Honey for a Child's Heart

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Gladys Hunt is right: kids don't stumble on great books by themselves, they read the titles they're given. Most adults discover books the same way, which is why she's written guides to help families choose only the best stories for their children and teenagers (as well as one for Christian women, Honey for a Woman's Heart).

These aren't simply book lists. Both Honey for a Child's Heart and Honey for a Teen's Heart are divided into two parts: the first discusses the importance of reading, various genres (science fiction, poetry, animal stories, etc.), the question of censorship, the elements of a good book, etc.; the second part offers extended book lists to direct you to the right titles for your family.

Part I of both books is equal parts information and encouragement. While Hunt identifies the two levels of reading (for the story, and for the ideas) and the place literature holds in the formation of good character and critical thinking skills, she also talks about how much fun it is to read good books, especially together as a family.

In Part II Hunt presents extensive lists of books. Each title is organized by age-level, genre and author, with a brief synopsis for each one. Honey for a Teen's Heart is more oriented toward students on their way to college, so the reading level is pretty high, but there's nothing most high schoolers won't be able to handle (thought parents will want to know some of the titles include fairly mature content).

Neither of these books are intended simply as "suggested entertainment," lists of books kids will enjoy. There is an emphasis on enjoyment, but there's an equally strong emphasis on reading for instruction and development. Hunt chooses books that will both delight and stretch readers, helping them to think clearly about themselves, the world around them, and God.

There are also a lot of books: over a thousand in Honey for a Child's Heart, and 400 in Honey for a Teen's Heart. No one will be able to read all the titles listed here; these are intended as general guides, not rigid models. There's no real curriculum element here, either—Hunt wants families to read because they want to and understand the benefits of good books, not because they must.

We decided early on at Exodus Books that we wanted a strong selection of quality literature for children. Honey for a Child's Heart was the first book we turned to, and it proved an immeasurable help. Whether you're a parent who wants to find great books for your kiddos but don't know where to start, or a veteran who's run out of ideas, these are some of the best available guides to building a reading list and library, and knowing how to make the very best use of them.

You'll find a good number of the books listed in Hunt's guides below. We're constantly working on expanding this section, so if you don't see a book she recommends let us know and we'll do our best to bring it in. As your kids make their way through these titles, be sure to discuss with them often, as the goal of reading is growth, not simply knowledge or fun. Gladys Hunt is a capable and enthusiastic guide, and we offer her books without reservation.

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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Honey for a Child's Heart

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	20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Sterling Classics by Jules Verne, translated by Lewis Page Mercier and illustrated by Scott McKowen from Sterling Publishing Co. for 5th-10th grade in Science Fiction (Location: FIC-SCI)
	20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Sterling Classics by Jules Verne, translated by Lewis Page Mercier and illustrated by William O'Connor from Sterling Publishing Co. for 5th-10th grade in Science Fiction (Location: FIC-SCI)
	Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Sterling Classics by Mark Twain, illustrated by Scott McKowen from Sterling Publishing Co. for 6th-10th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Adventures of Tom Sawyer Sterling Classics by Mark Twain, illustrated by Scott McKowen Unabridged from Sterling Publishing Co. Realistic Fiction for 6th-10th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, illustrated by Ted Lewin from Simon and Schuster Realistic Fiction for 6th-10th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
	Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, illustrated by Kamil Lohták from Simon and Schuster Realistic Fiction for 6th-10th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Adventures of Tom Sawyer / Tom Sawyer Abroad / Tom Sawyer, Detective by Mark Twain from Nelson Doubleday, Inc. Realistic Fiction for 6th-10th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
	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)
	Black Star, Bright Dawn by Scott O'Dell from Houghton Mifflin for 7th-9th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $6.40 (1 in stock)
	Blue Sword by Robin McKinley from Greenwillow Books for 8th-10th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson First Ed from HarperCollins Fantasy for 5th-9th grade 1978 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.00 (2 in stock)
	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)
	Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham, illustrated by John O'Hara Cosgrave II from Houghton Mifflin Biography for 5th-9th grade 1956 Newbery Medal winner in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $16.00 (1 in stock)
	Complete Tales of Uncle Remus by Joel Chandler Harris from Houghton Mifflin Animal Fantasy for 7th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $33.99
	Complete Tales of Uncle Remus by Joel Chandler Harris, retold by Julius Lester, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney from Dial Press Animal Fantasy for 7th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $50.00
	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)
	Give Me Liberty The Uncompromising Statesmanship of Patrick Henry Leaders in Action Series by David Vaughan from Cumberland House Biography for 9th-Adult in Leaders in Action (Location: BIO-LIA) $17.95 $10.00 (1 in stock)
	Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Illustrated Edition Harry Potter Book 2 by J. K. Rowling Illustrated from Arthur A. Levine Books for 4th-10th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $33.99
	Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Harry Potter Book 1 by J. K. Rowling from Scholastic Press for 4th-10th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $25.49
	Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Illustrated Edition Harry Potter Book 1 by J. K. Rowling from Arthur A. Levine Books for 4th-10th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $33.99
	Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson from Thomas Crowell Family Stories for 7th-10th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $5.60 (2 in stock)
	Journey to the Center of the Earth Sterling Classics by Jules Verne, illustrated by Scott McKowen from Sterling Publishing Co. Science Fiction for 6th-10th grade in Science Fiction (Location: FIC-SCI)
	Journey to the Centre of the Earth Great Illustrated Classics by Jules Verne from Dodd, Mead & Co. Science Fiction for 6th-10th grade in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery, translated by Richard Howard from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. Fantasy for 3rd-Adult in Everyman's Library Children's Classics (Location: FIC-ELC) $15.30
	Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery from Harcourt Fantasy for 3rd-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $7.50 (2 in stock)
	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)
	Merry Adventures of Robin Hood Sterling Classics by Howard Pyle, illustrated by Scott McKowen Unabridged from Sterling Publishing Co. Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 7th-9th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
	Merry Adventures of Robin Hood Thrushwood Book by Howard Pyle from Grosset & Dunlap Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 7th-9th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Merry Adventures of Robin Hood A Golden Illustrated Classic by Howard Pyle, illustrated by Benvenuti from Golden Press Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 7th-9th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	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)
	Once and Future King by T. H. White from ACE Publishing for 7th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
	Princess Bride by William Goldman from Harcourt Humorous Adult Fairy Tale for 8th-12th grade in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $30.00
	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)
	Slave Dancer by Paula Fox from Simon and Schuster Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade 1974 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $6.40 (2 in stock)
	Slave Dancer by Paula Fox from Simon and Schuster Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade 1974 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $6.40 (1 in stock)
	Slave Dancer by Paula Fox, illustrated by Eros Keith from Bradbury Press Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade 1974 Newbery Medal winner in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $9.60 (1 in stock)
	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)
	Streams to the River, River to the Sea A Novel of Sacagawea by Scott O'Dell from Houghton Mifflin Historical Fiction for 7th-9th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Sword Song by Rosemary Sutcliff from Farrar, Straus and Giroux Historical Fiction for 6th-9th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
	That Hideous Strength Space Trilogy Book 3 by C. S. Lewis from Charles Scribner's Sons Allegorical Fantasy for 9th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $25.50
	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)
	Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea Macmillan Classics by Jules Verne, translated by Lewis Page Mercier and illustrated by Charles Molina from Macmillan for 5th-10th grade 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)
	Warrior Scarlet by Rosemary Sutcliff, illustrated by Charles Keeping from Henry Z. Walck, Inc. Historical Fiction for 6th-9th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
	Yearling by Marjorie Rawlings from International Collectors Library Realistic Animal Stories for 6th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)

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