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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11th grade (Ages 16-17),

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	Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, translated by Geoffrey Brock, with an introduction by Umberto Eco and an afterword by Rebecca West from New York Review of Books for 10th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $14.00
	Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, translated by John Hooper & Anna Kraczyna from Penguin Classics for 10th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $15.00
	Animal Farm by George Orwell from Plume Books Utopian/Dystopian Literature for 6th-12th grade in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $16.00
	Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon from HarperCollins Historical fiction for 9th-12th grade in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $14.95
	David Copperfield by Charles Dickens Revised from Penguin Classics for 10th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $11.00
	Fellowship of the Ring Lord of the Rings Trilogy #1 by J. R. R. Tolkien from Houghton Mifflin Fantasy for 8th-12th grade in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
	Great Expectations by Charles Dickens from Penguin Classics Realistic Fiction for 10th-12th grade in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $11.00
	Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte from Ignatius Press Realistic Romantic Fiction for 8th-Adult in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
	Kenilworth Penguin Classics by Sir Walter Scott from Penguin Classics Historical Fiction for 9th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Last of the Mohicans A Narrative of 1757 Leatherstocking Tales #2 by James Fenimore Cooper Reprint from Penguin Classics for 9th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $13.00
	Last of the Mohicans A Narrative of 1757 Leatherstocking Tales #2 by James Fenimore Cooper from Dover Publications for 9th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens from Penguin Putnam for 10th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $13.00
	Lorna Doone A Romance of Exmoor by R. D. Blackmore from Oxford University Realistic Romantic Fiction for 9th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $13.95
	Man Without A Country by Edward Everett Hale from Chapman Billies, Inc for 9th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Man Without A Country & Other Stories by Edward Everett Hale from Wordsworth Classics for 9th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Moby-Dick or, The Whale by Herman Melville from Penguin Putnam Realistic Nautical Fiction for 9th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $16.00
	Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens from Penguin Classics Realistic Fiction for 10th-12th grade in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $10.00
	Nicholas Nickleby Wordsworth Classics by Charles Dickens from Wordsworth Classics Realistic Fiction for 10th-12th grade in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	North and South Oxford World's Classics by Elizabeth Gaskell from Oxford University Realistic fiction for 10th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $10.95
	North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell from Dover Publications Realistic fiction for 10th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $10.95
	North and South Penguin Classics by Elizabeth Gaskell from Penguin Random House Realistic fiction for 10th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Oregon Trail Penguin Classics by Francis Parkman Jr. from Penguin Classics Historical Non-fiction for 10th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $16.00
	Our Mutual Friend Penguin Classics by Charles Dickens from Penguin Classics Realistic Fiction for 10th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $13.00
	Penrod by Booth Tarkington from Penguin Classics Realistic Fiction for 7th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
	Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen from Oxford University Romantic Realistic Fiction for 8th-12th grade in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Return of the King Lord of the Rings Trilogy #3 by J. R. R. Tolkien from Houghton Mifflin Fantasy for 8th-12th grade in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $17.99
	Return of the King Lord of the Rings Trilogy #3 by J. R. R. Tolkien from Houghton Mifflin Fantasy for 8th-12th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne from Barnes & Noble for 10th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne from Penguin Classics for 10th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $8.00
	Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne from Oxford University for 10th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, edited with notes by Brian Harding, new introduction by Cindy Weinstein 2008 Reissue from Oxford University for 10th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne from Wordsworth Classics for 10th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis from HarperCollins Allegory/Religion for 9th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $17.99
	Time Machine by H. G. Wells from Penguin Classics for 10th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $11.00 $6.00 (1 in stock)
	To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee from Harper Perennial Realistic Fiction for 9th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $16.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
	Two Towers Lord of the Rings Trilogy #2 by J. R. R. Tolkien from Houghton Mifflin Fantasy for 8th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Two Towers Lord of the Rings Trilogy #2 by J. R. R. Tolkien from Houghton Mifflin Fantasy for 8th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $17.99
	Vicar of Wakefield Penguin Classics by Oliver Goldsmith from Penguin Classics Realistic Fiction for 10th-Adult in 18th Century Literature (Location: LIT5-18) $12.00
	Waverley Penguin Classics by Sir Walter Scott from Penguin Classics Historical Fiction for 10th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $16.00
	White Company by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle from Dover Publications Historical Fiction for 8th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $12.95
	Wives and Daughters Penguin Classics by Elizabeth Gaskell from Penguin Classics for 10th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $16.00
	Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings from Charles Scribner's Sons Realistic Animal Stories for 6th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $19.99

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