The Book Tree: A Christian Reference for Children's Literature, 2nd Edition

by Elizabeth McCallum, Jane Scott

Literary habits naturally give way to literary affections. Once upon a time, a carpenter entered a forest and happened upon a wolf wearing a feathered cap. Quick whose side are you on? If you don't know, we suggest reading a hearty round of fairytales. Stories provide a roadmap for life. This is because stories are life. But oftentimes it's easiest to understand where we are when we can look through other eyes -from the perspective of someone else, living somewhere else, somewhen else. The Book Tree is a list of books to explore and try out on your children. This list focuses on books that are well-written, reader friendly, ethical, visually appealing, and accessible. For those beginning to read for the first time or those beginning to read again, The Book Tree will drop golden apples in your lap, until you can climb high enough to pick for yourself.

Genres: Education, Reference, Parenting, Nonfiction, Christian, Childrens

280 pages, Paperback

First published September 9, 2008

Reviews

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent reference book for the Christian family who wants to find intelligent books for their kids to read, but that are clean. This was very helpful to me!

[Sydney Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.4, really.

[Mary Spatarel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource, for building your library for yourself and children.

[Shanna Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Book Tree is an annotated, age-graded bibliography of recommended books for children and teens. Elizabeth McCallum has taught high school and college English for thirty years, and conducts seminars on education, literature, and shaping a Christian worldview in young people. The Book Tree is co-written with her adult daughter, Jane Scott.

Their titles are selected by the criteria of literary quality, accessibility and availability, and moral content. Unfortunately, the notes supplied for each title consist of summary, rather than critical commentary that would explain why each title is recommended. This makes the book less user-friendly to parents, whose priorities may differ somewhat from the authors'. However, in the titles I read, there is a great deal of overlap between the authors' priorities and mine.

There are about 760 titles recommended, about half of which also appear in other popular book lists. Since about 380 of the titles are unique, this is a great resource for building a home library. It might be especially attractive to those from a Reformed or Presbyterian background, and for those who identify with the philosophies of Classical Education.

If you have to limit yourself to one list, I recommend Books Children Love: A Guide to the Best Children's Literature or Honey for a Child's Heart, since they tell you why specific titles are recommended. But if you can use a third, this is a fine choice.