force in the life of her young husband, whose career on the London stage is just taking off when his beloved young son succumbs to sudden fever.

FROM SARAH:

Mac Barnett’s sparse, poetic narration and torn paper art by Shawn Harris bring this majestic polar bear’s story to life, inviting readers to follow him on a journey through the Arctic landscape. Quick enough to be read before bedtime and engaging enough to be read over and over, this one is perfect for ages three and up.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A majestic polar bear heads out on a mysterious walk in a dazzling, playful collaboration from an exciting pair of picture-book creators.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

When Natasha plays with a doll while Babushka goes to the store for groceries, she discovers why once is enough with Babushka's doll...and finds out just how tiring it can be to take care of a child who wants everything now.

All her life, Zofia has found comfort in two things during times of hardship: books and her best friend, Janina. But no one could have imagined the horrors of the Nazi occupation in Warsaw. As the bombs rain down and Hitler’s forces loot and destroy the city, Zofia finds that now books are also in need of saving. With the death count rising and persecution intensifying, Zofia jumps to action to save her friend and salvage whatever books she can from the wreckage, hiding them away, and even starting a clandestine book club. As the destruction rages around them, Zofia must fight to save her friend and preserve her culture and community using the only weapon they have left - literature.

**Description from Amazon: Katy Thatcher was the bright and curious daughter of the town doctor. She was fascinated by her father’s work, and even as a child she knew that she too wanted to be a doctor. She wanted to know about people. Perhaps it was this, her insatiable curiosity, or simply the charm of Jacob’s gentle in...

**Description from Amazon: “Know your own happiness. You want nothing but patience - or give it a more fascinating name, call it hope.” ― Jane Austen, Sense and SensibilityJust a few years after their father’s business scandal shatters their lives, Jane and Celia Woodward find themselves forced out of their San Fra...

FROM SARAH:

A charming story of Anna Hibiscus, who lives in amazing Africa with her one-of-a-kind family. The whole series is worth owning for your personal collection. Ideal for ages 5-9.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

This is a collection of four linked stories about family life set in modern west Africa. Anna Hibiscus lives in amazing Africa with her family in a wonderful house in a beautiful garden in a big city.

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 THE PUBLISHER:

The set includes: Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Prairie, Farmer Boy, On the Banks of Plum Creek, By the Shores of Silver Lake, The Long Winter, Little Town on the Prairie, These Happy Golden Years, and The First Four Years.

NARRATED BY: multiple

BEST FOR AGES: 4+

LISTENING LENGTH: 29 min

INCLUDES: Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Pet Show!, May I Bring a Friend?, and The Happy Owls

FROM THE PUBLISHER

It’s Bulldozer’s big day—his birthday! But around the construction site, it seems like everyone is too busy to remember. But when the whistle blows at the end of the busy day, Bulldozer discovers a construction site surprise, especially for him!

**Description from Amazon: A harrowing adventure inside enemy territory. Heather and Picket are plunged into the darkness of Morbin's shadow, fighting to bear the flame of the cause and light the way for rabbitkind's upright insurrection.

Of especially naughty children, it is sometimes said, "They must have been raised by wolves." The Incorrigible children actually were. Thanks to the efforts of Miss Penelope Lumley, their plucky governess, Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia are much more like children than wolf pups now. They are ac...

FROM SARAH:

It's a classic, and there's good reason why! Pippi has been beloved by generations of readers. If you'd like a modern Pippi-like tale, try Astrid the Unstoppable by Maria Parr.

Wonderful on audio (Audible | LibroFM).

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Oh Pippi! Pippi Longstocking lives with her horse and monkey (but without parents) at her home Villa Villekula. She’s always ready for an adventure and soon, neighbors Tommy and Annika are along for the ride. This book is as fun as Pippi’s signature hairstyle.

FROM SARAH:

Silly sound effects and and sheep hijinks make this series a favorite among preschoolers!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Out for a drive in the country, Nancy Shaw and Margot Apple's well-known and beloved sheep run into some mishaps with their sturdy red jeep.

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:

Whether an early reader can get better than Little Bear is up for debate. My opinion holds: these books are perfection.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

To celebrate Little Bear's thirty-fifth anniversary, three paperback editions in the series—Little Bear, Father Bear Comes Home, and Little Bear's Visit—have been slipcased in a boxed gift set for a whole new generation of children.

**Description from Amazon: What kind of a face would you make if a tickly green bug were sitting on your nose? Or if it were—eek!—inside your shirt? Could you make a scary face to frighten it away? Or, even better, stand up and do the chicken dance? Yes? Then better get to it! This exuberant, interactive picture book star...

**Description from Amazon: Elana, a member of an interstellar civilization on a mission to a medieval planet, becomes the key to a dangerous plan to turn back an invasion. How can she help the Andrecians, who still believe in magic and superstition, without revealing her own alien powers? At the same time, Georyn, the son of ...

FROM THE PUBLISHER: 

April 18, 1906: A massive earthquake rocks San Francisco just before daybreak, igniting a devouring inferno. Lives are lost, lives are shattered, but some rise from the ashes forever changed.

FROM THE PUBLISHER: 

Make your table a place where your family and friends long to be―where they will find rest, renewal, and a welcome full of love.

**Description from Amazon: In I Love You Like Crazy Cakes, Rose Lewis and Jane Dyer told the heartfelt story of one woman's adoption a baby girl from China. These sentiments are brought to life again in this touching portrait of birthday celebrations and unforgettable moments between a mother and her little girl: from joyous ...

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

In the midst of a family dinner with her scolding parents, Maya receives an unexpected invitation to dine with the Queen. Suddenly, her messy manners are put to the ultimate test and she begins to improvise her very own set of rules, with uproarious results.

**Description from Amazon: A fun, accessible chapter-book debut from an exciting new talent--simultaneous hardcover-paperback launch! Marty McGuire would rather spend recess catching frogs in the pond than playing dress-up with the other girls in third grade. So when her teacher casts Marty as the princess in the class play, ...

NARRATED BY: Allyson Johnson, BEST FOR AGES: 12+

FROM SARAH:

This book tells the story of the construction of the Erie Canal, with detailed illustrations and a wonderful timeline.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

When De Witt Clinton, a young politician, first dreamed of building a canal to connect the Hudson River with the Great Lakes, folks didn’t believe such a thing could be done. Clinton wanted to link east coast ports to the frontier, and from the groundbreaking ceremony on the Fourth of July in 1817, Clinton never gave up—even as people called his project “Clinton’s Ditch.”

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

At first glance, Shakespeare’s early comedy Love’s Labor’s Lost simply entertains and amuses. Four young men (one of them a king) withdraw from the world for three years, taking an oath that they will have nothing to do with women. The King of Navarre soon learns, however, that the Princess of France and her ladies are about to arrive. Although he lodges them outside of his court, all four men fall in love with the ladies, abandoning their oaths and setting out to win their hands.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Fans of Tomie dePaola’s kindly Strega Nona will love this charming look at the early days of her good-hearted but clumsy helper Big Anthony. From the day he is born, Big Anthony never pays attention. As a boy, he leaves the gates of the farm open and all the animals escape.

FROM SARAH:

Kids love Mo Willems's delightful characters, and you just be surprised at how much you do, too! They are all funny, funny, funny.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Gerald is careful. Piggie is not. Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to.Gerald and Piggie are best friends.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Even young children can learn that their words affect other people in powerful ways. In child-friendly language and full-color illustrations, this book gently guides them to choose words that are helpful instead of hurtful, and to say “I’m sorry” when hurtful words com out before they can stop them.

**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...

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Gerald is careful. Piggie is not. Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.

Gerald and Piggie are best friends.

In We Are in a Book! Gerald and Piggie discover the joy of being read. But what will happen when the book ends?

FROM THE PUBLISHER: 

A moving and powerful introduction to the life and art of renowned artist, Judith Scott, as told by her twin sister, Joyce Scott and illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist, Melissa Sweet.

FROM SARAH:

A celebration of the northern lights and all the creatures that marvel at their swirling colors, this stunning picture book feels like stepping into a winter dream where the sky itself is the storyteller. Lyrical text that’s written in rhyme makes this a great fit for early readers and listeners alike.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

The northern lights bring wonder and joy to all the creatures who bask under their mysterious glow in this gorgeous picture book from the creator of the holiday hit The Tree That's Meant to Be.

**Description from Amazon: This is the bee that stopped on a tree in Enzo's splendid gardens. . . .And that's how this rollicking adventure from Patricia Polacco begins. A boy drops his book when he takes a good look at that very bee. Then a waiter, who'd just turned around, trips on the book and tips his tray--otherwise he'd...

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Every child is a natural mathematician, according to Mitsumasa Anno. Children are constantly comparing and classifying things and events they observe around them. As they try to bring sense and order into what they observe, they are actually performing basic mathematical feats.

FROM SARAH:

Lovely. I've only seen fireflies once in my life (we don't have them here in the Pacific Northwest), but this book makes me want to catch a few in a jar... and then let them go!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A young boy is proud of having caught a jar full of fireflies, which seems to him like owning a piece of moonlight, but as the light begins to dim he realizes he must set the insects free or they will die.

**Description from Amazon: Littlest One is a tiny creature slowly learning her job of giving dreams to humans. Each night she and her teacher, Thin Elderly, visit an old woman’s home where she softly touches beloved objects, gathering happy memories, and drops of old scents and sounds. Littlest One pieces these bits togethe...

**Description from Amazon: Follow the real Laura Ingalls and her family as they make their way west and discover that truth is as remarkable as fiction. Hidden away since the 1930s, Laura Ingalls Wilder s never-before-published autobiography reveals the true stories of her pioneering life. Some of her experiences will be fami...

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

The whole family can participate in loving and caring for the new baby.

FROM SARAH:

Can you spot the gator in the swamp? This book is sure to delight! See if your library has it.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Under the algae that carpets the swamp, near the duck who paddles in ooze, close to the turtle who takes a snooze . . . hides a gator! Still as a log, only his watchful eyes can be seen. But when gator moves, he really moves! What happens to the duck, the turtle, the egret, the deer, and the many other critters of the swamp when gator makes his move?

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:

What's not to love about Brambly Hedge? Mice in aprons, stoking their fireplaces? Yes, please! I love all of the stories in Jill Barklem's Brambly Hedge, but I especially love the seasonal stories, and this one about an ice palace and a winter ball is enchanting.

FROM THE PUBLISHER: 

It was the middle of winter and very, very cold. The mice of Brambly Hedge forecasted snow. And they were right. In the morning they awoke to find their doors and windows hidden behind deep drifts. There hadn't been snow like this for years. "There's enough for a Snow Ball!" cried the mice with glee, and set to work in the time-honoured way to make an Ice Hall for the festivities. The little mice watched wide-eyed as all the preparations were made. Then at last everything was ready, and the Ball could begin…

Audie Award Nominee, Solo Narration - Female, 2013Of especially naughty children it is sometimes said, "They must have been raised by wolves." The Incorrigible children actually were. Since returning from London, the three Incorrigible children and their plucky governess, Miss Penelope Lumley, have ...

FROM SARAH:

I have yet to read this one, but it has come highly recommended to me by several people I trust! This is a beautiful retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It's on my own TBR this summer!

Recommended for ages 13+.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Three sisters’ wealthy father loses all his money when his merchant fleet is drowned in a storm, and the family moves to a village far away. Then the old merchant hears what proves to be a false report that one of his ships had made it safe to harbor at last, and on his sad, disappointed way home again he becomes lost deep in the forest and has a terrifying encounter with a fierce Beast, who walks like a man and lives in a castle. The merchant’s life is forfeit, says the Beast, for trespass and the theft of a rose—but he will spare the old man’s life if he sends one of his daughters: “Your daughter would take no harm from me, nor from anything that lives in my lands.” When Beauty hears this story—for her father had picked the rose to bring to her—her sense of honor demands that she take up the Beast’s offer, for “cannot a Beast be tamed?”

FROM SARAH:

A favorite from my own childhood! My daughter Clara couldn't get enough of the whole series at age 10. Fabulous on audio.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle lives in an upside-down house and smells like cookies. She was even married to a pirate once. Most of all, she knows everything about children. She can cure them of any ailment. Patsy hates baths. Hubert never puts anything away. Allen eats v-e-r-y slowly. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle has a treatment for all of them.

FROM SARAH:

The classic that never gets old. My kids all loved this deceptively simple and delightful book!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

All the barnyard animals want to join Mr. Gumpy on his boat ride. He only has one request: that they all get along . . . Splash!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Thurgood Marshall--the first black justice on the Supreme Court and a giant of the civil rights movement--jumps to life in this inspiring picture-book biography from an award-winning author and six-time Coretta Scott King, four-time Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator.