3 Ways to Help Older Children Choose Books ~
Written by Amber O’Neal Johnston from Heritage Mom

When my kids were little, selecting books for them was fun. I would pour through booklists and browse the shelves of indie shops eyeing all the titles I planned to get in my next book haul. I’d gather my little ducklings at my feet, knees, arms, and wherever else they’d fit, and I’d share beautiful stories.

Fairy tales and adventures. Folk tales and mysteries. Fantasies and biographies. Each book brought a smile to their faces and a sense of satisfaction to my mama heart.

And then, out of nowhere, my kids started growing up. They learned to read and began to crave more independent literary lives. They had opinions and unique interests, and sometimes they resisted my suggestions more than they appreciated them.

Not knowing how to navigate the transition to raising tween and teen readers, I did what I do best when I’m anxious: I panicked!

I fought against my kids’ choices when they didn’t meet my expectations, and I clung to what was comfortable. In short, I became a control freak, and it didn’t work out too well.

I was unhappy, the kids were unhappy, and everyone’s reading life suffered. It was during this time that I decided that something had to change. Well, honestly, someone had to change, and that someone was me.

I talked to a few moms that I admire, read a couple of books, and took an afternoon at our local coffee shop to think through how I could begin to create a new normal. I now have several years of helping older children choose books under my belt, and I’m happy to pass along some of the ideas that worked best in my home.

3 Ways to Help Older Children Choose Books

1. Prioritize your relationship.

The relationships we cultivate with our children take precedence over all other homeschooling matters. I thought my behavior was justified until I saw the impact my heavy-handed approach was having on my family. I started feeling less connected to the kids as they lost interest in bantering about the books they were reading.

The distance caused by something as seemingly innocent as book choices was surprising to me, and I was motivated to recapture the closeness that we’d always had. I decided that books were nowhere near as important as relationships, and that gave me an opening to apologize to my kids and try something new.

2. Share a mutual joy of books.

In a 1913 article from The Parents’ Review, British educator Charlotte Mason wrote, “There is joy in the home, the incomparable joy of intellectual life, when the child strikes sparks of thought from his parent, the parent drops seeds of reflection in the eager mind of the child; but this kind of happy intercourse can only take place where there is the mutual joy of books.”

This idea of parent and child engaged in a bit of a literary dance, if you will, appeals to me.

Just as my children read the lesson books that I selected, I began to read the leisure books that they preferred. We were quickly able to return to our casual book chats, inside jokes, and cool references as we recaptured shared reading experiences.

3. Take on new roles.

For so long, I was the head librarian, deciding exactly what comes on and off the shelf and when. No one minded, and it worked well until it didn’t. As my kids got older, they needed me to fill other roles.

Now I enjoy poring over book reviews and perusing back covers alongside my children while we chat about the pros and cons of various titles. I don’t mind taking a back seat to become more of a procurement agent, chauffeuring children to the library or bookstore, or helping them process purchases online.

Having a say in what ends up in their reading baskets gives them a sense of ownership over their literary lives. It helps them identify as readers and people who value thinking through the books and characters they choose to spend time with.

Guide your children as you see fit, but leave room for the machinations of their own stories to unfold.

Without judgment, let them meander through books that call to them. Honor your older children as they seek pleasure and comfort inside the pages of a beloved book.

Build freedom into your home library.

Allow room for your child to experience what Pamela Paul and Maria Russo, the authors of How to Raise a Reader, call the “natural, timeless, time-stopping joys of reading.” You’ll be so glad that you did.

Are you a GOOD or BAD homeschool mom? Take Jamie’s NEW QUIZ now to find out!

Written by Jamie C. Martin of Simple Homeschool 

What a beautiful ride it’s been since Give Your Child the World came out a few months ago!

Thank you, thank you for all the support. I can’t tell you how much it’s meant to hear that so many of you find the book useful and inspiring, exactly what I hoped for during the five years I worked on it.

Some of you have written with another question as well:

What’s the best way to use Give Your Child the World in our homeschool?

Glad you asked! I purposely made the book so it could be used several different ways, and I’d love to describe those for you here. (And for anyone wondering: Yes – the print above is THE Eiffel Tower I mention about in Chapter 2 that meant so much!)

What’s this all about?

Photo by Luke Price

Give Your Child the World: Raising Globally Minded Kids One Book at a Time is a reading treasury that guides you to the best global children’s literature (over 600 hand-picked titles!), allowing your family to read your way around the world. Perfect for the book and travel lovers among us.

All the hard work has been done for you, so you can get right to the fun part! I organized the reading lists by region, country, and age range (ages 4-12). Each listing includes a brief description of the book, its themes, and any content you might want to have a heads up about.

For the cost of a single paperback, the book gives you a geography/history/literature resource you can use for up to 8 YEARS with multiple kids. Read an excerpt here.

Check out the three main ways I imagine families putting it to good use:

Option 1. The Informal/Unschooling Method

I wanted both homeschooling and non-homeschooling families to be able to use Give Your Child the World, and I wrote it with that intent. If you decide to use the book informally, just follow your heart in choosing titles that interest your family most.

Does your child find China fascinating? Flip straight to the Asia chapter, look up your child’s age range, and dive in.

Are you heading on a road trip soon? The North America chapter has you covered!

Did a global topic arise in current events? Head to the country index in the back of my book and find all the titles to help you learn more about that part of the world.

I even heard of one family who flipped the book open at random to decide where they were going to study and “visit” next–so fun!

Option 2. The History Method

Did you know that Give Your Child the World has four indexes: Author, Country, Historical, and Title?

And in case you think a publisher has someone assigned to make indexes (like I once did), think again: I made all of them! When I came up with the idea of creating a historical index, I knew it would be worth the extra work. It opens up an entirely new way for readers to easily use the book.

I painstakingly went through every title included in the reading lists to figure out which time period in history they come from, then organized it all for you in this index. So if you have a history curriculum, you can use my book to enhance your studies with other living literature picks.

This means Give Your Child the World isn’t another thing to fit in, but instead adds extra value to what you’re already doing. Love that!

Option 3. The Geography/Social Studies Curriculum Method

You can also use my book as your full geography/social studies this year in a more formal/structured way!

I didn’t realize this until after I finished the book, but check out how it covers the school year so perfectly:

October – Africa, Chapter 6 of GYCW

November – Europe, Chapter 7

December – Do a Christmas Around the World study, take the month off for the holidays, or choose from the Multicultural Chapter 5 (which could also be used in September for an earlier start!)

January – Asia, Chapter 8

February – Middle East, Chapter 9

March – North America, Chapter 10

April – Latin America, Chapter 11

May – Australia, Oceania, and Polar Regions, Chapter 12

This is the method I plan to follow this year in our own homeschool. Depending on how much time you have in any given month you can dive in deep or shallow with this idea.

Still need to get a copy?

If you don’t own Give Your Child the World yet, order yours today!

I’m so proud of what an affordable resource this is for you and yours–definitely the cheapest around the world trip you’ll ever plan!

How have you decided to use Give Your Child the World in your homeschool?

Butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as high
Take a look, it’s in a book, a Reading Rainbow”

Some stories are decades in the making. This is one of them.

It starts the summer of 1985–the year I rode my bike every weekday morning to Mary C. Williams Elementary School in my hometown of Wilmington, North Carolina.

I spent hours on a beanbag in the shady corner of the mid-grade novel shelves, curled up with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Pippi Longstocking. When the library closed at noon, I pedaled home again in time for back-to-back episodes of Reading Rainbow.

I look back on that summer as one of my happiest. I turned into a lifelong reader.

On the outside, it wasn’t a given that I’d become one. We didn’t have tons of books at home, and like many latchkey kids I watched a lot of television. But my mom took me to the library every third Monday, God bless her.

And with one flip of the dial I found LeVar Burton on PBS, always eager to read-aloud to me.

Fast forward a couple of decades. I didn’t give much thought to Reading Rainbow until I found myself trying to inspire lifelong readers of my own. Not only did I want my three kids to fall in love with books, I also wanted to plop their cute little bottoms in front of the television every once in a while and have 30 minutes to myself.

I began hunting for old RR episodes, only to be disappointed. A handful had been put on DVD, but we plowed through those quickly. There had to be a way to find more.

This was important to me, so in October 2011 I scribbled the following on my ongoing life dream list: “I want my children to enjoy watching all the episodes of Reading Rainbow.”

Caught in a whim of inspiration, I added underneath, “And I want to meet LeVar Burton and thank him for his work on Reading Rainbow.”

Less than a year later, I was thrilled to find out that Reading Rainbow had released an app. I snapped that baby up faster than you can say “download.”

“Skybrary” is Reading Rainbow redesigned for a new generation, and it is fabulous.

It has the classic elements of the show that those of our age know and remember (slow-paced books read aloud, LeVar’s video field trips), but it uses today’s technology to deliver the goods. And RR’s recently-released Skybrary School provides extended lessons for educators in the classroom or at home.

So all of the above enabled my Reading Rainbow dream for my kids to come true, and a RR Kickstarter campaign in mid-2014 gave me the unusual chance to fulfill the second part: “to meet LeVar Burton and thank him for his work.”

We were amazed recently by this Skybrary field trip on 3D printing!

It took nearly two years to arrange that meeting in New York City, and during that time more crazy happened. I finally found a publisher for the book I had been researching and writing for years, the one I hoped would inspire more lifelong readers and world-changers.

Dinner with LeVar ended up scheduled for March 9th of this year.

The first pre-release version of Give Your Child the World? Landed on my porch March 8th. Which also happened to be my 40th birthday.

The divine timing beyond anything I ever could have orchestrated on my own.

Meeting a childhood hero comes with risks, don’t you think? There are a myriad of ways that those we’ve looked up to can fail to live up to our expectations–and while Steve and I sat waiting for LeVar to arrive I coached myself to be realistic. (And to be cool, Jamie, be cool!)

But as soon as he came in and beamed a genuine smile our way I knew he was the real deal.

We chatted about our kids, books, Mr. Rogers, Star Trek, raising readers, and good wines. We talked about dreams for the future, giving me the chance to nervously pull out my own dream on paper and give it to him. And I took the opportunity to thank him for all his work has meant to me.

Trying to nonchalantly snap a pic of my book on the table during dinner!

Later that month, I opened my inbox to see a message from LeVar’s assistant, with words from the man himself about Give Your Child the World that continue to blow me away.

I still can’t get over how life sometimes comes full circle.

I see myself back in the summer of 1985. A nine-year-old plopped on the living room rug in a wet bathing suit and towel, drying off from the pool or sprinkler while watching Reading Rainbow.

I imagine telling that girl that one day she’ll write a book to inspire readers, and that the host of the very show she loves will put his name on it, and well, I get choked up every time. God is so good.

You have world-changers in the making under your roof, too. There’s something special and unique they’ve been put here to do–a gift only they can give. A problem only they can solve.

Falling in love with this world (and those who live in it) through inspiring books is a perfect step toward imprinting that mission on their hearts. And Give Your Child the World: Raising Globally Minded Kids One Book at a Time is a resource to help you, as parents, easily do just that.

But you don’t have to take my word for it:

“An invaluable resource for any and everyone who has children in their lives! Jamie Martin has scoured the best in children’s literature from around the globe and compiled in one volume, book recommendations sure to appeal to the reader in your life.”
~ LeVar Burton, Reading Rainbow

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your personality type needs most!

Can you believe we’re creeping slowly toward the end of another year?

One thing I love about the holiday season for us as homeschoolers, is that we quiet our “school” day a bit and make extra time for other pursuits: plenty of time in the kitchen and, of course, lots and lots of books!

I thought it might be helpful if I compiled a selection for all of us to choose from, which turned into this post!

Some of these books are silly; some are sweet. Some will make your kids snort with laughter; some will bring tears to eyes. Some have received official accolades and book awards; some are personal favorites. Some you may want to check out from the library; some you may want to put on your holiday wish lists!

One note: Because of the way book awards are handled by Caldecott and the American Library Association, some of these titles officially launched in 2014, though they are considered 2015 award winners.

Picture books are generally assumed to be for ages 4-8, but many of these could go younger or older, depending on the child! You’ll be able to tell what’s best for your little people.

Here they are, alongside excerpts from reviews they’ve been given:

20 of the best picture books from 2015

1. The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend

~ Dan Santat – Winner of this year’s Caldecott Medal!

On an island far away, an imaginary friend is born. He patiently waits his turn to be chosen by a real child. But when he is overlooked time and again, he sets off on an incredible journey to the bustling city.

2. Nana in the City

~ Lauren Castillo – Caldecott Honor

A boy spends the night with his nana and is frightened by the city where she lives. Nana makes him a special cape to help him be brave, and soon the sights, sounds, and smells of the city are not scary—but wonderful.

3. The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art

~ Barb Rosenstock; Mary GrandPre (illustrator) – Caldecott Honor

Meet Vasily Kandinsky, one of the first painters of abstract art. Kandinsky experienced colors as sounds, and sounds as colors—and bold, groundbreaking works burst forth from his noisy paint box.

4. Sam and Dave Dig a Hole

~ Mac Barnett; Jon Klassen (illustrator) – Caldecott Honor

Sam and Dave are on a mission. A mission to find something incredible. So they dig a hole. And they find . . . nothing. Yet the day turns out to be pretty spectacular after all.

5. Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh

~ Sally M. Walker; Jonathan D. Voss (illustrator)

When veterinarian Harry Colebourn saw a baby bear for sale at the train station, he knew he could care for it. Harry named the bear Winnie, and brought her along to his World War I training camp in England.

6. This Is My Home, This Is My School

~ Jonathan Bean

Hooray for a picture book celebrating homeschooling, by homeschool graduate Jonathan Bean! Drawing from his own experiences, illustrator Jonathan Bean takes an autobiographically inspired family through the rhythms and routines of a homeschooling day. Sweet and fun!

7. Beautiful Moon: A Child’s Prayer

~ Tonya Bolden: Eric Velasquez (illustrator)

Outside a young boy’s window, a beautiful moon illuminates the city around him. As the moon makes its way across the heavens, the boy offers a simple prayer for the homeless and the hungry.

8. The Day the Crayons Came Home

~ Drew Daywalt; Oliver Jeffers (illustrator)

Duncan’s crayons are back in this companion to The Day the Crayons Quit. A stack of postcards arrive for the neglectful boy, this time written by a new batch of crayons who have been forgotten at motels, lost under the couch, or left behind in the basement.

9. Good Dogs, Great Listeners

~ Renata Bowers; Michael Chesworth (illustrator)

One to encourage your reluctant readers! Young Charlotte loves dogs and adventure, but she doesn’t love books. When her dog Lily is injured, Charlotte helps her recover…and discovers a love of reading in the process.

10. Blizzard

~ John Rocco

Blizzard is based on Rocco’s childhood experience during the now infamous Blizzard of 1978, which brought fifty-three inches of snow to his town in Rhode Island!

11. Firebird

~ Misty Copeland; Christopher Myers (illustrator)

Famed ballerina Misty Copeland encourages a young African-American girl to follow her dreams to be a prima ballerina in this poetic text vividly illustrated with evocative collages.

12. Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems

~ Paul B. Janeczko; Melissa Sweet (illustrator)

Whether listened to in the comfort of a cozy lap or read independently, the thirty-six short poems in this collection remind readers young and old that a few perfect words and pictures can make the world glow.

13. Flashlight

~ Lizi Boyd

Inside a tent it’s cozy. But what is going on outside? Is it dark? Is it scary? Not if you have your trusty flashlight! This wordless picture book is a masterful exploration of night, nature, and art.

14. Home

~ Carson Ellis

Home might be a house in the country, an apartment in the city, or even a shoe. Come explore the concept of home through this book, a visual treat.

15. Have You Seen My Dragon?

~ Steve Light

In the heart of the city, among the taxis and towers, a small boy travels uptown and down, searching for his dragon. Help him find his friend while counting objects from hot dogs to traffic lights.

16. The Iridescence of Birds: A Book About Henri Matisse

~ Patricia MacLachlan; Hadley Hooper (illustrator)

If you were a boy named Henri Matisse who lived in a dreary town in northern France, what would your life be like? Find out in this unusual picture book about one of the world’s most famous artists.

17. Enormous Smallness: A Story of E.E. Cummings

~ Matthew Burgess; Kris Di Giacomo (illustrator)

With a tree house in the city and a cabin in the country each summer, Cummings grew up surrounded by family and nature. He began writing poetry at the age of three!

18. The Most Magnificent Thing

~ Ashley Spires

A little girl, with the help of her dog, tries to build a magnificent thing. But it is harder than expected! See how her persistence pays off.

19. Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos

~ Stephanie Roth Sisson

When Carl Sagan was a young boy he went to the 1939 World’s Fair. His life was changed forever. From that day on he never stopped marveling at the universe and seeking to understand it better.

20. The Wonderful Things You Will Be

~ Emily Winfield Martin

Martin’s rhyming text expresses all the loving things parents think of when they look at their children. A go-to gift for new moms and dads, and a potential bedtime favorite for many littles. Gorgeous.

And there you have it–enjoy the snuggles and the books!

Does your family have any recently released favorites to add to this list?

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your personality type needs most!

We all want our kids to fall in love with learning, don’t we?

And we can always use a little help as we press toward that goal. Instead of constantly telling our kids how important learning is, let’s show them–through our own example, of course, but also through the books we bring into our home.

After curling up with Abe Lincoln, Booker T. Washington, Ben Carson, and the other protagonists featured here, we just may find our kids appreciating their education–and eager to learn more–than they were before.

The following ten titles feature main characters who discover just how important learning is, and who grow to love the doors it opens for them.

Me…Jane (ages 4-6)

by Patrick McDonnell

In this picture book biography, McDonnell examines Goodall’s very English childhood and her unexpected wish—nurtured by early exposure to Tarzan—to live and work in Africa. Jane spends most of her time sitting quietly, watching living things.

“One day,” McDonnell writes, “curious Jane wondered where eggs came from. So she and Jubilee snuck into Grandma Nutt’s chicken coop… hid beneath some straw, stayed very still… and observed the miracle.” (The hen looks just as surprised as Jane.) 

McDonnell’s concentration on Jane’s childhood fantasies carries a strong message to readers that their own dreams—even the wildly improbable ones—may be realizable, too. ~ Publisher’s Weekly Review

Abe Lincoln: The Boy Who Loved Books (ages 6-8)

by Kay Winters; illus. Nancy Carpenter

Using simple language, bare-bones details, and uncluttered illustrations, Winters introduces America’s sixteenth president. She recounts events from Lincoln’s childhood in Kentucky and Indiana and his young adulthood in New Salem, Illinois.

The engaging narrative emphasizes Lincoln’s love of books and reading, which flourished despite his lack of formal education. Carpenter’s oil-on-canvas illustrations include many details of pioneer life and focus on Lincoln’s humble beginnings. ~ Booklist review

Clara and the Bookwagon (ages 6-8)

by Nancy Smiler Levinson; illus. Carolyn Croll

Clara, a young farm girl growing up in rural Maryland at the turn of the century, dreams of being able to read and to learn, but her hard working, no-nonsense father says, “Books are for rich people. Farm people like us do not have time to read.”

During the summer, Clara meets a woman driving a large wagon filled with books. The woman gives Clara a ride back to the farm where, after much persuading, Clara’s father agrees to let Clara learn to read and to borrow books from America’s first “bookmobile.” ~ School Library Journal Review

More Than Anything Else (ages 6-8)

by Marie Bradby; illus. Chris K. Soentpiet

The spare, lovely narrative of this picture book, based on the childhood of Booker T. Washington, is in the voice of a nine-year-old boy. He tells of leaving his cabin before dark to work all day shoveling salt with his father and older brother: “All day long we shovel it, but it refuses to grow smaller.”

Despite the community’s poverty and toil, there’s a sense of freedom now, something different: “All people are free to go where they want and do what they can.” What Booker wants is to read.

Finally, he finds someone to teach him his letters, and it’s as if he’s reborn. ~ Booklist Review

Mr. George Baker (ages 6-8)

by Amy Hest; illus. Jon J. Muth

One-hundred-year-old George has decided to learn to read, so he waits for the school bus every morning along with his young neighbor, Harry. He studies with a group of grown-ups, while Harry does the same with his classmates down the hall.

George is a musician, “a drummer man, and some people say he’s famous.” But to Harry, he is just a friend who shares the struggle of tackling a new skill. Harry narrates the story in short articulate sentences that present an uncomplicated picture of two unlikely friends.

Watercolor illustrations depict the African-American man and the Caucasian boy and their warm relationship. ~ School Library Journal Review

Prairie School (ages 6-8)

by Avi; illus. Bill Farnsworth

Nine-year-old Noah loves living on the Colorado prairie in the 1880s where he helps his parents with all of the work. When Aunt Dora comes from the East to teach him how to read, he sees no need to do so and refuses to cooperate with her. However, his aunt refuses to give up.

She asks Noah to show her the land even though he warns her that her wheelchair may make it difficult to get around. As he wheels her along, she consults the book in her lap and begins to tell him about the natural things around them.

Impressed by her knowledge, the child decides to learn to read and write, and realizes that his aunt has opened a world beyond the prairies to him. ~ School Library Journal Review

Thank you, Mr. Falker (ages 6-8)

by Patricia Polacco

Here Polacco shares her childhood triumph over dyslexia and discovery of reading. Young Trisha is eager to taste the “sweetness of knowledge” that her grandfather has always revered. But when she looks at words and numbers, everything is a jumble.

Trisha endures the cruel taunts of classmates and falls behind in her studies. But finally the encouragement and efforts of a new fifth grade teacher, Mr. Falker, trigger a monumental turning point in Trisha’s life. She begins to blossom and develop all of her talents, including reading.

Polacco’s tale is all the more heartfelt because of its personal nature. Young readers struggling with learning difficulties will identify with Trisha’s situation and find reassurance in her success. ~ Publisher’s Weekly Review

That Book Woman (ages 6-8)

by Heather Henson; illus. David Small

Cal and his family live high in the Appalachian hills. He’s proud to be a hard worker and scorns his sister, who’d read all day if allowed. When a stranger appears on horseback to deliver books, Cal wants nothing to do with her until one winter evening when she braves the snowy mountain to deliver her goods.

Her courage and strong will make him realize that her job must be very important, so he asks his sister to teach him to read. 

Cal’s expressions of resentment and anger, and then his acceptance and enjoyment of reading, are shown with simple yet effective lines. ~ School Library Journal

May B. (ages 8-10)

by Caroline Starr Rose

As unforgiving as the western Kansas prairies, this extraordinary verse novel paints a gritty picture of late-19th-century frontier life from the perspective of a 12-year-old dyslexic girl named Mavis Elizabeth Betterly… May B. for short.

Ma and Pa, hurting for money, hire out their daughter to the Oblingers, a newlywed couple who’ve just homesteaded 15 miles west—just until Christmas, Pa promises.

May is bitter: “I’m helping everyone / except myself.” She has trouble enough at school with her cumbersome reading without missing months… and how can she live in such close quarters with strangers?

This sad-enough tale crescendos to a hair-raising survival story when May is inexplicably abandoned and left in complete isolation to starve. If May is a brave, stubborn fighter, the short, free-verse lines are one-two punches in this Laura Ingalls Wilder–inspired ode to the human spirit. ~ Kirkus Starred Review

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (ages 10-12)

by Gregg and Deborah Shaw Lewis 

Today he is one of the world’s most brilliant surgeons. Gifted Hands tells the extraordinary true story of an angry, young boy from the inner city who, through faith and determination, grew up to become one of the world’s leading pediatric neurosurgeons.

When Ben was in school, his peers called him the class dummy. But his mother encouraged him to succeed, and Ben discovered a deep love of learning. Ben found that anything is possible with trust and determination. ~ Amazon description

Enjoy falling in love with learning alongside your little people!

“A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.”
~ C.S. Lewis

Originally posted on May 19, 2014

The love of good books flows steadily through my bloodstream–always has. I have to admit, though, that I tend to stick to the tried-and-true classics, titles that have staying power and have inspired readers for generations.

But I also love stumbling across a new-to-me book on a library’s shelf and flipping through to discover that it has the makings of a classic after all–it inspires, it teaches, it tells a deeper story.

Here are ten nonfiction titles, along with excerpts from the reviews they’ve been given, that you and yours might enjoy checking out:

The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos

by Deborah Heiligman (Author), LeUyen Pham (Illustrator)

“Growing up in Hungary during WWI, Erdos tried school but chafed at the rules and convinced his mother that he should study at home. (Jamie’s note: Woot! Homeschool alert!)

Unable to do common tasks such as cooking, laundry, or driving, he spent his adult life flying around the world, staying with other mathematicians, and working collaboratively on challenging math problems.

This excellent picture-book biography celebrates a man little known outside his field, but one well worth knowing.” ~ Booklist Starred Review

Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909

by Michelle Markel (Author) , Melissa Sweet (Illustrator)

“In the winter of 1909, a brave girl named Clara Lemlich, only five feet tall, picketed for workers’ rights. She arrived in America along with hundreds of other immigrants from eastern Europe, hardly speaking any English.

But instead of her father being hired, it’s Clara the factories want, and off she goes to make women’s clothing in a garment factory from dawn till dusk.

While the men at the factory don’t think girls are strong enough to strike, Clara proves them wrong, eventually leading the “largest walkout of women workers in U.S. history.” ~ Booklist Starred Review

Clara and Davie: The True Story of Young Clara Barton, Founder of the American Red Cross

by Patricia Polacco

“The very shy Clara was especially close to her brother, Davie, who understood that she had a severe lisp. After classmates teased her about her speech, Clara, an excellent student, was taught at home. (Jamie’s note: And another homeschool alert here!!)

She and Davie visited the library and borrowed books about nature. Soon, Clara was borrowing medical books as well. Word of her ability spread and she began treating the neighbors’ livestock.

This heartwarming story of sibling devotion and overcoming obstacles will whet readers’ interest and lead them to further study.” ~ School Library Journal Review

Locomotive (Caldecott Medal Book)

by Brian Floca

“Locomotive is a breathtaking look at a family’s 1869 journey from Omaha to Sacramento via the newly completed Transcontinental Railroad. The unnamed family is a launching point for Floca’s irrepressible exploration into, well, everything about early rail travel, from crew responsibilities and machinery specifics to the sensory thrills of a bridge rumbling beneath and the wind blasting into your face.

It’s impossible to turn a page without learning something, but it’s these multiple wow moments that will knock readers from their chairs. Fantastic opening and closing notes make this the book for young train enthusiasts.” ~ Booklist Starred Review

The Matchbox Diary

by Paul Fleischman (Author) , Bagram Ibatoulline (Illustrator)

“When a young girl meets her great grandfather, she asks him about his old collection of little matchboxes, and he explains that at her age he could not read and write.

To remember his experiences, he kept symbolic things in matchboxes: bones from the cannery where his family worked in the U.S., a tooth he lost when bullies threw rocks at him, a ticket for his first baseball game, and other things he kept to show his progress as he learned to read and rose to become a successful adult.

An excellent title for sharing and discussion, this will resonate with the many kids who will recognize how small, ordinary things can become treasures.” ~ Booklist Starred Review

On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein

by Jennifer Berne (Author) , Vladimir Radunsky (Illustrator)

“It’s not easy to explain the work of Albert Einstein to a young audience, but this marvelous book pulls it off. It does so by providing an overview of Einstein’s life: the way he thought and how his remarkable ideas changed the way scientists think. Berne begins with baby Albert, who didn’t say a word.

And as he got older, he didn’t say a word—but he looked and wondered. When he was a student, his teachers thought he was too different, but his differences led him to think about natural phenomenon like light and numbers in new ways.” ~ Booklist Starred Review

A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin

by Jen Bryant (Author) , Melissa Sweet (Illustrator)

“Born in Pennsylvania in 1888, Horace Pippin loved to draw and paint as a child. When he was in eighth grade, his father left the family. Horace quit school and worked to support them. Later wounded as a soldier in WWI, he never regained full use of his right arm.

Back home, Pippin began painting again, using his left arm to guide his right. Painting subjects drawn mainly from observation, memory, family stories, and the Bible, this self-taught African American artist was eventually discovered by the art community.” ~ Booklist Starred Review

Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library

by Barb Rosenstock (Author) , John O’Brien (Illustrator)

“This attractive picture book uses Thomas Jefferson’s love of reading and collecting books as a lens through which to view the story of his life. Even as a young child, Tom reads through his father’s library, and as a young man, he collects his own.

He uses what he has learned from books to write the Declaration of Independence, and other papers through his presidency and retirement to 1814, when a fire destroyed the Library of Congress.

The story concludes with Jefferson selling his beloved books to form the basis of the new collection there. An informative author’s note rounds out this appealing introduction to Jefferson.” ~ Booklist Review

The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever

by H. Joseph Hopkins (Author), Jill McElmurry (Illustrator)

“Katherine Olivia Sessions, who grew up in Northern California in the 1860s, always loved trees. Girls back then weren’t supposed to get their hands dirty, but Kate did. Girls were also discouraged from studying science, but Kate graduated from the University of California with a degree in science in 1881. Postgraduation, Kate moved to San Diego, a desert town with little greenery.

She wrote to gardeners far and wide, seeking out seeds that would thrive in a harsh desert climate, and by the turn of the century, oaks, eucalypti, and palms sprung up throughout the city. A lovely tribute to the pioneering (and environmentalist) spirit, topped off by an author’s note.” ~ Booklist Starred Review

Who Says Women Can’t Be Doctors?: The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell

by Tanya Lee Stone (Author) , Marjorie Priceman (Illustrator)

“Women not able to be doctors? There’s a crazy thought! Yet one woman had to be first. Stone and Priceman combine their considerable talents to tell the story of Elizabeth Blackwell, who fought the scorn, the sneers, and the barriers on her way to becoming a physician.

As an adult, prompted by a friend who wished for a woman doctor, Blackwell decided to apply to medical school—and so the rejection began.

Once accepted, she was treated abysmally by her fellow students, until she proved herself smarter than any of them. The extended author’s note will further intrigue readers.” ~ Booklist Starred Review

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“The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.”
~ Mark Twain

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your personality type needs most!

We started reading to our firstborn the day we brought him home. We didn’t start with Pat the Bunny or Goodnight Moon, although those both played an important part in our story time with all our children. We started with a college textbook, Western Civilization. We just wanted him to hear the sound of our voices and to get a feel for language.

Over the years we have read hundreds of books to our three children, from board books to great classics. Reading aloud comes in two forms in our family: as part of school (we have used Sonlight’s literature-based program for the majority of our years) and before bed.

Beginning at about age 5 with each of our kids, we moved from a diet of picture books and short easy readers to serious chapter books. Don’t worry about your child not “getting” a book that is “meant” for older kids. They will.

Around age 12 or 13 the evening reading aloud ended, followed shortly by the end of our school-time read-alouds. We are down to just one child who gets all of our reading attention now, and we are determined to have lots of reading time together until he, too, prefers his own voice in his head.

Below is a list of our Top 25 favorite family read-alouds. They are in no particular order, except that I listed a few series at the end. Why did these books make the list when dozens of others didn’t quite qualify? These are the books the kids remember with almost a tender fondness and sometimes almost awe. These were books we lived in, the ones that do, indeed, seem like part of our family.

Our Top 25

1. Maniac McGee (Jerry Spinelli): A boy ignores boundaries in a small town, soothing racial tensions.
2. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (Joan Aiken): Wolves, an evil governess, nasty villains, and two girls who escape terror to find their true inheritance.
3. Across Five Aprils (Irene Hunt): A boy grows into manhood as his brothers leave to fight in the Union and Confederate armies.
4. The Witch of Blackbird Pond (Elizabeth George Speare): An orphan comes to live with her relatives in a Puritan town, befriends an outcast Quaker, and becomes an outcast herself.
5. Caddie Woodlawn (Carol Ryrie Brink): Features the Woodlawn family, pioneers in Wisconsin. Caddie and her brothers have continuous adventures from possible massacres to prairie fires.
6. Cheaper by the Dozen (Frank Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey): Forget the popular movie and read the incredible true story of the Gilbreth kids and their parents.
7. Little Britches (Ralph Moody): In the early 1900s, eight-year-old Ralph and his family move to a Colorado ranch. Their life is full of hardships and lots of love. A huge tear-jerker!
8. Hitty, Her First 100 Years (Rachel Field): From one owner to another, the doll Hitty sees tremendous changes in the world over the course of 100 years.
9. The Phantom Tollbooth (Norton Juster): The classic story of the boy Milo, who finds his boring life interrupted when he travels to Dictionopolis and the lands beyond.
10. The Wheel on the School (Meindert DeJong): A Dutch village joins together as it seeks to bring storks back to the rooftops of Shora.
11. Follow My Leader (James Garfield): Jimmy is accidentally blinded by a firecracker. With the help of his guide dog, he perseveres.
12. Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio (Peg Kehret): Tells of the author’s battle with polio as a young girl. Mesmerizing.
13. Number the Stars (Lois Lowry): Annemarie and her family are part of the Danish resistance in WW2, helping to smuggle their Jewish friends to safety.
14. Carry On, Mr. Bowditch (Jean Lee Latham): The story of Nathaniel Bowditch, an ordinary boy who becomes a pioneering navigator.
15. The Sign of the Beaver (Elizabeth George Speare): 13-year-old Matt is left alone to guard his family’s new cabin in the Maine wilderness.
16. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Barbara Robinson): The six horrible Herdman kids turn the annual Christmas program upside down.
17. The Cricket in Times Square (George Selden): Chester Cricket tours NYC with his new friends Tucker, Harry, and Mario.
18. Watership Down (Richard Adams): The classic story of rabbits who flee the destruction of their home, searching for a safe haven.
19. The Hobbit (JRR Tolkien): Trolls, goblins, dragons, dwarves, and, of course, hobbits. This is the incomparable adventure of Bilbo Baggins.
20. The Chronicles of Narnia (C.S. Lewis): My own personal favorite of all the books on the list. If you haven’t read them, well, please do.
21. The Harry Potter series (J.K. Rowling): Adored by our kids and by us parents, as we experienced them together for the first time (and many times since then).
22. Little House on the Prairie series (Laura Ingalls Wilder): I can’t imagine a girlhood without Laura and the rest of Ingalls family.
23. Ramona series (Beverly Cleary): Ramona, Beezus, Henry, and the rest of the gang should not be missed. Henry Huggins and Ribsy were also favorites.
24. The Boxcar Children (Gertrude Chandler Warner): Orphans Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny solve mysteries and have many adventures. The first four books were our favorites.
25. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory/Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator (Roald Dahl): Willy Wonka, Charlie, Grandpa Joe, and the Oompa-Loompas: what a crazy adventure. The books are madcap and hilarious but poignant.

I hope you’ve found a few new titles to add to your read-aloud time. What are some of your family’s absolute favorites?

This post originally published on April 6, 2012.

It’s that time again – another edition of Best Books of the Month. The time when we help each other find new titles that the kids (or the mamas and the papas!) might love.

If you missed last month’s recommendations and would like to take a look, you can find that post here.

Here are the books we’ve been loving in our home recently:

* Moments that Matter: Real Life Photography Techniques for Capturing the Joy and Wonder of Childhood by Farrah Braniff

This book came across my path right when I had been wishing for a resource to teach me how to take better photos. I have a basic Canon Rebel DSLR and I know it can do more than I know how to do with it. I’ve been wanting to get it off auto mode more often, and this down to earth guide has been super helpful!

* A Million Little Ways: Uncovering the Art You Were Made to Live by Emily Freeman

A beautiful, inspiring read for Christians who believe they have more to offer and give the world. You’re right – life art is your medium each and every day.

* Opening the Door to Your God-Sized Dream by Holley Gerth

I’m a big fan of Holley’s encouraging style of writing. If you have a dream but aren’t sure how to pursue it, this 40 day devotional can help you get started.

* The Growly Books: Begin by Philip & Erin Ulrich

An adventurous read for the 8-10 crowd; also makes a good read-aloud for ages 6 and up. Find my full review here. (Also: My kids are thrilled that the second book in the series will be coming out later this month!)

* Childhood of Famous Americans series

These fictionalized biographies make US history come alive for readers in the 8-12 age range. Jonathan (9) has been enjoying these lately and eagerly filling me in on all the details.

Also check out this page that divides these titles up based on chronological order–awesome!

Now on to the titles your family enjoyed this month! All of these received 4 or 5 stars from those who recommended them on Facebook.

I’ve loosely organized these based on age range, but bear in mind that readiness varies from family to family and child to child. So take a good look at the descriptions to decide what belongs on your bookshelf.

4-8 years

• Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade by Melissa Sweet
• A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson (We love the illustrations in this one!)
• If the Walls Could Talk: Family Life at the White House by Jane O’Connor
• I’m a Frog (An Elephant & Piggie book) by Mo Willems
• The Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook by Joyce Lankester Brisley
• Water Dance by Thomas Locker

8-12 years

12 and up

• Boys Without Names by Kashmira Sheth
• A Candle in the Darkness by Lynn Austin
• The Charlie Bone series by Jenny Nimmo
• Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
• Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War II by Joseph Bruchac
• I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
• A Lantern in Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich
• The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine
• Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans
• Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
• Redwall by Brian Jacques

For even more teen book recommendations, check out this helpful Facebook thread!

For the mamas & papas

•  Stitches: A Handbook on Meaning, Hope, and Repair by Anne Lamott
• Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink
• I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai
• Real Love for Real Life: The Art and Work of Caring by Andi Ashworth
• The Search for Significance by Robert McGee
• Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids by Kim John Payne (one of my favorites!)

US readers – looking for Thanksgiving books?

If you’re looking for picture books on Thanksgiving, I shared some of my favorites in this post a few years ago. Enjoy!

“I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves.”
~ Anna Quindlen

Now it’s time to share your favorites! What have you and yours read in the past month that you love?

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Jamie Martin, editor of Simple Homeschool, also blogs about motherhood at Steady Mom

If it weren’t for the books I discovered back when I was considering homeschooling, I don’t think I would have had the courage to start down this path.

Without many real life homeschooling friends at the time, the books I read kindled my interest, answered my questions, and fueled the dream I was mentally crafting about what learning could look like for our family.

I love this quote by American journalist Edward P. Morgan:

“A book is the only place in which you can examine a fragile thought without breaking it, or explore an explosive idea without fear it will go off in your face. It is one of the few havens remaining where a man’s mind can get both provocation and privacy.”

Most of us have been significantly impacted by at least one homeschooling book. Here are a few of my favorites:

• A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille
• Leadership Education by Oliver and Rachel DeMille
• Educating the WholeHearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson
• Free Range Learning by Laura Grace Weldon
• How Children Fail & How Children Learn by John Holt
• Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto

Now it’s your turn to share: Tell me the titles of one or more of your favorite homeschooling books. Let’s get a good list going that others can discover and browse when they need inspiration!

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The following is a guest post written by Caroline Starr Rose of Caroline by line and the verse novel May B.

What’s the point of historical fiction? Publisher’s Weekly recently ran an interview with Newbery and Newbery-Honor medalist Karen Cushman, one of children’s literature’s most celebrated authors. Here’s what she had to say:

“I think for readers historical fiction is important because it helps them to see beyond the boundaries of their own experience. It helps them to stretch and to see what life is like for others. This helps illustrate both how we are the same and how we are different, and can give readers more empathy.”

As a social studies teacher turned children’s author, nothing fires me up as a much as a well-crafted historical novel. Nothing has made history more personal than the books I’ve treasured in childhood and beyond.

Here are some historical titles worth celebrating, worth sharing, worth reading with the young people in your lives.

Middle-Grade Books:

FEVER 1793
By Laurie Halse Anderson
Age Range: 11 – 13

In an intense, well-researched tale that will resonate particularly with readers in parts of the country where the West Nile virus and other insect-borne diseases are active, Anderson takes a Philadelphia teenager through one of the most devastating outbreaks of yellow fever in our country’s history.
— Kirkus reviews

My take: I read this book with students during a summer book club. The story is riveting, and the subject matter made for some memorable activities perfect for the weird and wonderful middle-school set (interpretive performances of the stages of yellow fever, anyone?).

THE MISADVENTURES OF MAUDE MARCH
or, Trouble Rides a Fast Horse
By Audrey Couloumbis
Age Range: 9 – 18
“Some days it isn’t even a good idea to get out of bed,” muttered Aunt Ruthie as she stepped out of the mercantile. Just then, a bullet hits her in the heart and kills her, leaving 11-year-old Sallie and 15-year-old Maude orphans once again. Soon thereafter, the sisters are headed west, about to live the adventures Sallie had read about in her dime novels. They are involved in a bank robbery, struck by a headless rattlesnake, attacked by a mountain lion and forced to be on the run when wanted posters featuring “Mad Maude” begin appearing in the newspapers.

What a pleasure to read something just for the sheer fun of the storytelling. Sallie’s fresh and feisty voice, girls dressed as boys, an outlaw with a heart of gold, adventure and humor add up to great family entertainment.
— Kirkus reviews

My take: Rollicking good fun!

HEART OF A SAMURAI
Based on the True Story of Nakahama Manjiro
By Margi Preus (Author) , Jillian Tamaki (Illustrator)
Age Range: 9 – 13

In 1841, 14-year-old Manjiro joined four others on an overnight fishing trip. Caught by a severe storm, their small rowboat was shipwrecked on a rocky island. Five months later, they were rescued by the crew of a whaling ship from New Bedford. Manjiro, renamed John Mung, was befriended by the captain and eventually lived in his home in New Bedford, rapidly absorbing Western culture. But the plight of his impoverished family in Japan was never far from Manjiro’s mind, although he knew that his country’s strict isolationist policy meant a death sentence if he returned.
— Kirkus reviews

My take: Adored it!

INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN
By Thanhha Lai
Age Range: 9 – 12
An enlightening, poignant and unexpectedly funny novel in verse is rooted in the author’s childhood experiences. In Saigon in 1975, 10-year-old Kim Hà celebrates Tet (New Year) with her mother and three older brothers; none of them guesses at the changes the Year of the Cat will bring. On the eve of the fall of Saigon, they finally decide they must escape.

In her not-to-be-missed debut, Lai evokes a distinct time and place and presents a complex, realistic heroine whom readers will recognize, even if they haven’t found themselves in a strange new country.
— Kirkus reviews

My take: This book is tender, beautiful glimpse into another culture. Using unrhymed poetry to tell her story, Lai’s spare language reflects the vulnerability of a child thrown into a new world with honesty and heart.

Young-Adult Books:

A NORTHERN LIGHT
By Jennifer Donnelly
Age Range: 12 – 18

Donnelly combines a mystery with a coming-of-age story about a girl choosing among family obligations, romance, and education. The mystery derives from a true event, the death in 1906 of a young woman in northern New York. In this fictional rendition, 16-year-old farm girl Mattie Gokey is working for the summer at the hotel where the murdered woman has been staying and has given Mattie letters to burn. As the details emerge about the possible murder, Mattie struggles with whether to burn the letters or turn them over to the police. She also wrestles with a deathbed promise to her mother to stay and raise her younger siblings. Mattie, who loves language and excels at creative writing, longs to go to New York City for college, encouraged by a feminist schoolteacher.
— Kirkus reviews

My take: As an author, I was caught up in the sheer beauty of Donnelly’s writing. As a reader, Mattie reminded me of one of my all-time favorite characters, Francie Nolan.

CODE NAME VERITY
By Elizabeth Wein
Age Range: 14 – 18

In a cell in Nazi-occupied France, a young woman writes. Like Scheherezade, to whom she is compared by the SS officer in charge of her case, she dribbles out information—“everything I can remember about the British War Effort”—in exchange for time and a reprieve from torture. But her story is more than a listing of wireless codes or aircraft types. Instead, she describes her friendship with Maddie, the pilot who flew them to France, as well as the real details of the British War Effort: the breaking down of class barriers, the opportunities, the fears and victories not only of war, but of daily life.

Through the layers of story, characters (including the Nazis) spring to life. And as the epigraph makes clear, there is more to this tale than is immediately apparent. The twists will lead readers to finish the last page and turn back to the beginning to see how the pieces slot perfectly, unexpectedly into place.
— Kirkus reviews

My take: Unbelievable storytelling. Masterful writing. A beautiful picture of the bond of friendship. I couldn’t leave this story for days after reading.

THE WICKED AND THE JUST
By J. Anderson Coats
Age Range: 12 – 18

Two girls of very different degree are brought together unwillingly by the English conquest of Wales.

Cecily is in a pet at having to leave the home of her youth—where her mother is buried—and relocate to the Welsh frontier, but her father is a younger son. He will take a burgage in Caernarvon, recently conquered by Edward I. In exchange for a home, he will help to keep the King’s peace. Cecily hates Caernarvon. She hates its weather, its primitive appointments and its natives, especially Gwinny, the servant girl who doesn’t obey, and the young man who stares at her.

Never opting for the easy characterization, debut author Coats compellingly re-creates this occupation from both sides. It all leads to an ending so brutal and unexpected it will take readers’ breath away even as it makes them think hard about the title.
— Kirkus reviews

My take: J. Anderson Coats started keeping copious notes on the middle ages as a teenager. I know no one with such passion for or knowledge of this era. This book is a masterpiece.

What historical fiction for young readers has left its impression on you?

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