Books

Books are keys to wisdom’s treasure;
Books are gates to lands of pleasure;
Books are paths that upward lead;
Books are friends. Come, let us read.

~ Emilie Poulsson

Books Read(ing) in 2011

Read-Aloud by Dad w/Nathan & Tabitha

• Are You Liberal? Conservative? or Confused? (An Uncle Eric Book), Maybury & Williams

Read-Aloud by Mom w/Nathan & Tabitha

• The Roar on the Other Side: A Guide for Student Poets by Suzanne Clark {HEO Y8}
• The Book of Sorrows by Walter Wangerin, Jr. (Sequel to The Book of the Dun Cow”, which they LOVED.)

Nathanael-15

{HEO Y9 Readings}

• The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
• Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
• Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
• The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin
• John Adams by David McCullough
• A Basic History of the United States by Clarence B. Carson. Carson (a history professor), which has a scholarly tone, and approaches his topic from a libertarian, probably Christian, point of view.
• The Declaration of Independence (1776)
  Constitution of the United States (1787) (current copy here)
• The Royal Road to Romance by Richard Halliburton
• Ourselves by Charlotte Mason
• Postmodern Times by Gene Edward Veith

{Independently Chosen Studies}

• Exodus, selected Psalms & Proverbs from The Bible
• My Big Fat Greek Mindset by Tim Hegg
• The Hem of His Garment: Touching the Power in God’s Word by Dr. John Garr
• Fearfully and Wonderfully Made by Paul Brand {HEO Y8}
• The Story of Liberty: So You Will Comprehend What Liberty Has Cost, …and What It Is Worth by Coffin, with its Study Guide by Dawson

{Free-Reading}

• Taggerung by Brian Jacques
• Lord Brocktree by Brian Jacques
• Salamandastron by Brian Jacques
• Outcast of Redwall by Brian Jacques
• High Rhulain by Brian Jacques
• Redwall by Brian Jacques
• Eulalia! by Brian Jacques
• Judaism by DK Eyewitness Books
• Follow the River by Thom

{Sonlight Core 100 Readings}

• Making Thirteen Colonies: 1600-1740 A History of US Book 2 by Joy Hakim
• A Treasury of Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Edgar Allan Poe, Carl Sandberg, Walt Whitman
• From Colonies to Country: 1735-1791 A History of US Book 3 by Joy Hakim

Tabitha-12

{AO Y3 & Y4 Combo-Schedule/Readings}

• Poor Richard by James Daugherty
• It Couldn’t Just Happen by Lawrence Richards (Read Aloud with Mom)
• The Age of Fable by Thomas Bulfinch
• Our Island Story by H. E. Marshall
• The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling Book 1 and Book 2
• Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb
• Pilgrim’s Progress Part One (Christian’s Journey) by John Bunyan
• The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
• The Bears of Blue River by Charles Major
  Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
  Unknown to History: Captivity of Mary of Scotland by Charlotte Yonge
  Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink
• Bard of England by Peter Vennema and Diane Stanley
• George Washington’s World by Genevieve Foster
• The Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock (a 1911 version is online in various formats here)
• Madam How and Lady Why by Charles Kingsley
• *** The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving (listen to it on librivox.org)
  *** Paul Revere’s Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (listen to it on librivox; scroll down)
  *** Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving (listen to it on librivox.org; scroll down)

{Independently Chosen Studies}

• The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy – and Why They Matter by Ph.D. Marc Bekoff and Jane Goodall
• The Encyclopedia of Animals: A Complete Visual Guide by George McKay
• Portrait of Ireland by DK
  

{Free-Reading}

• The Ruins of Gorlan (The Ranger’s Apprentice, Book 1) by John Flanagan
• The Burning Bridge (The Ranger’s Apprentice, Book 2) by John Flanagan
• The Icebound Land (Ranger’s Apprentice, Book 3) by John Flanagan
• The Battle for Skandia: Book Four (Ranger’s Apprentice) by John Flanagan
• The Sorcerer of the North: Book Five (Ranger’s Apprentice) by John Flanagan
• The Siege of Macindaw: Book Six (Ranger’s Apprentice) by John Flanagan
• Erak’s Ransom: Book Seven (Ranger’s Apprentice) by John Flanagan

{Sonlight Core 100 Readings}

• Stink Alley by Jamie Gilson
• Making Thirteen Colonies: 1600-1740 A History of US Book 2 by Joy Hakim
• A Treasury of Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Edgar Allan Poe, Carl Sandberg, Walt Whitman
• From Colonies to Country: 1735-1791 A History of US Book 3 by Joy Hakim

Click to read my “Ode to PBS”

My PBS account profile.

Books Read in 2010

Nathanael-14

• America’s Hidden History: Untold Tales of The First Pilgrims, Fighting Women, and Forgotten Founders Who Shaped a Nation by Kenneth C. Davis (book on cd>October roadtrip)
• Cameron Townsend: Good News in Every Language (Christian Heroes: Then & Now) by Geoff and Janet Benge
• Follow the River by Thom
• The First Americans: Prehistory-1600 A History of US Book 1 by Joy Hakim
• The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin
• Mattimeo (Redwall, Book 3) by Brian Jacques
• Rakkety Tam (Redwall, Book 17) by Brian Jacques
• Loamhedge: A Tale from Redwall by Brian Jacques
• The Landing of the Pilgrims (Landmark Books) by James Henry Daugherty
• Peace Child: An Unforgettable Story of Primitive Jungle Treachery in the 20th Century by Don Richardson
• Born in the Year of Courage by Emily Crofford
• My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
• John Adams by David McCullough
• Follow the River by Thom
• Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis
• The Hem of His Garment: Touching the Power in God’s Word by Dr. John Garr
• The Colonial Experience 1607-1774 (Volume 1 of “A Basic History of the United States”) by Clarence B. Carson
• The Crucible by Arthur Miller
• The Story of Liberty: So You Will Comprehend What Liberty Has Cost, …and What It Is Worth by Coffin, with its Study Guide by Dawson (will be working on this through 2011 as well!)
• A Young Person’s Guide to Philosophy by Wheate
• In Freedom’s Cause: The Story of Wallace and Bruce by G. A. Henty
• Mara, Daughter of the Nile, McGraw
• Ender’s Game
• Civil War Artillery at Gettysburg, Philip M. Cole (This one was a gift from his Uncle Russ when they visited Gettysburg together last month.)
• Gettysburg: Voices of the Civil War, Time Life Book
• And Then There Were None, Agatha Christie
• Apologia Science: Exploring Creation with General Science (click to read my review)
• Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
• Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith
• The God King by Joanne Williamson
• Hittite Warrior by Joanne Williamson
• Streams of Civilization: Earliest Times to the Discovery of the New World (Vol 1- first half)
• Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Judges, 1 & 2 Kings {from The Bible, NIV}
• The Story of the Greeks by Guerber
• Augustus Caesar’s World by Genevieve Foster
• Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
• Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan
• The Pearls of Lutra by Brian Jacques
• Marlfox: A Tale from Redwall by Brian Jacques
• Carry a Big Stick: The Uncommon Heroism of Teddy Roosevelt by George Grant
• What Everyone Should Know About the 20th Century: 200 Events That Shaped the World by Alan Axelrod, Charles Phillips
• Age of Fable by Thomas Bulfinch
• D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths
• Oxford First Ancient History by Burrell & Connolly
• A Treasury of Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Edgar Allan Poe, Carl Sandberg, Walt Whitman
• Are You Liberal, Conservative or Confused? by Richard Maybury
• Sex Is Not the Problem (Lust Is): Sexual Purity in a Lust-Saturated World by Joshua Harris
• TruthQuest History Guide: Ancient Egypt/Ancient Greece, Michelle Miller
• Riddle of the Exodus: Startling Parallels Between Ancient Jewish Sources and the Egyptian Archaeological Record (RA with Mom as part of our Ancient Egypt studies- Fascinating research!)

Tabitha-11

• War Horse by Michael Morpurgo
• Peace Child: An Unforgettable Story of Primitive Jungle Treachery in the 20th Century by Don Richardson
• America’s Hidden History: Untold Tales of The First Pilgrims, Fighting Women, and Forgotten Founders Who Shaped a Nation by Kenneth C. Davis
• A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeline L’Engle
• A Wind in the Door by Madeline L’Engle
• Robinson Crusoe by Defoe
• Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke
• I Am the Great Horse by Katherine Roberts
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Speare
• A History of US: The First Americans: Prehistory-1600 A History of US Book 1 by Joy Hakim
• The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
• A Wrinkle in Time by  Madeline L’Engle
• The Annotated Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll
• Number the Stars by Louis Lowry
• Return of the King: Being the Third Part of The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien
• The Two Towers: Being the Second Part of The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien
• D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths
• Roverandom by J.R.R. Tolkien
• The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien
• A Treasury of Poetry for Young People
• Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
• Brighty: Of the Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry
• Mustang: Wild Spirit Of The West by Marguerite Henry
• Christian Kids Explore Chemistry
• Poor Richard, Daugherty

Beth

• America’s Hidden History: Untold Tales of The First Pilgrims, Fighting Women, and Forgotten Founders Who Shaped a Nation by Kenneth C. Davis
• Peace Child: An Unforgettable Story of Primitive Jungle Treachery in the 20th Century by Don Richardson (RA to kids)
• The Book of Sorrows (RA to kids)
• Robinson Crusoe by Defoe
• Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis
• The Hem of His Garment: Touching the Power in God’s Word by Dr. John Garr
• The Art of Teaching Writing by Calkins
• The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Edwards
• The Letter Writer: Paul’s Background and Torah Perspective by Tim Hegg
• Parables from Nature (Yesterday’s Classics) by Mrs. Alfred Gatty (RA to kids- Tab’s favorite!)
• The Hormone Headache: New Ways to Prevent, Manage, and Treat Migraines and Other Headaches
• The Pharoahs of Ancient Egypt, Payne (RA to kids as part of our Ancient Egypt studies)
• Riddle of the Exodus: Startling Parallels Between Ancient Jewish Sources and the Egyptian Archaeological Record (RA with Nathan as part of our Ancient Egypt studies- Fascinating research!)
• Hadassah: The Girl Who Became Queen Esther, Tenney (RA to the kids)
• Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats, Sally Fallon
• The Complete Jewish Bible

Chris

• The Liberal Mind: The Psychological Causes of Political Madness
• The Great Depression
• The Great Depression Ahead: How to Prosper in the Crash Following the Greatest Boom in History, Dent
• The Fallacy Detective, Bluedorns (RA to the kids)
• Are You Liberal? Conservative? or Confused? (An Uncle Eric Book), Maybury & Williams (RA to the kids)
• Lies the Government Told You, Judge Andrew Napolitano
• Trends 2000: How to Prepare for and Profit from the Changes of the 21st Century by Gerald Celente

Books to the ceiling,
Books to the sky,
My pile of books is a mile high.
How I love them! How I need them!
I’ll have a long beard by the time I read them.
~ Arnold Lobel

Books Read in 2009

Beth

• The New Laurel’s Kitchen: A Handbook for Vegetarian Cookery and Nutrition
• The Laurel’s Kitchen Bread Book: A Guide to Whole-Grain Breadmaking
• Torah Rediscovered (second reading, read it 7-8? yrs ago)
• Our Young Folks Josephus, Shepherd (audio, w/kids)
• Tales From Shakespeare, Lamb (RA to the kids)
• And Then There Were None, Agatha Christie
• The Red Tent, Diamant (LOVED it, but be warned, lots of s*x and pagan references in it!)
• Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus, click here to read my review of this excellent book.
• As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl, Colapinto (VERY interesting, disturbing, challenging and educational read!)
• Brother Odd, Koontz (yeah, junk food, but I got hooked, love a good mystery; a friend of mine left it at my house and I read it before I returned it!)
• Odd Hours, Koontz (then… a month later, this book-sequel to the one above- was sitting on the fireplace mantle of the timeshare/cabin we vacationed in… couldn’t help myself!)
• The Book of the Dun Cow, Wangerin Jr. (RA to the kids, old fave from when I was a kid)
• The Pharoahs of Ancient Egypt, Payne (RA to kids as part of our Ancient Egypt studies)
• Handbook of Nature Study, Comstock (portions)
• The Jewish Way in Love and Marriage, Lamm (fascinating)
• Shepherding A Child’s Heart, Tripp
• The Miracle of the Scarlett Thread, Booker (RA portions to the kids this year, read it in its entirety a few years ago)
• NKJ Open Bible (portions)
• The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness, Wiesenthal (Amazing, true biographical story. Spiritually challenging.)
• The Saturdays, Elizabeth Enright (RA to T10)

Chris

• The Incredible Bread Machine (RA to N13)
• The Fallacy Detective, Bluedorns (RA to the kids)
• Are You Liberal? Conservative? or Confused? (An Uncle Eric Book), Maybury & Williams (RA to the kids)
  

Nathanael-13

Many of these selections are from AO:Y5 and some are from AO:Y6, term 1: 20th Century, to which I also added a unit on Creation, Ancient Mesopotamia & Egypt that I put together from many resources.

• Oxford First Ancient History, Burrell & Connolly
• The Golden Goblet, McGraw
• The Complete Book of Marvels, Richard Halliburton (Wonderful read, Nathan thoroughly enjoyed it, even with required written narrations of each week’s reading!)
• What Everyone Should Know About the 20th Century: 200 Events That Shaped the World by Alan Axelrod, Charles Phillips
• The Endless Steppe: Growing up in Siberia, Hautzig
• Blood and Honor, Kerstan (This autobiography by one of Hitler’s youth who wanted to do the right thing made a real impression on N, who gave me a lot of spontaneous narrations.)
• The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss
• Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity by Robert Cwiklik
• The Princess and the Goblin, MacDonald
• A History of US, Hakim
• Secrets of the Woods by Long
• I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris
• The Sign of the Beaver by Speare
• America At War! Battles That Turned the Tide. by Black
• Boyhood and Beyond by Schultz
• Five-Minute Mysteries by Weber
• More Five-Minute Mysteries by Weber
• The World of Incredible Outdoor Adventures, published by Field & Stream
• Gettysburg: Voices of the Civil War by TimeLife Books

Tabitha-10

• History of the Horse: A Literature Approach to Equine History
• The New Encyclopedia of the Horse
• King of the Wind: The Story of the Godolphin… by Marguerite Henry
• Justin Morgan Had a Horse by Marguerite Henry
• White Stallion of Lippiza by Marguerite Henry
• Album of Horses by Marguerite Henry
• Draw 50 Horses by Lee J. Ames
• The Black Stallion by Walter Farley
• Black Beauty by Lucy Kemp Welch
• Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
• Joan of Arc by Diane Stanley
• Natural World Horses Playing Card Deck by Tomas Markevicius (These go with her horse study, she’s memorized them all!)
• A Wonder-Book – For Boys and Girls by Nathaniel Hawthorne
• Gentle Ben (Puffin Modern Classics) by Walt Morey
• High Rhulain by Brian Jacques
• The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
• The Princess and the Goblin, MacDonald
• The Warrior’s Books by Erin Hunter (Um, she’s collected and read. them. ALL… this year, yep!)
• The Complete Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales

& with Savannah-2

Books Read in 2008

Beth & Chris (studied together, and with friends)

• Restoration: Returning the Torah of God to the Disciples of Jesus by D. Thomas Lancaster
• Holy Cow! Does God Care about What We Eat? by Hope Egan

Beth

• Teach Your Own: The John Holt Book of Homeschooling by John Holt
• Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church by Ron Moseley
• Follow the River by James Alexander Thom
• The Mystery of the Gospel: Jew and Gentile and the Eternal Purpose of God by Thomas Lancaster
• Drawing with Children by Mona Brookes
• Drawing for older children & teens by Mona Brookes
• The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure by Hans Magnus Enzensberger
• The Count of Monte Cristo (Penguin Classics) by Alexandre Dumas père
• The Maker’s Diet by Jordan Rubin

Chris’s Read-alouds to the kids in the evenings

• The Kings Daughter and Other Stories for Girls (AB) (Character Classics, Volume 1) by J.E.White
• Tiger and Tom: And Other Stories for Boys (Character Classics, Volume 2) by J.E.White
• Missionary Stories with the Millers (Miller Family Series) by Mildred A. Martin
• Prudence and the Millers by Mildred A. Martin

Nathanael-12′s Books Read in 2008 (click to see list)

Tabitha-9′s Books Read in 2008 (click to see list)

Picture Books Read with Baby S in 2008 (that I actually recorded)

Old lists…

2008 Language Arts Helps

(I pretty much abide by the scope and sequence as explained here at Ambleside Online.)

American History Survey Read-Alouds, Assigned Readings & Videos
(This study has spanned a few years for us, so there’s quite a range of material and learning levels included here.)

Ambleside Online Year 0 ~ will be reading these with baby S over the next few years

Our Favorite Picture Books (coming soon)

Book lists we’re reading from or listening to on our iPods via librivox.org

Ambleside Online Year 1

Ambleside Online Year 2

Ambleside Online Year 3

Ambleside Online Pre-Year 7

Article of interest from our Archives, describing our adventure in Nurturing Readers.

Also a tale of how I unexpectedly found myself livid in the library and was reminded to be ever-vigilant as I venture into the halls of learning with our children.

Visit the brew*crew’s adventures in learning aStore by clicking here to see a collection of our most favoritest books, games, videos, edumacational resources, etc. (still a work in progress!) If you make ANY purchases @amazon.com after clicking through via this link, a small percentage of your purchase will help to support our book habit, regardless of what your purchase is. Thanks!

Some more of our reads archived…

Beth’s Books Read in 2007

Chris’s Books Read in 2007

Devotions with N & T in 2007 ~ Read aloud by Dad in the evenings

Nathanael-11′s Books Read in 2007

Tabitha-8′s Books Read in 2007

A love of reading is an acquired taste, not an instinctive preference. The habit of reading is formed in childhood; and a child’s taste in reading is formed in the right direction or in the wrong one while he is under the influence of his parents; and they are directly responsible for the shaping and cultivating of that taste.

- H. Clay Trumbull, Hints on Child Training (1890)

The mind of man plans his way,
But the LORD directs his steps.

~Proverbs 16.9