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Betsy-Tacy
Ever since their
first publication in the 1940s, the Betsy-Tacy stories have been loved
by each generation of young readers. In this first book of the
series, Betsy and Tacy meet for the first time. These two girls
have a wonderful time together doing the things five-year olds love to
do- making a playhouse from a piano box, having a sand store, dressing
up, and more! This story inspired my own two girls in their play.
pb
127pp
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Little House
in the Big Woods
One of my favorite
memories of third grade is of the whole class sitting on the floor
around our teacher as she read this book each day. This is the
first book in the Little House series.
238pp |
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Follow My
Leader
Leader is more than just a loyal dog to Jimmy, he is his eyes.
After Jimmy is blinded in an accident, he has to learn to adjust to his
new life and forgive his friend who carelessly caused the accident.
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Heidi
The heartwarming
story of young Heidi, who is sent to live with her grumpy grandfather in
the mountains. Boys and girls alike will enjoy this story of
Heidi's adventures with Peter and the goats, and the miraculous recovery
of Clara.
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Pollyanna
The heartwarming
story of the young orphan Pollyanna and her transforming affect on
those around her-- particularly on her stern Aunt Polly. For those
of you who have only seen the movie-- take note: the book is much
better! In fact, the story is quite different and the characters
are more likeable.
pb
269pp |
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Li Lun, Lad
of Courage
Because Li Lun is afraid
of the water, his fisherman father is disappointed in him. The
gentle story of how Li Lun shows great courage in the face of danger,
winning his family's approval.
pb
93pp |
The Big Wave
Written by Pearl S.
Buck, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Good Earth, this
is the story of two boys whose lives are changed forever by the Big
Wave. A good introduction to another culture and geographical
area.
pb 57pp |
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Little Lord
Fauntleroy
The classic
rags-to-riches story of seven year-old Cedric, an American boy who
suddenly finds himself heir-apparent to a title and a huge fortune
in England.
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A Little
Princess
One of my favorite
stories-- Sara Crew seems like a real princess to the other girls when
she arrives at Miss Minchin's boarding school. However, when she
suddenly becomes penniless and must live in very poor circumstances,
Sara proves she really is a princess-- on the inside.
pb
336pp |
The Secret Garden
Spoiled Mary Lennox must move to England and live with her Uncle
Craven in a large and drafty mansion when her parents die. A
classic written in 1911.
pb
311pp
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The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
When her parents must leave on a long voyage, Bonnie and her
orphaned cousin Sylvia are left in the care of Miss Slighcarp.
Miss Slighcarp soon proves not to be the trustworthy governess she was
hired to be. What will Bonnie and Sylvia do when Miss Slighcarp
starts selling off the furniture, wearing Lady Sophia's gowns, and
mistreating the girls? A book that is hard to put down!
pb 181pp |
Caddie Woodlawn
Written in the 1930s, this is
the story of Caddie Woodlawn as written by her real granddaughter, Carol
Ryrie Brink. Children will love redheaded Caddie with her penchant for
pranks. Whether she is crossing the lake on a raft, or visiting an
Indian camp, Caddie's adventures provide an exciting and authentic
picture of life on the Wisconsin frontier in the 1860s.
288pp |
The Railway
Children
Everyone has their own
favorite Edith Nesbitt book, and I had a hard time deciding which to
offer. This is the heartwarming story of three children and their
mother, who must leave their happy London home and move to a small
country cottage. While they're there, can they solve the mystery
of what happened to their father?
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The Whipping
Boy
Known throughout
the land as Prince Brat, Prince Horace, no matter how badly he behaves,
is never spanked. Instead, little orphan Jemmy is spanked in his
place.
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My Side of the Mountain-
Jean Craighead George
With his parents'
blessing, Sam Gribley heads to the Catskill Mountains to live by himself
on his great-grandparents' old homestead. With only a penknife, a
ball of cord, forty dollars, and some flint and steel, he intends to
survive on his own. Sam eventually becomes a true backwoodsman,
living off the land, making his own clothes, and even capturing a young
falcon and training it to hunt for him. We listened to this on
tape while in the car- it was so interesting we made up errands to run
in order to get more listening time!
pb 177pp
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The Prince
and the Pauper
Mark Twain
considered this story of exchanged identity to be his best. Poor
beggar Tom and Prince Edward, looking exactly alike, decide to trade
places for a short while. However, once Tom becomes the prince
(who is considered to have gone mad) and Edward becomes the beggar boy
(who no one will take seriously) it seems impossible for them to be able
to switch back to their own identities. (I have chosen to offer
the abridged version because the vocabulary is so advanced in the
original that I found it very hard for the fourth graders I tested it on
to comprehend.)
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Rascal
The child I had
"test" this book for me really envied Sterling North, the lucky boy in
this story who had a menagerie of animals residing in his living room,
along with a half-built canoe. The delightful story of Sterling,
his "best" friend Rascal, a mischievous young raccoon, and a hard
decision which must be made.
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Swallows and
Amazons
The first title in
Arthur Ransome's classic series, originally published in 1930: for
children, for grownups, for anyone captivated by the world of adventure and
imagination. The warm and enjoyable story of four English children
during their summer holidays-
pb 351pp |
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The
Cay
When the freighter
on which they are traveling is torpedoed by a German submarine during
World War II, an adolescent white boy, blinded by a blow on the head,
and an old black man are stranded on a tiny Caribbean island where the
boy acquires a new kind of vision, courage, and love from his old
companion. Don't let the slow start fool you. It will be
hard to put down!
pb 144pp |
The
Five Little Peppers and How they Grew
First published in
1881, this endearing story tells of the five Pepper children who, along
with their widowed mother, meet hard times with courage, responsibility,
and cheer. A favorite of mine.
pb
304pp |
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The
Best Christmas Pageant Ever
You'll laugh all the way through this short book. Don't miss
out by having your child read it on his own! The Herdmans,
considered to be the worst kids in the world, manage to get all the main
character roles in the upcoming nativity pageant at church. How
will these kids, who have never before heard the Christmas story,
interpret it?
80pp |
From the
Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
I read this book
many times as a child. To this day, whenever I go to a museum, I
imagine Claudia hiding under a piece of furniture or splashing in the
fountain. Clever Claudia and her brother Jamie take up residence
in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Soon they are involved in
figuring out if a mysterious sculpture is actually a Michelangelo.
Can they get the secret from Mrs. Basil Frankweiler?
pb
162pp |
Tom
Sawyer
The fun, mischievous escapades of a boy and his friends in a 19th
century Mississippi River town. The first book Mark Twain wrote!
282pp |
The
Swiss Family Robinson
When a family is stranded on an uninhabited island, they make it
into a wonderful home. A very enjoyable book.
pb
325pp |
Huckleberry Finn
Floating down the
Mississippi on their raft, Huckleberry Finn and Jim, a runaway slave,
find life filled with excitement . Join Huck and Jim and their old
friend Tom Sawyer as they come up against low-down thieves and
murderers, while being chased by Huck's evil, drunken father who is
after Huck's treasure.
386pp |
Around the
World in Eighty Days
by Jules Verne.
The action-packed story of Phileas Fogg's adventures through four
continents as he tries to make good on a bet that he could travel around
the world in 80 days. Great Fun!
pb
240pp |
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Captains
Courageous
Rudyard Kipling
While on a cruise, Harvey, the immature and spoiled son of a
millionaire, is swept overboard. The wonderful story of how is
character develops once he is rescued by a fishing boat and made to work
in order to gain passage home. 5th & up
pb 176pp |
Anne
of Green Gables
The story of spunky red-headed
Anne, the 11 year-old orphan who is mistakenly sent to the elderly
Cuthberts who had hoped to adopt a boy. One of my
longstanding favorites!
308pp
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Little Women
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To Kill a Mockingbird
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The
Dark Frigate
In
seventeenth century England, a terrible accident forces orphaned Philip
Marsham to flee London in fear for his life. He signs on with the "Rose
of Devon," a dark frigate bound for the quiet shores of Newfoundland.
Philip's bold spirit and knowledge of the sea soon win him his
captain's regard. But when the "Rose of Devon" is seized in mid-ocean by
a devious group of men plucked from a floating wreck, Philip is forced
to accompany these "gentlemen of fortune" on their murderous
expeditions. Like it or not, Philip Marsham is now a pirate—with only
the hangman awaiting his return to England.
With its bloody battles, brutal buccaneers, and bold, spirited
hero, this rousing tale will enthrall young listeners in search of
seafaring adventure. 7th gr & up.
pb
246pp |
The Count of Monte Cristo
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Robinson Crusoe
Daniel Defoe
For more than 270 years, readers everywhere have been fascinated by
the true story of the young fool who ran away from wealth, security, and
family for a rough life at sea -- and came to his senses too late, alone
on a tropical island- alone except for cannibals, that is, and God.
Adjusting to the primitive conditions, he learns to make tools,
shelters, bread, and clothes. More importantly, he becomes a Christian.
8th & up
pb 352pp |
Treasure Island
Robert Louis Stevenson
Originally
designed as a story for boys, Stevenson's novel is narrated by the
teenage Jim Hawkins, who outwits a gang of murderous pirates led by that
unforgettable avatar of amorality, Long John Silver. But Treasure Island
has also had great appeal for adult readers and was admired by Mark
Twain, Rudyard Kipling, and (reluctantly) Henry James.
-from publisher
pb
298pp |
Kidnapped
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Christmas Carol
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David Copperfield
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The Three Musketeers
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Emma
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Oliver Twist
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