Family Stories - Exodus Books

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"Family stories" isn't really a recognized genre, but it should be. Sure, most novels deal with families on some level, but we aren't talking about the dysfunctional ones so common in modern (and Russian) fiction. For us, family stories are those that celebrate family life through a particular family's story, whether it's a Ma and Pa taking their girls across country in a covered wagon, an Austrian count saving his wife and kids from the Nazis, or a Jewish family in New York prior to World War I.

Tolstoy's famous observation that "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way," is constantly disproved in these stories. Unhappy families are usually unhappy as a result of selfishness and sin, while happy ones enjoy remarkably diverse experiences that broaden each individual member and the whole family unit together. That's not to say happy families never suffer—they often suffer even more than others, but the difficulties bring them closer together and build character.

By extension, families who take heed of these real and fictional families' response to hardship will find themselves similarly bonded, thankful for each other instead of resentful, happy to sacrifice individual desires for the benefit of the group rather than demanding special favors. Other than Christ's Body, the family is the most important social group for Christians, and we prefer family stories that reflect a pursuit of godliness—the too-often-neglected Papa's Wife is an excellent example.

Some of the stories here are just for fun, though. Cheaper by the Dozen may not spur you on to piety, but it will make you laugh till your sides hurt. The Sarah, Plain and Tall books aren't churchy, but the love of Jacob Witting for his children and the woman who becomes their mother is instructive for us all. Family stories make good family reading, too, because the best ones appeal to each member. Besides, any activity that brings everyone together can never be considered a waste of time.

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	Belles On Their Toes by Frank Gilbreth & Ernestine Gilbreth Carey from HarperCollins Family Stories for 4th-9th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $12.99
	Birds' Christmas Carol by Kate Douglas Wiggin from Yearling for 4th-7th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $2.00 (1 in stock)
	Canadian Summer Mitchells Series #2 by Hilda Van Stockum from Bethlehem Books Family Stories for 4th-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $16.95
	Cheaper By the Dozen by Frank Gilbreth & Ernestine Gilbreth Carey from HarperCollins Family Stories for 4th-9th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $16.99
	Cottage at Bantry Bay Bantry Bay Series by Hilda Van Stockum from Bethlehem Books Family Stories for 5th-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
	Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt from Atheneum for 6th-10th grade 1983 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $12.99
	Dobry by Monica Shannon, illustrated by Atanas Katchamakoff from Puffin Books for 4th-8th grade 1935 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
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	Education of Little Tree by Forrest Carter from University of New Mexico Press for 5th-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $3.00 (2 in stock)
	Elephant in the Garden by Michael Morpurgo from Feiwel & Friends for 5th-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.99
	Ella of All-of-a-Kind Family All-of-a-Kind Family Series #5 by Sydney Taylor, illustrated by Gail Owens from Lizzie Skurnick Books Family Stories for 6th-9th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $12.95 $9.00 (1 in stock)
	Francie on the Run Bantry Bay Series by Hilda Van Stockum from Bethlehem Books Realistic Fiction for 5th-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $16.95
	Friendly Gables Mitchells Series #3 by Hilda Van Stockum from Bethlehem Books Family Stories for 4th-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $16.95
	Getting Near to Baby by Audrey Couloumbis from Puffin Books for 4th-8th grade 2000 Newbery Honor Book in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.99
	Getting Near to Baby by Audrey Couloumbis from Scholastic Inc. for 4th-8th grade 2000 Newbery Honor Book in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Golden Age by Kenneth Grahame from Dover Publications for 6th-9th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.95
	Good Old Archibald by Ethelyn M. Parkinson from Bethlehem Books for 3rd-7th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $14.95
	Heidi Grows Up by Johanna Spyri, Charles Tritten from Dell Publishing for 4th-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $2.50 (1 in stock)
	Jar of Dreams by Yoshiko Uchida 2^nd edition from Aladdin Paperbacks for 5th-9th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $6.99
	Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata from Atheneum for 6th-9th grade 2005 Newbery Medal Winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.99
	Little House - Full Color Trade Paper Set by Laura Ingalls Wilder from HarperCollins for 3rd-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $75.11
	Little Town on the Prairie Little House Series #7 by Laura Ingalls Wilder from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-8th grade 1942 Newbery Honor Book in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $8.99
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	Little White Farm House in Iowa Precious Memories Book 1: The First 10 Years by Carol Brands from Inheritance Publications for 4th-9th grade in Inheritance Fiction (Location: FIC-WH03) $9.00
	Little Yellow Farm House in Iowa Precious Memories Book 2: Years 11-17 by Carol Brands from Inheritance Publications for 4th-9th grade in Inheritance Fiction (Location: FIC-WH03) $9.00
	Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck from Puffin Books Humorous Family Stories for 4th-9th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.99
	Long Winter Little House Series #6 by Laura Ingalls Wilder from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-8th grade 1941 Newbery Honor Book in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $9.99
	Long Winter Little House Series #6 by Laura Ingalls Wilder from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-8th grade 1941 Newbery Honor Book in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $10.99
	Maizy Chen's Last Chance by Lisa Yee from Yearling for 4th-8th grade 2023 Newbery Honor Book in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.99
	Mama's Bank Account by Kathryn Forbes from Harcourt Realistic Fiction for 7th-10th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $15.99 $7.00 (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) $7.99 $5.00 (4 in stock)
	Mitchells Five for Victory Mitchells Series #1 by Hilda Van Stockum from Bethlehem Books Family Stories for 4th-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $16.95
	Moominland Midwinter Moomintrolls Book #5 by Tove Jansson from Farrar, Straus and Giroux for 1st-7th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $8.99
	Moominpappa at Sea Moomintrolls Book #7 by Tove Jansson from Farrar, Straus and Giroux for 1st-7th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $8.99
	Moominsummer Madness Moomintrolls Book #4 by Tove Jansson from Farrar, Straus and Giroux for 1st-7th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $7.99
	Moominvalley in November Moomintrolls Book #8 by Tove Jansson from Farrar, Straus and Giroux for 1st-7th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $7.99
	Pegeen Bantry Bay Series by Hilda Van Stockum from Bethlehem Books Realistic Fiction for 5th-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $16.95
	Peterkin Papers by Lucretia P. Hale from Dover Publications Humorous Fiction for 7th-9th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.99
	Scottish Seas by Doug Jones from Canon Press Historical Fiction for 4th-7th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $12.00 $7.50 (1 in stock)
	Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner from Akasha Classics for 4th-7th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $12.99
	Silver Pencil by Alice Dalgliesh from Puffin Books for 7th-9th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $3.00 (3 in stock)
	Story Girl by L. M. Montgomery from Bantam Books for 6th-9th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
	Story Girl by L. M. Montgomery from Tundra Books (NY) for 6th-9th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.99
	Story of the Treasure Seekers by E. Nesbit, illustrated by Gordon Browne & Lewis Baumer, afterword by Peter Glassman from Chronicle Books Family Stories for 4th-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
	Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome from David R. Godine Family stories/boating for 7th-9th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $16.95
	Swallows and Amazons Swallows and Amazons #1 by Arthur Ransome from Overlook Press Family stories/boating for 5th-9th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss New edition from Yearling for 5th-9th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $8.99
	Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss, translated by Mary Godwin, introduction and notes by John Seelye from Penguin Classics for 5th-9th grade in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $15.00
	Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss New edition from Signet Classics for 5th-9th grade in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $5.99
	That Girl of Pierre's by Robert Davis from Bethlehem Books Realistic Fiction for 6th-9th in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $10.75
	The Moomins Set by Tove Jansson from Square Fish Publishing for 1st-7th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Time Bike by Jane Langton from Scholastic Inc. for 5th-7th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $2.50 (1 in stock)
	Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden Vanderbeekers #2 by Karina Yan Glaser from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for 3rd-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $9.99
	Vanderbeekers Lost and Found Vanderbeekers #4 by Karina Yan Glaser from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for 3rd-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $9.99
	Vanderbeekers Make a Wish Vanderbeekers #5 by Karina Yan Glaser from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for 3rd-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.99
	Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis from Yearling for 4th-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $8.99
	When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead from Yearling for 5th-9th grade 2010 Newbery Medal winner in Science Fiction (Location: FIC-SCI) $7.99
	Winding Valley Farm Annie's Story by Anne Pellowski from Bethlehem Books for 4th-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $14.95
	World of the Trapp Family Life Story of the Legendary Family Who Inspired The Sound of Music by William Anderson 1^st edition for 6th-9th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $15.00 (1 in stock)
	Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck from Puffin Books Humorous Family Stories for 5th-9th grade 2001 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Year of the Black Pony by Walt Morey from Bethlehem Books Realistic Fiction for 6th-9th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $12.95 $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Year of the Black Pony by Walt Morey from Blue Heron Publishing Realistic Fiction for 6th-9th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $5.00 (2 in stock)

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