Literature and Books

An Indian boy who tends llamas in a hidden valley in Peru learns the traditions and secrets of his Inca ancestors.

Silas Marner, a simple, religious man, angrily retreats from his community and church when he is unjustly accused of theft. In an isolated cottage, Silas spends his days weaving cloth and his nights sifting through the piles of gold he obsessively accumulates. Then, one New Year's Eve, a little girl, Eppie, appears at his home, and his life is miraculously transformed. Eliot's timeless tale includes an Introduction by David Carroll.

Skylark is the sequel to Sarah, Plain and Tall. Drought - a prairie farmer's worst nightmare. Crops die, cattle have no more water, and one by one, the prairie families, destitute, pack up and head back East. But, Jacob refuses to leave. As the leaves turn brown and the river runs dry on the prairie, Sarah dreams of the lush green grasses and the blue ocean of her native Maine. When fires and drought threaten to devastate their farm, Sarah takes the children to Maine where they will be safe. A moving story, masterfully combining a moving tale with historical facts. Great living books for your homeschool. Read all the books in this series.

The year is A.D. 781. King Charles of the Franks is crossing the Alps with his family and court on a journey to meet with Pope Hadrian. One frosty night he speaks to his young son Carl: "When we come to Rome you will know that I am naming you my heir. One day you will rule over all my lands. . . ." But the King already had an heir, Pepin the Hunchback, mockingly called Gobbo. Was he to be dispossessed? Yet Carl sees that Charlemagne is determined to do what he feels is best to serve God and Europe.

Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving is an entertaining and historical storythat shows that the actual hero of the Thanksgiving was neither white nor Indian, but God. In 1608, English traders came to Massachusetts and captured a 12-year old Indian, Squanto, and sold him into slavery. He was raised by Christians and taught faith in God. Ten years later he was sent home to America. Upon arrival, he learned an epidemic had wiped out his entire village. But God had plans for Squanto. God delivered a Thanksgiving miracle: an English-speaking Indian living in the exact place where the Pilgrims land in a strange new world.

The story of Sundiata, son of the king of Mali in the time of the great trading empires of Africa some eight hundred years ago, is a powerful tale of courage and determination. As a boy, Sundiata was unable to speak or walk. He overcame these obstacles, but was driven into exile by a rival queen. When Mali was overrun by intruders, 18-year-old Sundiata returned to defeat them and reclaim the throne. Full color.

The 5000 Year Leap by W. Cleon Skousen, details how the Founding Fathers used 28 principles to create a 5000 year leap in freedom, prosperity, and progress; all based upon morality, faith, and ethics.  President Madison called this "a miracle," and the book explores in details these "secrets."

Get ready for a great story about two American teens traveling in Europe with David McCallum, an English organist known in his parish as Mr. Pipes. During a series of hair-raising adventures across Europe, Mr. Pipes introduces Annie and Drew to sixteen hymns from the early centuries, and to hymnists Ambrose of Milan, Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Francis of Asissi, St. Patrick, and more.

When De Witt Clinton, a young politician, first dreams of building a canal to connect the Hudson River with the Great Lakes, folks don't believe such a thing can be done. But eight long years after the first shovelful of earth is dug, Clinton realizes his vision at last. The longest uninterrupted canal in history has been built, and it is now possible to travel by water from the American prairie all the way to Europe!

Enter the brilliance and decadence of renaissance France in this fast-paced biographical novel on John Calvin. Told from the perspective of a rival whose envy escalates to violent intrigue and shameless betrayal, The Betrayal is a tale of how God uses the humility and unflinching faithfulness of Calvin to break down the barrenness and bitterness of a chief of sinners—all accomplished by grace alone.

In this story set during World War II, two survivors from a torpedoed American freighter have much to learn from each other when the Germans invade the small island of Curacao.

In 1940s Brooklyn, two boys who have grown up within a few blocks of each other, but in entirely different worlds, meet for the first time in a bizarre encounter -- a baseball game between two Jewish parochial schools that turns into a holy war. With dramatic force and simplicity that seizes the heart, "The Chosen" depicts the powerful bonds of love and pain that join father and son, the communions and quarrels of friendship, the true religionist's love of God, and the tumults by which the heart is made human.

Thomas Hunter has only days to survive two separate realms of danger, deceit, and destruction. The fate of both worlds now rests on his unique ability to shift realities through his dreams.

In 1885, the Murphy mine struck gold. According to legend, Annie Murphy killed her husband out of greed, but just before she was to be hanged for the murder, she escaped. Now, a hundred years later, there have been sightings of Annie Murphy's "ghost." The Coopers unwittingly become involved in a mystery that finds them caught between the past and the present.

If you drowned and the sea spit you out, thrusting you back into an age of pirates, buried treasure and beauty beyond belief... would you stay? Ricky Bradshaw has never sailed the Caribbean Sea, searched for buried treasure or battled pirates on the deck of a Spanish Galleon. He's never fallen through the floor of Davy Jones' locker, befriended a witch doctor or watched an old fisherman morph into a porpoise. All Ricky knows is his lonely life with his widowed mom in a tiny apartment overlooking a marina on the Chesapeake Bay. But all that changes on a snowy Christmas Eve when Ricky's apartment building burns down and he falls into the chilly waters while trying to save BARNACLE, a mangy mutt with shrimp breath. Suddenly Ricky finds himself confronted by his neighbor, a young woman in a pink bathrobe who jumped to her death in order to escape the flames. She offers him a choice: go with her to a wonderful afterlife where snowflakes taste like candy or return to the dreary old world he knows. Ricky picks the past and awakes on a raft in the middle of the sea where there is surprising beauty on every island, danger around every corner and great honor and glory ahead of him... if only Ricky can summon the courage to survive the curse of Captain LaFoote.

The Eagle of the Ninth is a historical adventure novel for children written by Rosemary Sutcliff. Based on a true story, it is set in Roman Britain in the 130s after the building of Hadrian's Wall. Young Marcus Aquila, a Roman officer, wants to discover the truth about the disappearance of his father's legion. Travelling in disguise as a doctor, he discovers that his father's Ninth Legion had been destroyed, but was able to remove its disgrace through a heroic last stand around the legion's eagle standard. This is an interesting and exciting story, making it a fun way to learn more about this time period.

Winner of the Newbery Medal and named as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, Lowry's unforgettable tale introduces 12-year-old Jonas, who is singled out by his community to be trained by The Giver.  The story of a futuristic "utopian" society.

This exciting story by Eloise Jarvis McGraw is a Newbery Award winner written for grades 6-9. Set in ancient Egypt, it is the story of a young orphan boy named Ranofer who has a promise as a goldsmith. He has been apprenticed to a local goldsmith, and despite the death of his parents, things look promising...until gold begins disappearing from the shop. Is Ranofer a suspect? The truth is shocking! Involving tomb robbers, the pharoah, and his own brother, this tale will thrill your student while teaching him a lot about the culture of ancient Egypt.

 A portrait of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless, of one man’s fierce reaction to injustice, and of one woman’s stoical strength, the novel captures the horrors of the Great Depression and probes into the very nature of equality and justice in America. At once a naturalistic epic, captivity narrative, road novel, and transcendental gospel, Steinbeck’s powerful landmark novel is perhaps the most American of American Classics.

Amidst great mystery, Hugh is left in the care of Glastonbury Abbey by his father who must flee England too swiftly to be burdened by a crippled son. Ashamed of his physical weakness, yet possessed of a stout heart, Hugh finds that life at the abbey is surprisingly full in this year 1171, in the turbulent days of King Henry II. Hugh, his friend Dickon and their strange friend, the mad Bleheris, uncover a treasure trove and with it a deeper mystery of the sort that could only occur in Glastonbury where Joseph of Arimithea was said to have lived out his last years. Before all is done, more is resolved than Hugh could ever have hoped. A Newbery Honor winner.

When Shasta discovers he is not Arsheesh's son and therefore does not belong in the cruel land of Calormen, he joins forces with Bree the talking horse and flees north towards Narnia, where freedom reigns.

Hylas is a young Greek slave in the household of Caius Pomponius, a Roman Senator involved in political schemes. When the senator is found mysteriously murdered, the household slaves (including Hylas and his mother) fall under suspicion. Hylas escapes capture long enough to enlist the aid of a young tribune, Camillus Rufus. The desperate attempt to unravel the threads of the political intrigue carries Camillus into the very presence of Nero and brings Hylas into contact with the new secret sect of Christians

Kidnapped at the age of 11 from his home in Benin, Africa, Olaudah Equiano spent the next 11 years as a slave in England, the U.S., and the West Indies, until he was able to buy his freedom. His autobiography, published in 1789, was a bestseller in its own time. Cameron has modernized and shortened it while remaining true to the spirit of the original. It's a gripping story of adventure, betrayal, cruelty, and courage. In searing scenes, Equiano describes the savagery of his capture, the appalling conditions on the slave ship, the auction, and the forced labor. . . . Kids will read this young man's story on their own; it will also enrich curriculum units on history and on writing.  

In his final quest, Gilgamesh, still mourning the death of his dear friend Enkidu, sets out to find the key to immortality. His journey is perilous. He must fight ferocious serpents and wild lions. He travels through bitterly cold caves, across scorching deserts, and over the fatal waters of the Sea of Death. Finally he arrives at the palace of Utnapishtim, the only human who knows the secret of immortality. Utnapishtim sets Gilgamesh a test to stay away for six days and seven nights, but Gilgamesh fails. His last hope, a flower of eternal youth, is eaten by the goddess Ishtar, who exacts her revenge. Finally, Enkidu comes from the underworld to show Gilgamesh true immortality: the king will be remembered for his good deeds, courage, and love for his people. This book is used in Illuminations.

After being stretched to their limits, the four heroic young Forest Guard recruits--Johnis, Silvie, Billos, and Darsal--are pulled into deeper danger on their mission to secure the seven lost Books of History.

Turning his back on all that he once believed, Billos does the forbidden and enters into a Book of History. He lands in a reality as foreign to him as water is to oil. A place called Paradise, Colorado. He has strange new powers given to him courtesy of a mysterious figure known as Marsuvees Black.

The chosen four have survived the desert, escaped the Black Forest, battled the Horde, and added a spirited refugee to their number. But nothing has prepared them for the showdown that Billos, the Renegade, will lure them into.

Separated by time and space, our heroes finally return home. But five years have passed and they find a nightmarishly changed world. The despised Horde are now in control. The healing lakes of Elyon are now blood red. And mighty Thomas Hunter and his Forest Guard have disappeared. Take a stand with the chosen but be wary, for not all is as it seems. Now the chosen themselves are questioning their very sanity. For the only way to win may be to lose. The only way to live may be to die. And the only one to lead may be a lunatic.

Elyon's lakes have turned blood red. Is it a curse . . . or the cure? Shaeda has one blue eye and one purple eye. No one fully knows her story, but her mere gaze eats away at the core of one's being. In his quest for power, Johnis now finds himself in her intoxicating grip. Assumed identities, a magic amulet, the fearsome Shataiki bats, and a troubling alliance with the Dark Priest all converge against the three remaining chosen. Only Elyon knows what will happen when the forces of ultimate good and evil clash in their final battle. Dive deep with them in this epic conclusion to the Lost Novels--if you dare!

"Erasmus laid the egg that Luther hatched" is what the people said. And that made young Gerhard Koestler smile. He knew that Erasmus had influenced Luther's thinking. He also believed both men were trying to serve God according to the Scriptures. Young Gerhard Koestler lived in Germany in the 1500s. He inherited money and a castle when his rich parents died. After a series of adventures and narrow escapes, Gerhard arrived in Basel, Switzerland, where he was able to live in the same house as Erasmus. Although Erasmus' enemies accused him of agreeing with Martin Luther, Erasmus said that the Bible was his guide.

For the diver Kino, finding a magnificent pearl means the promise of a better life for his impoverished family. His dreams blind him to the greed that the pearl arouses in him and his neighbors. Baring the fallacy of the American dream--that wealth erases all problems--Steinbeck's classic illustrates our fall from innocence.

In 1558, while exiled by Queen Mary Tudor to a remote castle known as Perilous Gard, young Kate Sutton becomes involved in a series of mysterious events that lead her to an underground world peopled by Fairy Folk--whose customs are even older than the Druids' and include human sacrifice.

The Phantom Tollbooth is becoming a classic along the lines of Alice in Wonderland. This highly acclaimed modern tale begins with Milo, a typical bored kid with a room full of toys and nothing to do. Don't you "love" it when your kids whine, "I'm bored! I have nothing to do!" Well, Milo receives a magical tollbooth, and since he has nothing better to do, he drives through it with his toy car...and into an amazing, hilarious adventure. Masterful puns and witticisms are found throughout the book, making it a fun read-aloud. One funny is example is when Milo meets half a kid (since the average family has 2.5 kids). The book not only has a great, exciting story line, it's full of idioms, expressions, and plays on words - teaching a lesson in language arts as well.

In the country of Burgundy, the Sauval brothers have begun to terrorize the surrounding lands in an attempt to bring the area under their control. They raid the Red Keep, in hope of gaining it for themselves, only to be thwarted by Sir Roger and young Conan. Now they plot anew to steal the Keep from its rightful owner, Lady Anne. She, with Conan and her loyal followers, sets out to bring justice upon the evil brothers. An action-filled tale with the authentic flavor of the twelfth century, by the author of The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow and The Lost Baron.

For nearly a century and a half, Hawthorne's masterpiece has mesmerized readers and critics alike. One of the greatest American novels, its themes of sin, guilt, and redemption, woven through a story of adultery in the early days of the Massachusetts Colony, are revealed with remarkable psychological penetration and understanding of the human heart. New introductory Note. Reprint of the Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, Boston, 1850 edition. Includes 24 wood engravings by master illustrator Barry Moser.

The Secret Soldier is based on the true story of Deborah Sampson. Deborah wanted to travel and have adventures, but since she had no money, the best way to do that was to join the army. This is the exciting true story of a woman who became a soldier during the American Revolutionary War, by dressing and acting like a man. In real life, Deborah fought for her country and was injured in battle, but received an honorable discharge at the end of the war because she not only fought valiantly, but she did so with honor while "at the same time preserving the virtue and chastity of her sex, unsuspected and unblemished".

That's the order from his fearsome master. And Widge -- a poor orphan with the rare ability to write a unique coded shorthand -- has no choice but to follow orders. So Widge works his way into the Globe Theatre, where Shakespeare's troupe rehearses and performs. The players take him in and treat him as one of their own. Afraid to disappoint his master, but unwilling to betray his new friends, Widge is torn. Will he secretly copy down the lines? Until he decides whether to disobey his sinister master or betray his new friends, he must play the part of his life.

This is a reprint of Charles Coffin's history of the march of mankind from "slavery to freedom", first published in 1879, and climaxing with an account of the role of Providence in the founding of America as the nursery of freedom.

The Trail of Tears (A Step Into Reading, Step 5 Book)is based on the true story of the Trail of Tears. After losing the fight to keep their land in the 19th century, the Cherokee Nation is led on the heartbreaking and torturous Trail of Tears by Chief John Ross. Young readers learn about this epic true tale of friendships, hopes, fears and dreams.

A Polish family in the Middle Ages guards a great secret treasure and a boy's memory of an earlier trumpeter of Krakow makes it possible for him to save his father.

"Children and adults alike love the popular Christian Heroes: Then & Now series. Now Christian Heroes authors Janet and Geoff Benge tell the stories of Heroes of History with the same engaging narrative style and historical depth! This new series brings the shaping of history to life with the remarkable true stories of fascinating men and women who changed the course of history. An Explorer, writer, thinker, and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) greatly influenced the character and thought of the U.S. as its 26th president.

"This Country of Ours" contains stories from the history of the United States beginning with a full account of exploration and settlement and ending with the presidency of Woodrow Wilson. The 99 chapters are grouped under 7 headings: Stories of Explorers and Pioneers, Stories of Virginia, Stories of New England, Stories of the Middle and Southern Colonies, Stories of the French in America, Stories of the Struggle for Liberty, and Stories of the United States under the Constitution. 

Thomas Edison for Kids provides a unique approach for your homeschool student to study history:  by actually doing it.  If you are studying inventors and inventions or famous Americans, why not actually tie your science in by actually having them do some of the same experiments Thomas Edison did?  It's a brilliant idea!  

This book not only provides the biography of Thomas Edison, as well as the history of his many inventions, but it also gives step by step instructions for more than 20 activities (including a dancing puppet that moves with static electricity).  

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was published in 1865, followed by Through the Looking Glass (considered by many to be Carroll's greatest work) in 1867. With humor, puns on the English language (like those found in Phantom Tollbooth ), and an exciting story line, this handsome, inexpensive edition of one of juvenile literature's enduring classics features the original John Tenniel illustrations.

Martin Luther's son has a problem. What should young Hans Luther do when he grows up? How can he ever do anything important when he is constantly overshadowed by his famous father? Gradually he discovers who he is and how God wants him to live. Through Hans' eyes 9-to-14 year olds will learn to know Martin Luther not only as the great Reformer-preacher, but also as a father with a sense of humor and as a friend.

Marianne, heading west with fourteen other children on an Orphan Train, is sure her mother will show up at one of the stations along the way. When her mother left Marianne at the orphanage, hadn't she promised she'd come for her after making a new life in the West? Stop after stop goes by, and there's no sign of her mother in the crowds that come to look over the children. No one shows any interest in adopting shy, plain Marianne, either. But that's all right: She has to be free for her mother to claim her. Then the train pulls into its final stop, a town called Somewhere . . .

Trumpet of the Swan is by the author of Stuart Little and Charlotte's Web.  It is the story of a handicapped trumpeter swan named Louis who is befriended by a little boy.  Louis is unable to trumpet like other swans, and thus cannot win a mate.  with the help of Sam, he learns to read and write.  Though helpful, he still can't trumpet.  Finally his father breaks into a music store and steals a trumpet for his son.  Louis, after many adventures, eventually wins a mate and works to repay his father's debt. 

A collection of thirteen articles by noted economists selected to enhance students' understanding and appreciation of the subject of free market economics. Thought and comprehension questions/answers (original to the book) are also provided for each article. Articles were selected to accompany Richard J. Maybury's book Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? and its corresponding Bluestocking Guide: Economics.