Book Tree - Exodus Books

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Unlike many books of its kind, The Book Tree doesn't waste time trying to tell you why reading is important, what makes a good story, or how the authors came to be interested in making a list of their favorite books—all that's relegated to the brief, straightforward preface. Instead, mother Elizabeth McCallum and daughter Jane Scott simply provide lists of titles accompanied by short synopses to whet your appetite.

The authors are Christian, and often they'll point out ethical or spiritual elements of the books they've chosen to include, but this isn't a "build-a-Christian-worldview-through-literature" kind of book. It's simply a guide to great literature for preschoolers, elementary and middle school students, and high school kids, divided into age-appropriate chapters for easy reference.

Six chapters are divided (very broadly) by grade-level and genre:

Preschool Literature
Elementary School Fiction
Middle School Fiction
Elementary & Middle School Biography
High School Fiction
High School Biography

Some parents will no doubt be surprised by the age-groups to which some titles are assigned. For instance, Anne of Green Gables is included in "Elementary School Fiction," and in middle school kids are supposedly reading Dickens and H.G. Wells. No doubt some students will be advanced enough for this timeline, but others will not; use your judgement, and don't adhere to the recommendations slavishly.

By high school, students should be reading almost exclusively "great books," and this list reflects that: recommended titles in the last two chapters include everything from Quo Vadis and David Copperfield to Foxe's Book of Martyrs and The Screwtape Letters. Many may balk at this level of reading, but if kids are taught a love of reading from an early age, they'll be ready for (and wanting) a challenge when they get older.

Three indexes covering titles, authors, and subjects help parents navigate quickly, finding similar books or works by one author. Older students can probably use The Book Tree on their own, finding books that sound interesting to them. This isn't school-related, and there aren't discussion topics or anything to help guide study; the point is to get kids reading, and to get kids to enjoy reading.

Most of the books you'll find in The Book Tree are titles we carry at Exodus Books; many of them are among our staff favorites. We've listed what we have below, though if you find one we don't have we'd love for you to suggest it, and we'll do our best to bring it in. If you want kid who love literature but don't know where to start, this is a fantastic and easy-to-use resource you can use for many years to come.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.

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	Adam of the Road Puffin Newbery Library by Elizabeth Gray from Puffin Books Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade 1943 Newbery Medal winner in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $9.99 $5.00 (3 in stock)
	Adventures of Tom Sawyer Puffin Classics by Mark Twain from Puffin Books Realistic Fiction for 6th-10th grade in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF) $10.99 $5.50 (1 in stock)
	All Things Bright and Beautiful James Herriot Series Book 2 by James Herriot from St. Martin's Press Realistic Fiction for 8th-Adult in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI) $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Augustine Came to Kent Bethlehem Books Living History Library by Barbara Willard from Bethlehem Books Biography for 5th-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $14.95 $9.00 (1 in stock)
	Banner in the Sky by James Ramsey Ullman from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction for 4th-8th grade 1955 Newbery Honor Book in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $8.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Black Beauty Sterling Classics by Anna Sewell, illustrated by Scott McKowen Unabridged from Sterling Publishing Co. Realistic Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI) $6.50 (1 in stock)
	Calico Bush by Rachel Field from Dell Publishing Realistic Fiction for 5th-8th grade 1932 Newbery Honor Book in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $2.00 (1 in stock)
	Call of the Wild Puffin Classics by Jack London 2008^th edition from Puffin Books Action/Adventure for 7th-10th grade in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF) $10.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham, illustrated by John O'Hara Cosgrave II from Houghton Mifflin Biography for 5th-9th grade 1956 Newbery Medal winner in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $20.00 (1 in stock)
	Children's Homer Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy by Padraic Colum & Willy Pogany from Aladdin Paperbacks Greek Mythology for 3rd-8th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $10.99 $6.00 (2 in stock)
	Christy by Catherine Marshall from Avon Books Realistic Fiction for 8th-10th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $5.50 (1 in stock)
	Eight Cousins Puffin Classics by Louisa May Alcott from Puffin Books Realistic Fiction for 4th-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Escape The Adventures of Three Huguenot Children Fleeing Persecution Huguenot Inheritance Series #1 by A. Van der Jagt from Inheritance Publications Historical fiction for 7th-10th grade in Huguenot Inheritance Series (Location: FIC-WH02) $13.95 $7.00 (1 in stock)
	Escape From Warsaw Originally titled The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier, illustrated by Irwin Hoffman from Scholastic Inc. Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $4.00 (2 in stock)
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	George Washington Sowers Series by Norma Cournow Camp from Mott Media Biography for 6th-8th grade in Sowers Biographies (Location: BIO-SOW) $5.00 (2 in stock)
	Heidi Puffin Classics by Johanna Spyri, translated by Eileen Hall and illustrated by Cecil Leslie from Puffin Books Realistic Fiction for 4th-8th grade in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF) $8.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Helen Keller: The Story of My Life Signet Classics by Helen Keller Reprint from Signet Classics Autobiography for 7th-10th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $5.95 $3.50 (1 in stock)
	Helen Keller: The Story of My Life by Helen Keller from Dover Publications Autobiography for 7th-10th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $5.00 $2.50 (2 in stock)
	High King Prydain Chronicles #5 by Lloyd Alexander from Yearling Fantasy for 4th-8th grade 1969 Newbery Medal winner in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $3.00 (1 in stock)
	I Am David Previously published as North to Freedom by Anne Holm from Harcourt Realistic Fiction for 3rd-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $9.99 $5.50 (2 in stock)
	In Freedom's Cause A Story of Wallace and Bruce by G. A. Henty from Preston Speed Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN) $14.00 (1 in stock)
	Indian Captive The Story of Mary Jemison by Lois Lenski from HarperCollins Historical Fiction for 4th-9th grade 1942 Newbery Honor Book in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $9.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Kitty, My Rib Katherine Luther by E. Jane Mall from Concordia Publishing House Biography for 7th-10th grade in Clearance: Biographies (Location: ZCLE-BIO) $9.80 $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Landing of the Pilgrims Landmark Series by James Daugherty from Random House Historical Non-Fiction for 5th-8th grade in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL) $7.99 $4.50 (2 in stock)
	Little Lord Fauntleroy Puffin Classics by Frances Hodgson Burnett Reissue from Puffin Books Realistic Fiction for 4th-8th grade in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF) $7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, illustrated by Dinah Dryhurst Reprint from Breslich & Foss Realistic Romantic Fiction for 5th-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Man of the Family Little Britches Series #2 by Ralph Moody 1^st edition from W. W. Norton and Co. Biography for 5th-9th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $15.00 (1 in stock)
	Men of Iron by Howard Pyle 2^nd edition from Bob Jones University Press Historical Fiction for 6th-9th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $8.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Men of Iron by Howard Pyle from Mint Editions Historical Fiction for 6th-9th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $7.00 (1 in stock)
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	Otto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle from Dover Publications Historical Fiction for 5th-9th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $12.95 $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Piece of the Mountain Story of Blaise Pascal by Joyce McPherson from Greenleaf Press Biography for 5th-9th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Princess and the Goblin Puffin Classics by George MacDonald from Puffin Books Fantasy for 5th-8th grade in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF) $10.99 $5.50 (1 in stock)
	Rascal by Sterling North from Scholastic Inc. Biography for 4th-8th grade 1964 Newbery Honor Book in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI) $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Sarah Bishop by Scott O'Dell from Scholastic Inc. Historical Fiction for 6th-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $3.50 (1 in stock)
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	Sounder by William H. Armstrong from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction for 3rd-8th grade 1970 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Sounder by William H. Armstrong from Harper & Row Realistic Fiction for 3rd-8th grade 1970 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	St. Bartholomew's Eve A Tale of the Huguenot Wars by G. A. Henty from Preston Speed Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN) $14.00 (1 in stock)
	Story of King Arthur and His Knights Signet Classics by Howard Pyle from Signet Classics Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 7th-9th grade in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $6.95 $3.50 (1 in stock)
	Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars from Puffin Books Realistic Fiction for 5th-8th grade 1971 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.99 $4.00 (3 in stock)
	Swallows and Amazons for Ever! containing abridged editions of Coot Club and The Big Six by Arthur Ransome from Red Fox Family stories/boating for 7th-9th grade in Clearance: Fiction (Location: ZCLE-FIC) $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Tales of the Greek Heroes Puffin Classics by Roger Green from Puffin Books Greek Mythology for 6th-9th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Tales of the Greek Heroes Puffin Classics by Roger Green from Puffin Books Greek Mythology for 6th-9th grade in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF) $8.99 $4.00 (2 in stock)
	The Robe by Lloyd Douglas from Houghton Mifflin Historical Fiction for 8th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $19.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
	Winged Watchman Bethlehem Books Living History Library by Hilda Van Stockum from Bethlehem Books Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $15.95 $9.00 (1 in stock)

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