This year, my younger children and I are exploring American History, and enjoying some wonderful books on our journey. One of those is The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh. I remember my older two children enjoying this book when they read it two years ago, but this was the first time I had... Continue Reading →
Ballet Shoes
Several years ago, I was looking for a book that the children and I could listen to in the car as we drove around town. I picked up Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild a couple of times, and put it down a couple of times. My girls were taking ballet lessons then, and loved them,... Continue Reading →
Mara: Daughter of the Nile
This historical adventure, set in (can you guess?) ancient Egypt, has enough action to satisfy the boys, and enough romance to keep the girls' attention. Mara: Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw tells the story of Mara, a slave girl who ends up acting as a double spy in the court of the... Continue Reading →
The Story of the World
One of the great benefits of teaching my children at home is that I get an education as well. I'm learning so much more about history and science that I just didn't get in school - either because the curriculum didn't include the information, or because I didn't understand it. I've always enjoyed history, but... Continue Reading →
The Sign of the Beaver
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare is one of those books I don't think I'll ever tire of reading. The lessons about growing up, independence and the importance of family resonate loudly throughout the book - and the story keeps me turning the pages and my kids begging for "One more chapter!... Continue Reading →
Hill of Fire
In Hill of Fire by Thomas P. Lewis, we read about a volcano that suddenly formed out of a farmer's field. That's the story in one sentence - Lewis builds up beautifully to the moment, describing the farmer's mundane life of living in a small Mexican village, eating breakfast, and working in the fields, complaining... Continue Reading →
Daniel’s Duck
My children have read Daniel's Duck by Clyde Robert Bulla over and over again. They enjoy the story, and I enjoy the lesson it teaches. Daniel admires a famous carver's wood carvings, and decides to work on his own wood carving for the county fair. He works hard on it all winter, and proudly enters... Continue Reading →
Greg’s Microscope
Greg's Microscope by Milicent E. Selsam should carry a warning: "Causes intense desire for microscopes in children." This easy-to-read book explores the world found under a microscope slide from the perspective of a young boy. He looks at salt, sugar and a myriad of other things in his house through his new microscope. His interest... Continue Reading →
Egermeier’s Bible Story Book
I've said before everyone needs to be familiar with the Bible because so much of Western literature alludes to it. A great place to start is The Jesus Storybook Bible, which I've already reviewed. The strength of The Jesus Storybook Bible is also it's weakness. It gives a wonderful overview of the Bible, so that... Continue Reading →
Magic Tree House
We discovered the Magic Tree House books by Mary Pope Osborne when my oldest was in kindergarten. I have to admit, I was unsure how I would like them when we first checked them out of the library. But after reading the first book, Dinosaurs Before Dark, aloud to my children, I decided I had... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 