Hand That Rocks the Cradle

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If you're not into lists, don't buy this book. Hand That Rocks the Cradle is one of the longest lists you'll encounter, but it's also one of the most helpful and (if you're a list lover) most fun. What's in the list? 400 classic books to read aloud with your children. It might not be a comprehensive list, and not every title will appeal to every reader, but this is a great place to start if you're looking for great books to read and discuss as a family.

There are many reasons to read out loud. Many of the reasons author Nathaniel Bluedorn offers simply relate to literature in general, whether read aloud or not—good books teach good writing, good character, and comprehension skills. But he also suggests that reading aloud as a family is a great way to build familial bonds and memories. We'd like to add that reading aloud is a great way to teach children how to be attentive.

The books in Hand That Rocks the Cradle appeal to a variety of ages (pre-K to teens) and interests (adventure novels, historical fiction, family dramas, fantasy, etc.). There is only one list, arranged alphabetically by author, with brief synopses of the selected works as well as symbols representing suggested age-range, time and geographic setting of the story, and the book's publication date.

Titles range from classics like Charlotte's Web and Ben-Hur to lesser-knowns like Beau Geste and the true-life adventure Kon-Tiki. Each book is selected for the quality of its writing and the moral character of its content; that's not to say, however, that there aren't moral dilemmas and difficult concepts in these stories to provide fodder for excellent and wide-ranging family discussions.

Every title we carry is listed below. While we'd like to carry all of them (Hand That Rocks the Cradle is an excellent list), some of them simply aren't available or are very difficult to get. If you find one you particularly want and we don't have it, let us know and we'll do our best to bring it in. The author identifies this list as one his parents compiled during years of reading aloud; we're sure it will lead to many hours of enjoyment for your family as well, and maybe you'll find your own favorites to add.

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

Hand That Rocks the Cradle

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9th grade (Ages 14-15),

Hardcover

	Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes Sterling Classics by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, illustrated by Scott McKowen Unabridged from Sterling Publishing Co. for 7th-12th grade in Mystery & Suspense (Location: FIC-MYS) $9.00 (1 in stock)
	Around the World in Eighty Days Sterling Classics by Jules Verne, illustrated by Scott McKowen Unabridged from Sterling Publishing Co. Adventure for 6th-10th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Around the World in Eighty Days Books of Wonder by Jules Verne, illustrated by Barry Moser from William Morrow & Company Adventure for 6th-10th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald, Illustrated by Jessie Willcox Smith from David McKay Company Fairy Tale for 4th-Adult in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Captains Courageous Reader's Digest World's Best Reading by Rudyard Kipling from Reader's Digest Nautical Fiction for 7th-10th grade in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary from William Morrow & Company Realistic Fiction for 5th-9th grade 1984 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $3.20 (1 in stock)
	Downright Dencey by Caroline Dale Snedeker, illustrated by Maginel Wright Barney from Doubleday & Company Realistic Fiction for 6th-9th grade 1928 Newbery Honor Book in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $22.00 (1 in stock)
	Hinds' Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard from Tyndale House Allegorical and Moral Stories for 7th-Adult in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte from International Collectors Library Realistic Romantic Fiction for 8th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, illustrated by Fritz Eichenberg from Random House Realistic Romantic Fiction for 8th-Adult in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, illustrated by Edward A. Wilson from Random House Realistic Romantic Fiction for 8th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
	Jane Eyre & Wuthering Heights - 2 Volume Set by Charlotte Bronte and Emily Bronte, illustrated by Fritz Eichenberg from Random House Realistic Romantic Fiction for 8th-Adult in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Kon-Tiki Across the Pacific by Raft by Thor Heyerdahl, Translated by F. H. Lyon from Rand McNally Non-fiction/Adventure for 8th-Adult in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Kon-Tiki Expedition by Thor Heyerdahl, illustrated by Eric Palmquist from Rand McNally Non-fiction/Adventure for 8th-Adult in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories Illustrated Junior Library Series 4 by Washington Irving from Grosset & Dunlap Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 5th-9th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT)
	Life With Father Reader's Digest World's Best Reading by Clarence Day from Reader's Digest for 9th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
	Little Britches Father and I Were Ranchers Little Britches Series #1 by Ralph Moody from Purple House Press Biography for 5th-9th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $24.99
	Little Women Reader's Digest World's Best Reading by Louisa May Alcott, illustrated by Hodges Soileau and Louis Jambor from Reader's Digest Realistic Romantic Fiction for 6th-10th grade in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Man Without A Country by Edward Everett Hale 1905 edition from Houghton Mifflin for 9th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Man Without A Country by Edward Everett Hale, illustrated by Edward A. Wilson from Heritage Press for 9th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Man Without A Country by Edward Everett Hale 1910 Edition from Barse & Hopkins Publishers for 9th-Adult in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Man Without A Country by Edward Everett Hale, illustrated by Leonard Everett Fisher from Franklin Watts for 9th-Adult in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Man Without A Country by Edward Everett Hale, illustrated by Milo Winter 1910 Edition from Barse & Hopkins Publishers for 9th-Adult in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Man Without A Country by Edward Everett Hale, illustrated by Everett Shinn 1940^th edition from Random House for 9th-Adult in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Man Without A Country by Edward Everett Hale 1908 edition from Henry Altemus Company for 9th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Moby-Dick or, The Whale Calla Editions by Herman Melville from Dover Publications Realistic Nautical Fiction for 9th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Mysterious Island by Jules Verne, illustrated by N. C. Wyeth from Charles Scribner's Sons Science Fiction for 8th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $20.00 (1 in stock)
	Mysterious Island by Jules Verne, illustrated by Edward A. Wilson from Heritage Press Science Fiction for 8th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Penrod by Booth Tarkington, illustrated by Gordon Grant from Grosset & Dunlap Realistic Fiction for 7th-Adult in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Rip Van Winkle Calla Editions by Washington Irving, illustrated by N. C. Wyeth from Dover Publications Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 5th-9th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT)
	Rip Van Winkle Books of Wonder by Washington Irving, illustrated by N.C. Wyeth from William Morrow & Company for 5th-9th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT)
	Story of King Arthur and His Knights Sterling Classics by Howard Pyle, illustrated by Scott McKowen 3rd Print from Sterling Publishing Co. Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 7th-9th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Story of King Arthur and His Knights & The Story of the Champions of the Round Table by Howard Pyle 3rd Print from Fall River Press Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 7th-9th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly, illustrated by Angela Pruszynska from Macmillan Historical Fiction for 6th-9th grade 1929 Newbery Medal winner in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt from Follett Realistic Fiction for 6th-9th grade 1967 Newbery Medal winner in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)

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