Biography
The Hiding Place
by Corrie ten Boom with John and Elizabeth Sherill
The story of a Christian Dutch woman who helped hide many Jews in their watch shop before being captured by Nazis and sent to a concentration camp. Focuses on God's preparation, enabling, and redemption. Though some tough subjects are discussed (such as the conditions in the camp), they are done in a careful manner, not overly gross or sensational. Appropriate and recommended for high school students studying WWII.
Classics
A Tale of Two Cities
by Charles Dickens
My all-time favorite Dickens novel!! This is the one that got me started actually liking Dickens. (The high school classes where we picked apart Great Expectations and Oliver Twist had previously turned me off.) A beautiful story of love, sacrifice, and redemption set amidst the backdrop of the horrors of the French revolution. I listened to an audiobook version narrated superbly by Julian Rhind-Tutt. As soon as I finished that, I picked up my print copy (with footnotes to explain various historical allusions) and read it all over again. I also listened to an old Mercury Radio Theater on the Air episode which dramatized the book (condensing it to a one-hour program, which of necessity left out much of the richness, but reasonably conveyed the basic plot of the story using mostly direct quotes). Although modern readers may complain that Dickens is long-winded, hard to read, and slow on plot (I used to be one of those), I found myself marveling at his artistry. His vivid descriptions, his skillful use of various literary devices (such as repetition, irony, and allusions), and his bringing together the details of many seemingly disparate and unconnected characters make it easy to see why he was considered such an accomplished author and why his works are considered classics.
I recently heard someone discussing how children's books have changed in the past 100 years -- simplifying vocabulary and sentence structure, reducing the number of sensory details, and weakening moral teaching. One point the lady made was that the emphasis on plot over description and character development reduces attention span and memory, making it harder to focus and concentrate. I think this is why many modern readers have such a hard time reading and appreciating authors such as Dickens, Austen, and Alcott. I admit that they can be challenging to read, but they are so worth it!
Newberry
Daughter of the Mountains
by Louise Rankin
A young Tibetan girl longs for a red-gold Lhasa terrier just like the one the Buddhist priest has. She waits and prays for many years before her dream finally comes true. A priest makes a prophecy that this dog will bring adventure and fortune to the family. Some time later, a traveling trader steals the dog and heads down to Calcutta to sell it to an Englishwoman. The girl takes off alone on a perilous journey to follow the trader and rescue her dog. This was a 1948 Newberry Honor book. It is well-written and very descriptive of life in Tibet and India at the time. It describes the girl's Buddhist religious practices (she frequently prays and refers to the Blessed One). Some might not like the way it describes the Buddhist god and religion in terms we usually reserve for talking about the God of the Bible. Others might find it a useful tool for acquiring cultural knowledge about this part of the world and their beliefs.
Just For Fun
Under the Tagalong Tree
by V. Gilbert Beers
Another book of retold Bible stories and corresponding Muffin Family adventures. Read aloud to my younger three.
Love From Paddington
by Michael Bond
A collection of letters from Paddington to Aunt Lucy in Peru, retelling some of his previous adventures through his eyes and revealing some of the Peruvian backstory (such as why Aunt Lucy sent Paddington to London in the first place). Listened to the audiobook. This is the 14th (out of 15) Paddington book.
Paddington's Finest Hour
by Michael Bond
The 15th (and last) of the Paddington Bear books. This was written in 2017, whereas the original was written in 1958. A lot has changed during that time, though not as much time has passed in the storyline. It's a bit incongruous to hear about Paddington and cell-phones and computers in these later books. And there are a lot of British terms, idioms, and jokes that American kids just don't get. But my younger three still love to hear any story about this lovable bear who constantly gets into scrapes but always ends up "falling on his feet."
The Penguin Who Wanted to Find Out
by Jill Tomlinson
A hilarious book about a penguin chick named Otto growing up in the Antarctic and learning to "get used to it."
Roxaboxen
by Alice McLerran
Based on the experience of the author's mother (or grandmother?) playing outside with siblings and neighbors, using their imaginations to create homes, towns, and markets with rocks, sticks, and scraps.
White Bird
by Clyde Robert Bulla
I've had this one on my shelf for a long time. Don't know where I got it. It wasn't worth the time it took to read it or the shelf space it's been taking up all these years. The writing style is very simplistic and choppy. There's no point to the story. A baby is found floating down a flooded river in a cradle. The bachelor who finds him lives in a small, isolated area that's not much good for farming. At first, he seems to care for the boy, but then he becomes very possessive and tries to keep him isolated from everyone -- never lets him goes to town, tells him not to wave at anyone he sees going down the river, won't let him have a dog. The boy finds an injured albino crow and nurses it back to health, against the man's wishes. The man lets a visiting boy steal the bird. The boy runs away to try to find his bird and discovers that the man has been lying to him about the "real world." My description makes it sound more interesting than it was. Read this myself; did not give it to the kids.
Read-aloud (Geography)
We spent a week learning about the Philippines and read the following books:
Filipino Children's Favorite Stories
by Liana Romulo
A collection of fables, myths, and fairy tales from the Philippines. I read a few out loud and strewed the book in case the kids wanted to read more.
Tuko and the Birds
by Shirley Climo
A folktale from the Philippines about a lizard who invades the house where a variety of birds live. His boastful attitude and his annoying noises irritate the birds (and the villagers who live nearby). He refuses to leave when asked but is finally tricked by one of the birds and sent rolling down into the swamp where he belonged in the first place.
Hand Over Hand
by Alma Fullerton
A young Philippine girl wants to go fishing with her grandfather, but everyone says girls can't fish. She finally convinces her grandfather to take her. While he catches fish after fish all day and reels them in hand over hand, she gets not a single bite on her line. Finally, at the end of the day, a very large fish snags her line. She fights with it for a long time while her grandfather wisely lets her bring it in herself "hand over hand."
Tucky Jo and Little Heart
by Patricia Polacco
A true story. A teenage soldier who is a crack-shot from Kentucky finds himself weary of all the fighting after nearly a year in the jungle during World War II. One day he befriends a young girl whom he calls "Little Heart" because of a heart-shaped birthmark on her arm. She shows him some leaves which help ease the sting of the numerous insect bites he suffers from. Because of the wartime trauma she's experienced, she never speaks except to say his name "Tucky Jo" (for "Kentucky John"). He convinces his commander to let him help feed the villagers who are starving as a result of the war. When the enemy approaches, the soldiers decide to set fire to the jungle to keep them away. Tucky Jo races to get the villagers on trucks to move them to safety. He never sees Little Heart again. Until he's very old, in a VA hospital, unable to afford the medicine and surgery he needs... A tear-jerker!! This is a going to be on my "favorites of the year" list.
I Have An Olive Tree
by Eve Bunting
A picture book about a girl of Greek origin, living in America. For one birthday, her grandfather gives her an olive tree that he owns in Greece. After his death, the girl and her mom travel to Greece to see the olive tree and to introduce the girl to her land of ancestry.
Dr. Coo and the Pigeon Protest
by Sarah Hampson
The pigeons in Athens are tired of being chased away from feeding and nesting areas and being treated like "rats of the sky." They stage a protest where they vacate the city and take a letter to the mayor. Funny.
If You Were Me and Lived in Greece
by Carole P. Roman
As the subtitle says, it's a child's introduction to the modern-day Greek culture.
And when we studied France, we enjoyed a lot of picture books:
Everybody Bonjours!
by Leslie Kimmelman
Simple text tells how to say hello in French. The illustrations take the reader on a tour of famous French landmarks. The backmatter explains the location and significance of each.
Crepes by Suzette
by Monica Wellington
A girl named Suzette travels around Paris selling different kinds of crepes. The illustrations are a combination of photographs and drawings and highlight famous Parisan sights. In the back is a recipe for crepes. So, of course, we had to have our own "crepe bar" one night after we read this book.
King Louie's Shoes
by D. J. Steinberg
A humorous book about King Louis XIV, who was rather short and tried to make up for it with high-heeled shoes.
Before There Was Mozart
by Lesa Cline-Ransome
A picture book biography of Joseph Boulogne, the son of a French nobleman and his African slave. Joseph became an expert violinist, and also composed quite a few operas and other classical pieces in the years preceding the French Revolution.
A Lion in Paris
by Beatrice Alemagna
A fanciful backstory for a famous lion statue in Paris.
The Goldfish in the Chandelier
by Casie Kesterson
A fictional account of how a famous French chandelier was designed and built.
The Family Under the Bridge
by Natalie Savage Carlson
And old hobo meets up with a trio of homeless kids in Paris. They gradually win his heart and he gives up the freedom of his hobo lifestyle to help provide a real home for them and their mother. I read this a loooong time ago to my older kids. This was the first time my younger ones heard it.
Read-aloud (Science)
Charged Up : The Story of Electricity
by Jacqui Bailey
A nice introduction to what electricity is and how it works.
The Magic School Bus in the Artic
by Scholastic Productions
Mrs. Frizzle takes her class on an exploration of the artic to learn about thermal energy.History
The Red Badge of Courage
by Stephen Crane
A Civil War novel. I didn't like it when I had to read it in school, and I didn't like it any better as an adult. Several chapters in, I found myself looking for any excuse to do something else, so I knew it was time to abandon it.
Across Five Aprils
by Irene Hunt
A story of the Civil War, told from the perspective of a boy growing up in Illinois. Jethro is nine the first April when the war begins, and thirteen in the fifth April when Lincoln is assassinated. It describes the course of the war (and the events and discussions leading up to it) through the eyes and ears of Jethro as he read the newspapers, listens to his parents and neighbors talk, and anxiously waits for word from his brothers who have gone off to fight. It's written in a lot of dialect, so it was easier to listen to the audiobook. A worthwhile book.
A Way Through the Sea
by Robert Elmer
Two Danish twins, Peter and Elise, help their Jewish friend escape from the Nazis, with the help of their parents, uncle, and grandfather. First in a series called "The Young Underground". Recommended for 8 and up.
Beyond the River
by Robert Elmer
Second book in the "Young Underground" series. Peter and Elise have been sent to the country to their aunt and uncle's sheep farm to get away from the war in the city. But as soon as they arrive, they are plunged into a search for a missing British pilot who is shot down near their farm. Peter is urged by several people to "just accept Jesus" because "it's not hard to do." But they don't really explain the gospel clearly.
The Journey that Saved Curious George
by Louise Borden
The true story of how the German-born Jewish creators of Curious George (originally known as "Fifi") escaped from France just ahead of the Nazis in World War II. Complete with photographs, copies of their diary entries, and illustrations in the style of H. A. Rey.
