Doorways to Great Reading

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If there's a one-world government, it's television. King of the Technological Age, he sits enthroned in homes around the world, a little box of images and sound emitting edicts to his unified followers from his electrical shrine. That description may be a bit overwrought, but the fact remains: more people these days would prefer to watch TV than read a good book.

Many parents are desperate to expose their kids to quality literature, whether it's a classic like Anne of Green Gables, a more recent novel like Mimus, or simply something other than the TV Guide. In response, a number of literature-based curricula have been developed, and in turn have become increasingly popular among both homeschool families and school educators.

As great and noble as this effort has been, there are a couple problems we see with the literature-curriculum approach: 1) literature is treated as curriculum, and 2) children aren't exposed to the depth and variety available because reading is limited to the curriculum suggestions. Consequently, a lot of children grow to dislike reading, associating it as they do with schoolwork and not having a good time.

We've accumulated many of the titles used by the major literature-based curriculum lines, and those products are among our best sellers. We're also not entirely opposed to the literature approach, but we also want to offer a much broader selection of literature, titles that don't find their way into the program guides but are nevertheless worth reading.

Numerous book lists, catalogues, and publishers (including many dedicated to reprinting the more obscure classic titles) have guided us in the construction of our fiction and literature sections. (Employees have also been an important factor in this process, and you can read about their favorites here.) Doorways to Great Reading collects the best of these lists in one place.

Discovering classic literature is more than just checking off titles from a master list, however. Though books like Honey for a Child's Heart, The Well-Educated Mind, and The Book Tree are great places to start and offer excellent guidelines, they are still jumping-off places. Developing the skills to find good books on your own (and imparting those skills to your children) is the end these books are supposed to help you achieve.

When Lucy Pevensie opened the wardrobe and found Narnia, her first experience with a snowbound landscape gave her little indication of the adventure and wonder she'd find there. Great books are the same way: the more you read, the more you realize how many are really out there, and the better you get at finding them.

If your adventure in the realms of literature hasn't started, or is still in its beginning stages, use the booklists you'll find here as maps of sorts, there to help you navigate but not to make the journey on your behalf. The travel is up to you, and whether you decide to explore Ben-Hur or The Wind in the Willows, it's travel that will take you far from your front door and back many times over.

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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Hand That Rocks the Cradle

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	Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst from Atheneum for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Babar and Zephir / Tale of Squirrel Nutkin by Jean de Brunhoff (Babar) and Beatrix Potter (Squirrel Nutkin) from Random House Books for Young Readers for Preschool-2nd grade in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Bee Tree by Patricia Polacco from Grosset & Dunlap for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Beginner's Bible Timeless Children's Stories by Karyn Henley, Kelly Pulley (illustrator) from Zonderkidz for Nursery-Kindergarten in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO) $12.00 (1 in stock)
	Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward from Houghton Mifflin Realistic Animal Stories for Preschool-1st grade 1953 Caldecott Medal winner in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $2.00 (1 in stock)
	Caps for Sale A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business by Esphyr Slobodkina from HarperCollins Animal Fantasy for Nursery-1st grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $9.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss & Crockett Johnson from HarperCollins Humorous Book on Botany for Nursery-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes from Greenwillow Books Animal Fantasy for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Corduroy - Spanish edition by Don Freeman from Puffin Books Personification Stories for Preschool-2nd grade in Spanish Resources (Location: FL-SPARE) $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Crow Boy by Taro Yashima from Puffin Books Word Books for Preschool-2nd grade 1956 Caldecott Honor Book in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French 1^st edition from HMH Books for Young Readers for Preschool-1st grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $9.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Each Peach Pear Plum by Allan & Janet Ahlberg from Puffin Books Rhyming Story for Preschool-Kindergarten in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Fables by Arnold Lobel from HarperCollins Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for Preschool-3rd grade 1981 Caldecott Medal winner in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $9.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Fables by Arnold Lobel from HarperCollins Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for Preschool-3rd grade 1981 Caldecott Medal winner in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	For You Are a Kenyan Child by Kelly Cunnane from Atheneum for Preschool-1st grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Four Feet, Two Sandals by Karen Lynn Williams, Khadra Mohammed, illustrated by Doug Chayka 1^st edition from Eerdmans for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Friend by Sarah Stewart First Edition from Farrar, Straus and Giroux for Preschool-2nd grade (Ages 4-8) in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $10.00 (1 in stock)
	Girl Who Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goble from Scholastic Inc. for Preschool-2nd grade 1979 Caldecott Medal winner in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $1.00 (1 in stock)
	Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann from Penguin Putnam Picture Only Books for Preschool-Kindergarten in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb Bright & Early Books by Al Perkins from Random House Books for Young Readers for Nursery-Kindergarten in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $9.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson from HarperCollins Fantasy for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $11.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Harry and the Lady Next Door An I Can Read Book Level 1 by Gene Zion from HarperCollins Realistic Animal Stories for Preschool-1st grade in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR) $5.99 $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Have You Seen My Cat? by Eric Carle from Scholastic Inc. in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $2.00 (2 in stock)
	Have You Seen My Duckling? by Nancy Tafuri from Greenwillow Books for Preschool- 3rd Grade 1985 Caldecott Honor Book in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	He is Risen Rocks Tell the Story of Easter by Patti Rokus from Zondervan for Preschool-1st grade in Easter & Lent (Location: HOLIDAY) $17.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
	Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine, illustrated by Kadir Nelson from Scholastic Press for Nursery-1st grade 2008 Caldecott Honor Book in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $3.00 (1 in stock)
	How to Raise a Reader by Pamela Paul & Maria Russo from Workman Publishing for Nursery-10th grade in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC) $10.00 (2 in stock)
	Hush! A Thai Lullaby by Minfong Ho & Holly Meade Reprint from Scholastic Inc. for Preschool-1st grade 1997 Caldecott Honor Book in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $6.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming from Henry Holt and Company Word Books for Nursery-Kindergarten 1994 Caldecott Honor Book in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $3.00 (2 in stock)
	Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber from Houghton Mifflin for Preschool- 3rd Grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $10.00 (1 in stock)
	Kiss for Little Bear An I Can Read Book Level 1 by Else Minarik & Maurice Sendak from HarperCollins Animal Fantasy for Preschool-1st grade in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR) $2.50 (1 in stock)
	Leading Little Ones to God A Child's Book of Bible Teachings by Marian Schoolland from Eerdmans for Preschool-2nd grade in Family Worship (Location: BIBR-FAWO) $20.00 $10.00 (2 in stock)
	Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same! Passport to Reading Level 3 by Grace Lin Passport to Reading Level 3 for Preschool-1st grade Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Honor Book in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC) $4.99 $3.00 (3 in stock)
	Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney from Little, Brown & Company for Nursery-1st 2010 Caldecott Medal winner in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $18.99 $12.00 (1 in stock)
	Little Bear An I Can Read Book Level 1 by Else Minarik & Maurice Sendak from HarperCollins Animal Fantasy for Preschool-1st grade in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR) $5.99 $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Little Polar Bear by Hans de Beer from NorthSouth for Preschool-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Little Red Caboose by Marian Potter from Golden Books for Nursery-1st grade in Little Golden Books (Location: PIC-GOLD) $2.50 (1 in stock)
	Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge by Hildegarde H. Swift & Lynd Ward from Houghton Mifflin for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.50 (1 in stock)
	Lon Po Po by Ed Young from Philomel Books for Preschool-3rd grade Caldecott Medal Winner 1990 in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Love You Forever by Robert Munsch from Firefly Books for Preschool-1st grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.95 $4.00 (3 in stock)
	Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse, Illustrated by Barbara Lavallee from Scholastic Inc. for Preschool-1st grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $2.00 (4 in stock)
	Mother Goose by Gyo Fujikawa from Grosset & Dunlap for Preschool-Kindergarten in Mother Goose & Nursery Rhymes (Location: PIC-MG) $9.00 (1 in stock)
	Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? Bright & Early Books by Dr. Seuss from Random House for Nursery-1st grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $9.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters An African Tale by John Steptoe from Scholastic Inc. for Preschool-3rd grade 1988 Caldecott Honor Book in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $2.50 (1 in stock)
	My Little Island by Frane Lessac from HarperCollins for Preschool-1st grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $4.00 (1 in stock)
	New Shoes from First Second for Preschool-4th grade in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC) $19.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
	Olivia - Board Book by Ian Falconer from Atheneum Animal Fantasy for Preschool-1st grade 2001 Caldecott Honor Book in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD) $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Paper John by David Small from Farrar, Straus and Giroux for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Pete's a Pizza by William Steig from HarperCollins Word Books for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Picture Book of Dwight David Eisenhower by David A. Adler 1^st edition from Holiday House Picture Book Biography for Preschool-3rd grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Poke in the I A Collection of Concrete Poems by Paul Janeczko from Candlewick Press for Nursery-2nd grade in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL) $7.99 $5.50 (2 in stock)
	Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowrey & Gustaf Tenggren from Golden Books for Preschool-1st grade in Little Golden Books (Location: PIC-GOLD) $4.99 $2.50 (1 in stock)
	Polar Bear Night by Lauren Thompson from Scholastic Press for Preschool-1st grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Possum Magic by Mem Fox 1^st edition from HMH Books for Young Readers for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Rainforest Grew All Around by Susan K. Mitchell from Sylvan Dell for Preschool-1st grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $9.95 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Read for the Heart Whole Books for Wholehearted Families by Sarah Clarkson from Apologia Educational Ministries for Nursery-6th grade in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC) $11.00 (1 in stock)
	Runaway Bunny by Margaret Brown & Clement Hurd from HarperCollins for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Scuffy the Tugboat by Gertrude Crampton from Golden Books for Nursery-1st grade in Little Golden Books (Location: PIC-GOLD) $5.99 $2.50 (1 in stock)
	Sign Painter by Allen Say 1^st edition from Houghton Mifflin for Nursery-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $4.50 (3 in stock)
	Sing a Song of Popcorn by Beatrice Schenk De Regniers 1^st edition from Scholastic Inc. for Preschool- 3rd Grade in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Story of Babar / Heidi by Jean de Brunhoff, translated by Merle S. Haas, Heidi by Johanna Spyri, adapted by Florence Hayes and illustrated by Erika Weihs from Random House for Preschool-2nd grade in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf from Viking Press Animal Stories for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $17.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
	Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf 2000 Printing from Grosset & Dunlap Animal Stories for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf 2017 Printing from Viking Books for Young Readers Animal Stories for Preschool-2nd grade in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD) $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Stranger by Chris Van Allsburg 1^st edition from Houghton Mifflin for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $18.95 $10.50 (2 in stock)
	Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. for Preschool- 3rd Grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester from Sandpiper Books for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck Book 9 by Beatrix Potter from Frederick Warne & Company for Nursery-1st grade in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER) $8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Thomas Jefferson A Picture Book Biography by James Cross Giblin from Scholastic Inc. for Preschool-3rd grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Three Pigs by David Wiesner 1^st edition from Clarion Books for Preschool-2nd grade 2002 Caldecott Medal winner in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $18.99 $11.00 (1 in stock)
	To Everything There Is a Season by Diane Dillon, Leo Dillon 1^st edition from Blue Sky press for Preschool-3rd Grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle from Philomel Books for Preschool-1st grade in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD) $10.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Yeh-Shen A Cinderella Story from China by Ai-Ling Louie from Puffin Books for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)

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