Amazon Promo Code!

Amazon is gifting us $10 off any new book purchase of $25 and over until Nov. 28th!  Just type in "HOLIDAYBOOK" when you are checking out. What an opportunity!  I would highly recommend getting the harder-to-find-used or more expensive AO books, for example Our Island Story, A Child's History of the World, any of the excellent and irreplaceable D'Aulaire books, or anything by the excellent Rosemary Sutcliff.  Really, there are SO many choices.....what a wonderful opportunity to expand your library with a huge discount! 

Happy Giving Thanks Day!

“The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”

Numbers 6:24-26

Beowulf Primer

I love the story of Beowulf!  Did you know there is only one copy of it from ancient times? It is unknown when the Nowell Codex was written, but it is approximately 1,000 years old.  The tale itself was probably sung centuries before. 

I want to pass on my admiration for this, the earliest known poem in the English language, to my children. Therefore, we have many copies of Beowulf, so they can enjoy it no matter at what level they are reading.

Left to right, top to bottom:

Beowulf by Seamus Heaney

Beowulf the Warrior by Ian Serrailier

Stories of Beowulf Told To The Children by H.E. Marshall

Beowulf: A Verse Translation

and 

By His Own Might: The Battles of Beowulf by Dorothy Hosford 

I also own Beowulf: A Hero's Tale Retold by James Rumford, but I couldn't find it for the picture. It must be on one of the Lambies shelves. 

So, this is my Beowulf collection. Each is a favorite in it's own way.  Rumford's is rich in illustration and the story is simple enough for preschool and kindergarteners to follow along. Serrailier and Hosford's are the ones I read aloud to my elementary Lambies for school.  H. E. Marshall's is just perfect for older elementary students to read independently. Seamus Heaney's work is outstanding and is the one I recommend my jr. and high schoolers read.  I love that it has the Old English on the left side page and the excellent translation on the right.  The Penguin Classic I keep on the shelf for the map and reference pages rather than for the translation.    

As you can tell, this poem means a lot to us. I highly recommend everyone read it themselves and make sure their children are familiar with it, too.  

What's your favorite version of this masterwork? 

But Those Colors!

I am a sucker for vintage books!  Recent local book sales have netted me two fantastic books. One is an old reader called "I Know A Story".  Aren't the colors stunning? SO vibrant! 

How fun to learn to read using a book that others have used for decades! 

The next one is a 1913 copy of Grimm's Fairy tales, illustrated by Hope Dunlap. It's a companion to this book, which I hope to buy soon.  

Look at THOSE colors!  And the detail!  You just can't get books like this anymore!  Teaching your children to respect books enough that they can enjoy vintage copies like these is habit worth cultivating.  Care should be taken, of course, so as not to damage them in the reading, but the feel of vintage is so special, each child should enjoy it throughout their childhood.

My mother had a special set of books that she rescued from a house that was being renovated.  It was published in the early 1920's. I spent HOURS looking over the poems, fairy tales, literature selections, antique science articles, and craft ideas.  I think my love of vintage books was born in those pages.  I'm so glad my mom saved those books.  They grace my living room bookshelf now!  

Get to a book sale or book store.  Buy an inexpensive vintage children's book.  Give it to your child and read it together.  You won't regret it.  

Resource: Audible

Have you discovered Audible yet? We have been members for over eight years and have an extensive library! I am always in the middle of an audiobook. I listen when I walk in the mornings, sometimes when I cook, and when I drive somewhere without the Lambies.   One of my favorites series has been the Riyria Chronicles by Michael J. Sullivan.  It's not for little kids, but is good reading for teens and up who love fantasy, sharp wit and adventure.

Audiobooks have been very useful in my schooling, especially with a certain child who was not learning to read easily.  I had him listen to stories while reading along with the printed book, and that seemed to help him a lot.

Many, if not most, Ambleside books are available at Audible, including H. E. Marshall books, including Our Island Story, James Herriot's Treasury for Children, Churchill's History of the English Speaking People, Homer's works, and an amazing assortment of classics of all kinds. It's really a great resource! 

You can listen to the narration before buying a book and the narrators are all professional!  I have tried Librivox, and just couldn't find readers that I could listen to and enjoy.  

If you are intrigued by the idea, you can try Audible for free, and get TWO books completely free! Just click the link below (which is an affiliate link) and sign up! I don't think you will regret it.

Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks

You can get a 30 day free trial, get any two audiobooks you want from their extensive library. They are yours, even if you cancel your membership. Win-win!  

After 30 days, with the Gold membership, you get one book each month for $14.95.  Personally, we are Platinum members and get two books every month, along with other benefits.  You get 30% off any additional audiobook purchases and you can cancel any time. Again, all the books you have bought, you keep, even if you cancel. I love that my purchases are MINE!
   

All Through The Ages

Can I share one of my favorite resources with you? It's Christine Miller's outstanding work: 
"All Through the Ages".  

What a work it is!  All the living book titles you could ever want, organized in several different ways: all of them by grade level (1-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12), and in chronological order and geographical history.  The histories of Science, Mathematics, Visual Arts, Music, Western Civilization and the Christian Tradition are also included.  

Planning units or read alongs is SO easy with this resource!  I wish I had found it earlier in my homeschooling career.  Please do yourself a favor and buy this book. It's one resource I think *every* homeschooling family should have on their shelves.