This book offers approximately 1300 "living books" (books that make history come alive such as biographies, historical accounts, historical fiction and related literature) organized into several lists - chronologically, by author and by title. These books were chosen from a number of guides to worthwhile books, including Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt and the Masterplots series. They include many fine Catholic books and lives of the Saints. I must admit to being a little disappointed that the author hasn't read all the books herself. This would cause me to use extra care and I did find one book that I would hesitate recommending for teens - Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy.

The introductory chapters (18 pages) provide an excellent, down-to-earth, discussion of the importance of reading good books, and other worthwhile aspects of the educational philosophies of Charlotte Mason. This introduction is probably worth the price of the book even without all the subsequent book lists! This book provides a helpful resource in adding good books to a history course and excellent background reading on educational philosophy for parents.