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.

Did you find this review helpful?
Subcategories
186 Items found Print
Active Filters: 4th grade (Ages 9-10), Trade Paperback, Used Books & Materials
7 Continents: Australia & Oceania
by Jo Ellen Moore
from Evan-Moor Educational Publishers
for 3rd-6th grade
in Evan-Moor Geography (Location: GEO-CUREM)
$9.60 (1 in stock)
7 Continents: South America
by Rachel Lynette
from Evan-Moor Educational Publishers
for 3rd-6th grade
in Evan-Moor Geography (Location: GEO-CUREM)
$9.60 (1 in stock)
ACSI Spelling 4 - Worktext (old)
2nd edition from Purposeful Design Publications
for 4th grade
$12.00 (3 in stock)
Almost Home
Daughters of the Faith
by Wendy G. Lawton
from Moody Press
Historical Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
in Daughters of the Faith (Location: SER-DAU)
$7.64 $4.00 (3 in stock)
Ancient Greek Art
Art in History
by Susie Hodge
from Heinemann Educational Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$6.79 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Ancient Greeks
by Allison Lassieur
from Children's Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Anno's Journey
by Mitsumasa Anno
from Puffin Books
for 2nd-Adult
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Ashanti to Zulu
by Margaret Musgrove, Leo & Diane Dillon
from Puffin Books
Word Books for 2nd-5th grade
1977 Caldecott Medal winner
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
$7.64 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Atlantis: The Lost City?
by Andrew Donkin
from DK Publishing
for 2nd-4th grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Beast Academy 4A - Guide
by Jason Batterson
from Art of Problem Solving
for 4th grade
in Beast Academy (Location: MAT-BEAST)
$16.00 $11.00 (2 in stock)
Beast Academy 4A - Practice Book
by Jason Batterson, Shannon Rogers
from Art of Problem Solving
for 4th grade
in Beast Academy (Location: MAT-BEAST)
$14.00 $9.50 (1 in stock)
Beast Academy 4B - Guide
by Jason Batterson
from Art of Problem Solving
for 4th grade
in Beast Academy (Location: MAT-BEAST)
$16.00 $11.00 (2 in stock)
Beast Academy 4B - Practice Book
by Jason Batterson, Shannon Rogers
from Art of Problem Solving
for 4th grade
in Beast Academy (Location: MAT-BEAST)
$14.00 $9.50 (1 in stock)
Beast Academy 4C - Guide
by Jason Batterson
from Art of Problem Solving
for 4th grade
in Beast Academy (Location: MAT-BEAST)
$16.00 $11.00 (2 in stock)
Beast Academy 4C - Practice Book
by Jason Batterson, Shannon Rogers
from Art of Problem Solving
for 4th grade
in Beast Academy (Location: MAT-BEAST)
$14.00 $9.50 (1 in stock)
Beast Academy 4D - Guide
by Jason Batterson
from Art of Problem Solving
for 4th grade
in Beast Academy (Location: MAT-BEAST)
$16.00 $11.00 (1 in stock)
Beast Academy 4D - Practice Book
by Jason Batterson, Shannon Rogers
from Art of Problem Solving
for 4th grade
in Beast Academy (Location: MAT-BEAST)
$14.00 $9.50 (1 in stock)
Biology for the Grammar Stage - Teacher Guide (old)
by Paige Hudson
2nd edition from Elemental Science
for 1st-4th grade
in Old Edition Science (Location: OSCI)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Blackthorn Winter
Monroe Family Chronicles #1
by Doug Wilson
from Veritas Press
Nautical fiction for 4th-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$15.00 $8.00 (1 in stock)
Book of Insects - Student Text (old)
by Arabella Buckley & Julia McNair Wright
1st edition from Memoria Press
for 4th-7th grade
in Old Edition Science (Location: OSCI)
$9.00 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Brady
by Jean Fritz
from Puffin Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$7.64 $4.00 (2 in stock)
Bud, Not Buddy
by Christopher Paul Curtis
from Yearling
Realistic Fiction for 4th-6th grade
2000 Newbery Medal winner
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$7.64 $4.00 (3 in stock)
Buffalo Bill
by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire
from Beautiful Feet Books
Picture Book Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$15.26 $9.60 (1 in stock)
Calcium (True Books: Elements)
by Antonia Cunningham
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$6.95 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Canadian Province Notebook
1st edition from A Beka Books
for 4th-6th grade
in A Beka History (Location: HISCUR-ABK)
$8.93 (2 in stock)
Carbon (True Books: Elements)
by Salvatore Tocci
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$2.80 (1 in stock)
Castle
by David Macaulay
from Graphia
Architecture for 4th-8th grade
1978 Caldecott Honor Book
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$14.44 $6.40 (2 in stock)
Castle in the Attic OSI
by Elizabeth Winthrop
from Yearling
for 4th-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Chemistry for the Grammar Stage - Student Workbook (old)
by Paige Hudson
Updated Edition from Elemental Science
for 4th-6th grade
in Old Edition Science (Location: OSCI)
$14.00 (2 in stock)
Child's Story of America (old)
from Christian Liberty Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Old Edition Reading (Location: OREAD)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Christian Liberty Nature Reader Book 4 (old)
by Paul Lindstrom & Edward Shewan
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 4th grade
in Old Edition Reading (Location: OREAD)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Civil War Days
American Kids in History
by David C. King
1st edition from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for 3rd-6th Grade
in American Civil War Era (1850-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$14.41 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Civil War for Kids
by Janis Herbert
from Chicago Review Press
Activity Guide for 4th-7th grade
in American Civil War Era (1850-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$14.41 $9.60 (2 in stock)
Clara and the Bookwagon
An I Can Read Book Level 3
by Nancy Smiler Levinson
from HarperCollins
for 2nd-4th grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$4.24 $2.00 (2 in stock)
Classic Curriculum Arithmetic Series 1, Book 3
by Betty Moore, Rudolph Moore
from Mott Media
for 1st-4th grade
in Ray's New Arithmetic (Location: MAT-RAY)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Colonial Kids
by Laurie Carlson
1st edition from Chicago Review Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$5.60 (2 in stock)
Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun
by Rhoda Blumberg
from HarperCollins
Historical Non-Fiction for 4th-8th grade
1986 Newbery Honor Book
in Japan (Location: HISMC-JAP)
$8.49 $5.60 (2 in stock)
Conversations from the Garden
by Marcia Brim
from Brimwood Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Tools for Young Historians (Location: BIBWV-TYH)
$10.40 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Crime Busters
Dorling Kindersley Readers - Level 4 Proficient Readers
by Andrew Donkin
from DK Publishing
for 2nd-4th grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Crypto Mind Benders: Classic Jokes
by Nile Duppstadt II
from Critical Thinking Books
for 3rd-12th grade
in Mind Benders (Location: LOG-CTMB)
$10.99 $7.50 (1 in stock)
Crypto Mind Benders: Famous Quotations
by Nile Duppstadt II
from Critical Thinking Books
for 3rd-12th grade
in Mind Benders (Location: LOG-CTMB)
$10.99 $7.50 (1 in stock)
D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths
by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire
from Yearling
Greek Mythology for 4th-8th grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$16.99 $11.20 (2 in stock)
Diary of an Early American Boy
by Eric Sloane
from Dover Publications
American History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Pioneer & Frontier Life (Location: HISA-19PIO)
$13.56 $6.80 (1 in stock)
Did It Take Creativity to Find Relativity, Albert Einstein?
by Gilda Berger, Melvin & Gilda Berger, Melvin Berger
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.24 $2.80 (1 in stock)
DK Readers: Space Station
by Peter Chrisp
1st edition from DK Children
for 2nd-4th grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
DK Readers: Trojan Horse
DK Readers Level 4
by David Clement-Davies
from DK Children
for 2nd-4th grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$2.00 (2 in stock)
Don't Know Much About the 50 States
by Kenneth C. Davis
Reprint from HarperCollins
for 4th-8th grade
in United States Geography (Location: GEO-REFUS)
$10.19 $6.00 (2 in stock)
Dr. Funster's Think-A-Minutes B1
from Critical Thinking Books
for 4th-5th grade
in Dr. Funster & Dr. Dooriddles (Location: LOG-DR)
$8.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Dr. Funster's Think-A-Minutes B2
from Critical Thinking Books
for 4th-5th grade
in Dr. Funster & Dr. Dooriddles (Location: LOG-DR)
$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Drawing with Children
by Mona Brookes
2nd edition from Penguin Putnam
for 2nd-8th grade
in Art & Drawing Reference (Location: ELE-ARTREF)
$16.96 $8.80 (2 in stock)
Egypt Game
by Zilpha Keatley Snyder, Alton Raible
from Atheneum
for 3rd-6th grade
1968 Newbery Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Everything You Need to Know About American History Homework
by Anne Zeman & Kate Kelly
3rd edition from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in American History Reference (Location: HISA-REF)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Exploration and Conquest
The American Story Series
by Betsy & Giulio Maestro
from HarperCollins
for 3rd-7th grade
in Age of Exploration (1450-1700) (Location: HISA-16EXP)
$10.19 $6.00 (2 in stock)
Explorers Who Got Lost
by Diane Dreher
from Tor Classic
Non-fiction for 4th-8th grade
in Age of Exploration (1450-1700) (Location: HISA-16EXP)
$4.00 (3 in stock)
Famous Men of Modern Times - Student Guide
by Leigh Lowe & Tanya Charlton
from Memoria Press
for 3rd-8th grade
in Memoria Press American & Modern Studies (Location: HISCUR-MP)
$17.43 $12.00 (3 in stock)
Farmer Boy
Little House Series #3
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
from HarperCollins
Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$11.89 $4.80 (1 in stock)
Fine Print
by Joann Burch
from Carolrhoda Books, Inc.
Biography for 4th-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$12.99 $9.00 (2 in stock)
First Encyclopedia of the Human Body
by Fiona Chandler
from Usborne
for 3rd-6th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$4.80 (2 in stock)
First Form Latin Transition Course - Student Guide
by Cheryl Lowe
from Memoria Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Memoria Press Form Latin Series (Location: FL-LATFORM)
$10.50 (2 in stock)
Fizz, Bubble & Flash!
by Anita Brandolini
from Williamson Publishing Company
for 3rd-8th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Follow the Drinking Gourd
by Jeanette Winter
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Historical Fiction for 2nd-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.64 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Freedom Crossing
by Margaret Goff Clark
Reissue from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$5.94 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Geology Rocks!
by Cindy Blobaum
from Williamson Publishing Company
for 1st-7th grade
in Geology (Rocks & Minerals) (Location: SCI-GEO)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
Gifts and Gadgets
A Beka Reading 4g
1st edition from A Beka Books
for 4th grade
in A Beka Reading (Location: REA-ABK)
$10.20 (4 in stock)
Going for Gold!
by Andrew Donkin
from DK Publishing
for 2nd-4th grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$1.60 (2 in stock)
Gold Fever!
by Catherine McMorrow
from Random House
in Clearance: Picture Books (Location: ZCLE-PIC)
$1.00 (1 in stock)
Great Wall of China
by Leonard Everett Fisher
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 3rd-5th grade
in China (Location: HISMC-CHI)
$6.79 $4.00 (3 in stock)
Hatchet
by Gary Paulsen
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 4th-8th grade
1988 Newbery Honor Book
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$7.64 $3.60 (1 in stock)
History of US Book 2
by Joy Hakim
3rd edition from Oxford University
for 4th-6th grade
in Clearance: History & Geography (Location: ZCLE-HIS)
$6.50 (2 in stock)
Horse Heroes: True Stories of Amazing Horses
A DK Eyewitness Reader Level 4
by Kate Petty
from DK Publishing
for 2nd-4th grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Horse Heroes: True Stories of Amazing Horses
A DK Eyewitness Reader Level 4
by Kate Petty
from DK Publishing
for 2nd-4th grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$4.24 $2.00 (2 in stock)
How the Bible Came to Us
by Meryl Doney
from Lion Publishing
Biblical Reference for 3rd-6th grade
in Church History for Kids (Location: XCH-KID)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Huguenot Garden
by Douglas Jones
from Canon Press
Historical Fiction for 4th-7th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Hydrogen and the Noble Gases (True Books: Elements)
by Marcia Williams
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade
by Diane Wilson
from Sourcebooks
for 4th-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34 $5.60 (1 in stock)
If You Lived at the Time of Martin Luther King
by Ellen Levine
Updated from Scholastic Inc.
Historical Non-Fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968) (Location: HISA-20CIV)
$3.60 (2 in stock)
Immigrant Kids
by Russell Freedman
from Puffin Books
Non-fiction for 3rd-6th grade
in Immigration & Emigration (Location: HISA-20IM)
$7.64 $4.40 (1 in stock)
India: The People
from Crabtree Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Clearance: History & Geography (Location: ZCLE-HIS)
$3.00 (4 in stock)
Intermediate Language Lessons - Teacher's Guide
Tch from Lost Classics Book Co.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Emma Serl Language Lessons (Location: GRA-SERL)
$14.00 (1 in stock)
Jackie Robinson and the Story of All-Black Baseball
Step 4 Book
by Jim O'Connor
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 2nd-4th grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's 200 Gooey, Slippery, Slimy, Weird and Fun Experiments
by Janice VanCleave
from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for 3rd-7th grade
in Janice VanCleave's Science (Location: SCI-EXP)
$6.00 (3 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's 202 Oozing, Bubbling, Dripping & Bouncing
by Janice VanCleave
from Wiley-Interscience
for 4th-7th grade
in Janice VanCleave's Science (Location: SCI-EXP)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's Astronomy for Every Kid
Janice VanCleave's Science for Every Kid Series
by Janice VanCleave
from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$17.00 $9.60 (2 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's Biology for Every Kid
Janice VanCleave's Science for Every Kid Series
by Janice VanCleave
from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Biology (Location: SCI-BIO)
$12.71 $7.20 (4 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's Chemistry for Every Kid
Janice VanCleave's Science for Every Kid Series
by Janice VanCleave
from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$14.95 $8.00 (2 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's Earth Science for Every Kid
Janice VanCleave's Science for Every Kid Series
by Janice VanCleave
1st edition from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Earth Science (Location: SCI-EARTH)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's Guide to More of the Best Science Fair Projects
by Janice VanCleave
from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for 3rd-7th grade
in Clearance: Science & Health (Location: ZCLE-SCI)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's Human Body for Every Kid
Janice VanCleave's Science for Every Kid Series
by Janice VanCleave
from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$14.45 $7.20 (2 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's Microscopes & Magnifying Lenses
Janice VanCleave's Science for Every Kid Series
by Janice VanCleave
from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
in Janice VanCleave's Science (Location: SCI-EXP)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's Oceans for Every Kid
Janice VanCleave's Science for Every Kid Series
by Janice VanCleave
from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Oceanography & Marine Biology (Location: SCI-OCEAN)
$13.60 $6.40 (1 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's Physics for Every Kid
Janice VanCleave's Science for Every Kid Series
by Janice VanCleave
from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Physics (Location: SCI-PHY)
$6.40 (2 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's Science Around the World
by Janice VanCleave
from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for 3rd-7th grade
in Janice VanCleave's Science (Location: SCI-EXP)
$8.00 (2 in stock)
Janice VanCleave's Science Around the Year
by Janice Pratt VanCleave
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Janice VanCleave's Science (Location: SCI-EXP)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Joyful Noise
by Paul Fleischman
from HarperCollins
for 2nd-6th grade
1989 Newbery Medal winner
in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL)
$5.94 $3.20 (1 in stock)
Katy
by Mary Evelyn McCurdy (formerly Notgrass)
from Notgrass Company
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$5.91 $3.20 (1 in stock)
Kidnapped by River Rats
by Dave & Neta Jackson
from Bethany House
for 3rd-7th grade
in Trailblazer Books (Location: SER-TRAIL)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Kitchen Knight
by Margaret Hodges; illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
from Holiday House
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.64 $4.40 (1 in stock)
Leif the Lucky
by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire
from Beautiful Feet Books
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$15.26 $9.60 (1 in stock)
Life in a Greek Trading Port
Picture the Past
by Jane Shuter
from Heinemann Educational Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
$6.79 $4.00 (2 in stock)
Life in Ancient China
by Paul Challen
from Crabtree Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in China (Location: HISMC-CHI)
$9.95 $6.00 (1 in stock)
12