Stephen Meader Books Republished

We've been using Truthquest History for the past three years. We love it, because we love living books and don't care for textbooks. It's always interesting to try to find the older books which are no longer available in public libraries. When we do come across one, we find them to really be worth the effort! I don't believe we've ever been disappointed by a Truthquest recommended book. It is quite frustrating for me to hear that something is "fabulous, but too rare to find". That is like pouring salt on a wound!

Imagine my surprise when I found this website which is reprinting Stephen Meader's books! Yippee! If you have boys, or even if you don't, you will want to check out these books. Now, I know they aren't cheap, but given that they would be lost forever to most of the reading world, they're a bargain!

Not Just A Doxology

We are currently reading our second book in the Mr. Pipes series, by Douglas Bond, "Mr. Pipes And The British Hymn Makers." Wonderful books! They awakened even more of a love of hymns in all of us. We were very surprised to learn that one of our favorite calls to worship, the Doxology, has a little more to it than we were always taught: several more verses, in fact:

All praise to Thee, my God, this night,
For all the blessings of the light!
Keep me, O keep me, King of kings,
Beneath Thine own almighty wings.

Forgive me, Lord, for Thy dear Son,
The ill that I this day have done,
That with the world, myself, and Thee,
I, ere I sleep, at peace may be.

Teach me to live, that I may dread
The grave as little as my bed.
Teach me to die, that so I may
Rise glorious at the judgment day.

O may my soul on Thee repose,
And with sweet sleep mine eyelids close,
Sleep that may me more vigorous make
To serve my God when I awake.

When in the night I sleepless lie,
My soul with heavenly thoughts supply;
Let no ill dreams disturb my rest,
No powers of darkness me molest.

O when shall I, in endless day,
For ever chase dark sleep away,
And hymns divine with angels sing,
All praise to thee, eternal King?

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Beautiful lyrics of a poem. The original music is not what we now sing the last verse to, but we still like it and are singing all the verses to it.

Discovering exactly who it was who wrote these words is amazing! The history is nothing but God's great story. Thomas Ken knew what truth and devotion truly was.

Beginning Nature Books

We have really been enjoying Jim Arnosky's nature books. He was recommended to us by someone in blogland and though I'd never heard of him, I'm all about a good recommendation!

The illustrations are incredible and the information is just right for us want-to-be learners! We have particularly enjoyed the Crinkleroot books like "I Was Born in a Tree and Raised By Bees". (Daughter really liked how he taught us how to grow our own popcorn!) You can see a sample from one of his books here. (Be sure to click on the word "fish".) Even the so-called toddler level books are wonderfully informative. There are many, many titles available at the library. I know because I tried to check them all out at once and got a little overwhelmed! Here is a complete list of his books. Here are a few of the Crinkleroot books. AND he has coloring pages galore!

Apparently there was a tv show? Not having tv, this was new info for me, but maybe some of you have seen it. Regardless, these books are perfect for our newly discovered Charlotte Mason leanings.

Anyway, just wanted to pass on the recommendation for a great author. You won't be able to help liking these books as much as we do!

Book Lists 2008

Here is the list (not absolute by any means!) of books we read this year. Titles highlighted in red were exceptional standouts and I can't recommend them enough!

Family Read Alouds:
* Swiss Family Robinson, by Johann Wyss
* Uncle Tom's Cabin (Young Folks Edition), by Harriet Beecher Stowe
* Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
* Robert E. Lee (Sowers)
* The Story of Ulysses S. Grant (Signature)
* Two Little Confederates, by Thomas Nelson Page
* Iron Scouts of the Confederacy, by Lee McGiffin
* Noah Webster: Master of Words, by David Collins(Sowers)
* Amos Fortune: Free Man, by Elizabeth Yates
* We Were There at the Opening of the Erie Canal
* Santa Fe Trail (Landmark), by Samuel H. Adams
* Burgess Bird Book, by Thornton Burgess
* Birds Build Nest, by Yvonne Winer
* Heroes of the Western Outpost, by Edith McCall
* The Kingdom's Edge, by Chuck Black
* The Story of John J. Audubon, by Joan Howard
* The Story of Davy Crockett, by Enid LaMonte Meadowcroft
* Johnny Appleseed: John Chapman, God's Faithful Planter, by David R. Collins
* The Lamplighter, by Maria Cummins
* Away Goes Sally, by Elizabeth Coatsworth
* The Golden Thread by Norman MacLeod
* The Journey That Saved Curious George, by Louise Borden
* Milly-Molly-Mandy Stories, by Joyce Lankester Brisley
* Jessica's Mother, by Hesba Stretton
* Little Jonathan, by Miriam Mason
* Jessica's First Prayer, by Hesba Stretton


Books boy read on his own:
* Story of the Great Chicago Fire
* Story of Annie Oakley (Signature)
* Story of the Homestead Act (Cornerstones of Freedom)
* Little House on the Prairie, by Laura Ingalls Wilder
* Story of Gen. George Armstrong Custer (Signature)
* We Were There With the California 49er's
* By the Great Horn Spoon
* Gold Rush Adventures, by Edith McCall
* Soft Rain: A Story of the Cherokee Trail of Tears, by Cornelia Cornelissen
* We Were There With the Pony Express
* We Were There at the Alamo
* We Were There at the Opening of the Erie Canal
* Big Birthday Surprise: Jr. Discovers Giving, by Dave Ramsey
* Careless at the Carnival: Jr. Discovers Spending, by Dave Ramsey
* Prince Caspian, by C.S. Lewis
* Hunters Blaze the Trails, by Edith McCall
* Jeb Smith
* Hardy Boys and the Case of the Twisted Claw, by Franklin Dixon
* Kit Carson, Pathfinder of the West, by Nardi Reeder Campion (A Discovery Bio)
* Jim Beckwourth, Adv. of a Mountain Man, by Louis Sabin (Troll)
* Davy Crockett: Young Rifleman (COFA), by Aileen Wells Park
* Johnny Appleseed, by Reeve Lindbergh
* The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure, by Hans Magnus Enzenberger
* Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi, by Cindy Neushwander
* Ahyoka and the Talking Leaves, by Peter & Connie Roop
* The Lone Hunt, by Wm. O. Steele
* Pioneer Girl: The Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder
* The Ox-Cart Man, by Donald Hall
* Adventures on the Waterways, by Edith McCall
* Pioneers, by the Gorslines
* Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Dead Eagles, by Donald Sobol
* If I Grew Up With Abraham Lincoln, by Ann McGovern


Books I read:
* My Father's Daughter, by Gene Stratton-Porter
* The Beckoning Road, by Caroline Dale Snedeker
* Michael O'Halloran, by Gene Stratton-Porter
* Seventh Day, by Bodie & Brock Thoene
* The Harvester, by Gene Stratton-Porter
* Hitty: Her First Hundred Years, by Rachel Field
* Lorna Doone (This was horrible & I couldn't finish it), by R.D. Blackmore
* Keeper of the Bees, by Gene Stratton-Porter
* Created to Be His Help Meet, by Debi Pearl
* Laddie, by Gene Stratton-Porter
* Mark's Story, by Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins
* The All New Square Foot Gardener, (a re-read) by Mel Bartholemew
* Edge of Darkness, by Tim LaHaye and Bob Phillips
* Song of Redemption, by Lynn Austin
* The Big Book of Breakfast, by Maryana Vollstedt
* King's Arrow, by Douglas Bond
* The Prophet, by Francine Rivers
* John's Story: The Last Eyewitness, by Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins
* Gods and Kings, by Lynne Austin
* Duncan's War, by Douglas Bond
* Healthy Foods, by Leanne Ely
* Busy Mom's Guide to Bible Study, by Lisa Whelchel
* Eulalia! by Brian Jacques

Books Impact: Gene Stratton-Porter

I just spent some time looking over the list of books I read this year and a few things struck me. I didn't read nearly as many books as I have in past years. Probably because of my growing family staying up a bit later and thus my personal reading time being shortened. I would like to find more time to read, but then...who wouldn't?!

My list truly serves as a memory of times and events. Books impact our lives! "The All-New Square Foot Gardener" lead to our first ever vegetable garden, which in turn supplied us with many fresh veggies over the summer.

"Created To Be His Help-Meet" was such a fabulous (albeit controversial) book. I cannot even begin to tell you how this book has changed my perspective, my marriage, but mostly my relationship with my Heavenly Father.

But it was one special author that shared most of my year: Gene Stratton-Porter. Never have I come across a stack of books that has meant this much to me from a literary perspective. They are just the most amazing books written by a native of my own state. It's been pretty obvious that her eternal perspective was Biblical. Her characters stir me. I don't say that lightly. Whether we're talking about Little Sister in "Laddie"(I wrote about it here) or Mickey in "Michael O'Halloran"...so different, so sweet and honorable and honest and real!

Her books are about real life. They are about relationships that are awe inspiring. They are about nature and our life amongst it. They are also about God and His Providence in all things. She weaves love, loss, mystery and redemption in a way I've never read, and I've read quite a lot. She champions nature in a pure and Godly way. She tells of history and of science.

Stratton-Porter wrote about nature from a Creationist perspective, too, and her books educate. In "Keeper of the Bees" a small child, Scout, tells a veteran, Jamie, about bees...and about God. It's the most beautifully written pages describing bees, and the evidence of God, that you'll ever read. In the chapter entitled "Because of God" we read,

"First question I ever asked was, 'Why is the bee garden blue?' And I'll have to tell you the answer because you would never guess it in a thousand years. The answer is, 'Because of God.'"

"Yes," said the little Scout. "That's what makes bees so interesting. About half the things you'll have to learn are because of God, and why the bee garden is blue is the very first thing. Now, you listen and I'll tell you the reason."

Scout goes on to teach the grown up about God's perfect design for all living things, and specifically bees. The skeptic is soon awed and the Scout concludes by telling him...

"One time I asked the Bee Master if I couldn't see God and if I couldn't touch Him, how I was going to know that He was here. And he said, 'Because of the hair on a bee.' So that's one of the ways you can know."

At the end of the chapter, the Scout addresses books...and Darwin! Love this!:

"I don't know as I've told you so very well. In there in the library you can find the books like I showed you that tell what people used to think. The books that are the bunk. Then you'll find the books like Lubbock and Swammerdam, which have the wonderful pictures, that will tell you what really happens. Then there are the books like Fabre and Maeterlinck that the Bee Master says are three things at one time. First they are the truth, and next they are poetry, and third they are the evidence of a Master Mind that plans every least little tiny thing. He says the only name for that Master Mind is God. He doesn't see any use in trying to dodge God and side-step Him and call Him 'the Spirit of the Hive' and Instink and Nature and things like that. He says a great scientist, one of the best, almost went crazy trying to do that very thing. His name was Charles Darwin and the Bee Master sayd C.D. would have been a heap bigger Injun if he'd been willing to put God in where He belongs. He says when God does anything 'with such care, and puts so much thought in it, and deals out such splendid justice' as there is in a beehive, that a wise man will just take off his hat and lift his eyes to the sky and very politely he will say, 'Just God.'" (bold mine)

And this book says it was published in 1925--a year after her death.

To say I'm hooked on this author would be an understatement. Each story has captured me and moved me to laughter and tears. These are books to own! To read again and again and to pass down. These are books you only loan out to your nearest and dearest for fear they'll disappear. These books go in the "grab in case of fire" pile!

The hunt for many of these books published around the turn of the century, is just now starting to get fierce. The most popular (of course) were easy to find, many still be published by Indiana University Press. But they are mostly the titles she wrote about Indiana, while living in Indiana. Surprisingly, I found a couple of goodies at the library: Birds of the Bible (a nature book). I glanced through it and it's amazing! FULL of scripture. I look forward to reading through it. I also found "The Magic Garden" which is next on my list.

Stratton-Porter spent the last part of her tragically shortened life in California and it was there that a dear friend found another title for me, "My Father's Daughter". I'm reading it now and though it is excellent again, here she deals with a stronger than usual topic--bigotry. I look forward to seeing how she resolves the issue with her characters.

Here's the list I've read in my order of preference:
1. Laddie
2. Keeper of the Bees
3. Girl of the Limberlost
4. The Harvester
5. Michael O'Halloran
6. Freckles
7. My Father's Daughter

You want to read these books! You really do.

PS. They actually made paper dolls of Gene Stratton-Porter!

Living Math Resource

In planning out the rest of our school year, I realized that daughter's math lessons would not take every day. What to do with the other days? I could skip 'em...

OR WE COULD READ SOME LIVING MATH BOOKS!

You'll never guess which I chose!! :)

I immediately turned to this great site for direction. The fact that a homeschooling mom put this together just awes me! I printed out this list for my 5yo daughter and we will work through the list (which we've already read some of!).

I just love resources like this.

They save me so much time and energy. I just can't tell you--well, maybe YOU know! :)

This site also offers many other great resources including articles, lesson plans, game lists... You just have to see it to believe it.

Charles Dickens

It's time to move on to our next poet and according to my "list", the next poet is Charles Dickens. I didn't even know that he wrote poems, (you can find them here) and haven't been able to find that many, however, he did write one of my very favorite books; and it's not "A Christmas Carol", but "Great Expectations"! Really, good book.

Interestingly enough, what started only as a new addition to our Poet-a-Day read, has grown. We've decided to read "A Christmas Carol" (even though I'm not a big fan of Christmas things that are not reflective of Christ alone). It's been a long time since I've read the book, but fully expect we'll get some pretty decent character studies from it. I'm sure son will also be thrilled that we will actually be reading something with ghosts in it! Let's face it. There's nothing like great literature. That said, after listening to my Chiropractor's painful telling of the story to my children, I realized it was time to get out my mother's treasured copy of old and have at it (as soon as we finish "Swiss Family Robinson!")

Of course, I also have the movie tucked away for "after", as well as the Focus on the Family Radio Drama (of which we've loved every one). Today I was happy to hear that Homeschool Radio Shows is having a "Dickens Christmas Festival" starting with a wonderful audio book, "Cricket on the Hearth". The accompanying ebook has beautiful black and white illustrations useful for coloring.

Our first "poem" is actually this prayer, which son is using for copywork (more on that soon) and memory work. Son asked me if he was a believer...not sure we have an answer to that one, though his writings do seem to purport some knowledge of God &/or scripture. Of course, back then, most had more knowledge than they do today, regardless of whether they chose to follow Christ. The biographies I've read have been somewhat sketchy in details about his spiritual life and tend to focus on the break up of his marriage, an affair, and then there's the "mesmerizing"?? I left those details out of the lesson! Regardless, God once again used the talents of one uniquely created to tell a story.

A CHILD'S HYMN

by: Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

HEAR my prayer, O heavenly Father,

Ere I lay me down to sleep;

Bid Thy angels, pure and holy,

Round my bed their vigil keep.

My sins are heavy, but Thy mercy

Far outweighs them, every one;

Down before Thy cross I cast them,

Trusting in Thy help alone.

Keep me through this night of peril

Underneath its boundless shade;

Take me to Thy rest, I pray Thee,

When my pilgrimage is made.

None shall measure out Thy patience

By the span of human thought;

None shall bound the tender mercies

Which Thy Holy Son has bought.

Pardon all my past transgressions,

Give me strength for days to come;

Guide and guard me with Thy blessing

Till Thy angels bid me home.

Review: "Hitty: Her First Hundred Years"

I had absolutely no idea what "Hitty: Her First Hundred Years" was about when I took it off my shelf to read. I had purchased it by author, Rachel Field, per the recommendation of Jan Bloom's book, "Who Should We Then Read". By author, is how I buy most of my "old" books.

I had purchased this book at a library book sale. It is a hard back and like brand new. From the markings, I can tell the library bought it in January of 2001. I know I bought it last year, so it sat on their shelf for seven years. It truly looks as if it were never touched. The amazing, and yet sad, thing about that is that it is a really, good book! One that I wish I'd known of when I was a young girl.

Hitty is a very, real doll, discovered by author Rachel Field, in an antique shop in New York City (1927). The story (a Newbery winner) is Hitty writing her memoirs of her hundred years. She is now on display in a library museum! You can see more pictures, like those above, of her here. At only 6 1/2 inches tall, she saw much! It is amazing to see history unfold around her as she experiences everything from riding the high seas on a whaling ship, to being lost in a hay loft for many years! She rides the Mississippi on a steamboat and witnesses the effects of the Civil War.

There are a few elements of faith in the book as Hitty once belongs to a God fearing little girl, and even the daughter of missionaries. The children, and adults, she encounters are far from perfect, which lends this book to great discussion and character lessons. Hitty has great, even exciting, adventures, that will keep children interested. It is really well-written. Obviously not watered down language of the current era.

I'm always thrilled to find a children's book of such high caliber. I even enjoy reading them just for myself. After all, so much written for adults is garbage! If you are looking for a great book to share with your kids, try "Hitty". There is no reason a boy wouldn't also enjoy it!

The History of Children's Literature

I stumbled across an interesting site recently, and had to share. It's a really neat telling of the history of children's literature. Personally, I can't get enough of the really good (aka "old") stuff! If you are a children's bibliophile, like myself, you'll find this interesting!

So Much To Tell: Not Such A Surprise!

"Literature.": The second thing that son wrote down on his "positive reinforcement" list his first day of lessons (after proclaiming his loathing of school).

Son loves literature! It's no surprise, really. My children just love good books. The fact that he thinks he knows this story so well, since he's listened to the dramatization a hundred times! (It's really good, too!) This has not dampened his enthusiasm to hear it read aloud. He's only sad that I'm keeping to a slower pace so that we can notebook. Daughter is truly enthralled as well. Me too! It's been years since I read the story and I have my old copy with beautiful pictures to inspire.

I found a neat resource at CurrClick to go along with the book. There are some errors in the e-book, but it's still a great resource. Son has actually enjoyed recording his thoughts on our reading, as well as being introduced to ideas like compare and contrast, and we're only in the second week!

I look forward to our time with this treasured book.

Pilgrim's Progress Favorites

Truly a classic, Pilgrim's Progress comes at us in many forms. Our favorites include the book, Dangerous Journey, with the audio/video series presented here (scroll down). We also love the children's version that's called, The Progress of Pilgrim Mouse.

Then there's this fabulous dramatized audio version from AIG.

And now there's this movie that looks like it'll be interesting (watch the trailer): Journey to Heaven.

I'm sure there are more, beyond the original, but I thought we'd share these few gems!

Laddie: A Review

If you've never read a book by Indiana author Gene Stratton-Porter, you are missing out. If you've never read "Laddie", and want a real treat, be prepared to absolutely love this book and have it take a prominent place on your favorite book lists.

This book was such a delight, I'm not even sure I can tell you all the things I loved about it. It's semi-autobiographical and is about the youngest of twelve children whom they call Little Sister. Her older brother is Laddie and they have a tremendous bond, though there is quite an age difference. The character of their family is central to the story and is fascinating. I loved learning about this particular time period (late 1800s) and how people lived and treated one another.

The story is rich with nature, farm life, circumstance, faith, education and duty. One of my favorite passages happened when the father and mother tell Little Sister she will not be going back to school that year. Here is what she thinks.

"Think of being allowed to learn your lessons on the top of the granary, where you could look out of a window above the treetops, lie in the cool wind, and watch swallows and martins. Think of studying in the pulpit when the creek ran high, and the wild birds sang so sweetly you seemed to hear them for the first time in all your life, and hens, guineas, and turkeys made prime music in the orchard. You could see the buds swell, and the little blue flags push through the grass, where Mrs. Mayer had her flowerbed, and the cowslips greening under the water of the swale at the foot of the hill, while there might be a Fairy under any leaf. I was so full, so swelled up and excited, that when I got ready to pick up a book, I could learn a lesson in a few minutes, tell all about it, spell every word, and read it back, front, and sideways. I never learned lessons so quick and so easy in all my life; father, Laddie, and every one of them had to say so. One night, father said to Laddie: "This child is furnishing evidence that our school system is wrong, and our methods of teaching far from right.""

This book is so heart-warming! I found myself wishing I was in their family. The descriptions of everything from the nature of things to the desires of their hearts, is incredibly enduring. If they ever truly made this book a movie (the way it's written), it would be the best movie of faith ever!

I thoroughly enjoyed all the quotes from various McGuffy readers, as well as scripture. From a literary stand point, though I'm no expert, it is rich, rich, rich! I could go on and on. I've also read her books, "The Girl of the Limberlost" and "Freckles". They, too, are among my favorites. "Laddie" will be a life-long favorite and I can't wait to read it to my children. I look forward to my next Gene Stratton-Porter book, "The Keeper of the Bees".

"Get up, Little Sister, the morning is bright,
The birds are all singing to welcome the light,
Get up; for when all things are merry and glad,
Good children should never be lazy and sad;
For God gives us daylight, dear sister, that we
May rejoice like the lark and work like the bee."

I Didn't Expect to Like It

I'm reading a book that I not only expected to not like, I expected to loathe it and confirm pre-conceived, negative ideas that I had gained from the rumor mill.

The book is "Created to Be His Help Meet" by Debi Pearl. I'm pleased to tell you that I really love this book! I'm very excited about the material presented--the Biblical role of women--and seeing myself in light of all scripture; better understanding how and why God made me.

It shouldn't surprise me at this place in my life, that much of what I've been taught has been scripturally depleat or out of context. It shouldn't surprise me that I've never heard much of this before, though it is very familiar. If you've read this book, you'll know exactly what I mean. If you haven't yet picked it up, I hope that you will. Upon examination, you will be challenged and find yourself in a very new place.

The History of Slavery

We read a really fabulous book this week: "Amos Fortune: Free Man", by Elizabeth Yates.

We've begun to near the start of the Civil War with our Truthquest History. I've looked forward to this topic for quite awhile since I learned absolutely nothing about it in school. All I've ever known I learned from movies like "Gone With the Wind", and the mini-series "North and South" (Can I just say, Patrick Swayze!). We know the north wore blue, the south wore grey. I was taught the north was right, the south was wrong. I was taught that it was all about slavery...evil people keeping slaves.

I remember very clearly reading a forum post about this war, and "hearing" very angry voices. This puzzled me a bit, and like a train wreck, I stopped to "watch". I was mortified to learn that not everyone thinks as highly of Abraham Lincoln as we always have. Gasp. I also learned that many people refuse to call it the "Civil War", but the "War Between the States". Lastly, I was shocked with declarations that this particular war was not about slavery. What could they possibly mean? As a rather entrenched northerner, I wandered. Indoctrinated? Most assuredly.

Michelle Miller, author of Truthquest, has done a fabulous job with her dialogs proceeding each area of study. Though not really that close to actually studying the war, (we probably won't get into the war until fall) she has laid the ground work for the growing un-rest. Issues of states rights are new to me (in regard to the North/South conflict).

She has also begun to show us just how entrenched in slavery this nation had become. To her credit, she speaks generally of various types of slavery. Including Biblical. That really has given us "Ah-ha" moments. As we've studied God's Word and learned about Biblical principles of self-government and "conscience as our most sacred of property" we better understand the idea that we are all slaves to sin and we often choose slavery, rather than a freedom that may be more costly. We reflect on the Israelites and their flight from Egypt; their constant turning from freedom of Godly worship to slavery of having things handed to them (compromise) and even today, we look at our country and the many loss of liberties that will eventually choke us and enslave us.

So as we read the book by Elizabeth Yates, we marveled how this slave turned free man, found his freedom in honoring God. We read how he described so many white men as being slaves to their money, their drink, their hatred, their thoughts. So many kinds of slavery!... I hadn't realized that this book was a true story. I highly recommend it!

As we've read further, and are getting more into this part of our nations HIStory, certain things have begun to make more sense to me. For instance, how a nation could actually turn guns on one another. The weird part is, I can kinda imagine it happening again. Hmmm. I look forward to studying this topic further and getting an even better picture of the truth.

Pitchin' It

I just did something that I have never done in my life (at least that I can recall). I got 3/4th of the way through a book and decided to pitch it--back in the library return pile. It was so dull, I didn't have any desire to continue. It kinda' surprised me because it was from an author I usually like. It was "Mark's Story" by Tim LaHaye. Now don't get me wrong...the Bible part was great. It was the fictionalized portion that was sadly lacking. I suppose that could be because we don't really know that much about Mark. Anyhoo. I gave up. It made me tired. I guess with my book post and the reminder that I have a billion good books to read, I figured why waste my time on an icky. BTW, "John's Story" was great! So go figure.

Well, I anxiously retrieved another book from my pile. This one, "Laddie", by Gene Stratton-Porter. I LOVE her books! "Girl of the Limberlost" is an all-time favorite, as is "Freckles". We'll see how this one works. So far, so good. Can hardly put it down.

Books: Using Your Resources

If you've known me for very long, then you know I'm not only a Bibliophile, but a picky one at that. Once I discovered real living books, due in large part to homeschooling, Truthquest, Jan Bloom and Gladys Hunt, the rest, as they say, was history.

Bibliophile: noun
a person who loves or collects books, esp. as examples of fine or unusual printing, binding, or the like.

I've collected a blue-million books--all of the highest caliber--most having been published prior to 1965 (when the Bible was banned from public schools, and the re-writing of history began). As my personal library has grown, so have we...encountering the most incredible of literary adventures, characters, and historical truth and fancy.

Like many decisions that homeschoolers face, the idea of using the resources we have, in this case books, usually arrives on the scene. For many, it will arrive too late. To avoid that happening, there are a few things to consider regarding the best use of these treasures. With some thought and planning, you can change your focus, save money, and get a maximum impact for your efforts. If you have shelves of books and no strategy to read them, they are as dust in the wind. And dusty, too!

We are all too aware that there are only so many hours in the day--so many days in the year, so many years in childhood.
A reading plan for the long haul, is a great idea.

You might say, at this point, that your family are big readers so you don't consider having a reading plan a necessity, yet as the children grow and more and more demands are being made upon your time, reading aloud, library visits, choosing good books, may all slip by the wayside.

Now, this is in no way about guilt, or regret, but about opportunity! As we've overcome previous planning bungles, I more clearly understand the value of a more thoughtful course of action. I suppose one of the first things that can bring us to this point, is the passing of picture books. Suddenly our little readers, move to paragraphs, chapter books, larger books, etc. Not to return to former "glories", as you will. You find yourself going through your picture books; purging, packing away, remembering, or having no memory of a certain book at all! It's the same for all levels of reading.

How you organize your books will be the one thing that has the greatest impact on your reading. Most families have shelves in every room. Many times this is out of necessity, for many it's habit or even tradition. Every child should have books in their room, for example. That is a long held tradition. If that is important to you, then you need to consider that in your planning.

First, you must have a list of every book you own and it's author. If you are spread-sheet crazy, you could include genre, year of publication, and reading level. Having a list will help you lesson-plan, choose wisely, buy more strategically, etc. Library Thing is another choice. They limit the number of books you can put on a list. You can either buy a subscription, or make multiple lists.

Books that are specifically for school subjects need to be separated by those subjects and arranged in order of their use. If you study science based on a chronological creation sequence, astronomy books will probably be first. We study history chronologically, so our history books are in that order. Books don't get missed, or forgotten. They are only passed up if age-appropriateness is a factor and since we will cover all of history twice before graduation, we'll be revisiting the same shelves.

It is important to include biographies in these sections, as well. If you have a biography of a scientist, put it where and when you will study it. If you're more likely cover it in history, than science, put it with the history books. This is also where a list can help because you can't have a book in two places at once!

Another good example of books to place in chronological order would be missionary stories and biographies. Then you are more apt to read them at the place in history where they had their impact.

One of the biggest hurdles for me was collections; book sets. I began collecting Landmark books and had them in a beautiful row on the shelf. They weren't with the history books, so guess what quickly became apparent? They were being forgotten. Getting them moved to our history shelves was necessary (and still ongoing at my house!).

Include historical fiction in your history shelves. This category can have a rather large spectrum: picture books on up. While most people would separate their historical fiction, since we "teach" with ours, it's more helpful to have it at our fingertips.

So what about the rest of your fiction? My shelves bear the same range in book types and reading abilities as most. I always kept them in alphabetical order by title, but that only showed benefit when listing them or trying to find an elusive volume for history (before I changed my system of order!). One of the whole points of this post is this: Keep your fiction books in order of reading age!

If you really want certain books to be read before "it's too late", then they have to be in the "next" section: that section that your child looks to next for their book choices.

Here's where the long term plan comes into play. With your books in this order, as a child grows in their ability and taste, they move from section to section, without missing that gem of a book that was at one time too difficult for them, but is now just right!

This thought does take a bit of maintaining. You don't want books put away in the wrong section. You may never find them! But if you have a system easily available to your family, you'll be pleased with the results. We use a basket that the kids put their books in so that I can put them where I want them. This habit has helped to show them order and reason.

Now that you have your books in a usable order, how do you actually go about reading them? The obvious answer--the strategy-- would be to set aside time and times for reading! I know that is not always the easiest thing though. Here is where I learned to make some of those excellent choices that come with being a homeschooler! Have your children (and yourself) acquire the habit of always having a book with you in the car. Exactly how many hours a week are we in the car?!!

Do you read? Do you read for yourself? Most do to some degree, but this is also a great habit. One which your children see and emulate. Monkey see, monkey do. Let them see you reading the Bible daily, they'll want to read their Bibles. Let them see you reading other great books, and they, too, will want to read really great books.

And reading aloud! If you haven't begun reading aloud, it's never too late to start. You will never regret it! Here is a great resource for inspiration, as well as the books I listed at the start. We began a more regular read-aloud time with Lamplighter books! Wow! They have created a passion within us, for reading together! Then, consider having your read-alouds with you where ever you go. Carry them around the house with you; in the car, etc. You never know when you will have ten minutes on the way to friends to read aloud (that is, if the husband is driving!) or a few minutes of play break gathered together in the yard!

And since we are talking about habit, develop the habit of giving. Give your individual children time to read each day. What a fabulous gift! Thirty minutes out of their day will not kill anyone or deprive them of play. They will come to love that time of quiet adventure. It is also a more adequate rest than say...none!

If you are choosing the very best of books for your children (a whole other post!) then it will not take much to have them chomping at the bit to read more!

Let's fact it! We take books with us. We carry the really good ones in our hearts and minds; remembering what great stories were told and the joy of meeting each hero and heroine. I distinctly remember the first time I read the "Chronicles of Narnia" at age 10. It was the start of my great love for books. My husband, on the other hand, has rarely read a book (besides his Bible) in his life! That seems so tragic to me. Missed opportunities? I don't really know, but now, even he enjoys our read alouds!

Get those books in order and read! What are you waiting for?

Trip Planning

Nothing reminds me more how I'm wired than planning for a trip. Goal oriented; a planner. And one of my favorite things about planning is making it better each time. So now I'm planning a trip to a mystery location which I will disclose upon our return. (Historical locations will be seen, as usual!) We are driving, and it will take many, many hours--another thing we love. No. Really. We love car trips! More of that wiring!

Not only is it totally fun to decide what great places we will get to go see, but the actual trip itself is an event. I remember traveling with my parents--never very far though--and car games, singing, and reading ruled. Fortunately, I've been able to instill these things in my children plus the addition of books on tape, fine dining (we take our own food), and learning. It makes me almost giddy thinking about it. We will never...repeat...NEVER watch TV on a car trip. Whoever came up with that mind numbing, brain sucking, fiend of a money making trap, should be shot! (My apologies to all those of you who don't travel so well and require this mode of dealing!)

So for the trip, I've got certain learning things planned. I'm hoping to memorize a large section of scripture together. Maybe a Psalm. I haven't decided that yet. I'm looking at some other special topic studies we might do while car bound also. Did I mention that we never travel at night? Our kids do SO well in the car during the day, that we just take it and enjoy it. I'm wracking my brain to remember some of our car-schooling lists I've tucked away somewhere. That's a great book, if you've never checked it out.

We will be reading the next installment of The Kingdom Series, by Chuck Black. We started it on our last trip and even the husband, who is not a reader, loved it. We committed to reading them all together as a family and 'bout the only way we can is on car trips. We're up to book 3. Hopefully, I can get them from the library. If not, I may have to beg, plead, and borrow them from EEEEMommy.

On our last trip, we tried taking our own food. Two reasons. Money and nutrition. It worked great, but like most things, wouldn't mind some improvement. I learned that whatever hotel we were in usually had a breakfast, so we won't need too much of that. I also learned that boxed organic milks are awesomely incredible. Horizon's brand do not need to be refrigerated until you're ready to drink them, so this was great. Even though they aren't cheap, you can find them on sale and still save a ton over fast food places. Plus, my children don't drink pop, so this eliminates that as an option.

One thing I tried last time that didn't work was individual snack packs for each child, each day. They complained because it wasn't the snack they wanted, or they didn't eat all of it, or one wanted more. And it made more trash. I ended up with several left over. It was a good idea, I think, just not practical for my kids. They don't snack that much normally, so it opened a can of worms that wasn't necessary.

Now they do enjoy their own individual activity bags. And *I* enjoy treating them up in this way. Whether is a new puzzle book, or coloring book, it's always fun for them to have new trip treats. I go all out in this area, since we don't really do Valentines Day or Easter baskets. It's probably more fun for me to give to them, than for them to receive, but "hey", that works for me!

Another note I made to myself last time was to pack by day, not by person. We have a tendency to move from place to place each night. This just happens to be the nature of where we usually go. Because of that, dragging 47 suitcases out each night is a hassle. If we have them packed by day, it's OH SO EASY! I've actually done this before. It's kinda weird to wrap your brain around, but it works!

Packing lists are always fun too. I must be twisted to like something like that! Definitely not something I learned from my parents. My mom just took everything she owned. My dad just took what he could grab in 60 seconds as we were loading the car. I'm fastidious about every item. It's the only time the kids have no say in what they wear! Husband too! Heehee! It's so much fun!!!!

I do love trips! It's also the only time I buy magazines over the counter. Car travel and magazines just go together. Oohhh! And catalogs! Homeschool catalogs! With BOOKS in 'em! What can I say?! Well, I've got my work cut out for me. I've got sunshine at the moment so energy levels are high. I better get busy.

The Winter Reading Challenge Ends

My first ever reading challenge is about to come to an end so I thought I would go ahead and post my results. If you pay much attention to sidebars, you will have noticed our book lists growing! Though I didn't get everything on my list read, I did read some doozies and I even learned a few things!

I'll start at the top of my list. I did finish "King's Arrow", by Douglas Bond, but had to return "Rebel's Keep" to the library before I even got to start it. Imagine that! Hot title or something! Well, it's a great series, and though written for younger readers, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was great, too, to read books that I can recommend completely to my son.

"Seventh Day" never arrived at the library, so that'll have to wait a while. "Song of Redemption", by Lynn Austin, was really good. I've enjoyed her series on King Hezekiah. I'm always interested in good stories about Biblical characters. It always challenges me to dig into scripture to discern fact from fiction! I have not yet gotten to the third and final book, "The Strength of His Hand".

I'm almost done with Tim LaHaye's "Edge of Darkness". More of a thriller along the lines of the Left Behind series, this book (also part of a series) is very good and thought provoking, but I think my tastes are leaning away from this type of story that used to be my main reads.

"Luke's Story" is also not yet available at the library. I did pick up "Mark's Story", but have yet to start it. Of the three Francine Rivers books, I only got to finish "The Prophet"--really, really good book on the prophet Amos. Very interesting. I think my eyes were bigger than my stomach, so to speak. I just couldn't get them all read in eight weeks. Maybe by the end of Spring I will.

Okay. Readalouds. Of the Lamplighters I listed, we finished "The Lamplighter" which was very good. Probably not the best choice for an 8 year old boy--a bit too mature, and female oriented, but still appropriate. And a bit long for him. We're used to buzzing through our Lamplighters. We are now reading "Legend Led" which is, as usual, fabulous. Our Truthquest books have also been fabulous. The "Johnny Appleseed" Sowers book is one of the best biographies I've ever read. It really touched us!! Same for the Landmark "John James Audubon" book. Just excellent! We got "Away Goes Sally" done early in the challenge and you can read my review of it here.

Lastly, I did "dig" in (pun totally intended!)to the "All New Square Foot Gardening" book again. It's really a worthy read and inspiring! I'm now putting what I've learned into practice--that is if I ever thaw out. So there you have it. Mission accomplished. I wonder if anyone ever reads everything on their list? It was just too good having all those great titles in a list to be read!

Thanks to Trish over at Joyful Heart for hosting the challenge!