Favorite Bible stories . . .
• The Christmas story – Luke 2: 1-20
• Jesus welcomes the little children – Matthew 19: 13-15
• Jesus teaches us to love God and each other – Matthew 22: 37-40
• Jesus calms the storm – Mark 4: 35-41
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• Jesus teaches the disciples to pray – Matthew 6: 9-14
• The sermon on the mount – Matthew 5: 1-12
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Favorite Bible verses . . .
• ”Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God . . . “ – 1 John 4: 7- 21
• “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” – 1 John 4: 16
• “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal
life.” – John 3: 16
• “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul. . ." – Psalm 23
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• "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second
is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." – Mark 12: 30-31
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Favorite picture books. . .
• Akin, Sara, Three Scoops and a Fig. Peachtree Publishing Company: Atlanta, Georgia, 2010.
• Becker, Bonnie. A Visitor for Bear. Candlewick Press: Cambridge, 2008.
• Buehner, Carolyn. Snowmen At Night. Dial: New York, 2002.
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• Cowley, Joy. Where Horses Run Free. Boyds Mills Press: Pennsylvania, 2003.
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• Detlefsen, Lisl H. If You Had a Jetpack. Knopf Books for Young Readers: New York, 2018.
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• Fleming, Candace. Boxes for Katje. Farrar, Strauss and Giroux: New York, 2003.
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• Godin, Thelma. How to Dress a Dragon. Scholastic Press: New York, 2016.
• Hall, Donald. The Ox-Cart Man. Viking: New York, 1979.
• Heine, Helme. Friends. Aladdin: New York, 1997.
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• Heling, Kathryn and Deborah Hembrook. There's Only One You. Sterling Children's Books: New York, 2019.
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• Henkes, Kevin. Chester's Way. Greenwillow: New York, 1988.
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• Henkes, Kevin. Sheila Rae the Brave. Greenwillow: New York, 1987.
• Hoban, Russell. Best Friends for Frances. HarperCollins: New York, 1969.
• James, Simon. Dear Mr. Blueberry. M. K. McElderry Books: New York, 1991.
• Johnson, Crockett. Harold and the Purple Crayon. Harpercollins: New York, 1955.
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• Kasza, Keiko. The Wolf's Chicken Stew. Putnam: New York, 1988.
• Keats, Ezra Jack. The Snowy Day. The Viking Press: New York, 1962.
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• Kent, Jack. There's No Such Thing as a Dragon. Random House: New York, 1975.
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• Leaf, Munro. The Story of Ferdinand. Viking Press: New York, 1936.
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• Lionni, Leo. An Extraordinary Egg. Alfred A. Knopf: New York, 1948.
• Lionni, Leo. Frederick. Alfred A. Knopf: New York, 1967.
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• Macken, JoAnn Early. Waiting Out the Storm. Candlewick Press: Massachusetts, 2010.
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• Martin, Jacqueline Briggs. Snowflake Bentley. Houghton Mifflin: Massachusetts, 1998.
• McClintock, Barbara. Dahlia. Farrar, Straus and Giroux: New York, 2002.
• Morris, Richard T. Bear Came Along. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers: New York, 2019.
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• Numeroff, Laura. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. HarperCollins: New York, 1985.
• Paul, Miranda. Water is Water: A Book About the Water Cycle. Roaring Brook Press: New York, 2015.
• Polacco, Patricia. Emma Kate. Philomel: New York, 2005.
• Polacco, Patricia. Rechenka’s Eggs. Philomel: New York, 1998.
• Polacco, Patricia. Thundercake. Philomel: New York, 1990
• Pomerantz, Charlotte. The Mousery. Gulliver Books, Harcourt Inc.: New York 2000.
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• Rawlinson, Julia. Fletcher and the Falling Leaves. Greenwillow Books: New York, 2006.
• Rubin, Adam. Dragons Love Tacos. Dial Book for Young Readers: New York, 2012.
• Rylant, Cynthia. All In a Day. Abrams Books for Young Readers: New York, 2009.
• Rylant, Cynthia. Silver Packages. Orchard Books: New York, 1997.
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• Scanlon, Liz Garton. All the World. Beach Lane Books: California, 2009.
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• Schertle, Alice. Little Blue Truck. Harcourt, Inc.: New York, 2008.
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• Seuss, Dr. How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Random House: New York, 1957.
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• Seuss, Dr. Oh the Places You'll Go. Random House: New York, 1990.
• Stead, Philip C. A Sick Day for Amos McGee. Roaring Brook Press: New York, 2010.
• Steig, William. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. Windmill Books: New York, 1969.
• Stevens, Janet. Tops and Bottoms. Harcourt Brace and Company: New York, 1995.
• Stewart, Sarah. The Gardener. Farrar, Straus, Giroux: New York, 1997.
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• Swenson, Jamie A. A Fall Ball for All. Millbrook Press: New York, 2018.
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• Vander Heyden, Linda. A Horse Named Jack. Sleeping Bear Press: Michigan, 2018.
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• Wells, Rosemary. Noisy Nora. Viking Books for Young Readers: New York, 1999.
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• Wells, Rosemary, Shy Charles. Puffin Books: New York, 2001.
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• Wenzel, Brendan. A Stone Sat Still. Chronicle Books: New York, 2019.
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Favorite board books. . .
• Carolstrom, Nancy White. Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? Little Simon: New York, 1986.
• Degen, Bruce. Jamberry. Harperfestival: New York, 1995.
• Guarino, Deborah. Is Your Mama a Llama? Scholastic Press: New York, 1989.
• Rathmann, Peggy. Good Night, Gorilla. G. P. Putnam’s Sons: New York, 1994.
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Favorite beginning readers. . .
• Chaconas, Dori. Cork and Fuzz: Best Friends. Penguin Young Readers: New York, 2010.
*There are 10 books in the Cork and Fuzz series, and they are all wonderful.
• Cowley, Joy. Mrs. Wishy-Washy. The Wright Group: 1980.
• Kraegel, Kenneth. Wild Honey from the Moon. Candlewick Press : Massachusetts, 2019.
• Lobel, Arnold. Days with Frog and Toad. Harpercollins: New York, 1979.
• Lobel, Arnold. Frog and Toad All Year. Harpercollins: New York, 1976.
• Lobel, Arnold. Frog and Toad Together. Harpercollins: New York, 1971.,
• Mabry, Sheri. The Kid and the Chameleon. Albert Whitman and Company: Chicago, 2019.
• Minarik, Else Homelund. Little Bear. HarperCollins: New York, 1957.
• Shaw, Nancy. Sheep Out to Eat. Houghton Mifflin Co.: Boston, 1992.
• Thomas, Shelley Moore. Good Night, Good Knight. Dutton Books: New York, 2000.
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Favorite poetry books. . .
• Bodecker, N.M. Snowman Sniffles and Other Verse. Margaret K. McElderry Books: New York, 1983.
• Elliott, David. On the Farm. Candlewick Press: Cambridge, 2008.​
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• Hoberman, Mary Ann. You Read to Me, I'll Read to You. Little, Brown Books for Children: New York, 2004.
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• Klein, Patricia S. Random House Treasury of Best-Loved Children's Poems. Random House: New York, 2006.
• MacLauchlan, Patricia and Emily Maclauchlan Charest. Once I ate a Pie. Joanna Cotler Books: New York, 2006.
• Moses, Will. Mother Goose. Philomel: New York, 2003.
• Opie, Iona. My Very First Mother Goose. Candlewick Press: Massachusetts, 1996.
• Prelutsky, Jack. The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders. Greenwillow Books: New York, 2002.
• Prelutsky, Jack. It's Raining Pigs and Noodles. Greenwillow Books: New York, 1997.
• Prelutsky, Jack. My Dog May Be a Genius. Greenwillow Books: New York, 2008.
• Ruddell, Deborah. Today at the Bluebird Café. Margaret K. McElderry Books: New York, 2007.
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• Ruddell, Deborah. A Whiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk. Margaret K. McElderry Books: New York, 2009.
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• Silverstein, Shel. Where the Sidewalk Ends. Harper and Row: New York, 1974.
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Favorite children's novels. . .
• Alcott, Louisa May. Little Women. Grosset & Dunlap, Inc.: New York, 1947.
• Avi. Poppy. Harper Trophy: New York, 1995.
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• Bond, Michael. A Bear Called Paddington. Houghton Mifflin Company: New York, 1958.
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• Byars, Betsy. The Midnight Fox. Puffin Books: New York, 1968.
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• Burnett, Frances Hodgson. A Little Princess. Charles Scribner's Sons: New York, 1905.
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• Cresswell, Helen. The Piemakers. Faber and Faber: United Kingdom, 1967.
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• Dahl, Roald. The BFG. Puffin Books: New York, 1982.
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• Dahl, Roald. Danny Champion of the World. Puffin Books: New York, 1975.
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• Dahl, Roald. James and the Giant Peach. Alfred A. Knopf: New York, 1961.
• DeJong, Meindert. The Wheel on the School. Harper Collins: New York, 1954.​
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• DiCamillo, Kate. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Candlewick Press: Massachusetts, 2006.
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• DiCamillo, Kate. The Tale of Despereaux. Candlewick Press: Massachusetts, 2003.
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• Eager, Edward. Half Magic. Harcourt: New York, 1954.
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• Enright, Elizabeth. The Saturdays. Henry Holt and Company: New York, 1941.
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• Erdrich, Louise. The Birchbark House. Disney Hyperion: New York, 1999.
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• Estes, Eleanor. The Hundred Dresses. Harcourt Inc.: New York, 1944.
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• Gannett, Ruth Stiles. My Father's Dragon. Randon House Children's Books: New York, 1948.
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• Gardiner, John Reynolds. Stone Fox. HarperCollins: New York, 1980.
• Grahame, Kenneth. The Wind in the Willows. Methuen: United Kingdom, 1908.
• Jenkins, Emily. Toys Go Out. Schwartz and Wade Books: New York, 2006.
• Juster, Norton. The Phantom Tollbooth. Alfred A. Knopf: New York, 1961.
• Lawson, Robert. Rabbit Hill. The Viking Press, Inc.: New York, 1944.
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• Lewis, C.S. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Geoffrey Bles: United Kingdom, 1950.
*This is the first book in the Chronicles of Narnia series. These books have been my all-time favorite. They are profound.
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• Lin, Grace. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers: New York, 2009.
• Lovelace, Maud Hart. The Betsy-Tacy Treasury. Harper Perennial Modern Classics: New York, 2011.
• Milne, A. A. Winnie-the-Pooh. Dutton edition: New York, 2006.
• Montgomery, Lucy Maud. Anne of Green Gables. Random House edition: New York, 1998.
• Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. Shiloh. First Aladdin Paperbacks edition: New York, 2000.
• Norton, Mary. The Borrowers. Harcourt Books: New York, 1952.
• Peck, Richard. A Long Way from Chicago. Dial Books for Young Readers: New York, 1999.
• Robinson, Barbara. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Harpercollins Children’s Books: New York, 1988.
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• Rawls, Wilson. Where the Red Fern Grows. Doubleday edition: New York, 1961.
• Sachar, Louis. Wayside School is Falling Down. Harper Trophy: New York, 1989.
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• Spyri, Johanna. Heidi. Switzerland: 1881.
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• Taylor, Theodore. The Cay. Delacourte Press: New York, 1969.
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• Warner, Gertrude Chandler. The Boxcar Children. Albert Whitman and Company: Chicago, 1042.
• White, E. B. Charlotte's Web. Harper: New York, 1952.
• Woodruff, Elvira. The Christmas Doll. Scholastic Inc: New York, 2000.
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*I also love to read cookbooks of any kind!
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Favorite books about writing. . .
• Asher, Sandy. Where Do You Get Your Ideas? Favorite authors reveal their writing secrets. Walker and Company: New York, 1987.
• Harrison, Barbara and Gregory Maguire. Origins of Story. Margaret K. McElderry Books: New York, 1999.
• Paterson, Katherine. Gates of Excellence: On Reading and Writing Books for Children. Dutton Children’s Books: New York, 1981.
• Pope, Alice, editor. Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market. Writer’s Digest Books: Cincinnati, Ohio.
*There is an edition printed every year, and I highly recommend looking at the most current edition.
• Suen, Anastasia. Picture Writing: A New Approach to Writing for Kids and Teens. Writer’s Digest Books: Cincinnati, Ohio, 2003.
• Yolen, Jane. Take Joy. Writer’s Digest Books: Cincinnati, Ohio, 2006.
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Favorite author quotations. . .
• “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—it's the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning." - Mark Twain
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• “Writing is an act of faith, not a trick of grammar.”
- E. B. White
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• “All I hope to say in books, all that I ever hope to say, is that I love the world.”
- E. B. White
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• “Good books, like good friends, are few and chosen; the more select, the more enjoyable.”
-Louisa May Alcott
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• “It is the sweet, simple things of life that are the real ones after all.”
- Laura Ingalls Wilder
