#header-inner img {margin: 0 auto !important;}

Favorite Books

Are you tired of the trash people all around you are feeding into their minds? 

Do you worry that this generation of children and young adults have no interest in wholesome books or in any books at all? 

Do your part. Introduce your children to these time-tested books that feed the mind, heart, and soul. While you're at it, try a few for yourself that you haven't read before!

Keep in mind that these books are divided into age levels only for the sake of organization. Many of the adult and teen books can be enjoyed in middle school; truly great children's books are just as enjoyable to adults; and the books labeled "for mothers" can be helpful to people from all walks of life.

These books are my favorites. I add to it as I discover more. Have a suggested book for me to try out? Comment or send me a message!
 

Children's Chapter Books:
  • Charlotte's Web, E. B. White
  • Peter Pan, J. M. Barrie
  • Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Kate Douglas Wiggin
  • New Chronicles of Rebecca, Kate Douglas Wiggin
  • Saved at Sea, Mrs. O. F. Walton
  • Winnie-the-Pooh series, A. A. Milne
  • Heidi, Johanna Spyri
  • Kingdom series, Chuck Black
  • The Peabody series, Jeri Massi
  • Pollyanna, Eleanor H. Porter
  • The Princess and the Goblin, George MacDonald
  • Grandma's Attic series, Arleta Richardson
  • Ballet Shoes, Noel Streatfeild
  • Caddie Woodlawn, Carol Ryrie Brink
  • Emily's Runaway Imagination, Beverly Cleary
  • Socks, Beverly Cleary
  • Ramona Quimby series, Beverly Cleary
  • Henry Huggins series, Beverly Cleary
  • Mr. Popper's Penguins, Richard and Florence Atwater
  • Mr. Putter and Tabby series, Cynthia Rylant
  • Secret of the Maple, Matilda Nordtvedt
  • Message of the Mountain, Matilda Nordtvedt
  • Song of the Brook, Matilda Nordtvedt
  • Little House on the Prairie series, Laura Ingalls Wilder
  • The Chronicles of Narnia series, C. S. Lewis
  • Dash, Kirby Larson
  • The Year of Miss Agnes, Kirkpatrick Hill 
  • The Hundred Dresses, Eleanor Estes
  • American Girl historical girls series', many authors
  • American Girl History Mysteries, many authors
  • Boxcar Children series, Gertrude Chandler Warner
  • The Penderwicks series, Jeanne Birdsall
  • A Little Princess, Frances Hodgson Burnett
  • The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
  • Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Betty MacDonald 

Children's Picture Books:
  • All is Well, Frank Peretti 
  • A Child's Garden of Verses, Robert Louis Stevenson
  • The Princess and the Kiss, Jennie Bishop
  • The Squire and the Scroll, Jennie Bishop
  • Just Like Mama, Beverly Lewis
  • I'll Be With You Always, Joni Eareckson Tada
  • Mary's Treasure Box, Carolyn Walz Kramlich
  • The Cranberry series, Wendi and Harry Devlin
  • Making Memories, Janette Oke
  • The Velveteen Rabbit, Margery Williams
  • The Olivia series, Ian Falconer
  • The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, Susan Wojciechowski
  • The Crippled Lamb, Max Lucado
  • The Way Home: A Princess Story, Max Lucado
  • Christopher Churchmouse Classics, Barbara Dovall
  • The Curious George Collection, H. A. and Margret Rey
  • Others by H. A. and Margret Rey
  • Grandpa's Teeth, Rod Clement
  • The Little House, Virginia Lee Burton
  • Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel, Virginia Lee Burton
  • Katy and the Big Snow, Virginia Lee Burton
  • Make Way for Ducklings, Robert McCloskey
  • Blueberries for Sal, Robert McCloskey
  • The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy, Jane Thayer
  • What Was That!, Geda Bradley Matthews
  • The Story about Ping, Marjorie Flack
  • Love You Forever, Robert Munsch
  • Corduroy, Don Freeman
  • The Tale of Three Trees, Angela Elwell Hunt
  • McDuff series, Rosemary Wells
  • Max and Ruby series, Rosemary Wells
  • Guess How Much I Love You, Sam McBratney
  • You're All My Favorites, Sam McBratney
  • Toot and Puddle series, Holly Hobbie
  • If You Give a Mouse a Cookie series, Laura Numeroff
  • Others by Laura Numeroff
  • The Golly Sisters series,  Betsy Byars
  • Clara and the Bookwagon, Nancy Smiler Levinson
  • Dr. Seuss books 
  • The Legend of the Candy Cane, Lori Walburg
  • The Legend of the Christmas Tree, Rick Osborne
  • The Legend of the Easter Egg, Lori Walburg
  • The Legend of the Sand Dollar, Chris Auer
  • Fairyopolis: A Flower Fairies Journal, Cicely Mary Barker
  • Beatrix Potter: A Journal, Penguin books
  • The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter
  • Louisa May's Battle: How the Civil War Led to Little Women, Kathleen Krull
  • Lives of the Writers: Comedies, Tragedies (and What the Neighbors Thought), Kathleen Krull
  • Lives of the Artists: Masterpieces, Messes (and What the Neighbors Thought), Kathleen Krull
  • Hot Dog! Eleanor Roosevelt Throws a Picnic, Leslie Kimmelman

Middle School-Age Favorites:
  • Hardy Boys Mysteries series, Franklin W. Dixon
  • Nancy Drew Mysteries series, Carolyn Keene
  • Dana Girls Mysteries series, Carolyn Keene
  • Summerhill Secrets series, Beverly Lewis
  • Mysteries of Middlefield series, Kathleen Fuller
  • A Series of Unfortunate Events books, Lemony Snicket 
  • Inkheart trilogy, Cornelia Funke (contains a few inappropriate words)
  • Mandie series, Lois Gladys Leppard
  • A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L'Engle 
  • Ella Enchanted, Gail Carson Levine
  • Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbitt 
  • Adventures of the Northwoods series, Lois Walfrid Johnson 
  • Lily series, Nancy Rue 
  • The Goose Girl, Shannon Hale
  • The Giver, Lois Lowry
  • The Cooper Kids series, Frank Peretti
  • Hangman's Curse, Frank Peretti
  • Nightmare Academy, Frank Peretti
  • How To Be A Lady, Harvey Newcomb
  • Charles Dickens and the Street Children of London, Andrea Warren 

Teen and Adult Favorites:
  • The Scottish Chiefs, Jane Porter
  • Christy, Catherine Marshall
  • Anne of Green Gables series, L. M. Montgomery
  • Emily of New Moon trilogy, L. M. Montgomery (my favorite books in the world)
  • Pat of Silver Bush, L. M. Montgomery
  • Kilmeny of the Orchard, L. M. Montgomery
  • The Story Girl, L. M. Montgomery
  • The Golden Road, L. M. Montgomery
  • Chronicles of Avonlea, L. M. Montgomery
  • Further Chronicles of Avonlea, L. M. Montgomery
  • Other collections of L. M. Montgomery short stories
  • Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
  • Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories, Agatha Christie
  • Tommy and Tuppence series, Agatha Christie
  • To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee (contains a few inappropriate words)
  • Not My Will, Francena H. Arnold
  • The Hobbit, J. R. R. Tolkien
  • Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
  • Little Men, Louisa May Alcott
  • Other novels and short stories by Louisa May Alcott
  • The Hoosier Schoolmaster, Edward Eggleston
  • Freckles, Gene Stratton-Porter
  • Fireflies in December, Jennifer Erin Valent
  • Cottonwood Whispers, Jennifer Erin Valent
  • Catching Moondrops, Jennifer Erin Valent
  • Dandelion Wine, Ray Bradbury (contains a few inappropriate words)
  • The Riverside Shakespeare (a compilation of the complete works of Shakespeare, divided into tragedies, comedies, romances, and sonnets; also contains scholarly articles on various aspects of Shakespearean literature)
  • Seasons of the Heart series, Janette Oke
  • Love Comes Softly series, Janette Oke
  • They Called Her Mrs. Doc, Janette Oke
  • Roses for Mama, Janette Oke
  • Though None Go With Me, Jerry B. Jenkins
  • A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
  • David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
  • Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen
  • Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
  • Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen
  • Emma, Jane Austen
  • How Do I Love Thee?, Nancy Moser
  • Just Jane, Nancy Moser
  • Hidden Places, Lynn Austin
  • Wonderland Creek, Lynn Austin
  • Gresham Chronicles series, Lawana Blackwell
  • The Last Valentine, James Michael Pratt
  • The Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan
  • The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Washington Irving (technically a short story)
  • This Present Darkness, Frank Peretti
  • Piercing the Darkness, Frank Peretti
  • Silas Marner, George Eliot
  • The Hound of the Baskervilles, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  • Sherlock Holmes short story collections by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  • The Last Sin Eater, Francine Rivers
  • Smart Chick Mysteries trilogy, Mindy Starns Clark
  • The White Flower, Grace Livingston Hill
  • Other Grace Livingston Hill books
  • M. L. Tyndall books 
  • Louis L'Amour books (may contain a small amount of inappropriate language)
  • The Phantom of the Opera, Gaston Leroux
  • Dracula, Bram Stoker
  • Rebecca, Daphne Du Maurier (contains a few inappropriate words)
  • The Complete Poetry of Edgar Allan Poe
  • 100 Best-Loved Poems
  • The Watchman and Other Poems, L. M. Montgomery 
  • Christina Rosetti poetry
  • Child Star: An Autobiography, Shirley Temple Black (contains a very small portion of content inappropriate for children)
  • Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business, Neil Postman
  • Dear Miss Breed: True Stories of the Japanese American Incarceration During World War II and a Librarian Who Made a Difference, Joanne Oppenheim 

Books to Enrich the Christian Life:
  • Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis
  • A Year With C. S. Lewis: Daily Readings from His Classic Works, C. S. Lewis
  • The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis
  • One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp
  • One Thousand Gifts 60-Day Devotional, Ann Voskamp
  • The Greatest Gift, Ann Voskamp
  • A Million Little Ways: Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live, Emily P. Freeman
  • Grace for the Good Girl, Emily P. Freeman
  • A Man Called Peter, Catherine Marshall
  • The Prayers of Peter Marshall
  • Others by Peter or Catherine Marshall
  • Won By Love: Norma McCorvey, Jane Roe of Roe v. Wade Speaks Out for the Unborn as She Shares Her New Conviction for Life, Norma McCorvey
  • The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom
  • The Little Woman, Gladys Aylward
  • The Disciplined Life, Richard S. Taylor 
  • The Grace and Truth Paradox, Randy Alcorn
  • Radical, David Platt
  • Idols of the Heart: Learning to Long for God Alone, Elyse M. Fitzpatrick
  • Is the Bible True . . . Really?, Josh McDowell and Dave Sterett
  • "Be" series, Warren Wiersbe (commentary collection on every book of the Bible)
  • Found: God's Will, John MacArthur 
  • Parables, John MacArthur
  • Twelve Extraordinary Women, John MacArthur  
  • Twelve Unlikely Heroes, John MacArthur
  • A Tale of Two Sons, John MacArthur
  • Family Driven Faith, Voddie Baucham
  • A Joyful Heart, Glorianne K. Gibbs 
  • The God I Love, Joni Eareckson Tada
  • A Quiet Place in a Crazy World, Joni Eareckson Tada 
  • Joni and Ken: An Untold Love Story, Ken and Joni Eareckson Tada
  • From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya: A Biographical History of Christian Missions, Ruth A. Tucker
  • Searcher for God: The Story of Isobel Kuhn, Joyce Reason
  • Isobel Kuhn, Lois Hoadley Dick 
  • The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
  • Beside Still Waters, Charles H. Spurgeon
  • Voices from the Past: Puritan Devotional Readings, edited by Richard Rushing
  • Holiness by Grace, Bryan Chapell
  • Searching for Heaven on Earth, David Jeremiah
  • Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations, Alex and Brett Harris
  • Start Here: Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are, Alex and Brett Harris
  • A Severe Mercy, Sheldon Vanauken
  • Dorie: The Girl Nobody Loved, Doris Van Stone and Erwin Lutzer
  • So Much More: The Remarkable Influence of Visionary Daughters on the Kingdom of God, Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin
  • The Bravehearted Gospel, Eric Ludy
  • Wrestling Prayer, Eric and Leslie Ludy
  • The Question of God: C. S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex, and the Meaning of Life, Armand Nicholi
  • Jesus: 90 Days With the One and Only, Beth Moore
  • For Such a Time as This: Stories of Women from the Bible, Retold for Girls, Angie Smith (for children)
  • The Jesus Storybook Bible, Sally Lloyd-Jones (for children)
  • Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing, Sally Lloyd-Jones (for children)

Books on Purity and Relationships:
  • What He Must Be If He Wants to Marry My Daughter, Voddie Baucham
  • Emotional Purity: An Affair of the Heart, Heather Arnel Paulsen
  • The Five Love Languages, Gary Chapman
  • Things I Wish I'd Known Before We Got Married, Gary Chapman
  • A Perfect Wedding, Eric and Leslie Ludy
  • The First 90 Days of Marriage, Eric and Leslie Ludy
  • Authentic Beauty, Leslie Ludy
  • Set-Apart Femininity, Leslie Ludy
  • Answering the Guy Questions, Leslie Ludy 
  • The Lost Art of True Beauty, Leslie Ludy
  • When God Writes Your Love Story, Eric and Leslie Ludy
  • When Dreams Come True, Eric and Leslie Ludy
  • God's Gift to Women, Eric Ludy
  • Lies Young Women Believe, Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Dannah Gresh
  • Secret Keeper: the Delicate Power of Modesty, Dannah Gresh
  • I Kissed Dating Goodbye, Joshua Harris
  • Boy Meets Girl: Say Hello to Courtship, Joshua Harris
  • Letters to Karen, Charlie W. Shedd
  • Letters to Philip, Charlie W. Shedd
  • Before You Meet Prince Charming, Sarah Malley (for young girls) 

Books for Mothers:
  • A Love That Multiplies, Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar
  • Honey for a Child's Heart: The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life, Gladys Hunt
  • Feminine Appeal: Seven Virtues of a Godly Wife and Mother, Carolyn Mahaney
  • Start Your Family: Inspiration for Having Babies, Steve and Candice Watters
  • The Riches and Treasures of Home, Kari Wisdom
  • Bringing Up Boys, Dr. James Dobson
  • Bringing Up Girls, Dr. James Dobson
  • Others by Dr. James Dobson

Books for Writers:
  • A Novel Idea: Best Advice for Writing Inspirational Fiction, numerous authors (Tyndale publishing)
  • The Alpine Path: The Story of My Career, L. M. Montgomery
  • Education of a Wandering Man, Louis L'Amour (contains one inappropriate word)
  • Writer to Writer: From Think to Ink, Gail Carson Levine (especially for young readers)
  • The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Christian Fiction, Ron Benrey 
  • Writing the Christian Romance, Gail Gaymer Martin

2 comments:

Unknown said...

What a great list of books! And yes, I am tired of all of the trash out there that this generation and the ones to come will be around. Books are a great way to connect with our children and learn from the experiences. I really appreciate reading time with my littles. Thank you for this post!

Unknown said...

So many good books on this list. I always appreciate recommendations for literature that contributes to good character.