Second Son's Kindergarten and First Grade Book Lists

I started some reading lessons with Second Son, my fourth and youngest child, during his pre-kindergarten year, focusing on phonics using Doodling Dragons and alphabet books. Read about that loose plan here.

Once he had mastered the letters and basic phonics, we started lessons in The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading (skipping the first 26 lessons on the letters). Each day, Second Son and I would work through a lesson or two (or half a lesson, depending on how it went) and then we'd read a book together. Sometimes we'd alternate paragraphs and sometimes pages. Gradually he increased how much he read until by the end he was reading whole chapters aloud to me.

This plan worked very well for Second Son. However...if I were just starting out to teach multiple children to read over the next decade (as opposed to having taught four children to read over the past decade), I would be very tempted to buy the Foundations series. (This is not an affiliate link and I've never seen it in person.)

So here you'll first find all the books Second Son read for our reading lessons. Given that he's read all seven of the Harry Potter novels and is currently working his way through Stormy (which I haven't read) and a graphic novel version of The Odyssey (which I'm not necessarily recommending for your seven-year-old), I probably didn't challenge him enough. I suppose that's what happens when you're the fourth and last; I didn't want to skip any of my favorites and I wanted to let him read whatever he wanted out loud to me.

Unless otherwise noted, these are books we owned. I would grab a handful of books and let him choose one. These are therefore only loosely in reading-level order.

• A Bug, a Bear, and a Boy by David McPhail
• Sammy the Seal by Syd Hoff
• Danny the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff
• Walpole by Syd Hoff
• Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
• Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik
• Danny and the Dinosaur Too Tall by Syd Hoff (library) - Second Son found the Danny and the Dinosaur books hilarious, so we checked some out from the library.
• Danny and the Dinosaur and the New Puppy by Syd Hoff (library)
• Danny and the Dinosaur Go to Camp by Syd Hoff (library)
• Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel
• Happy Birthday Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff (library)
• Bear's Loose Tooth by Karma Wilson
• Grasshopper on the Road by Arnold Lobel
• Oscar Otter by Nathaniel Benchley (library)
• Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel
• There's No Place Like Space by Tish Rabe (library)
• Days with Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel
• Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel
• Cookiebot by Katie Van Camp - one of our favorites
• Findus Moves Out by Sven Nordqvist (library) - I adore Findus and even have a little stuffed Findus that sneaks around our house, entertaining us with bizarre antics.
• When Findus Was Little and Disappeared by Sven Nordqvist (library)
• The Fox Chase by Sven Nordqvist (also called Findus and the Fox) (library)
• A Story of Saint Blaise by Brother Franklin Cullen
• Lulu and the Duck in the Park by Hilary McKay - I wrote all about Lulu on the blog; she's terrific!
• Lulu and the Dog from the Sea by Hilary McKay
• Daisy Dawson Is on her Way by Steve Voake
• A Story of Saint Benedict by Brother Ernest
• Hot Fudge Hero by Pat Brisson - I just love this book and its sequel (Bertie's Picture Day).
• Bertie's Picture Day by Pat Brisson
• Anna, Grandpa, and the Big Storm by Carla Stevens
• The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dagliesh
• Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner - A little sad, so be prepared or pre-read.
• The King's Equal by Katherine Paterson
• The Giants' Farm by Jane Yolen
• A Lion to Guard Us by Clyde Robert Bulla

First Son's lists: kindergarten and first grade. In comparison, they are generally much harder much faster than Second Son's list. Since they both read well and neither of them hate me (or reading), perhaps this is some slight evidence that there's a lot of leeway for mistakes in this business of teaching someone to read.

First Daughter's first grade list is here. She doesn't have a kindergarten list because I didn't read "real" books with her until she had finished the lessons in The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading.

Second Daughter's kindergarten and first grade book lists, which I only posted last week.

We are officially done teaching reading here on the Range!

Second Daughter's Kindergarten and First Grade Book Lists

Second Daughter just finished her third grade year in 2018, so of course it's time to post her kindergarten and first grade books.

In her pre-kindergarten year, Second Daughter and I read some alphabet books (though not as extensively as I did with Second Son) and played lots of phonogram games from the Phonogram and Spelling Game Book. She's always loved games. Then we worked through the lessons in The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading. With First Daughter, I waited until we finished all of the lessons before reading any "real" books, but I realized later that wasn't necessary. With Second Daughter, we started reading books together after her official lesson each day so she could have some actual stories along with her phonics.

First, we alternated paragraphs. (I would read one, then she would read one.) Then we moved up to pages. Eventually, she would read half of a chapter or a whole chapter out loud to me.

The combination of The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading and reading books together worked very well. She can read! If, however, I were just starting out to teach multiple children to read over the next decade (as opposed to having taught four children to read over the past decade), I would be very tempted to buy the Foundations series. (This is not an affiliate link and I've never seen it in person, but I did purchase and use Essentials with First Son and, a little, with First Daughter, and I have heard good things about Foundations.)

Unless otherwise noted, all of these books are from the library.

The kindergarten books (2014-2015):

• The Lion and the Bird by Marianne Dubuc (library) - I remember this sweet day.
• Henry and Mudge Under the Yellow Moon by Cynthia Rylant (purchased at a library book sale)
• Harley by Star Livingstone
• Henry and Mudge The First Book by Cynthia Rylant
• Henry and Mudge and Annie's Perfect Pet by Cynthia Rylant
• Tye May and the Magic Brush by Molly Bang
• Curious George: A Home for Honeybees by H. A. Rey
• Henry and Mudge in Puddle Trouble by Cynthia Rylant
• Henry and Mudge in the Green Time by Cynthia Rylant
• Mouse Soup by Arnold Lobel

The first grade books (2015-2016):

• Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel
• Blaze and Thunderbolt by C. W. Anderson
• Henry and Mudge in the Sparkle Days by Cynthia Rylant
• Dinosaur Time by Peggy Parish
• Sammy the Seal by Syd Hoff (own)
• Henry and Mudge and the Forever Sea by Cynthia Rylant
• Henry and Mudge Get the Cold Shivers by Cynthia Rylant
• Daniel's Duck by Clyde Robert Bulla
• Hot Fudge Hero by Pat Brisson (own) - Such a good book!
• Henry and Mudge and the Bedtime Thumps by Cynthia Rylant
• Grasshopper on the Road by Arnold Lobel (own) - Second Daughter still enjoys this book, years later!
• Little Sister, Big Sister by Pat Brisson (own)
• The Giants' Farm by Jane Yolen (own) - This book has a candy recipe in the back that First Son still likes to make!
• Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie by Peter and Connie Roop (own)
• Saint Germaine and the Sheep by Eva K. Betz (own) - She also read the other books by Betz published by Neumann. They are beautifully bound books and make good gifts.
• A Grain of Rice by Helena Clare Pittman (own)
• The King's Equal by Katherine Paterson (own)
• Anna, Grandpa, and the Big Storm by Carla Stevens (own)
• The Shoemaker's Boy by Joan Aiken (own)
• Lulu and the Duck in the Park by Hilary McKay - I wrote about this series before.
• Saints for Girls from Neumann Press (own)

I posted First Son's first fifty books of kindergarten. Apparently I intended to post more but never did and I suspect I don't even have them written down anywhere. Here's the list of books he read with me in first grade.

First Daughter didn't have any kindergarten books (because I was waiting to finish The Ordinary Parent's Guide), but here are her first grade books.

July 2015 Book Reports

Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Craft Rubin is a book Kansas Dad brought home from the library and I read because I know habit formation is one of the pillars of Charlotte Mason's philosophy. I was hoping it would give me some new tools in the habit formation of my children. There is not much new in this book for those who have already thought and read much on habit formation. The main addition, I think, is her suggestion to identify the type of person you are in terms of how you decide to change your habits. Using that identification, you can sift through the recommendations for changing habits to choose those that are most likely to work in conjunction with your type. Kansas Dad, for example, is a man of logic. Convince him his life needs to change and he will change it. I'm what she calls an Obliger, which means I'm more likely to start and maintain a new habit if I feel like someone else is depending on me. Unfortunately, the book rambles a lot and the most useful tools for each type are much more difficult to find within the text than I would have liked. It's not a difficult book to read and didn't take very long, but I think it could have been cut to about a third of its length and made more immediately useful. (library copy)

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car by Ian Fleming is a delightful story. I think it's recommended as a read-aloud on one of the Mater Amabilis pages, though I can't find it now. The Pott family adventures are a delight and I look forward to reading this book aloud to my children next year. I think they'll all enjoy it (from 11 down to 5). (library copy)

Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll was a book I read aloud to the children over the summer. In general, I don't think we enjoyed it as much as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, but it was worth reading. (library copy)

The Good Galilean by Alban Goodier is not a book on the historical Jesus, but rather one that delves deeply into the Scriptural Jesus, who he was and how he behaved in his time on earth as reported in the Gospels. It would be a good choice for reading before the Blessed Sacrament. (purchased from the publisher during one of their excellent sales)

A Midsummer Night's Dream (Shakespeare Made Easy) by William Shakespeare. We memorized pieces from this play last year but I didn't get around to finishing the entire play myself until the summer. I read from this Shakespeare Made Easy version which has a modern English translation alongside the original. I only read the modern version if I'm not sure what's going on but I find it helpful to have alongside. I love to read the plays when we are studying them, even if the children never hear the whole play from beginning to end. (copy requested from PaperBackSwap.com)

The Vile Village (A Series of Unfortunate Events, No. 7) by Lemony Snickett. I might post about this series when we finish it. (audio version from the library)

I'll skip the list of books in progress until I catch up on my book reports

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.

These reports are my honest opinions.

April 2014 Book Report

The Year of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill is a sweet story of a remote school on the Alaskan frontier in 1948. It's historical fiction of the best quality and I think First Daughter will read it during her independent reading next year in second grade. (purchased used)

First Communion Days from Neumann Press is a book of short stories about little children and their relationship to Jesus in the Eucharist. I'm a little ambivalent about this book as a couple of the children die shortly after receiving (which is always a little weird for me, though my children have never commented on such things). There is also a story in which the child talks about buying souls out of purgatory by giving the priest a stipend and asking for a mass to be said. I felt like the practice of saying mass for those in purgatory and the tradition of offering a stipend to the priest are delicate areas, not well explained or understood by little ones. After talking about it with Kansas Dad, though, we decided to let First Daughter read the book because the stories are mostly sweet and it's exactly the kind of book she loves. We're just very careful in how we speak of those practices and explain them to the children. (received as a gift)

Journey to Jo'burg: A South African Story by Beverly Naidoo is one of the books recommended by Mater Amabilis for Level 2's People and Places focus on Africa. It's set during the time of apartheid. I think it's a good book for introducing that subject, but I'm not certain that's the impression with which I want to leave First Son when he's only going to read three books set in Africa. So, while a possibility, I'm not sure we'll be using it. (library copy)

Sand: Omnibus Edition by Hugh Howey is a single edition of all the Sand stories. I really enjoyed Howey's Silo saga and thought this one not quite as good. (borrowed for free from the Kindle Owner's Lending Library)

Mamba Point by Kurtis Scaletta is the fictional tale of a boy who moves to Liberia with his family when his father joins the American embassy there. There's a bit of African lore in Linus's unusual relationship with a black mamba, but overall I thought this was a great book of friendship, growing up, and family relationships, as well as a fascinating peek at life in Liberia in the 1980s. The author was the child of a diplomat in Liberia at that time and many of his experiences and memories are reflected in the book. (library copy)

The Good Braider by Terry Farish is the tale of a young woman in Sudan (now South Sudan) who escapes war and repeated rapes to a Sudanese community in the United States and then must learn who she is in this new place. It's beautifully written. A few brief pages at the end of the book give a summary of some of the events in South Sudan in recent years, bringing the reality of this fictional tale into clearer focus. (borrowed for free from the Kindle Owner's Lending Library)

The White Giraffe by Lauren St. John started off very promisingly with a young girl orphaned by a fire moving to a South African wildlife preserve to live with her grandmother. In the end, there was an extensive amount of magical African elements which I thought overwhelmed the better parts of the story regarding her relationship to the land, new friends, and her grandmother. I read this because I was considering it for our African studies next year, for First Son to read, but I think I'll find something else. (library copy)

A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story by Linda Sue Park is one I requested from the library as I was looking through books on Africa even though I thought it might be too mature for First Son to read. Based loosely on the life of Salva Dut, one of Sudan's Lost Boys, it shows some of the unrest and trauma of Sudan (and South Sudan). It's written at a middle-grade level but contains much violence and tragedy, in particular a young boy presumably eaten by a lion and Salva's uncle being mercilessly shot, so you'd want to read it yourself before sharing it with a younger child. I think First Son could handle the story but haven't yet decided how much of the harsh realities of some African countries I want to include in his studies next year. One of the things I like about this book is the strategy Salva uses to survive his ordeals and how he translates that into triumph for himself and his goals to improve life in his home country. (library copy)

King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green, from this wonderful list of books for boys, is one I was contemplating for First Son to read next year, in fifth grade. I wanted to read it myself first because of the relationship between Queen Guinevere and Sir Launcelot. (There's plenty of smiting through helmets and cutting off the heads of knights, too, but I wasn't too worried about that.) The language regarding the relationship is vague enough to be appropriate for pretty much any age. It's on his list for next year, but I'll probably put it at the end or ask him to read it the summer after fifth grade. This was my own first introduction to King Arthur proper and I enjoyed it tremendously. (library copy)

Twinkie, Deconstructed: My Journey to Discover How the Ingredients Found in Processed Foods Are Grown, Mined (Yes, Mined), and Manipulated into What America Eats by Steve Ettlinger gives the gritty details about all the major chemicals in processed foods. I thought it was fascinating and anyone interested in food chemistry should read this book. Even those who don't eat a lot of processed foods might be interested in reading the chapter on enriched flour. All those vitamins come from China and no one seems quite sure about which companies make them, let alone overseeing the processes themselves. On the other hand, it seems pretty clear the addition of the vitamins has made a measurable difference in the health of Americans. (library copy)

She Touched the World: Laura Bridgman, Deaf-Blind Pioneer by Sarah Hobart Alexander and Robert Alexander is a short chapter biography of a girl from Hanover, New Hampshire, who was the first to learn using the innovative techniques that taught Helen Keller. It's well illustrated with photographs and includes a chapter at the end comparing Laura's education with that of a deaf-blind student today. It's written at a middle-grade level, I think, but I was fascinated. Of course, I have a soft spot in my heart for Hanover and Boston, both of which feature in the book. This book is definitely on our list for independent reading or a family read-aloud when we study this time period in American history in a few years. (library copy)

Martha and Chip by Katharine Sohler is a fantasy book written by a young woman who was homeschooled. I was considering buying it for First Daughter but instead decided to encourage her to read it before I had to return it to inter-library loan. It's a nice little story for young readers. (inter-library loan)

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is a tale of magic and romance. It was wonderful. (library play-away)

Legend by Marie Lu is a young adult dystopian novel in which a wicked government is experimenting on their citizens and ruthlessly killing them to maintain control. It's not very nuanced, but an enjoyable summer read. It's the first of (of course) a trilogy. (library copy)

Books in Progress (and date started)

• Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling (September 2013)
• Open Mind, Faithful Heart by Pope Francis (January 2014) 
• The Education Of Catholic Girls by Janet Erskine Stuart (February 2014)
• Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift (February 2014)
• The Idea of a University by John Henry Cardinal Newman (February 2014)
• A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller (April 2014)
• A Little Maid of Old Philadelphia by Alice Turner Curtis (April 2014)

First Daughter's First Grade Books

We started First Daughter's first grade reading by finishing up The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading, which I reviewed here last year. We did two lessons a day for a few weeks. Near the end of the book, the lessons get quite a bit longer, so then we went back to one a day and even sometimes split one between two days. She finished the book in week 6 and we moved on to real books. I wasn't sure what her level would be and she read a few books at the beginning that were pretty far below her challenge reading level, but they are good books so it was fun to read them.

I had First Daughter read aloud to me for the entire year. She had a bad habit of skipping words and I wasn't sure why. Was she struggling with words she should know how to read? Was she skimming and substituting a word she knew fit the sentence? (First Son used to do that, replacing words he couldn't read with a word he knew fit.) In the end, I decided she was just reading really fast and skipping short little words she didn't think were very important. So while her reading level was quite good, I asked her to continue reading aloud and made sure she slowed down enough to read each word. If I had been busier this year or had a newborn or something, I would certainly have switched her to independent reading. To provide some practice and time when she was forced to read slowly, I would have asked her to read aloud to me once a week or so, but probably a book I would otherwise have read aloud to her to decrease the time involved.

So, on to the real books! Here's the list of books First Daughter read aloud to me in her first grade year:

Grasshopper on the Road by Arnold Lobel, because no education is complete without Arnold Lobel. I made sure there were a few of his books lying around so she could read them for fun, too, but she was already pretty far beyond this reading level.

Hot Fudge Hero and Bertie's Picture Day by Pat Brisson, both of which are among my very favorite books. Bertie is a great kid and the relationships he has with his parents, his sister, his friend, and his neighbor are the kind I want my kids to emulate. First Daughter also read Little Sister, Big Sister by the same author about a different family. These books are all out of print, but our library has them all. I snagged my copies on PaperBackSwap.com, where as I write they are all available, though not necessarily in hardcover.

The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner is the first of the Boxcar Mysteries. First Daughter enjoyed this book and I like introducing it to kids because it gives them a whole series to read on their own, but I'm not going to have the other two read it aloud to me. I can't explain why, because the children are sweet and the content of the stories are perfect for early readers (exciting, but not too exciting), but I just don't care for it. We own the first six books in the series and neither First Son or First Daughter read them all.

Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie by Julie Sternberg is a book about change. It's sweet and funny.

The Best-Loved Doll by Rebecca Caudill is an older book, but the love of little girls for the dolls is still strong today. First Daughter loved this book. I think she read it over two days.

The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dalgliesh is one of those easy to read chapter books that are worthy of being read by anyone. First Daughter was a little frightened by this book, but I kept encouraging her to read on and she persevered.

Daisy Dawson Is on Her Way! by Steve Voake is a wonderful little book and the beginning of a series. It's perfect for early elementary readers, especially girls. First Daughter and I were both delighted by Daisy.

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan is a classic for a reason. First Son never read it because I didn't realize how simply it is written. First Daughter loved it and I was as happy to listen to her read it aloud as I had been to read it myself the summer before.

The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh is another of those books I love to hear my children read aloud. Sarah's courage is the kind that of courage we all need to do things that seem frightening but are surmountable.

Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown, a story of high entertainment for the early elementary crowd.

"B" Is for Betsy by Carolyn Haywood is the first book in a series. Betsy is in first grade in this one and the descriptions of her class and her adventures are sweet. First Daughter loved this book and I actually enjoyed it more listening to First Daughter read it than I did when reading it to myself.

Unlike First Son, First Daughter devours books, often reading for long stretches of time during the day. In addition to the books she read aloud to me, I have a need to provide lots of supplemental reading for her. Throughout the year, these are the books she read in her own time:

The Complete Ramona Collection, multiple times. She has, in fact, read some of these books so often that my old copies fell apart. Thank goodness for the library.

The Magic Tree House books, though she tired of these after the first twenty or so.

The Junie B. Jones books, which I have never read. First Daughter thought Junie B. Jones was based on Ramona, and she's probably right.

Bramble and Maggie: Horse Meets Girl and Bramble and Maggie: Give and Take by Jessie Haas, which First Daughter particularly enjoyed because she thinks we need a pony here on the Range. (If only they were not so expensive to feed!)

Like Bug Juice on a Burger, the sequel to Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie.

The rest of the Daisy Dawson books

The sequels to Sarah, Plain and Tall, of which there are four. (I've only read the first two of these, though I keep meaning to read the last two just to see what happens.

A variety of Flat Stanley books, none of which I have read, but which First Son and First Daughter have both been enjoying.

Off and on throughout the year, she read from the Little House books. She is now currently in the middle of The Long Winter and intends to read the rest of the them this summer.

Just for comparison, here's the list of books First Son read when he was in first grade. It's interesting to me to see how different their interests are. First Daughter didn't really want to read any of the Magic School Bus chapter books. First Son had to be forced to read the Little House books and the Narnia books in third grade. They basically took him through the whole year. Even though he enjoyed them, he had no interest in reading ahead on his own time. First Daughter will probably jump at the chance to read the Narnia books all on her own.

I have a long list of books for First Daughter to read, but given her propensity to read at all hours of the day, I'm always happy to hear more suggestions. Let me know if there's something you think she'd enjoy!

May 2013 Book Report

Call It Courage by Armstrong Perry is a Polynesian legend of a young boy who is afraid of the sea, in a culture and world where the sea is everything. Mafatu flees his island on a quest to conquer his fears, planning to return as a son to make his father proud. Seeking the conditional love of his father is the only disappointment in the book of perseverance, skill, and strength. Beautifully written, it's a wonderful book. I originally found it in an article at Memoria Press. If I had read it early enough, I would have included it as independent reading in third grade along with our study of the South Pacific Jungle Islands, but instead First Son will read it as one of his independent geography books in fourth grade. (library copy, but I recently requested a copy at PaperBackSwap.com)

The Boy from Reactor 4 by Orest Stelmach is a mystery and action story of a young woman's quest to find a famous Ukrainian thief and the supposed millions he stole. It's nothing special, really, and I almost stopped reading it, but it was a good option on a hard day when I was distracted and limping around on a twisted ankle. I kept thinking I must have picked out a sequel because the back-story seemed too complicated, but apparently it's a first novel. (Kindle edition borrowed for free from the Kindle Owners' Lending Library)

The Midnight Folk by John Masefield is on the list of possible classic books to read in Level 2, but I personally didn't like it that much. It seemed disjointed, various scenes written but without a solid plot line. There was also a lot of drinking and smoking (not by the main boy). So I don't think I'll give it to First Son next year. (library copy)

Begin Again: 150 Kansas Poems edited by Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg is one I picked up when thinking about poems for the children, not for them, but because I thought I should be reading poetry myself. I tried to read every poem slowly, but some of them did not appeal to me. It's a problem I have with all poetry. Luckily the children don't have that option since they listen to me read aloud. I surprised myself by finding two poems I particularly liked. At the end, when I went back to them, I realized they were both by the same poet, Ramona McCallum. You can read one of them here. (She has a number of poems on the site.) Our library doesn't have her book, though, so I'll have to request it from inter-library loan. (library copy)

Stations of the Nativity by Lawrence Boadt (inter-library loan, but I purchased a copy after reading it)


Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey by Sofia Cavalletti, Patricia Coulter, Gianna Gobbi, and Silvana Q. Montanaro (purchased copy)

Where the Flame Trees Bloom by Alma Flor Ada is one of the possible books listed by Mater Amabilis in Level 2 for the People and Places study of the Americas. It's a series of short stories, memories of a girl's childhood in Cuba. Many of the stories are sweet and well-written. First Son may read it next year in fourth grade. I'm still looking into our options. (PaperBackSwap.com)

The Pied Piper of Hamelin by Robert Browning with illustrations by Kate Greenaway is a nice edition of this poem for children. I had never read the entire poem myself and am now looking forward to sharing it with the children next year. I think we'll start our poetry with some Shakespearean sonnets, then read this together. (library copy)

The Most Beautiful Place in the World by Ann Cameron is a book I found while searching Amazon and our library catalog for books set in Central or South American. It tells of Juan who lives with his grandmother after his father abandons them and his mother leaves him to marry another man. His grandmother loves him a great deal and encourages him in his studies, but I decided against using this in our Central and South American study because I am reluctant to share stories of children abandoned by their parents with my children. (library)

Like Bug Juice on a Burger by Julie Sternberg is a sequel to Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie which I read recently. In this one, Eleanor goes off to summer camp. It's not as idyllic as she expects but she perseveres. I would never send my nine year old off to sleep-away camp for two weeks, but the book was excellent and I put it on the list for First Daughter to read in the future, maybe next year. (library)

Tierra del Fuego: A Journey to the End of the Earth by Peter Lourie is a brief book full of photographs of his visit to Tierra del Fuego. It gives a little introduction to the people and culture and would be easy enough for a fairly early reader. It's another book I found while searching for Central and South American books and I'm considering it as part of our People and Places studies in fourth grade. (library copy)

The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright was available as a Playaway from our library so I pre-read it very quickly before we took a long car trip. It's a delightful story of four children who pool their allowance to give one child each week a truly eventful experience. First Daughter listened to this book on our trip and loved it. (library copy)

Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson came up in the library searches I did for Central and South American books. Set in 1901, orphaned Maia travels to the Amazon River basin to live with relatives and Miss Minton, a governess who becomes a trusted friend. I'm putting this in our plans for next year as part of our study of Central and South America. I enjoyed it and I think First Son will like it, too. (library copy, but I've requested one from PaperBackSwap.com)

Half Way Home by Hugh Howey is the story of a group of colonists released too soon, questioning the AI that is supposed to help them and struggling to survive. The homosexuality of the main character was more prominent in the story than I had anticipated, but other than that it was alright. This is the kind of story I like to have when we're traveling and I want to read to pass the time but have to stop often to look out the window. Perfect for that. (Hugh Howey is the author of the Wool series, which I've really enjoyed.) (purchased for the Kindle when it was only $1)

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein (purchased copy)


Books in Progress (and date started)

• Destination: Bethlehem (December 2012)
• The Cloister Walk (January 2013)
• Treasure Island (March 2013)
• The Mass and The Saints (April 2013)
• The End of the Affair (April 2013)
• Lorna Doone by Richard Blackmore (May 2013)
• The Adventures of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green (May 2013)
• He and I by Gabrielle Bossis (May 2013, from The Catholic Company)
• The Cure of Ars: The Priest Who Out-Talked the Devil (May 2013)
• Roadside Picnic (May 2013)

March 2013 Book Reports

Ice Age by Brian Freemantle is a science fiction book about a virus released from the melting ice caps. There are too many problems with this book to mention. Please don't read it. (purchased for the Kindle when it was a Kindle Daily Deal)

"B" Is for Betsy by Carolyn Haywood is a sweet little story of young Betsy in her first year of school. If you have a young reader eager for chapter books, it would be a good choice. Personally, I don't think it's as good as Happy Little Family, but it may be easier to find. (library copy)

Love in the Little Things: Tales of Family Life by Mike Aquilina is a collection of essays on Catholic family life. The short essays are a good length for harried parents of young children and do a nice job of connecting what we do as we move through our days with spiritual growth and the life of the Church. (inter-library loan)

Chucaro: Wild Pony of the Pampa by Francis Kalnay is more the story of the gaucho Juan than the wild pony, but it's a quiet story of the pampa of Argentina. It's recommended by Mater Amabilis for Level 2 when reading about the Americas. I thought it was amusing at times and a nice little book (probably a bit easier reading than First Son will need in fourth grade). I'm happy with this book as one of the three he'll read, but I'm open to other ideas for South American books. (Secret of the Andes is an option as well, but I'm not sure how much he'd enjoy it.) (library copy)

The Behavior Gap: Simple Ways to Stop Doing Dumb Things with Money by Carl Richards is mostly a book on investing. Kansas Dad and I don't do a lot of that. (We have some retirement accounts, but nothing we spend any time on.) I found this book fascinating, though, because it really encourages people to think about their own goals and dreams, then pick a financial strategy. It's inspired me (and therefore Kansas Dad) to take a little time this year to review our financial goals and how we plan to reach them. Last year, we focused on our physical health. I'm not at the end of that journey yet, but I think I'm ready to tackle something else in the same way. (library copy)

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh is a rather awful book. Harriet is mean and spiteful. She experiences no personal growth. The adults are all complicit or vacuous. Seriously, skip it. (library copy)

The Cay by Theodore Taylor is recommended as a book on the Americas for Mater Amabilis Level 2. Set during World War II, Philip finds himself alone on a raft with an old black man after his ship is torpedoed. A head injury causes him to go blind before they reach an island. The novel follows his growth from a completely dependent and frightened boy while telling quite a bit about the geography of the Caribbean. I think it'll be a good addition to our studies in fourth grade. (library copy)

Blood Will Tell: A Medical Explanation for the Tyranny of Henry VIII by Kyra Cornelius Kramer is a fascinating argument that King Henry VIII carried a rare blood antigen that led to multiple miscarriages and infant deaths for his wives and an even rarer condition as he aged in his forties that accounted for the dramatic personality changes and paranoia that contributed to his attacks on family, friends, and the Church. There's no way to tell if her argument is true, but it certainly seems plausible. This was a great book for me to read as the children and I were covering this period in English history. (borrowed for free from the Kindle Owners' Lending Library)

Third Shift - Pact (Part 8 of the Silo Series) by Hugh Howey carries the story begun in Wool and the first two shift books a bit farther. It brings all the story lines together in preparation for the final installment. I really enjoy all of these books. (purchased for the Kindle)

Holy Crocodile by Caroline Cory (a review for The Catholic Company)

Tippy Lemmey by Patricia C. McKissack is the story of a young girl and her friends terrorized by a neighborhood dog. The problem-solving is pretty good. The story is fun and exciting without being too scary. I'd recommend speaking frankly about race while reading this early chapter book with a child because the children are black and (based on what I can tell in the pictures), the dog owners are white. Race isn't an issue in the story, which is nice, but I think it's best to talk to children about race rather than just assume they won't think a person's color makes any difference. It takes place during the Korean War (the dog belongs to a soldier) but the war itself doesn't figure prominently. This is on my list as a possibility for First Daughter to read aloud to me. (library copy)

Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie on Julie Sternberg is a sweet tale of a girl whose babysitter must move away. Her parents are supportive. Her new babysitter is understanding. She makes new friends and grows up a little. This is on the list for First Daughter to read aloud to me in first grade. (library copy)

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr is a classic I had never read. Sadako, of course, becomes ills with cancer years after the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. I think it could be a nice complement to a study of World War II or modern Japanese history for an older child (perhaps twelve). The reading level is not difficult, but the topic is complicated and distressing. (library copy)

Books in Progress (and date started)

• The Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey (October 2012) 
• Destination: Bethlehem (December 2012)
• The Cloister Walk (January 2013)
• The Jack Tales (March 2013)
• Treasure Island (March 2013)
• Legends of the Saints (March 2013)