Commemorating 911 With Our Children

When my youngest son brought the 911 picture book to me for our bedtime read aloud I hesitated. It was weighty material for bedtime, but as is typical of my personality, I dove in anyway. Sharing not only the beautiful and inspiring but also the painful past with our children is important because history is important and passing along the history of our country and the world helps to prevent the repeating of mistakes, making of poor decisions, and their inevitable results. Additionally it binds us together with a shared heritage.

While reading the book aloud to my two youngest children I felt myself becoming emotional but I pressed on. It wasn’t until I got to the portion describing the firefighters rushing into the building that I couldn’t hold myself together any more. In particular was the story of two first responder brothers; one was a police officer and one a fireman. They passed each other in the lobby of the 1st tower. It was the last time they saw each other alive. My children didn’t understand at first why I was crying, but they soon began to feel the emotions and knew this was one of the saddest days in United States History.

I hadn’t intended to teach the younger children about 911, but my two oldest children were entering an essay competition in which they wrote about a 911 hero of their choice. I scoured the local library for books to assist them in their research, and came across some moving picture and chapter books that I thought they could use. Any time there are new stacks of books in our home (which is quite often!) the kids want to go through them and choose a few to read. This stack was no different.

Although I read an emotionally charged book at bedtime, I am glad that now all of my children know something about the horrific attacks of 911. With this being the 20th anniversary, as well as the turmoil and unrest that the implementation of the removal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan is stirring, this year is especially a difficult remembrance. The wounds are a bit fresher. Hindsight a bit harder to stomach in light of current events.

I am almost certain that our promise to “never forget” has been forgotten by many of our government leaders and possibly among our population. Therefore, I am extremally grateful for the essay competition because it helped my family to remember the events of 911: the attacks, the everyday heroes and the courageous first responders, the death and devastation, and also the coming together of the American people to unite for a common cause. We need more brotherly love at this point in our nation’s history, and the remembrance of the events of 911 is one way in which to pursue unity. Viewing each other as we did directly following those attacks, as well as viewing our nation and its remarkable qualities, and the collective body looking to a Higher Power, Jesus Christ, if we did that in a similar light it would be a balm to our fractured nation.

With that in mind, I would like to offer a few books for you to share with your family as you deem age appropriate. I will list them in the order of maturity with the first being the most gentile introduction.

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Classical Conversations Cycle 3 Book List Weeks 13-24

Welcome all Classical Conversation families! Additionally, welcome to homeschooling families that use this list to supplement their study of American history!

A few notes about the arrangement of books in this post:

  1. This book list is a tool and not a checklist! Please use it to supplement your morning time routines or studies of CC memory work.
  2. My family will not read all these books listed each week (there are so many more I could list!). Instead, this will be a reference list for us to utilize in weekly book selections and in chapter book read alouds or read alones. (Note: We ceased using Classical Conversations two years ago and have transitioned to a more Charlotte Mason approach; however, I know what a valuable tool book lists are for our family so I have continued to complete the 3 cycle book lists for families like yours! )
  3. Additional books are listed after the twelve week suggestions which can be used throughout the cycle. 
  4. I will not provide a download of this list, but encourage you to write these suggestions in the Memoria section of your Foundations Guides.
  5. This list is primarily a history based reading list in addition to books relating to fine arts and geography. I am not as familiar with science read alouds.

It is my hope that this list proves to be a wonderful resource for your family enabling you to make memories around the shared experience of reading great books. You can find weeks 1-12 here. Enjoy!

*All links below are affiliate links.

Week 13:

Week 14:

Week 15:


Week 16:


Reader Warning: There is a logging accident death in this book that the boy witnesses.

Week 17:


Week 18:

Week 19:


Week 20:

Week 21:

Week 22:

Week 23:

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Christmas Books To Celebrate the Season

We’ve decked our halls and trimmed our trees. Our large blue wooden box of Christmas books sits stuffed to the brim and many titles have already passed through little hands.

We add to our Christmas book collection each year and develop new favorites as we revisit old friends. Traditionally our family celebrates the season at a slow pace as much as possible. Several years ago I wrote about 5 Helpful Principles Every Type A Woman Needs to Embrace and I’ve since tried to abide by them. With my husband working in the ministry the Christmas calendar has the potential to quickly fill up with church events alone so we have traditions that we maintain in our home but not always around town. The first and foremost tradition is reading wonderful books!

Christ is the central focus of Christmas in our home and here are the books we read to aid us with that intention:

Most of the books we read embody the spirit of Christmas without telling the Christmas story explicitly. There are many many of these but here are our favorites:

There are so many 12 Days of Christmas books that I don’t have a strong favorite at this point. In fact I have five or six I want to try out this Christmas and decide which one I love the most. Here is another cute edition by Hilary Knight:

While Santa doesn’t deliver presents to our house (read more here), we have a few which incorporate St. Nicholas and Santa Claus. Here are some that we would recommend checking out at your local library or adding to your collection:

Santa Mouse may be the cutest mouse you will ever meet!

Don’t you love a wonderful Christmas story? The kind that offers peace, hope, and good will towards men?  Me too! I reread A Christmas Carol every year and typically I Saw Three Ships and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Following is a list of my 16 most cherished Christmas chapter books to read aloud or individually. Please share your favorites in the comments and feel free to ask me any questions that you have.


 I have a few that I’ve introduced to at least one of my children and plan to introduce to each of them this year:

 The Little Match Girl made an impression on me when I was a child. It is one that I haven’t shared with my children but plan on doing so this Christmas. I think this will open the door for rich conversations around our responsibility to look for ways to help others. 

Finally, I’ve posted here about Christmas books that have corresponding movies. Check out the list and see if there are any of your favorites!

Merry Christmas to you and yours. May your days awaiting the celebration of Christ’s birth draw you nearer to the heart of God.

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Five More Picture Books to Celebrate Valentine’s Day

I couldn’t let the Valentine’s holiday pass without giving you five more picture book read aloud suggestions! Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch is a wonderful reminder of the power of community; please be sure to check this one out or purchase a copy of your own. Have you read any of these?

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NIV
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Classical Conversations Cycle 2 Booklist: Medieval History to The Gulf War

Welcome all Classical Conversation families! Additionally, welcome to homeschooling families that use this list to supplement their medieval history study!

A few notes about the arrangement of books in this post:

    1. This booklist is a tool and not a checklist! Please use it to supplement your morning time routines or studies of CC memory work.
    2. My family will not read all these books listed each week. Instead, this will be a reference list for me to utilize in weekly book selections and in chapter book read alouds or read alones.
    3. The pictured links in the twenty-four week lists are arranged by picture books first followed by chapter book selections.
    4. Additional chapter books, audio books, missionary studies, and fine arts books, including a poetry section, are listed after the twenty-four week suggestions. 
    5. I will not be providing a download of this list, but encourage you to write these suggestions in under the Memoria section of your Foundations Guides.

It is my hope that this list proves to be a wonderful resource for your family enabling you to make memories around the shared experience of reading great books. Enjoy!

*All links below are affiliate links.

Week 1:

What Really Happened In Medieval Times is a wonderful resource filled with 8 biographical short stories on figures such as: Joan of Arc, Saint Patrick, Martin Luther, and more.

Week 2:

 

Geography: English Channel

Week 3:

Geography Selections: France

I Juan de Pareja is a chapter book set in Spain and based on a true story. This is one you will want to read to the entire family ages 8/9 and up! A personal favorite of mine.

Week 4:

 

Week 5:

The Book of Boy holds some religious beliefs that you may want to clarify or discuss. Perhaps it is a good one to read like a book club with your older students such as 5th and 6th grade. Check out this review over at Redeemed Reader. 

Timeline:

Week 6:

Week 7:

Week 8:

Week 9:

Geography Selections:

Week 10:

Geography Selections:

Week 11:

I was unable to find many resources on the French Revolution, with the exception of the two chapter books listed above (one of which was suggested by a reader), so I have opted to provide more books featuring France instead.  Please  leave  your  suggestions  in  the  comments  section. I welcome them!

 

Week 12:

Week 13:


Week 14:

Week 15:

Week 16:


Week 17:

Week 18:

Week 19:

A Single Shard is one of my all-time favorite books. Perfect for a meaningful read aloud!

Week 20:

Inside Out and Back Again is a book written in prose. The protagonist is based on the author’s real life experience moving to Alabama as a refugee after Vietnam. This book will provide many good discussion points about the treatment of people who are different from us in nationality, traditions, and religion. Check out Redeemed Reader’s post for discussion questions! 

I suggest these two incredible books by Gary Schdmidt for read alouds. The Wednesday Wars for upper elementary and middle school, and the second for middle school due to sensitive content. These are two of my very favorite books! The Wednesday Wars ties in Shakespeare as well which is a bonus!

Week 21:

My Brigadista Year is a coming of age story set in Cuba just before the Bay of Pigs. Probably a good fit for 5th or 6th graders knowing that propaganda is woven in the story as a reality of the time and setting. However, I loved this story because it tells how Cuba became a literate nation in such a short amount of time. You can read more about this book over at Common Sense Media. 


Week 22:

Week 23:

Week 24:

 

Audio Resources:

Additional chapter books to read aloud or to read alone:

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness is the first of a four book series by Andrew Peterson. Read more about the series here The entire set is found in this book:

 

 

Missionary Biographies set during or just after WWII:

Supplemental Geography:

Books about our Great Artists:

 

Music for Composers Study:

Poetry:

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Ten Children’s Book Illustrators You Should Know: Barbara Cooney

Picture books aren’t merely for the youngest children in our homes, they are for young and old alike. Over the next two months I will highlight ten of my favorite picture book illustrators, a few of which you may be unfamiliar with.

Today’s author/illustrator is the beloved Barbara Cooney. If you listened to my interview on the Read Aloud Revival Podcast (Listen here.) then you heard me swoon over the (unfortunately) unrelated Mrs. Cooney. Additionally, if you’ve perused my list of picture books highlighting orphans and celebrating adoption, you’ve seen many of Barbara Cooney’s works listed there. (Find the list here.)

This American writer and illustrator of 110 children’s books, which were published over sixty years, was the mother of four. Although she didn’t write an autobiographical account of her life, it has been said that Miss Rumphius, Island Boy, and Hattie and the Wild Waves are as close as she came to doing so. Mrs. Cooney received two Caldecott Medals for her work on Chanticleer and the Fox and Ox-Cart Man, and a National Book Award for Miss Rumphius. Her charmingly illustrated books have been translated into 10 languages.

Barbara Cooney is such a treasured illustrator on our shelves that it was hard to narrow down my favorite books that she either illustrated, or both wrote and illustrated; however, below are my top 12.

America and the world is a better place because of her contributions to children’s literature. Barbara Cooney is an illustrator that you should know and I hope you come to love.


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15 Cherished Christmas Chapter Books

Don’t you love a wonderful Christmas story? The kind that offers peace, hope, and good will towards men?  Me too! Following is a list of my 15 most cherished Christmas chapter books to read aloud to the whole family or individually. Many of these are classics with a few newer selections thrown in. Please share your favorites in the comments.

I hope that December has been filled with wonderful memory making even as it highlights our depravity and utter need for our Savior, Jesus Christ.

You still have time to cuddle up with a good book and read past Christmas Day as we celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas and Three Kings Day.

Merry Reading and Merry Christmas!


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Favorite Family Christmas Books with Accompanying Movies

Reading a basketful of Christmas books is a wonderful way to spend our days, but there is something about snuggling up together to watch a Christmas movie with a mug of hot cocoa in the glow of the Christmas tree. We have a regular litany of Christmas movies we watch each year but I especially love it when we can celebrate the reading of one book with a family movie night.

Yesterday, in a last minute decision, I was able to attend the production Charlie Brown Christmas Live. Imagine my excitement! I’m fairly sure that when our children remember their childhood they will nostalgically recollect the marking of seasons by each Peanut’s Gang DVD. The live production was remarkable. I watched with a smile the entire performance and plotted brining my family next year. It’s a wonderful experience to build our family traditions, which for us include books and a selection of movies.

Here are a few for your family to enjoy!



Merry Christmas!

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15 Christmas Picture Books to Celebrate the Season


Memories shared around favored Christmas books is one of our most beloved ways to celebrate the season. There are many things to see and do at Christmastime that involve activities outside the home, but books provide the perfect stay at home shared time which can take you back in time or to another location entirely. Books allow us to walk in other people’s shoes and experience life as they have. Be it the orphaned child, the homeless family, the shepherd boy, or an elderly woman seeking to catch a glimpse of Christmas magic, you and your family can enter their world and learn empathy and lessons to guide your own steps. Check a few of these out at your local library, favorite thrifted bookstore, or purchase them online at the links below and give them a try.

Her spirits, which had been high, fell a little as a sense of time touched her. How slowly it crawled and yet how fast it flew. She had been young and now she was old and the years between had vanished as though they had never been. ~Elizabeth Goudge, I Saw Three Ships





Stay tuned for our favorite Christmas chapter books later this week. But for now, here is one to get you started!


Merry Reading,

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Christmas Books for You To Enjoy This Year and Every Year

 

If you’re anything like me, you’ll prefer visiting the local Christmas Tree Farm and snuggling up with a good book on Black Friday over endless shopping with a pack of strangers. Having said that, there are several books that I chose from to read and reread each year during the Christmas Season. Plenty of picture books, an embarrassing number in fact, fill our Christmas book box and line our shelves (see a few here and here). However, there are a few chapter books that I preserve for independent reading and enjoyment on my own. Enjoy this list and let me know of few of your own!

 

 



P.S.

Our youngest daughter was (finally) adopted last week. I haven’t had a chance to write about the beautiful celebration date with it being so close to Thanksgiving, but I wanted to give you a sneak peak of our adoption day festivities. Thank you for your prayers and support. It has been a long, but worthwhile, wait. To God be the glory.

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