A sweet, wordless picture book that reveals the determination of a boy to prove to his dads that he is responsible enough to own a dog. Mr. Cole based it off of a young boy he heard about who really wanted a dog. Once again I love how Mr. Cole illustrates the entire story in pen with only one vital object in color.
Warning: The boy's parents are two dads.
-Borrowed from the library.
Poems that ask the earth questions and celebrate its mysteries. Evolution and old-earth worldview is treated as fact. In the back Ms. Sidman explains the science behind each poem. Celebrating the Creator is the missing piece in all of these poems. The illustrations unique and creative.
-Borrowed from the library.
Earlier this month I paged through Anna Comstock's Handbook of Nature Study and wrote a brief review about it. I had no idea the extent Mrs. Comstock had impacted the science world and educational world. Then I came upon this picture book . . .!
During a time period when women were not part of the science world, Anna ventured into it, proving that women were capable of being scientists, researchers and college professors. This picture book follows Anna from her childhood until her elderly age, celebrating her love for nature.
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.
Lyrical words, whimiscal illustrations (but accurate) make this picture book a delightful read about an uncommon subject in children's literature. I love the endpages. The author provides additional information about mushrooms after the main text.
In the biography about the illustrator, the pronouns "they/them/their" are used. It is the first time I have encountered it in author/illustrator description.
The British were advancing on Washington. James Monroe, the Secretary of State, sends a note to Stephen Pleasonton, a clerk, to remove the documents from Washington. Problem-solving in the midst of chaos, Pleasonton encounters many hurdles and saves our country's important documents. An amazing, little-known story. This picture book is a necessary addition for any study of our country's history, the War of 1812, and when memorizing sections of our nation's documents.
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.
I love the illustrations in this book! The endpages reveal the island where Kate lived-in the beginning a close up and at the end, a bird's-eye view. One page the reader must turn the page vertical to view it properly. Additions like this reveal careful thought to the beauty and creativity of the book.
Ms. Redding shares Kate's desire to assist in every aspect of island work, from gardening to husbandry to maintaining the lighthouse under the guidance of her Papa. Her rescue feats surprised the nation. A woman rescuing men! Ms. Redding also incorporates numerous delightful alliterations and onomatopoeias. Her writing is descriptive and her word choice is precise.
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.
P.J. Lynch is one of my favorite illustrators. Atypically, this book is scarier and creepier than his other books.
For a living, Jacob and his father, Reuben, fish in Lake Spetzia. At one time Spetzia was a thriving village. The water company flooded it to create a reservoir for clean water. Most of the villagers moved to a big town, but Jacob and his father chose to live at the shores of the lake. Jacob and Ellen, a young girl from town, fall in love over time and plan to marry. One night when Jacob ventures into the lake, he is lured into it by a blue light. Ghosts roam his old village. Lilith, a beautiful ghost, keeps him captive for fifteen years at the bottom of the lake. Will Ellen ever be with her true love?
Although some are dark and creepy, the illustrations are incredible. I especially love the illustrations depicting Jacob's and Ellen's faces when they were young and in love.
Warning: creepy illustrations of ghostly people, infer at the end Reuben is joining the ghosts
-Borrowed from the library.
Mr. Prelutsky has compiled poems featuring the same subject by various authors on a page and then has given an idea for a poem (aka "poemstarts").
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.
When Thomas loses his best arrow through a tower window while practicing his archery one day, he and his sister Emily discover the castle's scribes feverishly preparing invitations for their parents' surprise anniversary party. Befriending Meg, the head scribe, the children learn that a dragon used to live in the castle, which is now their home, and that their mother was a bit more adventurous in her youth. One current problem remains- their mother and Meg used to be best friends but had a misunderstanding that has never been resolved. Can Thomas and Emily reunite the friends?
The inclusion of roasting marshmallows and writing with a pencil are not accurate for the Medieval Era. Although Egyptians had made marshmallows in the 2000 BC, they were not made into the confection we love until the 1800s and roasting did not start until the late 1800s or in 1927 by the Girl Scouts (smores). The pencil was invented in 1795.
*Highly recommend for younger readers who are advanced.
-Borrowed from the library.
A beautifully illustrated and written picture book about a pair of robins building a nest and raising their young. Mr. Cole utilizes color supremely.
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.
Both of Kitty's parents are dead, leaving her with their huge debt and four younger sisters. How can Kitty keep the family cottage, pay off the debt and support her sisters in the 1800s? Why, marry a wealthy man, of course! She hauls her sister Cecily to London to stay with Dorothy, a family friend, so the girls can be part of the Season (where ladies of age attend numerous balls and parties to hopefully find a husband). The search is on. Kitty is determined and clever. Then Lord Radcliffe arrives on the scene. Can Kitty's wit and guile outmaneuver this maddening man?!
Although the plot was predictable, Ms. Irwin wove in some surprises which made the story delightful and propelling. I loved the witty banter between Kitty and Lord Radcliffe. I looked forward to reading this novel and even squeezed in time to read it outside my "normal reading time"! Another plus for this new novel is no "bedroom scenes" exist. I vacillated between thinking that Kitty was manipulative and selfish and then respecting her unselfishness to marry not for love but to help her sisters and save the family home.
Very-well written. I hope to read more by Ms. Irwin.
I am not highly recommending this novel because it is alluded that Kitty's mother and her friend Dorothy (where the girls stay during the London Season) had some affairs with wealthy men when they were younger and in the theater, almost like "gentlemen's ladies".
Also consider-some swearing, Archie develops a gambling habit and frequents a faro with a bad reputation.
-Borrowed from the library.
P.J. Lynch is one of my favorite illustrators. I own two books he has illustrated. When we visit Ireland, I am hoping to buy some of his books from the country he lives!
The illustrations in this picture book made me smile and laugh. His perspective is unique and clever. I especially love the last illustration on the dedication page. I think my favorite illustration, though, is of Santa lifting off, up the chimney. This is a Christmas book to own!
**Highly, highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.
What a beautiful, informative book-the illustrations are bold and colorful, and the word choice is descriptive-concrete nouns and strong verbs. I loved how the words begin before the title page! The author has included an illustrated guide to the animals in this tide pool. A cross-section of the layers of the tide zones and their descriptions offer additional fascinating facts.
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.
Before the book begins, Mr. Bager encourages children to read his poems aloud with expression. He offers some hints how to read with expression. Very kid-friendly poems printed in big font. Perfect for struggling readers, new readers, transitional readers . . .and those learning to read with expression and becoming more fluent.
-Borrowed from the library.
Last year my oldest son was going to read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury for English. So I read it to prepare. . . instead, he read Animal Farm! Now this year he is reading it, and I decided to reread it. I enjoyed reading this novel a second time. To enhance our understanding of the novel, I borrowed two books-Cliffsnotes & Sparknotes. I highly recommend utilizing these resources when you have high schoolers reading longer or more involved novels.
-Borrowed from the library.
Rated-PG-13 for brief strong language
Someone I respect recommended this movie. . .I, however, was not impressed. My husband and I loved the landscape and the music but the relationships were disturbing and the plot was not well-developed. The story had so much potential; instead, the producers focused more on Ursula's obsessive, jealous behavior. Also, quite a few times we were clueless about an exchange or felt like we were missing an important component of the story! I have no idea why the movie is titled, Ladies in Lavender.
Two elderly sisters, Janet and Ursula, discover the body of a young man washed up on their beach in Cornwall, England. Thankfully, the young man, Andrea, is alive. They soon learn he is Polish and is musical. As they nurse him back to health, they grow attached to him. Ursula is obessessed with him and possessive. Quite a few times her interactions with Andrea were creepy and made me uncomfortable. (One obvious example: She dreams she is young again and rolling on the ground with Andrea as they kiss.)
Loved the music by Joshua Bell!
-Borrowed from the library.
Grady cannot remember his life before Floyd. Floyd, a charlatan, devises clever schemes and shows/talks to earn money on the island of Corenwald. Grady's favorite act was when he performed as a Feechie (which he truly believed he was). Then in a fit of anger, Floyd informed him that he, Grady, was not a Feechie. Then who is he? Is he destined to travel from frontier town to frontier town tricking people?
Humorous, creative writing! Mr. Rogers employs apt figurative language and superb word choice. He also creates dialogue with frontier grammar/pronunciation. Very clever! Throughout my reading, I had twinges of memories of reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
I did not like Floyd and wanted Grady to leave him. At times I was incredulous that Grady would linger in this lifestyle with this uncaring person. It then reminded me how we are so reluctant to leave sinful lifestyles or harmful relationships because we are afraid and are not trusting in God's goodness and promises.
The story ends happily and offers hope.
*Highly recommend for those who like Mark Twainish-style books.
-Borrowed via Inter-Lib. Loan
For February's poetry theme, we will focus on odes. Surprisingly, I struggled to find children's poetry books that featured odes. Even the ones I discovered online were more geared for adults.
1. Ode ot an Onion -Pablo Neruda & his muse by Alexandra Giardina illustrated by Felicita Sala-a picture book about Pablo Neruda and the woman in his life who inspired him to be more joyful and to celebrate the ordinary. The book is over-sized and contains bold, cheerful illustrations. In the back is his full-length ode in an onion. One of my favorite features of the book are the endpages-translucent, appearing like an onion skin! Pablo was known to adhere to communistic philosophies.
-Borrowed from the library.
2. The Crossover by Kwame Alexander-novel in verse which I read a long time ago. One entry is called "Ode to My Hair" pg. 33 (entire novel recommended for junior high or older)
-Borrowed from the library.
I did not read this book but paged through it. After reading Pocketful of Pinecones, I was curious about this book that the main character Carol referred to so often. It was her manuel for nature study/science. This book is an incredible resource. Information is provided for about almost any object one can see in God's creation. Each topic contains a list of questions to guide observations and a formal lesson. Poetry and thought-provoking quotes are included.
-The black/white photos may seem outdated but could be supplemented with photos found online.
If I would have homeschooled earlier, I would have loved this resource!!
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.
Humorous poems perfect for transitional readers to develop fluency.
Some of the poems may be a bit dated ("walkman" was considered a modern way of listening to music!!). Word "stupid" was used.
-Borrowed from the library.
Ms. Hanff finally earns enough money to visit London. . .but not before her London bookseller friend, Frank Doel dies. Due to her celebrity status over the publication of 84 Charing Cross Road, many individuals in London treat her to dinners, tours and shows. Once again her tone and style are gregarious and humorous. Her delight in life is contagious. I had a difficult time keeping track of all of her aquaintances and friends (who was who and how they were connected to her)! Through various minor statements about socialism and Karl Marx, I know I do not agree with her politically. This difference did not interfere with my delight as I read her story.
A sequel to 84 Charing Cross Road.
Ms. Hanff shares her visit in London via journal writing.
-Borrowed via inter-library loan.
Mrs. Andreola creates a fictional family (Carol, Michael, Don, & Emily) to model how a mother may incorporate a Charlotte Mason philosophy into their home education. I loved the nature study examples and the many resources in the back. Unfortunately, a lot of the books are not in my library or available to buy. The chapters are short, which is a blessing for busy home schooling moms. Mrs. Andreola includes a couple of questions/ideas at the end of each chapter to implement. All of them are attainable.
I found the character development lacking and the story a bit too idealistic. Carol does encounter major stresses and trials but for some reason, I did not find myself connecting to her or her family.
I loved the ideas and the idealism (even though it was not realistic, it was fun to escape to it!!). Mrs. Andreola has written a second book, which is on my TBR pile. I am looking forward to it as I liked the escape! I can see a mom with younger children gleaning many ideas from this book.
-Borrowed from the library.
Rated: PG (some swearing, excess smoking-Ms. Hanff seemed to be a chain smoker!, drinking alcohol-often)
After reading Helene Hanff's charming, unique epistolary book, I was excited to view the DVD version of her story. They handled a difficult format well. I don't, however, think individuals will like the movie if they have not read the book. The producers and actors/actresses do a superb job of portraying very ordinary people doing ordinary things.
-Borrowed from the library.
Perfect for transitional readers who long to read the chapter length American Girl books but are not quite ready for it (decoding, stamina).
Samantha, Kit, Nanea, Melody, & Julie are offer examples how they made a difference in their time period. The theme may lean a bit to one political party-very subtle, if at all.
-Borrowed from the library.
Rated: PG
This documentary traces some of the Sudan boys, aka, "The Lost Boys", as they leave the refugee camp and acculmulate to America. Since my thirteen-year-old has read a plethora of books about the "The Lost Boys" and African refugee camps the past two weeks, I wanted to strengthen his schema through different media. At some points it was heartbreaking. The viewer grows to love the boys and want to see them happy.
Unfortunately, the DVD we borrowed was scratched, so we could not watch at least three chapters.
Nicole Kidman narrates it.
Warning: I would not recommend it for younger kids as the boys share about the violence and death of their families. It was an emotional documentary, not for the sensitive viewer. They also revealed how the enemy would poke holes in their testes so they could not reproduce (this was not shown-just stated).
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.
Mr. Smith, a Scottish writer, has written many novels/series. This collection of poems was a recent writing endeavor. He writes about a variety of topics, including many poems about his beloved Scotland. Based on some topics and also some lines in his poems, I can conclude I don't agree with him politically, morally, and spiritually.
-Borrowed from the library.
Award-winner- Coretta Scott King Honor Award
Ms. Williams shares Garang's story as he abruptly leaves his home in southern Sudan when the war kills his village and family. Garang reveals the hardships he and the lost boys faced and how faith and their willingness to help each other sustained them.
My thirteen-year-old has been reading books about the Lost Boys and refugees in Africa the last couple of weeks (When Stars Are Scattered & A Long Walk to Water) for literature. He will read this picture book to cement his learning.
Recommended watching: God Grew Tired of Us documentary-depicts several of the "Lost Boys" coming to the U.S.A. and their adjustment. A review will be posted soon.
-Borrowed from the library.
Mr. Bryson's writing is accessable and entertaining. He traces all that we know and mostly don't know about Shakespeare from early years to his death. He also addresses those groups who don't think Shakespeare wrote his poetry/plays plus provides a cultural backdrop that is very interesting. My biggest takeaway-we don't know much about Shakespeare the person and a lot of individuals like to conjecture!
I would not hand this book to teens unless you prep them for reading about various individuals' deviant sexual behaviors during that time.
-Borrowed from the library.
A Little Golden Book
Readers can experience what school was like during the different time periods via Felicity, Kirsten, Addy, Samantha, Rebecca, Nanea, Molly, Melody, Julie, & Courtney. Each time period is displayed on two pages. Great for transitional readers. A lot more titles in the Golden Book series
-Borrowed from the library.
