Deep in the Jungles of South America: River of Doubt

River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey

by Candice Millard

This is a fascinating book about the mapping and exploration of an unknown river in Brazil in 1914. A thrilling tale of danger, it's also a balanced presentation of the historical context of Theodore Roosevelt after his failed presidential race, the expansion of governmental control (or the lack thereof) in the Brazilian rainforest, and the environment surrounding the river. 

While on land, the members of the expedition could not sit, step, lean, or stand without entangling themselves in the predatory ambitions of some creature or, more often, hundreds of creatures of the Amazon.

It is thoroughly researched by the author, including numerous interviews with family and tribal members, including some who recount an oral history of the first contact with those from outside the rainforest on this expedition. 

In the dark, liana-draped trees that towered on all sides around the tiny wooden shack in which the men fell off to sleep, the warriors of the Cinta Larga--with painted bodies, hard bark belts, and poison-tipped arrows--slipped away as silently and invisibly as they had come. Obeying the timeless calculus of survival in the rain forest, they disappeared on swift bare feet into endless dark halls of leaf and vine. For their own reasons, and on their own terms, they would let these enemies live. 

Roosevelt and the other expedition members never glimpsed the people of the forest. Only in these later interviews was it revealed how greatly those in the forest debated what do to with the intruders and how easily they might have been killed. 

In addition to chapters bursting with historical and scientific details, the book shares stories of the real people on the journey. Theodore Roosevelt, of course, is the main focus. He didn't have the same skill set as many others, but was always willing to do his part and more. George Cherrie, a naturalist in the party, wrote:

"There was no camp duty that the Colonel shirked...It is the only time I have ever had my clothes washed by an ex-President of the United States!"

There are plenty of mature themes in the book, as well as descriptions of violence, destructive and immoral behavior, and unpleasant and sometimes disgusting physical maladies. It is definitely best reserved for older students or adults. I intend to offer it as an option for our high school geography course on South America; I think it provides a great link between the United States and Brazil. I thoroughly enjoyed it myself and recommend it.

I have received nothing for this post. I received a copy of this book from a member of PaperBackSwap.com (not an affiliate link). Links to Bookshop and Amazon are affiliate links.

How Explorers Created Our World: History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration

History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration (Great Courses)
by Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius

This is one of the Great Courses, a series of recorded lectures. In this course, Professor Liulevicius describes explorers from antiquity to modern times and our quest to land a man on the moon in the 1960s.

There are 24 lectures of about thirty minutes each, so a total of about twelve hours. Each lecture is presented as a story in rich language not without bits of humor. The lectures focus on explorers everyone knows like Marco Polo but also some less-well-known figures like Xuanzang (at least not as well-known in the United States) and Ida Pfeiffer. Here are some of the explorers included:

• Pythias the Greek
• St. Brendan
• Xuanzang
• Leif Eriksson
• Marco Polo and Sir John Mandeville
• Ibn Battuta
• Christopher Columbus 
• Magellan
• Conquistadors - This lecture mentions how Catholic missionaries in the Americas often struggled against those who enslaved and murdered indigenous populations in the Americas.
• Henry Hudson
• The Jesuits - There's only one sentence near the end of this lecture in which the professor indicates he doesn't subscribe to the faith of the Jesuits and (maybe) doesn't exactly approve of their evangelization efforts. Overall, this is a surprisingly favorable view of the Church and the Jesuits' efforts to protect and aid those they encountered on their missionary journeys.
• Captain Cook
• Alexander von Humboldt - The last five minutes of this lecture included a brief discussion of Humboldt's possible homosexuality. One of my daughter's asked a question about it, which I answered, and then we moved on. I don't think it added much to the lecture and you could easily just skip ahead a few sentences if you're prepared.
• Lewis and Clark
• Sir John Franklin
• Ida Pfeiffer
• Dr. Livingston and Mary Kingsley
• A few at the end looking at the exploring extreme environments: Arctic, Antarctic, ocean depths, and space

Some of these are nice introductions to the corresponding descriptions in A Book of Discovery, providing some modern context and framing. (A Book of Discovery is recommended at Mater Amabilis™ ™for Level 3.) Shackleton's ill-fated expedition to cross Antarctica is also included, which is described so vividly in Endurance in Level 4.

The professor also makes the voyages relevant - how these explorations changed the world and helped create the one we live in today.

I listened to this course along with my children without listening to it ahead of time. As I mentioned above, there were really just a few sentences I wish I could have avoided. Though they weren't always entirely excited by the lectures, they mostly enjoyed them. First Son even remembered stories of Maui from an early lecture months later when we saw Moana. I didn't, but he did.

This is an excellent choice if you have an extra Audible credit or if you come across one of the Great Courses sale when you can get two courses for one credit.

I purchased this course using a credit, which I had received as a paying member of Audible.com, an Amazon company. The links in this post are affiliate links, but the content is my honest opinion.

Escape from the Ice: Endurance

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

by Alfred Lansing

Endurance is one of the books recommended by Mater Amabilis™ ™ Level 4 for Twentieth Century Exploration. It's an extraordinarily detailed account of Shackleton's ill-fated attempt to cross Antarctica; their ship was caught in the ice. Many of the men kept journals, which were shared with Alfred Lansing along with remembered experiences through personal interviews.

Upon first abandoning the ship and contemplating a march of 346 miles to the northwest, to where a cache had been left years earlier, Shackleton prepared the men for the march by insisting they limit their belongings to the bare minimum. He believed it was essential to their survival.

Then he opened the Bible Queen Alexandra had given them and ripped out the flyleaf and the page containing the Twenty-third Psalm. He also tore out the page from the Book of Job with this verse on it:

 Out of whose womb came the ice? 

And the hoary frost of Heaven, who hath gendered it?

The waters are hid as with a stone.

And the face of the deep is frozen.

Then he laid the Bible in the snow and walked away.

Eventually, they had to shoot the dogs and a cat, some when they were forced to abandon the ship, and the rest later when their food supplies were running low.

Over the course of the ordeal, they camped on ice, sometimes surprisingly small floes. They pulled their boats over rough ice to get to water open enough to launch. They suffered through thirst, hunger, frost-biting cold, and eternal dampness. There's a paragraph on how they went to the bathroom, I suppose of particular interest to boys, and rather unpleasant. Dreadfully difficult exertion alternated with boredom as they waited for wind to blow them closer to land or warmer weather to open up the pack so they could launch the boats.

Day after day after day dragged in a gray, monotonous haze. The temperatures were high and the winds were light. Most of the men would have liked to sleep the time away, but there was a limit to the number of hours a man could spend inside his sleeping bag.

They slaughtered seals and penguins to eat. One episode described a migration of Adelie penguins right through camp; nearly 600 were killed in a few days. They had to eat the last dogs to be butchered, even some young enough to be called puppies

Though everyone was fully aware that their situation was becoming more critical by the hour, it was much easier to face danger on a reasonably full stomach. 

After four months in a camp on a floe, they were finally able to launch the boats.

In fifteen minutes, Patience Camp was lost in the confusion of ice astern. But Patience Camp no longer mattered. That soot-blackened floe which had been their prison for nearly four months--whose every feature they knew so well, as convicts know every crevice of their cells; which they had come to despise, but whose preservation they had prayed for so often--belonged now to the past. They were in the boats...actually in the boats, and that was all that mattered. They thought neither of Patience Camp nor of an hour hence. There was only the present, and that meant row...get away...escape.

The journey in the boats was tremendously difficult, physically and mentally.

But the dawn did come--at last. And in its light the strain of the long dark hours showed on every face. Cheeks were drained and white, eyes were bloodshot from the salt spray and the fact that the men had slept only once in the past four days. Matted beards had caught the snow and frozen into a mass of white. Shackleton searched their faces for an answer to the question that troubled him the most: How much more could they take? There was no single answer. Some men looked on the point of breaking, while others showed an unmistakable determination to hold out. At least, all of them had survived the night.

Some men complained more or didn't do their share, and it showed in the diaries. They were ridiculed, mocked, yelled at, but often to no avail. They knew there were getting close to land and feared they might miss it and end up rowing their boats right out into open ocean.

The sky was clear, and finally the sun rose in unforgettable brilliance through a pink mist along the horizon, which soon melted into flaming gold.

It was more than just a sunrise. It seemed to flood into their souls, rekindling the life within them. They watched the growing light quenching the wild, dark misery of the night that now, at last, was over.

They successfully landed at Elephant Island and made a makeshift camp. Shackleton and a select few sailed to South Georgia, a crazy attempt in their small boat, planning to return for the remaining crew members with a rescue ship. Though successful in reaching the island, the men they left behind had to wait through another winter before rescue arrived.

Illness, injury, amputation, exhaustion...but not a single man died.

This is a tremendous story of courage and perseverance, of shifting goals without suffering abject depression. I'd like to think First Son will consider his chores easier after reading about these experiences, but that's probably not going to last. Still, it never hurts to read about real men and woman (though this group was all men) who meet every challenge with determination to live.

September 2017 Book Reports

The Shepherd Who Didn't Run: Fr. Stanley Rother, Martyr from Oklahoma by Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda - link to my post (purchased copy)

Years of Dust: The Story of the Dust Bowl by Albert Marrin - link to my post (purchased used copy)

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren is the outrageous story of a unique orphan who moves next door to nice respectable children. I avoided this book for years because I'd heard it displayed a shocking lack of respect for those in authority, but decided my kids were old enough now to not be too influenced by that. There is an episode in an early chapter where Pippi leads two policemen on a ridiculous game of tag along the rooftops, but I found it more amusing than mortifying. Altogether, such silliness is not my style but the children enjoyed it. We listened to it in the van, which I enjoyed much more than I would if I'd be reading it aloud. (purchased on Audible )

Pocahontas by Joseph Bruchac is an excellent choice of books on Pocahontas. It focuses on the thoughts and events Pocahontas and Captain John Smith experience from the time the Europeans arrive and Captain Smith's adoption as "brother" to Mamanatowic. The different perspectives help provide some understanding for young readers of the cultural misunderstandings of the times. Bruchac extensively researched the events, incorporates the "voices" of Smith and Pocahontas, and uses his own understanding of Native American stories and myths to expand the story. There are multiples references to "Papists," usually derogatory, but they serve to show some of the prejudices of the time. First Daughter, in fifth grade, will be reading this book independently later this year. This is not one of the books suggested by Mater Amabilis™ but it is the book I prefer. There are lots of useful notes in the book regarding language and definitions. (library copy)

Manga Art by Mark Crilley - link to my post (review copy from Blogging for Books)

Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold by C. S. Lewis was the book club choice for this month. It's the myth of Cupid and Psyche from the point of view of her older sister. Lewis makes a few slight changes to the myth which give the sister the means to justify herself. It is the story of a woman who discovers only in her old age what love might have been. This is probably my favorite Lewis book of the handful I have read. (inter-library loan copy)

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again by Frank Cottrell Boyce is a delightful new tale featuring Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Boyce, with permission from Fleming's estate (or whoever owns the rights to the original Chitty book), launches the Tooting family on an adventure, led and protected by the wonderful Chitty. This is the first of three books and ends with the family in the midst of a new crisis. The three books are nearly one story between them. I found this version on Audible and bought all of them as soon as I saw David Tennant was the reader of the audiobooks. It's totally like having Doctor Who read us the story! (purchased on Audible)


Books in Progress (and date started)

• Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol. 2 (sixth edition) (August 2014)
• A Century of Sonnets edited by Feldman and Robinson (May 2017)
• The Complete Ramona books by Beverly Cleary (July 2017), listening with the kids
• History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration from The Great Courses (July 2017), listening with the kids
• Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (July 2017), listening on my own
• No Fear Shakespeare: Henry V (July 2017)
• Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing (August 2017)
• John Paul II: A Personal Portrait of the Pope and the Man by Ray Flynn (August 2017)
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the Race Against Time by Frank Cottrell Boyce (September 2017), listening with the kids and Kansas Dad
• Augustine Came to Kent by Barbara Willard (September 2017)

The italic print: Links to Amazon are affiliate links. As an affiliate with Amazon, I receive a small commission if you follow one of my links, add something to your cart, and complete the purchase (in that order). Try Audible - another affiliate link.

Links to RC History and PaperBackSwap.com are affiliate links. Other links (like those to Bethlehem Books) are not affiliate links.

These reports are my honest opinions.

Reading Through American History with Picture Books

When First Son was in kindergarten three years ago, we read through American history in picture books. Two or three times a week, we read picture books set in a particular time period. The books selected were mainly based on what I found in library searches and a few I had lying around; I didn't buy anything, but we were still able to read some wonderful books. I've been searching through the blog to find the particularly good ones to include for First Daughter's kindergarten year in 2012-2013. Next year, we won't read quite so many. Instead, I'm trying to find one picture book to read each week that will correspond to First Son's American history studies (Civil War through...well, as far as we get, but I'm hoping to get to September 11, 2001).

Well, I discovered that my blog records of our American history reading are rather hard to navigate, so I decided to write a post to help everyone, myself included, find them more easily.

For every time period, I was looking for living picture books. I was not particularly concerned with imparting factual knowledge like dates or big events. I wanted beautiful picture books that would delight us first and give us a feel for life in the time period second.

August and September: Pre-1600 North America - This group is mainly composed of Native American legends but also includes Columbus.

October: Colonial America through the Revolutionary War - the Mayflower, the Pilgrims, Paul Revere, Molly Pitcher, Johnny Appleseed and George Washington

November and December: Exploration, Expansion, and the Civil War - more tall tales, Sequoyah, Ox-Cart Man, the California Gold Rush, the Underground Railroad, and Abraham Lincoln

January: Reconstruction, Urbanization, and Industrialization (1865-1889) - The Statue of Liberty, immigration, and saving the buffalo

February: The Progressive Era (1890-1913) - Helen Keller, Least of All, George Washington Carver and more immigration

March: World War I and the Jazz Age (1914-1928) - The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Duke Ellington

April: The Great Depression - perseverance, family, and skyscrapers

May: Everything after the Great Depression to the present - John Steuart Curry, Art Tatum, Ella Fitzgerald, and some recommendations for later books

I spent a little time updating these posts, fixing the formatting and a few links that weren't working. I apologize to anyone who received updates in their readers for posts that are three years old.

UPDATE: Here's a link to the last post of the 2012-2013 picture books we used for First Daughter's kindergarten year. It includes links to all five of the posts.

May 2012 Book Reports

Edmund Campion: Hero of God's Underground by Harold Gardiner - This book shows the English Reformation very much in black and white. The bad guys are truly bad and the good guys are wonderfully good. I don't know how historically accurate that is, knowing almost nothing about the English Reformation, but I plan to read a few actual histories to get a feel for that. I think this could be a good book to read aloud to First Son next year as a supplement to our history studies, but I'll certainly read it when the girls are busy with something else because the descriptions of tortures and the martyrs' deaths are rather disturbing. (purchased used copy)

Inferno by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle  - This was the last book for my science fiction and theology class. In it, a science fiction author dies ignominiously and finds himself being lead through Dante's Hell (updated for contemporary sins and full of real and imaginary characters). It's been more than fifteen years since I read Dante's Inferno, but the authors do a good job of presenting it here so you don't have to remember it or know it to enjoy this novel. It's a bit impertinent, but I think is an engaging book to read concerning the problem of sin and eternal damnation. (purchased new by Kansas Dad)

The Gammage Cup: A Novel of the Minnipins by Carol Kendall - In this book, the Minnipins have become complacent, following leaders who have forgotten the dangers of the past. A few brave Minnipins are voluntary outlaws from a village that has become inhospitable to those who dare to wear different clothes or study history. They are the first to discover a great danger to their village and risk their own lives to warn their people and defend them. The more I think about this book, the more I like it. I will definitely encourage First Son to read it. (library copy)

Saint Gianna Beretta Molla: The Gift of Life by Susan Helen Wallace, FSP with Patricia Edward Jablonski, FSP (a review for The Catholic Company)

Into the Unknown: How Great Explorers Found Their Way by Land, Sea, and Air by Stewart Ross and illustrated by Stephen Biesty (library copy)

Zoya's Story: An Afghan Woman's Struggle for Freedom by Zoya with John Follain and Rita Cristofari - I picked up this book at a library sale and decided to read it when the reviews looked good. It was a startling memoir of life in Afghanistan during the Russian occupation through September 11th and the immediate aftermath. Zoya's voice is clear in the novel, young and blunt. I was particularly disturbed because she is nearly my age; I would often compare our lives at different times during the book. I'm not sure how to best help the women of Afghanistan. (RAWA, Zoya's organization supports the use of contraception.) Certainly prayer is a good place to start. (purchased used copy)

The Whisper of Glocken: A Novel of the Minnipins by Carol Kendall is a sequel to The Gammage Cup (above) and I think I liked it even better than the first one. In this book five New Heroes set out to seek the reason for the overflow of the river which flooded two of their villages. They are average Minnipins without even a strong bond between them, but set out nonetheless. (library copy, and shockingly, they had to pull it from the storage shelves which don't even have bar codes; this book deserves to be read more!)

Like the true chime of the golden Whisper which cut through mountains, it came to him--the truth about heroes. You can't see a hero because heroes are born in the heart and mind. A hero stands fast when the urge is to run, and runs when he would rather take root. A hero doesn't give up, even when all is lost.

The Saints Pray for Us edited by Christina Miriam Wegendt, FSP (a review for The Catholic Company)

The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins (first book Kindle edition, from the Kindle Owners' Lending Library, second and third books purchased for the Kindle)

Adulthood Rites and Imago by Octavia E. Butler are the second and third books of the Xenogenesis series. I read the first book as part of the science fiction and theology class. These continued the story of Lilith's children on a changed Earth. I wanted to read the end of the series, but I can't say it was entirely satisfactory. The whole concept is bizarre and disturbing. (desk copy of Lilith's Brood)

The Perilous Road by William O. Steele is a book I was considering for our homeschool lessons next year when we'll be studying the Civil War. Chris is a young boy who struggles with an extreme hatred of the Yankees even when his own brother joins them. In the end, he realizes that Yankees are just men, some of them kind and lonely, and that war is a terrible thing. It includes a violent scene of a Civil War attack and its aftermath. I found Chris's hatred overdone, but I think this could be a fine book for a child to read to themselves. I will not be reading it aloud with my young girls. I think First Son could read it next year in third grade but I haven't decided if I'll ask him to do so. (library copy)

Book Review: Into the Unknown

Into the Unknown: How Great Explorers Found Their Way by Land, Sea, and Air by Stewart Ross and illustrated by Stephen Biesty

This fantastic book describes fourteen journeys by men (and one woman) of exploration. It begins with an Ancient Greek man who journeys to the Arctic circle and ends with a man on the moon. Each one is selected not only for the forays into farther lands, deeper seas, higher altitudes and outer space, but also for the vessels and technology employed in the explorations.

Every chapter includes detailed drawings, maps, and at least one unfolding page that reveals more information on the voyage. The exciting narratives are perfectly complemented by these engaging drawings. I can imagine children poring over them. First Son is only interested in such things in moderation, but I know some more engineering-minded children that would not be able to put this book down until they read the very last page.

I read through the entire book just to make sure there wasn't anything derogatory of religion and found nothing at all (other than a brief mention that angels were not found at the highest altitudes). It is mainly silent on the ideas of Christianity and all other religions.

I do wish the authors had included a pronunciation guide either in the text or at the end for the names of people and places.

We'll be using this book a bit in our history studies next year. I think the chapters will be a good length to read aloud. The majority of the stories, though, will be used in our fourth year of history, starting with the 1700s.

September Book Report

Toliver's Secret by Esther Wood Brady is a wonderful book. Ellen Tolliver feels like she's scared of everything, but she agrees to help her grandfather with an important mission to get information to General Washington about the British as he prepares for the fateful events of December 25, 1776. The book provides a great amount of information about life for average people in the New York and New Jersey area during the Revolutionary War. It also shows some amazing problem-solving skills by the courageous Ellen. It's a great book for young ones and we'll be reading it aloud this year. (library copy)

Did You Carry The Flag Today, Charley? by Rebecca Caudill is a sweet story of Charley, just turned five, who attends The Little School in the Appalachian Mountains. He's an imaginative young boy, innocently finding himself in trouble time after time. In the end, we all learn a little about the magic of learning. This one is going on our list of read alouds, especially for the girls. (library copy)

Pocahontas by Joseph Bruchac is a much deeper and more informative book on Pocahontas than the Clyde Robert Bulla one I read last month. It is also written for much older students. I would guess at least middle school and into high school aged students would benefit the most from this book. It's still historical fiction, imagined from what little is known of Pocahontas and her people, but unlike many other authors, Mr. Bruchac seems to have a real talent for sharing Native American history, tales and lives. Recommended. (library copy)

Kateri Tekakwitha: Mohawk Maiden (Vision Books) by Evelyn M. Brown is one I decided to read with the children. We're studying Native Americans for the first couple of months of school this year and they've recently become fascinated with Tekakwitha. This particular book had one scene early on that I thought was too violent for the little ones, mainly the girls, so I edited it a little while I was reading it. Other than that, it's a solid and enjoyable piece of historical fiction. I haven't read any of the other Vision Books, but would definitely consider them. I am a little annoyed at some of the editorial problems - mainly commas and quotation marks not being properly used (or even consistently used), but those don't matter so much when a book is being read aloud. Kateri is a sweet example of loving Christ even when scared of when family members and close friends do not agree or understand. (purchased used on Amazon)

The Buffalo Knife by William O. Steele was a fun little book describing an exciting trip down the Tennessee River. First Son could read this book but I'm not sure he's quite old enough to understand the difference between Andy's language and behavior and what's currently acceptable. It will be on our list as a possible book in future years.  (library copy)

Protecting the Gift by Gavin De Becker (purchased copy)

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin is a fantastic book, far superior to her Earthsea novels (which I also enjoyed). The Envoy is attempting to interest the people of Winter in joining the Ekumen of Worlds. In doing so, he must bridge the gap between himself and a world in which gender does not exist except for brief times, and a bit longer if a pregnancy ensues. It is a book best saved for older students (and adults), allowing us to discuss gender, relationships, friendships, family and whether Le Guin has imagined an accurate or appealing world. My copy also included a very interesting discussion of gendered-pronouns in the afterword. (library copy)

Well, my list for September is significantly shorter than some previous months. I think it has something to do with starting school. I had no idea second grade, homeschool choir, Catechesis, story hour and soccer would keep me so busy. Though when I write it that way, it doesn't seem like I should have been surprised. I'm reading an excellent book now that I'll share in October and, if all goes as planned, I'll be sitting in on an awesome science fiction - theology class Kansas Dad is team teaching next semester. Hooray for reading!

Busy September Days

Grammy, the kids, and I spent the day in Medicine Lodge for the Indian Peace Treaty Pageant (and parade). It was wonderful! Well, the parade and the pageant were wonderful. The kids were hot and tired, but I think it was valuable for them, too.

If you are anywhere near Kansas, you should try to make it out this weekend.

We were late getting home, late with baths and dinner. We are all tired and have a busy weekend ahead of us: First Daughter's birthday, two soccer games, the usual Sunday PSR and Mass and a princess birthday party!

I need to get some sleep so I have energy for the cleaning and preparing and partying!

History & Culture: Exploration, Expansion and the Civil War

Mike Fink, a tall tale retold and illustrated by Steven Kellogg. We love these tall tales. First Son particularly liked reading about wrestling with the grizzlies and then seeing them later at the zoo. We also readPaul Bunyan and Pecos Bill later on.

The Bear That Heard Crying by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock and Helen Kinsey, illustrated by Ted Rand. I could not believe how enthralled First Son and First Daughter were by this story. It's based on a true story (of one of the first author's ancestor) of a three year old girl who was befriended and protected by a black bear when lost in the woods. It could be terrifying (and they do talk of the neighbors believing the girl was killed by the bear), but little Sarah is just a bit hungry and misses her family. We were able to talk about what life was like in 1783 (no flashlights!) and I love the description of the celebration at the end. The illustrations are wonderful, especially the one of Mr. Patch carrying little Sarah, safe and sound. It's an amazing story, but if you happen to live where black bears range, you might want to caution your children that snuggling up to a black bear is not recommended.

Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett is another tall tale from Steven Kellogg. First Son and First Daughter both enjoyed this one. It's full of fun. First Son may even like this one more than the one on Paul Bunyan. We also watched our first YouTube video (for school). The kids weren't as interested as I thought they'd be.

Sequoyah: The Cherokee Man Who Gave His People Writing by James Rumford is the wonderfully written biography of an amazing man, one of only a handful to invent a writing system. I love reading, "People took trips so they could have the fun of writing letters and sending them back home." Sequoyah perseveres through adversity and ridicule to give his people a great gift. The written word becomes a source of strength and pride for all the Cherokee, as it should be. It is, of course, written in both English and Cherokee and the full Cherokee syllabary appears at the end. Everyone should read this book.

Apples to Oregon: Being the (Slightly) True Narrative of How a Brave Pioneer Father Brought Apples, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Grapes, and Cherries (and Children) Across the Plains by Deborah Hopkinson and Nancy Carpenter. This book is another tall tale and quite enjoyable, for all ages. It's full of alliteration, puns, and imaginative language. The heroine, Delicious, and her brothers and sisters protect the plants throughout the journey. Her father has his head in the clouds, but is a visionary. Though it's only based on a true story in the loosest sense, there was a family that brought fruit trees to Oregon and made a fine living with their orchard. Second Daughter loves this story because she knows apples and can say "apple" and there are plenty of them in the illustrations. First Son's favorite part is when Delicious figures her boot went flying right up to the moon.

Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall and illustrated by Barbara Cooney. This is one of my favorite books of all time. It begins with a father's journey to the port to sell all that his family made during the year, shows the few precious items he buys and his walk back home. Then we watch them as they create more in the coming year. It's pretty much perfect and I hope you have the pleasure of reading it.

Going West by Jean Van Leeuwen, illustrated by Thomas B. Allen. I have selected quite a few books by this author and really enjoyed this one. It tells of a family traveling west by wagon to carve out their own farm. It shows some of the hardships endured (fear, loneliness, illness, hunger) but softened a little (just like the illustrations), always with some hope.

Boom Town by Sonia Levitin, illustrated by Cat Bowman Smith. I just happened across this book at the library and was so glad I brought it home to preview. Amanda has a craving for pie when she's faced with the boredom of cabin life while her father is panning for gold in California. Her mother is too busy, but tells her to go ahead if she thinks she can. It takes a few tries, but everyone enjoys the pie. Her father sells some for profit at the camps and Amanda's business takes off. Before long, she's convincing all sorts of people to set up shop in their boom town and recruits her whole family to help with her pie business. It's a light-hearted tale and all the kids enjoyed it (especially Second Daughter who was keeping her eye out for apples on every page).

The Patchwork Path: A Quilt Map to Freedom by Bettye Stroud, illustrated by Erin Susanne Bennett. With this book, we started to read about slavery in the United States. In a similar vein, we also read Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson with paintings by James Ransome. They both tell of young girls who follow a quilt patter to freedom, but I like Clara's story better. She sews the quilt herself, designing it to depict the surrounding countryside as described surreptitiously by fellow slaves who had been away from the plantation. I also liked the illustrations better. Incidentally, we own Follow the Drinking Gourd, but I liked these better so we didn't read that as part of our official history and culture time.

Abe Lincoln's Hat by Martha Brenner, illustrated by Donald Cook. Like most early readers, this book can be a little hard to read (all those short sentences), but it's full of funny anecdotes about Lincoln while also covering a few meaningful moments of his life and presidency. We all enjoyed it.

Birdie's Lighthouse by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Kimberly Bulcken Root. I wasn't sure First Son would be interested in this book, which is the diary of a young girl braving the elements to keep a lighthouse shining in 1885 when her father falls ill. I think the illustrations of the ships sailing through the storms that won him over. It's one of my favorite of our history books and I highly recommend it.

Three Names by Patricia MacLachlan, pictures by Alexander Pertzoff, is a book that could easily fit into a later month since no specific dates or national events are mentioned. It tells of a narrator's great-grandfather's life on the prairie, riding in the wagon to school with his sister and his dog. Nothing tremendous happens, just little vignettes of life in a one-room schoolhouse through the year.

Just a Few Words, Mr. Lincoln by Jean Fritz, illustrated by Charles Robinson, is another early reader (written at the second or third grade level). It addresses some of the more serious aspects of Lincoln's life and responsibilities like slavery and the Civil War, especially focused on Gettysburg. Using simple language, the book conveys the horror of the battle and the nation's sorrow without scaring the little ones. It's well worth reading. I even read the Gettysburg Address to the kids (which is reprinted at the end). I don't think they understood it, but I love hearing it aloud.

In January, we'll be reading about Reconstruction, Urbanization, and Industrialization (1865 to 1889). I'd be happy to hear any suggestions for January. I'm also interested in suggestions for WWI, the Jazz Age, WWII and anything later. (It turns out there are a large number of wonderful books set during the Great Depression.)