Hand That Rocks the Cradle

Store Location

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.

Did you find this review helpful?

Parent Categories

Fiction & Literature

Doorways to Great Reading

Hand That Rocks the Cradle

Hand That Rocks the Cradle

39 Items found Print

Active Filters:

4th grade (Ages 9-10),

Used Books & Materials

	Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Puffin Classics by Lewis Carroll from Puffin Books Fantasy for 2nd-7th grade in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF) $6.79 $3.20 (1 in stock)
	Ben and Me New and Astonishing Life of Ben Franklin as Written by His Very Good Mouse Amos by Robert Lawson from Little, Brown & Company Humor/historical fiction for 2nd-5th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $7.64 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Black Pearl by Scott O'Dell Reprint from Houghton Mifflin for 4th-6th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $8.49 $3.60 (1 in stock)
	Blind Colt A World Famous Horse Story Library selection by Glen Rounds from Holiday House for 3rd-6th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $5.00 (1 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)
	Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry from Aladdin Paperbacks Realistic Fiction for 2nd-6th grade 1941 Newbery Medal winner in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $5.94 $2.80 (1 in stock)
	Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Tasha Tudor from Simon and Schuster Poetry for 1st-5th grade in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL) $16.99 $11.60 (1 in stock)
	Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh Reissue from Aladdin Paperbacks Realistic Fiction for Kindergarten-6th grade 1955 Newbery Honor Book in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $5.09 $2.80 (2 in stock)
	Daughter of the Mountains by Louise Rankin from Puffin Books Action/Adventure Animal for 3rd-7th Grade Newbery Honor Book in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $6.79 $4.00 (2 in stock)
	Ellen Tebbits by Beverly Cleary, illustrated by Louis Darling from Morrow Junior Books in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $4.80 (1 in stock)
	Emily's Runaway Imagination by Beverly Cleary, illustrated by Tracy Dockray 2008 edition from HarperCollins for 2nd-4th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.49 $3.60 (1 in stock)
	Ersatz Elevator Series of Unfortunate Events #6 by Lemony Snicket from HarperCollins Morbid Humor for 4th-8th grade in Clearance: Fiction (Location: ZCLE-FIC) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson, illustrated by Garth Williams from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction for 3rd-6th grade 1959 Newbery Honor Book in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $6.79 $3.20 (2 in stock)
	Heidi Puffin Classics by Johanna Spyri, translated by Eileen Hall and illustrated by Cecil Leslie from Puffin Books Realistic Fiction for 4th-8th grade in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF) $7.64 $3.60 (1 in stock)
	Horse and His Boy Chronicles of Narnia Book 3 by C. S. Lewis from HarperCollins Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $9.34 $3.60 (2 in stock)
	Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes from Yearling Historical Fiction/Adventure for 3rd-10th grade 1944 Newbery Medal winner in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $4.50 (2 in stock)
	King of the Wind The Story of the Godolphin Arabian by Marguerite Henry; illustrated by Wesley Dennis from Aladdin Paperbacks Realistic Animal Stories for 3rd-7th grade 1949 Newbery Medal winner in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI) $6.79 $3.20 (1 in stock)
	Last Battle Chronicles of Narnia Book 7 by C. S. Lewis from HarperCollins Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $8.49 $4.00 (3 in stock)
	Last Battle Chronicles of Narnia Book 7 by C. S. Lewis from HarperCollins Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $4.40 (1 in stock)
	Little Lord Fauntleroy Puffin Classics by Frances Hodgson Burnett Reissue from Puffin Books Realistic Fiction for 4th-8th grade in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF) $6.79 $3.60 (1 in stock)
	Matchlock Gun by Walter Edmonds from PaperStar Books Historical Fiction for 2nd-4th grade 1942 Newbery Medal winner in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $7.64 $3.60 (3 in stock)
	Miss Hickory by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey from Puffin Books Personification story for 3rd-7th grade 1947 Newbery Medal winner in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $2.00 (3 in stock)
	Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry; illustrated by Wesley Dennis from Aladdin Paperbacks Realistic Animal Stories for 3rd-6th grade 1948 Newbery Honor Book in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI) $6.79 $3.20 (2 in stock)
	National Velvet by Enid Bagnold from Avon Books Realistic Fiction for 4th-7th grade in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI) $3.60 (1 in stock)
	Now We Are Six by A. A. Milne from Dutton Children's Books Poetry for Kindergarten-4th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $7.20 (1 in stock)
	Old Yeller by Fred Gipson from HarperCollins Realistic Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade 1957 Newbery Honor Book in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI) $8.49 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan 30th Anniversary from HarperCollins Family Stories for 2nd-6th grade 1986 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $6.79 $3.20 (4 in stock)
	Soft Rain A Story of the Cherokee Trail of Tears by Cornelia Cornelissen from Yearling Historical fiction for 3rd-5th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $6.79 $3.20 (1 in stock)
	Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting from Yearling Animal Fantasy for 3rd-7th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $6.79 $3.20 (1 in stock)
	Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski from HarperCollins Realistic fiction for 4th-6th grade 1946 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.49 $4.00 (2 in stock)
	Terrible Wave by Marden Dahlstedt from Richard R. Dahlstedt the Attic in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $6.40 (5 in stock)
	Thee, Hannah! by Marguerite de Angeli from Herald Press Realistic Fiction for in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $16.99 $9.60 (1 in stock)
	Theras and His Town by Caroline Dale Snedeker from American Home-School Publishing Action/Adventure for 4th-6th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $17.99 $11.00 (2 in stock)
	Twenty and Ten by Claire Huchet Bishop from Puffin Books Historical Fiction for 4th-6th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $6.79 $3.20 (3 in stock)
	Twenty-One Balloons Puffin Modern Classics by William Pene du Bois Reissue from Puffin Books for 4th-7th grade in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF) $3.20 (2 in stock)
	Twice Freed by Patricia St. John from Christian Focus Publications Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $10.99 $5.50 (1 in stock)
	Two Little Confederates by Thomas Nelson Page from Sprinkle Publications Historical Fiction for 4th-7th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by James Lynch from The Folio Society Humorous Animal Fantasy for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $20.00 (1 in stock)
	Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare Reissue from Sandpiper Books Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade 1959 Newbery Medal winner in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $8.49 $4.80 (1 in stock)

Shop

Support

Hours & Directions

Connect