Completed Books 3/1/11

History (both):
Cathedral Mouse, Kay Chorao
Vasco da Gama, (23 pages) Tanya Larkin
The Foolish Men of Agra and Other Tales of Mogul India (48 pages), Rina Singh
Three Samurai Cats, A Story From Japan, Eric A. Kimmel
Katie and the Mona Lisa, James Mayhew
Moon Rope, Un lazo a la luna, Lois Ehlert
The Spirit of the Maasai Man, Laura Berkeley
How a Book Is Made, Aliki
Musicians of the Sun, Gerald McDermott
Leonardo's Horse, Jean Fritz
Cuckoo, Lois Ehlert
I am Lutheran, Erica Bradley
Jackal's Flying Lesson, Verna AArdema
The Life and Work of Leonardo da Vinci (32 pages), Sean Connolly
Leonardo and the Flying Boy, Laurence Anholt
I am Catholic, Philemon D. Sevastiades
Da Vinci (32 pages), Mike Venezia
Rembrandt (32 pages), Make Venezia
You Wouldn't Want to be an Aztec Sacrifice! (32 pages), Fiona Macdonald

Other Reading (both):
The Field Mouse and the Dinosaur Named Sue, Jan Wahl
Bones and the Clown Mix-up Mystery (32 pages), David A. Adler
The Giants Go Camping (46 pages), Jane Jolen
Amazing Animal Journeys (48 pages), Laura Marsh
Humphrey's Bear, Jan Wahl
and...

Lella LOVED this sweet little book about farm life.

Lella Reading:
Little Fur, A Fox Called Sorrow (245 pages), Isobelle Carmody
Shakespeare Can Be Fun! Romeo and Juliet for kids (63 pages), Lois Burdett

The Young Merlin Trilogy and Books Completed 2/7/11

Marcus recently finished the first book in Jane Yolen's The Young Merlin Trilogy called Passager (76 pages).  He is now reading the second book and very much enjoys them.  He said he liked the books because they were "adventurous and mysterious."

Another series that the kids are really enjoying are The Dragons of Wayward Crescent by Chris d'Lacey.

They have both read Gruffen (112 pages) and Glade (96 pages), and Marcus recently read Gauge (112 pages) and Grabber (96 pages).

Finally, Marcus and Lella finished Voyage of the Dawn Treader (248 pages), C.S. Lewis.  Again, they are reading the Narnia series aloud with Steve and get so excited when nighttime rolls around and they are able to lay on the couch and read with Daddy.  Fun.

Gabriella recently finished:
The Apple and the Arrow, The Legend of William Tell (80 pages), Mary and Conrad Buff
The Best-Loved Doll, Rebecca Caudill
***Chandra - she received this for Christmas and has read it through multiple times already.  She loves it as much as Anastasia.
Michelangelo, Diane Stanley

History Completed (both):
Christopher Columbus (32 pages), from the "First Biographies" series
Follow the Dream, The Story of Christopher Columbus, Peter Sis
Young Christopher Columbus (32 pages), Carpenter
Bernal and Florinda, A Spanish Tale, Eric Kimmel
Journeys With Elijah (75 pages), Barbara Goldin
Fa Mulan, Robert D. San Souci
Africa Calling, Daniel Adlerman
Savitri, A Tale of Ancient India, Aaron Shepard
Sundiata, David Wisniewski

Prince Caspian, Follow My Leader, Poetrees and Completed Books 1/21/11

Marcus and Lella just finished their second Narnia book, Prince Caspian (223 pages), C.S. Lewis.  They had several favorite parts.  This is what they said when I asked them...

First favorite:  Peter's battle with King Miraz

Second favorite:  When the bulgy bear is promising not to put his paw in his mouth, but while he's promising, his paw is in his mouth.

Third favorite:  When the kids get pulled into Narnia.

My friend, Chandra, recommended Follow My Leader (191 pages), James B. Garfield.  We bought it a while ago, but Marcus recently decided to read it.  He LOVED it.  The story is about Jimmy, a boy blinded in an accident with a firecracker and his dog Leader.  Marcus read this book every night before bed and didn't want to put it down.  It's a wonderful story about friendship and forgiveness.

Marcus also finished another book in the series "The Ten Commandment Mysteries" called Carousel Horse (43 pages), Elspeth Murphy.

While Marcus has been consumed with his Physics Workshop he received for Christmas, Lella has been doing a lot of reading:

Harry the Explorer (79 pages), Dyan Sheldon
Lella's summary for interested readers, "Harry is an alien cat from a different planet who likes to go on adventures.  He likes to visit Earth and visit his friend Chicken.  Chicken's real name is Sara Jane.  She is called Chicken because she dragged a stuffed chicken around when she was little."
There are a series of the aoove Harry books and I plan on getting her more of them.
The Dragons of Wayward Crescent: Gruffen (104 pages), Chris d'Lacey
The Snowman's Path, Helena Pittman
Our Wildlife World: Lizards, Ivy
The Wretched Stone, Chris Van Allsburg
On the Mayflower, Kate Waters
Sugar Cane, A Caribbean Rapunzel, Patricia Storace
Wonder Horse, The True Story of the World's Smartest Horse, Emily McCully

Poetrees, Douglas Florian


This book is ripe with poetrees,
They're grown to educate and please.
You'll see a cedar.
Oak tree too.
Birch and banyan,
Pine and yew.
Palm and gum
And willow tree,
Plus more you'll love tree-mendously!


Gabriella and I had so much fun reading this together.  Marcus and I are going to read it together too!

Nature's Children Series: Each book is approximately 50 pages, all written by Ivy.

Mallard Ducks

Salamanders

Kangaroos

Old World Monkeys

Tigers

Gabriella loves Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa books, Betsy Lewin.  Although they are way below her reading level, I get them for her because she enjoys them so much.  She recently read Horse in the House and Spring Babies.

She also LOVES Richard Scary books.  Again, these are far below her reading level, but she enjoys them so much.  I hear her laughing often when she reads them.  She recently finished:

A Big Operation

The Cat Family Takes a Trip

The Treasure Hunt

The Snowstorm

Richard Scarry's Best Story Book Ever:  82 Wonderful Round-the-Year Stories and Poems

Completed History (Both):
*Most of these books aren't numbered.  

The Clay Pot Boy, Cynthia Jameson
Lian and the Magic Paintbrush, Demi
Raisel's Riddle, Erica Silverman
The Weaving of a Dream, Marilee Heyer
The Paper Dragon, Marguerite W. Davol
Little Johnny Buttermilk, after an old English folktale, Jan Wahl
Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave, Marianna Mayer
A Perfect Pork Stew, Paul Brett Johnson
Magna Carta (32 pages), C. Walter Hodges
Geoffrey Chaucer: Canterbury Tales, Barbara Cohen
The Dragon Prince, Laurence Yep
Gods and Goddesses of the Ancient Norse, Leonard Fisher
The Empty Pot, Demi
The Girl Who Lost Her Smile, Karim Alrawi
Joan of Arc, Josephine Poole
Welcome to Russia, Schemenauer
The Toy Brother, William Steig
The Red Balloon, A. Lamorisse
***The kids read this book multiple times.  It was one of their favorites.

Narnia and Completed Books 1/4/10

Steve and the children are reading through C.S. Lewis' Narnia series.  They look forward to it every night and absolutely love everything about the series.  They recently finished The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (176 pages).

Marcus history:
Robin Hood in the Greenwood (53 pages), Jane Louise Curry
Chess (63 pages), Daniel King

Lella history:
The Adventures of Robin Hood (comic book style), Marcia Williams
Heroines, Great Women Through the Ages (78 pages), Rebecca Hazell
Bard of Avon, The Story of William Shakespeare, Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema
The Canterbury Tales (117 pages), Geraldine McCaughrean
Castle Diary (60 pages), Richard Platt

Lella's ther completed books:
The Animal Rescue Squad, Kitten Alert (118 pages), Ellen Weiss
The Animal Rescue Squad, Hand-Me-Down Chimp (123 pages), Ellen Weiss
Nature's Children, Weasels (47 pages), Ivy
The Animals' Merry Christmas (69 pages), Richard Scarry
The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins, Kerley and Selznick

The Moffats and other completed books 12/22/10

We recently finished The Moffats (261 pages), Eleanor Estes.  The children originally became interested in this book after an excerpt was used from the book in their writing curriculum.  We decided to listen to the book on CD while we followed along.  The CD was FANTASTIC!  All of the characters had different voices and there were times when we all laughed out loud. 

Summary from Amazon:

Who else but a member of the Moffat family could, during kindergarten recess, accidentally hitch a ride out of town on a boxcar? Or wind up trapped in the breadbox outside the delicatessen store? Or kindly offer to escort the Salvation Army man to his destination--only to accidentally bump him out of his own horse-drawn wagon? The Moffats is a paradigm of old-fashioned family fun. 

Marcus has really enjoyed The Ten Commandment Mysteries series by Elspeth Campbell Murphy.  He has read:

Second Map (39 pages)
Silent Idol (45 pages)
Double Trouble (48 pages)
Vanishing Present (46 pages)
Tattletale Parrot (45 pages)

He also finished Gulliver's Travels (GIC - 240 pages), Jonathan Swift.

Gabriella very much enjoyed Uncle Wiggily's Story Book (247 pages), Howard R. Garis.  There are 36 chapters in this book and each chapter is a unique story detailing the adventures of Uncle Wiggily, the bunny rabbit gentleman, who understands people talk, and dedicates his life to helping other animals and children.

Another series that Lella is enjoying is The Animal Rescue Squad series by Ellen Weiss and Mel Friedman.  There are only a few books in this series, but she just finished Kitten Alert (117 pages) and is halfway through the next book.

Other books Lella finished recently:
Why do Volcanoes Erupt, Chris Maynard
Safari Journal, The Adventures in Africa of Carey Monroe, Hudson Talbott
Timothy's Tales from Hilltop School (64 pages), Rosemary Wells
Fairy Tale Lunches (29 pages), Jane Yolen
Fairy Tale Desserts (31 pages), Jane Yolen

Both:
Micro Monsters, Life Under the Microscope (48 pages), Chris Maynard
The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins, Kerley and Selznick

History Reading (both):
Chanticleer and the Fox, Barbara Cooney
The Making of a Knight, Patrick O'Brien

Books Completed 11/9/10

Gabriella has been reading some of the dearest books lately.  Here are a few that she recently completed:
1.  Tumtum and Nutmeg (181 pages), Emily Bearn
2.  The Milly Molly Mandy Storybook (224 pages), Joyce Lankaster Brisley
3.  Homer Price (149 pages), Robert McCloskey

All highly recommended.

Other books she has completed:
Equal Shmequal (32 pages), Virginia Kroll
The Usborne Book of Creepy Poems (32 pages), various poets

Marcus and Lella have both completed:
The Greedy Triangle, Marilyn Burns
Somewhere in the World Right Now, Stacey Schuett
Oh Theodore! Guinea Pig Poems (43 pages), Susan Katz
*They laughed out loud reading this book together and have revisited it often.
What Makes a Magnet? (32 pages), Franklyn Branley
Wiggling Worms at Work (33 pages), Wendy Pfeffer
Floating in Space (32 pages), Franklyn Branley
How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of the World (32 pages), Faith McNulty
*Marcus was so fascinated by this book.  He read it multiple times.
Small Potatoes Club (40 pages), Lon Levin
How Much is a Million, David Schwartz
*Both Marcus and Lella loved this book and requested the other two similar to this one.
Volcanoes (30 pages), Franklyn Branley
The Usborne Book of Fairy Tales, Cartwright and Amery
Jenny's Moonlight Adventure (32 pages), Esther Averill
*Both Marcus and Lella enjoyed this sweet book about a cat named Jenny.  Short, but written more like a chapter book with little pictures.

Marcus recently finished Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Two Spies (73 pages), Donald Sobol.

Completed History Reading (Both):
The North Wind and the Sun, Brian Wildsmith
The Miller Boy and the Donkey, Brian Wildsmith
The Master Swordsman and the Magic Doorway, Alice Provensen
East O' the Sun and West O' the Moon, P.J. Lynch
Puss In Boots, Marcia Brown
Saint George and the Dragon (32 pages), Margaret Hodges

Lovely "Little" Books 10/25/2010

It's been way too long since my last post, so please bear with me as I talk about all of the wonderful literature the children have been reading.

To begin, the children and I finally finished Little Women (526 pages), Louisa May Alcott.  It was also my first time reading this classic novel.  I was able to instruct the children on so many godly principles throughout reading this book.  Marcus and Lella asked many questions throughout.  Some moments that stand out as I reminisce... Marcus and Lella were truly disappointed when Jo did not accept Laurie's proposal.  We all got teary eyed when Beth died.  I was able to share with them how I too had ignored Daddy when they were little (like Meg),  how it wasn't pleasing to the Lord, and how I changed.  We talked about how morals and principles are far more important than money (when Jo was writing racy articles to earn a living).  I could go on...  Needless to say, I highly recommend this book as a read aloud.  

Steve and the children recently finished Little Pilgrim's Progress (256 pages), Helen L. Taylor (adapted from John Bunyan's book Pilgrim's Progress).  Taylor keeps the original story line intact in her adaptation and simplifies some of the concepts and vocabulary.  Our Pastor recently asked a question about Christian from Pilgrim's Progress during evening instruction.  He asked what Christian's was carrying on his back, and the children answered, "A burden."  He then asked what the burden was, and they answered, "Sin."  The children LOVED this book and requested Daddy read to them every night.

Gabriella recently finished More Milly Molly Mandy (224 pages), Joyce Lankester Brisley.  This was such a darling book.  Each chapter is its own story, which makes for a great book to read at bed time, or to read aloud.  The protagonist in each story is Millicent Margaret Amanda (Milly-Molly-Mandy for short...if you consider that short).  More Milly Molly Mandy is a collection of old-fashioned stories about MMM and her adventures in her small English town.  Gabriella is now reading Milly Molly Mandy and enjoying it just as much. 

Marcus recently finished The Great Wide Sea (283 pages), M.H. Herlong.  I am especially proud of him for finishing this book.  There were quite a few sailing and nautical terms that were somewhat technical (Marcus has never sailed), and I think he may have been a bit young to full grasp the relationship dynamic of the two brothers and their father, but he persevered and in the end, said he enjoyed the book.  He especially liked the ending.

Another book I highly the kids and I are still working on is Art Fraud Detective (48 pages), Anna Nilsen.  Grab your pencil, paper, and magnifying glass!  A security guard at the Museum of Art (which houses a fine collection of 34 European masterpieces), asks young readers to play detective.  Readers are asked to determine which paintings are fraudulent by comparing them to the originals.  Each reproduction of the original painting is excellent, and the paragraphs of information about the paintings are well-written and entertaining.

Completed History Reading (both):
Easy Origami, Dokuohtei Nakano
The Enchanted Storks (32 pages), Aaron Shepard
The Duke and the Peasant:  Life in the Middle Ages (30 pages), Prestel
The Reluctant Dragon (40 pages), Robert D. San Souci
Mr. Pak Buys a Story, Carol Farley
The Rich Man and the Shoe-maker, Brian Wildsmith
Adventures with the Vikings (47 pages), Linda Bailey

Lella:
Encyclopedia Brown (87 pages), Donald Sobol

Marcus:
A to Z Mysteries:  The Talking T. Rex (85 pages), Ron Roy

Books Completed 10/5/10

History Reading (both):
The Wisdom of the Crows and Other Buddhist Tales (79 pages), Sherab Chodzin and Alexandra Kohn
The Boy Who Drew Cats, David Johnson
In the Moonlight Mist, A Korean Tale, Daniel San Souci
Exodus, Brian Wildsmith
Joseph, Brian Wildsmith
Maui and the Sun, A Maori Tale, Gavin Bishop
A Carp for Kimiko, Virginia Kroll
The Crane Wife, Odds Bodkin
The Pumpkin Runner, Marsha Arnold
Little Oh, Laura Krauss Melmed (Gabriella loved this book.)
Saint Francis, Brian Wildsmith

Gabriella:
Captains Courageous (GIC, 239 pages), Rudyard Kipling
Wild Horses (44 pages), George Stanley
Pioneer Cat (63 pages), William Hooks (Gabriella loved this book too!)

Marcus:
Encyclopedia Brown (87 pages), Donald Sobol

Both:
The Adventures of Ratman (62 pages), Ellen Weiss and Mel Friedman

The Red Pyramid and Completed Books 9/21/10

The kids and I just finished The Red Pyramid (528 pages), Rick Riordan.  Riordan's knowledge of Ancient Egyptian culture is superb, however I got quite bored with the story.  The kids seemed to like it though!  Basically, the two main characters are descended from the line of Pharaohs and must save the world.  In doing so, they encounter monster after monster, and must morph into different things to escape or defeat the monster... sigh.  Finally, "Oh god!" was used on and off when the children were in trouble.  Granted the whole story is about false Egyptian gods, but I still don't like the expression.  I will say that Marcus and Lella have a better understanding of Egyptians gods, who they are, and what Ancient Egyptians believed. 

History Reading (both):
Favorite Celtic Fairy Tales (84 pages), Joseph Jacobs - A collection of stories from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Cornwall.  Gabriella almost cried at the end of "Beth Gellert".  We loved reading this book.
Favorite Medieval Tales (72 pages), Mary Pope Osborne - We read these stories last year and loved all of them.  This year, we focused on "Beowulf".  Gabriella's favorite is "The Werewolf".
Cat and Rat:  The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac, Ed Young
Religions of the World - I am Muslim, Jessica Chalfonte - A simple book about the beliefs of Muslims.
Forty Fortunes:  A Tale of Iran, Aaron Shepard
The Three Golden Oranges, Alma Flor Ada
The Hundredth Name, Shulamith Levey Oppenheim

Marcus:
Mercy Watson to the Rescue (71 pages), Kate DiCamillo
Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride (72 pages), Kate DiCamillo
Tales from the Odyssey, Book One:  The One Eyed Giant (101 pages), Mary Pope Osborne - Marcus read this series last year and loved it.  He wanted to read this story again.

Marcus and Gabriella are obsessed with reading their dictionary (Scholastic Children's Dictionary).  They have also been reading The Dangerous Book for Boys and The Daring Book for Girls.  It's amazing the things they find and learn about in these three books!

Embossed Letters

This history project was super easy and fun.  The kids are studying illuminated manuscripts with Steve and since I am the art director of this family, I decided to help them make some embossed letters.  We printed out letters, cut them out of cardboard and then rubbed aluminum foil over them.  The whole process took no more than 30 minutes. Hmmmmm... I wonder whose is whose......

Books Completed 9/5/10

History Reading (both):
Across a Dark and Wild Sea, Don Brown
The Warlord's Beads, Virginia Pilegard
Marguerite Makes a Book, Bruce Robertson
The Holy Twins, Benedict and Scholastica, Kathleen Norris and Tomie de Paola
The Clay Ladies, Michael Bedard
Long is a Dragon, Chinese Writing for Children, Peggy Goldstein
Ali, Child of the Desert, Jonathan London
The Last Snake in Ireland, Sheila MacGill-Callahan
The Very Hungry Lion, Gita Wolf
The Story of Saint Patrick, James Janda
The Warlord's Fish, Virginia Pilegard
Saint Nicholas, Ann Tompert

Marcus:
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (GIC - 239 pages), Mark Twain
A to Z Mysteries, The Canary Caper (87 pages), Ron Roy
A to Z Mysteries, The Bald Bandit (71 pages), Ron Roy
Calendar Mysteries, April Adventure (69 pages), Ron Roy
Word After Word After Word (125 pages), Patricia MacLachlan

Lella:
Emily Windsnap and the Monster from the Deep (220 pages), Liz Kessler
Emily Windsnap and the Castle in the Mist (204 pages), Liz Kessler
Alice in Wonderland (Stepping Stones - 104 pages), Lewis Carroll
The Secrets of Droon, The Genie King (168 pages), Tony Abbott
The Goblin Baby (Stepping Stones - 120 pages), Berlie Doherty
Mercy Watson to the Rescue (71 pages), Kate DiCamillo
Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride (72 pages), Kate DiCamillo
Smasher (72 pages), Dick King-Smith

Both:
Ivy and Bean Break the Fossil Record (115 pages), Sophie Blackall
Ivy and Bean Take Care of the Babysitter (123 pages), Sophie Blackall
*I didn't like the tone of this book at all.  I forgot to return this to the library and the children read it without me realizing it.
The Monster Who Ate Darkness, Joyce Dunbar
Upstairs Mouse, Downstairs Mole, Wong Herbert Yee
Mouse and Mole, Fine Feathered Friends, Wong Herbert Yee
A Brand-New Day with Mouse and Mole, Wong Herbert Yee

Lives of the Presidents

A while back Marcus memorized all of the United States Presidents.  Well, I came across this book at the library and he very much enjoyed it.  He is now quoting some of the presidents...oh brother!  Anyway, he did learn quite a bit about them and enjoyed reading this book.

Lives of the Presidents (96 pages), Kathryn Hewitt.

Ancient Greece

The children and I have been reading about life in Ancient Greece.  One of the things we read about were Grecian children sculpting dolls to play with out of clay.  Lella and Marcus wanted to sculpt their own dolls.  We bought some clay and they came out quite good!  Can you guess who sculpted which doll?  :-)

 

Cave Paintings

Hall of Bulls Cave in Lascaux, France vs. Marcus and Lella's cave painting. Lella's reverse hand print is on the left and Marcus' is on the right. Fun!

Salt Map of Egypt

This was a fun project we did a couple weeks ago. Shaping the map caused the kids to easily see how Lower Egypt is actually North.

Directions:
Mix 2 cups flour, 1 cup salt and 3/4 cup water. (Add a little water at a time). This should make a very thick dough. Add more flour if needed. Spread dough over map you've outlined on heavy cardboard or plywood. I had the kids create their map in a gift box! Shape mountains, valleys, plains, etc. You may dip fingers lightly in water to smooth out rough places in dough. Allow to dry and paint with tempura.

Books Recently Read, Handwriting Article, Hall of Presidents

Marcus' recent completed readings: Journey to the Center of the Earth (Great Illustrated Classics), Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D, Andrew Jackson (Steve Potts)

Lella's recent completed readings: Swiss Family Robinson (Great Illustrated Classics), The Jungle Book (Great Illustrated Classics)

Books they have both read recently: G-Force, The McElderry Book of Grimm's Fairy Tales (Saviour Pirotta): The Magic Gingerbread House, The Girl Who Spun Straw into Gold, Little Mouse and Lazy Cat, The Swans and the Brave Princess, The Naughty Princess and the Frog, Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm (Wenzel and Wheeler): Little Snow White, The Three Sluggards, The Shoemaker and the Elves

This is an interesting article on handwriting:

Cursive writing may be fading skill, but so what?

Marcus is learning cursive this year and it's one of his favorite things we do in a school day. We use Handwriting Without Tears, Cursive.

This part of the article encourages me that this is not a waste of time: "...[A]ccording to Vanderbilt University professor Steve Graham, who cites multiple studies showing that sloppy writing routinely leads to lower grades, even in papers with the same wording as those written in a neater hand."

Finally, a few months ago, Marcus and Lella asked me to buy them a place mat (it was $1.00) that showed all 43 U. S. Presidents, the time they served, their party affiliation, and various facts. They both took it upon themselves to memorize all 43 presidents! Marcus also memorized their party affiliation and is in the process of memorizing their years of service.

At Disney, The Hall of Presidents was recently redone and Marcus and Lella thoroughly enjoyed it! It was fun to see them find so much joy in our country's history. If you ever have the opportunity to view this exhibit and show, I highly recommend it!