Thursday, January 3, 2008

Top Reads for Families from 2007

Finding good reading material appropriate for the family gets harder every year. Fortunately, the LDS literary market is now producing more books and higher-quality literature than ever before, and the national market has more LDS authors writing for it than ever.

Below are my top picks, in no particular order, for books published in 2007 that are great for the whole family to read together.

Sheep's Clothing, by Josi S. Kilpack
This book has not only an exciting, gripping story, but vital information for parents and children alike. Kilpack does an extraordinary job of showing the dangers of Internet predators as well as how parents can protect their children in a world that is increasingly cyber-savvy. Read this one with your youth. It'll open up a great conversation between you.

Land of Inheritance, by H. B. Moore
This is the fourth and final volume of the Out of Jerusalem series, a fictional account of Lehi and Nephi's families as they journey from Jerusalem to the Promised Land. Expertly researched and beautifully written, the books bring to life not only spiritual giants of scripture, but what the culture was like, what the women might have experienced, and much more. Now that the entire series is out, you can read the whole thing as a family from start to finish. Begin with Of Goodly Parents, the first volume.

Presidents and Prophets, by Michael K. Winder
How has the top position in the U. S. government been impacted by latter-day prophets? You might be surprised at the connections the author finds between the men who have held both positions since 1830. You'll also uncover fun sometimes surprising trivia, such as which United States President checked the Book of Mormon out of the Library of Congress. (Abraham Lincoln.)

Book of Mormon Who's Who
Perfect for the Sunday School curriculum in 2008, this book has entries on all the people found in the Book of Mormon, complete with explanations and connections. Can't remember who Pahoran was? Look him up and refresh your memory. A great tool for family scripture study and Family Home Evenings.

Bullies in the Headlights, by Matthew Buckley
A fun (and funny!) trip down memory lane, this is a terrific book that all ages will enjoy and laugh along with as they followed the adventures (and misadventures) of the Buckleys and Hagbarts.

How to Take the Ex out of Ex-boyfriend, by Janette Rallison
Rallison is one of the top Young Adult writers in the country, and she's LDS as well. Her writing style will have you rolling on the floor. Best of all, parents won't have to worry about their teen reading anything inappropriate. All of Rallison's books provide a great romp through high school without venturing into the "dark" side that so much of teen fiction tends to gravitate toward.

Santa's First Flight, by Sam Beeson
This is a delightful picture book the family will enjoy together as they read what Santa's first flight might have been like. Using penguins instead of reindeer is just one of the silly problems Santa runs into. Buy it now and hang onto it for next Christmas.

The Wednesday Letters, by Jason F. Wright
From New York Times best-selling author of Christmas Jars, this book helps families remember the importance of telling your loves ones you care. It can ignite a love of writing down those important things on paper and not waiting to share them.

The Fablehaven series, by Brandon Mull
The third installment, The Candyshop Wars, was released this last fall. Families of all ages have had fun reading about Kendra and Seth's magical adventures together.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Great picks, Annette! Glad you put Josi Kilpack's "Sheep's Clothing" at the top (random order or not) as that is where I'd put it for real. Essential reading, in my opinion.