A Dozen Good Lighthouse Books I Recommend

Every so often, I re-organize my lighthouse books--or maybe, and I confess this freely--I just want to handle them. I love books, especially lighthouse books (and my own published books). Here are a few nonfiction lighthouse books I recommend. I will make a list of fiction titles in another blog entry later. With Christmas coming, you may want to gift some books to family and friends. Consider these dozen "Elinor Vetted." You can click below these to get to their Amazon pages for purchase.

This is a Caldecott Medal winner, a very straight-forward books for kids that tells about the life of a lightkeeper.

Find it on Amazon here.

Published by the U.S. Lighthouse Society and filled with stunning photos with meaty captions, this makes a fabulous coffee table book. Proceeds benefit the society.

Find it on Amazon here.

A wonderful hodge-podge of images with information.Though it has a few small errors, I am forgiving. (I have errors in some of my books.)

Find it on Amazon here.

We can never go wrong with primary source material! This nice little paperback contains the memories of being a lighthouse kid from Seaman Ponsart Roberts. There are plenty of pictures and stories. Jeremey D.Entremont helped on the project.

Find it on Amazon here.

This is the best guidebook to New England lighthouses, written by a man who knows them--Jeremy D'Entremont. This is his latest edition of the book too.

Find it on Amazon here.

Although the cover isn't an eye-popper, the text is fabulous. This detailed history of the family that built most of Scotland's lighthouses and many others around the world, is a great armchair title.

Find it on Amazon here.

This is, hands-down the best book I have read of late about lighthouses. This details the history of illumination and the story of French physicist Augustin Fresnel, who revolutionized lighthouses.

Find it on Amazon here.

For upper elementary or middle school kids, this is a terrific gift. The author has scads of good hands-on experiments and demos to help kids understand concepts about lighthouses.

Find it on Amazon here.

At risk of boasting, I recommend my book on the life of lighthouse keepers. This is the second edition. I have received so many letters and emails about this title, all good--hooray! A great winter read.

Find it on Amazon here.

And while I am a hag on the brag--This unique title of mine is all about animals at lighthouses. The stories range from joyful to heartwarming to sad to surprising! This is a great gift for animal lovers.

Find it on Amazon here.

Everyone should read this book, from ages three to ninety-three! The message is sweet and enduring. Little things DO matter. This kids' tome was what first made me think about lighthouses. My mom read this to me as a child. I still love it!

Find it on Amazon here.

Finally, rounding out this bright dozen is Candace Clifford's landmark title, which introduced us to women who were lighthouse keepers. Teachers and youth leaders--this is perfect for Women's History Month.

Find it on Amazon here.


Ok, if I missed a title you feel should be in the top dozen, email me at lightkeeper0803@gmail.com. These twelve are my favorites. What are yours. Notice I skipped regional books, of which there are scads, and many personal memoirs. Personal memories deserve their own top twelve. So does fiction. More to come! Stand by.

And while you're shopping, how about a few lighthouse models too!