A Solid Beginning to Chemistry: The Elements

Last summer, as I was contemplating First Daughter's chemistry course for third grade, I read about a new book on the Mater Amabilis facebook page. (Oh, what a wealth of resources and wisdom that page is! Join it!) Ellen Johnston McHenry at the Basement Workshop has created a number of resources for teaching chemistry, biology, and other subjects. The Elements: Ingredients of the Universe interested me as it could be the main textbook for our chemistry course and it seemed to be aimed right at First Daughter's level. I purchased the book and CD. The book contains all the text, activities, and lots of supplements. The CD allowed me to print the activity pages so we didn't have to write in the book (as intended by the publisher). It also includes the songs, which you can download separately if you like. I put the songs on our science playlist.

The Elements is designed for ages 8-13. First Daughter turned nine just after the school year started last fall. Her reading level is probably a bit higher than third grade, and I intended to assign the text to be read independently and then narrated. There are eight chapters in the book. You can see a sample of the first two chapters online. The text discusses the properties and definition of an element, the periodic table, atoms, and an introduction to the different families of elements (alkali, halogen, noble gases, etc.). The family chapters reminded me of the spirit of books like the The Burgess Bird Book for Children, giving personality to the behaviors seen in different groups of elements.

Within each chapter are lots of activities and the end of each chapter is a comic of The Atomic Chef. There are even more activities in the Teacher's Section at the end of the book. One of our favorite parts of the study was visiting the Basement Workshop Youtube channel where there were playlists of videos created to match the studies in the book. (Links to the Youtube channel are in the text.)

First Daughter's reading level was advanced for a third grader, but she definitely found the text challenging. I had planned on one chapter a week read independently plus an additional day when we would complete an activity or two together. After a few weeks, it became clear she was not able to narrate adequately, so I divided each chapter into two and read them over two weeks. I also worked through most of the activities with her to make sure she understood them. At the slower pace, she was able to remember much of the information. Most of the activities and videos were intriguing enough to pull the sixth grade boy over as well. In fact, he read much of the text over her shoulder, so I believe the stated age range is accurate.

For the most part, the activities First Daughter completed with me were designed and recommended in The Elements. I did encourage her to spend some time with EIN-O's Molecular Models Kit (originally used with Noeo Chemistry 1 which you can find here and which I wrote about here) and the Photographic Card Deck of The Elements which I received one year for Christmas because it's awesome.

This text was a solid beginning to our third grade study of chemistry. We spent fourteen weeks on this text and then moved on to some other chemistry books and resources I had, mainly from Noeo Chemistry 1. I imagine I'll write about those sometime, too.

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). I like to use the little I earn on the blog to purchase birthday and Christmas gifts (so they'll really be from me because the kids say I don't have any money).

Links to the Basement Workshop Store and Noeo Science are not affiliate links. I receive nothing from them, but perhaps you'll find them useful. 

My Favorite Picture Books: Robert McCloskey Love

Somehow, I have managed to miss all the fantastic Robert McCloskey books in my favorite picture books posts. I suppose it's probably harmless because surely anyone who stumbles onto this blog already knows about these wonderful books, but I still would like to establish clearly my love for them.

Make Way for Ducklings - Kansas Dad proposed to me in Boston's Public Gardens, so reading this book lifts my heart every time because I remember that day. We also lived in Boston for a couple of years when we were newlyweds, so really the good feelings abound. Second Daughters love for all things bird just makes it even better.

One Morning in Maine - A blissfully perfect day - a lost tooth, a boat ride, an ice cream cone, clam chowder. Reading this book always reminds me of Our Town and how the memory of one ordinary day nearly breaks Emily's heart. This is life and it's beautiful.

Blueberries for Sal - Bears, blueberries, and a baby. What's not to love? This is probably the favorite McCloskey book among my children.

Fun on the Range: Running in Circles

Second Son has my old camera. It works perfectly but the lens is smudged. Because it would cost something like $80 to have the lens professionally cleaned, I just picked a new cheap camera and gave him this one. He loves it. I frequently find the memory card full of thousands (thousands) of pictures of all the pages of Star Wars books or videos of him following the dog around as he (the dog) attempts to escape.

Recently, Second Son and Second Daughter have been making exercise videos, or perhaps they are just videos of them exercising. Second Daughter started it, I think, but this video from Second Son's camera is my favorite.

This kind of activity is what the Range kids call fun.

Reading Around the World in Picture Books 2013-2014: Central and South America

I'm behind on posting our selections for Reading Around the World in Picture Books. These are the books we read in 2013-2014 (two years ago!), when First Daughter was in first grade, Second Daughter was a five-year-old preschooler, and Second Son was three. First Son was in fourth grade, studying Central and South American in his People and Places studies. I selected picture books to coordinate with his studies. Even if he didn't snuggle up with us to hear the story (and sometimes he did), the books were floating around the house, perhaps offering additional inspiration for him.

** I've marked our favorites with two asterisks.

Unless otherwise noted, all of these books were library books.

** Erandi's Braids by Antonia Hernandez-Madrigal, illustrated by Tomie dePaola (Mexico), is the story of a young girl who sacrifices her beautiful hair so her mother can buy a new fishing net.

** Blue Frog: The Legend of Chocolate by Dianne De Las Casas, illustrated by Holly Stone-Barker (Mexico, Aztec), is a retelling of the myth of the blue frog that stole the secret of chocolate from the Sun God to impart it to the people on earth.

Abuela's Weave by Omar S. Castaneda, illustrated by Enrique O. Sanchez (Guatemala), shows a young girl who weaves beautiful fabrics with her grandmother then travels to the city to sell them for the benefit of the family.

Borreguita and the Coyote retold by Verna Aardema, illustrated by Petra Mathers (Mexico), tells of a lamb that escapes coyote's hunger through trickery and, in the end, surprising strength.

** Musicians of the Sun by Gerald McDermott (Aztec) is the tale of a gray world transformed by the release of the musicians of the sun. It's brilliant and stunning. A group of elementary students performed a version of the book using shadow puppets you can watch on YouTube.

The First Tortilla: A Bilingual Story by Rudolfo Anaya, illustrated by Amy Cordova (Mexico), relates the legend of a great famine. A young girl struggles on a quest to take a gift to the Mountain Spirit so it will send rain. This bilingual story has more text than some of the others. It also requires a bit of explanation about myths and gods of the people before they learned of Christianity, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

** Sopa de frijoles/Bean Soup and Arroz con leche/Rice Pudding: Un poema para cocinar/A Cooking Poem by Jorge Argueta, pictures by Rafael Yockteng (Bean Soup) and Fernando Vilela (Rice Pudding) (El Salvador), were wonderful additions to our study. I was excited to find anything from El Salvador because my sister-in-law was born and lived there until she was seven. These books are poems, written in English and Spanish, celebrating the food of El Salvador. Intermingled with the recipes are the kinds of comments and conversations that go on in homes where families cook together, talking of history and mythology and the world. There are a whole series of books by Jorge Argueta, Biligual Cooking Poems, all with different illustrators, presumably chosen to best reflect the style of the home country of the food.



Juan Bobo Goes to Work: A Puerto Rican Folk Tale retold by Marisa Montes, illustrated by Joe Cepeda (Puerto Rico), is one of many silly stories you can find of Juan Bobo whose foolishness benefits his family in the end.
 
** Tap-Tap by Karen Lynn Williams, illustrated by Catherine Stock
(Haiti), is a delightful tale of a young girl in Haiti who wants to ride the bus home. I always love the illustrations of Catherine Stock. Our library no longer has a copy of this book and I desperately want to buy one for our home library.

Josias, Hold the Book by Jennifer Riesmeyer Elvgren, illustrated by Nicole Tadgell (Haiti) - When a teacher has a book that can solve his agricultural problem, Josias convinces his father to let him attend school and "hold the book." The bean field resolution, while probably correct, is not convincingly told in the story, but it's interesting for American children to read about children in other countries who must struggle for the ability to go to school.

** A Gift of Gracias by Julia Alvarez, illustrated by Beatrix Vidal (Dominican Republic), is the Dominican legend of Our Lady of Altagracia. It's lovely and my girls always enjoy it. (owned)

** Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella by Robert D. San Souci, illustrated by Brian Pinkney (Creole / Martinique), is a Cinderella tale illustrated by the fantastic Pinkney. I love it, and so did my girls.

** Martina the Beautiful Cockroach retold by Carmen Agra Deedy, illustrated by Michael Austin (Cuba), is the story of a beautiful cockroach awaiting her suitors who receives unexpected advice from her abuela: to spill coffee on each one. Hilarity and wisdom!

Red Knot: A Shorebird's Incredible Journey by Nancy Carol Willis (spans North and South America), follows a single red knot on her round-trip journey from the southern tip of South America to the northern tip of North America and back again. (owned)

Miro in the Kingdom of the Sun by Jane Kurtz, woodcuts by David Frampton, (Inca) is the story of a young girl who saves her brother and the prince with courage and help from the birds, her friends. 

Chaska and the Golden Doll by Ellen Alexander (Peru) is based on the true story of Chaska, a young girl who longs to go to school but whose village school is too small to hold all of the children. When she finds an old Incan idol, she is allowed to decide what to do with it.

** My Name is Gabriela/Me llamo Gabriela by Monica Brown, illustrated by John Parra (Chile), is a story of Gabriela Mistral written in both English and Spanish. It is one of my favorite picture books.

Mia's Story, a sketchbook of hopes and dreams by Micheal Foreman (Chile, Andes Mountains) - Mia, a young girl whose village is essentially in a garbage dump, befriends a dog who runs away. While searching for him, she discovers a beautiful place high in the mountains and gathers armfuls of flowers to remind herself of it. She and her father then sell the flowers in the marketplace. The illustrations are wonderful though I imagine her home is less idyllic than the book shows. I like how the people are just people and the story isn't about poverty; it's exactly what it says: a story about Mia. I wonder, though, if the publisher and author/illustrator shared any of the proceeds with Mia's family.

 
** Love and Roast Chicken: A Trickster Tale from the Andes Mountains by Barbara Knutson (Andes Mountains) is a delightfully hilarious book in the trickster tradition. Cuy the Guinea Pig tricks the Fox. To escape his wrath, he ingratiates himself with the farmer but ends up in trouble again when he is caught by the farmer's trick. Will he escape a second time? The illustrations are rich and colorful, just as enjoyable as the story.

Mariana and the Merchild: A Folk Tale from Chile by Caroline Pitcher, illustrated by Jackie Morris (Chile), is a tale of a lonely woman who cares for a merchild. The merchild becomes a bond between her and the children of her people that comforts her when the merchild must return to the sea.

** Peter Claver, Patron Saint of Slaves/Pedro Claver, Santo Patrono de los Esclavos by Julia Durango, illustrations by Rebecca Garcia-Franco (Colombia), one of my favorite picture books, is about St. Peter Claver, a courageous example of dedicating your life to the poor and weak. (owned)

** The Pied Piper of Peru by Ann Tompert, illustrated by Kestutis Kasparavicius (Peru), tells the legend of how St. Martin de Porres led all the mice from his monastery without hurting any of them but to the satisfaction of the monks who were disinclined to live with mice. St. Martin de Porres is one of my absolute favorite saints and any Catholic family traveling around South America should read about him. Martin de Porres: The Rose in the Desert by Gary D. Schmidt and illustrated by David Diaz is another delightful book about the saint, one I learned of after our study (and which we now own). He's also one of the two saints on my favorite Glory Story audio CD. (I purchased this CD; this is not an affiliate link.) It's funny, even for parents, and neither of the saints featured is martyred for the faith. (Those stories are good, too, but they always make me cry.)

My Mama's Little Ranch on the Pampas by Maria Cristina Brusca tells of a young girl's experiences on the small ranch her mother buys and runs in Argentina. It's a companion to On the Pampas by the same author. Both of these books give a wonderful light-hearted look at the hard work on a Pampas ranch. We read My Mama's Little Ranch on the Pampas together and they read On the Pampas on their own.

Animal Poems of the Iguazú: Animalario del Iguazú poems by Francisco X. Alarcon, illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez (Argentina), is a wonderful book of bilingual poems written by the poet (mostly) while visiting the Iguazu Waterfalls. It was a fantastic addition to our study.

The Farmyard Jamboree by Margaret Read MacDonald, illustrated by Sophie Fatus (Chile), is the simple tale of animals. It was fun for the little ones to hear the different animal sounds. It's definitely better for younger children.


** Waiting for the Biblioburro by Monica Brown, illustrations by John Parra (Colombia), is another of my favorite picture books. We've read this book many times together. When First Son (now 12) saw it over my shoulder while I was writing this post, he asked me to request it from the library again.

So Say the Little Monkeys by Nancy Van Laan, pictures by Yumi Heo (Brazil), is an origin tale of tiny monkeys who live along the Amazon but never make a permanent home. Second Daughter loved this book. The rhyming text is full of noises and silly sounds, perfect for young listeners.

Over in the Jungle: A Rainforest Rhyme
 by Marianne Berkes, illustrated by Jeanette Canyon (rainforest) - It's Over in the Meadow, but in a rainforest, and not so beautifully illustrated (though I'm partial to Keats in general). This was nice for the little ones.

The Umbrella by Jan Brett (rainforest setting) is just as you'd expect from Jan Brett. The children enjoyed it.

Looking for Jaguar: And Other Rain Forest Poems by Susan Katz, pictures by Lee Christiansen (rainforest), is a book of poetry on animals of the rain forest. I enjoyed the illustrations in this book; they reminded me of paintings. A few pages at the end give more information on the animals.

Dancing Turtle: A Folktale from Brazil by Pleasant DeSpain, illustrated by David Boston (Brazil), is the tale of a turtle destined for soup who tricks a boy and his sister into helping her escape.

Mira and the Stone Tortoise: A Kulina Tale retold by Melinda Lilly, illustrated by Charles Reasoner (Brazil), is also a tale of a dancing turtle. I like both the text and the illustrations better in this version than in Dancing Turtle (above), but it's a lot of text for little ones.

We're Roaming in the Rainforest by Laurie Krebs and Anne Wilson (Amazon rainforest) shows a group of three differently-shaded children observing wildlife in the Amazonian rainforest. The brightly colored illustrations and rhyming text are well-suited to young listeners.

The Pot That Juan Built by Nancy Andrews-Ceobel, pictures by David Diaz (Mexico), is written in the same style as "The House that Jack Built." Longer text (in a smaller font) on each page gives a more developed biography of Juan Quezada, a potter who revived an ancient process and style. An afterward includes more details on the process and photographs of a beautiful completed pot.

A Mango in the Hand: A Story Told Through Proverbs by Antonio Sacre, illustrated by Sabastia Serra (unspecified country but Spanish-speaking), tells the story of Francisco and his quest to procure mangoes for his name-day feast. Proverbs (like "Better one mango in the hand than a hundred in the tree") appear throughout the story.

First Daughter will be in fourth grade next year, so we'll read many of these books again with the younger two. It will be fun to revisit them!

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). I like to use the little I earn on the blog to purchase birthday and Christmas gifts (so they'll really be from me).

Surprising but Worthy: The Children's Own Longfellow

The Children's Own Longfellow, poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow illustrated by "some of the best-known artists of the late nineteenth century"

Mater Amabilis suggests Level 3 students study an individual poet each term. I thought about doing a proper poetry study with First Son, but decided instead to read a few books of poetry from selected poets. Rather than setting aside a different time, I incorporated the poetry into our regular poetry reading time during our cultural loop. We read a few books from one poet all together once a term but divide them from each other with other books of poetry, generally aimed at the younger children.

We started the year with Jack Prelutsky, who is silly enough to appeal to First Son but is a man who appreciates poetry of the highest quality as can be seen in the anthologies he edits like The Random House Book of Poetry for Children and Read-Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young.

In the second term, I selected Longfellow. First Son has been working consistently on memorizing Paul Revere's Ride for over a year now. (It's a really long poem!) I thought it would be nice to read some of this other works to complement his memory work. I didn't pre-read the poems, just glanced through a bunch of titles from our library and selected a couple based on illustrations or how the paper felt in my hands. (Totally true confession.)

Originally published in 1908, this little book I found at our library doesn't even list the illustrators of the eight full-color plates, one for each of the selections. The illustrations are wonderful, just what you'd expect from turn of the century artists. The book includes The Wreck of the Hesperus, The Village Blacksmith, a selection from Evangeline, selections from The Song of Hiawatha, The Building of the Ship, The Castle-Builder, Paul Revere's Ride, and The Building of the Long Serpent.

The very first poem, The Wreck of the Hesperus, outraged First Daughter (age 9). "Who would put a poem like that in a book for children?" she cried incredulously, and a little teary-eyed, as I confirmed her worst fears of the fates of the captain, his daughter, and the crew. Evangeline was difficult for the younger ones to understand so I would occassionally stop and explain what was happening. They did much better with The Castle-Builder and Paul Revere's Ride, of course.

Despite First Daughter's misgivings, this book is perfect for a Level 3 student. First Son (sixth grade, age 12) didn't struggle as much as the younger children. I loved reading it aloud, too. There's value in giving children the gift of lofty poetic language even if they don't understand every word. There's also value in a parent savoring that same language while reading aloud. This book in hardcover would be a great addition to a family's library.

My Favorite Picture Books: The Big Snow

The Big Snow by Berta and Elmer Hader

The animals of the forest are getting ready for winter as the geese fly south. Deer, raccoons, mice, ground hogs, birds, are all preparing. Then, just after Christmas, a great snow falls. Hunger sets in, but a kind old man and woman put out food for the animals and birds.

That's all. Nothing else happens. It's a lovely peaceful book of the natural world and its intersection with our world, when we care to notice. After reading it, my children always want to put out food for the birds. They've never been disturbed by the realization we live a bit farther south and don't have any big snows that last all winter. (We do usually have one or two big snows that melt away.)

Pegeen and a Sale!

Pegeen by Hilda van Stockum

This is the third in the Bantry Bay series by Hilda van Stockum, which includes The Cottage at Bantry Bay and Francie on the Run. I've read them all aloud to the children, experiencing them right along with them because I didn't read any of them ahead of time. These delightful stories follow the antics and every day lives of a family of five children in Ireland, including twin boys. In Pegeen, a young girl befriended by Francie on his adventures in Francie on the Run, visits after her Grannie dies while awaiting word from her guardian uncle in America. She's half-wild but innocent, sweet-tempered, and fiercely devoted to Francie and his family. The children and I fell in love with her! More than once, we lost track of time while listening (or reading aloud).

The Catholic faith of Pegeen, Father Kelly (her priest who guides her while awaiting news from her guardian), Francie, and her family all shine through the pages, though never pedantic. When Pegeen worries her grandmother will feel out of place in the grandeur of heaven, Father Kelly comforts her.

Father Kelly's lips twitched. "Surely ye don't believe that God would promise us happiness an' then pay no attention to our wishes, trying to please us with what we don't want?" he asked, playing with Pegeen's curls. "Ye may be sure He knows exactly what Grannie would like most, an' He'll give it to her. For 'Eye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man what things God hath prepared for them that love Him.'"

The children romp over the fields in a manner befitting the wonder celebrated in Poetic Knowledge and the freedom mourned in Last Child in the Woods. Francie and Liam, twins about seven years old, imagine themselves warriors in past battles.

They made quick work of them, slaughtering everyone mercilessly, but they still had to destroy the guns. That was the best fun of all. Liam came with his arms full of dry sticks and Francie found some matches in his pocket. Very soon they had a bonfire as elegant as the real one must have been, some two hundred and fifty years ago. In fact, it was such an excellent one, and they had chosen their spot so well, that with a little encouragement Mr. Dolan's hayrick would have joined in the conflagration. Luckily the farmer spotted it in time, chasing the boys with a few bitter words and smothering the lovely flames with shovelfuls of earth. The twins watched it from a safe distance.

"No one'll ever let us have a bit of fun," said Francie, mournfully.

The author knew Ireland intimately and must have loved it. The descriptions lure us to Ireland as surely as they encourage us to delight in the beauty of our own homes.

Pegeen stepped out into the road, digging her bare toes into the dew-drenched earth and swinging her kettle merrily. She loved to surprise the first meeting of the sun with the blushing sky, before the day had properly begun. Over grass and low shrubs lay light webby cloaks sparkling with jewels. These the fairies had left behind when they fled with the night, Pegeen knew. A rabbit loped across the way, scattering drops like a fountain as he burrowed hurriedly under the bushes. Pegeen sniffed the sharp autumn smells and filled her lungs with new air.

Mother, Father, Francie, Liam, Pegeen...they are all real. Mother says, speaking of a pet rabbit:

"I was vexed with the beast, an' that's foolishness, for he only does what nature has taught him to do. But there, it's hard to keep a family going an' keep your temper as well."

When Pegeen asks her if she likes real babies:

"I like 'em a sight too much for me own good," said Mother crisply.

Later, Mother tells a story. It was like seeing our family as I imagine it (and perhaps not as it is in real life). At the end, tears are in her eyes.

"But Own chose the right thing, didn't he?" asked Pegeen. "There's nothing to be sad about, is there?"

"Arra, leave her alone. Mothers do be having tears tucked in the corners of their eyes that will come out, regardless," said Father.

My children laughed and nodded knowingly.

Irish folktales and history are woven throughout the book, too, just as tales of the American Revolution or St. Nicholas might in our own family. Pegeen surprises and enthralls the local teacher and her classmates with a recitation of one of the tales of Cuchulain. Later, she imagines herself in heaven and sees her revered heroes there.

She saw King Conor with his purple mantle and Emer, Cuchulain's wife, who possessed the six gifts of womanhood: the gift of beauty, the gift of song, the gift of sweet words, the gift of ready hands, the gift of wisdom, and the gift of modesty.

Six gifts worth pursuing.

We just finished this book last Thursday and I was delighted to see Bethlehem Books announce a Mardi Gras sale because I was forced to write about it promptly so I could tell you all about the sale as well.

On Monday, the 8th (today!), and Tuesday, the 9th, Bethlehem Books is offering 51% off all print and ebooks with coupon code mardi51 at checkout.

In addition to the Bantry Bay series, Bethlehem publishes the wonderful Fairchild Family series (which I wrote about here), and the Mitchells series (mentioned here and here).

We have also enjoyed many of their historical fiction publications: Victory on the Walls, Hittite Warrior, God King, The Winged Watchman, The Reb and the Redcoats, Old Sam Dakota Trotter, Nacar the White Deer, Madeleine Takes Command, and Archimedes and the Door of Science. (Just to mention a few.)

Basically, I have come to trust this publisher and therefore feel confident in recommending them and sharing about their current sale.

I receive nothing from Bethlehem Books for this post or if you make a purchase. I bought Francie on the Run and Pegeen for the Kindle at a similar sale last year. (I bought an old hardcover edition of The Cottage at Bantry Bay on Cathswap years ago.) The Amazon links above are affiliate links.

Geography as a Panorama of Delight

In volume 6, Towards A Philosophy of Education, Charlotte Mason describes how her philosophy of education governs the manner of teaching specific subjects. I happened to be reading this chapter recently for my Start Here book club and was struck specifically by the section on Geography.

She bemoans the "current" geography courses of her time

The whole tendency of modern Geography, as taught in our schools, is to strip the unfortunate planet which has been assigned to us as our abode and environment of every trace of mystery and beauty.

[snip]

No more may children conceive themselves climbing Mont Blanc or Mount Everest, skating on the Fiords of Norway or swimming in a gondola at Venice. These are not the things that matter, but only how and where and why money is to be made under local conditions on the earth's surface. It is doubtful whether this kind of teaching is even lucrative because the mind works on great ideas, and, upon these, works to great ends.

I'm not sure how schools teach geography now, if they teach it at all, but Mason argues eloquently for its inclusion in every child's education:

Perhaps no knowledge is more delightful than such an intimacy with the earth's surface, region by region, as should enable the map of any region to unfold a panorama of delight, disclosing not only mountains, rivers, frontiers, the great features we know as 'Geography,' but associations, occupations, some parts of the past and much of the present, of every part of this beautiful earth.

Level 1B of Mater Amabilis (first grade) suggests a family geography study which, while it seems fantastic, has also seemed overwhelming to me every time I've approached first grade (currently with my third student) so I've always just skipped it. This year, I thought I'd try using  A Child's Introduction to the World: Geography, Cultures, and People - From the Grand Canyon to the Great Wall of China by Heather Alexander, which I bought used after loving A Child's Introduction to the Night Sky: The Story of the Stars, Planets, and Constellations--and How You Can Find Them in the Sky by Micheal Driscoll from the same series. I've been reading two or three pages with Second Daughter about once a week. She's narrated it acceptably and never complained about it, but after reading the description of geography from Charlotte Mason and, especially, comparing it to First Son's Level 3 geography book, Richard Halliburton's Complete Book of Marvels (which is really two books and will be read over two years), I realized A Child's Introduction to the World just doesn't live up to the ideal. Rather than delving deeply into a few places, it skims the surface of everything. Too often, it spouts off a list of facts rather than inviting the child into a country's life.

I've decided, therefore, to set Second Daughter's geography study aside for now. Instead, we're going to increase the time we spend on her greatest current love, birds and The Burgess Bird Book For Children. (I have this one, which is lovely but quite pricey.)

In a couple of years, I'll have one last shot at first grade with Second Son. Perhaps I can gather myself together for the recommended family geography that year!

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). I like to use the little I earn on the blog to purchase birthday and Christmas gifts.

January 2016 Book Reports

Don Camillo's Dilemma by Giovanni Guareschi, translated by Frances Frenaye - Read my thoughts. (inter-library loan copy)

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander is the first book in the Chronicles of Prydain, highly recommended by a number of friends of mine for (especially) boys. I enjoyed it and intend to pass it along to First Son once he's finished the couple of "assigned" books he has left for the school year. I think First Daughter will enjoy it as well.

Only two books! I have no explanation.

Books in Progress (and date started)

• Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol 2 (sixth edition) (August 2014)
• For the Children's Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay (January 2015, with my Start Here book club)
• Humility of Heart by Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (February 2015)
• Towards A Philosophy of Education (Charlotte Mason's Original Homeschooling Series) by Charlotte Mason (May 2015, with my Start Here book club)
• George Washington, Spymaster: How the Americans Outspied the British and Won the Revolutionary War by Thomas B. Allen (November 2015) 
• Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child by Anthony Esolen (November 2015)
• Everything Must Change: When the World's Biggest Problems and Jesus' Good News Collide by Brian D. McLaren (December 2015) 
• Pegeen by Hilda van Stockum (December 2015, aloud to the children)
• Herodotus and the Road to History by Jeanne Bendick (January 2016, aloud to the children)
• Father Junipero Serra by Ivy Bolton (January 2016, aloud to the children) 
• The Children's Own Longfellow (January 2016, aloud to the children) 
• The Black Cauldron (The Chronicles of Prydain) by Lloyd Alexander (January 2016)

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). Links to PaperBackSwap could give me a referral credit if you follow the link, establish a new account, and post ten books. Links to RC History are affiliate links. Other links are not affiliate links.

These reports are my honest opinions.

My Favorite Picture Books: On My Way to Buy Eggs

On My Way to Buy Eggs by Chih-Yuan Chen

We've read this book a few times over the years when we've been reading around the world in picture books. This one is based on the traditional little neighborhood stores that used to abound everywhere but, according to the author and illustrator, are still common in Taiwan. In this sweet story, a young girl invents and imagines and delights herself all the way to the store and home again after her father's simple request for a few eggs.

It's a pleasure to read over and over again.