It’s time for six-year-old S and me to move on to the next phase of American history — 1621-1750.
Why such an odd range of dates? At this point in S’s homeschooling, covering the years between the big feast at Plymouth and the first bubbling of Revolutionary fervor in one big chunk just seems like the way to go. (After this month, we switch to overlapping 50-year periods.) As he gets older, that may change.
Anyway, here’s what’s heading our way from the Austin library:
- Tapenum’s Day: A Wampanoag Indian Boy in Pilgrim Times by Kate Waters, photographs by Russ Kendall. I’m hoping to capitalize on the interest stirred up by the Time-Traveling Twins. If this one goes over well, Waters has written two companion books, focusing on a Pilgrim girl and a Pilgrim boy.
- William’s House by Ginger Howard, illustrated by Larry Day. Howard’s book — full of details of how houses got built in 1637 — was a hit last year. If the enthusiasm is still there, perhaps it will spill over to these other books. And if it doesn’t, S may well get things out of reading it this year that he didn’t last time around.
- The Story of William Penn by Aliki. Aside from the fact that Pennsylvania is named for the guy, I have to admit that I don’t remember anything about Penn. But I was impressed by Aliki’s picture book biography of George Washington Carver, which was published in the mid-1960s, as was this book. We’ll see.
- The Amazing Life of Benjamin Franklin by James Cross Giblin, illustrated by Micheal Dooling. One of S’s all-time favorite books has to be How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning, by Rosalyn Schanzer. Was it the fascinating details of Franklin’s life that appealed to him most, or was it Schanzer’s cartoony illustrations? I should know soon.
- If You Grew Up with George Washington by Ruth Belov Gross, illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully. The thing I’ll be most curious about is whether this book includes slave children in its definition of “you.”
This will probably be it for me for this week — Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.
I’m not sure if it is still in print or not, but I loved “Ben And Me” by Robert Lawson. I also think that 1621, done with the cooperation of Plimoth Plantation, is a great book. I just discovered “Eating the Plates: A Pilgrim Book of Food & Manners” by Lucille Penner, and I think it would have some fun facts that a six year old would find fascinating.
I’m not sure if it is still in print or not, but I loved “Ben And Me” by Robert Lawson. I also think that 1621, done with the cooperation of Plimoth Plantation, is a great book. I just discovered “Eating the Plates: A Pilgrim Book of Food & Manners” by Lucille Penner, and I think it would have some fun facts that a six year old would find fascinating.
I’m not sure if it is still in print or not, but I loved “Ben And Me” by Robert Lawson. I also think that 1621, done with the cooperation of Plimoth Plantation, is a great book. I just discovered “Eating the Plates: A Pilgrim Book of Food & Manners” by Lucille Penner, and I think it would have some fun facts that a six year old would find fascinating.
With the Thanksgiving theme (also a good pick for President’s Day), my almost-five-year-old S loves, THANK YOU SARAH, THE WOMAN WHO SAVED THANKSGIVING by Laurie Halse Anderson. It helps that her b-day is Thanksgiving week and that …well, you probably can guess what my daughter’s “S” stands for.
With the Thanksgiving theme (also a good pick for President’s Day), my almost-five-year-old S loves, THANK YOU SARAH, THE WOMAN WHO SAVED THANKSGIVING by Laurie Halse Anderson. It helps that her b-day is Thanksgiving week and that …well, you probably can guess what my daughter’s “S” stands for.
With the Thanksgiving theme (also a good pick for President’s Day), my almost-five-year-old S loves, THANK YOU SARAH, THE WOMAN WHO SAVED THANKSGIVING by Laurie Halse Anderson. It helps that her b-day is Thanksgiving week and that …well, you probably can guess what my daughter’s “S” stands for.
Thanks for the suggestions, Liz — I’ve added them to my to-look-for list.
Kim, thanks for the reminder about Thank You, Sarah — we’ve got a copy, and I’ve just now pulled it off the shelf for my S and F to enjoy this week. It’s a great tale about a holiday whose origins many of us — perhaps most of us — assumed began and ended at Plymouth.
Thanks for the suggestions, Liz — I’ve added them to my to-look-for list.
Kim, thanks for the reminder about Thank You, Sarah — we’ve got a copy, and I’ve just now pulled it off the shelf for my S and F to enjoy this week. It’s a great tale about a holiday whose origins many of us — perhaps most of us — assumed began and ended at Plymouth.
Thanks for the suggestions, Liz — I’ve added them to my to-look-for list.
Kim, thanks for the reminder about Thank You, Sarah — we’ve got a copy, and I’ve just now pulled it off the shelf for my S and F to enjoy this week. It’s a great tale about a holiday whose origins many of us — perhaps most of us — assumed began and ended at Plymouth.
Wow, you write books, and homeschool your 6-year old?!
Wow, you write books, and homeschool your 6-year old?!
Wow, you write books, and homeschool your 6-year old?!
Don, my wife is the one at home, so she does all the heavy lifting when it comes to the schooling.
Don, my wife is the one at home, so she does all the heavy lifting when it comes to the schooling.
Don, my wife is the one at home, so she does all the heavy lifting when it comes to the schooling.
Chris, we’re currently reading one that you and your son might like: Saving the Liberty Bell, by Megan McDonald. Set during the Rev. War, it’s a suspenseful story about getting the bell out of Philadelphia before the Redcoats get their hands on it. Jaunty illustrations. A wee bit stilted on the language, but worth seeking out.
Chris, we’re currently reading one that you and your son might like: Saving the Liberty Bell, by Megan McDonald. Set during the Rev. War, it’s a suspenseful story about getting the bell out of Philadelphia before the Redcoats get their hands on it. Jaunty illustrations. A wee bit stilted on the language, but worth seeking out.
Chris, we’re currently reading one that you and your son might like: Saving the Liberty Bell, by Megan McDonald. Set during the Rev. War, it’s a suspenseful story about getting the bell out of Philadelphia before the Redcoats get their hands on it. Jaunty illustrations. A wee bit stilted on the language, but worth seeking out.