Book Treasures

CNS does not sell the most of the books featured on this page. As members of the Roe family talk to people about books, we like to publicize our favorite titles -- some of which are not well known or are new.  Our desire is to share them with you.  

As I was thinking about the first books I wanted to feature on this page, I glanced over the titles on one of the many bookshelves in our home. My eye caught Heidi, Heidi Grows Up, and Heidi’s Children.

Many people are familiar with Heidi*, by Johanna Spyri, but the sequels are not as well known. The sequels were written
by a man named Charles Tritten; he did a wonderful job of following Ms. Spyri’s beautiful writing style.

The sequels are not in print, but may be available in libraries or through inter-library loan.  Reasonably priced copies readily available on used books sites:
               www.amazon.com   www.abebooks.com

*A mini-guide is available for Heidi:  Mini-guides for Juniors

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If you are a fan of Patricia St. John’s books**, you will be interested in Stories to Share A Family Treasury of Faith.  CNS sold this book when it was in print; people who enjoy Ms. St. John’s writing were sorry to see it go out of print.

Used copies are expensive; try locating this book at your local library or through an inter-
library loan.

**Study guides for Patricia St. John books are available:  Patricia St. John  

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All book lovers mourn when we discover that one of our favorite books is no longer being printed. That was how members of the Roe family felt when Patricia St. John’s autobiography -- An Ordinary Woman’s Extraordinary Faith -- went out of print several years ago. I made an exciting discovery this year -- it is back in print with a different name: Patricia St. John Tells Her Story.  We are once again able to offer this wonderful book to Patricia St. John fans:  Patricia St. John

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About ten years ago, Don and Rachel were in a bookstore in Ely, Minnesota. They spied a picture book titled The Bear That Heard Crying, by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock and Helen Kinsey.  After reading this story that is based on a true event, they decided to purchase the book for me as a Mother’s Day present.  You might think that is a bit odd -- giving an adult a picture book. But in our family, everyone enjoys picture books.  Our reading material does not just consist of titles at our reading level; we read everything we are able to read!  I thoroughly enjoyed the gift and I put it on my bookshelf.  The influence of the story of Sarah Whitcher (the little girl in the story) in my life, however, does not end there.

Several months later I was discussing home school curriculum at a friend’s home. As I glanced at my friend’s bookshelf, I noticed a very interesting title: Sarah Whitcher’s Story.  I took the book off the shelf and soon discovered that this was a longer version of the story that was presented in The Bear That Heard Crying.  The exciting part is that Sarah Whitcher’s Story was written by a Christian author -- Elizabeth Yates. Ms. Yates tells the story from a Christian perspective!

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The Bee Tree, by Patricia Polacco is a fun way to encourage children to read.  Read it yourself, plan an outdoor adventure for a group of children (this is a great idea for a co-op group!), read the book to them, and plan on

Many people have heard of and read Rascal, by Sterling North. The same author wrote Little Rascal -- a version for younger children that includes pictures.  It is a great way to introduce this wonderful book!

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When I found out that Bob Jones University Press publishes Sarah Whitcher’s Story, I decided that it is a book that CNS should sell; I also created a guide for it. I have recommended Sarah Whitcher’s Story to many people and have received positive feedback.  The Bear That Heard Crying is readily available at public libraries. While Sarah Whitcher’s Story may also be available at libraries, it would be a great book to add to your bookshelf. Click on Elizabeth Yates to go to the page where it is featured on this website. 

making baking powder biscuits with honey as a topping. Be sure to have a book available on which you can place a dab of honey. Possible idea: Each child could bring a favorite book from home so a dab of honey is able to be placed on a book that is special to each child.

Several years ago I discovered a picture-book treasure that I have shared with hundreds of children:  Mailing May, by Michael O. Tunnell. This book is readily available in libraries.

The story is based on a true incident that occurred on February 19, 1914:  Five-year-old Charlotte May Pierstorff was mailed from Grangeville to Lewiston, Idaho. She was classified as a baby chick and the postage to send her was fifty-three cents. It is a delightful story!

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How to Hook Your Kids On Books -- Create a love for reading that will last a lifetime, by Karen O’Connor
is a great resource that includes fresh, innovative ideas. The book includes three parts: Introduce Books, Encourage Reading, and Foster Reading Enrichment.  The chapters are short (usually 1-2 pages). A sample chapter from each part follows:  Create a Reading Corner, Use Books for Planning Vacations, Read to the Elderly. Unfortunately, this book is out-of-print, so check availability at used books sites:
www.amazon.com     www.abebooks.com

The Roe family has already implemented some of the ideas in Ms. O’Connor’s book, but others are intriguing to us (like reading to the elderly).  A story about one that we’ve done (Use Books for Planning Vacations) follows: Amy and Rachel loved the Little House books and played pioneer for countless hours, so we toured the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Historic Museum in Mansfield on our trip to Missouri in spring of 1994. We also visited the Mark Twain Cave in Hannibal. I read aloud The Adventures of Tom Sawyer as we were driving; I was reading the part about Tom and Becky in the cave as we were approaching Hannibal.  It was a wonderful experience to tour the cave immediately following this read aloud session!

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It Happened In America:  True Stories from the Fifty States, by Lila Perl is a fun book that will add spice to any study of the United States.  The book is out-of-print; check your local library or inter-library loan. Copies are also available at this time for a good price at www.amazon.com

I am interested in starting a page on this website that would list books (historical fiction and biographies) for each state.  Titles that immediately come to mind for Minnesota are:
The Town That Moved, by Mary Jane Finsand
A Bride for Anna’s Papa, by Isabel R. Marvin
On the Banks of Plum Creek, by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Please e-mail me if you would like to share titles that would help people learn about your state:  chrisroe@christiannovelstudies.com

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Recently I saw an advertisement for the performance of a play titled Agate at a local school.  I had seen Agate in book form and was intrigued about the idea of a play. 
My daughter and I went to see the play -- it was delightful! Two days later I attended an Arrowhead Reading Council tea that featured Joy Morgan Dey and Nikki Johnson -- the author and illustrator of the book.

I learned a variety of interesting things at the tea, but the most thought-provoking was that -- at one point -- the author was criticized for including some words in Agate that were considered too difficult for children to understand (malcontent, nondescript).  Despite this opinion, the words have stayed! Joy Morgan Dey believed that children could handle it -- and she is correct!

The fly leaf of the book states: What good is a moose?  Agate sees his friends as fabulous gems. He would love to be as strong as Emerald (a lion), as tall as diamond
(a giraffe), as clever as Opal (a raccoon).  He feels like a plain, brown rock.  But is he, really?  If you’ve ever hunted agates (the Roe family collect them!), you know the thrill of spotting a good one, the anticipation of polishing it to reveal its secret treasures. Agate reminds that even though we’re all different, each person is “a gem in life’s marvelous zoo!”  A sequel will be published soon. 

More information and activities can be found at: www.AgateTheMoose.com  

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