Classic or at least kind of old books
Watership Down
by Richard Adams
In this novel from the 1970s, Adams tells the tale of a group of rabbits who escape their warren before disaster strikes and eventually, after many adventures, find their way to Watership Down, where they make their new home. Unlike The Green Ember series, though these rabbits talk (to each other), they don't wear clothes or carry swords or walk upright or do anything real rabbits wouldn't do. There is no overarching villain in the story -- the dangers they face come from man and from other rabbits. I liked the story a lot. There is some challenging vocabulary (I had to look up some words). Parents should be aware that the rabbits have their own mythology, somewhat reminiscent of the mythology of ancient peoples. So, if that bothers you, you might want to steer away from this one. But if you've taught your kids about ancient culture's mythology, there's fertile soil here for discussion and comparison. There is one character who says "damn" quite a bit, and one instance of "P-- off". The group that escapes are all males, so the last half of the book revolves around them trying to collect a bunch of does to bring back to their warren. There is some talk about the relationship between bucks and does, not in an explicit or gratuitous or perverse manner, just a matter-of-fact statement of how rabbits relate. The characters act like rabbits, not humans. I do recommend the book for probably 12 and up. If your kids have read Green Ember, they will probably like this. It is way less intense, in my opinion.
Tales from Watership Down
by Richard Adams
A follow-up to Watership Down, this is a collection of stories in three parts: first, stories told by the rabbits of Watership Down; second, stories about their mythical ancestor; third, adventures of the rabbits after they established their warren in Watership Down. Same cautions as in the first book.
The Big Red Horse
by Lawrence Scanlan
A biography, of sorts, of Secretariat, the famous racehorse who won the Triple Crown in 1973. As the subtitle says, it's the "story of Secretariat and the loyal groom who loved him." It's written for kids, but it's not babyish. The author defines horse terms and racing terms, so it's easy to follow even for readers who are familiar with horse racing. Read it myself, strewed it, plus we all enjoyed watching the movie.
Secretariat
by William Nack
A fairly detailed history of the background, life, and career of the famous racehorse Secretariat. It goes into quite a bit of background at the beginning of the people and horses involved in Secretariat's life. I skimmed through some of it. There are a number of quoted obscenities and a descriptive account of what happens in a breeding shed, so I wouldn't recommend it for anyone less than mature teens. Apparently, this book is what inspired the movie.
Shadow of His Hand
by Wendy Lawton
A holocaust survivor story about Anna Dittman in Germany. I read this one aloud to the kids. See my original review here.
Historical Fiction
The Promise of Zion series
by Robert Elmer
This series of six historical fiction books describes the formation of the modern state of Israel in 1948 through the eyes of two teenagers. Dov is a Polish Jew, a survivor of the concentration camps, hoping to find his family in the land of Zion. Emily is the daughter of a British major who has been stationed in Palestine for some years.
A Place to Hang the Moon
by Kate Albus
We listened to the audiobook while we traveled on vacation. I loved it just as much as the first time I read it last year. Highly recommended. My original review is here.
Snow Treasure
by Marie McSwigan
We listened to this while we traveled on vacation. Again, highly recommended. See my original review here.
Geography (Read-aloud)
Jemmy Button
by Jennifer Uman
A picture book about a boy from a tribe in Argentina who was taken to England by explorers and educated ("civilized") in the Victorian fashion. Those who took him gave his mom a button in exchange. When he returned years later, the English hoped he would educate and civilize his people. Instead, he returned back to his former life, rejoicing that he had finally found where he belonged. Based on a true story. Read aloud during our studies of Argentina.
The Passover Cowboy
by Barbara Goldin
A young Jewish boy living in Argentina longs to be and dress like a real cowboy like his friend Benito. When he invites Benito to his family's Passover celebration, chaos and fun erupts. Read aloud during our studies of Argentina.
by Judy Young
A boy in Ecuador helps his father collect Brail nuts in the jungle while playing with two tamarins. When the tamarins and some macaws are stolen by poachers, he tracks them down in the town, frees them, and reports the poachers to the police. Read aloud during our studies of Ecuador.
Roses for Isabella
by Diana Cohn
A young girl in Ecuador write a poem for class about the rose farm where her parents work. At the previous farm, the owners used chemicals that made her mom sick; at the new farm, the owners care about their workers and don't use such chemicals. Read aloud during our studies of Ecuador.
The Best Tailor in Panbaue
by Eymard Toledo
A young boy helps his uncle, who is a tailor in Brazil. Life changes for them and for the whole town when a factory is built along the river. The river gets polluted and kills the fish, most of the people go to work in the factory, and the town is covered in gray soot from the factory. The uncle used to make colorful clothing for the villagers, but now all he makes is the boring gray uniforms for the factory -- until the owners start buying cheaper ones from abroad. Then the boy and his uncle find a way to brighten up the town with colorful curtains and fabrics again. Read aloud during our studies of Brazil.
Victoria Goes to Brazil
by Maria de Fatima Campos
A young girl documents with photographs her trip to Brazil with her mom, who grew up there. Read aloud during our studies of Brazil.
The Sock Thief: A Soccer Story
by Ana Crespo
A young boy snags socks from around town and makes a soccer ball for his friends to play with at school. he does return the socks to all their rightful owners at the end of the day. Read aloud during our studies of Brazil.
From My Window
by Otavio Junior
A lyrical and colorful description of what a boy sees as he grows up Rio de Janeiro. Read aloud during our studies of Brazil.
Just for Fun (read-aloud)
Turkey Trouble
by Wendi Silvano
A turkey on a family farm tries various disguises to get out of being the main course for Thanksgiving dinner. He finally finds one that works. A hilarious story. This came recommended by a friend's young boys who skillfully narrated the story to my kids.
The Last Little Cat
by Meindert deJong
A little black cat is the last one of the litter born in a kennel barn that houses a bunch of noisy dogs in cages. As the runt, he doesn't get much milk from his mom, because his siblings have drunk it all first. One day, he gets pushed out of the nest and falls into the cage of an old blind dog. They become friends as they share the bowl of milk the dog gets every day. One day, the dog is taken out of the barn to get some sunshine and fresh air, and the cat goes with him in his cage. He wanders around this big wide world, gets lost, has adventures, and finally finds a home. It's an ok story, but the animal welfare person in me cringes at how the dogs are kept in cages, even the old blind dog who belongs to the owner of the kennel and supposedly loves him. Why would he leave his old dog cooped up in a cage all the time and never notice the kitten living with him?
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
by Beverly Cleary
Ralph is a young mouse living in the decrepit Mountain View Inn with his family but craving a life of adventure. When he sees a new guest -- a middle-size boy -- with shiny toy cars and motorcycles, he can't resist the temptation to try them out. He ends up meeting the boy, making friends, and having adventures with the motorcycle.
Abandoned
After Anatevka
by Alexandra Silber
After we watched Fiddler on the Roof, I tried to read this book, which follows the life of Hodel in Siberia with her intended, Perchick. I couldn't get into it. Too dark. After a few chapters, I abandoned it.
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