Historical Committee Home page             Adult Books of Interest to Youth            Guide for writing entries   Juvenile and Youth EASY PICTURE BOOKS Send Your Comments or Reviews of These Easy Picture Books De Angeli, M. (1987) Yonie Wondernose. Scottdale, Pa. ; Waterloo, Ont. : Herald Press. A classic Marguerite de Angeli picture storybook for ages 7 to 11 featuring everyone's favorite "Amish Curious George"! Seven-year-old Yonie is a wondernose because he can't keep his nose out of anything, especially kettles cooking on the stove. It seems that his nose is always getting him into trouble. When his parents go away overnight, he's left as the man of the house and promised a special reward if he can keep himself and the farm out of trouble. But that night a bad storm brings trouble--the kind that not even a full-grown man could handle easily. A Caldecott Honor Book. Found at Provident Bookstore Good, M. (1993). Reuben and the Fire. Intercourse, PA: Good Books. Reuben is an Amish boy who has five sisters, wants to drive the buggy, and gives his animals all names ending in "shine". One day he and his friends Sam and Ben see his neighbor's barn on fire. Several days later the neighborhood gathers for a barnraising. This story takes the reader inside the world of the Amish with adventure and a touch of humor. Ages 4-8. Found at Provident Bookstore Good, M. (2002). Reuben and the Quilt. Intercourse, PA: Good Books. Reuben was ducking strawberries in the truckpatch when his dad got the idea about making a quilt. The whole family would help (even Sadie, who threw the plump red berries). They would make it as beautiful as possible. Then they would sell it at the auction to raise money for the sick old man on the next farm. But the colorful Log Cabin quilt disappears before they have a chance to give it away. This hearty Amish family faces a new adventure. Found at Provident Bookstore Good, M. (2002). Reuben and the Blizzard. Intercourse, PA: Good Books. The adventures of Reuben the Amish boy continue! When the biggest blizzard in years sweeps across their farm, Reuben and his five sisters, his parents and his grandfather all face new adventures and challenges. Found at Provident Bookstore Good, P. P. (1998). Plain Pig's ABC's: A Day on Plain Pig's Amish Farm. Intercourse, PA: Good Books. Plain Pig is one plump little animal, fully at home on her busy Amish farm. Plain Pig's world is filled with the boisterous barnyard creatures who occupy most Amish farmsteads, but the point of view is always Plain Pig's! Plain Pig keeps company with Clarence Calf and Hiram Horse. She hopes for a sample of ice cream and she gets within a hoof's reach of Lydia's lunch box. Plain Pig sits in puddles, tunnels through the haymow, and loses herself in mud. But the mishaps are minor. The merry moments prevail! Pudgy Plain Pig introduces the alphabet by hiding behind objects, each or which begins with a different letter--buggy, fence, milkcan, umbrella, vegetables, etc. She also introduces the Amish--those plain people who live exuberantly satisfying lives. Plain Pig opens a window to the world of buggies and quilts, windmills and washlines, pumpkin patches and zucchini hills. Benner's watercolors offer a freshly tactile little animal and an engagingly colorful world, plain though it may first appear. Found at Provident Bookstore Lehn, C. (1983) The Sun and the Wind. Newton, KS: Faith and Life Press. Cornelia Lehn retells the Aesop fable to reach young children with the idea that love is stronger than force and violence. The story centers around an argument between the sun and the wind that is simple yet revealing. Robert Regier's bright, contemporary illustrations are an appealing addition to the story. Written to reach preschoolers and elementary schoolchildren, this story is ideal for helping young people learn to read and understand that violence is not the solution to problems. Found at Amazon Bookstore Lewis, Beverly. (2002) Just Like Mama. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany Backyard. The story of Susie Mai wishing to be just like her mama, could be the story of any little girl in any place. This story has its setting okn a contemporary Amish farm. Beautiful acrylic paintings illustrate the life and love of a girl who wishes to grow up like her mother and the mother who wishes the family to be "just like the Lord Jesus...together." (32 pgs.) Found at Provident Bookstore Maendel, R. (1999), Rachel, A Hutterite Girl. Hannah Parsden Ills. Scottdale, IL: Herald Press. This Angel Award winner is an endearing story of Rachel, a young girl who lives on a big farm with her Hutterite extended family of many sisters and brothers and aunts and uncles. Young readers will get a glimpse of Hutterite life as they are introduced to a Schlobonk bed, visit a shoe shop, and watch a hen hatch a nest of goose eggs. They will identify with Rachel as she experiences the humor of big baby geese following a little "mama" hen and the surprise of the geese recovering from a death-like stupor. (48 pgs.) Found at Provident Bookstore Yolen, Jane. (1998) Raising Yoder's Barn. Boston, MA: Little Brown and Company. Award winning author Jane Yolen uses her poetic, narrative style to tell the story of a modern-day Amish barn raising. Lush oil paintings by Bernie Fuchs bring the story to life. This book won awards as a Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies for 1999, and International Reading Association Teachers' Choice for 1999, and a starred review in the School Library Journal. (32 pgs.) Found at Amazon Bookstore CHILDREN AND YOUTH -- FICTION (PICTURE & CHAPTER) Send Your Comments or Reviews of These Fiction Books Beiler, E. (2000). Mattie Mae. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. Edna Beiler shares a delightful story about an eight-year-old Amish girl written for the primary child. Readers participate in the joys of farm life, receiving packages in the mail, playing pretend games, finding baby kittens, attending market, and riding in the buggy behind Prince. First published in 1967, this book has more than 20,000 copies in print. Newly edited with fresh cover art by Joy Dunn Keenan and the same endearing inside illustrations by Esther Rose Graber. Found at Provident Bookstore Bender, E. (2003). Elisabeth and the Windmill. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. Elisabeth has a secret which haunts her: she cannot learn to read. She has had to stay home from school many days to help with the large family who lived at Fog Hill. She has helped with maple sugaring in the spring and butchering in the fall. When she recited in first grade and the children laughed, she began to give up. Now sixteen, Elisabeth faces the truth. Her school days are over and she can't read. Papa says girls don't need to know how to read. But Elisabeth has a dream. She dreams of reading. Hannes discovers her dream, and promises to teach her. He is blonde and handsome and a tease. Then there is Milo, Grandpa Daniel's indentured servant, who is tall thin, and dark. Elisabeth finds herself in a close situation with Milo, who also wants to learn to read English. And there is Noah, who secretly wants to take her to the box social. Elisabeth's emotions turn upside down like the windmill turning by the greenhouses. There are two immigrant young men in her life. Will she love one of them? Found at Amazon Bookstore Bender, E. (1994). Katie and the Lemon Tree . Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. Katie Miller and her husband, Daniel, leave their homeland in Germany (early 1800s) for America. At the port of entrance, Katie is given a lemon from which she plants the seeds. The lemon tree becomes symbolic of her faith. Katie came for a promise of freedom. She found room for a dream. Book 1 of Lemon Tree Series. Found at Provident Bookstore Bender, E. (1995). Shadow at Sun Lake. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. What is killing the Canada geese at Sun Lake? Cassie and her dog, Midnight, arrive at a peaceful mountain lake for a long vacation with her best friend, Sheila. Cassie is afraid she is becoming Sheila's shadow and she hates her nickname Mophead. But she is determined to stick it out for the summer. However, a different shadow turns things dangerous. Who is snooping around the girls' trailer before sunup and late at night? What screams do they hear in the night? Where does the groundskeeper go before dawn in a canoe? Ace and Lyle get tangled up in the girls' adventures. By the time the mystery is solved, Cassie and Sheila have lots of time to enjoy the wildlife and see how people and animals depend on each other. And Cassie learns a lot about herself and about being best friends. Found at Provident Bookstore Bender, E. (1998). Virginia and the Tiny One. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. Why does Papa awaken his children in the snowy night before Christmas? They're going to Grandmas' house. On Christmas Day, Papa bursts in the door with the news: "Mama's okay. There are three of them!" What is Papa talking about? Life has just handed Virginia a test of faith and caring in this story set in the 1850s. Book 2 of the Lemon Tree series. Found at Provident Bookstore De Angeli, M. (1989) Skippack School. Scottdale, Pa. ; Waterloo, Ont. : Herald Press. With his German family, Eli crosses the Atlantic on The Charming Nancy. From Philadelphia and Germantown, oxen pull their wagon into Penn's Woods, where they make their new home in the Skippack area. Neighbors help them cut trees and build a log cabin. Eli loves outdoor work and play, the wild animals, and building a bench for his mom. But Mom says he must go to school. Though Eli expects the teacher to be ugly and cross, Master Christopher Dock, is kind, firm, and patient. Details of pioneer living and education fill out the story. Eli's mischief gets him into trouble, but Master Christopher urges him to become a good student and rewards him with a trip to Germantown and a prize of Fraktur artwork. This reissued 1939 classic tells a treasured tale about a boy and the praying pioneer schoolmaster, Christopher Dock, the first in America to write a book on pedagogy. Found at Provident Bookstore Durell, A., & Sachs, M. (1990). The Big Book for Peace. New York: Dutton Children's Books. This very special volume was created by more than thirty of the best known and loved authors and illustrators of children's books. Filled with stories, pictures, poems, and even a song, it is a book about many kinds of peace. Peace among people living in different lands -- but also among next-door neighbors. Harmony among people of different races -- and among sisters and brothers. Understanding among those separated by their beliefs -- and those separated by generations. It is a book for young people to enjoy, to think about, and to share. Some of its contents are funny and fanciful. Others are serious and moving. All celebrate peace and the hope that there will be a peaceful world for every child to inherit. Found at Amazon Bookstore Dyck, P. J. (1990). The Great Shalom. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. Safe and happy in the forest, the animals and birds try to find a way to stop the farmer from cutting down trees and destroying their home. Found at Amazon Bookstore Dyck P. J. (1990). Shalom at Last. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. The birds and animals are once again safe in their forest home after they stopped the farmer from cutting down the trees. Now it is time to make peace with the farmer. But then trouble strikes in the forest once more. The farmer and the birds and animals unite to track down the troublemakers. A sequel to The Great Shalom by Peter J. Dyck for ages four and up. Found at Provident Bookstore Dyck P. J. (1994). Storytime Jamboree. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. In the spirit of his earlier books, The Great Shalom and Shalom at Last, Peter J. Dyck has animals tell stories of their past. They are really Bible stories with animal characters, told with a fresh and light touch. Here readers will find the adventures of renamed figures such as Isaac, Rebekah and her twin sons, Nehemiah, the Good Samaritan--Bible-based tales that develop themes of fairness, peace, and living out faith day and night. They supply values for maturing, drawn from the Scriptures as seen by Dyck, a wise church statesman with broad experience. For ages 6-to-10. Found at Provident Bookstore Eitzen, R. (1987). The White Feather. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. Ruth Eitzen's story for children ages 7-10 tells of a kind of courage that is not often tried. Indians were on the warpath. Only Abe and Sarie's family, who were Quakers, stayed. Their father believed that friendliness and fair treatment would be respected by their Indian neighbors. Found at Provident Bookstore Epp, M. (1990) Chariots in the Smoke. Winnipeg, MB ; Hillsboro, KS : Kindred Press. The Spanish Inquisition and the Anabaptist movement proceed through one branch of the Mennonites tracing their sufferings, their journeys to a new land and highlighting the history of a few families until 1990. From the Spanish Inquisition to twentieth century North America God has led his followers through harsh oppression, political tyranny and spiritual wastelands but also through religious and political freedom, peace and respect from nations around the world. This is a story about Mennonites. Mennonites who chose a radical spiritual pilgrimage that separated them from many around them. Feel with the struggling believers as they face death; laugh with them as they enjoy the bountiful blessings of God's everyday care; cry with the people as they face ongoing setbacks brought on by disease and starvation; thrill to the joys that come from doing God's bidding. Found at Amazon Bookstore Epp, M. (1975) The Earth is Round. Winnipeg : Christian Press. Cornelia is overjoyed. Her parents, Peter and Sarah Harms are moving to Canada! Then grasshoppers come and eat Grandmother's garden and the crops on the colony. Blizzards, lonesomeness and death test the faith of the new settlers. A moving portrayal of the immigration of the Mennonites from Russia to Canada in the 1800's. Found at Amazon Bookstore Foreman, M. (1993). War Game. New York: Arcade Publishing. Dedicated to the memory of four uncles who died in WW I, Foreman's moving, informative follow-up to War Boy is crammed with concrete details and permeated with emotion. Freddie, Billy, Lacey and Will, youths from the English countryside, find themselves caught up in the euphoria of flagwaving and patriotism when war breaks out in 1914. From every mailbox, every wall, posters demand devotion to king and country; reproductions of these posters alternate with Foreman's understated watercolors. Amid cheers and jubilation, the four sign up. Their excitement is palpable as they head off to France, and the sensitive illustrations distill their sense of adventure. "We'll be back by Christmas," they think, but are met at the front with gunfire, rain, mud, hunger and death. Hope reigns anew on Christmas Day, when the Germans and the "Tommies" play soccer, exchange gifts and greetings, but it is short-lived. Foreman draws the many sides of war with heartbreaking clarity as he transmutes the personal experiences of his uncles into a universal story. Artwork shimmers with the luster of memory and fellow feeling; a gentle gleam rises even from military hardware, which serves to both soften and highlight the horror of war. History springs to life in this admirable work, the 1993 winner of Britain's Smarties Book Prize. Ages 8-12. Found at Amazon Bookstore Hamilton, D. (1972). Tony Savala. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. Tony Savala is a 13-year old Basque descendant from Indianapolis who spends a summer with his grandfather in the West. Tony's grandfather is a sheepherder. He has a horse and dog and lives alone in a small-camp wagon. A whole new world is revealed to Tony. He learns the ways of a shepherd. But the best thing Tony learns is his heritage as a descendant of the Basque people who came to this county from the Pyrenees Mountains in Spain. Found at Amazon Bookstore Hogan, J. (1985). Gladdys Makes Peace. Elgin, IL: Brethern Press. Children's story of peace and let it begin with me. Found at Provident Bookstore Hostetter, J. M. (1995). Best Friends Forever. New York: Friendship Press. Nadia Kuropas is the daughter of Ukrainian immigrants. She has never made a friend in her family's new country. When Rhoda Landis comes to Snow Hill, Maryland to spend a year with her grandparents, the two girls become fast friends. In this warm and funny book, these friends learn abut each other's national and religious identifies; Nadia's as a Ukrainian Orthodox, and Rhoda's as an American Mennonite. Through sharing in the most profound experiences of life and death, they discover that true friendship can overcome differences. Found at Amazon Bookstore Moore, R. N. (1989). The Christmas Surprise . Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. When Indians burn her home, kill her parents, and take her young brother captive, Kate has no one to turn to but Uncle Josh. Her uncle, a circuit-riding preacher, takes her to the Moravian settlement of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Form the Moravian, Kate learns that true strength lies in trust in God and peace with all people, including enemies. By Ruth Nulton Moore. The story continues in Distant Thunder. Found at Provident Bookstore Moore, R. N. (1991). Distant Thunder. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. Ruth Nulton Moore's story of intrigue, heroism, and self-sacrifice from 1777 to 1778, two of the most critical years of the Revolutionary War. Kate lives with her cousins, Johanna and Jacob Werner, and their three sons in the Moravian own of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Congress orders the town to house prisoners of war, an army hospital, and supply wagons. Although the Moravians do not believe in war, they want to help their country in peaceful ways. Found at Provident Bookstore Smucker, B. C. (1957) Cherokee Run. Scottdale, PA: Mennonite Publishing House. How did nonviolent, Mennonite settlers prevail in the atmosphere of greed and competition that characterized the Oklahoma Cherokee Run of the late 1800's. Readers will experience the challenges through the eyes of twelve-year-old Katie Becker and the engaging storytelling style of Barbara Claassen Smucker. (123 pgs.) Smucker, B. (1979). Days of Terror. Toronto : Clarke Irwin. A family's frightening experiences when the government in Russia changes in the years after 1917. Found at Amazon Bookstore Smucker, B. (1995). Selina and the Bear Paw Quilt. New York: Crown Publishers. The Civil War will rank forever as both the darkest and the most heroic period in American history. It was a conflict that pitted brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor, friend against friend. Sleepy little towns that had once been home to only a few thousand people became living symbols of strife and hatred, strength and courage. Their names were Shiloh, Cold Harbor, Gettysburg. Emotions ran so high it was almost impossible not to choose sides. But at least one group tried to stay out of the conflict. They were the Mennonites. Throughout their history, these people, who have always lived simply and held strongly to their beliefs, tried to avoid war and bloodshed. They would never take up arms -- especially not against their fellow countrymen. Violence was -- and is -- contrary to the teachings of their church. Because the Mennonites would support neither the North nor the South, they were considered disloyal by both. They were persecuted, their lands ruined, and some of their meeting places destroyed. Ironically, most Mennonites had come to America from Europe to escape exactly the kind of hostility and unrest they now saw being played out on their doorsteps. They had hoped to find tolerance and acceptance and freedom. Instead many decided they had no choice but to flee again, and so they headed north to what was then called upper Canada and is now Ontario. As was the case with many Mennonites, the family in this story is driven apart by the war. But they soon discover that the ties between them can bridge even the great distances that separate them. For the United States as a whole, also in danger of being divided forever by this costly battle, the greatest victory came with the realization that the bonds holding it together were far more enduring than he forces threatening to tear it apart. Found at Amazon Bookstore Smucker, B. (1985) White Mist. Toronto : Irwin Publishers. "If we destroy the earth, we destroy ourselves. We are one with the earth." This is the truth May Appleby and Lee Pokagon discover when they suddenly find themselves in the thriving nineteenth-century logging town of Singapore, which today lies buried beneath sand dunes. Summoned back in time by a mysterious, white-haired Indian chief, the two teenagers react differently to their unexpected adventure. Lee is sure of his Indian ancestry and easily adapts to life with the Potawatomi Indians who live outside Singapore. May is less sure, but eventually joins Lee in the Indian village. Together they learn the reason for their time-travel and the message they must bring back to the future -- if they can get back!...White Mist is both a gripping and emotional adventure story and an eloquent statement about the destruction of the environment and the forced eviction of the Great Lakes Indians. Found at Pandora Bookstore Speare, E. G. (1961). The Bronze Bow. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. In this Newbery Medal-winning novel, Daniel bar Jamin is fired by only one passion: to avenge his father's death by crucifixion by driving the Roman legions from his land of Israel. He joins an outlaw band and leads a dangerous life of spying, plotting, and impatiently waiting to seek revenge. Headstrong Daniel is devoid of tenderness and forgiveness, heading down a destructive path toward disaster until he hears the lessons taught by Jesus of Nazareth. Found at Provident Bookstore Stambaugh, S. (1984). I Hear the Reaper's Song. Intercourse, PA: Good Books. Portrays tragedy and crisis in a small Pennsylvania community in 1896 from the point of view of a 15 year-old Mennonite boy in the whirlpool of his first encounter with death. Found at Provident Bookstore Vogt, E.L. (1975). Turkey Red. Elgin, IL: David C. Cook Publishers. Young readers will join Martha and her Mennonite family as they begin their new lives on the Kansas prairie after moving from Russia in the 1870's. A rebellious older brother, Jake, provides the arguments for and against the move from Russia to Kansas. Ten-year-old Martha Friesen encounters her first tornado, rattlesnake, and prairie fire, and Martha's father impresses a local merchant with the quality of a new type of winter wheat brought from Russia. This book recieved Honorable Mention in the 1975 David C. Cook Juvenile Book Contest. (105 pgs.) Found at Amazon Bookstore Vogt, E.L. (1978). Harvest Gold. Elgin, IL: David C. Cook Publishers. The story of Martha Friesen continues in this sequel to Turkey Red. The Friesen family looses a baby son, survives diphtheria, and experiences the mutual benefits of friendship with a young Indian man, Grey Fox. Martha's faith is tested and strengthened by her adventures in her strange new world of Kansas. (128 pgs.) Found at Amazon Bookstore Vogt, E.L. (1987). Purple Prairie. Hillsboro, KA: Kindred Press. Sequel to Turkey Red and Harvest Gold. Eleven-year-old Martha Friesen must find ways to befriend the children of her new non-Mennonite neighbors. Purple Prairie provides colorful glimpses into the lives of Mennonite families who emigrated from Russia to settle along the lands of the Santa Fe railroad in Kansas in the 1870's. The reader may find Martha's neighbors a bit too predictable as they laughingly play prank after prank on Martha, Martha's teacher, and Martha's family. The resolution that is achieved through "turning the other cheek" is somewhat abrupt. Most readers will find the first two books of the series more compelling than Purple Prairie, but children who have endeared themselves to the Friesen family in the earlier volumes will want to read this next adventure. (104 pgs.) Found at Amazon Bookstore Vogt, E. L. (1992). A Race for Land. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. The Oklahoma Land Rush is an opportunity for new settlers to own a farm. Twelve-year-old Ben martens makes the run for his family. But the mysterious Duke Hamilton beats him to the claim he wanted. Ben has to settle for less desirable land, but at least his family has land of their own. Found at Provident Bookstore Weber. Levi B. (2001). Possum Hollow, Book 1. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. Through stories and dialogue, Weber shows what it was like to be a child in Virginia and Pennsylvania in the early 1900s. He deals with experiences, dreams, and fears and wonders about the meaning of life and faith. This first volume ends with the family seeking a farm of their own in Lancaster. Found at Provident Bookstore Weber. Levi B. (2001). Possum Hollow, Book 2. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. Join Levi as he works on the family farm, daydreams about trucks and automobiles (Model Ts just don't measure up), receives his first book as a present, builds a dam, and learns about spending money and banking. This second volume shows the family taking possession of the Possum Hollow farm and takes Levi through his early school years. Found at Provident Bookstore Weber. Levi B. (2002). Possum Hollow, Book 3. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. Church, home, and school play a big part in Levi's 'life. Go along with Levi as he attends school in a one-room school house; builds a secret little house in the woods; and works on the family farm. Changes continue to take place in Levi's family with his sister's wedding, and his brother going off to Bible school. Levi finds life exciting with the arrival of radios, family picnics and vacations, and revival meetings. He looks forward to starting eighth grade where he will be attending the big village school. Found at Provident Bookstore CHILDREN/YOUTH NON-FICTION (PICTURE & CHAPTER) Send Your Comments or Reviews of These Non-Fiction Books God Keeps His Promises: A Bible Story Book for Kindergarten Children. Newton, KS: Faith and Life Publishers. Found at Provident Bookstore Bauman, E. (1954). Coals of Fire. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. A moving collection of true stories drawn from the "coals of fire" experiences of Mennonites, Brethren, Quakers, early Christians and others. Written for elementary age children (but of interest to teens and adults), Elizabeth H. Bauman shares true stories of men and women who practiced returning good for evil. Found at Provident Bookstore Bergen, C. P. (1999). Apples for Immigrants . Henderson, NE: Blue River Publishing. As the winter of 1874 approaches, Mennonite from Iowa learn about he plight of new immigrants in Nebraska. They gather food to send by train to the thirty-five families living in an immigrant house until they can establish their own family dwellings. This story by Lois Thieszen Preheim demonstrated the theme of mutual aid and generosity from one generation to the fifth. Found at Brush Strokes Byler, D. (1989). Making War and Making Peace: Why Some Christians Fight and Some Don't. How Christian thought shifted in history to allow for participation in warfare, and what it would look like for Christians to once again use "the full armor of God." (Peace & Justice Series #8). Found at Provident Bookstore Dyck, C. J. (1973). Twelve Becoming. Newton, KS: Faith and Life Press. Biographies of Mennonite disciples from the sixteenth to the twentieth century. Dyck Peter J. (1990). A Leap of Faith: True Stories for Young and Old. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. Fleming, A. (1988). The King of Prussia and a Peanut Butter Sandwich. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. It all began when Frederick the Great demanded that the peace-living Mennonite farmers abandon their religious principles and give military service to Prussia. The Mennonite said no and began their journeying that ended in America where, with the unique contribution of their children, they grew the special Turkey Red wheat for which they became famous. Found at Amazon Bookstore Harder, G. G. (1991). A Penny and Two Fried Eggs and Other Stories. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. What would it be like to cross the ocean in a sailing ship? Sleep under a blanket covered with snow? Go to a one-room log school? Make a waterwheel that works? Study the stars with a telescope? Read these and other exciting stories about Christopher Dock, Christian Krehbiel, David Rittenhouse, and Henry Smith. These boys had big dreams. They tested their ideas by trying new things. Born into Mennonite homes, they grew up to become leaders in early America. Christopher, Christian, David, and Henry can show you how to make dreams come true! Found at Amazon Bookstore Hoover, S. B. (1995). Faith the Cow. Nappanee, IN: Brethern Press. Tells the story how through the vision of Dan West and his cow, Faith, the international Heifer Project was started. Found at Provident Bookstore Hostetler, M. (1988). They Loved Their Enemies: True Stories of African Christians. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. Stories of twenty-five African Christians who have lived and even died for the gospel principle of peace. Found at Provident Bookstore Jackson, D., & Jackson, N. (1989). On Fire for Christ. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. Retold by Dave and Neta Jackson from Martyr Mirror, these stores reflect a cross-section of the men and women who lost their lives because of their faith during the 16th century. Found at Provident Bookstore Landis, S. M. (1993). But Why Don't We Go to War? Finding Jesus' Path to Peace. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. Six sessions about different aspects of the peacemaking life. Each includes a biblical dialogue, stories about peacemakers, biblical dramas, issues for discussion, and ideas for parents. Found at Provident Bookstore Lehn, C. (1983) I Heard Good News Today. Newton, KS. : Faith and Life Press. Stories of shalom--from all around the world, AD 39 to 1980--of people loving, caring and sharing in the name of Jesus. Found at Amazon Bookstore Lehn, C. (1980). Peace Be With You. Newton, KS: Faith and Life Press. A fascinating collection of peace stories from many countries and from the first century to the present. Some are familiar, but many are of little known persons. The list of acknowledgments at the end which gives the source of each story is a treasure in itself. Found at Amazon Bookstore Lowen, H., Nolt, S., Duerksen, C., & Yoder, E. (1996). Through Fire and Water: An Overview of Mennonite History. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. Reformers, self-styled prophets, teachers, preachers, and common folk come alive in this fast-paced history for high school students. Includes stories, photos, maps, and cartoons. Found at Provident Bookstore Ludwig, C. (1975). Levi Coffin and the Underground Railroad. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. This book, aimed at children, tells the story of Levi Coffin, who was a leader in the underground railroad in Indiana and Ohio. The book tells many of the adventures of this Quaker activist and business man. Found at Amazon Bookstore McBrier, P. (2001). Beatrice's Goat. New York: Atheneum Books. More than anything, Beatrice longs to be a school girl. But in her small African village, only children who can afford uniforms and books can go to school. Beatrice knows that with six children to care for, her family is much too poor. But then Beatrice receives a wonderful gift from some people far away -- a goat! Fat and sleek as a ripe mango, Mugisa (which means "luck") gives mild that Beatrice can sell. With Mugisa's help, it looks as if Beatrice's dream may come true after all. A story of the Heifer Project. Found at Amazon Bookstore Moore, J. H. (1987). Ted Studebaker, A Man Who Loved Peace. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. Traces the life of a conscientious objector who followed his religious beliefs in choosing not to fight, volunteered to serve in Vietnam as an agriculturist, and was killed by the Viet Cong. Found at Amazon Bookstore Smucker, B. (1955). Henry's Red Sea. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. Barbara Smucker relates the dramatic and courageous story of refugees from Russia. This is a story of suspense -- American soldiers, Russian officers, and a midnight train ride in darkened boxcars. Here is danger, escape, and deliverance. An actual event that happened in Berlin in 1946. Found at Provident Bookstore Stutzman, T. (1983). A Reason to Sing: Devotions by Mennonite Students. Newton, KS: Faith and Life Press. Found at Amazon Bookstore Vernon, L. A. (1969). Night Preacher. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. This story is told through the eyes of Bettje and Jan, children of Menno Simons, who lived almost 500 years ago. Menno Simons was first a Catholic priest. As he read and studied the Bible, Menno began to understand the Christian life in a different way. Eventually he became an Anabaptist preacher. It was against the laws of that time for him to preach so Menno's preaching was done in secret at night to small groups. Soon, Menno Simons became the leader of the Anabaptists, now known as Mennonites. Found at Provident Bookstore Vernon, L. A. (1967). The Secret Church. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press. Recounts the story of the Anabaptists during the Reformation. The main characters are two teenage boys who are cousins and a teenage girl whose mother is dead and whose father is the most hated man in the community. This story is about their involvement in a church considered heretical. Found at Provident Bookstore Yoder, A. (1991). Amish Boyhood Echoes. Oconto, WI: Bay Impressions. Andy Yoder tells his own story of growing up in Iowa in an Amish family with fourteen children. -Sheryl Nisly-Nagele, Cincinnati, Ohio -Karen Neufeld, Fresno, California Back to Literature Network Index

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