Empty Pages

Jon Turley

Softbound

$14.95

I found Empty Pages to be both fascinating and poignant, a wonderful combination of ingredients for young adult readers (ages 12 and up).

Jasper is a teenager whose parents don't have much to say to him other than to criticize. In fact, they don't have much to say to each other, either. As if that weren't enough, Jasper's grandfather, the only family member who really loves Jasper and is supportive, has been moved to a nursing home in poor health.

The family visits to the grandfather tend to turn into arguments between Jasper's parents, but after they (finally!) leave, Jasper and his grandfather share some very special moments. Their relationship deepens as Jasper takes to visiting by himself after school. As part of these visits, Grandpa begins to read to Jasper from his friends war diary, and stories of war time valor and struggle come to life in ways that change Jasper's life and hopes.

The ending is a surprise that is both exhilarating and heart opening. Discover it for yourself (after your teen has finished it).

The Hill of the Red Fox

Allan Campbell McLean

Softbound

$11.95

It is the time of the Cold War. Soviet spies are feared and secrets traded. And people disappear. Thirteen-year-old Alasdair lives in London and knows nothing of that world. He can’t wait to begin his long summer holiday on the Isle of Skye, away from his mother and aunt.

But things don’t go quite as planned. On the journey, a stranger gives him a mysterious note before jumping from the train. Even worse, he immediately suspects the sinister Murdo Beaton, the man with whom he’s staying. Gradually adjusting to life on the small farm, Alasdair is unprepared for the web of danger and espionage that begins to unfold around him.

(Ages 10–13)

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.

A Bag of Lucky Rice

George Reichart

Pictures by Mark Mitchell

Softbound

$10.95

Occasionally, from out of nowhere, comes a story from a totally unknown writer that really touches the heart. This story is such a tale: a charming, somewhat old-fashioned, and totally authentic story of the Old West. It features Rusty Dalton, a down-on-his-luck prospector, who, along with his faithful mule Zeke, discovers a king’s ransom of hidden gold, manages to haul it back to the Wells Fargo offce in Rhyolite, and then decides to do some real good with it. It contains an exemplary cast of characters, but this is not just a story of outlaws, heroes, sagebrush, and hidden treasure. At its core, it is a tale of prejudice and courage, of humor, humanity, and decency, all set in a small desert town that could be anywhere.

Kidnapped

Robert Louis Stevenson

Unabridged

Softbound

$4.50

This is a classic adventure novel, perhaps even the classic adventure novel. Set in the year 1751, Kidnapped centers around David Balfour, a young Scotsman orphaned by the death of his father. Betrayed by his uncle, the young hero is shanghaied and headed for bondage in the New World, until a swashbuckling highlander comes to his rescue. Stirring, suspenseful; considered by Stevenson to be his best fiction.

Grade 6 and up.

Captains Courageous

Rudyard Kipling

Unabridged

Softbound

$2.50

Rudyard Kipling was, in my opinion, one of the best writers to ever wield a pen in English. His prose is almost like poetry, yet so filled with life that never once does his writing become more interesting than the story it tells. All his books, stories and poems are truly the stuff of greatness, and Captains Courageous is no exception.

We open with a spoiled rich boy being swept of the deck of a luxury ocean liner and into the sea. Luckily, young Harvey Cheyne is rescued by a passing fishing vessel.

As it turns out, his apparent misfortune in tumbline from a life of pampered luxury into the humble company of a fishing schooner becomes a blessing. Compelled by the captain to earn his keep, Harvey loses his affectations as he learns the rewards of an honest day's labor amid the gruff and hearty companionship of the crewmen. They teach him to be worth his salt as they fish the waters off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland.

This is Kipling's only novel to unfold in an American setting, and, like his others, it is packed with his humor and sense of adventure.

A great book for Grade 5 and up.

Little Women

Louisa May Alcott

Unabridged

Softbound

$3.50

Little Women is another of our family favorites - everyone loved this book, including our robust boy. There were several years in a row where at least once we would read it again - always with pleasure, as though meeting an old friend.

Largely based on the author's own childhood, it is a timeless tale of the four young March sisters - Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy - who grow to maturity in their mother's tender but strong and loving care (father was a physician serving in the Civil War).

Literary-minded tomboy Jo develops a fast friendship with the boy next door, and pretty Meg, the eldest, finds romance; frail and affectionate Beth fills the house with music, and little Amy, the youngest, seeks beauty with all the longing of an artist's soul. Although poor in material wealth, the family is rich in love, friendship and imagination. No wonder they have captured the hearts of readers for many generations.

Grade 5 and up.

Simon's Challenge

Theresa Breslin

Softbound

$10.00

All that Simon really wants is a computer. However, with his father away looking for work and a new baby in the house, money is tight.

One evening on his way home, Simon passes Mr Peterson’s computer shop. Everything seems normal. But when the police start asking questions, Simon realizes that he may have witnessed a major burglary. The only problem is that he can't remember any details.

This is an exciting detective story, with realistic characters and a gripping plot.

Ages 10-14

Ideal for top primary or early secondary, the novel covers a number of contemporary themes: redundancy, and the related poverty it causes; a threatened marriage breakdown; sibling relationships and the parents' expectations of the elder sibling; crime and retribution/reward. Breslin's style is contemporary and streetwise without being easily dated, and her characters ring very true to life.

—Treasure Island: A guide to Scottish fiction for young readers aged 10–14, summer 2003

Six Lives of Fankle the Cat

George Mackay Brown

Softbound

$10.00

The theme of the book is the power of narrative. Living as she does for story making, Jenny projects her skill on to Fankle. The village schoolchildren are asked to write about Fankle, and their efforts make up the central chapter of the novel. There is stimulus here for readers' own writing. Mackay Brown modulates the mood delicately—amusing, roistering, and touching. Underlying there is a wistful reminder that all lives, not only Fankle's, are brief and that humans, unlike cats, have only one.”

—Treasure Island: A guide to Scottish fiction for young readers aged 10–14, Summer 2003

Tom Strynd says that he is going to drown Fankle the cat in the millpond—unless Jenny rescues him. So, even though her mother hates cats, Jenny takes him home. Fankle tells Jenny the stories of his various lives—with pirates, in ancient Egypt, and even with China’s Empress.

George Mackay Brown weaves the story of Orkney’s villagers in his own inimitable style, a rewarding read for adults and children alike.

Ages 10 - 14

Sula

Book 1 of the Sula Quartet

Lavinia Derwent

Softbound

$10.00

Suited to readers in the later primary stages, this novel employs an unusual blending of whimsical fun and quite stark realism. There is strength and originality in the portrayal of changing relationships between Magnus and his inexperienced teacher.

—Treasure Islands: A guide to Scottish fiction for young readers aged 10–14, summer 2003

The island of Sula is the whole world to Magnus Macduff. He loves every inch of it and knows all the animals and birds. Magnus is not like the other children on the island. Often, instead of going to school, he makes his way up the shore to visit Old Whiskers the seal, or up Heathery Hill to sit with Mr Skinnymalink the hermit in his cave. Magnus is afraid that Mr Murray, the new teacher on the island, will spoil his fun. But Mr Murray is nervous too. He is an outsider. Life threatens to become difficult for both of them—until Mr Murray discovers that Magnus has a wonderful gift for drawing, “seals, birds, dogs—so fresh and life-like that the creatures seem to be crawling across the arithmetic book.”

Sula is the first of four books about life on this tiny west-coast island and the adventures of Magnus Macduff.

Ages 10-14

Return to Sula

Book 2 of the Sula Quartet

Lavinia Derwent

Softbound

$10.00

Magnus Macduff is lured away from his beloved island of Sula when he wins a painting competition and goes to the mainland to collect his prize. But Magnus is fiercely independent and escapes back to the remote island at the first opportunity, followed by a new friend—a wild Duke whose ability with music matches Magnus’ own skill at drawing and painting.

Familiar characters, including Magnus's Gran and Old Whiskers, reappear in this second collection of Magnus's exciting adventures.

Ages 10-14

The Boy from Sula

Book 3 of the Sula Quartet

Lavinia Derwent

Softbound

$10.00

Lavinia Derwent’s fabulous stories of Magnus Macduff and his life on Sula in the Hebrides make the Scottish islands come alive for both children and adults alike.

This is the third of four books about life on the tiny west coast island of Sula and the adventures of Magnus Macduff. When he is on the mainland, Magnus misses the island and the colorful characters there, such as Mr Skinnymalink the Hermit and Old Whiskers the seal. When he returns to the island, however, he discovers that his beloved Sula is in danger of becoming a tourist trap.

Ages 10-14

Song of Sula

Book 4 of the Sula Quartet

lavinia Derwent

Softbound

$10.00

Snow is not the only surprise in store for Magnus on his return to the island of Sula, after his friend the Duke's triumph in London with his Sula Symphony.

As well as a dangerous blizzard, Magnus has to contend with his terrible jealousy—for the Duke has a new friend, Lionel....

This is the fourth in the popular series of books featuring Magnus Macduff and the colorful inhabitants of Sula.

Wagons Westward
The Old Trail to Santa Fe

written and illustrated by
Armstrong Sperry

Softbound

$14.95

Amstrong Sperry, author of All Sail Set (below) created some of the very best historical novels written in English. That they were written for young people is almost icing on the cake -- what a terrific way to share the life of the past with young minds! Well researched, well written, and real page-turners -- good juvenile literature just doesn't get much better than this.

Wagons Westward is among the best such novels -- it will give you a whiff of what the journey along the Santa Fe Trail must have been like in 1846; and how a restless America managed to add much of the Southwest to its expanding territory. The young hero, Jonathan Starbuck, faces and overcomes many challenges along the untamed trail -- and through his eyes we find ourselves travelling right alongside these determined pioneers. The author's spirited drawings just make this good story even better.

Very highly recommended!

All Sail Set
The gripping and authentic yarn of a race 'round the Horn onboard the greatest clipper ever built - The Flying Cloud

Armstrong Sperry

Softbound

Newbery Honor Book 1936

$14.95

If ever there was a story of adventure on the high seas that we would want to share with the youngsters around us (not to mention read ourselves!), this is it. The subtitle is as accurate as they come -- the adventure captures our imagination and holds it fast; the descriptions of sailing aboard a clipper ship are so accurate your young reader will be qualified to sign on as a deck hand before the story ends.

Sperry takes us back to the days when Clipper Ships transformed the world with their amazing speed (only 90 days to sail around the whole world!) and the race against time was a race toward a new modern world.

Here is the story of Enoch Thacher, a boy whose father lost his fortune at sea, goes to work for Donald McKay (who really existed and built an entire line of great clippers). McKay takes him on during the lofting, building, and rigging of the The Flying Cloud. Enoch finally ships out on her for her maiden, record-breaking trip around the Horn. Sperry's vigorous drawings are the perfect accompaniment to this realistic, riveting narrative of iron men and wooden ships. Even landlubbers like me will be pegged to their seats as they read.

A wonderful book for ages 10 and over. This would also be a great accompanying novel for the Waldorf history block covering the industrial revolution, ages 12-13.

Auragole of the Mountains
Book One of the Auragole Quartet

Shirley Latessa

Softbound

$24.95

Shirley Latessa has created a terrific fantasy saga that is unlike any other I've ever read. We enter a world that has been shattered by 500 years of warfare, where most people live lives of fear in semi-tribal conditions, and only a very few have been sheltered enough to remember what it is to be fully human. Into this torn world comes a youth upon whose actions the destiny of humanity will turn.

Auragole has been raised in isolation, away from the soldiers and roaming gangs, away from regional superstitions and laws; but, also away from any knowledge of, much less belief in, the spiritual world and the gods. When he emerges from his remote valley and encounters the world of people outside it, he arrives as a free human being. It is what he makes of his freedom, how he chooses to shape himself, that will determine whether he will aid the cause of humanity, or become its doom.

Auragole of the Mountains follows Auragole as he leaves the valley of his birth for the first time and encounters both friends and enemies in the wider world. He and his friends come at last to the Valley of Agavia, where a small group of people have preserved the knowledge of the gods and where it is known that the Last Battle, the battle against the Nethergod, will be fought, and fought soon. The future of all humanity will be determined by the victor. As Auragole leaves Agavia, it is still very uncertain which course he will choose and what role he will play in the Last Battle.

The author tells me she created The Auragole Quartet with both adults and teenagers in mind. I agree that teens are likely to love these stories. As for adults, well, I was barely able to put my copy down once I started reading. This is the first fantasy fiction I've read that has some real substance to it, that seriously considers some of the most pressing questions we humans face. Very, very highly recommended.

Auragole of the Way
Book Two of the Auragole Quartet

Shirley Latessa

Softbound

$25.95

Where Auragole of the Mountains told a story woven around dire but straightforward issues of survival, and thus had a semblance of simplicity, in Auragole of the Way Auragole encounters not just other people, but diverse societies. As he does so, the fabric of the story takes on a rich pattern and a complexity that echo his multi-layered experience. This richness makes for compelling, satisfying reading -- I surprised myself by finishing Auragole of the Way in about half the time it took me to read Auragole of the Mountains.

Auragole of the Way picks up where Auragole of the Mountains left off -- Auragole has chosen to keep his commitment to see his friends to the city of Mattelmead, where they hope to find a cure for one of their party whose life is threatened by illness. In so choosing, he declines Agavia's offer of deep training toward a personal awareness of the gods.

Almost immediately, disaster and death strike Auragole's little band and his course is irrevocably changed. Hiding, fighting, and running for his life, Auragole eventually comes upon the mountain camp of the only soldiers who fight on behalf of human freedom and love, and who prepare for the Last Battle. It is here that he decides to go to the aid of a friend rather than follow orders he considers not his affair. But, what he thought he saw proves to be very different from reality , and he nearly pays for his error with his life.

Yet, even as chaotic war is waged all around him, he also discovers art and beauty in the form of True-Singing. A True-Singer is trained to sing so that the listener hears the voice within whatever object of nature the singer embodies. Such singing is achingly beautiful and deeply healing -- and it becomes Auragole's chosen calling. Out of the depths of his earlier errors, he discovers his teacher. Auragole of the Way closes as Auragole follows his teacher to new adventures in Mattlemead.

Auragole of Mattlemead
Book Three of the Auragole Quartet

Shirley Latessa

Softbound

Now available directly from the author at www.shirleylatessa.com

As Auragole of the Way closed, Auragole had found his heart's calling - True-Singing - and was preparing to leave with Lorenwile, his teacher, for the only real city in his torn world, Mattlemead. Lorenwile is known as a True-Singer only among the few who have kept the deep knowledge of the gods -- in Mattlemead he is a celebrity performer. Auragole will join him in that role and train secretly as a True-Singer.

Mattlemead simply glistens in Auragole's eyes -- there are wonders on every street corner and marvels awaiting behind each door so far as he is concerned. It is not hard to see that the young man is simply awestruck.

A feeling of awe can open the heart to all that is good and true -- but it can also open the way to seduction and a loss of purpose. And, of course, as the clouds of the Last Battle gather menacingly on the horizon, the overriding question becomes what Auragole will do with his awe. Will he allow it to open his heart to service of the Creative Gods and thus tip the scale in their favor, or will he plunge into the sensations Mattlemead offers and become an ally of the Nethergod?

Auragole and the Last Battle
Book 4 of the Auragole Quartet

Shirley Latessa

Softbound

Now available directly from the author at www.shirleylatessa.com

The Last Battle has begun -- and it's outcome hinges on Auragole's choice; and upon Auragole's wisdom.

After the dizzying opulance of Mattlemead, followed by a dance of reversals and recoveries of astonishing order, Auragole comes again to Agavi. It is there his heart calls him, there he wants to be. But amid the battle preparations he soon discovers that even knowing what his heart wants is not enough -- not enough to know what to do, where to go, how to respond. Not enough to be sure. And the whole world waits upon his deed.

* * *

Shirley Latessa's final novel of The Auragole Quartet brings us to a seat-of-your-chair ending, one that will keep you turning pages right through to the remarkable ending. Having followed Auragole's entire journey, I have to take my hat off to Shirley -- she has told a great story that in many ways we all live, asked all the questions we ask and then some, and brought her characters to a truly heroic finish the measure of which I don't think any reader will guess before the end. This is wonderful reading -- and a tale told from a vista seldom revealed in literature.

Treasure Forest

Book One of the Forest Inside Trilogy

Winner of the NAPRA 2004 Nautilus Award for Young Adult Fiction

Cat Bordhi

Hardbound

$21.95

Treasure Forest is flat-out the best juvenile fiction I have read in years and years. It has the page-turning adventure of the Harry Potter books (the difference being that it is carefully written and well-edited) combined with the heart-warm depth of C. S. Lewis's Narnia series. In the midst of all this depth and excitement, Cat Bordhi brings something more: a crystalline clarity, a sparkling delight with the World and Creation, an understanding of nature and of people that shines with great love. This is a story not to be missed, one destined to nourish generations of children and adults -- a story that ripples outward, like the rings after a pebble penetrates the water.

It begins with a question, the bequest of beloved departed grandparents:

How can you retrieve a treasure from the bottom of a pond without disturbing the water?

The question is Ben's, but his quest for the answer involves his sister Sarah as well.

Immediately on the heels of the bequest, which also includes Grandmother's house by the forest, the villain of the story creeps into the scene, disrupting and destroying as he goes. Daggett is one of the most complex, modern villains to ever intrude upon the lives of fictional characters. Daggett knows, loves and understands nature, but can't in the least comprehend the world of people. As a result, he frightens and harms even those people whose love he longs for -- a villain for the 21st century, to be sure.

The mystery and magic which follow take us into the nooks, crannies and catacombs of life; into Nature as it exists in the Forest, and into the nature of the human heart. On the way, there are memorable characters, exhilarating discoveries, courageous deeds, and a treasure more precious than gold.

I would recommend this book for all children and adults over the age of seven. Even teenagers love this book, and I know that you will be as melancholy as I was to turn the last page. (The good news is that Book Two is underway!)

Cat Bordhi is also the author of A Treasury of Magical Knitting and Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles. Although she promised to behave herself and leave knitting out of Treasure Forest, she didn't quite manage it. On her website, you can find patterns for the forest socks her mother knits Sarah and the knitted treehouse (really!) Ben learns to make www.catbordhi.com

The Story of King Arthur and His Knights

Told and illustrated
by Howard Pyle

Softbound

$10.95

Personally, I love all of Howard Pyle's retellings of classic tales. This one I especially love -- Pyle's sense for who Arthur is and his love of all the stories that go forth from that wondrous Round Table shines through every word and chapter. His line drawing illustrations add a feel for the period along with some often subtle indications of the quality of character of the one who is his subject.

In this volume, Pyle begins by showing how Arthur established his right to the throne by drawing the sword from the anvil and how he battled to secure his sword, Excalibur, "the most beautiful and the most famous sword in all the world." Then follow Arthur's confrontations with the Duke of North Umber and Sir Pellias, his wooing and wedding of the Lady Guinevere, and the creation of the Round Table. Arthur's knights have their share of tales, too, and we meet Merlin the Wise, Sir Gawaine, Sir Pellias and more.

These are the classic tales of the Arthurian legend, told and illustrated by a master. Whether read to younger children (9+) or given to an older student (12+) to read on his or her own, these are great stories told greatly.

The Story of the Grail and the Passing of Arthur

Howard Pyle

Softbound

$12.95

Howard Pyle's wonderful retelling of the Arthurian legends have captivated children and adults for generations. This is one of the best of the series -- Pyles rich chronicle of the Quest for the Holy Grail and the last days of King Arthur.

The book begins with the exciting story of Sir Geraint -- his fight with the knight of Sparrow-Hawk, his setting right the wrongs of the earldom, how he destroyed three giants of the highway and more. Then Pyle takes up the exploits of Sir Galahad ("the most perfect knight who ever lived"): his initiation into knighthood, how he came to the court of King Arthur, his attack on Sir Launcelot, his fatal battle with Sir Mordred and Arthur's final journey to Avalon.

With language that evokes the days of Camelot and 39 of Pyle's atmospheric illustrations, The Story of the Grail is wonderful to read or hear.

The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions

Written and Illustrated by Howard Pyle

Softbound

$12.95

As part of Howard Pyle's recounting of Arthurian Britain, he also wrote about the most famous knight of the Table Round -- Sir Launcelot. Here he has captured in words and pictures the exploits and conquests of this Knight -- friend to Arthur and ultimate defender of good.

Here are thrilling accounts of this warrior's daring rescue of Queen Guinevere, his slaying of the dragon and romance with Elaine the Fair, the jousting tournament at Astolat, the story of Sir Ewain and the Lady of the Fountain, Launcelot's battle with madness, the birth of his son, Galahad, the "most perfect knight that ever lived", and much, much more.

Wonderful reading!

The Story of the Champions of the Round Table

Howard Pyle

Softbound

$11.95

These are the stories of three worthy, noble, excellent knights-champions: Sir Launcelot, Sir Tristram, and Sir Percival.

The stories of these three knitghts are among the most colorful and enduring in the vast body of Arthurian legend. The love-story of Tristram and the beautiful Isoult, of King Mark and the magic potions; the woundrous legend of Launcelot's emergence for the castle of the Lady of the Lake and the deeds that made him teh chiefest glory of the Round Table; Percival's championship of the Lady Yvette and his adventures at the Castle of Beaurepaire - these are all retold in Pyle's inimitable style that perfectly captures the tone and spirit of ancient romance. Pyles illustrations are a treasure for all.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Retold in Modern Prose by
Jessie L. Weston

Softbound

$3.95

I think that Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is one of the deepest and finest stories in all of English literature -- the sort of story that you can return to again and again in your mind, and always come away with a new bit of insight about life, and groups and the nature of love and honor.

The story begins when a gigantic stranger clad in green bursts in on King Arthur's New Year's feast to issue a fearsome challenge to the knights of the Round Table: Any of the assembled knights may strike off the stranger's head - but that knight must be willing to receive a similar blow from teh Green Knight in one year's time. Only the gallant Gawain volunteers to uphold the dignity of Camelot. Sir Gawain the the Green Knight recounts Gawain's adventures as he seeks to fulfill his pledge to the Green Knight

The tale dates from the 14th Century or earlier and blends older pre-Christian symbols and understandings with Christian ethics and the Divine Feminine, celebrating the virtue of forgiveness and an acceptance of the truly human state of imperfection. This is an amazing story!

This modern prose version of the Middle English poem makes it accessible, whether you are a teacher or parent wishing to learn the story to tell to 6th graders, or would like to have your high school or college students read it themselves. Of course, there's nothing wrong with buying a copy just to enjoy yourself, too.

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood

Written and Illustrated by Howard Pyle

Softbound

$10.95

I grew up at a time when Robin Hood and his Merry Men were a vibrant part of popular culture -- all the children I played with knew the stories as well as I did, and all of us loved Robin Hood and wanted to be just like him. The amount of pretend sword fighting and arrow shooting that we did was enough to leave even our energetic rabble ready for dinner and bedtime.

Looking back on my Robin Hood days, I still feel happy and grateful to have had them -- they provided all of us with wonderful adventures requiring real courage and derring-do. And, they gave us a model of someone who stood outside an unjust law, yet upheld a truer law and with a generous heart. Really, how could anyone ask for anything more for a child's imagination?

Howard Pyle's classic retelling of the Robin Hood tales is, in my opinion, the best available. The language is wonderful, Pyle's illustrations capture each moment while leaving lots of room for more imaginings, and he has told the greatest number of Robin Hood legends between two covers. Here are stories to nourish our childrens' brave hearts. Wonderful stuff!

Otto of the Silver Hand

Written and Illustrated by Howard Pyle

Softbound

$8.95

Pyle created a gem of story when he wrote Otto of the Silver Hand. With his wonderful command of language and consummate skill as an artist, he weaves the tale of Otto, the motherless son of a valiant robber baron in Medieval Germany. Young Otto is born into a warring household in an age when lawless chieftans are either fighting each other or despoiling merchant caravans. He is raised in a monastery only to return to his family's domain and become painfully involved in the blood-feud between his father and the rival house of Trutz-Drachen. Pyle captures the sound and feel of an ancient story in this book -- it's an adventure youngsters who hear or read it will not soon forget.

The Three Candles of Little Veronica
The story of a child's soul in this world and the other

Manfred Kyber

Illustrated by Iris Guarducci

Translation by Rosamond Reinhardt

Softbound

$19.95

This beautiful story came into my life as a gift even before our children were born. Then, after our first arrived, a dear friend made a poster size pencil drawing of the beautiful angel with the three candles, one of the many luscious, sensitive and wonderful full-color illustrations in this very special book. Our children lived with this in their room well into their teen years - and always felt its lovingly watchful presence was just for them. (And, of course, it was!)

The story, written early in the 20th century, is of a little girl, growing up filled with life and with a delicate sensitivity for both things seen and things unseen. As with all children, her growing up is characterized by both small seed-like occurrences as well as momentous changes and challenges. As Veronica nears puberty, her uncle can see with his own sensitive gaze that she will not be able to surmount a catastrophic memory from another life. And he saw truly, for Veronica soon becomes ill and her angel comes to carry her back to her spiritual home.

Despite the grief all who loved her feel, it is nonetheless the aftermath of her passing which shines more brightly even than Veronica's own three candles. There is the brightest, yet softest and most gentle, hope and joy as it becomes ever so evident that Veronica lives on, though in a different realm.

This unique story is one of beauty, hope and love. There is the delight of childhood and seeming tragedy of an early death. This is a story that reminds all of us that life only changes, never dies. It is a story very near to my heart, as well. I hope it can become a part of your life as it became a part of mine.

Buzzy and the River Rats
Book 1 - Buzzy Moves In

John Clarke Hoffman

Softbound

$12.00

One morning in the summer of 1954 in the Catskill Mountain town of Delhi, NY, the Fancher family moved into a vacant house on Elm Street. Buzzy Fancher's arrival heralded the beginning of many adventures for the group of boys who rallied around him and called themselves the River Rats. Their adventures sometimes brought them face to face with the tough uptown Trucker gang, but most of all they experienced the excitement, friendships, mishaps and young romance of growing up in 1950's small-town America.

The subject matter is quite appropriate for children from about grades 3 through 6 or 7, depending in large part on the particular interests of the child. This is a great "first novel" for children reading fluidly at about 5th grade level or beyond. These stories are wholesome, interesting, and well-written; told by a teacher who lived them (or wished he had!). Highly recommended.

Buzzy and the River Rats
Book 2 - Exploring the Town

John Clarke Hoffman

Softbound

$12.00

It is the autumn of 1954 in the Catskill Mountain town of Delhi, NY. John Hoffman, Buzzy Fancher, and the other members of the River Rat Gang are in eighth grade at Delaware Academy. The excitement of Halloween is in the air. Their adventures begin with an elaborate prank involving an antique fire ingine. Winter brings tobogganing and romance, spring an encounter with the tough uptown Trucker gang in Stutz's junkyard, and summer a raid on a girl scout campout at the Pine Hill Reserve. These great stories capture the both excitement and the security of growing up in 1950s small-town America.

The subject matter is quite appropriate for children from about grades 3 through 6 or 7, depending in large part on the particular interests of the child. This is a great "first novel" for children reading fluidly at about 5th grade level or beyond. These stories are wholesome, interesting, and well-written; told by a teacher who lived them (or wished he had!). Highly recommended.

Buzzy and the River Rats
Book 1 & 2

John Clarke Hoffman

Softbound

Regular price for both: $24.00

SAVE! - $21.00

Alice O. Howell

Hardbound

$24.95

This is an engaging story that should keep teenagers and adults glued to their chairs as they turn page after page. The author has succeeded wonderfully in creating a fantasy tale that portrays great truths through a highly readable story.

The Beejum Book offers a journey into a world of fantasy that, deep down, each of us knows and longs for. It tells the story of Teak, a child living abroad between the two World Wars. Teak’s mother tells her not to worry about being left alone, because every night, when she goes to sleep, they can meet in Beejumstan.

Teak’s travels to this magical realm bring her face to face with Lonesome, a well-attired rabbit, and Beejumstan’s “ambassador without portfolio”; Figg Newton, the alchemist; the witches Rudintruda and Idy Fix; Gezeebius, the Wise Old Man; and many other fascinating characters.

In the end, Teak discovers that all the inhabitants of Beejumstan live within her - together they are Teak. This discovery in no way lessens her enthusiasm for her nightly adventures, but instead warms her heart and heightens her love of all the Beejums (even the annoying ones!).

This is a book you'll read and pass on. And then you'll ask for it back so you can read it again!

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings

4 Volume Boxed Set
Paperbound

J.R.R. Tolkien

$27.96

I once knew a young father - a professional storyteller - who steadfastly maintained that he had children so that, when they were old enough, he could tell them The Lord of the Rings. I didn't really believe that was his primary motive for raising children, but on the other hand, The Lord of the Rings is without doubt one of the all-time greatest stories ever. Tolkien created a masterpiece of epic proportions, where the joy of goodness shines radiantly pure and the chill of evil creeps with unmistakable darkness. Through it all, the imperfect, comfort-loving Hobbits uphold the destiny of the world one uncertain step at a time. A great story to read to children 9 and up or for teens and adults to read to themselves.

The Dark Is Rising
Sequence

5 Volume Boxed Set

Susan Cooper

$24.95

Susan Cooper paints the struggle between the forces of light and darkness in a detail of emotions and images that beautifully mirror the human heart. These tales are exciting adventures, gripping stories of the threat of overpowering evil and the struggle to preserve human freedom. Finally, they emerge as uplifting, hope-filled inspiration - detailing the source of triumph of the human spirit in prose that almost sings. Excellent reading for anyone over 12.

Flatland
A Romance of Many Dimensions

Edwin A Abbott

Softbound

$2.00

Flatland is not only one of the very first science fiction books ever written (1884), but it is such an enjoyable and excellent introduction to the concept of dimensions and their effect on our perceptions, that it remains high on the list of books recommended for curious students of mathematics. I would personally recommend it for precocious 7th or 8th graders as well as high school and college students. Every mathematician I've ever met has read it, remembered if fondly and recommended passing it along to the younger generation.

Here's the story line:

A. Square is a mathematician and resident of two-dimensional Flatland, where women -- thin, straight lines -- are the lowliest of shapes, and where men may have any number of sides, depending on their social status. [n.b.: the sexism alone can be guaranteed to spark hours of lively discussion!]

Through strange occurrences that bring him into contact with a host of geometric forms, Square has adventures in Spaceland (three dimensions), Lineland (one dimension) and Pointland (no dimensions) and ultimately entertains thoughts of visiting a land of four dimensions -- a revolutionary idea for which he is returned to his two-dimensional world.

There are charming illustrations by the author throughout. Who says mathematics can't be fun?

American Indian Myths and Legends

Selected and Edited by Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz

Softbound

$18.00

Here is an exciting collection of over 160 stories that range from fairy tales to religious myths to just-so stories - and represent 80 tribal groups.

If, like me, most of what you have encountered as Native American tales has been the coyote or trickster stories, you are in for a panoramic adventure. Coyote is, naturally, still present and well-represented in these tales, but there is are also fairy tales of beauty, depth and truth, fables of all kinds, creation myths and stories of the realms of the gods, and delightful little tales that explain with humor and simplicity how things came to be as they are.

The stories are told in authentic and engaging language; they are filled to the brim with life and goodness and mystery. And they portray the depth and diversity of these cultures better than anything else I've read.

These are stories you and your children will love and think about and go back to for years. Enjoy!!

Shabanu
Daughter of the Wind

Suzanne Fisher Staples

$4.99

Shabanu is the second daughter in of a Pakistani family with no sons. As such, she's been allowed some freedoms usually forbidden to Muslim girls. Yet, her parents soon grow justifiably concerned that her independence and disinterest in "women's work" will lead to trouble. As tradition dictates, Shabanu's father has arranged for her to marry in the coming year. Though this will mean an end to her liberty, Shabanu accepts it as her duty to her family. A tragic encounter with a wealthy and powerful landowner ruins the marriage plans of her older sister, and Shabanu is called upon to sacrifice everything she's dreamed of. Should she do what her family's honor requires - or should she listen to her heart? A favorite of all our teenagers.

Juniper

Monica Furlong

$4.99

The only child of King Mark of Cornwall, Juniper should be content with a life of luxury and ease. But something - she's not sure what - compels her to study with her godmother, Euny, a harsh but wise woman who teaches the girl about spells, herbs, and the healing arts. It's not until she returns home a year later that Juniper discovers the true purpose of her unusual education. Meroot, her power-mad aunt, is using black magic in an effort to usurp the throne. She's laid a terrible curse on the countryside that has killed the crops and young livestock. Worse, she's threatened the life of Juniper's as-yet-unborn brother - the future king of Cornwall. Only Juniper, untried though she is in the ways of white magic, can stop her! Great fantasy!

Wise Child

Monica Furlong

$4.99

In a remote Scottish village, a girl called Wise Child is abandoned by her parents and taken in by Juniper, a healer-magician. Under Juniper's kind but stern tutelage, Wise Child thrives. She learns reading, herbal lore, and even the beginnings of white magic. Then Wise Child's natural mother - the "black" witch Maeve - reappears, offering the girl a life of ease and luxury. Forced to choose between Maeve and Juniper, Wise Child comes to discover both her true loyalties and her growing powers. By this time, though, Maeve's evil magic, a mysterious plague, and the fears of superstitious villagers combine to place Wise Child and Juniper in what may be inescapable danger. The sequel to Juniper - outstanding fantasy.

To Kill a Mockingbird

Harper Lee

$7.99

In our area, To Kill a Mockingbird is probably the most read book among junior high and high school students. This is because it is required reading at both levels of school, a fact that has given us ample opportunity to observe the responses of all our teenagers to this masterful portrait of human motivation and behavior. All of our children - each very different one from another - read it avidly and pondered it long after the final assignment was turned in. It may not be the Great American Novel, but in our eyes it truly deserves to be named among all the Great American Novels. A great book for adolescence.

The Mozart Season

Virginia Euwer Wolff

$6.99

This is an wonderful book to for any young person who cares about themselves and the world around them. It is engrossing, intriguing and wonderfully well written. Very highly recommended for ages 12 and up. The story:
Allegra Shapiro was planning on taking it easy this summer, but then she found out she had made it to the finals of a prestigious competition for young musicians. Now she's got to concentrate on playing Mozart's Fourth Violin Concerto. Her way. Better than anyone else. But it's hard for Allegra to stay focused when there's so much on her mind. She wants to understand the pain of an eccentric, talented singer. She needs to help a mysterious man find his lost song. She has to come to terms with a tragic event in her family's history. Who says music can take your cares away?