Term 2 Favorites
April -July 2019
As we near the end of Term 2, we have chosen our favorite books. Some are their favorites, some are mine, but we all loved each of them. Some are serious, some are silly. Some are new, some are re-reads. Some we will use time and time again. Some we have been using for what seems like a lifetime. From poetry to picture books, and everything in between, these are the books that we loved the most this term. Every subject and lesson isn't represented here, but the wide feast of our days certainly is. These are the books that come to mind immediately when we asked the question "What did we LOVE about Term 2?"
This is a fun Alphabet book, but we used it to supplement our history lessons. Both of my boys (ages 9 and 5) were captivated by both the illustrations and the ideas presented. The alphabet rhyme on each page provided a brief idea and then paragraphs in the margins of each page gave more thorough information about the idea presented. It could be read and enjoyed by preschoolers and younger children for solely the alphabet rhyme, and older children will enjoy having the more thorough information on each page. We learned so much about ranching, Spanish and American cowboys, cattle, pioneering, tall tales, the railroad, Western expansion, rodeos, cowboy art and literature, yodeling, breeds of horses, and so much more.
Verdi:
Verdi is a favorite of mine, and although my boys have heard it before, they found a new love for it this term. It was a bedtime read for us, and both boys hung on every word. It is a picture book and like any good picture book, so many ideas are within its pages. It speaks to the heart of "growing up", changes, and insecurities. It also sparks ideas about snakes that prompted my 5 year old to want to read "more snake books".
The 50 States:
We use this beautiful atlas during our US Geography lessons, and we just love it. We love looking at every image and discovering what is important to and about each state that we are looking at. We can spend a good amount of time just studying the beautiful images in this atlas, and the information presented about each state is useful and interesting.
Turtle in July:
This little book of rhymes has an animal rhyme for each month and/or season of the year, and during the first Treasure Time of each month, my boys have come to look forward to and love when I pull out Turtle in July to read the simple rhyme and study the picture of each animal. Turtle in July has become the official start to each month for our homeschool, and it is a simple delight to us.
The Burgess Seashore Book:
We love Burgess, and have enjoyed many of his books and stories. We never fail to enjoy a story by Burgess, but this term we have especially enjoyed continuing this year's Nature Lore in the Seashore Book. This was a favorite last term (and even included in this list!) and this term a few lessons have truly captured the imaginations of my boys and prompted them to discuss and remember the discoveries made my Jimmy Skunk and Reddy Fox on the seashore. They wait with great anticipation for Greywing the Gull to divulge what he knows about each creature encountered, and they never cease to be amazed at all that they learn about those creatures and how perfectly God designed them. They are still talking daily about the amazing things Greywing "told" them about sea stars. ;)
Meet George Washington
Landmark biographies are some of the best, and Meet George Washington has been no exception. I love the shorter length and simplicity of this series, while greatly appreciating that the simplicity doesn't make them any less living. We do our Biography lessons every other week, so a short biography that still captivates our hearts and deepens our relationship with the person we are reading about is a perfect choice for us.
A Picture Book of Lewis and Clark:
This series of picture book biographies is a favorite of mine, and they never fail to draw us into the lives of the men and women that they portray. Lewis and Clark were big hits for my adventurous boys, and resulted in afternoon imaginative play pretending to set out to explore the Louisiana Purchase. Anytime the stories within our books show up in afternoon play, I know that the book has accomplished just what I desire for books to accomplish.
Lullabies and Good Night
We often read this collection of Mary Cassatt paintings and poetry in the evening, and we never get tired of doing so. The paintings can be studied much like an evening, shorter version of Picture Study, or simply just admired, depending on interest and enthusiasm. The lullabies and poetry included are a sweet end to many evenings, and discussing the connection between the poetry and the painting chosen to represent it is always fun, and it allows for further study of Cassatt's paintings. As our artist last term, although we have moved on to a different artist this term, Cassatt has made her own permanent impression on my boys.
Just So Stories
Has anyone ever not loved Kipling? I can't even imagine it! Just So Stories is in our morning/free reading basket and so we are reading one of these tales every week or so and all of us are always fully engaged in catching the underlying humor, laughing at the antics, and guessing how the animal ended up in whatever condition the tale is "explaining".
Little House on the Prairie
This term, we finished Little House in the Big Woods, read Little House on the Prairie and started On the Banks of Plum Creek. After absolutely loving out time spent in Farmer Boy last term, I was excited for my boys to officially meet Mary and Laura. One of Teddy's exam questions last term was to decide whether he admired the parenting of James Wilder or Charles Ingalls more, and the question tortured him. ;) This term, he is finding his respect and love for Pa to deepen more and more with every chapter. So far in the series, Farmer Boy has remained the favorite and Little House on the Prairie is the runner up. They enjoyed all of the excitement and adventures with the Indians, and Mr. Edwards was fun to "meet". :)
Yankee Doodle
This "tail", ;) is just plain fun! Yankee Doodle is a favorite folk song in our home, and the American Revolution is a much loved period of history. A story about mice never fails to be enjoyable either. Combine the three, and you've got a story that made us all laugh, sing a rambunctious rendition of Yankee Doodle and discuss the Revolutionary War.
There you have it....our favorite books of Term 2. Spreading a wide feast is such a joy, and hearing what everyone loves the most reminds me that children TRULY are born persons, that ideas TRULY are living sustenance, and that the feast TRULY is worth my effort to spread before them.
I would love to hear what you are loving most right now, or what you have loved most in your most recent term. What are you favorites, and why?
May all your days be spent....Delightfully Feasting
Crystin <3
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