Thursday, April 22, 2010

Giddy Over Geography

I went to a semi-annual week-long booksale this week (twice so far). The first night, it was open only to book sellers and those willing to pay double the price the books would be the next day. I like to go despite the higher prices, to ensure getting a prize or two. The best book of the night was this:

A Child's Geography of the World by V. M. Hillyer



My copy is from 1929 and is a beautiful, tightly bound, treasure, found for just a couple of bucks! I can't wait to look it over. I have Richard Halliburton's Orient and Occident, in separate volumes, too, and will be excited to see how this compares. These three are the suggested geography books for AO5. My eldest used the Halliburton books and liked them very much.

Last year I read "Home Geography for the Primary Grades" with several of my younger kids. It is a great, free resource. They learned lots from it and looked forward to our time together.

This year we have been studying geography together using Ann Voskamp's "A Child's Geography: Explore the Holy Land". My Lambies have learned a lot about Israel and the nations that surround it. We are on track to finish the book this year. I have to say, though, that it is not a favorite among anyone. When I mentioned the other volume and possibly using it next year, there was no enthusiasm. I thought it would be better received when I first got it. Overall, I would say that it is an effective, if not engaging, book that gets three of five stars from us.

I am going to browse over the Hillyer book and see if it will work for a group study. I haven't decided if we will go our separate ways for geography next year or study it together again. Perhaps we'll read the Halliburton books, the Hillyer book, or something all together different? I just don't know. There are so many choices!

2 comments:

  1. When you go to these sales, are the kids with you? And, if so, how do you handle the search while keeping your kids occupied?

    The Original Michaelangelo Kelly

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  2. Since my children are older now, they don't HAVE to come, but several enjoy them and ask to come along at times. When they were small I did take them ALL with me. Here's the method I used:

    I spoke with them at home about how to behave, of course. We always made weekly trips to the grocery store, so they knew the Rules of Being Out. When we arrived at the monthly sale I always attended, we would head for the children's section. They went directly under the tables and sat there, all in a line. I quickly chose acceptable, if not wonderful, books and handed them down. They took turns looking at them while I shopped. They never gave me any trouble, and they did impress the Book Sale Ladies, who would reward them with a cookie as we bought our books.

    In the monthly outdoor sale I found when they were a bit older, I allowed them to play chase a good bit away from the tables, but not TOO far away, as long as they didn't get TOO wild. If they did get too loud, they had to come sit by a certain tree that was close to the tables. Sometimes Daddy would come to that one and play with them. That was a big help since I could have ALL my attention on the books!

    I hope that helps you, Mr. di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni. Thanks for asking!

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