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.   

Out of Retirement for Classic Units

I have mostly retired this blog, as perhaps, you may have noticed.  Some things have to fall out of the way when life gets busy.  I saw a link this morning on my Facebook wall, though, that called out to be blogged!  You know that I love classic children's books. I also love unit studies. They aren't exactly "Charlotte Mason", but I am not a strict sort of person. I am eclectic and love to pick and choose what works for us at the time!

Homeschool Share has put together a great list of links to unit studies based on classic books.  You'll find some familiar favorites, like Ferdinand and Corduroy, but some less common ones, too, like Harry the Dirty Dog, Maybelle the Cable Car and even Billy and Blaze!  This page will give you all the help you need to make a memorable summer program of reading for your preschooler or kindergartener!

Go take a look and choose one. Most of these books will be available at your local library, if you don't have them already. Each one is well worth investing in and keeping for your home library.  

http://www.homeschoolshare.com/blog/2014/04/free-unit-studies-based-on-classic-picture-books/

Back-to-School Interviews

I have posted how I plan our school year before, and even once before that, but have never posted about our Back-to-School interview.  Today I will remedy that.

For the last few years, I have created a Back-to-School interview for my children.  I print it off and give each child a copy to complete.  Children who can not yet read or write get to do it orally with me.  I ask things like, "Which book you enjoy most last year?", "What would you most want to learn about this year?", "What did you least enjoy last year?" and "What do you need to practice more this year?".  There are usually 8-10 different questions of this sort.

After giving them a day to complete it, I call them to me one by one, privately, and discuss their interviews.  I find out what they didn't like about a particular book or subject; what their specific, personal interest is for the term or the year; and specifically what they think they need to work on more.  We pull books from the shelves according to their interests and later I begin working on their term work forms. I really enjoy our time talking together and getting some insight into their feelings about school.

I often craft a course specifically for a child's interest or need discussed in the interview.  For example, last year for my 10th grader, I made a Health and Nutrition course.  I chose three books for her to read and wrote down the specific requirements for her to earn her credit.  I will write out the specifics in a future post.  I made two copies of that page, one for me and one for her.  She was required to complete all the points before the end of the school year.  It helped teach her responsibility of time management and how to budget her work load throughout the Term.

For another example, one of my daughters loves to cook.  She has mastered making most of our normal meals and wants more challenge.  Therefore, this school year, she'll be doing a "World Cuisines" course. I haven't planned the entire study yet, but consists of an overview about a culture (Japanese, for example), a history of their geography and natural food sources (which greatly affect their traditional foods),  their 'stereotypical' dishes and if they are realistic or not, specific vocabulary relating to their cuisine (wok, chopsticks, etc) and choosing a few of their dishes to prepare and serve.

Our back-to-school interview makes this kind of planning easier because I can really get to know what they would like to learn about in depth.  It makes school so much more worthwhile than simply doing Math, Science and History blah-blah-blah.  To have a real personal interest to explore makes a world of difference!

Spelling Games

Spelling doesn't have to be a chore.  I don't even focus on it with my Lambies unless they don't develop good spelling naturally by fourth grade or so.  I have seen Charlotte Mason's Dictation method of spelling work well with some of my children.  With others, it didn't.  I have the first Spelling Wisdom book and have used it for spelling and copy work.  I do like it, but it didn't really work for all of my learners as a spelling tool.   

Sequential Spelling was highly recommended and we tried it....really, we did!  It took quite a while to get through a written test every day.  Too much time for me.  Also, my worst speller wasn't improving, despite the repetition of patterns.  I am totally willing to use it again, but it wasn't right for the learning style of the children currently working on spelling.


Currently, for my learners that need basic spelling work, I use Fry Words.  I made a Weekly To-Do List to keep them on track and give them the new word list on Mondays.  I look over their spelling work on Friday and give them a test. Here are their weekly tasks: Monday: write each word 10 times. Tuesday: Use each word in a sentence. Wednesday: Build each word using letter tiles. Thursday: Complete a (mother prepared) puzzle. Friday: show all work to Mom and take the oral spelling test.  Any words that are missed on Friday are rewritten 10 times and retested.


I've seen my struggling speller begin to improve in daily writing.  I love progress!
I make a lot of puzzles for my Lambies.  It's an easy way to make learning fun.  Some of my favorite puzzles can be custom made at Discovery Puzzlemaker.  I recently found a word search generator that I like even better.  I've been making a word search of the week's spelling words using it. I also use these generators for occasional science and history work.


Boggle, Boggle Jr. for Littles, Scrabble and Word Bingo are fun games for spelling.  You won't be able to use a word list, of course, but it develops different skills than looking for known words. 


How do you work spelling into your day? Please share in the comments!

State History and Geography Overviews

This year (and likely next) we will be studying each state's history in overview fashion, its geographical features and learning things like its capital, famous residents, quirky stories, etc. We'll read story books that are representative of each, as well. I think it will be a fun study! Since we live in California, we're bucking tradition and beginning our study on this coast, working north (and west), then east. It's more important to me that my children are familiar with the states they may visit sooner than later.

I plan to blog the sites and resources that I use for each state. If you have a great state/regional story that we should not miss when we get to your state, please share it! I can use all the great story ideas I can get!

Planning 2011-2012

It's planning time again! I'll share some of the resources I am planning to use this year, along with links to some of the printables I am using.

I write out our term's week-by-week work using this form created by Linda Faye. I've used it for years and am so thankful that she made it available for all to use. Linda Faye is the creator of a great site called Charlotte Mason Help. It's a wonderful resource that should be bookmarked.

This year I printed off these cute little reading logs for the four youngest Lambies. When the book is filled, I plan to either take them out for something or get them a special treat. What that treat is, I have not decided.

My favorite attendance sheet is from Donna Young. I find her site helpful, but sometimes it's hard to find a particular page you saw that you liked. I usually make a master copy to keep on hand in case a favorite form goes missing. :)

EmBlem will continue with Apologia Science. She loves it. She'll be in Chemistry this year! GirlofGod has chosen to study astronomy in depth. She's using Jeanne Fulbright's book as a spine and other books to supplement. The rest of the children will be studying Human Anatomy, using Exploring Creation with Anatomy. Nature study will continue as it always does.

We're using Mystery of History Vol. 1 all together this year. I am not sure how it will work out, but I am looking forward to teaching history all together rather than to each child individually as I had been when using AO more closely. We'll be using our Book of Centuries as the timeline. I will likely use "A Picturesque Tale of Progress" as appropriate. I love this series!

Of course we will identify the area we are studying in MOH on the map, but the bulk of our geography will be US this year. I will use a few different resources. This free site has almost everything I'll need! I also have "Yo, Sacramento". It helps the kids remember states and capitals in a unique way.

For Bible, I am considering studying character traits this year, along with our through the Bible readings. This chart will be useful. I really like this printable record for personal Bible time. I also want to listen to J. Vernon McGee on a regular basis. The Way of the Master is very useful for learning how to share your faith.

We'll continue to do grammar, composition, spelling and such in various books depending on each child's abilities. My oldest will be doing Larry Burkett's Money Matters for Teens. I'd love to get Dave Ramsey's homeschool program to use in the future.

Some of the kids will be doing workbooks from Evan-Moor: "The Daily ______" series. They are quick and easy activities that pack a lot of punch for the time spent. I have a couple of kids who prefer this kind of independent work and I am glad to have found Renee's recommendation.

2011-2012 Curriculum Needs

Here's my list of things I need this spring, in preparation for fall. This is for my own planning, more than anything else. If I don't write things down, I forget! I'll likely add to this list as I plan, but this is the bulk of next year's needs.

MUS:

SB Delta
SB Epsilon
SB Zeta


Mystery of History Vol. 1, 2nd Edition

Mystery of History Vol. 1, 2nd Edition, Printable Resources CD

Experiment kit for Astronomy

Experiment kit for Anatomy

Notebooking Journal for Anatomy

Experiment kit for Chemistry

Handwriting Without Tears Printing Book (2)

Daily Math

Daily Science

Daily Language Review

How the Heather Looks

My "Year 0.5" Plan

So what do you do if you've finished all the AO Y0 books and your child isn't ready for Year 1? Here's what I did. I also like to do occasional mini-units.

My "Year 0.5" Plan

Bible

Daily Bible reading and memorization with the family

Small Rain selections chosen by Jessie Orton Jones illustrated by Elizabeth Orton Jones

Wise Words for Little People by Kenneth N. Taylor

Big Thoughts for Little People by Kenneth N. Taylor


History

The Bear The Heard Crying by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock and Helen Kinsey illustrated by Ted Rand

Will’s Quill by Don Freeman

Various historical I Can Read books: ie: George the Drummer Boy, Clipper Ship, Six Silver Spoons, The 18 Penny Goose, The Drinking Gourd, Hill of Fire, The Josefina Story Quilt, Sam the Minuteman, etc.

Various historical Step Into Reading books: ie: George Washington and the General's Dog, The Statue of Liberty, Pompeii: Buried Alive, Tut's Mummy: Lost and Found, Abe Lincoln's Hat, Gold Fever, etc.


Science

Charlie Needs a Cloak by Tomie dePaola

The Year At Maple Hill Farm by Alice and Martin Provensen

The Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward

Various science related I Can Read books: ie: Greg's Microscope, Red Tag Comes Home, Egg to Chick, Let's Get Turtles, When an Animal Grows, Seeds and More Seeds, Plenty of Fish, etc.

Various science related Step Into Reading books: ie: Bones, Moonwalk, Benjamin Franklin and the Magic Squares, Monster Bugs, Dinosaur Babies, Microscopic Monsters, etc.


Math/Counting

1 is One by Tasha Tudor

Ray's Mathematics (free online book)

The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins

Anno's Counting Book by Mitsumasa Anno

Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni

The King's Chessboard by David Birch

How Much is a Million by David Schwartz

G is for Googol: A Math Alphabet Book by David Schwartz



Folk Tales

The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde illustrated by Hilda Boswell (preferred) or by Lisbeth Zwerger

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves by Wanda Ga’g

The Man Who Didn’t Wash Dishes by Phyllis Krasilovsky illustrated by Barbara Cooney

Assorted folk tales retold and illustrated by Paul Galdone

Pecos Bill, Johnny Appleseed and others by Steven Kellogg


Natural Sciences

Over in the Meadow by John Langstaff illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky

Little Black Bear Goes For A Walk by Berniece Freschet illustrated by Glen Rounds

Assorted books by Gladys Conklin and Herbert Zim



Rhyming/Poetry

My First Books of Prayers

Hairy McClary from Donaldson’s Dairy by Lynley Dodd

Mother Goose Rhymes published by Platt and Munk


ABC Books

Peter Rabbit’s ABC by Beatrix Potter

The ABC Bunny by Wanda Ga’g

Apricot ABC by Miska Miles


Imagination

The Happy Day by Ruth Krauss illustrated by Marc Simont

Play With Me by Marie Hall Ets

In The Forest by Marie Hall Ets

Corgiville Fair by Tasha Tudor

Tim’s Friend, Towser and others by Edward Ardizzone

Planning 2010-2011

I'm beginning the planning our 2010-2011 school year. I will share the forms that I like to use. Perhaps you will find something that will help you in your planning. Check often as I will be adding links as I use them through my planning process and not all at once.

My Preferred Attendance Chart I love the simplicity of a one-page-for-the-year chart.

Grade Record Sheet for One Child for One Year Love the simplicity of this form. I use it for my Grade 7 and up Lambies only. Younger children get 100% or they correct their work and then get a :) .

My Daily Checklist I type the name of each book and the week number across the top. Then the children check off their work as they complete it. You can read how the creator of the form, LindaFaye, uses the daily checklist here.

Book of Centuries Each child has their own Book of Centuries to personalize as they read and learn. They can add anything they choose, whether it's a school related fact or not.

A Bible Reading Chart I have several printable versions. Click the number for 1, 2, 3, 4 more choices.

House of Education Books Year 7, 8 and 9

I am compiling these lists for my own sanity. I need a clear list of books I still need to find for HOE, so I can cross them off one by one as I find them. Anyone who has an extra copy on PaperbackSwap or Ebay is welcome to contact me or leave a comment! ;)

Year 7

Saints and Heroes, Vol 1
History of Deeds Done Beyond the Sea by William Tyre
The Life of King Alfred by Asser
Ourselves by Charlotte Mason (and the other volumes, if they are cheap)
The Life of the Spider by Henri Fabre (or any others by him , except Insects, I have that one)
How To Read a Book by Mortimer Adler
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made by Paul Brand
The Lost Prince by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Story of the Volsungs (Volsunga Saga), With Excerpts from the Poetic Edda, translated by William Morris or Eirikr Magnusson
The White Company by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Hereward, the Last of the English by Charles Kingsley
Feats on the Fiord by Harriet Martineau
The Life and Death of Cormac the Skald
Penrod and Sam by Booth Tarkington
Alhambra by Washington Irving

Year 8

Saints and Heroes Vol. 2 by George Hodges
The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy Sayers
The Life of Sir Francis Bacon by William Rawley
The Voyage of the Armada The Spanish Story by David Howarth
A History of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford
Johannes Kepler: Giant of Faith and Science by John Hudson Tiner
The Life of Dr. Donne by Izaak Walton
Whatever Happened to Justice by Richard Maybury
Simonds American Literature
Everyman, a Morality Play
The Diary of Samuel Pepys
Rural Hours by Susan Fenimore Cooper
William Harvey and the Discovery of the Circulation of the Blood by Thomas Henry Huxley
Kenilworth by Sir Walter Scott
Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
The Innocence of Father Brown by G. K. Chesterton
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
The House of Arden by E. Nesbit
Harding's Luck by E. Nesbit
Lorna Doone by R. D. Blackmore
The Wonderful O and/or The Thurber Carnival by James Thurber
To Have and to Hold by Mary Johnston
All for Love or Discourses on Satire and Epic Poetry by John Dryden
The Compleat Angler by Izaak Walton (might be more appreciated for older folks who enjoy short contemplative readings, rather than Year 8 students)
The Memoirs of Gluckel of Hameln, available through The Common Reader catalog
Pioneers of the Old South: A Chronicle of English Colonial Beginnings by Mary Johnston
The History of King Charles II of England by Jacob Abbott

Year 9

*I haven't even begun to look at Year 9 and above. Many of these are options and you use only one. I don't mind having all of them to choose from, so I will list them all. If you are a HEO'er more familiar with these selections, please let me know of any pros or cons of any particular one!

Christian Life by Sinclair Ferguson
The God Who is There by Francis Schaeffer
The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
The Christian's Secret to a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith
Oxford Book of American History by Samuel Eliot Morison
A History of the American People by Paul Johnson
Letters to His Son by Lord Chesterfield
Miracle at Philadelphia by Catherine Drinker Bowen
The Invasion of Canada by Pierre Berton
Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph J. Ellis
Founding Father -- Rediscovering George Washington by Richard Brookhiser
George Washington: A Biography by Washington Irving
Washington: The Indispensible Man by James Thomas Flexner
The Life of George Washington by David Ramsay
Marie Antoinette and Her Son by Louise Muhlback
Napoleon Bonaparte by John S. C. Abbott
The Story of Napoleon by H.E. Marshall
The Life of Horatio Lord Nelson by Robert Southey
Life of Johnson by James Boswell
London to Land's End by Daniel Defoe
A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland by Samuel Johnson
The Royal Road to Romance by Richard Halliburton
Are You Liberal, Conservative, Confused? by Richard Maybury
The English Constitution by Walter Bagehot
Reflections on the Revolution in France by Edmund Burke
Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay
A Letter to a Noble Lord by Edmund Burke, 1796
An Essay on Man by Alexander Pope
War of the Worldviews by Gary DeMar
Postmodern Times by Gene Edward Veith
Isaac Bickerstaff and Days with Sir Roger DeCoverly by Richard Steele
Tale of a Tub and Battle of the Books by Jonathan Swift
History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia by Samuel Johnson
She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith
The School for Scandal by Richard Sheridan
Faust, Book I by Johann Wolfgang Goethe
The History of Henry Esmond, Esq., A Colonel in the Service of Her Majesty Queen Anne by William Makepeace Thackeray
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy
The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
Man Alive and/or The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton.
The Little Nugget, Uneasy Money or others by P. G. Wodehouse
Sir Gibbie by George MacDonald
Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K. Jerome
Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini, French Revolution #2 in series
William Carey's "An Inquiry Into the Obligations of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens" by William Carey
Horatio Hornblower books by C. S. Forester
Sir Walter Scott:
The Bride of Lammermoor - East Lothian, 1695
The Pirate - Shetland and Orkney Islands, 1700
The Black Dwarf - The Lowlands of Scotland, 1706 (Jacobites)
Heart of Midlothian - Time of George II. (Porteous Riots)
Waverley - The Jacobites
Redgauntlet - Time of George III.
Guy Mannering - Time of George III
The Surgeon's Daughter - Fifeshire, Isle of Wight, and India (1780)
The Antiquary - Scotch Manners, last decade of the 18th Century
St. Ronan's Well - Near Firth of Forth, 1812

2010-2011 Needs and Wants List

I am pretty well set for fall. I have only a few needs. I do have some wants that I will be watching for at booksales or buying over the summer. Some of the wants will be needs in years to come.

MUS Student books:

Primer (want)
Alpha (need)
Delta + TM (want)
Epsilon (want)
Zeta (want)
Pre-Algebra (need)

Exploring Creation With:

Astronomy (want)
Anatomy (want a lot)
Land Animals of the Sixth Day (want)

ALL the Uncle Eric books (want)

various David Barton books (want)

Spelling Wisdom Book Two (want)

The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges (need)

The Fallacy Detective by the Bluedorns (need)

Flag Day Mini-Unit

Today is Flag Day. I don't know how long we are going to be able to fly our flags, with the way our nation is headed. I want to instill in my Lambies a love of their country and all that our flag represents. Here's links to the things we are doing today.

D'Aulaire's Star Spangled Banner

Mr. Key's Song

Betsy Ross

The Star Spangled Banner by Paul Galdone

Tea Party Marine Sings

Red Skelton's Pledge of Allegiance

Various celebrity performances of The National Anthem

Historical Flags

Puzzles

Activities

Printables

Coloring Pages

Games

Truth and Grace Memory Book

I received my most recent Amazon order today. Using the search engine Swagbucks, I earned $25 in gift cards that I used to purchase "Truth and Grace Memory Book" (#1, #2 and #3!), edited by Thomas K. Ascol. I also bought a few other books that I might share about another time.

The Truth and Grace books are going to be my scheduling spine for Bible study next year. We'll continue reading together through the Bible, book by book, chapter by chapter, as we always do, but we will add in the suggested verses, hymns and catechism work for our memory work. I have looked them over and am excited about them.

Book One contains verses and catechism for age 2 to grade 4, Book Two, grades 5-8, and Book Three, grades 9-12. There's a line after each verse to record when it has been memorized, but I will not be marking in the books. That is a habit that I dislike very much.

This catechism is a Baptist work. I didn't know that anyone but Catholics used a catechism before I heard Voddie Baucham teaching about it in "Family Driven Faith". I'm really looking forward to adding this type of study to our days.

Goody!

I attended out annual used curriculum sale today. I found a few prizes!

First was a pack of Learning Wrap-Ups. The set I bought contained addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and fractions. I plan to get them out a few times a week through the summer and require 30 minutes of playing with them. Perhaps they will keep the Lambies skills up during our weeks off.


I also found Senior High: A Home-Designed Form-U-La by Barbara Edtl Shelton. I have heard good things about it, and had it in my Amazon cart. The mom who sold it to me also threw in Cathy Duffy's manual. I have some light reading to do this summer.


Another get-to-take-it-out-of-the-Amazon-cart find was "Do Hard Things" by Brett and Alex Harris. Well worth the $3 I spent.


I found a copy of Harvey's Elementary Grammar and Composition. I may or may not end up using it, but it complements my Mott Media McGuffey's series nicely.


Rounding out my purchases was Answers in Genesis's God's Design for Chemistry: Properties of Matter and Properties of Atoms and Molecules. These are another "I might use it, I might not" purchase, but at $5, you have to get it, right?

I really enjoy our annual sale. What's your best find so far this spring?

Jr. High Science

I've been on the search for a jr. high science program that will work for my going-into-8th grade daughter. It's an ongoing research project.

Things I have considered:

Apologia Physical Science: too hard, but she will probably be ready in 9th grade

The Rainbow: still a possibility, but expensive, therefore, low on the list

Beefed-up Elementary Apologia: daughter doesn't want to do something easier than General Science, but this is my favorite option *ETA: My daughter didn't know there was an Astronomy book. She is excited now to do this possibility. YEAH! THE SEARCH FOR SCIENCE IS OVER!

Christian Light Publishing LightUnits: still a good possibility, but not very CM-ish I've heard, affordable

Light of Faith: still reviewing

A.C.E. Paces: still reviewing, affordable, again, not CM

Spectrum Science: cheap possibility, will preview some this weekend

Living Books Curriculum: just beginning to look....

Reading biographies, experiment books and other living science books we have on hand, keeping a notebook (as with Apologia), writing essays and performing experiments as desired.

Anyone have more suggestions to look in to? Thoughts or opinions on any of the choices I have listed? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

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!

If I Had the Money....

"If you had $500, $1000, $2000 that you could use ONLY for curriculum, what would you purchase?"

That was a recent question posed by an anonymous reader. Thanks for asking! I have been pondering and have come up with these wants:

1. The entire MUS curriculum. I have most of the teachers manuals for Zeta down, and some student books, but I would just get the rest of the TM's, DVD's and student books for all levels and not have to worry about it every year. I'd save on shipping by getting it all at once, too. I'm not using student books as consumables any more, so one of each that I don't have would be plenty.

2. The Uncle Eric books. These are used in AO/HEO beginning in Year Seven. I have only found the Rome book used, so they are on my to-buy-soon list. I'd like the deluxe package since the related books are so highly recommended.

I think these two would total nearly $500.

3. I would round out the rest of the AO/House of Education books that I haven't found used. There are a lot of them! I'd bet that would finish off $1000.

Another $1000 would be FUN for me to spend. I really don't spend a lot since I frequent so many used book sales. I would, off the top of my head, make sure to obtain these books (some of which I do own already):

The Book House by Olive Beaupre Miller (I only have found four volumes so far)
The Picturesque Tale of Progress by Olive Beaupre Miller (I have a full set already, but couldn't bear not to mention them!)
The Book of Knowledge (we have two pre-1940 sets and they are well worth the shelf space!)
G.A. Henty's excellent historical fiction. I have but two of these great books so far. They are hard to find used. Vision Forum has a half off sale once a year, so I would wait until then to order the set.
The Sir Cumference Series and others by Cindy Neuschwander. Living math books...what could be better?
The Life of Fred as a supplement to MUS. I like what I have heard about it.
The Little Britches Series by Ralph Moody. I have but one of this series, and it's a tattered garage sale copy I am afraid to actually use.
The Art For Children Series by Ernest Raboff. I have a few, but would like the rest.
The D'Aulaire's books. I have all but a few, but oh, those few! I want them!
Homeschool in the Woods Timeline Figures CD. My friend has it. It makes your Book of Centuries look very nice.
Lamplighter books. I have heard good things about them, though I have only read one. It's "Amy and Her Brothers". I found it when I was 13 at a junk shop. It's a copy from 1860.

I'm sure there are plenty of others I would want. I'll amend the list as I think of them.

Among the People

I have been enjoying these stories online with my 8 year old twins. They are short, informative, entertaining little nature stories, filled with rich vocabulary and funny little incidents. They are the highlight of the school week for my son. He and his sister draw a picture of the story after I read it to show their understanding and assist them when they narrate the story later, to Dad or to an older sibling.

I bought the real book from Amazon using some of my latest free Swagbucks gift certificates. Sitting back, cuddling on the couch and reading a real book with real pages is so much better, in my opinion.

Wanda Ga'g

Today I'd like to introduce you to Wanda Ga'g. She's a lesser known author and illustrator, but I hope you will come to know her!



My first Wanda Ga'g book was The ABC Bunny. It's a recommendation in the BFIAR curriculum. It's a very sweet little story, very folksy, and a good way to reinforce the alphabet. Wanda wrote the story and her sister set it to a little tune. Her brother did the hand-lettering of the book.

Here's a link to a good biography of Wanda. She had an interesting life, with lots of challenges, and even all-out difficulties.

Here is a list of her books:

• The ABC Bunny, 1933.
• The Day of Doom by Michael Wigglesworth; illustrated by Wanda Gág, 1929.
• The Funny Thing, 1929.
• Gone is Gone; or, the Story of a Man Who Wanted to Do Housework, 1935.
• Growing Pains: Diaries and Drawings for the Years 1908-1917
• Millions of Cats, 1928.
• More Tales from Grimm, 1947.
• Nothing At All, 1941.
• Snippy and Snappy, 1931.
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Translator), 1938.
• Tales from Grimm, 1936.
• Three Gay Tales from Grimm, 1943.
• Wanda Gag’s Storybook (includes Millions of Cats, The Funny Thing, and Snippy and Snappy), 1932.

We have all but Growing Pains and The Day of Doom. You can also get several of Wanda's Grimm stories illustrated by Margot Tomes.

Jim Arnosky Coloring Pages

Here's a link to the coloring pages at Jim Arnosky's website. Mr. Arnosky has made it to the Crew's list of favorite illustrators. One of the Lambies likes to get his books out and draw the animals from the pages. What good practice!

We have borrowed some of the Crinkleroot books from the library. I'd like to find some used. They were well received.