Staff Favorites: Fiction

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"Favorite" might not be the right word to describe the fiction books we love. It implies some kind of hierarchy, and while there are books we like more than others, it's hard to arrange theones we like very much into a least-to-greatest list. You won't find anything like that here, just collections of our best-loved stories and poems in no particular order (collections, it should be said, that are subject to change).

Not every book that makes it on these lists is a great book, either—sometimes our favorites are simply those that had a major effect on us, or to which we have a sentimental attachment, or simply that we liked for some ineffable reason. At the same time, bad books weren't included. Not that any of us around here like bad books, but we didn't include titles that were inappropriate or of noticeably poor quality.

The purpose of fiction is to broaden our horizons, help us grow in character and virtue, and provide genuine entertainment. Each of us kept that in mind while compiling our list (though naturally those elements are interpreted a little differently by each of us). It's pretty easy to see what's important to us collectively and individually from these lists, so that should help if you're using them to get reading suggestions for yourself or your kids.

Eli made a decree when he asked if we'd pull together our favorite books: no more than 50 titles were to be included. For avid bibliomaniacs that was a pretty tall order, but we managed, and in consequence you have less than 200 books to scroll through. If the limit hadn't been set, a couple of us would still be hunched over computer screens searching the Exodus catalogue for items to add.

Oh, and the bios at the top of each list? Those are just so you can know what we're into, how we evaluate a good versus a bad book, whether we have a sense of humor (a rare commodity these days), etc. It's like we're chatting about our favorite books with you, though certainly the conversation is a bit one-sided and we can tend to run at the mouth. To prevent that, we'll simply leave you now to browse.

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Staff Favorites & Reviews

Staff Favorites: Fiction

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Caleb's Favorite Fiction

Eli's Favorite Fiction

Hadley's Favorite Fiction

Jon's Favorite Fiction

Joseph's Favorite Fiction

Lauren's Favorite Fiction

Nathan's Favorite Fiction

Zach's Favorite Fiction

36 Items found Print

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8th grade (Ages 13-14),

Hardcover

	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 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 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)
	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)
	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)
	Book of the Dun Cow by Walter Wangerin Jr. from HarperCollins for 8th grade-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
	Bounty Trilogy (School Edition) by Charles Nordhoff & James Norman Hall from Globe Book Company Nautical Fiction for 7th-10th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Cheaper By the Dozen by Frank Gilbreth & Ernestine Gilbreth Carey from HarperCollins Family Stories for 4th-9th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $6.40 (5 in stock)
	Children of Odin The Book of Northern Myths by Padraic Colum, illustrated by Willy Pogany from Macmillan Norse Mythology for 3rd-8th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $32.00 (1 in stock)
	Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander Revised 1999 Edition from Henry Holt and Company Fantasy for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court Books of Wonder by Mark Twain (illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman) from HarperCollins for 8th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Eleventh Hour A Curious Mystery by Graeme Base from Scholastic Inc. for 5th-Adult in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER) $6.40 (1 in stock)
	Emma by Jane Austen, illustrated by Niroot Puttapipat with an inroduction by Deirdre Le Faye from The Folio Society Romantic Realistic Fiction for 8th-12th grade in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $75.00 (1 in stock)
	Giver by Lois Lowry from HMH Books for Young Readers for 7th-10th grade 1994 Newbery Medal winner in Science Fiction (Location: FIC-SCI)
	Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Harry Potter Book 2 by J. K. Rowling First American Edition from Arthur A. Levine Books for 4th-10th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $25.49
	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 Deathly Hallows Harry Potter Book 7 by J. K. Rowling from Arthur A. Levine Books for 6th-10th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $32.29
	Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Harry Potter Book 4 by J. K. Rowling 1st American Edition from Scholastic Inc. for 4th-10th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $28.04 $12.00 (1 in stock)
	Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter Book 6 by J. K. Rowling 1st American Edition from Scholastic Inc. for 6th-10th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $28.04
	Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Harry Potter Book 5 by J. K. Rowling 1st American Edition from Arthur A. Levine Books for 4th-10th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $28.04
	Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Harry Potter Book 3 by J.K. Rowling 1^st edition from Scholastic Inc. for 4th-10th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $25.49 $12.00 (2 in stock)
	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
	Hobbit There and Back Again by J. R. R. Tolkien from Houghton Mifflin Fantasy for 5th-9th grade in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $19.99
	Hobbit and Lord of the Rings - Deluxe Hardcover Collection by J. R. R. Tolkien, illustrated by Alan Lee from HarperCollins Fantasy for 5th-12th grade in Boxed Sets & Literature Packages (Location: FIC-BOX) $136.00
	Jungle Book Sterling Classics by Rudyard Kipling, illustrated by Scott McKowen from Sterling Publishing Co. Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Little House - Hardcover Set by Laura Ingalls Wilder from HarperCollins for 3rd-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $144.71
	Little Women Sterling Classics by Louisa May Alcott, illustrated by Scott McKowen Unabridged from Sterling Publishing Co. Realistic Romantic Fiction for 5th-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
	Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, illustrated by Dinah Dryhurst Reprint from Breslich & Foss Realistic Romantic Fiction for 5th-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
	Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, illustrated by M.E. Gray Unabridged from Everyman's Library Realistic Romantic Fiction for 5th-8th grade in Everyman's Library Children's Classics (Location: FIC-ELC) $14.41
	Little Women Penguin Clothbound Classics by Louisa May Alcott, edited and introduced by Elaine Showalter, with notes by Siobhan Kilfeather and Vinca Showalter Unabridged from Penguin Classics Realistic Romantic Fiction for 5th-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
	Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, illustrated by Niroot Puttapipat with an inroduction by Deirdre Le Faye from The Folio Society Romantic Realistic Fiction for 8th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $95.00 (1 in stock)
	Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Sterling Classics by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Scott McKowen from Sterling Publishing Co. for 7th-10th grade in Mystery & Suspense (Location: FIC-MYS)
	Watership Down by Richard Adams Reissue from Atheneum for 10th-Adult 1972 Carnegie Medal in Scribner Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SCRIB) $25.49
	Wind in the Willows Children's Classics by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by Paul Bransom from Dilithium Press, Ltd. Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)

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