Staff Favorites & Reviews

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.

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110 Items found Print
Active Filters: Fiction & Literature, Preschool (Ages 4-5), Trade Paperback
Adventures of Paddy the Beaver
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #19
by Thornton W. Burgess
Unabridged from Dover Publications
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$4.00
Albert
by Donna Jo Napoli
from Sandpiper Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$9.99
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
by Judith Viorst
from Atheneum
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Always Room for One More
by Sorche Nic Leodhas
from Henry Holt and Company
for Preschool-3rd grade
1966 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$10.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Angelo
by David Macaulay
1st edition from Sandpiper Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Ant and the Elephant
by Bill Peet
from Sandpiper Books
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Apples to Oregon
by Deborah Hopkinson
Reprint from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Arthur's Honey Bear
An I Can Read Book Level 2
by Lillian Hoban
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-3rd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$4.99
Babushka Baba Yaga
by Patricia Polacco
from Putnam Juvenile
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Baby Brains
by Simon James
from Candlewick Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.99
Barnabas
BibleWise Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Preschool-3rd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Beauty and the Beast
by Jan Brett
from Sandpiper Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Bed for the Winter
DK Readers Level 1
by Karen Wallace
1st edition from DK Children
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$4.99
Best Trick
by Rebecca Lewis
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
for Preschool-1st grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$3.50 (2 in stock)
Big Ball of String
by Marion Holland
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB)
Biggest Bear
by Lynd Ward
from Sandpiper Books
Realistic Animal Stories for Preschool-1st grade
1953 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Buford the Little Bighorn
by Bill Peet
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Bugs, Beetles, and Butterflies
Puffin Science Easy-to-Read Level 1
by Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Lisa Flather
from Puffin Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Caps for Sale
by Esphyr Slobodkina
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Cowardly Clyde
by Bill Peet
from Sandpiper Books
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Crow Boy
by Taro Yashima
from Puffin Books
Word Books for Preschool-2nd grade
1956 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Daniel
BibleWise Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Preschool-3rd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
David
BibleWise Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Preschool-3rd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Days of the Blackbird OSI
by Tomie dePaola
from Puffin Books
for Prescool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.99
Duffy and the Devil
by Harve Zemach
from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
for Preschool-2nd grade
1974 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Egg Tree
by Katherine Milhous
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Preschool-2nd grade
1951 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Elijah
BibleWise Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Preschool-3rd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Empty Pot
by Demi
from Henry Holt and Company
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$10.99
Esther
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Fishing in the Air
by Sharon Creech
from HarperCollins
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Frog and Toad Collection
by Arnold Lobel
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-2nd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$17.97
Funny Little Woman
by Arlene Mosel & Blair Lent
Reissue from Puffin Books
1973 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$5.99
Gideon
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Gingerbread Boy
by Paul Galdone
from Sandpiper Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Gullywasher (bilingual)
by Joyce Rossi
from Luna Rising
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.95
Hannah
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Happy Birthday, Moon
by Frank Asch
Revised from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild!
by Mem Fox, illustrated by Marla Frazee
from Sandpiper Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Harry and the Lady Next Door
An I Can Read Book Level 1
by Gene Zion
from HarperCollins
Realistic Animal Stories for Preschool-1st grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$4.99
Henry David's House
by Henry David Thoreau
from Charlesbridge
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Hey, Al
by Arthur Yorinks
from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
1987 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Humble Pie
by Jennifer Donnelly
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$13.99
It Could Always Be Worse
by Margot Zemach
from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
for Preschool-2nd grade
1978 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Jesus is Alive
BibleWise Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Preschool-3rd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Jesus: The Promised Child
BibleWise Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Preschool-3rd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
John the Baptist
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Jonah
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Jonathan
BibleWise Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Preschool-3rd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Joseph
BibleWise Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Preschool-3rd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Joshua
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Just Plain Fancy
by Patricia Polacco
1st edition from Dragonfly Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
King Bidgood's in the Bathtub
by Audrey Wood & Don Wood
Reprint from Sandpiper Books
for Nursery-1st grade
1986 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
King Midas and the Golden Touch
by Charlotte Craft, Illustrated by K. Y. Craft
from HarperCollins
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Leo the Late Bloomer
by Robert Kraus
from HarperCollins
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.99
Letters from Father Christmas
by J. R. R. Tolkien
Revised from Mariner Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$25.00
Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same!
Passport to Reading Level 3
by Grace Lin
Passport to Reading Level 3
for Preschool-1st grade
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Honor Book
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$4.99 $3.00 (3 in stock)
Little Bear Collection
by Else Minarik
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-1st grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
Little House
by Virginia Lee Burton
from Sandpiper Books
Personification Stories for Preschool-3rd grade
1943 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Little Island
by Margaret Wise Brown, Leonard Weisgard
from Dragonfly Books
Picture Books for Preschool-2nd grade
1947 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Little Nino's Pizzeria
by Karen Barbour
1st edition from Sandpiper Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Little Rabbit
by Judy Dunn
1st edition from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
Magic Fan
by Keith Baker
from Sandpiper Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.00
Martha & Mary
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Mary
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
May I Bring a Friend?
by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Preschool-1st grade
1965 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Miriam
BibleWise Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Preschool-3rd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Money Tree
by Sarah Stewart
from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
More More More, Said the Baby
by Vera B. Williams
from Greenwillow Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
1991 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.99
More More More, Said the Baby
by Vera B. Williams
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
1991 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Moses
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
My Friend Rabbit
Reissue from Square Fish Publishing
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Mysterious Tadpole
by Steven Kellog
from Puffin Books
Word Books for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Nehemiah
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Noah
BibleWise Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Preschool-3rd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Noah's Ark
by Peter Spier
from Dell Publishing
Bible Stories for Preschool-2nd grade
1978 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Norman the Doorman
by Don Freeman
from Puffin Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Old Henry
by Joan W. Blos
from Mulberry Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.99
Old Woman Who Named Things
by Cynthia Rylant
from Sandpiper Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Oliver
by Syd Hoff
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-1st grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
One Hundred Shoes
Step Into Reading: Step 2 (Reading with Help)
by Charles Ghigna, illustrated by Bob Staake
from Random House
for Preschool-1st grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Paper John
by David Small
from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Paul the Wise Preacher
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Paul: Journeys of Adventure
BibleWise Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Preschool-3rd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Penny and Her Doll
I Can Read Level 1
by Kevin Henkes
from Greenwillow Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$5.99
Penny and Her Marble
I Can Read Level 1
by Kevin Henkes
from Greenwillow Books
for Preschool-1st grade
2014 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$5.99
Peter the Apostle
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Peter the Fisherman
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Picture for Harold's Room
I Can Read Level 1
by Crockett Johnson
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-1st grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$4.99
Princess and the Pea
by Hans Christian Andersen & Dorothee Duntze
from North-South Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$7.95
Read for the Heart
by Sarah Clarkson
from Apologia Educational Ministries
for Nursery-6th grade
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
Rebekah
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Ruth
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Sammy the Seal
An I Can Read Book Level 1
by Syd Hoff
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-1st grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$4.99
Samuel
BibleWise Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Preschool-3rd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Sarah & Abraham
BibleWise Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Preschool-3rd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Saul
BibleWise Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Preschool-3rd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Simon Peter
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Sky Boys
by Deborah Hopkinson
from Dragonfly Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Story of Jumping Mouse
by John Steptoe
from HarperCollins
Native American Fable for Preschool-2nd grade
1985 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.99
Story, A Story
by Gail E. Haley
Reprint from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
1971 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
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