Biography
The Story of the Trapp Family Singers
by Maria Augusta Trapp
After watching the classic movie Sound of Music and a stage production, I wanted to know the real story. There are some laugh-out-loud funny parts (especially as they learn English in America, and the birth of their youngest child in America). I was impressed with the depth and steadfastness of her faith in God through all their trials.
History
1776
by David McCullough
A detailed look at the events of 1776 in America, from both the American and British perspective. Fascinating history. Caution: there are a number of descriptions of the immorality of soldiers on both sides. Listened to the audiobook.
Classics (or at least old books)
Freckles
by Gene Stratton Porter
The first novel by the author (written in 1904) set in the Limberlost swamp of Indiana. Precedes Girl of the Limberlost. The title character is a one-handed man who grew up abandoned and rejected in a Chicago orphanage. He was never adopted, and now that he is an adult, he has gone out on his own looking for work. He is hired to guard the valuable trees of the Limberlost swamp from "poachers" until the lumber company can harvest them. He overcomes his initial fears of nature and develops an insatiable hunger to know more about the flora and fauna of the swamp, while making friends with the wild birds (whom he calls his "chickens"). He falls instantly in love with a girl known only to the reader as "The Swamp Angel" with whom he has several adventures. As I was reading it, I kept searching for the right word to describe how it was striking me ... sappy? corny? melodramatic? The dictionary defines melodrama as "a work (such as a movie or play) characterized by extravagant theatricality and by the predominance of plot and physical action over characterization." Yep, that's it. This one is just over the top. The characters are one-dimensional, unrealistically pure and noble. Freckles literally "worships" the girl (and the footstep she left in the mud). The plot moved along quickly through the last third, with a totally unrealistic ending. Today, this would be classified as "young adult" novel because of the romantic elements. I was surprised by the amount of language in it, using "Lord", "Jesus", and "God" as ejaculations. Though some people gush about it, I'm not sure I would recommend it. I enjoyed The Girl of the Limberlost a few years ago, but I may have to go back and see if it was as melodramatic as this one. Maybe it was and just struck me differently than this one.
Read-aloud (for geography)
This school year, I'm taking my younger three on a tour of the 50 states, one state per week. For each state, we are reading several picture books and/or chapter books set in that state. I found these book recommendations at Books By U.S. State - Orchard Reads
Pennsylvania
Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World
by Laurie Lawlor
A picture book biography about Rachel Carson whose book Silent Spring, raised alarms about the dangers of pesticides and other pollutants that were having harmful effects on insects, birds, waterways, etc.
Homespun Sarah
by Verla Kay
Detailed pictures, short rhyming text describing the life of pioneer families and the delight of finally getting a new dress because the old one has been outgrown.
Raising Yoder's Barn
by Jane Yolen
Beautifully illustrated picture book describing a barn-raising in an Amish community after a family's barn is hit by lightning and burns to the ground. Told from the point of view of a boy who is too young to help physically, but too old to want to just play like the little kids.
Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad
by Ellen Levine
After his wife and children are sold away, Henry seeks an unusual escape route from slavery. He mails himself to freedom in a wooden box.
Saving the Liberty Bell
by Megan McDonald
A humorously illustrated version of a popular account of how the bell from the Philadelphia State House was saved from capture by the British soldiers during the Revolutionary War.
Prisoner for Liberty
by Marty Figley
A free black man joins the fight for independence by sailing with one of the American ships. When the ship is captured by the British, he is offered a chance to go to England with the captain's son, but he chooses to stay with his countrymen, though it means being sent to a British prison ship.
New York's Bravest
by Mary Pope Osborne
A tall tale of Mose Humphreys, a legendary firefighter in 1840s New York City.
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
by Bernard Waber
A humorous picture book about a crocodile living in New York City apartment, trying to win the favor of a neighbor who hates him.
Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers' Strike of 1909
by Michelle Markel
Clara and her family are recent immigrants to the United States. Clara gets a job in a garment factory and experiences long hours, low pay, and poor working conditions. She gets fed up with the conditions and participates in a large-scale strike in 1909.
The Big Balloon Race
by Eleanor Coerr
Ariel's mother Carlotta is about to embark on a hot-air balloon race. Ariel desperately wants to go with her but is told she is too young. While she waits for the mayor to finish his long, boring speech, she falls asleep in the basket of her mother's balloon. Her mom takes off, not knowing she is there until it is too late. Though her added weight causes difficulties, she ends up helping her mother win the race.
Lost in the Library: A Story of Patience and Fortitude
by Josh Funk
A stone lion outside a famous New York City Library goes inside at night, looking for his partner. He searches throughout the library before finally finding his partner in the children's section. Then they both go back outside to their posts in front of the library. But every night, they go back in to read the wonderful books they've found. A cute, fun story, especially for book and library lovers!Vermont
John Deere, That's Who!
by Tracy Nelson Maurer
Sort of a picture book biography about John Deere from Vermont and how he developed the steel plow, which was lighter than the iron plows and didn't allow gumbo soil to stick to it.
Read-aloud (for fun)
Trouble according to Humphrey
by Betty G. Birney
The students in Room 26 build a model city named "Humphreyville" as Humphrey tries to help his friends through various troubles in the relationships, schoolwork, and family situations. Book 3 of the series. Listened to the audiobook.
Prince Caspian
by C. S. Lewis
The fourth book in the Chronicles of Narnia. Peter, Susan, Lucy, and Edmund are called back into Narnia a year after their adventure in the wardrobe, but hundreds of years have passed in the land of Narnia. All the talking beasts, dwarfs, and trees have gone into hiding as an oppressive race of men rules Narnia. The rightful king of Narnia, young Prince Caspian, has been secretly taught the stories of "Old Narnia" and becomes their leader in a fight to restore Narnia to its rightful inhabitants. Listened to the audiobook.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
by C. S. Lewis
The fifth book of seven in The Chronicles of Narnia. Lucy and Edmund and their cousin Eustace are drawn back into Narnia for an adventure with King Caspian as he searches for the seven lost lords (his father's friends who have missing for years). Listened to the audiobook.
By the Great Horn Spoon!
by Sid Fleischman
A young boy leaves Boston to go seek a fortune in the California Gold Rush in order to save his Aunt Arabella's home in Boston. His aunt's butler goes with him, and together they have numerous adventures on the journey by ship to California and as they search for gold. Lots of plot twists and turns. A fun story set during this time period. I listened to a full-cast audio-drama version. We'll be listening to it when we get to the Gold Rush in our history studies.
by Sydney Taylor
The third book in this series about a Jewish family in New York in the early 1900s. When mama is in the hospital for appendicitis, 16-year-old Ella takes over the household responsibilities. She gets another taste of the trials of young adulthood as her boyfriend joins the army and fights overseas in World War I. Overall, a good story, though some parents may be cautious about the hugging and cuddling done by teenage couples who aren't married.
All-of-a-Kind Family Downtown
by Sydney Taylor
This was published as the fourth book in this series, though it takes places between the first 2 books. The kids have their usual adventures and scrapes in New York City in the early 1900s. They befriend a young boy whose mother is dying of consumption. Apparently, the book was written as the second book, but publishers thought the death of the boy's mother and the distressing situation of tenements and factory workers wasn't appropriate for a children's book, so it wasn't published until 20 years later. I didn't see anything objectionable about it.
Ella of All-of-a-Kind Family
by Sydney Taylor
The fifth (and last) book of the series. Chronologically, it comes after All-of-a-Kind Family Uptown. It's after WWI, Ella's boyfriend is home from the war, Ella is working, and Jules is planning to work and go to school. Ella gets an opportunity to have a career singing on stage. She wrestles with the decision, and her relationship with Jules is strained because of it. She decides to go for it, but after a while realizes it's not the kind of life she really wants and comes back home to her family and to Jules. The story reflects the struggles women of the time (and even modern women) faced in regard to career vs marriage. I appreciate that conclusion affirmed that wanting a marriage, children, and home is a legitimate and worthwhile choice. In my opinion, this story and Uptown are aimed at an older audience than the first three books. I recommend the first three for ages 6 and up. For Uptown and Ella, I'd wait till older teen, if at all, especially if you are concerned about boyfriend/girlfriend behavior.
The Ordinary Princess
by M. M. Kaye
I'm not a big fan of princess/fairy stories, but I enjoyed this humorous parody of the typical princess story. The author states in the foreword that after reading a lot of princess stories, she began to think it was unfair that all the princesses had long, flowing, golden hair, beautiful complexions, blue eyes, etc. etc. So, she wrote a story where the princess was just ordinary -- and very happy with being ordinary. Eventually, she finds her true love, a prince who loves her for her ordinariness.
Shane
by Jack Schaefer
I've had this on my shelf for years and years. I think I picked it up at a book sale because I recognized it from junior high literature class. Shane is a former gunslinger trying to escape his violent past. He stops one night at a homesteader's house, then ends up staying to help and gets embroiled in a dispute between a greedy cattle rancher and the local homesteaders. There's a lot of language, which finally drove me to abandon it. There's also several bar-room brawls.
