Thursday, May 21, 2015

Our Favorite Homeschool Resources & Non-Fiction Books

I have already shared about some of our favorite fiction books in this blog post:  http://carmelhillbillies.blogspot.com/2015/04/fictional-chapter-books-air-for-our.html
And of course since then we've thought of several other favorite fiction books that we love & that I left out!  Micah, almost 12 years old, just discovered the Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull and is currently devouring them!

But for this post I want to share some of our favorite resources & books, including favorite curriculum, that we have used, discovered, and/or liked during these past 6 years of homeschooling.  This is not a comprehensive list & is only what floats to the very top at this current moment!  For example, our experience with Abeka Language, grades 1-2 was very good.  The phonics repetition was great & helped Micah a lot with his reading.  (Noelle was already past that by the time she started homeschooling.)  Also, we used Abeka readers through grade 5 and found them interesting & helpful.  However, I'm not including them in this list, even though we had a positive experience.

Also, and I mention it a couple of times in this post, many, many of these resources were used as a springboard for more reading & learning & activities.

Social Studies:
(History is my favorite, so I want to do this one first!)

1.  A Child's History of the World by Virgil M. Hillyer.
  We have gone through this volume two different times over the course of our homeschooling.  Once aloud and once, a couple of years later, with independent reading.  This is a big-time favorite & has often provided as a catalyst for us to 'dig deeper.'  For example, when studying the section on Marco Polo, the first time around, it piqued Micah's interest, so we then checked several books out of the library about Marco Polo and learned more.

2.  "21 Activities for Kids" series.
  We did:  George Washington for Kids:  His Life & Times with 21 Activities by Brandon Marie Miller.  Abraham Lincoln for Kids:  His Life & Times with 21 Activities by Janis Herbert.  Franklin Delano Roosevelt for Kids:  His Life & Times with 21 Activities by Richard Panchyk.  We also did partial ones on broader subjects, such as the Revolutionary War.
  These books provide great ideas for fun projects, (for example, we made plaster masks for our faces), as well as ample information on the subject of the book.  I guess I should say a blanket statement that many of our resources were a springboard for more resources.  For example, perhaps they learned about Morse code in one of the '21' books, and wanted to learn more, so then a book was checked out of our library specifically about Morse code.

3.  "Wicked History" series of books
  Micah read these last year & just loved them!  And boy were they wicked!  Napoleon, Stalin, Hitler, Alexander the Great, Hannibal, Attila the Hun, Ivan the Terrible, Genghis Khan and Vlad the Impaler and more!  If you are worried about or sensitive to your child reading some gory details, you may want to avoid these books.
   This would be a good time to mention that we have made great use of inter-library loans!  Our library had a few of these books, but the rest of them we borrowed from other libraries.  I'm so thankful for the ability to use these resources free of charge!

4.  Little Passports
  I believe that Little Passports now has a monthly club option for the American states as well as countries around the world.  When we purchased it, the only option was countries and that was a good choice for us.  It was fun to receive & open our monthly package & to use the code to go online & to do the activities provided.

5.  Leagues & Legends
  This Geography curriculum, put out by Veritas Press, for the 'Grammar Level' is a fun way to learn geography.  The audio CDs & the repetition provided make memorizing easy.  There are 4 separate sets:  North, South, East & West.  The accompanying workbooks include fun recipes and crafts to make as well.

6.  Disney's 'The American Presidents' DVDs
   I ponied up and purchased this collection of four DVDs.  Each DVD is about an hour and is quite interesting.  To quote what Amazon says:  "Each DVD includes short-form Presidential biographies, era overviews for historical context, and thematic segments such as “The Making of the Presidency” and “We the People”. The DVD content is based on National Curriculum Standards and features interviews with political luminaries such as Sam Donaldson, Wesley Clark, Paul Begala, Melissa Harris-Lacewell and many more. Try the interactive whiteboard content on every DVD — it’s an exciting, competitive game that uses video clips, photographs and quotes to test students’ understanding of the Presidents, their political positions, and why they matter in the American story."

 Math:
  I have only ever used Abeka Math & Saxon Math for textbooks.  They are my only experience & I think they are both very good.  I would heartily recommend either/both of these mathematics curriculum to anyone.  What is hard is switching back & forth, as they are put together at slightly different levels. 

1.  Abeka Math
   One thing that my son really appreciates about Abeka is the high-quality paper, the illustrations & the colors!  This may not sound important to most people, but we all have components that we prefer to have our best, individual, learning environment.  Micah is highly visual & strongly prefers the illustrations & color!  In fact, Micah has only used Saxon once & that was for grade 2 and when we began the year & he saw his math paper, he threw it on the floor and said that he wasn't going to do that!! 
  I have read many reviews for and against both Abeka and Saxon, talking about the spiral approach of one and not the other.  I've taught quite a few years of both & feel that Abeka holds its own academically.  It's a strong program.
 
2.  Saxon Math
  The biggest advantage, in my mind, of Saxon is that the lesson is in the student book.  If you have a student who can work independently, (and this is a big advantage that many homeschoolers have- that they have this ability), Saxon allows for the level of self-teaching that works for your particular situation.
  Just like Abeka, I feel that Saxon is academically strong.
  My oldest is in 8th grade, so I cannot speak for Saxon high school math.  My understanding is that because Geometry is included at many levels of Saxon, they do not have a separate year for it.  Some homeschool families choose to supplement with a separate Geometry curriculum.
  
Science:

1.  Apologia Science
   This is the only year that we have used Apologia, and only Micah used it.  I think it's fantastic!  We used the textbook and workbook combination.  Packed with information & extension activities, it's been a successful year of Science for us!  (Just the other night, while eating meat for supper, Micah tells us all he learned about tapeworms that day! ICK!)  Land Animals of the 6th DaySwimming Creatures of the 5th DayFlying Creatures of the 5th DayExploring Creation with AstronomyExploring Creation with BotanyExploring Creation with Human Anatomy & Physiology.  And more.  

2.  The Rainbow Science
   This is our 2nd year with Rainbow Science for Noelle.  It is both delightful & challenging.  From Cathy Duffy:  "Serious science is coupled with a light-hearted approach and lots of hands-on activity for this two-year course targeted at junior high level...The course is also unusual because the text is intended to be used for two years. In the first year, students study physics and chemistry, and in the second year they study biology and applied science.  The Teacher’s Helper is a guide for the text as well as the labs, covering both years. The first year’s lab set includes both durable equipment and consumable supplies plus a lab workbook. For the second year, you need additional equipment, supplies, and a new lab workbook, all of which is sold as a “year 2” set. I really enjoy Dr. Dobbins personal, friendly writing style, and I think most junior high students will too..."  (We agree!)
 
3.  Special Activities
   Dissecting owl pellets & frogs, (in celebration of Leap Day/Year!), are experiences we will never forget!  I would suggest taking advantage of local stores, (we got the owl pellets at The Rock & Art Shop in Bangor), as well as ordering unique items online. 
  The Great Outdoors!  How many lessons have we learned through catching salamander eggs & watching goats being born & tromping through estuaries??  We're talking about resources here & the natural world is one, GINORMOUS resource! 

Language: 

1.  Shurley English
  I am a fan!  I have learned things teaching Shurley English that I absolutely never learned when I was in school!  The 'jingles' are catchy, and like anything put to music, are helpful with memorization.  Shurley emphasizes writing and diagramming sentences.  The teaching part can be a bit awkward and wordy and isn't quite as user-friendly as some Language curriculum is, but in my opinion it's quality makes up for that. 


2.  Ralph Fletcher 
   Ralph Fletcher is unusual.  He is the author of picture book, chapter books, young adult novels, and poetry.  But he also writes books for young people who are interested in writing.  When Noelle was 9 years old she discovered Ralph Fletcher & it was through reading, studying, and applying his book:  Live Writing.  At 9 years old she fell in LOVE with writing and has been writing ever since!  (She's working on a book that is quite good!)
  Noelle also read some of his novels, as well as Poetry Matters and How to Write Your Life Story.

3.  Magic Tree House Books & Research Guides
  I wrote about these books in my post about reading fiction, however I need to mention them here because the experience, content, and triumph Micah felt about reading so many books at a young age was great to experience and watch.  Basically, when Micah was 7 years old he read all the Magic Tree House books and non-fiction research guides that were available at that time, 68 books!  The books start out very easy but get more challenging & more interesting as the young reader grows.
  In Micah's case, he also had a little passport and after reading each book would answer questions online and print out a sticker to glue on his passport.  This was very motivating to him.
  The non-fiction guides were very interesting!  Some were History & some were Science.  Perhaps some could be labeled as Fine Arts.

4.  Pizza-Hut Book-It Program!
   You are probably familiar with this program.  Open to K-6th graders, students can read to earn personal pan pizzas for several months of the school year.  Homeschoolers are welcome.  Look online early because sign-up is in the summer.

5.  Quality Picture Books
   When my kids were younger we enjoyed reading nearly all of Jan Brett books, writing her a letters, and hearing back from her.  We also read nearly all of Robert McCloskey books and a few others too.  There are many quality picture books available and they are worth the read!  Of course, I happen to believe that picture books aren't just for little people!

6.  Abeka 'Read & Think' Books
   I loved using these books!  The student has a certain amount of time to read the one-page or less story or information, flip the paper over, and answer questions about it.  Measures comprehension.  The kids thought they were fun & I liked using them. 

Other:

1.  Contests!
   We did not do a lot of contests, because finding the quality ones, which are free to enter, takes a considerable amount of time, as well as taking the time to teach to & enter the contests!  
   Although we never won anything, my favorite is probably 'Letters about Literature'.  We have entered this several times.  It provides a wonderful opportunity for a student to write a letter to a book's author, living or not, and tell the author how the book inspired them, changed their lives, etc.  The Letters about Literature website contains samples, lesson plans, and lots of helpful information.
   You may know that Noelle won an Olive Garden "Pasta Tales" essay contest several years back.  She won a $100 Olive Garden giftcard and a $500 savings bond.  Micah was a finalist in a JIF peanut butter sandwich contest.  He just barely missed out on an exciting trip to NYC, but he garnered some attention and received a very cool JIF gift basket!  He also won some prizes in a 'Get to Know' contest.  These types of successes help bolster self esteem.  
  There are many contests out there and although I can't remember the specifics, we have also done poster contests, Science ones and other essay ones.

2.  Mike Venezia's books
   These are some incredible books!  I purchased nearly all of the 'Getting to Know the World's Greatest Composers' ones as well as 'Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists' ones.  They are picture books that are interesting and really do give the reader an overview of the person that they are about.  He also has a series about scientists & inventors, and maybe more beyond that.

3.  VIDEOS!!
   Jack Hanna & Richard Weiss & Jeff Corwin & Marty Stouffer were our homeschool companions for years!  David MaCaulay's videos.  A million Animated Hero Classics, learning about all kinds of people.  Videos about different cultures & countries.  On & On the list goes.  I believe we checked out and watched every video our library had to offer!!   

4. Memoria Press' LATIN courses
   We never got very far in this curriculum, but it was user-friendly, easy to implement and use.  Many levels are available.

5.  A Young Scholar's Guide to Composers by Melissa E. Craig & Maggie S. Hogan.
   We did not finish this curriculum either, but it is very good.  :)

6.  Find Some Resources!
  Every area has museums.  Homeschool groups.  Field Trip groups.  Historical places.  Other moms.  Experts in certain areas. Make your own path & find the resources that will work for your family.  Our local art museum has an amazing Young Curators progarm.  Also, local libraries provide book clubs.  We have participated in many of those and we truly love our local library and librarians.  The options under this one are endless!


~I have no doubt that within moments of posting this, I will think of 10 things I should have added to the list!  (That's why it's helpful that I can edit, although I rarely take the time to!!) 


 


Monday, May 4, 2015

Our 'May the 4th' Celebration


The very first time I saw the Star Wars movies, the only Star Wars movies at the time, was my freshman year of college, (1994-1995), at Philadelphia College of Bible.  It was a Saturday & a student group had set up a Star Wars marathon:  All 3 in one day, one right after the other.

I noticed that Luke Skywalker's appearance changed & was told that he was in a severe accident between movies.  Frankly, I don't remember any other impressions.  Even now, I can't claim to be a true fan.  I don't dislike Star Wars, I'm just not very 'into' Science Fiction & I can never understand what is going on in the movies!!

We really did it all wrong with how we introduced Star Wars to Micah!  In February, 2014, we were on vacation as a family & decided to watch Star Wars, since most of the movies we watch as a family are more on the 'Girl Movie' side of things.  (Not that girls can't like Star Wars!!)  However, we were unable to rent the 1st movie.  So instead we watched what I call 'the 2nd movie', but what is actually Episode V:  Star Wars: the Empire Strikes Back(I fully recognize that this approach makes no sense!)  Micah loved it.  Hannah, Noelle & D~I'm not so sure!  While on vacation Micah purchased a Star Wars Lego set at Sherman's Bookstore.  We also watched Episode VI:  Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

To make mixed-up matters worse, I found Episode I: The Phantom Menace at Goodwill, so he watched that one.  He bought more Star Wars Legos.  He watched episodes of The Clone Wars.

It wasn't until a couple of months ago, Valentine's Day, 2015, that he was able to finally watch 'the first movie':  Episode IV:  Star Wars:A New Hope!!  (He did say that this helped explain a few things!!!)  I wasn't able to afford the DVDs for him for his Valentine's Day gift, but for a few dollars each I bought him Episodes IV, V & VI on VCR tape!  Hey, they will do for now!  And really, he was thrilled and more than satisfied!

For this upcoming 'May the 4th' Celebration, I ordered him used copies of the remaining two movies.  Episode II:  Star Wars:  Attack of the Clones came in the mail on Saturday & we watched that one last night.  Micah is hoping that the final one, Episode III: Star Wars:  Clone Wars, will come in today's mail.

So that is how we got to today~ A quick & silly & fun little celebration, in the midst of a busy day, to celebrate Star Wars!

There must be presents!  (My kids have been pretty spoiled this last year of homeschooling!)



 

Today is busy because we have a homeschool Literature Fair in Hampden, we have our regularly scheduled Monday activities:  Noelle has dance & she volunteers for 2 hours at the Boys & Girls Club.  Plus we have the unexpected things, such as three jakes within 10 feet of our property!!  (They got away!)  So I put all the food out this morning & basically said, "Go for it!"  We ate our breakfasts & our lunches out of the food!

I looked online for ideas that would be fairly easy to do, inexpensive & would not involve too much of an overload of sugar!

 At 10:00 last night I looked at this watermelon & said, "I will give you 10 minutes!"  So this was as deathstar-y it got in that time period!


 See what we did here!?  Plus, with feta on the side!






However, if you give your kids light sabers...


sometimes they knock over the bantha milk, even though you promised your son that if he let you borrow his Star Wars legos that no food would get on them!  Ah, we are keeping it real!!
Note:  No tears were shed over the spilling of this milk!  :) 



Then, for fun, we played a few very quick games!

1.  Destroy the Deathstars!
Even 'big kids' like an excuse sometimes to play with bubbles!


2.  Jedi Mind Trick!
I had the kids each pick a number between 1-10.  Then I had them do a series of things to it, such as +6, -1, +3, -5, +4, etc.  Then I had them subtract their original number from what they had.  Then, I was able to guess their final answer, and they were amazed that not only did I guess correctly, even though they started out with different numbers, they ended up with the same one!  I used the force!

3.  Firing Proton Torpedoes into the Deathstar's thermal exhaust port!
Piper really liked this game!



4.  Feel the Force!  (A Tasting Game!)
Both Noelle & Micah were blindfolded & fed the same items.  At the count of three, they said aloud, at the same time, what they thought the item was!  Micah won by only one point & it was fun!  Some were easy & some were hard, (coffee creamer!) and apparently the lemon was not a favorite!  (On that one, Micah guessed lime & Noelle guessed kimchi!)  The stormtrooper water came in handy!






May the 4th Be With You!

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Frozen Banana Treats ~A Recipe Post

This is so easy, I'm not sure it can be called a recipe! 
It is a favorite of ours.  Kids love them.  It's a fairly healthy treat.  Plus, kids like to help 'make' them.  (More like 'assemble' them!)  Today is one of the warmest days we have had yet this year.  A perfect day for a summer-ish treat!

You will need:
Firm bananas
popsicle sticks
Yogurt
Sprinkles  (optional)

Added bonus:  This snack is kosher, (at least if you use these sprinkles.)  When one has a friend who is Jewish Orthodox, one starts to notice when something is kosher or not!

Note:  These days we typically buy whole milk, plain yogurt.  And I could have used that, with or without some agave nectar, but I chose to go with flavored yogurt.

Peel bananas & cut them in half. 
Insert popsicle sticks. 

(Sometimes I accidentally break a banana or push the stick in too far.)

Roll in yogurt. 
Add some sprinkles.

Place in freezer until frozen.

Enjoy!

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Fictional Chapter Books: Air for our very Breathing



We sorted some books today.
A friend's daughter is collecting books to sell for a fundraiser.  Our homeschool year is getting closer to ending & there are many books to return to a kind aunt who lent them.  Even more books to sell.  Some books to keep.
Happy memories attached to many.  The places the books have taken us are so easily recalled, memories of warmth & goodness washing over our souls.

My mom read aloud to us a lot when we were kids.  The Trumpet of the Swan, Stuart Little & Charlotte's Web by E.B. White.  All the 'Little House' books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

I always liked to read.
Without the distractions of screens & with free time that in today's world seems in danger of becoming extinct, I explored any book we had at home.  At church.  At my grandparent's farm, making my way to the Back Chamber, hot with the summer sun, thumbing through old books & choosing one to settle in with, even if for only the afternoon.
The school library.  3rd grade is the first time I remember being able to check books out of the library. I was so disappointed when I was told that there was a limit to the number of books one could check out!  Nancy Drew & The Hardy Boys & probably whatever was suggested as I was never a very independent child & not prone to exploration.
And Scholastic books orders.  All the way through junior high.  I chose some duds & chose many that became favorites.  Louisa May Alcott & Elizabeth George Speare & Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and I have no recollection of the clutter of choices saturated in celebrity & popular movies that I see reflected in some of today's book order forms.  (Yes, even homeschoolers can order from Scholastic!!)  
I loved some of the books we were assigned to read in school:  Where the Red Fern Grows (Wilson Rawls),1984 (George Orwell), Rumble Fish (S.E. Hinton), The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald), Of Mice & Men (John Steinbeck), To Kill a Mockingbird (by Harper Lee) and 10 Little Indians (Agatha Christie).

However, my reading really couldn't hold a candle to my older brother, Marvin's reading.  In this childhood before the internet & before 'summer reading' book lists & without frequent trips to the library, this internal, self-driven, maybe first-born part of him sought out Good Books.  Tolkien & I don't know what else because I was busy reading my Lurlene McDaniel light fare. 

Light fare or not, with some lack of self-awareness, on I read.  I really am so glad that we did not have cable television & that home computers & cells & devices & the internet were something for the future.  Ironically, (because I'm a sun-shunner these days), I spent hours in our Canadian rocker, tilted back with legs propped up in a most unladylike fashion, making dents in the wall behind me, basking in the sun, reading.  And reading and reading. 
For this post I am speaking of fiction & its role in our lives.  However I will add that children's literature as a whole is quite literally one of my favorite things.  Also, I greatly enjoy biographies & parenting books & magazines & online articles too!  But for me, Historical Fiction rose to the surface.  Many of my favorite books are historical fiction.  I just love it!! 
Some of my favorites are: 
Little Women & Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott
My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier
any Bodie & Brock Thoene books
"Mark of the Lion" series by Francine Rivers
The Witch of Blackbird Pond & Calico Captive by Elizabeth George Speare

Naturally, I read to my children plenty when they were preschool age, (and beyond.)  I was a stay-at-home mom, (praise the Lord!), and what we had was TIME.  Story Time at Borders w/ Gibran.  Story Time at the Bangor Public Library.  (Except for my babysitting days!  Micah was a few months old & Noelle was two & Lily was three & Grace was five & it was too much for me!!)  Time to snuggle in bed & read.  No where to go & no where to be & so much time to play & read.  (Hmm.. this sounds a bit like homeschooling!!  Sort of!!)  



The first chapter book I remember reading to Noelle & Micah was Charlotte's Web.  Noelle was 5 & Micah was 3 & it was delightful.  During that time the 'Charlotte's Web' movie with Dakota Fanning came out & we went to see it at 'The Temple' in Houlton w/ my mom & it was delightful too!

When I married my husband our children were entering grades one & two, and Micah was 4 years old.  Noelle attended private school & D attended public.  Both had some reading homework most days.  It had never occurred to my husband that kids would want to read at home, outside of school.  That they should read & that perhaps if they were made to read that they would want to.  We worked out the kinks & reading, sometimes mandatory, became something important in our home.
Are we ever too old to be read aloud to?  I don't think so.  Following my mom's example we read many books aloud as a family.  Being intentional.  Okay, D is here Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday & Wednesday nights.  But Wednesday nights are AWANA, so that leaves three nights to read.  We too read through all the "Little House" books & Eight Cousins & Rose In Bloom & several of the "Chronicles of Narnia" (C.S. Lewis) books & more.

Before & after we started homeschooling when the kids entered 1st & 3rd grades, we enjoyed the typical early reading books, such as "Junie B. Jones", (Barbara Park), and others.
Reading certainly isn't a homeschooling 'thing'.  However, when you homeschool, School melds with Home melds with Life & Learning, (without the restrictions of 'schooling').  A literature-based education.  Time.  Time to read.  Self-awareness to allow interests to naturally come to the surface, and again- time- to pursue them.   Reading, and for these purposes, reading fiction, has been a key part of our School-y, Home-y, Learning Lives.  



Afternoons spent at the Bangor Public Library, sometimes at book clubs & more often digging through on our own & with help from the always-kind adults in the children's department.  Dark rides home during the long, Maine winter months, with van lights on, and quiet- oh, not a sound, as newly chosen books were devoured.
7-year old Micah, laying on Mrs. Janet's bed w/ rocks & crystals & plants all around him, while Sister had piano & violin lessons, reading Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire (J.K.Rowling).
9-year old Noelle reading My Side of the Mountain (Jean Craighead George) & dreaming about living in the woods, alone, for awhile.   
Tea Time.  Our on & off again respite, usually for reading aloud & drinking tea & maybe eating snacks.  Our first ever Tea Time book was Little Men by Lousia May Alcott & Micah was 6 years old & Noelle was 8 & the wording was sometimes antiquated but we hung on to every word, wondering what would happen with Dan.  Other tea time favorites are the "All of a Kind" books by Sydney Taylor & Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards.
Reading in boxes.  Reading on the roof.  Reading on the lawn.  Reading by the fire, with a baby goat in your lap & maple sap simmering on the stove. 
My 7-year old girl, sitting on the couch, reading Marley & Me (John Grogan) while the tears ran.  World Opened Up.  Books, the medium for exploration of LIFE!



I think Noelle must be like my brother, Marvin.  I don't know for sure because I am neither.  She had always liked to read but around 4th grade, age 9, the blossom bloomed and she just could not get enough books  and she just could not get enough reading time.  I had exposed her to books I liked, books that were in the curriculum, books that were recommended for her age:  Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery) and Indian in the Cupboard (Lynne Reed Banks) and Tom Sawyer (Mark Twain) and more.  At age 9, in a book club, she was exposed to Fantasy.  And she took off!  I really should have known, because Marvin likes fantasy.  I don't.  Lesson learned!  This inner, truly 'Noelle' desire to seek out fantasy books, reading what she was drawn to, was remarkable, yes, truly remarkable, to watch unfold.  The Charlie Bone series (Jenny Nimmo) started it all.  Then, the Harry Potter series.  Percy Jackson (Rick Riordan).  Mysterious Benedict Society (Trenton Lee Stewart)Divergent (Veronica Roth)Paladin Prophecy (Mark Frost)The Heroes of Olympus.  And really, just on & on.  I wish we had written down all the titles she has read in these past 6 years of homeschooling because I bet there are at least 300!  A year ago, Noelle did her Literature Fair project on this journey of reading, hoping to expose & encourage the younger students to try fantasy as well.



http://carmelhillbillies.blogspot.com/2014/05/literature-fair-home-education-post.html

A neat reading experience for Noelle, in days gone by, has been to read the 'American Girl' books, series written about each American Girl doll, historical fiction.  Each doll has 6 books.  Noelle read the books for:  Samantha, Kirsten, Addy, Felicity, Josefina, Molly, Kit, and Kaya, among other ones put out by American Girl.  So that's 48+ books.  These are great stories, teach lessons, and include interesting historical information.  Tying fun activities with these books is easy.

Some of Noelle's favorites are all that I have mentioned here, plus The Giver by Lois Lowry.

Micah is also a good reader, although it is harder to find literature that truly grabs his attention.  Noelle lives reading books & Micah enjoys reading.  During Micah's 2nd grade year, when he was 7 years old, he read through the "Magic Tree House" series by Mary Pope Osborne.  Book #1:  Dinosaurs Before Dark all the way through book #48:  A Perfect Time for Pandas.  In addition, Micah read the 20 Magic Tree House non-fiction, companion research guides.  That's 68 books for my 2nd grader, who also went on to read the first 5 Harry Potter books that school year as well as some more!!  We had this really cool Magic Tree House passport.  Each time he finished a book we would log onto the Magic Tree House website.  And wait for our dial-up to load it.  And hope that no one was trying to call!  Then, for each book, if Micah could answer several questions correctly he would receive a badge for his passport!  We would print it out & glue it in his booklet.  This was highly motivating for Micah!  This is also a time when we really started using inter-library loan!  Some of the Research Guides we wanted to read weren't available anywhere so we purchased them, and then donated them to our library, in Micah's name.
Doing the Magic Tree House books & the passport was one of the best things & favorite things we ever did with homeschooling.  If you are unfamiliar with the books, they follow the adventures of Jack & Annie.  When I read the first one, I was not impressed!  It was so simple!  However, the books grow with the reader & the plot lines get better & more involved & the books get longer. 



In addition to our History text this year, Micah explored the themes of WWII through a fictional, literary perspective. This was a great experience as well.  It may have been 3rd grade when Micah read Number the Stars by Lois Lowry.  And he has taken in a lot of information about WWII, as that is an interest of his.  However, this experience allowed him to explore WWII from many angles- yes, in the ghetto of Warsaw, but also in the Caribbean & in the Japanese-American internment camps. In fact, Micah's "Letters About Literature" entry this year was written to Yoshiko Uchida, author of Journey to Topaz, exploring the themes of what governments do vs. who a people group are & allowed for some deep reflection on racism & how this presents, present day.  The other books he read for this unit were:
The Cay by Theodore Taylor
Under the Blood Red Sun by Graham Salisbury
The Man from the Other Side by Uri Olev
Stepping On the Cracks by Mary Downing Hahn
Journey to America by Sonia Levitin
Rose Blanche by Roberto Innocenti & Christophe Gallaz
The Whispering Town by Jennifer Elvgren
Is it Night or Day by Fern Schumer Chapman

Some of Micah's favorites are:
Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan
Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Homer Price by Robert McCloskey

Even today, as I write this, my lovies are snuggled together, reading.  Noelle is reading Brown Girl Dreaming by Jaqueline Woodson.  She is preparing for an upcoming literature fair and she plan to talk & write about the civil rights movement & racism.  I can hear them reading excerpts of their books to each other.  Pure sweetness. 


In conclusion:
1.  Always have tissues, a water bottle & a book with you.  Always.
2.  It is very fun & worth the time to watch the movie after you have read the book.  We have spent many, cozy evenings, snuggled under a blanket, watching a movie about a book that Noelle read, hearing about the differences between the book & the movie.
3.  Check out "Letters About Literature", an annual school or library-sponsored reading & writing contest for students in grades 4-12.  Or you can enter individually, like we have.  It is also a 'favorite' experience of mine from our homeschooling years.
4. When I have a hard time finding books that interest Micah, and he doesn't have any leads on what he wants to read, I make him read 60 pages.  If he doesn't like it after 60 pages, he usually doesn't have to read it.
5.  Read aloud to your kids!!  
6.  Allow time for reading.  Turn off the devices!
7.  Read to your kids often, and when they are older, they will read to you!