So, What Are You Reading?

An innocent question from my husband to the boys.  A simple question you might think.  Let's see...

The Bible.  We are reading through the Bible and are now in II Kings with the reign of Hezekiah.

The Dry Divide by Ralph Moody.  We have been working our way through the Little Britches series for our nightly reading.  Not to be missed!

For geography we are loving The Book of Marvels by Richard Halliburton, who traveled around the world recording his adventures.  Charlotte Mason's Elementary Geography is fascinating. 

History always holds some wonderful treasures.  Right now we are enjoying mystery and intrigue in Web of Traitors by Geoffrey Trease set in Ancient Greece.

Our current poet is James Whitcomb Riley.  In addition to a book of his poems, we are learning about his life in this Childhood of Famous American gem. 

Picture study is one of our favorite subjects.  I've been wanting to study Millet for a long time so we decided now's the time.  Millet Tilled the Soil by Opal Wheeler and Sybil Deucher is so wonderful I'm not sure which I love most, the book or the art!

For science right now we are reading The Burgess Bird Book for Children.  We are huge Thornton Burgess fans.  We also have some books on snow that we've pulled out, found at this post.

We always have a "Sunday book" going that we reserve for the Lord's Day.  Right now we are immersed in the classic Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe.

In addition each boy is reading a book on his own.  My 10-year-old is almost finished with The Fellowship of the Ring.  My 9-year-old is finishing up Robin Hood Stories by Dolch. 

My husband and I have our own lists going.  I'm currently reading O Pioneers! by Willa Cather as a quick fiction story.  That, along with my Charlotte Mason assignments, and trying to keep books reshelved is keeping me busy.

So what are you reading?  Pull out a good book on a cold, wintry day.

The Human Equation ~ Sciences

Many homeschooling parents eagerly embrace living books when teaching their young children.  Snuggling on the couch, making memories around books is lovely.  Other parents use living books only for history.  Biographies and historical fiction truly make history come alive,  making us feel as if we are really there.  Some families, however, fail to recognize the value of living books for science and math, relying instead on textbooks and workbooks, especially in the later years.  While some of this may be preferred depending on the long-term goals of the student, living books add a unique dimension to the study of these subjects.  I particularly enjoy adding biographies of scientists and mathematicians.  Living with these great men and women helps us form a deeper understanding of  their challenges and questions.  Scientific discovery doesn't happen in a vacuum.  It relies on curiosity, experimentation and the study of those gone before.  Below are some of my favorite biographies and series to help add a human equation to your studies.

Mendeleyev and His Periodic Table by Robin McKown is a fascinating look at the life and work of the man who brought Chemistry into the modern world.  This true living book combines history and science in a way that foster curiosity to know more about this interesting subject.

Archimedes and the Door of Science.  In this book, Jeanne Bendick brings to life the ancient Greek mathematician and scientist, Archimedes.  She also authored Galen and the Gateway to Medicine. 

Archimedes was such an interesting man and his discoveries so significant that you may want to introduce your younger students to him.  May I suggest Archimedes Takes a Bath by Joan Lexau.

The Ancient Greeks were instrumental in laying the foundation for much of our scientific knowledge.  Eratosthenes accurately measured the circumference of the earth.   You can read his story in this wonderful picture book, The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky.

Often difficult math concepts become clearer with a living book.  What's Your Angle, Pythagoras by Julie Ellis is an example of getting inside the head of the one who discovered the concept.

Scientific discoveries help us marvel at God's creation.  They can also solve problems...and lives.  The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba is a fascinating look at the author's dream of utilizing windmills to bring his small village electricity and water.  There is also a picture book of the same title. 

Uncle Tungsten:  Memories of a Chemical Boyhood by Oliver Sacks is another autobiography of a life surrounded by science.  What I loved about this book is how Oliver's parents nurtured their son's interest in metals and chemical reactions.  An example of what can happen when parents engage their children in real-life learning.

This list is just the tip of the iceberg of what is available for students young and old on their journey of scientific knowledge.  There are biographies for every branch of math and science.  I hope you will unearth some of these gems and ignite your own child's passion for the sciences.

Christmas Bells

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old, familiar carols play,

     And wild and sweet

     The words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

 

 

And thought how, as the day had come,

The belfries of all Christendom

     Had rolled along

     The unbroken song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

 

 

Till, ringing, singing on its way,

The world revolved from night to day,

     A voice, a chime

     A chant sublime

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

 

 

And in despair I bowed my head;

"There is no peace on earth," I said;

     "For hate is strong,

     And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

 

 

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep!

     The Wrong shall fail,

     The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men!"

 

 

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

 

 

May the God Who doth not slumber nor sleep fill your hearts with his peace this Christmas season and in the New Year.

Snowflake Science

Tis the season...for snow!  Science for the seasons is one meaningful way to develop a relationship with the natural world.  These resources will cause your children to stand in awe of a Creator God who does all things for His glory and for our good.

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqeline Briggs Martin is a picture book biography of Wilson Bentley. All his life, he saw snowflakes as small miracles.  He determined to find a way to capture them on film.  Winner of the Caldecott medal, this is also a Five in a Row Vol. 4 title and a treasure. 

Snowflakes in Photographs by W.A. Bentley - This wonderful book includes Mr. Bentley's photographs of snowflakes taken during a 50 year period.  Remarkable considering these were made over 100 years ago!

I usually don't recommend modern books, but this is worthy of an exception.  The Secret Life of a Snowflake by Kenneth Libbrect also includes breathtaking photographs of snowflakes along with the science behind them.

After immersing yourselves in these books, your snowball fights will never be the same.

Book Sale List Updated

Living ideas through living books...a gift to treasure.

My book sale list has been updated with many such treasures for your gift-giving needs.  See the link at the top of the page.  If you have trouble, you may also click here.

Thank you for your support,.

Livin' Off the Land

Probably one of the most popular sections in my library is the homesteading section.  As more and more folks look to be more self-sufficient (I prefer God-dependent) and looking less to the system to care for their needs, these books and videos help to regain the skills lost for the last two generations...skills that were to my grandparents "like breathin'."  I thought I would share some of these resources with you in case your family is seeking to go back to the old paths.

I guess the most obvious choice for learning how our forefathers lived is the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.   Learn from the Ingalls family as they build a cabin, milk a cow, make cheese, bake sourdough bread.  Almost everything they needed, they provided by the work of their own hands.  (An interesting side note - Look at what happened when the trains began bringing supplies to the west...and what happened when they couldn't.)

The Open Gate by Kate Seredy - I LOVE this book!!  I laughed at the struggles of a city family who accidently buys a farm.  Even though my husband and I are from this small town, we still grew up in subdivisons.  The biggest animal I had ever been around when we got our first milk cow was a German Shepherd.  You, too, will laugh and cry...and learn... as this family learns to make a very different life for themselves.

Even though the Little Britches series by Ralph Moody begins on a ranch in Colorado, we still gained so much wisdom to use on our little East Tennessee farm.  One of the keys to success in homesteading is problem-solving and thinking outside the box.  A little common sense doesn't hurt, either, and Ralph's father (and eventually Ralph himself) exemplifies all of these.  Do not miss these books.

In addition to living books, I also have many volumes to teach skills needed for the homesteading life.  The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery is a huge book that deals with just about everything you would ever encounter on a homestead.  If you can only buy one book, make it this one.

The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It by John Seymour - This is my husband's favorite do-it-all book.  I love it, too.  Mr. Seymour also has books such as this one which introduces us to the lost skills of our ancestors.

Keeping a Family Cow by Joann Grohman - When we first got our Jersey cow, Lynette, this book was attached to my right arm for months.  So much cow wisdom!

Root Cellaring by Mike and Nancy Bubel is a great book if you would like to revive this food storage means. 

Homesteading doesn't always mean lots of land.  Many in our society today have very small plots of dirt but can still be successful in providing for their family's needs.  Mini Farming by Brett Markham is a good resource for those seeking self-sufficiency on a quarter acre.

The Foxfire books are treasures in my home.  We have the set my late father-in-law had which I did not allow to be checked out in my library.  Thankfully I found a set for 50 cents each at a library sale.  Now many of my patrons enjoy learning about the skills of our ancestors in Southern Appalachia, my home.

Sometimes a video fits the bill better when we are trying to learn a lost skill.  The West ladies, featured on the Homestead Blessings video series, teach us many arts such as cooking, gardening, herbs, candle making, soap making and many more.   The Homesteading for Beginners DVD set is amazing, teaching many many skills necessary to live off the land. 

Last, but certainly not least, I would like to humbly suggest a profound and challenging book.  This is the only book I own besides the Bible that I have read more than twice.  I'm now on my fourth read.  Surviving Off Off-Grid by Michael Bunker looks at history and scripture to see how we should view life and to Whom we should be dependent.  This is not just a how-to book, but a history book, and a philosophy book.  Those who read it either love it or hate it...or both.  This is not a "chicken little" book, but a realistic look at where our culture started and where it's gone.  I highly recommend it.

I hope you will search out some of these gems if for no other reason than to connect with the past.  Where we are is a result of where we've been.  Consider introducing yourselves and your children to the old paths.

This post was shared at the Homestead Blog Hop.

The Mayflower's Poem

Sad Mayflower! watched by winter stars,
And nursed by winter gales,
With petals of the sleeted spars,
And leaves of frozen sails!

What had she in those dreary hours,
Within her ice-rimmed bay,
In common with the wild-wood flowers,
The first sweet smiles of May?

Yet, "God be praised!" the Pilgrim said,
Who saw the blossoms peer
Above the brown leaves, dry and dead,
"Behold our Mayflower here!"

"God wills it: here our rest shall be,
Our years of wandering o'er;
For us the Mayflower of the sea
Shall spread her sails no more."

O sacred flowers of faith and hope,
As sweetly now as then
Ye bloom on many a birchen slope,
In many a pine-dark glen.

Behind the sea-wall's rugged length,
Unchanged, your leaves unfold,
Like love behind the manly strength
Of the brave hearts of old.

So live the fathers in their sons,
Their sturdy faith be ours,
And ours the love that overruns
Its rocky strength with flowers!

The Pilgrim's wild and wintry day
Its shadow round us draws;
The Mayflower of his stormy bay,
Our Freedom's struggling cause.

But warmer suns erelong shall bring
To life the frozen sod;
And through dead leaves of hope shall spring
Afresh the flowers of God!

 
author unknown