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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.
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81 Items found Print
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Active Filters: 3rd grade (Ages 8-9), Trade Paperback, Used Books & Materials
Absent Author (A to Z Mysteries)
A to Z Mysteries #01
by Ron Roy
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Always Room for One More
by Sorche Nic Leodhas
from Henry Holt and Company
for Preschool-3rd grade
1966 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$10.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Australia and Oceania
True Books
by Mel Friedman
Reprint from Children's Press
for 3rd-5th grade
in Australia & Oceania (Location: HISMC-AU)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum
by Ashley Bryan
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 3rd-7th grade
$9.99 $5.50 (5 in stock)
Beatrice's Goat
by Page McBrier
Reprint from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$5.00 (1 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)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Bedtime for Frances
by Russell Hoban
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Big Book of Questions & Answers
by Sinclair B. Ferguson
from Christian Focus Publications
for 1st-3rd grade
in Family Worship (Location: BIB-FAWO)
$9.00 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Blue Lotus
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$13.99 $7.50 (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)
$3.50 (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)
$17.99 $4.90 (2 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)
$10.00 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Casey at the Bat
by Ernest L. Thayer & Patricia Polacco
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Children's Homer
by Padraic Colum & Willy Pogany
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Greek Mythology for 3rd-8th grade
$10.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
by Ian Fleming
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 3rd-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Cinderella
by Marcia Brown (translator)
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1955 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
F is for Freedom
by Roni Schotter
from Scholastic Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$1.50 (1 in stock)
Finding Providence
An I Can Read Chapter Book
by Avi
from HarperCollins
for 3rd-5th grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$4.99 $2.50 (1 in stock)
Flora & Ulysses
by Kate DiCamillo
Reprint from Candlewick Press
for 3rd-6th grade
2014 Newbery Medal winner
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Forever Forest
by Kristin Joy Pratt-Serafini, Rachel Crandell
from Dawn Publications
for 1st-3rd grade
in Ecology (Location: SCI-ECO)
$4.50 (4 in stock)
Glorious Flight
by Martin & Alice Provensen
from Puffin Books
Historical Non-Fiction/Picture Books for 1st-3rd grade
1984 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99 $5.00 (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)
$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Golden Fleece
by Padraic Colum & Willy Pogany
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Greek Mythology for 3rd-8th grade
1922 Newbery Honor Book
$10.99 $6.00 (2 in stock)
Hank the Cowdog #08
Hank the Cowdog #8
by John R. Erickson
from Puffin Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Harp and Laurel Wreath
by Laura M. Berquist
from Ignatius Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Poetry Anthologies (Location: POET-ANTH)
$24.95 $15.00 (1 in stock)
Hiroshima
by Laurence Yep
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$4.99 $3.00 (1 in stock)
Honey For a Child's Heart (old)
by Gladys Hunt
4th edition from Zondervan
for All ages
in Clearance: Home School Resources (Location: ZCLE-HSR)
$12.00 $7.00 (1 in stock)
Horse and His Boy
Chronicles of Narnia Book 3
by Lewis, C. S.
from HarperCollins
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$12.99 $7.00 (4 in stock)
How Many Days to America?
by Eve Bunting
for 1st-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.00 (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)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
If You Were Me and Lived in... Elizabethan England
An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time Volume 3
by Carole P. Roman
from CreateSpace
for 1st-3rd grade
in Great Britain / England (Location: HISMC-BRIT)
$14.99 $8.00 (1 in stock)
Jungle Doctor and the Whirlwind
Jungle Doctor #1
by Paul White
from Christian Focus Publications
for 3rd-6th grade
in Jungle Doctor (Location: SER-JD)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Jungle Doctor on the Hop
Jungle Doctor #2
by Paul White
Reprint from Christian Focus Publications
for 3rd-6th grade
in Jungle Doctor (Location: SER-JD)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
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)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Last Battle RUC
Chronicles of Narnia Book 7
by C. S. Lewis
from HarperCollins
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
1956 Carnegie Medal
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Lewis & Clark
by Steven Kroll
from Holiday House
Historical Non-Fiction for 1st-4th grade
in Lewis & Clark (Location: HISA-19L&C)
$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Life Like Mine
by DK Publishing
Reprint from DK Children
for 3rd-5th grade
in Diversity & Multicultural Books (Location: HISMC-MUL)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Little House
by Virginia Lee Burton
from Sandpiper Books
Personification Stories for Preschool-3rd grade
1943 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Little House in the Big Woods
Little House Series #1
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
from HarperCollins
Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$8.99 $5.00 (2 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 Prince
by Antoine De Saint-Exupery
from Harvest House
Fantasy for 3rd-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$11.99 $7.50 (2 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)
Lon Po Po
by Ed Young
from PaperStar Books
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-4th grade
1990 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Magic by the Lake
by Edward Eager
from Harcourt
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$4.50 (2 in stock)
Magic Tree House - Books 1-4 Boxed Set
by Mary Pope Osborne
Slp from Random House
for 2nd-5th grade
in Magic Tree House (Location: SER-MTH)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Making of a Knight
by Patrick O'Brien
from Charlesbridge
Picture Books/Historical Fiction for 2nd-6th grade
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$7.95 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Maps & Globes
by Jack Knowlton, Harriett Barton
from HarperCollins
for 1st-3rd grade
in Cartography & Mapping Resources (Location: GEO-MAP)
$7.99 $4.00 (6 in stock)
Me on the Map
by Joan Sweeney & Annette Cable
from Dragonfly Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Introductory Geography (Location: GEO-INTRO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Medieval Feast
by Aliki
from HarperCollins
for 2nd-5th grade
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Mummies Made in Egypt
by Aliki
from HarperCollins
Non-fiction for 2nd-6th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Nory Ryan's Song
by Patricia Reilly Giff
from Yearling
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Once a Mouse
by Marcia Brown
2nd edition from Aladdin Paperbacks
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1962 Caldecott Medal Winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Paul Bunyan
by Steven Kellogg
from William Morrow & Company
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Pets in a Jar
by Seymour Simon
from Puffin Books
Non-fiction Science for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Nature Study (Location: NAT-GEN)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Phoebe the Spy
by Judith Berry Griffin
from Puffin Books
Historical Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$6.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Poem Stew
by William Cole
from HarperCollins
in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Powwow
by George Ancona
from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 2nd-5th grade
in Native Americans (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Rickshaw Girl
by Mitali Perkins
from Charlesbridge
for 3rd-6th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$6.95 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Sam, Bangs & Moonshine
by Evaline Ness
from Henry Holt and Company
Allegorical and Moral Stories for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1967 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Sam, Bangs & Moonshine
by Evaline Ness
from Trumpet Club
Allegorical and Moral Stories for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1967 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$1.50 (1 in stock)
Sea Star
by Marguerite Henry
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 2nd-5th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi
by Cindy Neuschwander & Wayne Geehan
from Charlesbridge
for 2nd-6th grade
in Math Picture Books (Location: MATR-PIC)
$7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Sir Cumference and the First Round Table
by Cindy Neuschwander & Wayne Geehan
from Charlesbridge
for 2nd-6th grade
in Math Picture Books (Location: MATR-PIC)
$7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Sir Cumference and the Great Knight of Angleland
by Cindy Neuschwander & Wayne Geehan
from Charlesbridge
for 2nd-6th grade
in Math Picture Books (Location: MATR-PIC)
$7.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
So You Want To Be President?
by Judith St. George
Reprint from Philomel Books
for 2nd-5th grade
2001 Caldecott Medal winner
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Some Writer!
by Melissa Sweet
from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$18.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Squanto's Journey
by Joseph Bruchac
Reprint from HMH Books for Young Readers
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Story of Ruby Bridges
by Robert Coles, Illustrated by George Ford
Rep Anv Sp from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Story of Ruby Bridges
by Robert Coles, Illustrated by George Ford
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.50 (2 in stock)
Terrible Wave
by Marden Dahlstedt
from Richard R. Dahlstedt the Attic
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$8.00 (5 in stock)
Thanksgiving Story
by Alice Dalgliesh
from Simon and Schuster
Historical Fiction for 1st-3rd grade
1955 Caldecott Honor Book
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$8.99 $5.50 (2 in stock)
Throw Your Tooth on the Roof
by Selby Beeler
from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in Diversity & Multicultural Books (Location: HISMC-MUL)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Tree is Nice
by Janice Udry & Marc Simont
from HarperCollins
Non-fiction for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1957 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Tucker's Countryside
by George Selden; illustrated by Garth Williams
from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Uncle Jed's Barbershop
by Margaree King Mitchell
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Where Do I Live?
by Neil Chesanow
from Barron's
for 1st-3rd grade
in Diversity & Multicultural Books (Location: HISMC-MUL)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Where the Wild Things Are
by Maurice Sendak
from HarperCollins
Fantasy for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1964 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.95 $5.00 (1 in stock)
White Snow, Bright Snow
by Alvin Tresselt, illustrated by Roger Duvoisin
from Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books
Poetry for 1st-3rd grade
1948 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
William Bradford, Pilgrim Boy
by Bradford Smith
from Beautiful Feet Books
Biography for 3rd-5th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$10.95 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Wizard of Oz Book 1
by L. Frank Baum
Unknown from Dover Publications
for 3rd-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$16.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
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