My Account Wish List Shopping Cart Log In
Store Location

Doorways to Great Reading

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.
Did you find this review helpful?
Parent Categories
Doorways to Great Reading
Subcategories by Grade
Subcategories
155 Items found Print
Filter
Active Filters: 5th grade (Ages 10-11), Trade Paperback, Used Books & Materials
Against the World
by Henry Coray
from Inheritance Publications
Biography for 5th-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$8.46 $4.00 (1 in stock)
All Sail Set
by Armstrong Sperry
from David R. Godine
Nautical Fiction for 4th-8th grade
1936 Newbery Honor Book
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$12.71 $8.00 (1 in stock)
Among the Barons
by Margaret Peterson Haddix
from Simon and Schuster
for 5th-8th grade
in Science Fiction (Location: FIC-SCI)
$6.79 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Anno's Journey
by Mitsumasa Anno
from Puffin Books
for 2nd-Adult
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Archimedes and the Door of Science
by Jeanne Bendick
from Bethlehem Books
Biography for 5th-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$12.71 $7.60 (1 in stock)
Ashanti to Zulu
by Margaret Musgrove, Leo & Diane Dillon
from Puffin Books
Word Books for 2nd-5th grade
1977 Caldecott Medal winner
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
$7.64 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Astrid the Unstoppable
by Maria Parr, translated from the Norwegian by Guy Puzey
from Candlewick Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$6.79 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Augustine
by P. de Zeeuw
from Inheritance Publications
Biography for 4th-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$8.42 $4.00 (2 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)
Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum
by Ashley Bryan
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 3rd-7th grade
$8.49 $4.40 (3 in stock)
Because of Winn-Dixie
by Kate DiCamillo
from Candlewick Press
Realistic Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
2001 Newbery Honor Book
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Because of Winn-Dixie
by Kate DiCamillo
Updated from Candlewick Press
Realistic Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
2001 Newbery Honor Book
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Black Island
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$12.74 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Book of Boy
by Catherine Gilbert Murdock, illustrated by Ian Schoenherr
from Greenwillow Books
for 3rd-7th grade
2019 Newbery Honor Book
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$7.64 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Booklist: Recommended Reading for Children and Young Adults
by Institute of Reading Development
for 3rd-9th grade
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Books Children Love
by Elizabeth Wilson
2nd edition from Crossway Books
for Kindergarten-8th grade
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
$17.00 $7.00 (2 in stock)
Borrowers Avenged
Borrowers Series #5
by Mary Norton
from Harcourt
Fantasy for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$6.79 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Brady
by Jean Fritz
from Puffin Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$7.64 $4.00 (2 in stock)
Breaking Stalin's Nose
by Eugene Yelchin
from Square Fish Publishing
for 4th-7th grade
2012 Newbery Honor Book
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$7.64 $4.00 (2 in stock)
Bronze Bow
by Elizabeth George Speare
from Houghton Mifflin
Historical Fiction for 5th-9th grade
1962 Newbery Medal winner
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$8.49 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Bud, Not Buddy
by Christopher Paul Curtis
from Yearling
Realistic Fiction for 4th-6th grade
2000 Newbery Medal winner
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$7.64 $4.00 (3 in stock)
Buffalo Bill
by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire
from Beautiful Feet Books
Picture Book Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$15.26 $9.60 (1 in stock)
Carolina's Courage
by Elizabeth Yates
from Bob Jones University Press
Historical Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$7.64 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
by Jean Lee Latham
from Houghton Mifflin
Biography for 5th-9th grade
1956 Newbery Medal winner
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$13.59 $7.20 (1 in stock)
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
by Jean Lee Latham
from Scholastic Inc.
Biography for 5th-9th grade
1956 Newbery Medal winner
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Castle
by David Macaulay
from Graphia
Architecture for 4th-8th grade
1978 Caldecott Honor Book
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$14.44 $6.40 (1 in stock)
Castle Diary
by Richard Platt
from Candlewick Press
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$6.79 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Castle in the Attic OSI
by Elizabeth Winthrop
from Yearling
for 4th-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Children's Homer
by Padraic Colum & Willy Pogany
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Greek Mythology for 3rd-8th grade
$9.34 $4.80 (3 in stock)
Classical Reader
by Dr. Christopher Perrin & Leslie Rayner
1.4st edition from Classical Academic Press
for Kindergarten-12th
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
$8.46 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Come On, Seabiscuit!
by Ralph Moody
from University of Nebraska
Biography for 5th-9th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$14.95 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun
by Rhoda Blumberg
from HarperCollins
Historical Non-Fiction for 4th-8th grade
1986 Newbery Honor Book
in Japan (Location: HISMC-JAP)
$8.49 $5.60 (2 in stock)
Cow-Tail Switch
by Harold Courlander, George Herzog
Reissue from Square Fish Publishing
for 5th-7th grade
1948 Newbery Honor Book
$15.29 $4.80 (1 in stock)
D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths
by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire
from Yearling
Greek Mythology for 4th-8th grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$16.99 $11.20 (2 in stock)
Danger in the Desert
by Roger Cohen
from Sterling Publishing Co.
for 5th-9th grade
in 20th Century Exploration (Location: HISW-20EXP)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Daniel Boone
by Daniel Boone
from Applewood Books
Biography for 4th-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$14.95 $10.00 (2 in stock)
Dave at Night
by Gail Carson Levine
from HarperCollins
for 4th-6th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$8.49 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Early Thunder
by Jean Fritz
from Puffin Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$6.79 $3.20 (2 in stock)
Eleanor Roosevelt
by Russell Freedman
from Clarion Books
Biography for 4th-6th grade
1994 Newbery Honor Book
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$11.04 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Exploring the History of Medicine
Exploring Series
by John Hudson Tiner
from Master Books
for 5th-12th grade
in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP)
$15.19 $9.50 (2 in stock)
Exploring the World of Astronomy
by John Hudson Tiner
from Master Books
for 5th-12th grade
in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP)
$15.19 $10.00 (2 in stock)
Extra Credit
by Andrew Clements
Reprint from Atheneum
for 5th-7th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$6.79 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Farmer Boy
Little House Series #3
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
from HarperCollins
Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$11.89 $4.80 (1 in stock)
Father's Promise
by Donna Hess
from Bob Jones University Press
Historical fiction for 5th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$7.64 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Florence Nightingale
Sowers Series
by David Collins
from Mott Media
Biography for 5th-7th grade
in Sowers Biographies (Location: BIO-SOW)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Frederic Chopin, Son of Poland: Early Years
by Opal Wheeler, illustrated by Christine Price
from Zeezok Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Opal Wheeler Great Musicians Series (Location: BIO-OPAL)
$12.71 $7.20 (1 in stock)
George Washington
by James Giblin & Michael Dooling
from Scholastic Inc.
Biography for 2nd-5th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.80 (1 in stock)
George Washington Carver
Sowers Series
by David Collins
from Mott Media
Biography for 5th-7th grade
in Sowers Biographies (Location: BIO-SOW)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
God's Word
Making Him Known Series - Book 6
by Sally Michael
from P&R Publishing
for 2nd-6th grade
in Devotions for Kids (Location: BIBR-DEV)
$20.39 $9.60 (1 in stock)
Gold Cadillac
by Mildred D. Taylor
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Gold Cadillac
by Mildred D. Taylor
Reprint from Puffin Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$6.79 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Golden Fleece
by Padraic Colum & Willy Pogany
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Greek Mythology for 3rd-8th grade
1922 Newbery Honor Book
$9.34 $4.80 (1 in stock)
Gone-Away Lake
by Elizabeth Enright, illustrated by Beth & Joe Krush
from Harcourt
Realistic Fiction for 4th-6th grade
1958 Newbery Honor Book
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$8.49 $3.20 (1 in stock)
Great Gilly Hopkins
by Katherine Paterson
from HarperCollins
for 5th-8th grade.
1979 Newbery Honor Book
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Handel at the Court of Kings
by Opal Wheeler
from Zeezok Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Opal Wheeler Great Musicians Series (Location: BIO-OPAL)
$12.71 $7.20 (2 in stock)
Hank the Cowdog #01
Hank the Cowdog #1
by John R. Erickson
from Maverick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$5.94 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Harp and Laurel Wreath
by Laura M. Berquist
from Ignatius Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Poetry Anthologies (Location: POET-ANTH)
$21.21 $12.00 (1 in stock)
Hatchet
by Gary Paulsen
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 4th-8th grade
1988 Newbery Honor Book
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$7.64 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Hawk, I'm Your Brother
by Byrd Baylor, illustrated by Peter Parnall
Reprint from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 3rd-5th grade
1977 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.20 (1 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)
Hiroshima
by Laurence Yep
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$5.09 $2.40 (1 in stock)
Hittite Warrior
Bethlehem Books Living History Library
by Joanne Williamson
from Bethlehem Books
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$12.71 $7.60 (4 in stock)
Homesick: My Own Story
by Jean Fritz
from PaperStar Books
Autobiography for 4th-8th grade
1983 Newbery Honor Book
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.79 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Huguenot Garden
by Douglas Jones
from Canon Press
Historical Fiction for 4th-7th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
I Am David
by Anne Holm
from Harcourt
Realistic Fiction for 3rd-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$8.49 $4.40 (1 in stock)
If All the Swords in England
Bethlehem Books Living History Library
by Barbara Willard
from Bethlehem Books
Historical Fiction for 5th-7th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$12.71 $7.20 (1 in stock)
If You Lived at the Time of the American Revolution
If You Were There
by Kay Moore
from Scholastic Inc.
Non-Fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Immigrant Kids
by Russell Freedman
from Puffin Books
Non-fiction for 3rd-6th grade
in Immigration & Emigration (Location: HISA-20IM)
$7.64 $4.40 (1 in stock)
In Search of Honor
by Donna Hess
from Bob Jones University Press
Historical fiction for 5th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$7.64 $4.80 (1 in stock)
Joseph Haydn
by Opal Wheeler
from Zeezok Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Opal Wheeler Great Musicians Series (Location: BIO-OPAL)
$12.71 $7.20 (2 in stock)
Journey to Topaz
by Yoshiko Uchida
from Heyday Books
Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Jungle Doctor Spots a Leopard
Jungle Doctor #3
by Paul White
from Christian Focus Publications
for 3rd-6th grade
in Jungle Doctor (Location: SER-JD)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Leif the Lucky
by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire
from Beautiful Feet Books
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$15.26 $9.60 (1 in stock)
Life Like Mine
by DK Publishing
Reprint from DK Children
for 3rd-5th grade
in Diversity & Multicultural Books (Location: HISMC-MUL)
$5.60 (2 in stock)
Lincoln: A Photobiography
by Russell Freedman
from Houghton Mifflin
Biography for 5th-9th grade
1988 Newbery Medal winner
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$11.89 $5.60 (4 in stock)
Little Pear
by Eleanor F. Lattimore
from Harcourt
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$6.79 $3.60 (2 in stock)
Little Pilgrim's Progress
by Helen Taylor
from Moody Press
Allegorical and Moral Stories for 4th-6th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$11.04 $6.40 (1 in stock)
Little Prince
by Antoine De Saint-Exupery
from Scholastic Inc.
Fantasy for 3rd-8th grade
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Little Prince
by Antoine De Saint-Exupery
from Harvest House
Fantasy for 3rd-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
Long Walk to Water
by Linda Sue Park
from Sandpiper Books
for 5th-8th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$8.49 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Ludwig Beethoven and the Chiming Tower Bells
by Opal Wheeler
from Zeezok Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Opal Wheeler Great Musicians Series (Location: BIO-OPAL)
$12.71 $7.20 (1 in stock)
Madeleine Takes Command
Bethlehem Books Living History Library
by Ethel Brill
from Bethlehem Books
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$12.71 $7.20 (3 in stock)
Medieval Feast
by Aliki
from HarperCollins
for 2nd-5th grade
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$8.49 $4.40 (1 in stock)
Miracles on Maple Hill
by Virginia Sorensen, illustrated by Beth & Joe Krush
2003 edition from Harcourt
Family Stories for 4th-7th grade
1957 Newbery Medal winner
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$8.49 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
by Kate DiCamillo
from Candlewick Press
Personification for 4th-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.64 $3.60 (1 in stock)
More Perfect Union
The American Story Series
by Betsy & Giulio Maestro
from HarperCollins
Historical Reference for 2nd-6th grade
in New Nation (1783-1801) (Location: HISA-18NN)
$10.19 $4.40 (1 in stock)
More Two-Minute Mysteries
by Donald J. Sobol
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-7th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Morning Star of the Reformation
by Andy Thomson
from Bob Jones University Press
Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$5.60 (1 in stock)
Mountain Born
by Elizabeth Yates, illustrated by Nora S. Unwin
from Bob Jones University Press
Realistic Fiction for 4th-6th grade
1944 Newbery Honor Book
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$7.64 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Mr. Revere and I
by Robert Lawson
from Little, Brown & Company
Humor/historical fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.64 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Mummies Made in Egypt
by Aliki
from HarperCollins
Non-fiction for 2nd-6th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$8.49 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Mysterious Benedict Society
Mysterious Benedict Society #1
by Trenton Lee Stewart
from Little, Brown & Company
for 4th-8th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$8.49 $4.40 (2 in stock)
National Geographic Kids Ultimate U.S. Road Trip Atlas
by Crispin Boyer
from National Geographic
for 3rd-5th grade
in United States Geography (Location: GEO-REFUS)
$2.80 (1 in stock)
New Americans
The American Story Series
by Betsy & Giulio Maestro
from HarperCollins
for 3rd-7th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$10.19 $6.00 (2 in stock)
Officer Buckle and Gloria
by Peggy Rathman
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
1996 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Otto of the Silver Hand
by Howard Pyle
from Dover Publications
Historical Fiction for 5th-9th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$11.01 $4.80 (2 in stock)
Oxford Illustrated Book of American Children's Poems
by Donald Hall
from Oxford University
for 2nd-5th grade
in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL)
$12.74 $7.20 (1 in stock)
Paganini, Master of Strings
by Opal Wheeler
from Zeezok Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Opal Wheeler Great Musicians Series (Location: BIO-OPAL)
$12.71 $7.20 (2 in stock)
Partisans
Shadow Series #4
by Piet Prins
from Inheritance Publications
Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$10.16 $5.60 (1 in stock)
Peter Tchaikovsky and the Nutcracker Ballet
by Opal Wheeler
from Zeezok Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Opal Wheeler Great Musicians Series (Location: BIO-OPAL)
$12.71 $7.20 (1 in stock)
12
Sign Up!

Shop

Support

Hours & Directions

Learn more about our store location and hours

Connect

503.655.1951

hello@exodusbooks.com

19146 Molalla Ave,
Oregon City, OR 97045