Early Readers
A First Set of Six Readers

Softbound

$24.95

These warm and wonderful readers will delight both students and teachers as they guide young children along they path of written language one step at a time. Where Arthur Pittis's brilliant Waldorf Reader set (below) was created for use after that basics of word recognition and sound decoding have been accomplished, Shelley Davidow's Early Readers have been written as a way to help draw those skills into being.

Written in order and phonetically, each story focuses on specific word groups, sounds and sentance structures. Succeeding stories build on these skills and then move on to the next level of skill. These are, in fact, conceived much in the same way as the old Dick and Jane readers of my youth, but with a very important difference: namely, Davidow's stories have a warm "heart content." Even we adults come to really care about these characters, and the children come to really love them and live imaginatively in their world. Not to mention the warm simplicity of the illustrations - wonderful!

Whether you are rewarding an eager reader with a first experience of reading something someone else wrote, or helping a struggling reader get the hang of all those letters, these readers are sheer joy for everyone.

The Readers, in order, are:

• Sam Cat and Nat Rat: This pair begin by annoying each other and end up friends.
• Ned and Fred: A pig and a dog don't think they've got much in common, but discover they both love to do the same things.
• Len Bug and Jen Slug: It's amazing how much fun you can have and what you can learn from those who are very different from you.
• Jake the Snake: Jake doesn't like moles (and probably a lot of other creatures, too!), but decides to change his mind after getting to know one.
• Tim's Boat: Tim builds a toy boat for himself, but discovers it was really built for three other creatures, too.
• Kay and Jay: Kay and Jay are two snails who have lots of fun playing together. One day they are caught in a hail storm and have to help each other find shelter. When the sun comes out, the play begins again.

Grades 1-3

The Secret Pet

A First Chapter Book Reader

Shelley Davidow

Softbound

$9.95

Shelley Davidow has again gifted young readers - this time with a chapter book written to follow her beautiful Early Readers books. In it, we meet again several of the characters from her introductory series, most notably the boy Tim and Jake the (magical) Snake. Tim and Jake become fast friends, both of them deciding that they simply must be together. This entails Tim sneaking Jake into his home (Tim's mother is not all that fond of snakes) and into school (where pet's really aren't invited). Through their adventures, they both discover some truths about the differences between life in the wilds and in a home, and how it is that we change our habits and inclinations out of love for each other. Not to mention that by the end of this reader your student will have mastered the basics of decoding, punctuation meaning and sentence structure.

Wonderful!

Grades 2-3

The Secret Door

The second chapter book in the Phonetic Reader Series

Shelley Davidow

$9.95

What better way to boost a new reader's skill than to have them read a page turner! Shelley Davidow has created the reader of children's dreams - a phonetically stepped adventure story!

Readers will follow Tim who they will remember from the earlier Phonetic Readers, and his friends Mina and Jo through a mysterious secret door that leads into a magical world where fox, baboons, panthers and rats contend with each other with the kingdom as the prize and good winning the day as it must.

In addition to hardly being able to wait to find out what happens next, the by now very eager readers will discover new diphthongs and learn them without even noticing they've done so.

Mystery, adventure and phonetic compounds - what could be better?

Grades 2-4

Voices of Nature: Stories for Young People

A chapter book for early readers

Illustrated and collected by Ana Spotts

$9.95

Here is a unique and wonderful book for students who have mastered the basics of reading and are ready to venture forth into the world of longer stories and chapters.

Ana Spotts, whose fresh and lively illustrations bring each story to life, created this book as her Senior Project at the Denver Waldorf School. She selected each story, many of which are old, traditional tales that have been told over the centuries, for its sense of the wonder and enchantment that can be found throughout the natural world. There is a joy that speaks forth from these tales that will captivate and reassure our young children that the world is alive with magic and well with goodness.

This is simply a wonderful way to ignite a love of reading and nature at one and the same time!

Grades 2-4

The Last Little Cat

Meindert DeJong

Drawings by Jim McMullan

Softbound - sweet illustrations

$7.95

Meindert DeJong, a Newbery Award-winning author, published The Last Little Cat nearly four decades ago. Now it is back in print to delight us all.

The last little cat was born in a kennel, surrounded by dogs and dog cages and dog noises. The little cat was always half cold and half hungry - until the day it fell into the cage of hte old, blind dog.

Then, for a while, the last little cat was warm, and the last little cat was well fed. But how could such a small cat know that the barn doors are closed at night and that there are people in the world who do not want to help a helpless kitten?

This story of how the last little cat found a home, not just any home but a perfect home, is one that any child will love. It can serve as an early "long book" reader (late 2nd grade, or thereabouts, depending on ability) or a warm and loving "read-to-me" (age 4 and up). A true book for the heart.

Grades 2-4.

Sticks across the Chimney
A Story of Denmark

Nora Burglon

Softbound

$11.95

Sticks across the Chimney is a wonderful addition to any child's library and an exceptional book to offer 4th graders during the Nordic myths blocks of the Waldorf curriculum.

Ancient Denmark and Viking history spring to life when young Siri and Erik and their widowed mother buy a deserted farm with an ancient Viking grave mound on the land. Little do they know the challenges and adventures that await them -- not the least of which is learning to survive by one's wits without money! Later, mysterious and exciting events lead to the opening of the mound and the discovery of unbelievably ancient Viking treasures.

The interweaving of an exciting mystery and the adventures of surviving on the farm with tales of Danish Viking life and lore is irresistable to both children and adults. Brought back for all of us after too many years out of print, this is a book to welcome warmly back into our homes, classrooms and hearts!

Grade 4

The Gate Swings In
A Story of Sweden

Nora Burglon

Softbound

$13.95

The Gate Swings In is a lovely companion to Burglon's Sticks Across the Chimney. I love the ruggedness and ingenuity of the characters in this story - there is a warm self-discipline and love of the land that shines through the story in evocative, inspiring ways that are sure to move young hearts in wholesome directions.

The central character is Minda, an inspiring young heroine. Together with her intelligent, crafty goat, she goes out to earn enough money for her winter schooling. Throughout her efforts, she has frequent talks with a wise Tomte (Swedish farm elf/gnome - see The Tomten and The Tomten and the Fox) and shows herself to have the fortitude to move ahead in the midst of all kinds of struggles and hardships. At each turn, friendship and love of the land and animals open paths and inspire new directions.

Very highly recommended - especially good in conjunction with the Waldorf Grade 4 curriculum, but wonderful for children of all ages at other times, too.

Grade 4

Little Bee Sunbeam

Jakob Streit

Softbound

$10.00

This story reader for younger children relates the adventures of a honeybee named Little Bee Sunbeam. The little bee is in a search for a particularly good nectar to make honey when it suddenly becomes very cold. Honeybees cannot fly when the temperature drops so abruptly and our little bee must spend the night alone in the forest where an exciting adventure unfolds.

I would recommend it for Grade 5 as a reader based on the level of vocabulary used - it also fits in beautlifully with the Botany lesson block. For grades 3 and up, it can be used as a story to be read by an adult.

The Bee Book

Jakob Streit

Softbound

$10.00

Streit’s father was a beekeeper and it was in early childhood that Jakob developed a passion for the honeybee. This exquisite reader factually and scientifically allows one to enter into the magic and mysterious world of the bees.

The Bee Book offers a beautiful transition from the Animal and Human Being lesson block of Grade 4 to the Botany lesson block of Grade 5 - and would be an appropriate reader for those grade level.

Gilgamesh - Man's First Story

Bernarda Bryson

Softbound - elegantly illustrated

$19.95

This is a powerful - and powerfully beautiful - retelling of one of the oldest stories known to humanity. Bernarda Bryson tells this story with simplicity and grace - retaining as she does the uniquely Sumerian view of the world, some of the poetic responses, and above all, the heart and soul of this story that combines in equal measure the elements of both transcendent victory and deep tragedy. This retelling was written for children, but I can't think of any adult who wouldn't enjoy it as well. Ms. Bryson is rightly remembered as an author whose sensitivity was matched by her literary skill - and who used the fullness of her capacities in the making of this book.

The story of Gilgamesh was first written down about 3000 BC in Sumeria. It tells of a great flood and of one man, befriended by the gods, who survived by building an ark. In the feats of Gilgamesh and his companion, Enkidu, a monster who turns into a gentle man who loves and respects the King, are found the sources of great mythological heroes: Hercules, Jason and Theseus.

In addition to its vital importance in the history of literature, Gilgamesh is an exciting and often amusing tale - setting jealous god against jealous god, god against man, and man against man in remarkable battles of wit and strength.

A must for fifth graders - wonderful for the rest of us!

Grade 5 reader

Homer's Odyssey
A Retelling

Isabel Wyatt

Softbound

$17.95

This is a book I've been hoping to see for years - it is happy news that it is now available. Isabel Wyatt's retelling of the Odyssey is masterful and engaging. Without sacrificing any of the grandeur or scale of the original, she tells the complete story in a way that makes it a bit more immediate, more alive than the translations. This is the perfect reader for Grade 5 students in the Waldorf Curriculum, and a great story for everyone else.

Grade 5-6

The Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter

Padraic Colum

Illustrated by Patrick Reinhart

Wonderful as a 6th Grade Reader - a beautiful read-to for earlier years

Softbound

$10.95

Padraic Colum was one of the greatest English language storytellers ever to have lived. In general, his work was focused on retelling the classic tales of Western history, shaping them with vivid language and a lilting cadence such that you could almost hear his Irish voice ringing forth from the pages. Sometimes, however, he burst into a tale of his own (see, The King of Ireland's Son, for instance) and took us into new worlds with a feeling for both story and language that is rare and unique. I just love his work.

The Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter is one of Colum's own creations - and it is a rich and masterful treasure. It languished in the hazy realms of out of print books for years and years, almost entirely forgotten save by a few whose tattered copies were still passed from hand to hand. Now, one of my favorite publishers, Whole Spirit Press, has brought it to life again. Hooray! It is a perfect 6th grade reader and a wonderful read-to for earlier years.

The story unfolds during the Middle Ages and is filled with mystery, intrigue and adventure. There are battles against evil in several forms, and a long journey to find the truth and Merlin the Magician (who knows all the answers). Revelation and adventure abound and include Eean arriving at the Tower of Babylon and meeting Chiron the Centaur and Hermes Trismegistus.

This is fabulous, wonderful reading that will fire the imaginations f children and adults. How lovely to see it in print again.

Grades 6-7.

String, Straightedge and Shadow
The Story of Geometry

Julia E. Diggins

$16.95

2003 has become one of the best years in my memory for outstanding new releases and especially outstanding republication of long out-of-print treasures. String, Straightedge and Shadow is one such treasure - and it is so very good to see it returning to print.

Geometry was the one high school mathematics class in which I did not have to struggle - in large part because I happened to be in a school district that chose to teach it through theorems and proofs (this was like sitting in Pythagoras's classroom - truly wonderful!) with practical explanations similar to (but not as beautifully extensive as) those in String, Straightedge and Shadow. As a result, I can personally attest to the wonders this book holds for any student fortunate enough to encounter it.

Since the 1960s, when it went out of print, String, Straightedge and Shadow has made its way into classrooms and homeschools via multi-generation photocopies - it is so highly valued that even without the beautiful illustrations, its contents are treasured by anyone who has used them.

The fabric of the story is woven out of archeological and historical records and of legends about the major men of mathematics. By reconstructing the events as they might have happened, Julia Diggins allows us to easily follow the pattern of reasoning that leads to an ingenious proof of the Pythagorean theorem, an appreciation of the significance of the golden mean in art and architecture, and the construction of the five regular solids.

Using only three simple tools - the string, the straightedge, and the shadow - men discovered the basic principles and constructions of elementary geometry more than two thousand years ago. This engrossing book reveals how these discoveries were made and shows how they were related to the early civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt and Greece.

Whether you are learning geometry for the first time, teaching it to students at home or in the classroom, or are parents helping your children through their first geometry course, this is a must-read for everyone! You will be fascinated with the graphic illustrations and written depiction of how the knowledge and wisdom of so many cultures helped shape our civilization today.

Grades 6-7.

The Star Rider and Anna McLoon
Two Tales from Ireland

Retold by Jakob Streit

Translated by Nina Kuettel

$8.00

These two tales, one believed to date from the 17th Century and the other from more recent times, were collected by Jakob Streit and a friend while in Ireland.

The first story, "The Star Rider," is a legend about a young man who comes to learn of a dreadful destiny said to be laid upon him by the position of the stars at the moment of his birth. It is a story of uprightness and acceptance, of injustice that is turned to right through the honesty of both accused and judge. It is a truly beautiful story with a warm, heart-opening ending.

The second tale, "Anna McLoon," tells the story of Ireland's last travelling storyteller, her life and the tales she told. It also speaks of a deeper connectedness to the rhythms of the world and life and death themselves.

I very much appreciate the rich and gentle translation that Nina Kuettel has provided us - her words echo the beauty of these stories in a lovely way.

As a reader, this would be good around 6th grade or later. The stories could be told a bit earlier, but there is a depth to them that will be better appreciated by older students and adults.

Geron and Virtus
A Fateful Encounter of Two Youths
A German and a Roman

Jakob Streit

A Reader for 6th or 7th Grade

Softbound

$10.00

Geron and Virtus written by master storyteller and Waldorf teacher Jakob Streit, is a remarkable book. It is a story about two boys during the Roman campaign to conquer the Germanic tribes. It was out of this Roman/German encounter that a new Europe and the transition to a new time was born. The story is about friendship, slavery, honor, and adventure. The text is rich with spiritual insights provided by Druid priests and their stories of Nordic mythology. The book has vivid illustrations and is aimed at sixth and seventh grade students.

Grades 6-7

The Falconer
A Story of Frederick II of Hohenstaufen

Christopher Sblendorio

$10.00

Federico II was a fascinating man in whom it seems that much of the Middle Ages, its greatness and its turmoil, were gathered up into one person. Christopher Sblendorio, a class teacher at the Great Barrington Waldorf School, has written this beautiful biography of the man who became the Holy Roman Emperor during the early 13th Century. It is frankly all too rare to find a book for students that is so very well researched and equally well written as is The Falconer.

Splendorio's biography does what every biography should do: it approaches its subject with what I'll call a compassionate objectivity that looks at as many facets of the life that was lived as are possible to know about. The story moves along like an exciting novel, the portrait of Federico becoming richer and more alive with each turn of the page.

This wonderful book could be read and enjoyed by anyone ages 11-12 and older. It was written with the author's 6th grade class in mind.

Copernicus
Struggle and Victory

A Reader for 7th and 8th Grade

Heinz Sponsel

Translated by Monica Gold

Softbound

$12.00

Originally published in 1949, this lively book is an established treasure in Germany. It depicts the life struggles and striving of the Polish astronomer Nikolaus Copernicus and makes a wonderful reader for seventh and eighth grade Waldorf classes, as well as an excellent book for anyone interested in Copernicus and his world.

Grades 7-8.

Fee Fi Fo Fum!

A Waldorf Reader for Late Second Grade

Text by Arthur M Pittis

Illustrations by Ausa M Peacock

Hardbound

OUT OF PRINT INDEFINITELY

I have no trouble at all imagining the thrill of delight children will experience as they discovers that now they can read some of their favorite stories themselves. Arthur Pittis retells 24 folk and fairy tales from around the world in this volume, using progressively controlled and increasingly rich sight and phonetic vocabulary development from story to story. Sentence structure also develops throughout the book, taking the young reader from simple sentences to a variety of complex structures in the course of the year.

AND - and this is most important of all, at least to me - these stories simply sing with interest. There is nothing stilted or "dumbed down" about them, even the first one is alive in the telling and rich in the reading. This book and the entire series are a triumph in pedagogical reading material. Hallelujah!

As My Heart Awakes

A Waldorf Reader for Early Third Grade

Text by Arthur M Pittis

Illustrations by Ausa M Peacock

Hardbound

OUT OF PRINT INDEFINITELY

Wonderful fables and saints tales greet the third grader in this reader designed for the first half of the school year. As with the entire series, each story builds in vocabulary and grammar, one after the other. And, as with all the books, each story is meaningful, interesting, warm, and often humorous. In this third volume the focus shifts from the worlds of the fairy tale to those that teach us how to walk in peace and love throughout our lives.

I love that it begins with:

John Wesley's Rule

Do all the good you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.

I can't think of anything else that speaks better to the heart of a child commencing third grade. And the entire volume moves forward from that jewel-like beginning.

When I Hear My Heart Wonder

A Waldorf Reader for Late Third Grade

Text by Arthur M Pittis

Illustrations by Ausa M Peacock

Hardbound

$10.00

When I Hear My Heart Wonder picks up where As My Heart Awakes with even more fables and stories of saints. There is a joyous lilt to these stories, that lifts the heart as they are read in order. What a lovely thing for a child: by the end of the year, I believe these stories will entrust them with the feeling of not only having crossed the Jordan, but of having created a home for themselves in their hearts as well. Oh, and they will be learning to read very well, too.

Here's the opening verse:

When I here my heart wonder,
The song in my soul sings
And wakes me if I slumber
To the joy of all good things

Snip, Snap, Snout!

A Waldorf Reader for Third Grade Extra Lesson Work

Text by Arthur M Pittis

Illustrations by Ausa M Peacock

Hardbound

$8.00

By third grade, if a student is still having significant struggles with the written word, extra lesson work is often recommended. Snip, Snap, Snout! is perhaps the best remedial reading book ever written. Stories are kept short, but they are never dull or contrived. The trained eye can catch that each story focuses on different word groups, sounds, punctuation and grammar, but all this is done so very artistically that someone who didn't know this was a book of stories for remedial reading would never notice. As with the other grade 3 readers, this one recapitulates the grade 2 curriculum of fables and saints, and does so with grace, charm and warmth.

Sun So Hot I Froze to Death

A Waldorf Reader for Advanced Fourth Grade

Text by Arthur M Pittis

Illustrations by Ausa M Peacock

Hardbound

$12.00

The sometimes outrageous folk tales of the early days of America are the focus of this riveting reader for advanced fourth grade. You'll find Brer Rabbit, Davy Crocket, John Henry, Johnny Appleseed, Sweet Betsy from Pike, Pecos Bill and more in this book that takes the young reader through written English and on beyond into the worlds of dialect and (appropriate) slang. What a great way to harness fourth grade energy! This reader is such fun it was hard to put it down so I could write about it.