September 2020 books

 The total for this month was 5 books, 2 magazines, and 3 books abandoned.

That brings the total to the year to 91 books, 27 magazines, and 5 books abandoned.

Agent 355

by Marie Benedict

A fictional account of a woman in the Culper Spy Ring during the American Revolution, responsible for discovering and exposing Benedict Arnold's plot to betray the Americans to the British.  Interesting story.  Some romantic elements.

Black Ships Before Troy

Rosemary Sutcliff

A novelized version of The Iliad.  Abridged and tamed down from the original, but still pretty gory.  I got about half to two-thirds through and abandoned it.  

The Black Star of Kingston

by S.D. Smith

This book begins the backstory for the Green Ember series.  A short book, much shorter than Green Ember.  Some intense moments of fighting and terrible enemies, but not gory.  I would recommend age 12 and up.

The Children's Homer

by Padriac Colum

An abridged version of The Iliad and The Odyssey.  I got about halfway before abandoning it.  I guess Greek mythology is even less "my thing" than fantasy.  I just couldn't stomach all the false gods and gore.  The line drawings in this book, while not showing anatomical details, do depict naked or very poorly clothed people.

Usborne Illustrated Guide to Greek Myths and Legends

by Cheryl Evans & Anne Millard

Well, the title tells what it's about.  The pictures are kinda scary.  The behavior of these "gods" is sickening.  Yes, this was the third book I abandoned this month.

Mystery of the Roman Ransom

by Henry Winterfeld

This is a sequel to Detectives in Togas, which I read several years ago (and decided my kids weren't ready for it yet).  Seven boys run about Rome trying to figure out whose father is supposed to be assassinated.  Lots of mythology allusions.  So if you don't know what they are referring to, it can get a little confusing.  Fast-paced.  The one (lengthy) book I finished quickly this month. Nothing really bad about it.  I'm still undecided if there's any redeeming value in it to make it worth my kids' time.

The Life and Times of Prince Albert

by Patrick Allitt

A series of ten lectures about Prince Albert and Queen Victoria.  I learned a lot about a time and place I wasn't very familiar with.  It helped put into context some things I did know (like Charles Dickens and "Victorian England").  I really enjoyed listening to this one.

Aesop's Fables

A lengthy collection of many short fables attributed to, or  in the style of, Aesop.  Included an introduction with historical & biographical information about Aesop himself.

September 2020 Picture Books

 We read the following books during our read-aloud time this month to go along with our history and geography studies.

The True Story of Noah's Ark

by Tom Dooley

A lavishly illustrated book depicting the Biblical story of Noah's ark.

Cool Critters of the Ice Age

by Buddy Davis

Lots of facts and figures about extinct animals that lived during the Ice Age.

The Story Behind Silk

by Ann Weil

Just what the title says ... the story behind silk, from ancient China to modern day uses and substitutes.

The Tower of Babel

by Alison Greengard

The Biblical account of the Tower of Babel, in both English and Hebrew.

The Trojan Horse

by Emily Little

A young reader's version of the victory of the Greeks over the Trojans with their famous wooden horse.

Ling and Ting : Not Exactly The Same

by Grace Lin

An absolutely delightful story about two girls who are twins, but not exactly the same.  Cute stories and fun illustrations.

Ruby's Wish

by Shirin Yim Bridges

Ruby grows up in China as one of many children in her grandfather's house.  She loves to wear red and she loves to learn.  She thinks it's not fair that boys get to go to college if they want to, but girls get married.  However, her compassionate grandfather makes it possible for her to become one of the first Chinese women to go to college.  Based on the true story of the author's grandmother.

Same, Same but Different

by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw

An American boy exchanges pictures and letters with an Indian boy.  They find that their lives are very similar, even though they live in different cultures.

Glass

by Andrea Riviera

Describes the basic history and uses of glass

Ox, House, Stick : The History of Our Alphabet

by Don Robb

Explains how our alphabet evolved from picture writing to the symbols we know today.

The Story of Little Babaji

by Helen Bannerman

A little boy in India gets a set of fancy clothes from his parents.  As he walks through the jungle, one tiger after another demands one of his clothes in exchange for not eating him up.  Each tiger thinks he is now the grandest looking tiger in the jungle.  Finally all the tigers meet and get into an argument.  Little Babaji retrieves his clothes, shoes, and umbrella while the tigers chase each other around and around a tree, eventually turning themselves into butter.  As I read this book, it kept sounding more and more familiar.  Finally at the end, there was a note that this story was originally known as "Little Black Sambo."  Aha!  When I was a kid, I had a record with this story on it!  I suppose this is a more politically correct version of the story.  My kids enjoyed it and laughed at the illustrations.

The Monkey and the Crocodile

by Paul Galdone

A crocodile plots to catch a crafty monkey for his dinner, but the monkey outwits him at every turn.

Monsoon Afternoon

by Kashmira Sheth

A boy and his grandfather enjoy adventures during an afternoon storm in India.  Beautiful illustrations. Heartwarming tale of a boy's relationship with his grandpa.