Grades 3-5

The Door in the Wall

Book cover: 'The Door in the Wall'
Author(s): 
Marguerite de Angeli
The Door in the Wall is set in England in the 1300's. It tells the story of a young boy who survived the plague. The main character is Robin de Beureford, the son of a nobleman. Robin is suddenly stricken with an illness that cripples him. After the servants leave, fearing the plague, Robin is taken to the monastery of St. Mark's by a kindly monk who heard of his plight.

Pegeen

Book cover: 'Pegeen'
Author(s): 
Hilda Van Stockum
Pegeen is the final book in the Bantry Bay Series, which chronicles the O'Sullivan family of Ireland in the 1930s. In this story, Pegeen, an orphan who was befriended by Francie in the previous story, comes to live with the O'Sullivans while waiting to be sent to her uncle in America. A rather wild girl with very little "upbringing", Pegeen gets into all kinds of trouble and adventures. In the midst of all this she manages to win the hearts of the O'Sullivans and does learn to become more responsible for her actions. The conclusion is very sweet and touching.

St. Therese and the Roses

Book cover: 'St. Therese and the Roses'
Author(s): 
Helen Walker Homan
Therese Martin (1873 - 1897) was the youngest of five girls growing up in a devout Catholic family in France in the late nineteenth century. We all know how, in just over one hundred years she has become one of the most beloved Saints in the Church and has recently been named "Doctor of the Church" by Pope John Paul II. This is the delightful and moving story of a little girl who became a great saint; of five sisters who were all called to religious vocations.

Beorn the Proud

Book cover: 'Beorn the Proud'
Author(s): 
Madeleine Polland
While I believe that textbooks are useful tools in the study of history, they tend to quickly lose the interest of the student if used alone. "Living books" work well when read alongside history textbooks because they bring to life the characters and events related - engaging the imagination and helping the student to more fully understand the signifiance of the people and events being studied. Beorn the Proud is such a story - an exciting, dramatic tale, full of real characters and accurate historical information.

The Secret of Pooduck Island

Book cover: 'The Secret of Pooduck Island'
Author(s): 
Alfred Noyes
This is a story with many layers waiting to be discovered. On the surface, it's about a lonely boy who likes to spend time with his squirrel friends. The townspeople think him strange, but he is better understood by the priest. The squirrels and the boy have interesting adventures and the tale is engaging in itself. It's not hard to see, however, that there's more to the story than this - but what exactly is "the Secret"? An Indian with a beautiful old rosary and a very sad tale adds to the mystery.

The Chronicles of Narnia

Author(s): 
C.S. Lewis
This set of seven books has been a children's classic for decades (and will soon be released as major motion pictures). The action is focused on a small group of children from our own world (Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve) who are drawn into the activities of a whole separate world - Narnia. The activity extends from our own world, to Narnia, it's neighboring countries, and even other worlds still.

Archimedes and the Door of Science

Book cover: 'Archimedes and the Door of Science'
Author(s): 
Jeanne Bendick
Archimedes, the reknowned ancient Greek Scientist and Mathematician, had an enormous impact on all science and math since his time. This is his story, simply and even humorously told. The reader is introduced to many important concepts discovered and used by Archimedes including the lever, the pulley and his famous discoveries involving water displacement. (Numerous black and white drawings aid immensely in understanding these concepts). I love books which take concepts that have been made over-complex by modern textbooks and show how they are simple enough to be understood by children.

The Courage of Sarah Noble

Book cover: The Courage of Sarah Noble
Author(s): 
Alice Dalgliesh
Illustrator(s): 
Leonard Weisgard

The Courage of Sarah Noble is based on the true story of eight year old Sarah Noble, who accompanies her father into the Connecticut wilderness to cook meals for him as he builds the family's cabin. The story takes place in 1707 and focuses on her courage against the unknown fears of the wilderness.

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