Staff Favorites & Reviews

Store Location

No staff is entirely static, staying exactly the same for years with no additions or subtractions. We realize that, but we're also pretty proud of our current personnel, and the many ways they've helped shape Exodus Books and point it in some unforeseen and wonderful directions. So, in 2011 we started asking each individual to share their favorite books, curricula, games, etc., and these pages are the result.

Because sharing favorites is fairly personal, we thought you should get to know each of these peculiar persons and asked them all to write a main bio, as well as section-specific bios. These are partly to show why they selected the titles and products in their lists, and partly just to show you that Exodus Books is inhabited by real people who do real things.

One of our biggest in-store services is making recommendations and helping people find what works best for them. These lists aren't as customer-specific, but they serve the same purpose—we're not just trying to parade our excellent taste or prove that we're literate, we're trying to help you discover things you may never have found otherwise, and maybe to rediscover some old favorites.

It's probably a fact universally true of book-lovers: given the chance, they'll talk your ear off about the books they love, the books they hate, and all the books you'll never read but that are really much better than the well-known books you will read. This isn't pretension. It's simply what happens to those who love words and want to share them. We've tried to cut the talk down here, though we'll gladly answer any pertinent questions.

With that, we present Staff Favorites. You'll find some overlap (lots of people seem to like The Chronicles of Narnia), but rarely if ever will you find complete consensus on a single title, product, or curriculum line. That's why we let everyone make their own lists: you know the official Exodus stance by reading our reviews, but the individuality that makes our store unique and awesome is what's on display here. Enjoy, and don't judge too harshly.

	...and now Miguel by Joseph Krumgold from Thomas Crowell for 5th-8th grade 1954 Newbery Medal winner in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $6.40 (1 in stock)
	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) $12.71
	Alexander the Great by Robert Green from Grolier Publishing Biography for 4th-6th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $3.20 (1 in stock)
	Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates, illustrated by Nora S. Unwin from E.P. Dutton & Co. Realistic Fiction for 4th-8th grade 1951 Newbery Medal winner in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $12.00 (1 in stock)
	Anne of Green Gables Anne #1 by L. M. Montgomery from Tundra Books (NY) Orphan Stories for 5th-9th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $16.99
	Black Cauldron Prydain Chronicles #2 by Lloyd Alexander from Holt, Rinehart and Winston Fantasy for 4th-8th grade 1966 Newbery Honor Book in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $9.60 (1 in stock)
	Brave Cloelia by Jane Curry 1^st edition from J. Paul Getty Museum for 4th-6th grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $17.95 $12.00 (1 in stock)
	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)
	By the Shores of Silver Lake (Pictorial Cover) Little House Series #5 by Laura Ingalls Wilder; illustrated by Garth Williams from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-6th grade 1940 Newbery Honor Book in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $7.20 (2 in stock)
	Canterbury Tales Selected, translated, adapted and illustrated by Barbara Cohen & Trina Schart Hyman from William Morrow & Company Medieval Literature for 3rd-6th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $14.00 (1 in stock)
	Casey at the Bat A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888 by Ernest L. Thayer & Christopher Bing 1^st edition from Chronicle Books for 2nd-6th grade 2001 Caldecott Honor Book in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER) $19.99
	Charlotte's Web by E. B. White from HarperCollins for 2nd-6th grade 1953 Newbery Honor Book in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $4.80 (1 in stock)
	Child's Story Bible by Catherine Vos 2^nd edition from Eerdmans for 2nd-6th grade in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO) $23.80
	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)
	Children's Illustrated Bible by Selina Hastings from DK Publishing for 1st-6th grade in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO) $9.60 (2 in stock)
	Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins 1^st edition from Greenwillow Books for 6th-9th grade 2006 Newbery Medal Winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $3.20 (1 in stock)
	Dangerous Journey The Story of Pilgrim's Progress by Oliver Hunkin (abridger) from Eerdmans Allegorical and Moral Stories for 3rd-6th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $21.25
	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)
	Drop of Water by Walter Wick from Scholastic Inc. for 3rd-6th grade 1998 NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book in Water Cycle (Location: SCI-EARTH) $19.99
	Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff, illustrated by C. Walter Hodges from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. Historical Fiction for 6th-9th grade in Everyman's Library Children's Classics (Location: FIC-ELC) $17.00
	Ella Enchanted - Special Read-Aloud Edition by Gail Carson Levine from HarperCollins for 3rd-7th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $7.20 (1 in stock)
	Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly from Henry Holt and Company for 4th-7th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.20 (1 in stock)
	Exploration and Conquest The Americas After Columbus: 1500-1620 by Betsy & Giulio Maestro 1^st edition from Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books for 3rd-7th grade in Age of Exploration (1450-1700) (Location: HISA-16EXP) $10.00 (1 in stock)
	Exploration and Conquest The Americas After Columbus: 1500-1620 by Betsy & Giulio Maestro 1^st edition from Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books for 3rd-7th grade in Age of Exploration (1450-1700) (Location: HISA-16EXP) $12.00 (1 in stock)
	Farmer Giles of Ham by J. R. R. Tolkien, Pauline D. Baynes 50 Anv from Houghton Mifflin for 3rd-6th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $17.00
	From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg 35th Anniversary Edition from Atheneum Mystery/Suspense for 4th-7th grade 1968 Newbery Medal winner in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $7.20 (1 in stock)
	Gay-Neck: The Story of a Pigeon by Dhan Gopal Mukerji from Dutton Juvenile for 4th-9th grade 1928 Newbery Medal winner in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI) $11.20 (2 in stock)
	Gilgamesh the Hero by Geraldine McCaughrean from Eerdmans for 4th-8th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $17.00
	Gospel Story Bible by Marty Machowski from New Growth Press for Kindergarten-6th grade in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO) $25.49 $14.80 (1 in stock)
	Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman from HarperCollins for 6th-9th grade 2009 Newbery Medal winner in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	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) $22.94
	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 1^st edition from Arthur A. Levine Books for 6th-10th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $29.74 $12.80 (1 in stock)
	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) $25.49 $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) $25.49 $12.80 (1 in stock)
	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) $25.49
	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 Prisoner of Azkaban Illustrated Edition 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
	Haydn's Farewell Symphony by Anna Harwell Celenza & JoAnn E. Kitchel from Charlesbridge Biography for 3rd-6th grade in Music Appreciation (Location: ELE-MUSAP) $14.41
	Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron from Atheneum for 4th-8th grade 2007 Newbery Medal Winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $3.20 (1 in stock)
	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) $16.99
	Holes with Bonus Material Holes Series #1 by Louis Sachar 10th Anniversary Edition from Farrar, Straus and Giroux for 4th-6th grade 1999 Newbery Medal winner in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $9.60 (1 in stock)
	How to Think Like a Scientist Answering Questions by the Scientific Method by Stephen P. Kramer 1^st edition from HarperCollins for 4th-6th grade in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF) $16.89 $12.00 (1 in stock)
	Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick First Edition from Scholastic Inc. for 4th-6th grade 2008 Caldecott Medal winner in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $25.49
	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) $9.60 (2 in stock)
	James Herriot's Treasury for Children by James Herriot, illustrated by Ruth Brown & Peter Barrett Unabridged from Macmillan Realistic Fiction for 3rd-6th grade in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI) $22.95 $12.80 (1 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) $21.24
	Kingdom Tales by David & Karen Mains from My Father's World for 3rd-6th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $34.95 $21.00 (2 in stock)
	Let's Go for a Drive Elephant & Piggy #18 by Mo Willems from Hyperion Books for Children for 3rd-6th grade 2013 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.49
	Little House - Hardcover Set by Laura Ingalls Wilder from HarperCollins for 3rd-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $139.11
	Little House on the Prairie Little House Series #2 by Laura Ingalls Wilder from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-6th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $15.29
	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) $12.00 (1 in stock)
	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
	Long Winter Little House Series #6 by Laura Ingalls Wilder from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-8th grade 1941 Newbery Honor Book in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $16.99 $7.60 (1 in stock)
	Luther Biography of a Reformer by Frederick Nohl from Concordia Publishing House for 5th-8th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $13.59 $6.00 (4 in stock)
	Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri, illustrated by Daniel Miyares from Levine Querido for 6th-9th grade 2024 Newbery Honor Book in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $18.69
	Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen, illustrated by Beth & Joe Krush from Harcourt Family Stories for 4th-7th grade 1957 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Moccasin Trail Puffin Newbery Library by Eloise J. McGraw 9th impression from Coward McCann Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade 1953 Newbery Honor Book in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $28.00 (1 in stock)
	Mouse and His Child by Russell Hoban, illustrated by David Small from Arthur A. Levine Books for 4th-10th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $16.99
	Our Star-Spangled Story Literature Package for 2nd-6th grade in Notgrass Our Star-Spangled Story (Location: HISCUR-NG2) $54.29
	Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse 1^st edition from Scholastic Inc. Realistic Fiction for 6th-8th grade 1998 Newbery Medal winner in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $6.40 (1 in stock)
	Outlaws of Time The Legend of Sam Miracle by N. D. Wilson from Katherine Tegen Books for 3rd-7th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $14.44
	Peter the Great by Diane Stanley from William Morrow & Company Biography for 3rd-6th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $15.29 $9.60 (2 in stock)
	Pinocchio's Quest by Robert Rogland from Christian Liberty Press for 6th grade in CLP Phonics & Reading (Location: REA-CLP) $16.75 $7.50 (1 in stock)
	Pippi Goes on Board Pippi Longstocking #2 by Astrid Lindgren from Viking Press Humor for 2nd-6th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Prince Caspian Read Aloud Edition Chronicles of Narnia Book 4 by C. S. Lewis from HarperCollins Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $9.60 (1 in stock)
	Princess and the Goblin Everyman Library by George MacDonald from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. Fantasy for 5th-8th grade in Everyman's Library Children's Classics (Location: FIC-ELC) $15.30
	Roller Skates by Ruth Sawyer, illustrated by Valenti Angelo from Viking Press Realistic fiction for 5th-8th grade 1937 Newbery Medal winner in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $13.60 (1 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 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)
	Tales from Silver Lands by Charles J. Finger 1971 printing from Doubleday & Company for 4th-8th grade 1925 Newbery Medal winner in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $8.00 (2 in stock)
	Thirteen Clocks by James Thurber from New York Review of Books for 4th-6th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $10.00 (1 in stock)
	Thirteen Clocks by James Thurber from Penguin Press for 4th-6th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $15.00
	Treasury of Poetry for Young People by Anthology - Various from Sterling Publishing Co. for Preschool-6th grade in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL) $22.00 (1 in stock)
	True Story of Noah's Ark by Tom Dooley from Master Books for 2nd-6th grade in Worldview & Apologetics for Kids (Location: BIBWV-APK) $13.59
	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) $20.00 (1 in stock)
	Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting from Dover Publications for 3rd-7th grade 1923 Newbery Medal winner in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $12.71
	Waiting to Waltz A Childhood by Cynthia Rylant from Atheneum for 1st-7th grade in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL) $16.99
	Well of Sacrifice by Chris Eboch 1^st edition from Clarion Books for 4th-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $6.40 (2 in stock)
	William Shakespeare's Star Wars Trilogy: The Royal Imperial Boxed Set Includes: Verily, a New Hope; The Empire Striketh Back; The Jedi Doth Return William Shakespeare Star Wars by Ian Doescher from Quirk Books for 4th-10th grade in Boxed Sets & Literature Packages (Location: FIC-BOX) $40.77 $25.60 (1 in stock)
	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) $21.21
	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) $8.00 (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)
	Wingfeather Saga - Bundle by Andrew Peterson from WaterBrook Press for 4th-6th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick First Edition from Scholastic Press for 5th-8th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $25.49
	Yankee Doodle Boy A Young Soldier's Adventures in the American Revolution Told by Himself by Joseph Martin from Holiday House Historical Non-Fiction for 5th-8th grade in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV) $12.00 (1 in stock)

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