Homeschool Reading Corner - Discover the World of North American Indians (Adventures in Art) by Silver Dolphin

The history of Eskimos and plains and woodland Indians are introduced in this interactive pop-up book. Their customs and way of life are explored, and the package includes the materials to create and decorate an Indian pot and totem pole.

I picked up this book on a trip to Good Will. Not sure why someone got rid of it but I'm glad they did. I love the pop ups. My oldest LOVES learning about Native American culture and history and so even though she's not being home schooled she was very excited when I showed her Discover the World of North American Indians.

Now, I love pop up books as a whole. The beautiful ornate ones like the Chronicles of Narnia pop up book. Absolutely gorgeous. Discover the World of North American Indians is not as elaborate and as ornate as the other, but it's still fantastic.

You get a look into igloo shelters made by the Eskimos, totem poles made by the Tlingit, the tipis of the Plains Indians, the Navajos' hogans (I love the Navajo culture, last year Alanna and I even started to learn how to speak some Navajo), and finally the land of the Seminoles. All of it is wonderful and it's fun to look at it in 3D. The book also includes clay and instructions for making a pot, supplies to make a paper Kachina doll (Kachina were masked spirits of the Hopi tribe), a totem pole, and stamps. It's really phenomenal and I love how it gets the girls actually involved in the learning.

I'd definitely recommend this to anyone studying Native Americans or just looking for something interesting to learn/teach their kids.

Homeschool Reading Corner - Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes

Johnny Tremain, a young apprentice silversmith, is caught up in the danger and excitement of 1775 Boston, just before the Revolutionary War. But even more gripping than living through the drama of Revolutionary Boston is the important discovery Johnny makes in his own life.

I am not homeschooling my oldest this year like I did last year, so I haven't had much opportunity to check out books that would go well with the schooling she IS doing, but when I found this book among the things brought down from the attic in my garage I thought it was fantastic. Alanna has just started a unit on the Revolutionary War and Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes was found right on time.

This story has been one that I've known since before I was Alanna's age (she's 10). I even brought the movie in for my junior US History class to watch when I was in high school. The book is just a great way to take a look at that time period in history in a more exciting way. Textbooks give you the information but stories like Johnny Tremain give it life. Puts you right in the middle of all of the action, ya know?

At some point either today or tomorrow I'm planning on watching the movie with my girls too. It was a favorite of mine way back when. Hopefully they'll enjoy it just as much.

Homeschool Reading Corner: The Babysitters Club - Kristy's Great Idea by Ann M. Martin

To my great surprise, my oldest voluntarily, COMPLETELY on her own, picked up book one in The Babysitters Club series. She got Kristy's Great Idea for Christmas and during her reading time for school decided to give it a try. I was excited. I LOVED the series.

Kristy thinks the Baby-sitters Club is a great idea. She and her friends Claudia, Stacey and Mary Anne all love taking care of kids. A club will give them the chance to have lots of fun-and make tons of money.

But nobody counted on crank calls, uncontrollable two-year-olds, wild pets, and parents who don't always tell the truth. And then there's Stacey, who's acting more and more mysterious. Having a baby-sitters club isn't easy, but Kristy and her friends aren't giving up until they get it right

I'm hoping she'll like these stories. Because they're stories she can kind of grow up with. They're not too old that she can't understand them, and they're about girls that are close to her age so maybe she'll be able to relate to them a bit more than some of the other books she's tried to read. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Homeschool Reading Corner: Diary of a Wimpy Kid - The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney

I think I spoke too soon when I got excited about my oldest reading. She got Diary of a Wimpy Kid - The Ugly Truth for Christmas. We went to Missouri and this came along for her to read. To her credit, she is about 70 pages in to it. But she wasn't as excited about this one as the last one.

One day on my vacation, sitting in the living room of my aunt and uncle's house in Missouri while simultaneously watching Wild Hogs, I read this one.

To be honest, I didn't like it. Maybe it's the old fogey in me coming out, I don't know. But I thought Gregory was ungrateful, rude, and a horrible friend. He complains that he no longer has his best friend Rowley, and goes on to list all the reasons Rowley and he are just not compatible anymore. Apparently poor Rowley just doesn't benefit Gregory anymore. He's not of as much use to him.

I don't want my kids to think that things like that are ok. I don't want them to be friends with people simply because of the benefits of being aquainted with them. I want them to be friends with people because they want to. And I tell you, if my kids acted the way Gregory did in this book they would have been in a whole lot of trouble.

Maybe it's just because I don't put up with things like that. I know it's a middle grade book written about a middle schooler, so I can't exactly get too upset about it. But reading it made me worried about my oldest picking up negative things from the book. Namely behavior and attitude.

Honestly, I wouldn't be worried if she didn't finish this one.

I just wish I could find some other way for her to want to read. I am back to being stumped.

Homeschool Reading Corner: Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney

I personally have not read this story. But I did listen to my oldest read it for an hour. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that a trip to the grocery store would result in finding a book my 8 year old would actually WANT to read. There I was, browsing in the book aisle, minding my own business. I turn around and see her sitting on the bottom shelf reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney.

I couldn't tell her no when she asked me if she could have it. She never asks for books she actually READS. You all just have no idea. And then, to add icing to the cake, just a day or two later we did PAWS for Reading at the library (a program where service dogs are brought in to the library and kids get to sign up for a slot to read to them). She brought this book and was able to read to Mosby (beautiful Australian Shepherd) for an hour. Usually, slots are only 15 minutes, but someone cancelled in every slot, and no one else wanted to read with the dog she was sitting with so... voila!

Listening to her read was great. And the parts that I did hear were funny. The illustrations were hilarious too. I think this particular book was easier for her to read because the writing is broken up so much by the pictures. It did a great job keeping her interested. And I was so excited.

I've definitely got to sign her up to do this again! It was wonderful! And I absolutely loved Mosby.

Homeschool Reading Corner: The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski

As full of wonder as Christmas itself, this is a story that will not long be forgotten, one that will be read and treasured for many Christmases to come. A woodcarver's broken and bitter heart warms to the spirit of the season, when he is approached by a widow who asks him to carve a new creche in time for Christmas--and allow her young son to watch. Full color.

This was such a sweet story. One that I'd looked at so many times in my trips to the library, but didn't pick up until just recently.

All this month we've been doing studies on Christmas. From the commercial aspect to the religious aspect. From books like The Nutcracker Ballet by Vladimir Vagin to Spirit Child: A Story of the Nativity which was translated from the Aztec by John Bierhorst.

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey was a wonderful story. It was heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time. We watched as Jonathan went from grumbling and groaning when the widow knocked on his door with her son in tow to him jumping at the sound of the knock and being excited to see them both. We watched his heard heart melt and begin to heal the more time he spends with the two of them and we find that he's not necessarily "Mr. Gloomy" at all. That there is real pain in his life that he just can't seem to get past. At least not in the beginning.

I loved reading this. To both of my girls. And I definitely suggest it for anyone else looking for something wonderful to read to your kids.

Homeschool Reading Corner: The Goat in the Rug by Charles L. Blood & Martin Link

I said in a previous HRC post about how my oldest and I were studying the Native American's and the Pilgrims around Thanksgiving time, but how we learned about them separately because of historical inaccuracies.

The Goat in the Rug by Charles L. Blood & Martin Link (illustrated by Nancy Winslow Parker) was a great book to read. It's told to us from the perspective of Geraldine, a goat. She details the process she and her friend, a Navajo weaver named Glenmae, go through to produce a special one of a kind rug.

First of all, I loved how the goat was the "author". And how she actively participated in the weaving process with Glenmae. It was good for my daughter to read because it showed her the value of different kinds of friendships, and how even the most unlikely "person" can play a big part in creating something unique and beautiful.

After reading this book it inspired us to do some research on the Navajo tribe. We learned a few words in the Navajo language, we looked in to how they create some of their pottery and dolls. We discussed the different types of housing and what the function of the different members of the tribe were. Hundreds of years ago as wel as today.

Again, it was a fun read and the illustrations were simple and cute. Very vibrant and colorful. I also enjoyed the picture glossary in the back that showed the supplies Glenmae used and gave what their purpose was.

I also liked it because it was a true story of a Navajo weaver who lived in the Navajo Nation at Window Rock, Arizona. They were able to take a real persons events and make them relatable to children. It was a great tool for learning and I loved it.

Goodreads Blurb:

Geraldine is a goat, and Glenmae, a Navajo weaver. One day, Glenmae decides to weave Geraldine into a rug. First Geraldine is clipped. Then her wool is spun into fine, strong yarn. Finally, Glenmae weaves the wool on her loom. They reader learns, along with Geraldine, about the care and pride involved in the weaving of a Navajo rug -- and about cooperation between friends.

Homeschool Reading Corner: What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs? by John Morris and Ken Ham

Also read during our dinosaur unit study was What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs by John Morris and Ken Ham (illustrated by Jonathan Chong). It was so much fun to read and was great because the unit study was creation based.

It follows Tracker John, a paleontologist from the Institute for Creation Research, and Dino Jr, or DJ for short, on their quest to find out what happened to the dinosaurs. From their beginning straight through to their possible endings.

It explains to the reader what a dinosaur is, when the first ones were found, where they lived. The illustrations were beautiful and the book was entertaining and fun for my daughters (yes, the little one listened to this too) to read through with me.

It brings us through the flood in Noah's day as well as what might have happened to them after the waters receded. That led to a more in depth discussion on Noah's ark which led to an internet search and pictures of where some believe the ark was found in Turkey. Again, reading this book I came across things that I never learned while I was in school. It's great to learn along with Alanna. Proves that even the teacher can be the student.

Goodreads Blurb:

This exciting new adventure will take you through the Garden of Eden and Noah's Ark to discover what really happened to God's magnificent creatures The Dinosaurs!

Homeschool Reading Corner: ...If You Sailed on The Mayflower in 1620 by Ann McGovern

For Thanksgiving time, we went through studies on Native Americans and Pilgrims. I wanted to separate the two topics because I know that not all accounts and history books are historically accurate.

For what we were looking for, ... If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 by Ann McGovern (illustrated by Anna DiVito) was a great book. Each page or two asked a new question at the top and then proceeded to answer it below. It was 80 pages and we spread the reading out over a few different days as my oldest can sometimes have a problem staying interested in books for too long. This one managed to hold her attention just fine though.

She'd stop me every few sentences to ask questions, some of which were answered in the book, some we looked up on the computer. It definitely inspired her to learn and she was excited about doing it. I even learned some things that I'd never known before so I'd have to say it served its purpose. And the illustrations were too cute.

It seemed to me to be age appropriate. It presented enough information so that she did learn but in a way that she was able to retain it. I can ask her questions about what we read through even now, a week later, and she can still answer me. Something we've been working on since beginning homeschooling.

I'd have to recommend this for probably 3rd grade and above. Maybe for some 2nd grade as well. Because it is a lot of information to take in. But it's fun to read through. And who knows, you just might learn something!

Goodreads Blurb:

What kind of ship was the Mayflower? How did the Pilgrims feel when they saw land? What was the first building in Plymouth? In lively question-and-answer style, this fact-filled book answers all sorts of questions about the Pilgrims' journey on the Mayflower and their first year in America. Boys and girls will find out why the Pilgrims left England to live in America, what they took with them on board the Mayflower, and the hardships they endured. They'll learn what the Mayflower Compact was, how the Pilgrims made a peace treaty with the Indians, and how these brave settlers managed to survive in their new land.
Ms McGovern has carefully researched the Pilgrims' journey and their first year in America. Her portrayal is full of fascinating detail about their everyday life. Young readers will be intrigued to discover that Pilgrim boys and girls slept on corn husk mattresses they made themselves, and that most of the houses had only one chair -- which was reserved for the man of the house!
The humorous, true-to-life illustrations serve as effective complements to the informative, fun-to-read text.

Homeschool Reading Corner: If the Dinosaurs Came Back by Bernard Most

My daughter and I just finished up a unit study on Dinosaurs. If the Dinosaurs Came Back by Bernard Most was on the list of recommended reading for this particular unit study which was supposed to be at a 3rd grade level.

After actually reading through the book, it was a little below a 3rd grade level, but still a cute book to read. And it inspired her creativity so that when I asked her to write her own "If the dinosaurs came back" story, she had plenty of ideas.

The book itself is great for probably 1st or 2nd grade. The drawings are simple and the fact that everything but the dinosaur is black and white helped them stick out. And in the back of the book there was a picture guide and names of all the dinosaurs who had been in the story. So while not exactly old enough for my kiddo, it was still fun for her to read through.

Goodreads Blurb:

What would the world be like if the dinosaurs came back? Well, just think of all the useful things they could do! They could reach books from tall shelves, cut down trees, mow lawns, give giraffes someone to look up to--and, most of all, be pets for those who love dinosaurs! Most's whimsical first book, illustrated with simple, childlike drawings, is a springboard for discussion with young dinosaur lovers.