Chapter Books

A

• Alsburg, Chris Van

  • 
    The Wretched Stone
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4

B

• Bernadette

  • 
    Varenka
    a Russian story of a delayed answer to prayer and the miracle that results
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4

• Birdsall, Jeanne

  • 
    The Penderwicks
    And sequels
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Brooks, Walter

  • Freddy series

  • 
    Freddy goes to Florida
    Approx. 20 in the series; written in the 1920’s—about a poet detective pig--humurous and clever) some of our favorites:
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4
  • 
    The Clockwork Twin
    Approx. 20 in the series; written in the 1920’s—about a poet detective pig--humurous and clever) some of our favorites:
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4
  • 
    Freddy Goes to the North Pole
    Approx. 20 in the series; written in the 1920’s—about a poet detective pig--humurous and clever) some of our favorites:
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4
  • 
    Freddy, the Detective
    Approx. 20 in the series; written in the 1920’s—about a poet detective pig--humurous and clever) some of our favorites:
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4
  • 
    Freddy and Mr. Camphor
    Approx. 20 in the series; written in the 1920’s—about a poet detective pig--humurous and clever) some of our favorites:
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4

C

• Celenza, Anna Harwell

  • 
    Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue
    C.D. incl.
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Collington, Peter

  • 
    A Small Miracle
    Wordless Christmas story—a family favorite
    Gender: Both
    Level: 1, 2, 3, 4

D

• Dalgliesh, Alice

  • 
    The Silver Pencil
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Dicamillo, Kate

  • 
    The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

E

• Enright, Elizabeth

  • 
    Return to Gone Away Lake
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

  • The Melendy Quartet

  • 
    The Saturdays
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    The Four-Story Mistake
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    Then There Were Five
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    Spiderweb for Two
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    Gone Away Lake
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

G

• George, Jean Craighead

  • 
    My Side of the Mountain Trilogy
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Gipson, Fred

  • 
    Old Yeller
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4

• Goudge, Elizabeth

  • 
    Linnets and Valerians
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    The Little White Horse
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Green, Roger Lancelyn

   One of the Inklings; wrote great versions of these and many other classics
  • 
    The Adventures of Robin Hood
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

H

• Henty, G.A.

   The books are dense; we prefer Jim Weiss’ edited & audio versions
  • 
    The Reign of Terror
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    The Resign of Terror (Audio)
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4

• Herge

  • 
    The Complete Adventures of Tintin
    These comic books, first written in 1929, are translated from the French.
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4

• Herriot, James

  • 
    A Treasury for Children
    Great retellings from his veterinarian books
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4

J

• Jewett, Eleanore M.

  • 
    The Hidden Treasure of Glaston
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

L

• Larson, Kirby

  • 
    Hattie Big Sky
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Lawhead, Stephen

   Though the writing is not completely even, these are solid page-turners
  • 
    The Pendragon Cycle Set
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    King Ravel Trilogy
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4

• Lewis, C.S.

   All of his books as soon as children can read them, esp. The Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce (L4)
  • 
    The Chronicles of Narnia Boxed Set
    Gender: Both
    Level: 1, 2, 3, 4

M

• MacDonald, George

  • 
    The Princess and the Goblin
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4
  • 
    The Princess and Curdie
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4
  • 
    The Light Princess
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4
  • 
    Wise Woman
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    The Fisherman's Lady
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    Marquis’ Secret
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4

• MacLachlan, Patricia

   I find her books painfully beautiful
  • 
    Edward's Eyes
    beautiful, but very heavy subject matter—a child dies
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    Sarah, Plain and Tall
    and all the sequels—painfully beautifully
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Mains, David and Karen

   Christian fantasy for older children
  • 
    Tales of the Resistance
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    Tales of the Kingdom
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• McGraw, Eloise Jarvis

   Books have an Egyptian belief system—easy to discuss with older children
  • 
    Mara, Daughter of the Nile
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    The Golden Goblet
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4

• McSwigan, Marie

  • 
    Snow Treasure
    WWII
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Milne, A.A.

  • 
    Pooh's Library: Winnie-The-Pooh
    Certainly this is one of the best children’s books of all time. Make sure to read the real version, not just all the picture book selections. The whole family can enjoy the different levels of humor.
    Gender: Both
    Level: 1, 2, 3, 4

• Montgomery, Lucy M.

  • 
    Emily of New Moon
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    Anne of Green Gables series
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

N

• Nesbit, E.

  • 
    The Phoenix and the Carpet
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    Five Children and It
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    The Railway Children
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    The Enchanted Castle
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

P

• Park, Linda Sue

  • 
    A Single Shard
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Pearl S. Buck

  • 
    Christmas Day in the Morning
    A boy gives his father a gift of service--beautiful
    Gender: Both
    Level: 1, 2, 3, 4

• Peck, Richard

  • 
    Way Down Yonder
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    A Long Way From Chicago
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Philbrick, Margaret

  • 
    Back to the Manger
    Lovely Christmas story with great local (Chicago) references & illus.
    Gender: Both
    Level: 1, 2, 3, 4

R

• Ransome, Arthur

  • 
    Swallow and Amazons
    And all in series, 12 books total
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Rawling, Wilson

  • 
    Where the Red Fern Grows
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4

• Ray, Mary

  • 
    The Ides of April
    Historical fiction
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4

• Reilly-Giff, Patricia

  • Nory Ryan's Song Series

  • 
    Nory Ryan's Song
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    Maggie's Door
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    Water Street
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    Eleven
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4
  • 
    "R" My Name is Rachel
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Rylant, Cynthia

  • 
    The Relatives Came
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4

S

• Speare, Elizabeth George

  • 
    The Witch of Blackbird Pond
    Set in medieval times in which people assumed anyone strange was a witch; this woman was a Quaker.
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    The Sign of the Beaver
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    The Bronze Bow
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    Calico Captive
    A story of a woman captured by American Indians
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4

• Spyri, Johanna

  • 
    Heidi
    Not all sequels are written by Spyri, but are good
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4

• St. John, Patricia

  • 
    Patricia St John Series
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Stratton-Porter, Gene

  • 
    Laddie
    One of my all time favorites
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    Freckles
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    Keeper of the Bees
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    A Girl of the Limberlost
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4

• Sutcliff, Rosemary

   Retells a lot of ancient classics very well
  • 
    Black Ships Before Troy
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4
  • 
    Eagles of the Ninth
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4
  • 
    The Wanderings of Odysseus
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4

T

• Tolkien, J.R.R.

  • 
    The Lord of the Rings
    Try the audio version read by Rob Inglis!! PLEASE do not let your children watch these movies until they have read the books!
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    The Lord of the Rings (Audio)
    Try the audio version read by Rob Inglis!! PLEASE do not let your children watch these movies until they have read the books!
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    The Hobbit
    PLEASE do not let your children watch these movies until they have read the books!
    Gender: Both
    Level: 3, 4

• Tudor, Tasha

   Mostly known for her lovely illustrations
  • 
    Pumpkin Moonshine
    Gender: Both
    Level: 1, 2, 3, 4
  • 
    Wings from the Wind
    An anthology of poems
    Gender: Both
    Level: 1, 2, 3, 4
  • 
    A Doll's Christmas
    Gender: Both
    Level: 1, 2, 3, 4
  • 
    A Time to Keep
    Gender: Both
    Level: 1, 2, 3, 4

V

• von Stockhum, Hilda

  • 
    The Winged Watchmen
    WWII
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4

W

• Wangerin, Walter, Jr.

  • 
    Mary’s First Christmas
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4
  • 
    Peter’s First Easter
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4

• White, E.B.

  • 
    Charlotte’s Web
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4
  • 
    The Trumpet of the Swan
    Gender: Both
    Level: 2, 3, 4

• Wiggin, Kate Douglas, ed.

  • 
    The Arabian Nights
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4

• Williamson, Joanne

   writes amazing historical fiction; slowly being republished by Bethlehem Books—check their website
  • 
    Hittite Warrior
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4
  • 
    God King
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4

• Wright, Harold Bell

  • 
    Shepherd of the Hills
    A generational family favorite
    Gender: Both
    Level: 4