… also known as the condition in which one’s home book inventory fits precisely upon the available shelving in one’s living space. Also, the condition in which one’s husband exerts valiant effort to increase the total shelf space in one’s living quarters in order to accommodate orphan books that group in random-seeming, forlorn stacks. Also, commonly used to describe a state of mind in which one’s desire to read is matched by available time, adequate lighting and reading materials of a suitable quality.
This page is a work in progress and far from complete; with weekly updates, it will take a while for me to assemble the master “must have” suggestions.
A friend asked me to suggest titles for her young married children, who have yet to add grandchildren to the family. She wants to help them build a great family library. My suggestions so far:
Must-have fiction titles for families with children
The Little Britches series by Ralph Moody:
- Little Britches
- Man of the Family
- The Home Ranch
- Mary Emma & Company
- Horse of a Different Color
- The Dry Divide
- The Fields of Home
- Shaking the Nickel Bush
The stories are perfect for family read-aloud sessions, and have a deft way of presenting solid morals, a strong work ethic and the ability to find joy in everyday life despite sorrow and hardship. All families, but especially those with boys, should own copies of the series to read and reread.
Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder:
- Little House in the Big Woods
- Little House on the Prairie
- On the Banks of Plum Creek
- Farmer Boy
- By the Shores of Silver Lake
- The Long Winter
- Little Town on the Prairie
- These Happy Golden Years
C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia:
- The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe
- Prince Caspian
- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
- The Magician’s Nephew
- The Horse and His Boy
- The Silver Chair
- The Last Battle
Must-have nonfiction titles for families with children
Story of the Bible, by Jesse Lyman Hurlbut
No modern story-book “Bible” beats this one. It is essentially a retelling of the Bible — in chronological order — using a children’s version of King James language. It’s comprehensible to young children as well as retaining the grand, beautiful rhythm of old KJV. It’s also reliable, in that it was first written in 1904, when the author said his aim was to tell the Bible’s stories and the story of the Bible, without injecting doctrine, opinion or invented details, and to lead the reader to the Bible itself. It omits very little, not even the scary story of the prophet Jephthah, who promised to sacrifice the first living thing he saw upon returning from battle, and saw his beautiful young daughter. (I skipped that story the first time through!) Our family read this aloud, straight through, three times over several years, usually with my husband as the reader. Consequently, the kids are Bible-literate, and they love God’s word.
Noah Webster’s 1838 American Dictionary of the English Language
