Books to Build On: A Grade-by-Grade Resource Guide for Parents and Teachers has some great lists of books broken down by subject and grade. I found I Books to Build On: A Grade-by-Grade Resource Guide for Parents and Teachers has some great lists of books broken down by subject and grade. I found I disagreed with the grade breakdowns across the board (many of the books that this volume says are for kids in 2nd grade are in our preschool favorites – kids can understand more than they are given credit for) and some of the scope and sequence is not very ambitious or comprehensive. However, within the lists I did find a lot of books I hadn’t checked out before, and I think the recommendations for books about specific historical eras will be helpful.
I thought it was sort of funny that the book we’re currently reading aloud [Note: when I published this review in 2011], Carlo Collodi’s original Pinocchio, is mentioned in Books to Build On as not recommended for first grade because it is “too long.” That’s funny because I would say the chapters are short and easy to understand, perfect for preschoolers! Hannah and Jack love the book and are always clamoring for one more chapter and telling me that they like the book more than the Disney movie. That’s not because my kids are so smart or anything, the book just really is a lot more entertaining than the movie adaptation. I think the idea that a 6 year old first grader couldn’t sit through an eight page long chapter about a wooden puppet having adventures is really really sad.
Onward. I did find some good book recommendations in this book and I would still recommend it as a resource even though I disagree with some of the grade sorting. I think it would be especially helpful for parents whose children are in school that might be following a scope and sequence similar to the one in this book. You could get a lot of great ideas for at home enrichment reading to supplement what your child is getting at school.
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is a book of stories about a lady who loves children and knows all sorts of interesting ways to break them of their bad habits. DisMrs. Piggle-Wiggle is a book of stories about a lady who loves children and knows all sorts of interesting ways to break them of their bad habits. Distraught mothers from all over town call Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle for advice about their child who is an answer-backer, or a slow-eater-tiny-bite-taker, or a fighter-quarreler or whatnot, and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle dispenses a cure. The cures are mostly inventive ways of showing the child what he or she is doing, and then helping him or her make a different, positive habit to replace the bad habit.
As we read the stories, we found a lot of applications for our own little bad habits. One day when I was really at the end of my rope over some recurring bad behavior I said, “I just don’t know what to do with you guys!” and Jack said, “I think you should call Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle.”
Although some of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s cures are unlikely, I like the idea of the kids hearing about a behavior that isn’t right, seeing the parent’s perspective, then understanding how the kids overcame the problem. I don’t think you can read TOO much into this book – it’s very lighthearted and funny – but it did give us some good conversation topics along the way and I’d recommend it as a good read aloud for little ones.
The Mysterious Benedict Society series combines a mystery with a quest and riddles and teamwork and very clever wordplay to create a bang-up story thaThe Mysterious Benedict Society series combines a mystery with a quest and riddles and teamwork and very clever wordplay to create a bang-up story that the kids and I loved. We listened to Book One on audio and have the next on hold, but meanwhile Jack enjoyed it so much that he spent his own money to purchase a copy of the first book for himself, and Hannah liked it so well she asked if she could give a copy to a friend for a birthday present.
Apart from being a thrilling tale, I particularly like that the main characters in The MBS are all kids who are a little unusual. They are kind of weird or have unusual abilities or are lonely, and yet they come to see how their unique skills and life experiences put them in exactly the right spot to do great things. This is a fantastic message for kids, especially if you have some who feel odd sometimes.
I’ve heard about The Wingfeather Saga for a long time, but we finally began it this summer and we are hooked. If you’re looking for an adventure serieI’ve heard about The Wingfeather Saga for a long time, but we finally began it this summer and we are hooked. If you’re looking for an adventure series that is also well written, very funny, and excellent to read aloud (and who isn’t?) these are the books for you. We listened to On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, then switched to reading aloud for North! Or Be Eaten! and I’m not sure if we will proceed with audio or reading aloud for the rest of the series, or if I will just turn the big kids loose to read for themselves.
If you’re nervous about the whole “darkness” and “being eaten” themes, rest assured that the bad guys (for example, the Fangs of Dang) are scary, but offset by the silliness of their names and the fact that the good guys fight for Truth and Justice and Right and are never forsaken.
Not only did the big kids and I like it, but even Eliza (3) is engrossed and asks for more chapters.
Our favorite read-aloud on Egypt was The Golden Goblet. I knew we’d like this one since it is by Eloise Jarvis McGraw, and we were not disappointed. IOur favorite read-aloud on Egypt was The Golden Goblet. I knew we’d like this one since it is by Eloise Jarvis McGraw, and we were not disappointed. I think all three big kids read it on their own, and we also listened to it in audio book form. It’s a great story, with lots of adventure and themes about kids being brave and doing the right thing no matter what.
We highly recommend this one for boys, girls, and as a read-aloud or audio book.
Maia of Thebes is decent historical fiction set during the reign of Hatshepsut. It has a lot of good setting information, although we wound up discussMaia of Thebes is decent historical fiction set during the reign of Hatshepsut. It has a lot of good setting information, although we wound up discussing the fact that the author implies that lying is ok as long as it’s for a good cause. Things like this are why I think it’s a good idea to read and discuss books with the kids!
My son (9) said to tell you that he didn’t mind it as a read-aloud but he doesn’t think boys would enjoy it too much as an independent read.
The Cat of Bubastes is a solid story, but we chose to listen to an audio version that was less than stellar. The narrator chose some really difficult-The Cat of Bubastes is a solid story, but we chose to listen to an audio version that was less than stellar. The narrator chose some really difficult-to-love accents for different characters, and we could not restrain ourselves from making fun of them at times. Still, the fact that we kept listening anyway probably speaks well for the story itself! Next time we will read this one independently or I’ll read it aloud.
As a cool aside, we realized that part of this book forms one of the settings in a favorite book of ours, The Story of the Amulet by E. Nesbit! If you’ve read that one (and if not, you should!) see if your kids notice the scene.
I’m always looking around for good books to use for Biblestudy with the kids. God’s Names by Sally Michael (it was recommended in Tapestry of Grace) tI’m always looking around for good books to use for Biblestudy with the kids. God’s Names by Sally Michael (it was recommended in Tapestry of Grace) turned out to be an excellent choice for my elementary aged kids.
The book devotes one section to each of 26 different names of God. The lesson includes Scripture passages (written out in the text, but it also works to ask the kids to find the passages and read them from their own Bibles) that use that name to describe God, explanations of why that name was important in context, and application of how we can think about God and respond to Him based on our new understanding of who He is.
I really liked this approach. In the course of learning the names of God, kids (and adults!) develop a more complete understanding of God’s character–who He is and what He values. It was easy to make strong applications, and the lessons also built on each other, referencing names we had already learned about, so the way that different things work together was simpler to understand.
God’s Names worked well to do together with my group of kids, but you could also use it as an individual study if you have a kid who is ready for an independent approach. I’d recommend it.
The Magic World is actually a series of short stories, and it turns out that many of them were inspirational to other famous authors. You’ll find, forThe Magic World is actually a series of short stories, and it turns out that many of them were inspirational to other famous authors. You’ll find, for example, a little girl who goes into a wardrobe in a spare room and has adventures. Sound familiar?
I expected to love Starr Meade’s God’s Mighty Acts in Salvation–after all, we really enjoy her daily study based on the catechism (Training Hearts, TeI expected to love Starr Meade’s God’s Mighty Acts in Salvation–after all, we really enjoy her daily study based on the catechism (Training Hearts, Teaching Minds) and continue to use that each morning.
The information in the book is good, but I think the layout didn’t click with our family. Each day gives a passage to read from Galatians, and then has a short, loosely related story or series of thoughts based on one of the themes from the passage. There are also application questions at the end. I think there were a couple of reasons why this set-up didn’t work for us. First, it didn’t seem like we were studying the passage–I was hoping for more explanation that shed light on the verses, or a structure that helped the kids learn about salvation in general–and the little readings were ok but not fantastic. I guess overall the book seemed like something we were just reading to get through it, rather than really learning from. It could have been a case of the right book at the wrong time, or just a style preference. We do still recommend Training Hearts, Teaching Minds, though!
The Enchanted Castle involves and enchanted castle, naturally, and the adventures of a group of siblings bored on summer holiday plus a friend who is The Enchanted Castle involves and enchanted castle, naturally, and the adventures of a group of siblings bored on summer holiday plus a friend who is the niece of the housekeeper at the aforementioned castle. The reader for the audio book was superb, and it’s always delightful to learn new (to us) old-fashioned British slang terms. We’ve added “look slippy about it!” and “don’t be a GOAT!” to our repertoire thanks to this volume.
The Phantom Tollbooth is a funny story built around the humor of language. If your kids are familiar with homophones and can appreciate the hilarity oThe Phantom Tollbooth is a funny story built around the humor of language. If your kids are familiar with homophones and can appreciate the hilarity of misused turns of phrase, this book will be a hit. We used it as a read-aloud, but at times I thought it might have been better as a read-alone, because I had to stop and make a note of it when the jokes were based on spelling. Then again, I also reformatted some words as I read (no real reason to interchange the terms “demon” and “monster” in my mind, so we went with monster, etc).
Still, The Phantom Tollbooth was a fun and silly book that we all liked very much. It would be a good one to put on your summer reading list if you haven’t read it already!
Set in Afghanistan just as the Taliban took over, The Breadwinner follows an eleven-year-old girl who must resort to a disguise when her family is devSet in Afghanistan just as the Taliban took over, The Breadwinner follows an eleven-year-old girl who must resort to a disguise when her family is devastated by loss. While the subject matter is difficult–Parvana’s father is dragged off to prison, her mother struggles with debilitating depression, the family is in constant danger of starvation or worse–the tone stays hopeful and the setting emphasizes the resilience and humanity of the Afghan people.
The Breadwinner is the first book in a series, but my daughter read the second one and from talking to her I think it might be thematically too much for a ten-year-old, so we skipped the other books. Again, if you use this as a read-aloud you’ll have more insight into whether your kids are ready for it or if it might be too much.
Red Scarf Girl is a memoir of a young girl growing up under Mao’s Cultural Revolution in China. There are some difficult parts and some profanity, so Red Scarf Girl is a memoir of a young girl growing up under Mao’s Cultural Revolution in China. There are some difficult parts and some profanity, so I’d recommend reading it aloud so you can skip over what you need to, or stop to discuss it with your kids. We had good discussions on how you can know if your government is just or tyrannical, when and why it might be advisable to resist tyranny, and why people don’t speak out or flee when they are persecuted or see others persecuted. Because we study history chronologically, we could also contrast the book with other similar cultural moments. If you’re studying this time period, I think Red Scarf Girl is a good choice, but it might not be one I’d pick up just for fun bedtime reading. If you do pick it up, be aware that you’ll probably want to talk over the themes and issues with your kids–that can be really fruitful, even with younger elementary kids!
I’m not a huge fan of textbooks for kids–they are usually dry, dumbed down, and much better replaced with living books. However, I have found a few thI’m not a huge fan of textbooks for kids–they are usually dry, dumbed down, and much better replaced with living books. However, I have found a few that worked well, and A History of US: War, Peace, and All That Jazz: 1918-1945 is one. The book has short chapters and takes a story-telling approach, using good photography and art, to form a spine for the covered years. Since so much was going on from 1918 to 1945 around the world, I felt like we needed a spine to hold it all together as we read widely from other living books too. We read this one out loud together and I thought it worked well for that. We’ve also listened to The Story of the World for this timeframe, but I wanted something with a bit more detail and that I could read out loud versus only listening to (since we’ve got the audio version) in the car. I wouldn’t say that this one was better than the SOTW, but I think they complement each other.
The House of Sixty Fathers makes a fantastic read-aloud for both boys and girls. The story of a young Chinese boy during the Japanese invasion in WorlThe House of Sixty Fathers makes a fantastic read-aloud for both boys and girls. The story of a young Chinese boy during the Japanese invasion in World War II is based on a true story Meindert DeJong (who also wrote The Wheel on the School–another favorite) observed when he was serving in China at that time. Apparently DeJong tried to adopt the real life boy but wasn’t able to make it happen during the war and then he never was able to find him after the Communists took over. Fortunately, the book has a happier ending! We all enjoyed the adventure and the determination of the main character.
The Cay will probably only work as a read-aloud if you’re able to read ahead a bit and modify text while you’re reading it. We did this one as a familThe Cay will probably only work as a read-aloud if you’re able to read ahead a bit and modify text while you’re reading it. We did this one as a family read-aloud and I could not BEAR the spelled out accent of one of the main characters. I like doing voices when I read, but it was like trying to imitate Sebastian the Crab from Disney’s Little Mermaid and that was just so annoying that I had to stop, announce to the kids that I’d be reading in a regular accent, and change some of the pronunciation and diction. I also changed a few words and mentions that I felt were racist or at least not the way I want my kids to think about people. Having done so, the story was great–kind of a less far-fetched version of The Swiss Family Robinson, but with a kid in the Caribbean during World War II.
I remember reading When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit as a child, when I was going through a World War II phase. Judith Kerr is one of my favorite childrenI remember reading When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit as a child, when I was going through a World War II phase. Judith Kerr is one of my favorite children’s authors (Mog the cat and The Tiger Who Came to Tea are fantastic). Pink Rabbit is Kerr’s autobiographical story based on what happened to her own family during the war.
The book is a gentle but insightful take on the war, being a refugee, and overcoming the changes and challenges of a difficult childhood. I wish I had used this as a read-aloud rather than having my older kids (ages 8 and 9) read it individually, because I think my six-year-old would have liked the story too, but she was daunted by the length. I’ll have to remember to have her read it in a year or two.
Gladys Aylward: The Adventure of a Lifetime turned out to be a fabulous biography of a remarkable woman who devoted her life to helping the Chinese peGladys Aylward: The Adventure of a Lifetime turned out to be a fabulous biography of a remarkable woman who devoted her life to helping the Chinese people–renouncing her British citizenship, living in extreme conditions and deprivation, and risking her life for others. Unlike some missionary biographies we have read, this one worked out well as a read-aloud, and the kids enjoyed it so much that when we finished the last page they immediately asked if we could read it again!
We recommend this version of Aylward’s story, although the kids also watched the The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, an Ingrid Bergman movie adaptation of Aylward’s story, and my nine-year-old and I read The Small Woman, which we likewise recommend.
This year in school we are covering the 1900s, so we listened to Susan Wise Bauer’s exceptional The Story of the World: History for the Classical ChilThis year in school we are covering the 1900s, so we listened to Susan Wise Bauer’s exceptional The Story of the World: History for the Classical Child, Volume 4: The Modern Age: From Victoria’s Empire to the End of the USSR on audio while we were taking a road trip and driving around town doing errands. I know I keep saying this, but this four volume audio set is without a doubt one of the top five things I have ever purchased for the kids. I’m so glad that we own it! The kids have listened to these books so many times and we continue to get a lot out of them (practical note: take it from me and rip these CDs to your iTunes BEFORE you give them to the kids!).
What I love about this series is it’s ability to present history as a story, with events tying in to previous eras and different parts of the globe. It’s not a Western-centric series, although Western history is of course covered. You also learn how what was going on in other parts of the world influenced and was influenced by things happening in Europe and America.
I’ve seen Volume 4 described as not being for younger elementary kids but honestly I’m not sure why. Although the 20th century was full of terrible things, so were other centuries. This book does a great job of removing details that might disturb small children without shying away from the evil perpetrated by Hitler, Stalin, Mao, etc. I have no problem with small kids hearing this book.
You could do Story of the World as a read-aloud, but I’ve been glad to have it as a high quality audio book (Jim Weiss reads well).
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