While I may not have been blogging much, we have been reading plenty these last two months.
We read our devotional at breakfast for our Bible study, we read our history and science mid-morning, and we do some literature and fun reading in the afternoon.
This week we wrapped up our devotional we have been using for the past six months. Leading Little Ones to God has been a fantastic morning read for the kids and I. This book was a baby shower gift about five years ago and I have nothing but good things to say about it. We have all discussed angels, Satan, demons, the Holy Spirit, and much more. T can explain the trilogy, J likes to talk about Jesus being the shepherd and us His sheep, and Z has a good grip on the end times. I highly recommend this book to families with young children who want to discuss the basics of our faith.
Now I have to decide what to do next...I am looking at Our 24 family ways by the Clarksons or Hero Tales by Dave and Neta Jackson. Anyone have any thoughts?
For Literature studies (primarily in the genre of Fantasy this quarter) and for fun we have read:
Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates: Next time I will wait till all the kids are at least eight for this one. It was fun, very educational, and delightful. But my, oh my, is it a bit more thick and meaty than we are used to around here. A hundred pages on Dutch history and culture was a lot more than I had bargained for. We all persevered, learned a lot about Holland, and really enjoyed the ending. But it was a long haul, although worth it.
Charlotte's Web: A classic. It has been a couple of decades since I read it and found myself very annoyed with Mr. E.B. White for throwing in the theme of a young girl becoming a bit boy-crazy. Oh well...my kids are none the wiser thanks to a bit of quick editing. But really?....seriously unnecessary in a story about a self-less spider and a humble pig.
Chester Cricket in Times Square: A quirky fantasy story with slightly goofy characters. Harmless and sweet.
Winnie the Pooh: I don't know who thinks these are funnier: me or T. A.A. Milne wrote classics and I am so glad we are on this series right now. I love the light heartedness, unexpectedness, and pure innocence of these books.
History reading (other than our core spines) has included:
George Rogers Clark: Boy of the Northwest Frontier: A simple biography which kept anyone over the age of three engaged, and was a good overall intro to colonial America
If you lived in Colonial Times: I highly recommend the books in this series for young elementary children. There are simple pictures, an engaging format, and tons of information that kids can easily digest.
Stories of the Pilgrims by Pumphrey (we have read many portions of this over the years): Probably one of the best living books on the time period for elementary grades, but can be a bit long-winded at times. It does work well to pull out portions. Reading the Thanksgiving chapter on Thanksgiving can be very poignant.
Who's that Stepping on Plymouth Rock: Z actually read this one to me. As with most of Jean Fritz's history stories, there is some humor mixed in along with some good historical perspective. Not meaty, but interesting.
Science reading:
One small square: Seashore: I really like this series of books with the abundant pictures and simple scientific information. Be careful: they are not written from a Christian viewpoint, but the evolution references appear to be very rare (like one page per book).
Pagoo: A new family favorite. I am so glad I decided to buy this one! I had read of some families adding this book to Heart of Dakota's science for the seashore study. It was fantastic! The kids were sitting on the edge of their seats, nearly biting their nails over what would happen to Pagoo next, all the while devouring information about new creatures and their habits. And it was all about a simple hermit crab! This was a book that has me on the lookout for anymore of the very talented Holling C. Holling's books.
That's what we have been reading...how about any of you?
4 comments:
I have the Hero Tales book and have pulled it out from time to time while the kids eat lunch. I think it's pretty good. The chapters are pretty short and there's a few stories about each missionary.
You have been reading some interesting books. That is wonderful. I was able to download to my Kindle Has Brinker and the Silver Skates, it is free in the public domain.
Thank you for the recommendation of Leading little ones to God. If I attend a baby shower it would be a good gift.
Rob and I have enjoyed reading a chapter of Winne the Pooh aloud every time we take a long drive, like when we went to OC for the wedding. It is very funny and makes time go quicker.
Pagoo sounds interesting.
I thought it was good and interesting that Z read to you. Good job Z!
Love Hero Tales! Never read the other one, but like i said . . . the other one is a keeper.
We also love Hero Tales, and are continuing to read from them. Also, H got a series of Trailblazer chapter books by Dave and Neta Jackson that she loves--historical fiction, many about missionaries.
For devotions, we have been slowly going through Window on the World, reading about 1 country or people group each week and praying for them. The kids really like it, and I bet yours would too!
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