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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7th grade (Ages 12-13),

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	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)
	Adventures of Pinocchio Illustrated Junior Library Series 3 by Carlo Collodi, translated by M.A. Murray and illustrated by Fritz Kredel from Grosset & Dunlap for 3rd-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Adventures of Pinocchio Illustrated Junior Library Series 1 by Carlo Collodi, translated by M.A. Murray and illustrated by Fritz Kredel from Grosset & Dunlap for 3rd-8th grade in Illustrated Junior Library (Location: VIN-IJL)
	Adventures of Pinocchio Illustrated Junior Library Series 2 by Carlo Collodi, translated by M.A. Murray and illustrated by Fritz Kredel from Grosset & Dunlap for 3rd-8th grade in Illustrated Junior Library (Location: VIN-IJL)
	Adventures of Pinocchio Illustrated Junior Library Series 4 by Carlo Collodi, translated by M.A. Murray and illustrated by ?? from Grosset & Dunlap for 3rd-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Adventures of Pinocchio Illustrated Junior Library Series 2 by Carlo Collodi, translated by M.A. Murray and illustrated by Fritz Kredel from Grosset & Dunlap for 3rd-8th grade in Illustrated Junior Library (Location: VIN-IJL) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, translated by M.A. Murray and illustrated by Charles Folkard from David McKay Company for 3rd-8th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, illustrated by Robert Ingpen from Sterling Publishing Co. for 3rd-8th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	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)
	Austere Academy Series of Unfortunate Events #5 by Lemony Snicket from HarperCollins Morbid Humor for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Bad Beginning Series of Unfortunate Events #1 by Lemony Snicket from HarperCollins Morbid Humor for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Big Red by Jim Kjelgaard from Holiday House Realistic Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI) $17.99
	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) $4.00 (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)
	Ersatz Elevator Series of Unfortunate Events #6 by Lemony Snicket from HarperCollins Morbid Humor for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $18.99 $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Golden Key A Victorian Fairy Tale by George MacDonald, illustrasted by Ruth Sanderson from Eerdmans Fantasy for 4th-8th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT)
	Grim Grotto Series of Unfortunate Events #11 by Lemony Snicket from HarperCollins Morbid Humor for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Hinds' Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard from Tyndale House Allegorical and Moral Stories for 7th-Adult in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell from Houghton Mifflin Realistic Fictio for 5th-8th grade 1961 Newbery Medal Winner in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $12.00 (2 in stock)
	Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott from Grosset & Dunlap Realistic Fiction for 4th-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
	Jungle Book Calla Editions by Rudyard Kipling, illustrated by Maurice and Edward Detmold from Dover Publications Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	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) $24.99
	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)
	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)
	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 Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett, Illustrated by C. E. Brock from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. Realistic Fiction for 4th-8th grade in Everyman's Library Children's Classics (Location: FIC-ELC) $17.00
	Little Men by Louisa May Alcott, illustrated by Troy Howell from Dilithium Press, Ltd. Realistic Fiction for 4th-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
	Little Princess Puffin Classics by Frances Hodgson Burnett from Puffin Books for 3rd-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
	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) $19.99
	Little Town on the Prairie (Pictorial Cover) Little House Series #7 by Laura Ingalls Wilder; illustrated by Garth Williams from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-8th grade 1942 Newbery Honor Book in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, illustrated by Judith Cheng Special from Simon and Schuster Realistic Romantic Fiction for 5th-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
	Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, illustrated by Clara M. Burd from John C. Winston Realistic Romantic Fiction for 5th-8th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	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)
	Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, illustrated by Barbara Cooney from Thomas Y. Crowell & Co. Realistic Romantic Fiction for 5th-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
	Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, illustrated by Tasha Tudor Realistic Romantic Fiction for 5th-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
	Louisa May Alcott Little Women / Good Wives / Little Men by Louisa May Alcott from Octopus Books Limited Realistic Romantic Fiction for 5th-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
	Miserable Mill Series of Unfortunate Events #4 by Lemony Snicket from HarperCollins Morbid Humor for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	My Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara from J.B. Lippincott Co. Realistic Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Penrod by Booth Tarkington, illustrated by Gordon Grant from Grosset & Dunlap Realistic Fiction for 7th-Adult in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $14.00 (1 in stock)
	Penultimate Peril Series of Unfortunate Events #12 by Lemony Snicket from HarperCollins Morbid Humor for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Pinocchio Sterling Classics by Carlo Collodi, illustrated by Scott McKowen Unabridged from Sterling Publishing Co. for 3rd-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Pinocchio Children's Classics by Carlo Collodi, translated by M.A. Murray and illustrated by Charles Folkard from Dilithium Press, Ltd. for 3rd-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, illustrated by Alice Carsey from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. Fantasy for 3rd-8th grade in Everyman's Library Children's Classics (Location: FIC-ELC) $16.95
	Prince and the Pauper Children's Classics by Mark Twain, illustrated by William Hatherell from Dilithium Press, Ltd. Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain, illustrated by William Hatherell from The Folio Society Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade in Vintage & Collectible (Location: VIN-COL)
	Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain, illustrated by Robert Lawson from Winston Press Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Railway Children Puffin Classics by E. Nesbit, illustrated by C. E. Brock from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. Family Stories for 4th-8th grade in Everyman's Library Children's Classics (Location: FIC-ELC)
	Reptile Room Series of Unfortunate Events #2 by Lemony Snicket from HarperCollins Morbid Humor for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Rip Van Winkle Calla Editions by Washington Irving 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)
	Secret Garden Puffin Classics by Frances Burnett from Puffin Books Realistic Fiction for 4th-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
	Secret Garden Everyman Children's Classics by Frances Burnett, illustrated by Charles Robinson from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. Realistic Fiction for 4th-8th grade in Everyman's Library Children's Classics (Location: FIC-ELC)
	Series of Unfortunate Events - complete set Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket from HarperCollins Humor for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Slippery Slope Series of Unfortunate Events #10 by Lemony Snicket from HarperCollins Morbid Humor for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	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) $7.00 (1 in stock)
	Tales from Shakespeare by Charles & Mary Lamb, illustrated by Elizabeth Shippen Elliott from Dilithium Press, Ltd. Shakespeare Stories for 3rd-8th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT)
	Tales of the Brothers Grimm by Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm, illustrated by Arthur Rackham from Book-of-the-Month Club Fairy Tales, Fables, and Folklore for 4th-8th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT)
	The End Series of Unfortunate Events #13 by Lemony Snicket from HarperCollins Morbid Humor for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	These Happy Golden Years Little House Series #8 by Laura Ingalls Wilder from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-8th grade 1944 Newbery Honor Book in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $19.99
	These Happy Golden Years Little House Series #8 by Laura Ingalls Wilder Library edition from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-8th grade 1944 Newbery Honor Book in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
	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) $25.00 (1 in stock)
	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)
	Vile Village Series of Unfortunate Events #7 by Lemony Snicket from HarperCollins Morbid Humor for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting from Dover Publications for 3rd-7th grade 1923 Newbery Medal winner in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $14.95
	Wide Window Series of Unfortunate Events #3 by Lemony Snicket from HarperCollins Morbid Humor for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by Tasha Tudor from Collins Humorous Animal Fantasy for 4th-8th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by Robert Ingpen from Sterling Publishing Co. Humorous Animal Fantasy for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $24.95
	Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, abridged and illustrated by John Worsley from Lemon Tree Press Humorous Animal Fantasy for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Wind in the Willows Junior Deluxe Editions by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by Tasha Tudor Humorous Animal Fantasy for 4th-8th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by Helen Ward from Borders Press Humorous Animal Fantasy for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by John Burningham from Viking Kestrel Books Humorous Animal Fantasy for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $10.00 (1 in stock)
	Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by Nancy Barnhart from Barnes & Noble Humorous Animal Fantasy for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	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) $25.00 (1 in stock)
	Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by Charles van Sandwyck from The Folio Society Humorous Animal Fantasy for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by Joanne Moss from Breslich & Foss Humorous Animal Fantasy for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by Michael Foreman from Harcourt Humorous Animal Fantasy for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by Helen Ward from Templar Books Humorous Animal Fantasy for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)

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