books – Living the Adventure

The delightful practice of rereading.

August 30, 2019August 30, 2019 esther7dancingLeave a comment

About a year ago, if we were in the middle of a conversation about books and our current reading life and you asked me if I was in the habit of rereading books, I probably would have thought that was a ridiculous question. Why would I ever want to reread a book, when there are so many books to read? This is a complete waste of time. In the past year, I have been persuaded otherwise. Now, I must say that not all books are created alike and some books are definitely not worth reading a second time. I would even venture to say that there are some books not even worth finishing. On the other side of that argument, there are many books worth rereading to discover the treasure you may have missed.

CS Lewis is probably one of my all time favorite authors. His thought provoking books will lead you on a journey into the world of literature he has created. The “Chronicles of Narnia” are an example of a book series that is worth rereading. The first time I was introduced to the world of Narnia, I was a child and I took considerable delight in the story that was set before me. Children enjoy the “Chronicles of Narnia” simply because its an amazing story. They are perhaps unaware of the deeper meaning embedded in the series, which you might see as an adult. CS Lewis once said “No book is worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally-and often far more-worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond.”

I started rereading the “Chronicles of Narnia” as a read aloud to my children. I am now convinced that everyone as an adult not just children should read the “Narnia” series. I loved the series as a child, but I loved it more as an adult. As a child, I enjoyed the story, but the deeper meaning of the text that the author was trying to convey went over my head. For example, there is this scene from the second book in the series called “Prince Caspian”. One of the main characters named Lucy and a lion named Aslan who is the King of the Kingdom are having a conversation. Lucy observes that Aslan has gotten bigger since the last time she saw him. Aslan’s response is “…every year you will grow, you will find me bigger”. I was sitting there reading this passage to my children and the meaning of this conversation caught me off guard as an adult. Aslan is allegorically a picture of Christ. As I grow in Christ, God becomes bigger in my life. As I understand who God is and what He is like, I understand more and more that He is the author of the impossible becoming possible. Reading this passage as a child did not have the same impact on me as an adult. I was slowly being persuaded that rereading might not be the waste of time I thought it to be.

I have recently joined a bookclub in the hope that it would help me expand my reading life. I am a creature of habit and reading the same type of books is a comfortable and easy place I don’t want to leave. The word “change” is a word I try to avoid instead of embrace. That being said, I knew I wanted to expand my reading life and a book club seemed like a motivating road to take. This month we read “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen. This was my third reading of “Pride and Prejudice”. I enjoyed the book even more the third time, compared to previous readings. When you reread a book, you are able to slow down and see observations that you might have missed before, because you are already familiar with the storyline.

There were some observations that I noticed in reading “Pride and Prejudice” that I hadn’t in previous reads. What stood out to me was the pride and prejudice of Elizabeth Bennet. She had always appeared to be the heroine in my mind with very little flaws. This time however, I noticed how she seemed to have a prejudice against the women that surrounded her. Elizabeth Bennet’s character is quite harsh on the women in her life. Her observations of their behavior leads you to see Elizabeth thinking she is better than the people that surround her. On previous reads, I had always thought the title reflected Elizabeth Bennet to having the “Pride” and Mr. Darcy having the “Prejudice”. This time I noticed that the title actually reflects many of the characters having both pride and prejudice throughout the entire novel. I realized that perhaps Jane Austen might have meant a broader meaning in the use of her title. This was only one of the many new observations that captured my attention. “Pride and Prejudice” was definitely worth rereading.

My final example is a recent short novella that I read by Fredrik Backman called “And Every Morning The Way Home Gets Longer and Longer”. The first time I read this book, I thought it was a pleasing story, but I didn’t quite understand the plot line. I decided to read it a second time due to the author’s poetic style of writing with this novella. The first time, I had rushed through, wanting to know what happened in the story. I decided I needed to slow down to perhaps capture more of the message that the author was trying to convey. I am so glad I made the decision to slow down. Slowing down was necessary with this particular book to understand the beauty of what Fredrick Backman was writing. After the second time of reading this novella, I thought it was a touching and beautiful story worth reading.

Rereading great books is a delightful practice that I have now incorporated into my reading life. There are some books worth taking your time to read again. Rereading allows us to slow down and see perhaps things we might have missed on the first time around. I think C.S. Lewis gives us a thoughtful perspective on rereading in the following quote:

“We do not enjoy a story fully at the first reading. Not till the curiosity, the sheer narrative lust, has been given its sop and laid asleep, are we at leisure to savor the real beauties.”- C.S. Lewis

What are your favorite books that you have reread?

Do you think rereading is a waste of time or do you enjoy it as part of your reading life?

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Book Review-“The False Prince” by Jennifer Nielsen

August 20, 2019 esther7dancingLeave a comment

Synopsis:

Four orphan boys kidnapped against their will have the terrible decision to live a lie or choose to die. A kingdom is on the precipice of war and a treacherous plan is put into action by a nobleman named Conner who kidnaps these four orphan boys. His plan is to train them to become a prince that will fool the kingdom into thinking his long lost prince is finally home. They must choose to be trained or walk away to their deaths. Only one of the orphans will be chosen to be the false prince. Who will Conner choose? What will happen to the other three orphan boys? Will this stop the war and bring peace to the kingdom? This book contains mystery, adventure that will capture the reader’s attention. It is a journey worth taking.

My Thoughts:

Jennifer Nielsen has woven a tale that will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end. I read this book in about 2 days because I could not put it down. I delighted in how the story had a bit of mystery throughout the entire book. As I read the story I would see little by little more of the missing pieces that fit to complete the picture the author was trying to create. This book was fast paced and didn’t slow down. I may or may not have stayed up a little bit late, just to finish more of the book. I am not a fan of slow paced books. I need the plot to keep going and the characters be well developed to keep my attention. I think part of the reason, I enjoy a fast paced book is because I am limited on my time when I can actually read. I read in the edges of my day. I may only get 15 to 30 minutes to read so it is quite enjoyable when I find a book that can keep my attention even when I am limited with my time. I think Jennifer Nielsen did an amazing job of creating a story that young and old alike can enjoy. This will definitely be the next read aloud that I read with my kids. Teens would love to have this book on their bookshelf. The “False Prince” is also a wonderful book to recommend if you have reluctant teen reader.

Recommended For: I would say 10 years old and older. The book is clean but there are some older themes such as war and killing that a younger child may not like. Teens would love this book. Even though the genre is probably categorized as YA, this book is enjoyable for older as well.

For more of my bookish content you can find me on Instagram @booknerdmama5

“The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying up” by Marie Kondo-Book Review

July 27, 2019 esther7dancing1 Comment

Synopsis: Marie Kondo is a Japanese Cleaning Consultant that helps people get organized and live in clean homes that they won’t have to constantly tidy. Her method is called the KonMari Method which is a combination of her first and last name. The biggest difference between her method and other cleaning and organizational methods is how she doesn’t want to you to clean room by room but by category. She also demands that you clean everything at once. For example, when you are organizing the clothing category, you must obtain all your clothing in the entire house and put it in the middle of the floor or on top of your bed. Then you must sort the clothing and only keep clothing that brings you joy. Her desire is that you get a realistic perspective of how much you own as a whole and this will motivate you to stay tidy in the end. This book has sold over 9 million copies so I would conclude that many people love her methods.

My Thoughts: This was a delightful and enjoyable book. Her use of storytelling was entertaining and fast paced which made it a quick read. There were moments in the book where I was laughing aloud because the description of what her clients were struggling with was a reflection of my own challenges of tidying up. Her reaction to these organizational problems made me laugh. I could just imagine her coming to my own home and saying the exact same things.

The art of organization is my happy place, so finding a book to read on organization is even better. Although, I do not agree with all her methods or beliefs, I was inspired by her art of discarding and her folding methods have changed the way I do laundry forever.

As a homeschool mom of 5 kiddos still living in the house, her method of doing everything all at once is a bit unrealistic. In my reality, I have to go room by room because my kids and family life will not allow anything different. The art of discarding was inspirational and brought an awareness of clutter that I happen to just store and keep for no reason. For example, I have this one cupboard full of cookbooks that I have kept since I was first married. I only use about 5 or 6 of them. Why in the world am I storing the rest? Just recently we had to change the way we eat due to health issues and I bought some beautiful cookbooks for inspiration. Sadly, they do not fit in the stuffed cupboard of cookbooks that I don’t use. I definitely need to incorporate the KonMari method and discard them.

This is also an engaging audible to listen to while you tidy your house. I was able to accomplish quite a bit of cleaning due to wanting to finish the book.

Recommended For: People that love organization or want to be inspired in new ways to organize. You should also listen to the audible version if you want an entertaining books to inspire you while you clean.

Have you read this book?

What are your thoughts about the book if you have read it?

“At Home in the World” by Tsh Oxenreider-Book Review

July 23, 2019July 23, 2019 esther7dancingLeave a comment

Synopsis: “At Home in the World” is a captivating and delightful memoir of Tsh Oxenreider’s decision to take the whole family and travel the world for 9 months. Having three kids the ages of 10, 7 and 4 were not obstacles but part of the adventure. Tsh and her husband have the desire for travel to be a normality for their children. This is just something their family does. The behind the scene look at the different cultures that they interact with is not your normal sight seeing tour. You get a taste of each of the cultures that they visit and it feels like you are listening in and seeing the different stories unfold. It only inspires you to embark on your own world tour and know more.

Each country that they visited had their own unique story or perhaps unique challenges. I felt like the author was taking me on the trip around the world with her. Throughout her journey, Tsh contemplates what it means to be at home. What does being at home look like? She learns through her travels to find balance between her wandering and staying home.

Why I Loved It: I love how Tsh brought me into her world of travel effortlessly with her detailed accounts of the people and life that surrounded her. She is an amazing story teller and she did a wonderful job of sharing her story. The story of the people that they encountered made me fall in love with each of the countries. It was also refreshing to hear about the ups and downs of the entire trip. There were definite challenges and these details only endeared the story to me more. I wanted the real story and she gave it to me.

I will admit this was also a dangerous book for me to read. I already adore traveling and there is nothing I would love to do more then to take a year and travel the world with my 5 kids and husband. Tsh inspired me to want to do just that!

Rating: 5 Stars

Recommended For: Anyone who loves to travel or learn about different cultures. This also is a great book on Audio read by the author.

Bookish Content: If you would like more bookish content from me, you can find me on Instagram @booknerdmama5.

“Love walked in” by Marisa de Los Santos-Book Review

July 19, 2019 esther7dancingLeave a comment

Synopsis: Cornelia Brown is waiting for love to come into her life. That perfect moment when boy meets girl and they live happily ever after. When Martin Grace walks into her coffee shop, she doesn’t realize that her life is about to change and love will be entering her life in the most unexpected ways. This is story of how love walking into your life and you choosing to love back can change the world that you are in.

Why I like it: This book was an unexpected delight. I picked up this book because many people were recommending how wonderful it was, but I also had some preconceived ideas on what it might be about. I thought it would just be an easy summer read that was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. I loved how the book was nothing like I expected. The book went so much deeper. It ended up being a relaxing read but it was also a book that provoked you to think.

Love did walk into Cornelia’s life but not in the romantic way I was thinking. Love came in the form of a young girl who would change Cornelia’s life completely. I was moved by the choice of Cornelia to love this young girl in her time of need. Cornelia chose to step out of her comfort zone to be there for Clare (the young girl). The author was able to draw us into the beauty of Cornelia’s love for Clare. There is also some romance for all those who love to read about happily ever afters.

This book gave me pause, to think. It was a gentle reminder that we called to love people and be kind in our everyday life. You never know when your action of kindness or help will change someone’s world. It could be a simple as helping a neighbor, taking time to listen to someone’s story or an act of kindness that someone was not expecting.

Sometimes I am so caught up in my own world and business that I don’t take the time to notice the world around me. The people that I interact with everyday at the grocery store or in my neighborhood or at the park. They have their own story and maybe, even if its just once in awhile, its my job to listen.

Content Warning: Overall a Clean Read- some bad language and adult themes. Not for a younger audience.

“The Lake House” by Kate Morton-Book Review

July 18, 2019 esther7dancingLeave a comment

Synopsis: Meet the Edevane family who live in a fairytale like house on a lake. It is the 1930’s and Alice Edevane is a young 16 year old who is one of 4 siblings that live in the lake house with her father and mother. They seem to be the perfect family, but you soon find out that that there is a family mystery that creates brokenness and negative consequences in the family. Fast forward to 2003 and we meet Sadie Sparrow, an intelligent and insightful detective that stumbles onto the Edavane’s unsolved mystery. The entire story goes between the present and past and slowly unfolds the solving of the Edevane family mystery.

Why I liked it: Kate Morton is a wonderful story teller. I enjoyed her use of beautiful language. I loved the mystery of not knowing what exactly happened until she revealed it to me. Morton was still able to surprise me with different aspects of the story all the way to the end. The story drew me into the character’s lives and what they were feeling and going through. I would definitely recommend to read this in book form versus audible. The author jumps around so much in time periods, that it would be easier to read the book. I did listen to this one on Audible. I enjoyed it immensely but it was a bit hard to follow which time period I was in. This is my first Kate Morton Novel and I am definitely going to be reading more of her books.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Content Warning: Clean, but had some adult themes- affair, adultery, and a little bit of bad language.

Poetry Tea Time

July 12, 2019 esther7dancing1 Comment

A recent tradition that I have started in our family over the last couple of years is Poetry Tea Time. I did not grow up loving poetry but I do love beautiful language and after I researched the benefits of educating my children in the language of Poetry, I was sold and Poetry Tea Time began. I first heard about having a Poetry Tea Time from Julie Bogart who had a youtube video on her method of what it looked like. Julie Bogart actually sells a “How-to” book about Poetry Tea Time on her website bravewriter.com if you are interested in learning more about her method.

Poetry Tea Time for our family, is an opportunity to give my kids a dose of beautiful language and have them enter a world that they might not embark in, on their own. Once a week or in reality sometimes once a month, I gather all my poetry books from around my house and spread them on the dining room table. Each of my 5 kids from teens to my little ones have to pick one poetry book. Then they have 5 minutes to pick 1 poem to share aloud for us all to hear. I entice my children with snacks, tea or perhaps hot cocoa to help bring even more enjoyment to Poetry Tea Time. After they have all picked which poem to share, we each go around the room and simply share a poem. We might just enjoy listening to the poetry or if it is a poem with some interesting words or cadence, a discussion may ensue.

But you may ask, why Poetry? How do my kids benefit from reading aloud Poetry? Here are a few reasons that I have found that persuade me to make a regualr diet of Poetry as part of my kids education.

Beautiful Language

Poetry is a form of art. The composer of each poetic piece has to carefully choose their words. Sometimes a poem has very little words available to convey the author’s message. This forces the author to choose their words carefully so that the reader can still gain understanding of what their message of the poem is saying. Sometimes with limited words comes a more rich vocabulary which can result in more beautiful language.

Increased Vocabulary

You will not have to worry about SAT prep in vocabulary if you are giving your kids a regular diet of poetry. The difficulty of vocabualry in poetry can be quite advanced. I usually pick one poem that we can pick a few words to define and then analyze why the author might have chosen to use that particular word. My older teens history curriculum includes regular reading of poetry.

Oratory Presentation Skills

Having your kids read these poems aloud is a wonderful way to practice presentation skills. My children had to learn how to present a funny poem versus a more serious poem. How to pronounce made up words like in the the poem “The Jabberwocky” and still help the audience to understand the cadence of the poem. Simple presentation skills like articulation or slowing down so that your audience can follow along. All of these skills are immensely beneficial to any kids in their education.

Improves your Brain

Taking Poetry Tea Time a step further, you can have your kids start memorizing poetry. When you memorize poetry, it increases the capacity of your brain to memorize more. It can also help increase your children’s focus. There were studies done starting around 2013 that did brain research and the affects of poetry on the brain. Using MRI to study their subject’s brain activity as they listened or spoke poetry, they found that certain parts of the brain would light up just for poetry. The article about this research project is interesting. Here is the link to the article if you want to read it- Poetry on the Brain.

Improves Critical Thinking Skills

Poetry encourages abstract thinking which helps kids to critically think. When you read a poem, you can enjoy your tea and snack and emerse yourself in the beauty of the language. This is probably the way poetry tea time happens in my family most of the time, but sometimes we take it a bit further. What did the author mean when they said that phrase? Do we know what the setting of this poem is? Why do you think the author wrote this poem? How does this poem make you feel? What words did the author use to make you feel that way?

These discussions can sometimes make me feel like Alice in Wonderland falling down into a rabbit hole and not knowing where we are going but that’s okay. My kids and I are on a journey of exploring the world of poetry. We might find deeper meaning but most of the time we don’t.

Just to let you know, Poetry Tea Time does not always happen on a consistent basis. Sometimes, we might be able to do it once a month. Another thing worth mentioning is that Poetry Tea Time can be disastrous. I have had kids not in the mood for poetry and be more mocking then enjoyable. I have had other times when one of my kids read a serious poem in a funny voice and that was the end of Poetry Tea Time. I couldn’t get the kids to focus after that. Still other times, the littles start throwing fits and poetry must wait for another day.

Even though it can be quite imperfect, I still value poetry enough to keep presenting it. Maybe someday, when my kids have left this nest, they will pick up a poetry book and read or maybe recongnize a poem that they memorized. At the very least, I am helping them grow more brain cells even if they are unaware. The study of poetry is still worth it to me.

Favorite Fiction Books for Tweens and Teen Boys!

October 23, 2015 esther7dancingLeave a comment

Favorite Fiction Books for Tweens and Teen Boys!

Finding good fiction for tween or teen boys is sometime hard to find. Having two teenage boys, I am always looking for quality fiction books for my boys to read. This is definitely a genre that needs more authors to join the adventure of writing for this age group. If you have a heart or desire to write fiction for tween or teen boys, go for it! I would love to see more clean, quality fiction on bookshelves. In my continuous search for books that become part of our library shelf, I have found a few favorites that are a hit with my kids and me. Some of the books I am recommending are from the same author. Once I find an author that my boys and I like, I search for other works that they have done.

The Kingdom Series by Chuck Black

This is an amazing series that is actually an allegory of the Bible. The author uses the terminology of knights and kingdoms to describe biblical characters. The Prince who trains the knights is Jesus. The knights are the disciples. This is a series that you would want to start at the beginning because there are books that repeat certain characters. The Knights Kingdom series also has a great audio series that go with the books. So if you have an auditory learner, you can get the books on audio. Chuck Black is a homeschool dad that told amazing bedtime stories to his kids. He was encouraged to write them into books and Knights Kingdom Series was born. He is an excellent story teller. My kids are captivated by both the books and the audio. We have listened to the audio several times. You can find his books on Amazon or his website www.perfect-praise.com.

2. Knights of Arrethtrae by Chuck Black

This is another wonderful series by Chuck Black. This series is probably my favorite if I had to choose between the Kingdom Series and Knights of Arrethtrae. This series focuses on the knights of the kingdom called Arrethrae. You do not have to read this series in order except for “Sir Dalton” and “Lady Caryliss” because those two are connected and have repeat characters. Each book focuses on a specific knight and their journey in learning a certain character quality. One book is about overcoming greed and another book is about having faith to step out. These books were powerful stories that illustrate great character building for kids. My favorite was “Lady Caryliss” because of the powerful word pictures that the author gave when Lady Caryliss was given the assignment to set prisoners free. When she was willing to step out and stand up for what was right, it brought freedom to the people. I think teenagers would enjoy the books and the audio. My boys have listened to their favorite “Knight” stories many times.

3. Wars of the Realm by Chuck Black

I have included all the series from Chuck Black because they are all worth mentioning. In my opinion, Chuck Black keeps getting better as he continues to write new series. The thing that I love about this series is that it is quite different from the Kingdom Series and yet it is just as enthralling. Unlike the Kingdom Series, this new series is set more in the present day. The first book is called “Cloak of the Light” and its an adventure worth taking. Its about a young man and his journey to finding God. In the midst of his journey he acquires the ability to see angel and demons. He sees the war that is going on around him and he helps the angels fight to help people. My boys are on the 2nd book which is called “The Rise of the Fallen” and they are complaining that the 3rd book in the series isn’t coming out until February 2016. The author has an interesting perspective on what the “spiritual” realm in heaven and around us might be like.

4. The Berinfell Prophecies by Wayne Thomas Batson

Wayne Thomas Batson is another favorite author of my boys. They anxiously await his next book when they are in the middle of a series. “The Berinfell Prophecies” are an adventure/fantasy series that is written for boys or girls for age 10 and up. The first book in the series is called “Curse of the Spider King” and its about these tween and teen that are part of saving the world from the Spider King. Its an exiting adventure that spans 3 books in the series. I loved the twists and unexpected way the storyline went. You will want to start with the first book if you decide to try this series because the books are definitely connected and contain the same characters throughout the series. We also enjoyed the audio books of this series, if you have a child that would rather listen then read the series. These books are found at Amazon or on Wayne Thomas Batson’s website which is enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com.

5. Door Within Series by Wayne Thomas Baston

One thing that is unique about the Door Within Series is that it has many parallels between the Bible and the story line. The reason it is called the Door Within is because the hero finds within himself a heart wanting to follow the King. When he decides to become a knight and follow the King, he is used mightily to save other lives and fight against the enemy. Its an exciting adventure series that is anything but boring. My kids are going through the series for the second time and still enjoy the twists and turn the story takes. There are 3 books in this series and you would want to start with the first book in this series as well.

These are probably my top 5 so far. There are more books that my boys have loved and I hope to add more to this list soon. I think the most unique thing about all these books is that they are Christian based, so its nice to have even spiritual teaching and character training in the middle of books that your kids like to read for fun. I enjoy having my kids read for enjoyment but its also fun to have them read books that make them think. I think both these authors do a great job of incorporating both. Enjoy!

10 Favorite Picture Books That Will Delight Any Age

September 11, 2015September 11, 2015 esther7dancingLeave a comment

The start of school and beginning of fall always reminds me of warm cups of tea, yummy scones and good books. We had our monthly library trip where we filled up on a bunch of books for September. My kids asked me if we could just have a reading day for homeschooling that day and I thought that it was an excellent idea. Soon my children had taken all the cushions from my couch, a bunch of blankets, some favorite stuffed animals and they informed me that they had created a “book house” where they were all sprawled out reading their books. It was a delightful site to see. Even my 3yr. old had his books out because he wanted to be part of the “reading” day. I love the flexibility of homeschooling that allows me to say “Yes” to a reading day.

One of my favorite genres is children’s picture books. I must confess I had a library of children’s literature before I ever had kids. When I graduated from college, the gifts that everyone brought me were different children picture books. I especially like the picture books that have sense of humor added to the story. There are numerous picture books out there that are quite enjoyable and entertaining for any age. I like adding them randomly to our homeschool when I find one I especially like. Here are a few of my favorites….

1.Aunt Chip and the Triple Creek Dam Affair by Patricia Polacco

This is a delightful book that celebrates books. I discovered Patricia Polacco in my college days when I was studying elementary education. I think she is a delightful author and many of her books are enjoyable. I loved this one because it celebrated reading and books. Its actually a good one for the start of the school year.

2. Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin

This is one of favorites because of the sense of humor that the author brings to the story. Its all about animals that are negotiating with the farmer for different things that they want using a type writer. The expressions and things that they type are hilarious. This is a book that gets taken out of the shelf quite often by my children. Doreen Cronin has written other wonderful books that are also worth checking out.

3. Peanut by Linus Alsenas

Peanut is a book that is about an elderly lady who wants a pet puppy and she ends up with a pet elephant. The sense of humor comes in when she thinks, through out the story, that the elephant is a puppy. My kids think this book is hilarious.

4. The Wolf’s Chicken Stew by Kieko Kasza

Kieko Kasza is another of my favorite authors. She tells a delightful story and brings humor into her stories that make us read them over and over again. Wolf’s chicken stew is about a wolf that wants to eat this chicken and all the ways that he tries to fatten the chicken up for his dinner but in the end it has a surprise ending where the wolf actually becomes part of the chicken’s family.

5. The Mitten by Jan Brett

The mitten is a story about an small animal that finds a mitten to keep warm and hides in it. Then as the story continues, all these different animals also want to hide and get warm in the mitten at the same time. Jan Brett is an amazing author that has written several of my favorites. The illustrations are great too.

6. If you give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff

If you give a Pig a Pancake is probably many kids favorites. Its a story that explores the question what would happen if you gave a pig a pancake and the results of that choice. She has written many others in the series. Some of my other favorites are “If you give a Mouse a Cookie” and “If you give a Moose a Muffin”

7. The Napping House by Audrey Wood

I love the rhythm of the language in the “The Napping House”. The kids start learning really fast what the story is going to say and they start reading it along with you. The illustrations are hilarious and it definitely has a place reserved on our library shelf as one of our favorites.

8. Once upon a time, the End (asleep in 60 seconds) by Geoffrey Kloske and Barry Blitt

This book makes me laugh. Its a humorous book that shortens all these bedtime stories to the length of 60 seconds. The way they shorten the bedtime stories is where you find the sense of humor in the book. So my kids were not satisfied with the short length of the stories, but it was still fun to read and laugh at how they shortened the stories.

9. Barnyard Dance and Pajama Time by Sandra Boyton

Honestly I probably own every Sandra Boyton book that she has written. They’re my favorite board books for kids. You can tell that they are well loved at our house because we occasionally have to get a new copy because of the wear and tear on the original one we bought. Sandra Boyton does an excellent job of bringing a sense of humor to kid board books. My kids memorize the Sandra Boyton books quickly. Great gift idea for new or young mommies. Although I do see my older kids pulling them out of the shelves too.

10. The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak

This is a new picture book that I just bought for my collection and I am so glad I did. It is now added to my favorites list. The author decided to write a book with no pictures that kids will love. In the book there are all sorts of silly sayings and the author points out that he can make the reader say anything he wants. Its written in a delightful and humorous way. Even my older kids were laughing. The author is quite creative in how they chose to write this book. I hope there are more books like this from the author.

Homeschool Unit Study Idea:

One of the ways that I have used children’s books in my homeschooling is to have an author of the month. I pick one of my favorite authors like Jan Brett or Dr. Suess and I create a unit study. I gather books from the author we are studying and I also try and find a biography on the author. You can do the unit study as simple as you want or dig deeper. For a simple unit study you could just read the different books and read the biography of the author. If you wanted to dig deeper, you could have activities that go along with each book or you could have your older kids write papers on the life of the author. You could also have your kids write book reports or reviews on what they thought about each book the author wrote. They are a ton of different things you could do for the author of the month idea.

Hope you enjoy some of my favorite picture books. There are many more that I could have blogged about and I am sure you might have different favorites that would go on your list. What are your favorite picture books for kids?

5 Favorite Homeschool Books for Newbies or Book Addicts Like Me

September 2, 2015 esther7dancing1 Comment

I confess that I am a little bit dangerous when it comes to bookstores. I am probably not to be trusted around curriculum fairs either. I love books and I especially like books about teaching or homeschooling. Even though I have been homeschooling for almost 10 years, I will still read “how-to” homeschool books because I feel you can always learn something new that you may not have thought of for homeschooling. Here are a few of my favorites that I have already read or have been reading…

Educating the Whole Hearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson

This is an excellent book that teaches training your children in discipleship and academics. It has recommendations of curriculum to use but its not the main purpose of the book. The authors want to encourage you as the parent in training and discipling your child using the curriculum that best fits your family. Its an excellent foundational book to read for people who are new to homeschooling or for veteran homeschoolers who want a different perspective. I read it only a couple of years ago and I was encouraged and wanted to adapt many of their ideas. I wish I had found it sooner. A bonus part of the book are the different forms that you can copy at the back of the book that help with the organization of your homeschool.

2. Help for the Harried Homeschooler by Christine Field

The practical advice in this book makes a great resource for new homeschoolers and veterans that want new ideas. The author goes over everything from discipleship to life skills to academics. I appreciate her sense of humor and her style of writing. Some of my favorite sections have been when she addressed life skills with kids and structure vs. freedom style of homeschooling. She also had a section for homeschoolers that feel “burned out”.

3. The Three R’s and You Can Teach Your Child Successfully by Ruth Beechick

For new homeschoolers, this a must have book. It teaches how to incorporate reading, writing and math into your everyday life. It is very helpful in helping homeschoolers that are teaching the K-3rd grades. The creative ideas that she suggests are easily done in every day life. She also wrote a book for the 4th-8th grades as well. Ruth Beechick is probably one of my favorite author’s on homeschooling. Sonlight curriculum tends to follow some of her style.

4. The Well Trained Mind by Susan Bauer

For anyone who is interested in the classical educational model, this is the book for you. My love of research and books compelled me to read this book and I found it an enjoyable resource. Our homeschool does not follow the classical method of education but we do incorporate parts of it. This book is well done and easily understood. The author also has curriculum that we have used that goes along with her classical educational method. There are other excellent books on classical education but I felt like this one was the most understandable and detailed for me. Some of her recommendations for curriculum will be outdated unless there is a new updated version but the information is still valid and good.

5. Beyond Survival: A Guide to the Abundant Life of Homeschooling by Diana Waring

I appreciate this book and how the author points out the importance of what education really is and what it can look like in a home with multiple ages. I have gotten the privilege of hearing Diana Waring in her own home with my homeschool group at that time and the wisdom she can give homeschoolers who are still on the journey is invaluable. She has authored other books and has her own biblical history curriculum. We enjoy listening to her amazing history audio cd’s that I will put in a review soon on this blog.

Hope enjoy these books as much as I have! They have a permanent spot on my bookshelf!

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