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Deep Roots at Home

Enriching the Soil of Your Life

100+ Books To Fight Back the Culture: Preschool Thru Grade 12

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100 + Whole-Hearted Books To Fight Back the Culture, Jessie Willcox Smith painting of little girl reading a book,

Many of you have asked for a reading list of great books for young and older children, the kind that contain wholesome adventure and inspire a heart to courageous living. I have been busy and did just as you requested.

What fun I had compiling it! Updated June, 2017.

We are all aware that there is a battle raging in our culture for the minds and hearts of our children, but how do we as parents prepare them to live in the world? How do we teach values and build character at home on a day to day basis to equip them for a lifetime?

One of the best ways is to choose and read books that will champion and uphold what is noble, good, right and true. Most of these will be found at your library, or you can request they get it in for you, but I’ve also included Amazon links so you can see what the book looks like and read reviews, etc.

100 + Whole-Hearted Books To Fight Back the Culture {& A Giveaway}, Sarah Clarkson, Read For the Heart: Whole Books For the WholeHearted Family, book, list of wholesome books, reading, read aloud books, parenting, home-education, building character, values in education, shaping hearts and minds, the old path, wholesome, old-fashioned, keeper at home, childhood classics, Christian and faith based, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, preschool, high school, grade school, family night, couch time, education, homeschool, curriculum, history, literature, stories, wholesome readers, playtime, recommended readers, little boys reading, hammock, holding a book, thoughtful children, children's books, two boys reading, rapt attention

This picture of two young boys captures the essence of reading – the gentle power and immense soul-stirring delight a great book can offer. I see evidence of the way a well-crafted story lights up the heart of a child.

The boys’ expressions reflect the newness of deep thought, the hearty joy in discovering new horizons, the heart and soul expanded by beauty. The dappled sunlight hints that the story is opening their minds to the mysteries of the world God gave to mankind and of their own place in it.

“Books can become powerful companions – teachers that will fan the flames of your child’s heart and mind to life! Great stories, first in the Bible and then in classic literature can tune the inner workings of the heart from which, even in adulthood, one will make decisions and form values.” ~S. Clarkson

Books Our Children Will Be Reading To Theirs One Day:

100 + Whole-Hearted Books To Fight Back the Culture {& A Giveaway}, Sarah Clarkson, Read For the Heart: Whole Books For the WholeHearted Family, book, list of wholesome books, reading, read aloud books, parenting, home-education, building character, values in education, shaping hearts and minds, the old path, wholesome, old-fashioned, keeper at home, childhood classics, Christian and faith based, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, preschool, high school, grade school, family night, couch time, education, homeschool, curriculum, history, literature, stories, wholesome readers, playtime, recommended readers, quote, magnifying glass, Andrew Pudewa,

Important Note:
The age designations for this list are only approximate.

A child’s listening level will often be several grades higher than their personal reading level–it is OK to choose books from an older list if you’re planning on reading aloud to your children.

I began reading aloud to our children from chapter books (such as Mr. Popper’s Penguins) before their third birthdays. Often I would take one at a time until they were hooked on wonderful stories and snuggling on the couch!

Don’t underestimate your child’s ability to comprehend, enjoy, or listen to fairly advanced material. 

Preschool Thru High School Recommended Books

Preschool (read-aloud)

100 + Whole-Hearted Books To Fight Back the Culture {& A Giveaway}, Sarah Clarkson, Read For the Heart: Whole Books For the WholeHearted Family, book, list of wholesome books, reading, read aloud books, parenting, home-education, building character, values in education, shaping hearts and minds, the old path, wholesome, old-fashioned, keeper at home, childhood classics, Christian and faith based, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, preschool, high school, grade school, family night, couch time, education, homeschool, curriculum, history, literature, stories, wholesome readers, playtime, recommended readers, The Very Hungry Caterpillar,

The Hat, by Jan Brett (boardbook)
Richard Scarry’s Best Word Book Ever, by Richard Scarry (our favorite pre-reader ever)
Good Night Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown
The Runaway Bunny, by Margaret Wise Brown
Aesop’s Fables, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle
Storytime and the Millers, by Mildred A. Martin
The Complete Tales of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter

Read-aloud/ Grade 1 (beginning reading)

100 + Whole-Hearted Books To Fight Back the Culture {& A Giveaway}, Sarah Clarkson, Read For the Heart: Whole Books For the WholeHearted Family, book, list of wholesome books, reading, read aloud books, parenting, home-education, building character, values in education, shaping hearts and minds, the old path, wholesome, old-fashioned, keeper at home, childhood classics, Christian and faith based, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, preschool, high school, grade school, family night, couch time, education, homeschool, curriculum, history, literature, stories, wholesome readers, playtime, recommended readers, Virginia Lee Burton, Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel100 + Whole-Hearted Books To Fight Back the Culture {& A Giveaway}, Sarah Clarkson, Read For the Heart: Whole Books For the WholeHearted Family, book, list of wholesome books, reading, read aloud books, parenting, home-education, building character, values in education, shaping hearts and minds, the old path, wholesome, old-fashioned, keeper at home, childhood classics, Christian and faith based, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, preschool, high school, grade school, family night, couch time, education, homeschool, curriculum, history, literature, stories, wholesome readers, playtime, recommended readers, Caps For Sale, a 1938 classic children's book by Esphyr Slobodkina

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Grade 2 ( excellent read-alouds as well a early readers)

100 + Whole-Hearted Books To Fight Back the Culture {& A Giveaway}, Sarah Clarkson, Read For the Heart: Whole Books For the WholeHearted Family, book, list of wholesome books, reading, read aloud books, parenting, home-education, building character, values in education, shaping hearts and minds, the old path, wholesome, old-fashioned, keeper at home, childhood classics, Christian and faith based, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, preschool, high school, grade school, family night, couch time, education, homeschool, curriculum, history, literature, stories, wholesome readers, playtime, recommended readers, Winnie the Pooh, A.A.Milne100 + Whole-Hearted Books To Fight Back the Culture {& A Giveaway}, Sarah Clarkson, Read For the Heart: Whole Books For the WholeHearted Family, book, list of wholesome books, reading, read aloud books, parenting, home-education, building character, values in education, shaping hearts and minds, the old path, wholesome, old-fashioned, keeper at home, childhood classics, Christian and faith based, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, preschool, high school, grade school, family night, couch time, education, homeschool, curriculum, history, literature, stories, wholesome readers, playtime, recommended readers, Richard and Florence Atwater, Mr. Popper's Penguins

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Grade 3

100 + Whole-Hearted Books To Fight Back the Culture {& A Giveaway}, Sarah Clarkson, Read For the Heart: Whole Books For the WholeHearted Family, book, list of wholesome books, reading, read aloud books, parenting, home-education, building character, values in education, shaping hearts and minds, the old path, wholesome, old-fashioned, keeper at home, childhood classics, Christian and faith based, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, preschool, high school, grade school, family night, couch time, education, homeschool, curriculum, history, literature, stories, wholesome readers, playtime, recommended readers, Thee, Hannah!, Marguerite DeAngeli100 + Whole-Hearted Books To Fight Back the Culture {& A Giveaway}, Sarah Clarkson, Read For the Heart: Whole Books For the WholeHearted Family, book, list of wholesome books, reading, read aloud books, parenting, home-education, building character, values in education, shaping hearts and minds, the old path, wholesome, old-fashioned, keeper at home, childhood classics, Christian and faith based, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, preschool, high school, grade school, family night, couch time, education, homeschool, curriculum, history, literature, stories, wholesome readers, playtime, recommended readers, The Bears on Hemlock Mountain, Alice Dalgliesh

Caddie Woodlawn, by Carol Ryrie Brink
Sarah Whitcher’s Story, by Elizabeth Yates
Thee, Hannah!, by Marguerite De Angeli
The Bears on Hemlock Mountain, by Alice Dalgliesh
Paul Bunyan and His Great Blue Ox, by Wallace Wadsworth
Dangerous Journey: The Story of Pilgrim’s Progress, by Oliver Hunkin
Pollyanna, by Eleanor H. Porter
Twig the Collie, by Craig Massey
The Borrowers, by Mary Norton
Mountain Born, by Elizabeth Yates
Stuart Little, by E.B. White
Story Times With Grandma, by M.E. Yoder
More Story Times With Grandma, by M.E. Yoder

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Grade 4

100 + Whole-Hearted Books To Fight Back the Culture {& A Giveaway}, Sarah Clarkson, Read For the Heart: Whole Books For the WholeHearted Family, book, list of wholesome books, reading, read aloud books, parenting, home-education, building character, values in education, shaping hearts and minds, the old path, wholesome, old-fashioned, keeper at home, childhood classics, Christian and faith based, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, preschool, high school, grade school, family night, couch time, education, homeschool, curriculum, history, literature, stories, wholesome readers, playtime, recommended readers, Brighty of the grand canyon, Marguerite Henry100 + Whole-Hearted Books To Fight Back the Culture {& A Giveaway}, Sarah Clarkson, Read For the Heart: Whole Books For the WholeHearted Family, book, list of wholesome books, reading, read aloud books, parenting, home-education, building character, values in education, shaping hearts and minds, the old path, wholesome, old-fashioned, keeper at home, childhood classics, Christian and faith based, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, preschool, high school, grade school, family night, couch time, education, homeschool, curriculum, history, literature, stories, wholesome readers, playtime, recommended readers, Kathryn Forbes, Mama's Bank Account,

Brighty of the Grand Canyon, Marguerite Henry
Treasures of the Snow, by Patricia St. John
Scout: The Secret of the Swamp, by Piet Prins
A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Little Lord Fauntleroy, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Mary Jones and Her Bible (true story), by Mary Ropes
Shepherd of the Highlands, by Lily A. Bear
Mama’s Bank Account, by Kathryn Forbes
Twenty-One Balloons, by William Pene du Bois
The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame
Tell Me About Heaven, by Randy Alcorn
The Yearling, by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

Grade 5

100 + Whole-Hearted Books To Fight Back the Culture {& A Giveaway}, Sarah Clarkson, Read For the Heart: Whole Books For the WholeHearted Family, book, list of wholesome books, reading, read aloud books, parenting, home-education, building character, values in education, shaping hearts and minds, the old path, wholesome, old-fashioned, keeper at home, childhood classics, Christian and faith based, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, preschool, high school, grade school, family night, couch time, education, homeschool, curriculum, history, literature, stories, wholesome readers, playtime, recommended readers, character building books100 + Whole-Hearted Books To Fight Back the Culture {& A Giveaway}, Sarah Clarkson, Read For the Heart: Whole Books For the WholeHearted Family, book, list of wholesome books, reading, read aloud books, parenting, home-education, building character, values in education, shaping hearts and minds, the old path, wholesome, old-fashioned, keeper at home, childhood classics, Christian and faith based, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, preschool, high school, grade school, family night, couch time, education, homeschool, curriculum, history, literature, stories, wholesome readers, playtime, recommended readers, character building books

Run For Your Life, by Betty Swinford
The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Swiss Family Robinson, by Johann Wyss
My Side of the Mountain Trilogy (My Side of the Mountain / On the Far Side of the Mountain / Frightful’s Mountain), by Jean Craighead George
The Bronze Bow, Elizabeth George Speare
King Of the Wind, Marguerite Henry
Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery
Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell
Cheaper by the Dozen, by Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr.
Gentle Ben, by Walt Morey
Heidi, by Johanna Spyri
Johnny Tremain, by Esther Forbes
Freddy The Detective, by Walter R. Brooks
Old Yeller, by Fred Gipson
Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe
Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson
Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls

Grade 6

100 + Whole-Hearted Books To Fight Back the Culture {& A Giveaway}, Sarah Clarkson, Read For the Heart: Whole Books For the WholeHearted Family, book, list of wholesome books, reading, read aloud books, parenting, home-education, building character, values in education, shaping hearts and minds, the old path, wholesome, old-fashioned, keeper at home, childhood classics, Christian and faith based, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, preschool, high school, grade school, family night, couch time, education, homeschool, curriculum, history, literature, stories, wholesome readers, playtime, recommended readers, classic, Mr. Pipes and the British Hymn Makers, Douglas Bond100 + Whole-Hearted Books To Fight Back the Culture {& A Giveaway}, Sarah Clarkson, Read For the Heart: Whole Books For the WholeHearted Family, book, list of wholesome books, reading, read aloud books, parenting, home-education, building character, values in education, shaping hearts and minds, the old path, wholesome, old-fashioned, keeper at home, childhood classics, Christian and faith based, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, preschool, high school, grade school, family night, couch time, education, homeschool, curriculum, history, literature, stories, wholesome readers, playtime, recommended readers, classic, Mr. Pipes and the British Hymn Makers, Douglas Bond

The Door in the Wall, by Marguerite De Angeli
Robin Hood: Children’s Classic, by Louis Rhead
Around the World in Eighty Days, by Jules Verne
Paul Bunyan and His Great Blue Ox, by Wallace Wadsworth
A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens
Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
The Chronicles of Narnia (all 7 books in one), by C.S. Lewis
The Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare
Encyclopedia Brown (older books of the series only), by Donald J. Sobol
Ester Ried’s Awakening, by Isabella Alden
Mr. Pipes and the British Hymn Makers, (series of 4) by Douglas Bond
Amos Fortune, Free Man, by Elizabeth Yates
Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott
The Yearling, by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

Grade 7

100 + Whole-Hearted Books To Fight Back the Culture {& A Giveaway}, Sarah Clarkson, Read For the Heart: Whole Books For the WholeHearted Family, book, list of wholesome books, reading, read aloud books, parenting, home-education, building character, values in education, shaping hearts and minds, the old path, wholesome, old-fashioned, keeper at home, childhood classics, Christian and faith based, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, preschool, high school, grade school, family night, couch time, education, homeschool, curriculum, history, literature, stories, wholesome readers, playtime, recommended readers, classic, vintage, Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, Jean Lee Latham, book100 + Whole-Hearted Books To Fight Back the Culture {& A Giveaway}, Sarah Clarkson, Read For the Heart: Whole Books For the WholeHearted Family, book, list of wholesome books, reading, read aloud books, parenting, home-education, building character, values in education, shaping hearts and minds, the old path, wholesome, old-fashioned, keeper at home, childhood classics, Christian and faith based, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, preschool, high school, grade school, family night, couch time, education, homeschool, curriculum, history, literature, stories, wholesome readers, playtime, recommended readers, classic, vintage, Dr. Oma, Ethel Herr, book

Safely Home, by Randy Alcorn

I, Juan de Pareja, by Elizabeth Borton De Trevino
In His Steps, by Charles M. Sheldon
The Hawk That Dare Not Hunt by Day, by Scott O’Dell
Dr. Oma: The Healing Wisdom of Countess Juliana von Stolberg, by Ethel Herr
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, by Jean Lee Latham
The Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan
The Prince and the Pauper, by Mark Twain
I Dared to Call Him Father, (true story) by Bilquis Sheikh
The Ocean of Truth  (the story of Sir Isaac Newton), by Joyce McPherson

Grade 8 

100 + Whole-Hearted Books To Fight Back the Culture {& A Giveaway}, Sarah Clarkson, Read For the Heart: Whole Books For the WholeHearted Family, book, list of wholesome books, reading, read aloud books, parenting, home-education, building character, values in education, shaping hearts and minds, the old path, wholesome, old-fashioned, keeper at home, childhood classics, Christian and faith based, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, preschool, high school, grade school, family night, couch time, education, homeschool, curriculum, history, literature, stories, wholesome readers, playtime, recommended readers, classic, vintage, Peace Child, Don Richardson, book100 + Whole-Hearted Books To Fight Back the Culture {& A Giveaway}, Sarah Clarkson, Read For the Heart: Whole Books For the WholeHearted Family, book, list of wholesome books, reading, read aloud books, parenting, home-education, building character, values in education, shaping hearts and minds, the old path, wholesome, old-fashioned, keeper at home, childhood classics, Christian and faith based, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, preschool, high school, grade school, family night, couch time, education, homeschool, curriculum, history, literature, stories, wholesome readers, playtime, recommended readers, classic, vintage, Endurance, Alfred Lansing, Ernest Shackleton, book

David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens
Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage, by Alfred Lansing
Whatever Happened To Penny Candy, (An Uncle Eric Book- indispensible to give understanding of how to think about money from an early age), by Richard J. Maybury
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank
Hittite Warrior, by Joanne Williamson
The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom
The King’s Shadow, by Elizabeth Alder
A Piece of the Mountain (The Story of Blaise Pascal), by Joyce McPherson
Peace Child (Sharing the Gospel with Cannibals), by Don Richardson

Grade 9

100 + Whole-Hearted Books To Fight Back the Culture {& A Giveaway}, Sarah Clarkson, Read For the Heart: Whole Books For the WholeHearted Family, book, list of wholesome books, reading, read aloud books, parenting, home-education, building character, values in education, shaping hearts and minds, the old path, wholesome, old-fashioned, keeper at home, childhood classics, Christian and faith based, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, preschool, high school, grade school, family night, couch time, education, homeschool, curriculum, history, literature, stories, wholesome readers, playtime, recommended readers, classic, vintage, The Chosen, Chaim Potok, book100 + Whole-Hearted Books To Fight Back the Culture {& A Giveaway}, Sarah Clarkson, Read For the Heart: Whole Books For the WholeHearted Family, book, list of wholesome books, reading, read aloud books, parenting, home-education, building character, values in education, shaping hearts and minds, the old path, wholesome, old-fashioned, keeper at home, childhood classics, Christian and faith based, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, preschool, high school, grade school, family night, couch time, education, homeschool, curriculum, history, literature, stories, wholesome readers, playtime, recommended readers, classic, vintage, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee, book

The Chosen, by Chaim Potok
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
The Eagle of the Ninth, by Rosemary Sutcliff
The Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas
Through Gates of Splendor, by Elisabeth Elliot
Evidence Not Seen -the Jungles of World War II, by Darlene Deibler Rose
Gulliver’s Travels, by Jonathan Swift
Moby Dick, by Herman Melville
Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe

Grade 10 – through adult

100 + Whole-Hearted Books To Fight Back the Culture {& A Giveaway}, Sarah Clarkson, Read For the Heart: Whole Books For the WholeHearted Family, book, list of wholesome books, reading, read aloud books, parenting, home-education, building character, values in education, shaping hearts and minds, the old path, wholesome, old-fashioned, keeper at home, childhood classics, Christian and faith based, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, preschool, high school, grade school, family night, couch time, education, homeschool, curriculum, history, literature, stories, wholesome readers, playtime, recommended readers, classic, vintage, Lords of the Earth, Don Richardson, book100 + Whole-Hearted Books To Fight Back the Culture {& A Giveaway}, Sarah Clarkson, Read For the Heart: Whole Books For the WholeHearted Family, book, list of wholesome books, reading, read aloud books, parenting, home-education, building character, values in education, shaping hearts and minds, the old path, wholesome, old-fashioned, keeper at home, childhood classics, Christian and faith based, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, preschool, high school, grade school, family night, couch time, education, homeschool, curriculum, history, literature, stories, wholesome readers, playtime, recommended readers, classic, vintage, The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas, book

A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens
Ben Hur, by Lew Wallace
The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas
Les Miserables, (Focus On the Family Radio Theatre Audio)by Victor Hugo (*the book is extremely difficult, however, worth it! Possibly the best redemption story after the Bible.)
Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens
Hinds’ Feet on High Places, by Hannah Hurnard
The Robe, by Lloyd C. Douglas
The Lords of the Earth: An Incredible but True Story from Papua’s Jungle, by Don Richardson
Nicholas and Alexandra, by Robert K. Massie
The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis (almost better in audio)
Silas Marner, by George Eliot

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What are your favorite wholesome and engaging books? What are your young people’s favorites? I know many of you homeschool moms are avid readers. Please share with us!!

Check out other booklists here at Deep Roots for completely different lists of books!

To subscribe to Deep Roots at Home and receive a FREE printable of this complete book list, go here. I would love to have YOU join the community!!

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100+ Books To Fight Back the Culture: Preschool - Grade 12, Jessie Willcox Smith watercolor painting of a little girl reading a beautiful red book

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Thanks for reading!

Jacqueline
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Comments

  1. Thank you for this list excerpt and giveaway. I sure do miss reading some of those wonderful picture books when my children were young! Now I have two teens and one pre-teen. Where in the world did the time go?!

    This may seem silly, but even though I am only almost 42, I will be looking forward to grandchildren (and hopefully lots of them) just so I can read to them and re-capture the beauty and wonder of early childhood:)

    Of course there is no rush….since any future spouse must go through the gauntlet before they can even look at our children twice:P! 🙂

    • The Miraculous Journey of Edward Toulaine. EXCELLENT. Read it twice to the kids and cried both times.

      Winn Dixie. Another great read aloud.

      • Thank you for adding these to the list, Nancy!!! They are both excellent!!

  2. Oh! I am printing this list out! I was just on a search for a reading list; thank you!
    Would love to win a copy of this book. I currently have it checked out from the library and it is definitely a resource you want to have on hand for anytime you need to skim look back at it.
    Thanks again!
    Jessica

  3. Forgot to mention, that I don’t have a favorite children’s book, but some of the ones we keep returning to at our house are Goodnight Moon and I’ll Love You Forever. We have several copies of these since they get worn out from so much use!

    Jessica

  7. I love your heart for encouraging parents in raising up godly children of character! One of our favorite children’s books is the Little House series!

  10. I didn’t grow up reading books but love them now, and I have shared this love to my kids! Thank you for sharing your list! My favorite books are Amish, I have a lot of favorites. Beth Wiseman is one of themThanks for the giveaway

  11. Well, I wish that convictions were different as I was growing up. My favorite books I wouldn’t recommend. So, I am very much looking forward to sharing solid, wholesome books with our new little girl.

  12. The Boxcar Children
    Swiss Family Robinson
    The Chronicles of Narnia
    The Secret Garden

    And a whole lot of others, but this is just off the top of my head.

  13. One of our favorite books that the Clarkson’s put back in print after it had been out of print for years is ‘Just David’. What a wonderful family read!

    • It is excellent! We have read it several times…just right for a boy that has a lot of pain in his young life!!

  14. Love your list! We own 76% of what you mentioned…. but since we *love* books, of course we want the other 24% !! 🙂 Enjoy your vacation!

  15. I think this is such a wonderful giveaway! One of my favorite books would have to be “The Giving Tree” but one of my favorite childrens authors would have to be Tomie dePaola.

  16. Some of our favorites are Aesop’s Fables, Chronicles of Narnia, and The Boxcar Children. We also love to read poetry together.

  17. Oh my so many.. Little House on the Prairie,Little Women, and anything that involved mystery or horses!:)

  19. Thank you for the list and a chance to win the book. Just looking over your list I have found some new gems to look for to read to my young family. So glad to find like minded parents to glean information from. Thanks again!!!

  22. Any of the pre 70’s Golden Books are some of my favorites. As well as the original Dick & Jane books. Thank you for putting together this book list…I am sure to read many to my son and have him read to me.

  25. When I was young a book mobile would come to our community every three weeks or so, and I was always eager to find a book about horses. My favorite book when I was young was, if I remember correctly, called “Misty at Chincoteague” or something like that. I don’t remember ever going to a library until I was in college and after I got married I spent tons of time in the library reading as many books as I could. Our three children love to read and we made sure that they had access to quality age-suitable books.

  26. Thank you so much for this list! I saw a post on another site the other day listing the best children books and I was really disappointed with some of the selections since they don’t reflect our family’s values. There are a lot of books on your list that I remember reading and can’t wait to read to my children!

  28. I had (have) so many favorites, The Little House Series, Amanda’s First Day of School, Nancy Drew, Babysitter’s Club etc.

  31. I like a lot of childrens books from my child hood, unfortunately my children don’t seem to have the same taste. I read them “The Monster at the end of This Book” and was so excited to share it with them and they looked at me like I was really lame afterwards. They are only 6 and 4 am I uncool already?

  33. Thank you very much for this list…and giveaway. Our favorite for my daughter and I is The Princess and the Kiss. We are currently reading Mama’s Bank Account!
    We also love the Squire and the Scroll for my sons.
    Dawn

  35. Nothing like the “old” good books. We have a lot of these. I feel it is so important to invest in a good family library. I was so disappointed when our city’s public library system stopped having book sales. I always tried to snatch the good stuff that they were throwing out (as they replaced it usually with trash).

    • I agree with the library assessment…they did throw out the good old books…we bought many of them! How is Trophy doing these days? I hope you are all well; miss you my friend!

  36. I don’t think I could narrow my favorite down to just one! My family was big on reading outloud at night. My parents still read to us even as teenagers and they still read outloud to my children when they are there for a visit! My children range from 6 to 25 and they’d have me read outloud for hours if time permits. I usually read to them3 times a day.

  37. Thank you for the awesome list of books, I was just thinking I needed to add to our collection. One of my (many) favorites was the giving tree!

  38. Our very favourite series to read is by a New Zealand author Rosie Boom ~ Where lions roar/Where Arrows fly/ Where Crickets sing. These are fantastic as read alouds & since she homeschools her family it is so applicable for our own homeschooling family. I’m glad these are hard cover because they have been read & read & read in this house.
    We also love the Moody books by Sarah Maxwell, The Sugar Creek Gang, Ann of Green Gables series, Little house on the prairie, the story girl etc. etc.

    I love this list & will pin it so I can come back to it!
    Blessings
    Renata:)

  39. There are so very many excellent books to read! I couldn’t imagine choosing just one as my favorite….. my mind gets flustered just trying! We have enjoyed many of the books on your list and look forward to enjoying many others! 🙂

    • What an awesome Mom you have, Rosevine Cottage Girls! Tracy is doing such an excellent job! I know, b/c I have read your writing!

  41. I have been looking for a good list of books to read to our children that were wholesome and character-building. I would greatly appreciate your advice on good history living books. I’ve been hesitant to read any because I’m not sure which are true and which are the revised versions we learned in public school. Our current favorite are the Moody books and the Boxcar Children. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity!

  42. My favorite book(s) to read to littles is the Winnie the Pooh series. Both of my boys have cried getting caught up in Eeyore’s adventures, and laughed at Pooh’s antics…what a beautiful story.

  46. I suppose I’m a ‘young person’ 🙂 – my favourite picture book is The Beauty Who Would Not Spin by Adele M. Fasick, with beautiful illustrations by Leslie E. Watts.

  51. I enjoyed looking through your list but I have to admit to not having read enough of the books! I’ll be coming back here when it is curriculum planning time at our house again.

  52. Greetings,
    I am truly grateful for this list of worthy books. We are avid readers here as my children have grown up with out cable/dish television and we cannot imagine life without books. My favorite children’s book is “The Lion in the Box” by Marguerite De Angeli.

    The opportunity to win these books is most generous…thank you.
    Most Sincerely,
    Deidre

    • Hi, Deidre 🙂
      I LOVE anything by M. deAngeli~ I have not heard of “The Lion in the Box”, but must look it up!! Thanks! I wish I could give away all the books, but it is just for ‘Read For the Heart’ this time!

  53. I love the book Love You Forever. I cry when I read it. Little House on the Prairie is another wonderful series. Many more from your list I can remember the teacher’s reading to the students in kindergarten when I worked at school.

    Would love to win for my great granddaughter.

    BLESSINGS!!!

  55. Thank you so much for sharing this list! I just love having all these books in one place.
    I have it in my pintrest board to refer to over and over. You are such a blessing and encouragement to me! Keep up the great work teaching us younger woman.
    Much Love,
    Carla <

  56. Really need encouragement in this area….hard for me to find time to sit and read w/ the kids! I think having this book would be a great resource to help me get into the habit. Thank you for the list to get started! 🙂

    • May I suggest reading to them while they fold laundry or another un-favorite chore? It can turn chore time into pleasant family time. Also, letting them work with their hands (coloring, building, crocheting, beading, making gifts, etc.) can greatly extend attention span and enjoyment. Children can read aloud for everyone’s pleasure and benefit, too. I have such great memories of evenings spent with my mother and brother, taking turns reading, with chuckles coming from my dad’s office to indicate he was listening sometimes, too!

  57. This is such amazing information. I haven’t heard of half of the books on the list, but the ones I have heard of, make me know the list is awesome! Thank you for doing this!

  59. Going to the library this weekend and taking this list! Thank you!! Love the Virginia Lee Burton books!

    We also enjoy Sarah Maxwell’s Moody Family series and ANYTHING by Douglas Bond!!

    We use Rod and Staff curriculum and I can recommend almost all of their fiction storybooks for preschool to age 15. I have never had to censor any of their books which is amazing in itself! Good stories with wonderful moral lessons. My children reread them all the time. When we have a vacation planned they each get to pick a new book and we order them to arrive right before we leave for a quiet happy trip! 🙂

    Have a wonderful day, Mrs. Jacqueline!

    • Yes, we love R&S material!! Their readers are excellent. It was terribly hard to decide what to put on this list b/c of books like Teddy Button and some of the Bond series, etc. I had to stick to the best mainline classic books this time, but you and others are so right…there are MANY others worthy (even more so) that are in a class all their own!
      It is wonderful when peace reigns…when our children’s hearts are being drawn to the Savior when they are home…there is more peace!
      Blessings!

      • So excited to see that our library has a lot of these! It fills my children’s minds with good things and keeps them busy. Yes, peace. . . I never looked at it that way. Quiet = peace. It seems in a big family, quiet is seldom found! 🙂 Peace is a good thing for our hearts!

        Thank you again for the wonderful list!

  61. Almost every book on your list is represented on our bookshelves! Great list! Our little ones delighted in Blueberries for Sal and Make Way for Ducklings. The older ones were intrigued with Run for your Life and The Hiding Place. Thanks for what you do!

  62. My absolute favorite children’s book is Teddy’s Button. I try to give the book as a baby gift to new mothers since our family enjoys it so much.

    • Yes, Teddy’s button is so wonderful, especially for little boys!! Also The Hidden Hand by EDEN Southward! We love those book and I need to post on the Lamplighter Books someday!

  63. I love book lists! Thanks for this one. It helps me to have great titles like these in mind when we go to the library and I am trying to fight the battle against rainbow-fairy-princess-pink-bubble-gum kinds of books.

    • Julie…keep fighting! If not, it will go to vampires, and the aberrant. The library shelves are filled with it!

  64. I love this list. I have 3 preschoolers right now and they absolutely loves reading. Books are on my mind at the moment as the always get books for their birthdays and Christmas… all of which are in the upcoming months. There are some books on it that I haven’t read before and I think I might see what I can pick up from the library. My husband and I actually just started reading Les Miserables together last night (it is LONG!), but it is wonderful so far. Reading isn’t only fun for parents and children. My husband and I have been taking turns reading to each other and we love it!

    • Oh, and I forgot to add that MY favorite books as a child were the Frog and Toad series, followed by Little House series, American Girl series, Chronicles of Narnia, “Dear America” and “My Name is America” series’. I loved books in series… haha… As I got older Alexandre Dumas was my favorite! Also loved Cyrano de Bergerac!

    • Christel,
      That is awesome to hear that you are doing that!! A reading culture in your home~ May God bless it richly 🙂

  65. These are wonderful! Thank you for the list… several of them re-jogged my memory about books I had read that I have not read to our children yet! Thank you! It is not a chapter book, but we love “The Squire and the Scroll’ by Jennie Bishop , The Three Weavers (lamplighter illustrated) .

  68. Thank-you for covering all ages! There are some books here I’d read as a child but forgotten, and am glad for the reminder. I found you on Pinterest via Proverbial Homemaker. And I’ll be adding some of these books to my children’s reading lists this year for sure!

  70. I also have noticed that the books in the library are often full of ‘twaddle’. Our library has book sales and sells all the good literature in favor of what is popular. Another book for adults to find good literature is Honey for a Child’s Heart. As children we enjoyed Katy’s Big Snow, Mike Mullegan’s Steam Shovel and Curious George.

  72. There are so many. As pp said, The Hiding Place is my favorite, but for my little ones, we enjoy Lyle, Curious George, Berenstain Bears, “I Love You, Stinky Face”, The Beast in the Bathtub, etc,., etc., etc.

  73. Thank you so much for sharing your book lists! I’ve already saved you character building lists for boys & girls. Can’t wait to read some of these books to my kids 🙂

  74. Hard to belive I read practically all of these books. My favorites I had growing up and I still have it. It is called: Golden Tresury Of Bible Stories. It is a big red book copyrighted in 1954. It has 203 bible story from Genesis to Revelation. i loved and still love this book. I have used it when I was doing childrens classes at church. I am 51 and I still love classic books. God bless you all. Keep well and be safe.

  76. Thanks for this list. It helps remind me which ones to look for at the library, if we don’t already own them. So many different books come to mind as favorites. Blueberries for Sal, Frog and Toad, The Bears on Hemlock Mountain and The Matchlock Gun are just a few.

  77. I was so excited to hear you were posting this list. Such a blessing! Thank you so much for investing in my family with the gift of your time. Two of my favorites that are not on this list are “Laddie” by Porter and “The Trapp Family Singers”.

    • Dear JustC,
      Those are excellent books! It was so difficult to choose…thankfully there is a treasure-trove of excellent books to share with children!!
      Blessings!

  78. Thank you so very much for making these lists and sharing them with us! I love these books you recommended! My kids have enjoyed quite a few already but there were a few mentioned that I hadn’t heard of that I can’t wait to get from our public library!
    LOVE LOVE LOVE!

  82. The book I remember reading over and over as a child is The Red Clogs, about a Japanese girl who gets new red geta (wooden platform sandals). Years after reading it, I found myself in downtown Tokyo, looking at girls’ geta – in red. I could see every illustration in my mind.

  86. “A” favorite children’s book? Is it possible to have only one? 🙂 I can’t choose! I love many that are on your list or mentioned by others, but I’ll throw out a series most Americans have never heard of: the three Wambu books by Piet Prins. It’s been years since I’ve read them, but my children are almost old enough to hear them.

  87. I would love to win this book. Our family loves to read and I am always looking for more great books for my children to read or me to them.

  89. I love the Encyclopedia Brown books as a kid. I also loved the Choose Your Own Adventure books. The newer ones though are not the same. The original ones were more based on helping friends out that needed help and how would you help them, solve the mystery or things like that. And the settings were traditional locations. The newer ones seem much darker and more fantasy based.

  94. Thank you for your wonderful list! I have been trying so hard to find appropriate books for my 12 year old….this will really help. Thank you for the giveaway as well. I think my favorite book as a child was Narnia or The Little House on the Prairie series. I still have both of those for my children to read.
    Thanks again
    Amanda

  96. Oh, and my favorite children’s book, at least the one I have read to my children the most, is The Big Picture Story Bible.

  102. My mom got our family a subscription to Weekly Reader books as we were miles from the nearest library. We bought a lot of the Whitman classics at our local 5 and dime. I loved mysteries as a kid and read a lot of biographies, and all of Little House books.

  103. We loved reading “The Cuckoo Clock” by Mrs. Molesworth It was a lovely story about a girl who learns to control her attitude while having amazing adventures.

  105. Oh, so hard to pick a favorite! I practically lived at the library as a child. 🙂 Some of my favorites from childhood were the “Five Little Peppers” series, “Misty of Chincoteague” and its sequels, and the “Mandie” series. We are using Sonlight for our homeschool curriculum now and I am excited that many of the great classics on your list are also on theirs. I’d rather own them than borrow them anyway.

  107. I was so excited to read about you on face book and then see this offer and the list of books, absolutely fantastic, so encouraging to have this…we home-schooled for 6 years, those were some of the best years of my life and am now preparing for grand-children, what a joy to have this list available…THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

  109. What a wonderful list of books! It would be such a blessing to have these books in our homeschool library! Thank you so much for sharing! God bless you! 🙂

  111. WOW! This is a wonderful and full list. I tutor the primary-aged child and having good wholesome books to recommend to parents is wonderful. I know most of these but compiling them into this type of list is what I have not done. Thank you.
    ~ linda

    • Thank YOU, Linda, for teaching/tutoring and reading to these young people. I am sure they will thank you a thousand times over in the years to come 🙂 If you ever want to share half the post with a ‘continue reading’ link, I’d be so grateful.
      Have a fantastic day!

      • Jacqueline, I linked up the post I did on your 100+ books awhile back with several book link-up sites. I just got an email from Tara who has a site “Embark on the Journey”…homeschool and books and such. Well, your list through my site got the most looks last week and she puts the link on her site announcing that fact so you can got there and see your link under “Ice Cream” books @ http://embarkonthejourney.com/i-scream-you-scream-we-all-like-to-read-about-ice-cream/

        Just want you to know. This could be rerun on a regular basis and be a popular site. Being that this is the end of summer for many, I bet it is a great resource for so many folks. Thanks for allowing me to use this. I love it and by changing from Weebly to WordPress, I placed all the posts anew onto WordPress, with yours at the top right now…until I review a new book.
        Caring through Christ, ~ linda

  114. Good morning, dear friend! Just letting you know that your post is among this week’s featured posts and will be shared across social media today and pinned to pinterest. 🙂 Thanks for linking up at Mama Moments Mondays 🙂

    • Thank you, sweet friend! You are amazing, and I pray for you regularly!! May the Lord strengthen and encourage you in all that you put your hand to! ((Hugs))

  116. I love the Chronicles of Narnia books and I think the first one the Magician’s Nephew is my favorite. There is also an author named Dave Sargent that has some outstanding books.

  117. Thank you for this wonderful list! I believe our family has read almost all of these books! Such fond memories we have of sitting together on the couch as they were young reading to our children.

  119. late responding to this one, amazed how many of these I read growing up. Like books for older readers by Gene Stratton Porter, Old Yeller, Beautiful Joe, books about the missionaries Rosalind and Jonathan Goforth, O Jerusalem ( story of Jerusalem and the 6 day war… amazing to see God’s hand in it)

  121. This a great book list, but there are several AMAZING Christian authors missing: G.A. Henty, H. Rider Haggard, Kate Seredy, Martha Finley, Ralph Moody, Gene Stratton-Porter, James Fenimore Cooper, James Daugherty, George MacDonald (C.S. Lewis regarded him as is master!) To name a few. These authors are for the most part even better than a lot of the ones on your list. Also, I would recommend “The Happy Hollisters” series over the Boxcar Children.

    • Awesome, Alison!! Thank you for your additional authors! Yes, I wish I could add them all!! 😀

  122. Thank you for sharing this list!!! I am familiar with so many of them, and many I have not yet had the pleasure of reading.

  123. WONDERFUL list!!! Thank you, thank you. I had forgotten about some of these books I read with my older children, so I am excited to have my memory jogged for the youngest. I am planning the next year’s reading list next month, so this is perfect timing. There are a few on the high school/adult list we haven’t read, yet, and we were just discussing starting a dinner book club, so now I have the books we can tackle. You are NEVER too old to read, discuss, and learn from each other’s perspective.

  124. It looks like books by Edward Ardizzone are not known at all. I found one–Tim and Charlotte–by accident in a used book store, and really liked the story of two brothers being by themselves on the beach next to their house during stormy weather and pulling a little girl from the waves. The girl becomes a part of the family, but is eventually found by her aunt. Eventually the girl returns to Tim’s family, because she is really missing being with them. Very nice book about strong friendships children are able to develop, and many things even young children can do without help from adults.

    • THANK YOU, Leon! I love a lead on a good book and author! I’ll check Edward Ardizzone out 🙂
      Blessings!

  125. North to Freedom, my Father’s Dragon, the Cay, Tiki Tiki Tembo, the Country Bunny and the Golden Shoes (Easter Story), and now Miguel, Ferdinand the Bull, Rechenka’s Eggs, The Golden Impala, Alejandro’s Gift, Mother Stories, Puppy Too Small, Chronicles of Narnia, the Empty Box, …

  126. What would be the cut-off year for Encyclopedia Brown books? They seem to have been published pretty consistently over the years without a huge gap at any point, so I am unsure which would be the “earlier” ones. Thanks for any help offered!

      • I had looked at the Wikipedia page and the dates are so consistent that I can’t tell which would be considered the “older books of the series.” I could go through and read them all eventually when my kids are old enough to enjoy them, but if anyone has a suggestion as to which year they stopped being worth reading, I’d be grateful to save myself some time.

  127. I’ve been wanting to keep the list of wholehearted books but can’t keep the page open forever nor can I seem to see anywhere to email it to myself. Please help!
    Thanks. Adrienne.

    • Hi, Adrienne 🙂 Could you Pin it to your Pinterest board? I just emailed it to you 🙂
      Blessings and thank you for supporting DRAH as a free resource by purchasing through my links!

  128. Is there any chance you have printable lists of your book lists? It would make stopping at half price books much easier. :). Thank you so much for putting the time in to make the lists.

  129. What a wonderful list! Thank you!

    Thought you might be interested in http://www.discoversuccess.info where all books have been previewed for good messages, dress and habits; furthermore, books can be searched by habit, child’s name, age level, type, and author. Many of the books on your list are recommended there as well.

    Thanks again!

  130. Love your site! Keep up the good work! Ia there a PDF of this list so we can print it out?
    I tried to print out this page and it said it will take 56 pages, so a PDF would be helpful.
    Thanks,

    • I will check if someone can help me do that! I would love to have it be easily available!
      Blessings!

    • Emily, If you haven’t read Emmanuel’s Dream, you’d probably love this inspiring true story about a deformed boy from Ghana and how he made a difference in the world.

    • Emily, found another great book, John Blair and the Great Hinckley Fire, and thought of you. John Blair, a man of color heroically and humbly saved many people in the Great Hinckley Fire. He was an inspiration to young and old alike. Happy Reading!

  132. Thanks for the great list! I would add some Shirley Hughes, such as Dogger or Alphie gets in First or Sally’s Secret.

    Also, Oscar Wilde’s Selfish Giant illustrated by LisBeth Zwerger is gorgeous. The Happy Prince is wonderful, but beware of abridged versions. For the very young I like Each Peach, Pear, Plum, and Marjorie Flack’s Angus books. The best read aloud books ever are the Golden Books The Large and Growly Bear and also The Bunny Book.

    It’s great fun just going through books, thanks again!

  133. Thank you so much for compiling this list as well as the other lists of books you done in other posts! It is so helpful to have good recommendations. When my older children were young we enjoyed many of these books but I had forgotten about some of them with my younger ones.

    I also just wanted to say that I really appreciate your blog. It’s beautiful, inspiring and glorifies God and I’m always happy to see a new post in my inbox. Thank you!

  134. Hi Ms. Jacqueline! It has been a very long time since I have commented, but I still read all your posts and pray for you and your family regularly. You know I always love a great booklist! I’ll send my readers your way on this one and encourage them to “click through” your links as well. I’d love to catch up sometime.
    Much love in Christ,
    Hilary at Wholesome Reads

    • Awww, Hilary! Oh, my how that blesses me, friend! Thank you. You are such an encouragement 😀 God bless you in whatever you put your hands to!

  135. We really like the Lake Shore Series by Oliver Optic. Many of the Trailblazer series are good for middle school level children. We also really like most of the Harold Bell Wright books-great read aloud and discuss as family books! The Kingdom Series and the Knight Series by Chuck Black are excellent allegorical stories in a medieval setting, for young adults. One of my favorite series for young ladies is the Corrie Belle Hollister series by Michael Phillips-much about learning to listen to God and let him lead your life.

  136. You have SO many wonderful recommendations on this list Jacqueline – makes me want to take off the month and relive my childhood!
    Are you familiar with Hope For The Flowers by Trina Paulus? This remains one of my favorite inspirational books to this day!

    Have a lovely weekend and thanks for your wonderful contribution to The Book Nook at Create With Joy! 🙂

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