It’s hard to find kosher books among the secular books written today. But it wasn’t like that when we were kids. These are the books you might have read when you were young…and that your child might enjoy today.
We’re usually very hesitant to share secular books on Between Carpools since everyone has different standards of what they want their family reading. With all the kids home now indefinitely, and hence a need for more books, we put together a list of books written before 1990, as earlier books, in general, tend to be more kosher than books written today. Please as always, do your own due diligence and read reviews and suggested ages for each book. You may recognize some of these books as you may have read them when you were a child.
Browse our curated list of secular books written before 1990 here.
Reviews on some of these books are available at kosherbooks.org
Also check out: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/
Love these! Thanks!
I love most of these books! I’d steer clear of all but the first in the All-of-a-Kind Family series, and I’m not a fan of Noel Streatfield’s Shoe books because the children tend to speak rudely to each other. Other great books — books by Eleanor Estes – very charming, as well as the Doctor Dolittle books by Hugh Lofting and the first four Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace. And Carolyn Haywood’s books, if you can get your hands on them!
And let’s not forget other classics like Heidi and A Little Princess! Check out bookoutlet.com for some pretty steep discounts.
I had loved Heidi when I read it as a child. But I recently started retreading it before I planned to read it with my kids. I was shocked by the emphasis ion Christianity in it.
Don’t forget Frindle and all the rest of Andrew Clemens books, great and fun storyline for the kids and content is really clean. The School Story, Lunch Money, The Report Card, The Landry News etc
Also Rould Dahl’s Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, Matilda and the rest ( the way they talk to the parents are not the greatest but otherwise very clean)
Great list! Just ordered a few! Thank you!
What about baby sitters-little sister
Still love that series
For teenager girls or older, including adults, I must recommend this wonderful, clean memoir by Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman Supreme Court Judge. She grew up on an isolated cattle ranch. It is a beautifully written account of her early life, her family, and the challenges of such a life. I enclose a link to buy it cheaply. https://www.betterworldbooks.com/product/detail/Lazy-B—Growing-up-on-a-Cattle-Ranch-in-the-American-Southwest-9780812966732
So interesting, thank you!