Little House in the Highlands
This is truly an outstanding book that will appeal to a large audience. Our girls (then 10 and 7) hung on every word. I loved that this was about Laura Ingalls Wilder's great grandmother! There was a lot of research put into it and I loved reading all about Scotland, as my own mother was born there. I especially enjoyed how the author wove in retellings of fairy stories and myths. This is the first the series and we are very excited to continue on. PLEASE NOTE I am referring to the unedited version with the painted cover, not the one with the photographed cover (which amazon insists on linking to). I have not read both but I have heard that the 2nd version is considerably abridged.
 | author: Melissa Wiley rating:  asin: 0061148172 binding: Paperback list price: $5.99 USD amazon price: $18.82 USD |
It's 1788 and Martha lives in a little stone house in Glencaraid, Scotland. Her father is Laird Glencaraid, which means Martha must behave like a young lady even when she would much rather run around the Scottish hillside!
Summer of the Monkeys
This book is an absolute gem! We all loved this book as a family. Set in the late 1800s, Jay Berry is a 14 year old boy who has an amazing adventure trying to capture 29 monkeys that have escaped (from a circus trian) and are living in a wild part of his family's 60 acre farm. It is hillarious, it made us cry, it was a little scary at times. At one point I thought it was to scary to read to our girls (then ages 9 and 6) because when Jay Berry is catching a couple monkeys, the rest of them jump on him and bite him and his dog all over. However, they are not seriously hurt, Jay Berry simply lays in bed for 3 days and he's better. Also, know that Jay Berry's goal is to get a pony and gun, it was simply part of the lifestyle of a boy living back then. Overall, this is a fabulous read and I'm sure we'll return to this book over and over again throughout the years.
 | author: Wilson Rawls rating: asin: 0440415802 binding: Paperback list price: $6.99 USD amazon price: $6.99 USD |
The last thing a fourteen-year-old boy expects to find along an old Ozark river bottom is a tree full of monkeys. Jay Berry Lee's grandpa had an explanation, of course--as he did for most things. The monkeys had escaped from a traveling circus, and there was a handsome reward in store for anyone who could catch them. Grandpa said there wasn't any animal that couldn't be caught somehow, and Jay Berry started out believing him . . .
But by the end of the "summer of the monkeys," Jay Berry Lee had learned a lot more than he ever bargained for--and not just about monkeys. He learned about faith, and wishes coming true, and knowing what it is you really want. He even learned a little about growing up . . .
This novel, set in rural Oklahoma around the turn of the century, is a heart-warming family story--full of rich detail and delightful characters--about a time and place when miracles were really the simplest of things...
The Five-Dog Night
 | author: Eileen Christelow rating:  asin: 0395928621 binding: Paperback list price: $6.95 USD amazon price: $6.95 USD |
When Old Betty tries to advise Ezra on how to survive the cold winter nights, Ezra rebuffs her concerns because he has his own private source of warmth.
The Best Time of Day
 | author: Eileen Spinelli rating:  asin: B001OMHU9M binding: Hardcover list price: $16.00 USD amazon price: $4.99 USD |
Eileen Spinelli and Bryan Langdo have created a busy little farm that has lots to do--there are flapjacks to flip and cows to be milked, for starters--but not a moment goes by that's anything but the best. This joyful rhyming celebration of everyday life winds down to a comforting close that's just right for bedtime.
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story
 | author: Gloria Houston rating: asin: 0140558772 binding: Paperback list price: $6.99 USD amazon price: $6.99 USD |
Acclaimed author Gloria Houston has written a tale that is as joyful and timeless as Christmas itself. Jewel-like paintings by two-time Caldecott Medal winner Barbara Cooney capture all of the season's warmth and mountain flavor. "A heartwarming holiday story, simply told and graced with true sentiment rather than sentimentality."--Kirkus Reviews. Publisher's Weekly Bestseller. Booklist Best Books of the Decade. Full color.
Fairy Tales for the New Age
In my opinion this is one of the finest collections of fairy tales
I've read. They aren't syrupy and super-positive. They are gentle,
original stories of children overcoming their fears, learning powerful
lessons, and meeting magical spirits. We savor this book and I read
the a story from it every few weeks and it is a real treat the whole
family enjoys.
 | author: Arlene Williams rating: asin: 0960544445 binding: Paperback list price: $12.95 USD amazon price: $12.95 |
A collection of twelve original fairy tales with a gentle, sensitive flavor. There are no wicked witches threatening to cook and eat small children, no big, bad wolves devouring your grandma. You will find instead, stories in which good things happen to characters who work at making their lives and relationships better--with and without magic.
Cocoa Ice
Have you ever wondered how chocolate is made? This picture book goes into detail about how the farmers pick the pods, dry the insides between banana leaves and turn the beans as they dry. One girl lives in Santo Domingo and tells about her life in creating chocolate, and how excited she is when the sailors bring ice to trade for cocoa beans Another girl lives in Maine and shares about her life where her father cuts ice from the river and packs the ice house. It was fascinating to hear about how these everyday things we love used to be made.
 | author: Diana Karter Appelbaum rating:  asin: 0531300404 binding: Hardcover list price: $17.95 USD amazon price: $17.95 |
Going to Town (My First Little House)
 | author: Laura Ingalls Wilder rating: asin: 0064434524 binding: Paperback list price: $6.99 USD amazon price: $6.99 USD |
Long, long ago, a little girl named Laura Ingalls lived in a little house in the Big Woods of Wisconsin with her Pa, her Ma, her sisters, Mary and Carrie, and their good old bulldog, Jack. One spring day Pa has a wonderful surprise--he is taking the family on a trip into town!
The Gigantic Turnip
 | author: Aleksei Tolstoy asin: 1905236727 binding: Paperback list price: $9.99 USD amazon price: $9.99 USD |
This hilarious retelling of the classic Russian tale about a farmer whose turnip is impossible to pull from the ground uses simple vocabulary and is ideal for reading aloud. Its cumulative theme will soon have young readers gleefully joining in, and Irish artist Niamh Sharkey s wonderfully quirky illustrations will delight and fascinate all ages.
Greyling
 | author: Jane Yolen rating: asin: 0399222626 binding: Hardcover list price: $14.95 USD amazon price: $14.95 |
