Literature and Books

Book 4 of the Circle C Adventure series. When a flood damages the schoolhouse, Andi is ecstatic—until her family sends her to a stuffy San Francisco school for young ladies. The plight of a small, Chinese slave girl captures her heart, sending Andi and her new friends into the dark alleys of  Chinatown, where danger greater than she’s ever known waits to swallow them up.

Book 5 of the Circle C Adventure series. A map of old gold diggings lures Andi and her friends into the Sierras. Big brother Mitch goes along to keep them safe, but instead of gold they find heaps of trouble—trouble that leaves Mitch gravely injured. Andi needs help fast. But whom can she trust? And what good is a bag of gold when her beloved brother lies near death in the middle of nowhere? 

In this controversial classic fairy tale, a farm is taken over by its overworked, mistreated animals. With flaming idealism and stirring slogans, they set out to create a paradise of progress, justice, and equality, setting the stage for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned. Illustrations and Orwell's proposed but unpublished preface are included in this anniversary edition.

This classic, by Jean Fritz covers the era of exploration from 1421 to 1522. Like most Jean Fritz books, this one is charmingly illustrated with maps, portraits, and scenes of the period. Jean tells 10 tales of famous explorers and their exploits: Prince Henry the Navigator, Bartholomew Diaz, Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama, Pedro Cabral, John Cabot, Amerigo Vespucci, Ponce de Leon, Vasco de Balboa, and Ferdinand Magellan. This book makes an excellent addition to any study of the Renaissance.

In 17th century London, 12-year-old Meg is the motherless daughter of a bookseller with a thriving business in Restoration-era London. Meg has little interest in cooking, needlework, or other homemaking skills, and dreams of becoming a bookseller and someday inheriting her father's book store. Meg Moore is the motherless and only child of a bookseller with a thriving business in Restoration London-and that makes her an heiress. She knows that someday she will have her pick of suitors, and that with the right husband she can continue in the book trade and be friends with wits and authors, as her father is. But Mr. Moore's unexpected marriage throws all Meg's dreams into confusion. 

It is the year 597 and Pope Gregory is sending a select number of his monks, led by Fr. Augustine, to re-evangelize England. Young Wolf, born in that land but raised in Rome, accompanies his father, Wolfstan, who goes as a guide and interpreter. Though the King of Kent's wife is a Christian, the missionaries from Rome do not know whether they will be welcomed, tolerated or martyred. In a story full of adventure, Wolf meets Fritha, a Saxon girl whose life and destiny are soon closely bound up with his own.

In this brief and incisive book, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Garry Wills tells the story of the "Confessions"--what motivated Augustine to dictate it, how it asks to be read, and the many ways it has been misread in the one-and-a-half millennia since it was composed. Following Wills's biography of Augustine and his translation of the "Confessions," this is an unparalleled introduction to one of the most important books in the Christian and Western traditions.

Chronicles the history, beliefs, and everyday lives of the Aztec, Inca, and Maya peoples.  Includes a CD of clip art, and a colored, loose wall chart inserted in a plastic sleeve surrounding back cover. Eyewitness: Aztec, Inca & Maya is a spectacular and informative guide to the rise and fall of the pre-Columbian cultures of the Aztecs, Incas, and Mayas, who built vast empires and left behind a legacy of mystery and wonder. Amazing color photographs offer children a unique "eyewitness" view of these incredible civilizations.

Back Before Dark by Tim Shoemaker - The second book in the great mystery series (with a gospel message) for boys. A favorite of my energetic, I-don't-like-to-read son AND daughter.

Balto, the Bravest Dog Ever, is based on the true story of an Alaskan sled dog. In 1925 there was an outbreak of diptheria in Nome, Alaska.  Two children desparately need medicine, but the train bearing the life-giving medicine is stuck in the snow 700 miles away. 

Below the Surface by Tim Shoemaker - The third book in the great mystery series (with a gospel message) for boys. A favorite of my energetic, I-don't-like-to-read son AND daughter.