May 2024 Book Reports

Patterns for Life: An Orthodox Reflection on Charlotte Mason Education by Lisa Rose and Laura E. Wolfe - link to my post (gift copy from Kansas Dad)

The Ghost Keeper by Natalie Morrill - This was a second read (first read here), along with my book club. I enjoyed it as much or more than the first time through. Discussing it with my book club opened up even more thoughts and perspectives for me, so I do recommend reading it with a friend or a group. I haven't given it to my daughter to read. She's definitely old enough (eighteen year old senior), but very busy and tends to read much lighter things in her free time, which is fine with me. Like any book set in the time of World War II, there is violence, child loss, trauma, and heartbreak. (purchased used)

How I Discovered Poetry by Marilyn Nelson - I heard a poem from this book on the Poetry for All podcast and grabbed it from the library. The poems are set in the 1950s as a young African American girl grows into her early teen years, based loosely on the poet's own life as a young girl when her father was in the Army and they lived in many different places. They are readable and enjoyable, even though they cover some difficult topics. Recommended. (library copy)

The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Change Your World by David Robson - link to my post (library copy; then purchased a copy)

The Kate in Between by Claire Swinarski - This is a middle grade novel that explores social media, bullying, friendship, and relationships. It's surprisingly good. Kate is trying to figure out who she wants to be in middle school. Her parents are divorced, but her dad is a steadying and supporting influence. It's probably not great literature, but it does encourage the reader to ask questions about how we live in today's world. (library copy)

Seren of the Wildwood by Marly Youmans - Youmans is the author of Charis in the World of Wonders, one of my favorite books, so I immediately added this book to my wish list. It's a narrative poem intertwining myth and fairy tales. It's wonderful, but also weird and tragic. The book itself is gorgeous, and not just the cover. The poem's stanzas fit on facing pages, or sometimes a single page with woodcut-type illustrations. A well-made book is a treasure in a world that puts so many of our words on screens. My ability to understand or explain the poem is inadequate, but I found some useful and interesting reviews online: Front Porch Republic, Strange Horizons, and The Catholic World Report. I will definitely be reading it again. (received as a gift from my family)

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links.

April 2015 Book Reports

My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier is the tragic story of a family devastated by the Revolutionary War. I appreciated the attempt to show the Tory side of the war and how families were divided. I felt like the end was unnecessarily hopeless. It would be much too violent to read aloud to my younger children (who will be 9, 7, and 5 next year), but I think I'll even look for something else for my 11 year old son to read. (library copy)

Bright April by Marguerite De Angeli is the endearing story of a young black girl. Her Brownie troop is a prominent part of her life so nature study forms a background for much of her education. On a special trip, she suffers discrimination and prejudice but with some wise advice and comfort endures to develop a friendship instead. I plan to read this aloud to the family next year. I think Second Daughter (who will be 7) will particularly enjoy it. (library copy)

Mysteries of Life in Children's Literature by Mitchell Kalpakgian - my review. (inter-library loan)

Cinnabar, the One O'Clock Fox by Marguerite Henry was recommended by someone in the Read-Aloud Revival facebook group. As we're just approaching the beginning of the Revolutionary War in our American history, I thought we could give it a try even though I hadn't read it myself. I thought it was a fine book, but my children all loved it. They begged for me to read from it first every day. It's not particularly historical and, I think, made fox hunting out to be a bit less cruel than it really is, but it was fun. (library copy)

The Wide Window (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 3) by Lemony Snicket. We listened to this book on audio CD. I was pleased to point out the reference to Damocles to my daughter since we had read that myth earlier this year. We also had a good discussion about how authors choose names for characters that tell us more about them (like Captain Sham). The author reads this one, and he's a better author than narrator. (library copy)

Anna and the Baby Buzzard by Helga Sandburg with fantastic illustrations by Brinton Turkle is a book I found while searching the library catalog for something else. I just love Turkle's illustrations. Anna steals a baby buzzard from a nest (the saddest part of the book) and raises it as her own, learning to let him grow up and be a buzzard. Second Daughter is fascinated by birds and will just love this book. I intend to read it aloud next year. It's a bit long to consider it a picture book, but it is not a chapter book either. (library copy)

A Dog Called Homeless by Sarah Lean is the story of a girl who stops talking about a year after her mother's death, the blind-deaf boy who befriends her, and the dog who attaches himself to them both. Somehow it all comes together. Cally sees her dead mother, which is a little weird. I can't decide if she's supposed to be a ghost or if Cally is imagining her; the text isn't definitive. This is a middle grade book, touching on themes of loss, family, loving parents who might not know the best thing to do, and being comforted. This will be an option for First Daughter next year in third grade. (library copy)

El Deafo by Cece Bell is a graphic novel based on the author's life after she becomes deaf as a young child. She invents a alter-ego superhero to help her navigate elementary school. My children love this book, especially my 8 year old daughter. I think some of the references to a crush in fifth grade were unnecessary, but generally liked the way the tale is accesible to those who are not deaf, giving some insight into what it is like to be deaf and how important friendships and honesty are, especially when someone's life is so different from your own. As a interesting side note, one of our librarians is deaf. She used an aid like the one in the book but didn't have as good an experience with it and eventually stopped using it. (library copy)

King David and His Songs by Mary Fabyan Windeatt is a biography of King David in which the author imagines him singing one of his psalms throughout his life, with one psalm in each chapter. David's sins are appropriately presented for kids of all ages (as well as his penintence), but this isn't the kind of book that explores his life in great depth. My children enjoyed listening to this biography, recommended for Volume 1 of Connecting with History. (purchased copy)

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes - my review. (library copy) 

The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread by Kate DiCamillo was recommended on a facebook thread for the Read Aloud Revival group. Our library had an audio copy available and we needed something for the van, so I requested it...and absolutely loved it. This book may be one of my favorites of all time. There's courage, goodness, honesty, and kindness, in a world that's a little bit silly. Don't watch the movie. (library copy)

Evangelizing Catholics: A Mission Manual for the New Evangelization by Scott Hahn was the book selected for the adult education class at our parish. Overall, I'd have to say I don't recommend it. Though I don't think it was intentional, the depiction of Protestants seemed more negative than positive (or even neutral). I felt like Dr. Hahn wrote this book really quickly off the top of his head in order to have a book on the shelves focused on the New Evangelization and I think he probably has better books, though I haven't read anything else he's written. (borrowed from the parish)

Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry is another book set in Port William. This one tells the life of Jayber Crow, a bachelor barber who falls in love with a woman married to another man and remains faithful to her in secret until her death while her unfaithful husband ruins her family's land in a quest for a bigger and more industrialized farm of modern America. It's not quite as grim as it sounds, but was not as near lovely as Hannah Coulter. (library copy)

I also finished Minn of the Mississippi, Galen and the Gateway to Medicine, and Our Lady's Book. I read these just ahead of First Son, who read them independently in school this year (fifth grade). I may write homeschool review posts of them at some point. (all purchased copies)


Books in Progress (and date started)

• Open Mind, Faithful Heart by Pope Francis (January 2014) 
• The Education Of Catholic Girls by Janet Erskine Stuart (February 2014)
• Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol 2 (sixth edition) (August 2014)
• Good Poems ed by Garrison Keillor (October 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)
• The Story of the Amulet by E. Nesbit (February 2015, listening with the children on LibriVox)
• Humility of Heart by Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (February 2015)
• Lost in the Barrens by Farley Mowat (April 2015)
• The Austere Academy (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 5) by Lemony Snicket (April 2015)
• The Reb and the Redcoats by Constance Savery

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). My homeschooling budget is always grateful for any purchases. 

Links to RC History are affiliate links.

Links to Sacred Heart Books and Gifts are not affiliate links.

These reports are my honest opinions.

My Favorite Picture Books: Mr. Williams

Mr. Williams written and illustrated by Karen Barbour

Mr. Williams was a real person, a friend of the author's mother. She has created this picture book based on his words and it shows. Sitting and reading this book is like listening to a wise man recount his youth in simple but profound words. He was born in 1929. His large family worked every day (except Christmas), struggling to feed themselves and make ends meet. In one page, he admits he feared white people and that white boys would sometimes threaten them with his cars. Because his language is so straightforward, readers and listeners are left to wonder what this means without forcing any specific reaction.

The illustrations are not my usual style; they are bold with occasional green skies and blue faces, but their very flamboyance interacts with the starkness of the words in a fabulous way.

Mr. Williams had a difficult youth, full of hard work, but reading this book does not give the impression that he or his family were unhappy. They seemed to love each other and to work well together. Reading this book will give a young child a wonderful glimpse into the life of poor black Louisiana farmers in the 1930s and 1940s, but more than that, it will make readers wonder what beauty and goodness surround us every minute of every day (and night). It's worth sharing even if you're not reading through American History in picture books.

My Favorite Picture Books: Uncle Jed's Barbershop

Uncle Jed's Barbershop by Margaree King Mitchell, illustrated by James Ransome

I discovered this book a few years ago, when we read through American history in picture books for First Son's kindergarten year. I checked it out again as I was planning our financial history course for next year as it's a wonderful example of working and saving toward a business goal.

Uncle Jed is a traveling barber, serving the black community at a time of sharecropping and segregation. He is always saving his earnings to invest in a barbershop of his own. He sacrifices savings for his family. He suffers a total loss in the Great Depression. Yet he perseveres. It's a beautiful story, lovingly illustrated.

As with all great picture books, it introduces us to a range of issues like race relations, discrimination, family, sacrifice, dedication and perseverance, all seemingly without effort. They are simply part of the story. As a real tale based on the life of the author's great-uncle, it appeals especially to my kids who love to hear about real people.

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.

My Favorite Picture Books: Chicken Sunday

Chicken Sunday, written and illustrated by Patricia Polacco

I have to admit, Patricia Polacco is not one of my favorite illustrators, but that does not keep me from reading aloud many of her wonderful books to my children. Chicken Sunday is my favorite of her picture books.

There is so much to admire and love in this story, it seems difficult to believe: inter-racial friendships and understanding, love for neighbor, love for family, perseverance and dedication to meet a goal in service of another, financial responsibility and reacting to injustice with compassion and forgiveness. And it's a true story.

This book deserves a place of honor in every library.

History & Culture: Everything After the Great Depression

As we approached the end of the school year, I just started reading books in roughly chronological order up to the present time. I figured we'd keep reading a few a week until we ran out of books or the baby was born. That didn't quite happen, but here are the books we did read.

Lightship by Brian Floca is a nice little book about ships that anchored near dangerous areas and acting as floating lighthouses. The illustrations are captivating, though my kids were mostly interested in the "head." I'm not sure this book contributed greatly to our understanding of history, but I like it, especially how the people who man the lightships are shown to be brave by their actions.

John Steuart Curry: The Road Home by Alice Bertels tells of the childhood and career of one of Kansas's own artists. Many of his paintings are shown in the book (and we can see a few in local museums). I'm sure we'll be reading this book again, certainly before visiting the State House in Topeka (doesn't every school-child see their state house at least once?) where his dramatic murals are on display. I have read and enjoyed this book a few times, but the kids were not overly impressed. Perhaps after seeing the murals they'll be more interested.

The Farm Summer 1942 by Donald Hall should be brought back to print. It tells of a young boy who lives with his grandparents in New Hampshire one summer while his mother is working for the war in New York City. Though he travels by plane and train, his grandparents still use their horse and wagon. The book bridges well the generations by describing the upgrades to the farmhouse since his father was a boy. Peter learns to help his grandfather on the farm. In sweet simple sentences we see him grow to love his summer life, while still yearning for his parents and friends in California. This book kept the attention of First Son pretty well (the second or third time we've read it), but it was not action-oriented enough for First Daughter. She'll get there.

Crow Call by Lois Lowry, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline, builds on Ms. Lowry's own experiences reconnecting with her father after his time in the war. Nothing much happens. They spend the morning together, planning to hunt crows but simply enjoying the morning instead. The illustrations are marvelous, soft and evoking the shyness the girl and her father feel for each other. I love how this book attempts to show their relationship growing. (Some reviewers think it fails.) I read this book because I like it, but I wasn't surprised the children were not too interested. The only part they liked at all was when the father and daughter were making silly animal noises for each other.

One Thousand Tracings: Healing the Wounds of World War II by Lita Judge is the story of a little girl whose family connections to Germany develop into an effort to provide one thousand pairs of shoes along with other necessities to struggling families in Europe. The wonderful illustrations are complimented with pictures of real items the author discovered in her attic and based on the memories of her mother, the child in the story. I liked this story for our reading because it gives some idea of life after the war without being too harsh for little ones. I had also considered Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot by Margot Theis Raven, but opted against it when there was a long wait at the library. (It would also have been the only book we read that wasn't set in the United States or the Americas.)

Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum by Robert A. Parker tells of Art Tatum's youth. I enjoyed this story because it presented poverty without dwelling on it and showed Art's love of the piano and his music despite his blindness. The kids were not overwhelmingly interested in the book and even less interested in the music even as I pointed out the pieces that are named in the book.

Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney, was not much of a greater hit with the kids. I think First Son was intrigued by Scat Cat, who narrates Ella's life. Ms. Pinkney does a wonderful job incorporated some of the rhythm of Ella's music into the language of the book. Again, though, the kids did not love the story and were not interested in the CDs I requested from the library.



At this point, we stopped our "official" lessons for kindergarten. Because I've already done the work, here's the list of additional history books I had selected:

1. Rosa by Nikki Giovanni
2. Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King Jr. (Scholastic Bookshelf) by Jean Marzollo
3. Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Doreen Rappaport
4. The Story Of Ruby Bridges (Scholastic Bookshelf) by Robert Coles
5. The Bat Boy And His Violin (Aladdin Picture Books) by Gavin Curtis
6. You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?! by Jonah Winter
7. Teammates by Peter Golenbock
8. Reaching for the Moon by Buzz Aldrin

I may still read these with the kids before we have to return them to the library, but I haven't yet so I'm not sure how much they will like them. For myself, I recommend them.

History & Culture: The Progressive Era (1890-1913)

I Go with My Family to Grandma's by Riki Levinson, illustrated by Diane Goode. This fun little story follows five girls from five boroughs who travel to Grandma's by all different routes. First Daughter enjoyed finding the girls in each group picture. First Son was not entirely interested. (I have a soft spot in my heart for New York stories.)

Stagecoach Sal by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Casron Ellis. I thought First Son would love this book, as a "bad guy" features prominently, and there's even a snake. He was not all that interested, though. He and First Daughter mostly paid attention when I sang the lyrics to the folk songs (and I was pleased there was only one tune I didn't know). The illustrations are fine, but they are not really my preferred style.

Adele & Simon in America by Barbara McClintock. We have been enjoying both of the Adele and Simon books. They show the children wandering Paris or all across the United States, with Simon losing something on each page. My two love finding all the things he has lost (and some are not so easy to spot) and the illustrations are wonderful. Descriptions in the back explain each of the pictures and place the cities and places.

Helen Keller by David A. Adler is one of his early readers. I thought the story of Helen Keller would fascinate the kids, but neither of them were very impressed. I suppose they may be too young to understand the concept of deafness or blindness, especially since the closest they've come to such things would be the Signing Time videos.

Lucy's Summer written by Donald Hall, illustrated by Michael McCurdy. I love this story and Lucy's Christmas, in which Mr. Hall shares some of the stories of his mother's youth. They give a wonderful glimpse into an earlier time.

Least of All by Carol Purdy, illustrated by Tim Arnold. I've mentioned this book before and I still absolutely love it. First Son was a little more interested now that he can read himself and a little baffled, I think, at the adults in the story who cannot.

When Jessie Came Across the Sea by Amy Hest, illustrated by P.J. Lynch, is another of my favorite stories. Courageous Jessie leaves her grandmother and her tiny village to live with a woman she's never met in New York City. She works diligently for years to earn enough money to bring her grandmother to America, enjoying her new home and (presumably) not experiencing some of the terrible hardships of new immigrants. (We sometimes read about death in our picture books, or at least encounter it, but I do try to shield my little ones from too much suffering. They are still quite young for such realities.)

A Picture Book of George Washington Carver is one of David Adler's many picture book biographies, this one illustrated by Dan Brown. First Daughter was not interested at all. First Son was only mildly interested, and then really only because George Washington Carver invented peanut butter (one of his most absolutely favorite things). Even so, he announced proudly to Kansas Dad that George Washington invented peanut butter. I was a little worried about discussing race relations, but First Son just accepted it. (We'll be talking much more about race later, of course, as we read about Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr..)

My Great-Aunt Arizona by Gloria Houston, illustrated by Susan Condie Lamb, is a bright little story of a young girl's dream to see the world and how instead she taught generations of children at a local school and sent them out to the world instead. It's based on the true story of the author's great aunt. I enjoyed reading about how Arizona made a difference to her students without doing anything "great" after reading about George Washington Carver's amazing achievements.

Hattie and the Wild Waves: A Story From Brooklyn written and illustrated by Barbara Cooney is another of my favorites. The children have never been too interested in this particular book, however, and it certainly doesn't compare with Miss Rumphius. I liked including it with our history and culture books as a bit of a juxtaposition with stories like Jessie's above, as there were also some affluent immigrant families. And then, there's my thing for New York stories.

We'll be reading more about life just before the Great Depression in March. Suggestions welcome as I'm stretching what I've found so far to fill our days.