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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Banned Books, Cancel Culture, and Home Libraries

In A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver Van DeMille, the author presents the concept of a national book. A national book is something that almost everyone in the nation accepts as a central truth. At the time of our founding, the Bible and later The Declaration were our national books and remained so up until some time in the 1980s, as purported by the author, when we began failing to recognize a national book. Since then a national book has not replaced the Bible nor the Declaration of Independence.

The issue of a nation existing without a national book is that the nation becomes one without a shared culture, or at best in the process of losing it.

In 2020 we saw an attack on the founders and figures of our nation as monuments and statues of people such as Christopher Columbus, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and others were vandalized, removed, and in some cases destroyed. Now in the first few months of 2021 the printed word has come under attack. First as I will address in regards to Dr. Seuss and secondly in a book banned by Amazon last week.

Yesterday, March 2, 2021 the birthday of Dr. Seuss witnessed the demoralization of one of America’s most beloved children’s authors under the guise of accused racist publications. The Random House publishing company announced they would no longer publish six Dr. Seuss stories including: And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street (1937), If I Ran the Zoo (1950), McElligot’s Pool, On Beyond Zebra!, Scrambled Eggs Super!, and The Cat’s Quizzer.

Our family owns and loves If I Ran The Zoo. The other titles on this list of newly banned books I am not familiar with. I have only scanned And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street and had not even heard of these other books until this week. Frankly I am not a huge fan of Dr. Seuss for a few reasons pertaining to personal taste. However, our family values and semi-regularly reads a few of our favorite Dr. Seuss books: The Sneetches and Other Tales, If I Ran The Zoo, Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose, Horton Hears a Who, The Foot Book, Mr. Brown Can Moo Can You?, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas! I have never once considered a Seuss book to be racist in general and primarily because most of his creatures are made up and nonsensical and therefore pertain to no race at all.

In addition to a national book, there are books which our society historically considers classics. I would put Dr. Seuss’ works for children into a more modern classic category. Certainly one in which all Americans can easily recognize central characters and quote a few lines of the text.

As summarized by Oliver Van DeMille, If we will let them, the classics can teach us lessons without the pain of repeating certain mistakes ourselves. They can show us correct choices which will get us where we want to go….The most challenging struggles of life are internal and the classics can help…. Classics help us connect with individuals whatever their race, creed, age, culture and even place in history.

Inarguably when I think of classic literature I lean more towards Dickens, Bronte, Alcott, Montgomery, A. A. Milne, Shakespeare, Austen, etc. However, concerning national, modern classics Dr. Seuss would certainly be at or near the top of that list.

A brief overview of three of Dr. Seuss’ books will highlight the messaging that Seuss books convey:

The Sneetches teaches a wonderful lesson about a community of creatures who gauge status on the presence or absence of a star on their belly. The story summarizes the futility of judging people on the basis of their outer appearance and rather understanding that we are all the same on the inside. I particularly love this book for its lesson on humanity and because of its phrase stars upon thars. It’s delightful to read aloud!

In Horton Hears a Who, we are admonished that a person’s a person no matter how small. I’ve considered this a pro-life message since I began reading the story to our children over a decade ago.

The Butter Battle Book published in 1984 is lauded as teaching tolerance and respect and I would further add that it is a cautionary tale of war. I couldn’t help think of the Cold War the one and only time that I read the book with my kids. It’s one I intend to revisit.

When we erase historical events and people in our history with whom we may or may not agree , we erase our national identity and our shared heritage of both the virtuous and the vile. Additionally, when we ban books and limit the free speech and expression of authors and artists we are weakening the ties that bind us as a culture and nation. We are stifling learning, discussion, debate, and connection within and among our people.

Last week Amazon removed the book When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment by conservative author Ryan T. Anderson from their platform. This book was published in 2018 and had been sold on Amazon since its release at that time. You will want to listen to The Briefing with Al Mohler to summarize this topic and then to his interview with the author on Thinking In Public which took place in 2018.

Make no mistake, a minority of our population which communicates with the majority megaphone wants to dismantle our country’s heritage and further strip away all sacred beliefs exercised in the secular realm. Put another way, our country’s Judeo-Christian principles are systematically under siege and we must determine as a populous and as individuals where we will draw the line and upon what ground we stand on.

While Dr. Seuss and Ryan Anderson’s books are for two vastly different audiences and entirely different purposes the attacks on them come from the same point of reference: that which is deemed counter to the current woke narrative must be erased and silenced.

It is time we reencountered our original national book. It is the only one that will save mankind–God’s Word.

Let me go on record as saying: As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. As for our home library, my husband and I will determine which literature to allow and what to ban for our family’s consumption. In the words of Martin Luther: Here I stand, I can do no other. God help me. Amen.

Please visit my online bookshop where you will find books for life. BrookesBookshop.com.

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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:

https://a.co/d/c1mcxhZ

While Santa doesn’t deliver presents to our house (read more here), we have a few that 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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Classical Conversations Reading List Cycle 3 American History Weeks 1-12

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 last year 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. Enjoy!

*All links below are affiliate links.

Week 1:

Week 2: 

Week 3: 

Week 4:

Week 5:

This book would be a wonderful selection for the entire year for a masters level student.

Week 6: 

Week 7:

Week 8:

Week 9:

California:

Week 10:

Week 11:

Week 12:

Additional Read Alone’s or Family Read Alouds:

History Spines: 

Great little booklet full of wonderful reading lists set during each time period in American History through WWII.


If you only want to read from one book a little each day during Cycle 3, I recommend purchasing this book. The illustrations and text will engage a wide range of ages. Great for a Morning Time read aloud.

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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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Five Picture Books To Celebrate Valentine’s Day

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Are you looking for a few Valentine’s Day books to add to your read aloud time this week? I’ve listed a few of our favorites below. Let me know what you’re reading to your family this Valentine’s Day. Enjoy!

This first one doesn’t have an image available; however, it’s the one pictured above. The Great Valentine’s Day Balloon Race (here).  This book is from 1980 and may be harder to come by. Please look at your local library. It is worth checking out.

Bonus Book:

Bunny’s Book Club isn’t a book about Valentine’s, but it is a book about the love of reading! You will want to read this one! It captured the attention of ALL my children; even if they wouldn’t ALL confess such if asked! 

Happy Reading!

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Your Baby’s First Library Essentials

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Having your first child brings a multitude of checklists including but not limited to: finding a pediatrician, choosing hospital bag items, determining theme of nursery items, making a registry …on and on it seems to go. 

I’ve decided to make one list for you: Your Baby’s First Library List!

Below are around 30 essential books to starting a home library for your new baby. For more seasonal selections see my other posts via the search bar on the bottom right of the screen. For everyday reading, which is essential to the cognitive and linguistic growth of your baby, not to mention the bonding time that reading provides, you’ll want to snag a copy or two of these. 

As a small side note, I’ve opened up my own bookshop over on Instagram! I would love for you to do some of your shopping with me. You can find me here: Brooke’s Bookshop  

Feel free to make requests for books that you would love for me to find! 

Happy Reading!

 

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Picture Books to Jump Start Second Language Learning

Have you ever wanted to teach your children Spanish but were’t sure where to start? That’s exactly how I felt the beginning of this summer. 

Our family’s quest to learn Spanish all began with my oldest’s daughter’s prompting.  I asked a few homeschooling friends what they used and they suggested Duo Lingo and so she commenced her studies using this free online program. Next, I remembered a podcast in which a guest suggested using picture books to teach second languages, so I begin grabbing all the picture books with Spanish text I could find. Now the whole family, particularly my two year old daughter, is using our new, though limited, Spanish vocabulary throughout the day! 

Here is a list of our favorite picture books along with a few chapter books to get your family started learning Spanish in a fun and informal way. I intentionally chose books sprinkled with the language, but you can find many of your favorite picture books entirely translated into Spanish. Here is a good place to look. Let me know if there are any books you recommend.  Gracias! 

Juana & Lucas is a delightful chapter book filled with Spanish words that tell of a young girl learning English in school. 

Esperanza Rising, written by Pam Munoz Ryan, is a beautiful coming of age story dealing with migrant workers in California.  I loved listening to the audio recording of this book for pronunciation of the beautiful Spanish words speckled throughout the book. 

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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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