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.

	Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt from Berkley Books Historical Fiction for 6th-9th grade 1965 Newbery Honor Book in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $9.99 $4.50 (3 in stock)
	Adam of the Road Puffin Newbery Library by Elizabeth Gray from Puffin Books Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade 1943 Newbery Medal winner in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $9.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill Betsy-Tacy #3 by Maud Hart Lovelace from HarperTrophy for 3rd-6th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $9.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Black Stallion Black Stallion #1 by Walter Farley from Yearling Realistic Animal Fiction for 5th-6th grade in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI) $8.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Blue Willow Puffin Newbery Library by Doris Gates from Puffin Books for 4th-7th grade 1941 Newbery Honor Book in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Brighty of the Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry from Aladdin Paperbacks Realistic Animal Stories for 3rd-6th grade in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI) $6.39 $3.20 (1 in stock)
	Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis from Laurel-Leaf Books Realistic Fiction for 4th-6th grade 2000 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $3.50 (2 in stock)
	Cabin Faced West by Jean Fritz from Puffin Books Historical fiction for 4th-6th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.99 $4.00 (3 in stock)
	Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth from Aladdin Paperbacks Eastern Fairy Tale for 3rd-6th grade 1931 Newbery Medal winner in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $6.99 $4.00 (3 in stock)
	Charlotte's Web by E. B. White from HarperCollins for 2nd-6th grade 1953 Newbery Honor Book in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $8.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Chasing Vermeer Balliet Art Mystery Series by Blue Balliett, Brett Helquist (Illustrator) from Scholastic Inc. Mystery & Suspense for 4th-6th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Corn Grows Ripe Puffin Newbery Library by Dorothy Rhoads from Puffin Books for 4th-6th grade 1957 Newbery Honor Book in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh Reissue from Aladdin Paperbacks Realistic Fiction for Kindergarten-6th grade 1955 Newbery Honor Book in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $5.99 $3.50 (2 in stock)
	Escape From Warsaw Originally titled The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier, illustrated by Irwin Hoffman from Scholastic Inc. Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Gladys Aylward The Adventure of a Lifetime Christian Heroes: Then & Now by Geoff & Janet Benge from YWAM Publishing Biography for 4th-7th grade in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE) $11.99 $6.00 (2 in stock)
	Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom from Bantam Books Biography for 6th-10th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan from HarperCollins for 4th-7th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $9.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	House of Sixty Fathers RUC by Meindert DeJong & Maurice Sendak from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction for 4th-8th grade 1957 Newbery Honor Book in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.00 (2 in stock)
	Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell Anv from Sandpiper Books Realistic Fiction for 5th-8th grade 1961 Newbery Medal winner in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $9.99 $5.00 (2 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) $6.39 $3.20 (1 in stock)
	Latin's Not So Tough! 4 - Quizzes & Exams by Karen Mohs from Greek N Stuff for 4th-6th grade in Clearance: Foreign Language (Location: ZCLE-FL) $4.13 $2.50 (2 in stock)
	M. C. Higgins, the Great by Virginia Hamilton from Aladdin Paperbacks for 6th-10th grade 1975 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Miss Hickory by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey from Puffin Books Personification story for 3rd-7th grade 1947 Newbery Medal winner in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $2.50 (3 in stock)
	Moccasin Trail Puffin Newbery Library by Eloise J. McGraw from Puffin Books Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade 1953 Newbery Honor Book in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.99 $5.00 (3 in stock)
	Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard & Florence Atwater, illustrated by Jim Madsen from Little, Brown & Company Humorous Fiction for 3rd-6th grade 1939 Newbery Honor Book in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $8.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Noah Webster: A Man Who Loved Words by Elaine Cunningham from A Beka Books for 5th-6th grade in A Beka Book Report books (Location: REA-ABK) $9.50 (14 in stock)
	On the Banks of Plum Creek Little House Series #4 by Laura Ingalls Wilder from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-6th grade 1938 Newbery Honor Book in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $9.99 $5.00 (2 in stock)
	Once On This Island by Gloria Whelan from HarperCollins Historical Fiction for 3rd-6th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $6.99 $4.50 (3 in stock)
	One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate from Scholastic Inc. for 3rd-7th grade 2013 Newbery Award Winner in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse from Scholastic Inc. Realistic Fiction for 6th-8th grade 1998 Newbery Medal winner in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Painless Writing by Jeffrey Strausser 2^nd edition from Barron's for 6th-10th grade in Writing Instruction (Location: WRI-INS) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Rabbit Hill Puffin Modern Classics by Robert Lawson from Puffin Books for 3rd-6th grade 1945 Newbery Medal winner in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF) $7.99 $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Puffin Modern Classics by Mildred Taylor from Puffin Books Realistic Fiction for 5th-8th grade 1977 Newbery Medal winner in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF) $8.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Roller Skates Puffin Newbery Library by Ruth Sawyer from Puffin Books Realistic fiction for 5th-8th grade 1937 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Roller Skates Puffin Newbery Library by Ruth Sawyer from Yearling Realistic fiction for 5th-8th grade 1937 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $1.50 (1 in stock)
	Second Mrs. Giaconda by E. L. Konigsburg from Aladdin Paperbacks Realistic Fiction for 4th-7th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $8.99 $4.50 (3 in stock)
	Secret of the Andes Puffin Newbery Library by Ann Nolan Clark from Puffin Books Realistic Fiction for 4th-7th grade 1953 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.99 $4.00 (3 in stock)
	Shiloh Shiloh #1 by Phyllis R. Naylor from Aladdin Paperbacks Realistic Animal Stories for 5th-8th grade 1992 Newbery Medal winner in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI) $8.99 $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis, illustrated by Pauline Baynes from Scholastic Inc. for 3rd-9th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Single Shard by Linda Sue Park from Sandpiper Books Realistic fiction for 5th-8th grade 2002 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $10.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	So Far From the Bamboo Grove by Yoko Kawashima Watkins from Beech Tree Books Historical fiction for 4th-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $5.99 $4.00 (2 in stock)
	Sounder by William H. Armstrong from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction for 3rd-8th grade 1970 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $6.99 $4.00 (2 in stock)
	Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski from HarperCollins Realistic fiction for 4th-6th grade 1946 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $9.99 $5.00 (2 in stock)
	Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars from Puffin Books Realistic Fiction for 5th-8th grade 1971 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.99 $4.00 (3 in stock)
	Tales of Ancient Egypt Puffin Classics by Roger Green from Puffin Books Egyptian Mythology for 6th-9th grade in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF) $7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	The Crossover by Kwame Alexander from HMH Books for Young Readers for 5th-7th grade 2015 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Thimble Summer by Elizabeth Enright from Square Fish Publishing Realistic Fiction for 4th-6th grade 1939 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.99 $5.00 (3 in stock)
	Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White from HarperCollins Animal Fantasy for 3rd-6th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $9.99 $5.00 (2 in stock)
	Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois from Puffin Books Fantasy for 4th-7th grade 1948 Newbery Medal winner in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $8.99 $4.50 (2 in stock)
	Westing Game Puffin Modern Classics by Ellen Raskin from Puffin Books Mystery/Suspense for 5th-8th grade 1979 Newbery Medal winner in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF) $9.99 $4.50 (2 in stock)
	Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction for 4th-8th grade 1987 Newbery Medal winner in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $6.99 $3.00 (2 in stock)
	Why Not, Lafayette? by Jean Fritz from Scholastic Inc. for 4th-8th grade in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV) $2.50 (1 in stock)
	Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze by Elizabeth Foreman Lewis, illustrated by William Low from Square Fish Publishing Realistic Fiction for 5th-8th grade 1933 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $9.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)

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