Travels with Charley: In Search of America by John Steinbeck - The author modified a truck into a camper and took off across America with his dog, Charley. My experiences with Steinbeck in the past were mixed, but this was a delightful book. His descriptions of the Badlands, the Redwoods, San Francisco, and many other places were a joy to read. Though confirmed in most of his opinions, he relished conversations with people from all backgrounds and walks of life, listening carefully to their stories. The book is as rambling as his journey, including a protest of school integration in New Orleans along with the magnificent vistas of the west. (purchased used)
A Priest in the Family: A Guide for Parents Whose Sons are Considering Priesthood by Fr. Brett A. Brannen - link to my post (gift from our diocese)
The Conscience of Israel: Pre-exilic Prophets and Prophecy by Bruce Vawter, C.M. - I thoroughly enjoyed Vawter's A Path through Genesis, which I assign to my ninth graders, so I went hunting for a few of his other books. This one examines the role of the prophet in Israel and then specifically explores the lives (such as we know them), the contexts, and writings of Amos, Hosea, Micah, Isaiah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, and Jeremiah. Vawter reveals enduring messages from these men of God beyond predicting the coming of the Messiah. I appreciated this book for myself and may offer it to my high schoolers when these books of the Bible show up in our high school plans. Unlike A Path through Genesis, this book does not contain the prophetic books discussed, so you would need a Bible for the texts. (purchased used)
The Chosen by Chaim Potok - This is one of the suggested supplemental books for Mater Amabilis's Level 4 history plans (eighth grade, twentieth century). This is the story of two young Jewish boys in 1940s New York City who become friends despite being from different (and often opposed) schools of thought. Over the years, their friendship is shaped by and shapes their families and each other in profound ways. This is a good option for the Level 4 student because it's provides insight into life in America during World War II and the creation of the state of Israel without reveling in the violence of warfare and the concentration camps. (requested from a member of PaperBackSwap.com)
Door to the North: A Saga of 14th Century America by Elizabeth Coatsworth - This is one of the many quality historical fiction books brought back into print by Bethlehem Books. In this book, Coatsworth imagines the journey of a young Scandinavian to Greenland and a grand new world. First Son read this as a complement to his early American history study this year (sixth grade). (purchased new)
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