20 classic books to read as a family

Ever since he can remember, Robin, child of Sir John de Bureford, has been told what is expected of him as the son of a nobleman. He must learn the ways of knighthood. But Robin’s destiny is changed suddenly when he falls ill and loses the use of his legs. Fearing a plague, his servants abandon him, and Robin is left alone.
 
A monk named Brother Luke rescues Robin and takes him to the hospice of St. Mark’s, where he is taught woodcarving and patience and strength. Says Brother Luke, “Thou hast only to follow the wall far enough and there will be a door in it.”
 
Robin learns soon enough what Brother Luke means. When the great castle of Lindsay is in danger, Robin discovers that there is more than one way to serve his king.

The Door in the Wall
by Marguerite de Angeli 

Princess Irene lives in a castle in a wild and lonely mountainous region. One day she discovers a steep and winding stairway leading to a bewildering labyrinth of unused passages with closed doors - and a further stairway. What lies at the top? Can the ring the princess is given protect her against the lurking menace of the boglins from under the mountain?

The Princess and the Goblin (Puffin Classics)
by George MacDonald

William F. Cody was born in the middle of the nineteenth century on the plains of Kansas Territory where his family had settled to trade with the friendly Kickapoo Tribe. The Kickapoo children were Bill's childhood playmates and at a tender age he traded his brand-new buckskin suit for a little wild pony that he learned to ride like the wind. By the time he was twelve, he was doing the work of a grown man as a cattle driver, camping under the stars each night. When he was caught in a buffalo stampede his horsemanship saved his life.

Travel along with Bill and his adventures that included meeting wilderness scout Kit Carson, signing up to carry mail on the new Pony Express, fighting in the Civil War, and performing in his Wild West Show which took him around the country for forty years.

Buffalo Bill
by Ingri Parim D'aulaire

Mixing exciting adventure and good-natured humor with gentle homily, Thornton W. Burgess's timeless stories have drawn generations of youngsters into the comforting world of the Green Forest, the Smiling Pool, and the Laughing Brook. Along with generous helpings of warmth and whimsy, the entertaining stories also offer valuable lessons about wildlife, the environment, and being true to one's own nature.
In this collection of irresistible animal tales, children will read about Peter Cottontail, who is up to his floppy ears in dangerous escapades as he tries to outwit the ever-hungry Reddy Fox. Elsewhere in the Green Forest, Buster Bear has a series of run-ins with Little Joe Otter, Farmer Brown's boy, and even a stubborn metal pail. And Grandfather Frog, in his determination to see the Great World beyond the familiar vistas of the Smiling Pool, learns firsthand about all the pitfalls of greed, boastfulness, and downright stupidity. New Burgess fans will be charmed and delighted by these stories and other exciting tales about Jimmy Skunk, Billy Mink, and their animal friends.

Big Book of Animal Stories
by Thornton W. Burgess

Demonstrating the strength of love over evil, this fantasy fable is a classic children’s story and has been brought to life by Arthur Rackham’s illustrations.

First written in 1841, John Ruskin penned this classic Victorian tale for young Effie Gray. The thrilling adventure story is a triumph of English literature. An epic saga with many twists and turns, The King of the Golden River offers explanations for natural parts of life and encourages children to be curious and inquisitive. Arthur Rackham produced beautiful illustrations for the fairy tale in 1932, and his artwork is featured in this edition.

The King of the Golden River
by John Ruskin

Ralph Moody was eight years old in 1906 when his family moved from New Hampshire to a Colorado ranch. Through his eyes we experience the pleasures and perils of ranching there early in the twentieth century. Auctions and roundups, family picnics, irrigation wars, tornadoes and wind storms give authentic color to Little Britches. So do adventures, wonderfully told, that equip Ralph to take his father's place when it becomes necessary. 

Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers
by Ralph Moody

First composed as a play in 1904 and subsequently as a novel in 1911, James Matthew Barrie’s “Peter Pan” is one of the greatest fantasy tales ever written. Inspired by Barrie’s friendship with the Llewelyn Davies family, the story concerns its titular character, Peter Pan, a boy who refuses to grow up. The book opens with Peter’s nighttime visits to the house of Mrs. Mary Darling, who entertains her children with bedtime stories that Peter eavesdrops on. When he is spotted one evening Peter loses his shadow trying to escape. Later he returns to retrieve it and his identity is finally revealed to Wendy Darling. Peter invites Wendy, along with her brothers John and Michael, to return to his island home of Neverland. There Peter welcomes Wendy into his underground home where she assumes a mothering role to his gang of lost boys. A series of adventures ensue for Peter, his lost boys, and the Darling children. They travel to the Mermaids’ Lagoon to rescue the princess Tiger Lily and have their first battle with the evil Captain Hook and his pirates. Later Peter must rescue John, Michael, and Wendy when they are captured by Captain Hook. A captivating tale of fantasy and adventure “Peter Pan” has delighted audiences and readers ever since its first appearance. This edition includes a biographical afterword.

Peter Pan
by J. M. Barrie

A boy is raised by wolves in the Indian jungle with the help of Baloo the bear and Bagheera the black panther, who teach him the "Law of the Jungle"

The Jungle Book (Great Illustrated Classics)
by Rudyard Kipling

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a 1900 children's novel written by author L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. It is the first novel in the Oz series of books. A Kansas farm girl named Dorothy ends up in the magical Land of Oz after she and her pet dog Toto are swept away from their home by a cyclone. Upon her arrival in the magical world of Oz, she learns she cannot return home until she has destroyed the Wicked Witch of the West.

The Wizard of Oz-Treasury of Illustrated Classics Storybook Collection
by L. Frank Baum

What do you get when you put twelve lively kids together with a father—a famous efficiency expert—who believes families can run like factories, and a mother who is his partner in everything except discipline? You get a hilarious tale of growing up that has made generations of kids and adults alike laugh along with the Gilbreths in Cheaper by the Dozen.

Cheaper by the Dozen (Perennial Classics)
by Frank B. Gilbreth (Author), Ernestine Gilbreth Carey (Author)

Like the rest of his family, Louis is a trumpeter swan. But unlike his four brothers and sisters, Louis can't trumpet joyfully. In fact, he can't even make a sound. And since he can't trumpet his love, the beautiful swan Serena pays absolutely no attention to him.

Louis tries everything he can think of to win Serena's affection—he even goes to school to learn to read and write. But nothing seems to work. Then his father steals him a real brass trumpet. Is a musical instrument the key to winning Louis his love?

The Trumpet of the Swan
by E. B White

Readers of all ages—whether they are experiencing Narnia for the first time or returning once again to the magical world—will love seeing the creatures and landscapes of C. S. Lewis's classic fantasy series in gorgeous color.

The Chronicles of Narnia have enchanted millions of readers for over sixty years, for here is a world where a witch decrees eternal winter; where there are more talking animals than people; and where battles are fought by Centaurs, Giants, and Fauns.In this collection of irresistible animal tales, children will read about Peter Cottontail, who is up to his floppy ears in dangerous escapades as he tries to outwit the ever-hungry Reddy Fox. Elsewhere in the Green Forest, Buster Bear has a series of run-ins with Little Joe Otter, Farmer Brown's boy, and even a stubborn metal pail. And Grandfather Frog, in his determination to see the Great World beyond the familiar vistas of the Smiling Pool, learns firsthand about all the pitfalls of greed, boastfulness, and downright stupidity. New Burgess fans will be charmed and delighted by these stories and other exciting tales about Jimmy Skunk, Billy Mink, and their animal friends.

The Chronicles of Narnia Box Set: Full-Color Collector's Edition
by C. S. Lewis

A enchanting and enduring children's classic, The Borrowers is the award-winning tale of three tiny people who are big heroes. The Clock family—Homily, Pod, and their fourteen-year-old daughter, Arrietty—are tiny people who live underneath the kitchen floor of an English manor. All their minuscule home furnishings, from postage stamp paintings to champagne cork chairs, are “borrowed” from the “human beans” who tromp around loudly above them. All is well until Pod is spotted upstairs by a human boy! Can the Clocks stay nested safely in their beloved hidden home, or will they be forced to flee?

The Complete Adventures of the Borrowers: 5-Book Paperback Box Set
by E. B White

Taking place during the American Civil War, the story is about a young private of the Union Army, Henry Fleming, who flees from the field of battle. Overcome with shame, he longs for a wound, a "red badge of courage," to counteract his cowardice. When his regiment once again faces the enemy, Henry acts as standard-bearer, who carries an American Flag.

Although Crane was born after the war, and had not at the time experienced battle first-hand, the novel is known for its realism and naturalism. He began writing what would become his second novel in 1894, using various contemporary and written accounts (such as those published previously by Century Magazine) as inspiration. It is believed that he based the fictional battle on that of Chancellorsville; he may also have interviewed veterans of the 124th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, commonly known as the "Orange Blossoms." 

***Graphic, modify for young ones

The Red Badge of Courage: A Novel of the Civil War
by Stephen Crane

In this collection of forty-six brief biographies for children, Hannula sketches the stirring trials and triumphs of many famous and some lesser known figures in our family of faith including Augustine, Charlemagne, Anselm, Luther, Bunyan, and C.S. Lewis. Through them we can begin to enjoy the old paths and find rest for our souls. ***Graphic, modify for young ones

Trial and Triumph: Stories from Church History
by Richard M. Hannula

Twelve-year-old Mary Jemison took for granted her peaceful days on her family's farm in eastern Pennsylvania. But on a spring day in 1758, something happened that changed her life forever.

When a band of warriors invades the Jemisons' house and takes the family captive, Mary is separated from her parents and siblings. She travels with the Indians to southern Ohio and later to a Seneca village on the Genesee River in what is now western New York.

Mary's new life is not easy. She misses her family terribly and is unaccustomed to Seneca ways. But even after her several unsuccessful attempts to run away, the Indians are kind to Mary and teach her many things about the earth, its plants, and its creatures. She develops deep bonds with the animals and even her captors. When Mary is finally given the chance to return to the world she had inhabited, she struggles with her newfound feelings.

Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison
by Lois Lenski

For Milo, everything’s a bore. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because he’s got nothing better to do. But on the other side, things seem different. Milo visits the Island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping), learns about time from a ticking watchdog named Tock, and even embarks on a quest to rescue Rhyme and Reason. Somewhere along the way, Milo realizes something astonishing. Life is far from dull. In fact, it’s exciting beyond his wildest dreams!

The Phantom Tollbooth
by Norton Juster

Twelve-year-old Mary Jemison took for granted her peaceful days on her family's farm in eastern Pennsylvania. But on a spring day in 1758, something happened that changed her life forever.

When a band of warriors invades the Jemisons' house and takes the family captive, Mary is separated from her parents and siblings. She travels with the Indians to southern Ohio and later to a Seneca village on the Genesee River in what is now western New York.

Mary's new life is not easy. She misses her family terribly and is unaccustomed to Seneca ways. But even after her several unsuccessful attempts to run away, the Indians are kind to Mary and teach her many things about the earth, its plants, and its creatures. She develops deep bonds with the animals and even her captors. When Mary is finally given the chance to return to the world she had inhabited, she struggles with her newfound feelings.

The Moffats
by Eleanor Estes

At the dawn of the next world war, a plane crashes on an uncharted island, stranding a group of schoolboys. At first, with no adult supervision, their freedom is something to celebrate. This far from civilization they can do anything they want. Anything. But as order collapses, as strange howls echo in the night, as terror begins its reign, the hope of adventure seems as far removed from reality as the hope of being rescued. ***Graphic, modify for young ones

Lord of the Flies
by William Golding