The Homeschool Librarian

Homeschooling Through High School

2011-05-08T15:47:00.000-04:00

Back from hiatus!

Since leaving my job at the big-box bookstore, I’ve found that I have less access to all the new releases in the book world. But that’s okay! I’ve decided to focus on more curriculum related materials (print, web, and other) as well as other homeschool related publications. My hope is that you find my reviews helpful, that I might introduce you to something you hadn’t considered before, and that we both learn a little along the way.

Homeschooling the high school years

My oldest is about to have a birthday. 13. A teenager (teenager!). And while we still have a year to get our acts together before officially beginning the high school years, we’re taking this next school year as our “trial run”. So we’re buckling down, hitting the books, counting hours and calculating grades… all while it doesn’t matter. This will allow us to get into the groove and make as many mistakes as we need to before things really count. I’m a sucker for over-preparedness.

I’ve been checking out a lot of books lately on homeschooling through high school. Here are my reviews of a couple of popular ones:

Setting the Records Straight: How to Craft Homeschool Transcripts and Course Descriptions for College Admission and Scholarships by Lee Binz

I loved this book. Loved. I wouldn’t say that it’s the most comprehensive book out there, but the areas that it does tackle are done impeccably, and leave the reader feeling confident about their ability to see their homeschooler through to graduation and beyond. This book doesn’t try to be all things to all people; it focuses on documentation and transcript writing and does it well. Lee Binz (the Homescholar) uses the transcripts and documents from her own children’s records as examples, as well as those of numerous other students. It’s helpful to see exactly what a good transcript looks like, especially one that doesn’t require an umbrella school or an expensive computer program (she uses Microsoft Word for all her documents). Her writing is engaging (lots of exclamation points, which made me laugh) and she drives her point home: you can do this! If you’ve made the decision to homeschool through high school, this book will give you the tools you need to document it properly. If you’re on the fence, Setting the Records Straight may give you the confidence you need to take the leap with your student.

Senior High: A Home-Designed Form+u+la, Updated by Barbara Edtl Shelton $28.95

This is a book that came highly recommended to me from several people, so I was anxious to check it out. It’s harder to find (not available new from Amazon or from any of the brick-and-mortar bookstores I checked) but is available at a discounted price from Christianbook.com. I have to say that I was sorely disappointed. Some readers may be drawn to Ms. Shelton’s conversational style (she likens her book to having coffee at her kitchen table with a friend) I found it to be unprofessional and a bit haphazard. The book focuses more on Bible verses and finding God’s will for your student’s life than anything academic. Again, that may be the approach that some parents wish to take when embarking on this journey, but I found the content to be lacking in terms of practical advice or direction.

I also found this book to be somewhat anti-college. The author gave numerous reasons why students should stay away from college, then almost as an aside, presented some information that parents might need to prep their kids for college if they were positive this was the correct direction for their student. Perhaps if you already know that your student will not attend college (or join the military, or any other path that requires specific academic requirements) this book will speak to you and encourage you on your journey. As a parent who is unsure of their children’s paths, I would like them to be prepared for whatever direction they choose, and that means college prep courses and record keeping.

College-Prep Homeschooling: Your Complete Guide to Homeschooling through High School by PhD David P. Byers, Chandra Byers

This is another book that I’ve found extremely helpful. Dr. Byers is a college professor and homeschool parent, and writes as one experienced on both sides of the diploma. College-Prep Homeschooling covers a wide variety of subjects, from encouraging study skills and critical thinking skills to creating schedules, syllabi and transcripts. While the book is titled College-Prep Homeschooling, Dr. Byers makes clear that the skills covered within will benefit any high school student, regardless of their plans after graduation. That said, if your student is college bound, this is a book you will find invaluable in terms of preparation for college level study.

DonnaYoung.org

Aside from the stack of books I've read about high school record keeping, I couldn't miss giving a plug to Donna Young and her amazing collection of homeschool forms. If you haven't visited her site yet, sit yourself down with a cup o' joe and just click away. Every year when I sit down to plan, I hit her site and download a folder full of marvelous freebies. She has a full section on high school forms, where you'll find blank schedules, curriculum planners, grade sheets, etc.

I hope this gets you motivated! Happy homeschooling!

Susan

Bargain alert - Scholastic sale!

2011-02-13T13:47:00.001-05:00

Scholastic is repeating their $1 download sale! Click here to enter.

The sale includes over 500 instructional items, many that are normally priced from $11.99 - $18.99. They have a wonderful selection of literature guides, fun writing activities, and hands-on projects for all ages. My favorite part is that they are PDF downloads, so you can just print the pages you need as you need them. I'm putting the lit guides on my Kindle. ☺

Sale prices are good through February 25.

Educator Appreciation Week at Borders 10/6 - 10/10

2010-10-07T07:11:00.000-04:00

It's Educator Appreciation Week at Borders stores! That means 25% off nearly all your purchases. While they do give an educator discount throughout the year, during EAW the discount applies not only to educational/classroom items but anything for personal use as well (and Borders has really good chocolate).

There are some exclusions... Rosetta Stone, electronics, and a few other items. See the Borders Teaching and Learning page for full details.

Textbook rentals aren't just for college kids anymore!

2010-09-16T16:51:00.000-04:00

I typically don't review books or services that I haven't personally used (or at least perused) but I'm so excited about this one that I'm going out on a limb.

Homeschoolbookrenter.com is a site I stumbled on while book shopping online. I knew these sites were becoming popular for college texts, but had no idea such a service was available for homeschoolers. I spent a while poking around the site, and was amazed at the number of books available for rental. The rental contract is a flat fee for 9 months, and the price is generally 1/2 the cover price of the book. For example, The Complete Writer: Writing With Ease: Instructor Text by Susan Wise Bauer (list price $29.95/Amazon price $19.77) is just $11.98.

While some categories are not as well populated (Math has only 2 publishers: Saxon and Math in Focus) some are quite well-stocked (science and language arts, especially). There are selections from both secular and Christian publishers.

Homeschoolbookrenter.com looks to be a great option for those of us with little shelf space to keep books we're finished with, as well as a great way to try new books without worrying about being stuck with things that don't work for us. No more lugging boxes to used curriculum sales! We will be trying this service very soon.

If you've used, it post a review!

More free stuff

2010-08-29T07:46:00.000-04:00

I like free stuff... and even more than I like free stuff, I like instant stuff. You know, those things where you say, "I wish I had a ____", and then in less than 5 minutes you have one. I like that.

Well, thank you to my Facebook friend Angela for pointing me in the direction of this site: www.printablepaper.net . On the Printable Paper site, you get more than lined paper and graph paper... there are budgets, calendars, story boards, and "Teacher Resources" galore. My favorite category? Game score sheets! Everything from Bunco and Basketball to Whist and Yahtzee, all in free, printable PDF format. I am one happy girl.

I didn't even know there was such a thing as a Scrabble score sheet... yet, here it is!

So, if you need a Rounded Doorknob Template, or a Knitting Graph (portrait or landscape!) you know where to go.

Check it out!

We're pretty excited about Mockingjay around here

2010-08-24T13:12:00.001-04:00

It's here! It's August 24, the day the Hunger Games trilogy comes to completion. When, oh when, will the Guy In The Brown Truck arrive?

Here are a couple of reviews: one from the LA Times and one from USA Today.

Suzanne Collins will also be doing a Mockingjay book tour, mostly in the Northeast but with several other stops as well. Click here for dates.

Happy reading! (Let me know what you think of the book!)

Little House on the Prairie: another look

2010-08-13T11:07:00.000-04:00

I haven't thought about this one in a while... since Library School days, actually. In one of my Children's Lit classes, we discussed some of the classics, and how the books of our childhood, however endearing, actually act to perpetuate stereotypes and racial discrimination. You might recognize a few of these titles: The Five Chinese Brothers, The Indian in the Cupboard, Little Black Sambo, The Matchlock Gun, The Courage of Sarah Noble... the the list goes on and on. But the Little House on the Prairie series, because it is so adored, tends to get a free pass regardless of the racist remarks present throughout several of the books. Most people are willing to overlook the descriptions of the "savages" because they feel it is a historically accurate representation of life on the frontier (actually it is a very one-sided representation), and simply a portrayal of the fear the Ingalls family lived with. But when we hand those books over to our kids today, what are we telling them?

While there are many in my field who are staunchly anti-Little House, I'd like to take the middle path. Truly, these books are a slice of Americana. They are certainly a part of the American social lexicon, and an excellent introduction to chapter books for budding elementary readers. Girls, especially, get hooked on the series and before they know it, they've read 8 chapter books and are building fluency to boot. They take us back to a simpler time and place, where a piece of candy in a Christmas stocking was a marvel, and a hand-sewn doll was treasured and adored. That's nice.

So, what's my recommendation for taking this middle path? Read the Little House books, but talk about them with your kids. Talk about racism. Talk about westward expansion, and what that meant to the native peoples that were displaced. And while you're at it, read some books from the Native American perspective. My favorite? The Birchbark House, by Louise Erdrich.

In The Birchbark House, we get to see the same slice of time (1840's) through the eyes of a 7-year old Ojibwa girl named Omakayas. Many of the same themes are present: family life, living off the land, harsh winters, and a brave little girl facing it all. The Porcupine Year is the follow-up.

Happy reading!

Planning ahead: finding the perfect calendar

2010-07-20T09:51:00.003-04:00

It's that time of year... time to start planning out the new school year and getting all of our ducks in a row. Here are a few calendar/planner choices for those that haven't settled on a system yet:

The Well-Planned Day

The Well-Planned Day is a classic spiral-bound organizer, designed especially for homeschooling moms. It allows planning for up to four different students, and contains progress reports, report cards, and other items you might need for school district reporting. In addition to academics, The Well-Planned Day also has a meal planning and shopping list section.

$24.95 for spiral bound and $19.95 for PDF download
Christian content: daily Bible readings and a place for prayer requests.

The publishers of The Well-Planned Day also offer The Well Grounded Middle Schooler, a student 12-month assignment planner, as well as The Well Guided High Schooler, which is especially convenient as a 4-year planner. Both are available spiral bound or as a PDF download.

Family Time

dotmine Day Planners are another great option for a spiral bound planner. The family_time.mine planners were created for all moms - not just home schoolers - so there are no specific fields for school related items. But there are plenty of fields for kids schedules and activities, and household information galore, including babysitter info, shopping lists, quarterly pull-out schedules, and more. I used this planner last year and loved it. It comes in two sizes, an 8.5x11 full sized, and a 6x9 purse sized. I used the smaller one last year and have upgraded to the larger size for this year. All the dot.mine planners are 17-months, so you can plan from August 2010-December 2011.

The time.mine planners are student editions, with master schedule sheets, assignment pages and plenty of note pages. All the planners, both for mom and student, come with fun and funky printed covers that are a durable plastic rather than cardboard.

dotmine day planners are available exclusively at Borders, and are about $17.99 (prices vary)
Don't forget that you can use your 25% off educators discount for this item!
Christian Content: none

DIY

If you're a do-it-yourself kinda gal, or you really like keeping all your planning information on your computer, take a look at the free academic calendars offered by Vertex42. Whether you prefer an Excel format, or just a PDF hard copy, you can create and print to your heart's delight on their site. Choose from portrait or landscape, Monday or Sunday start, and academic years all the way through 2013.

Happy Planning!

Quick! It's a sale!

2010-07-04T08:40:00.000-04:00

Westvon Publishing, who I have raved about before here as the publishers of GeoScribe and History Scribe, are having a sale that ends today, July 4th. 25% off any and everything! You will see the discount when you add an item to your shopping cart. No discount code needed.

Click here to shop.

Have a safe and happy Independence Day!

Hiatus will end soon!

2010-07-03T14:41:00.000-04:00

Our mammoth move is almost over... I anticipate being back in the game by the middle of July! If you have any books or curriculum you'd like me to review, drop me a line!

Susan

Deal of the Week

2010-03-28T09:05:00.001-04:00

Notebooking is one activity that I have loved the idea of, but we just didn't do enough. My kids balked at a blank page set in front of them (I don't blame them!) and felt overwhelmed. But last year I found the History Scribe website during their annual sale and it has changed the way we do history. All of the downloadable Westvon Scribe products are 50% off this week (beginning 3/28/10).

From timeline pages, to essay questions, to maps, all the Scribe products give some structure to the notebooking experience. The pages are not blank, they have a format - with a place for illustration, text, title, etc. The pages have prompts to help jog the memory. But they are not busy, with drawings all over them like some other notebooking pages out there. Here's an example:

The History Scholar pages are a bit more complex, and will hold a lot more writing. Each entry is also two pages long, with the second page having a timeline and an essay prompt. The GeoScribe set contains maps of all the U.S. states and each continent, plus notebooking pages on every state and country (over 500 pages - for just $5!). Unfortunately because of their sale, they have removed the links to sample pages for the History Scholar and GeoScribe sets for the time being, so I can't share them here.

The History Scribe Full Set, which includes the bonus History Scholar (high school level) set is on sale this week for just $8. The price will adjust when you place it in your shopping cart.

You can also buy single sets of Scribe products (i.e. History Scribe - Ancient Egypt) and Happy Scribe copywork books at a huge discount this week from Currclick.

Happy writing!

handwriting... do it yourself!

2010-03-15T22:14:00.001-04:00

My days of buying copywork books are officially over! Not because we're done with handwriting (I actually cannot even picture that day in my head) but because I have found a way to make my own sheets. Finally! And for free.

I'd been searching for a software program that had connected cursive fonts in the style of Getty-Dubay Italic and Modern Cursive/Zaner-Bloser (of course my two children couldn't possibly like writing in the same style... that would be way too easy). I found a few programs, each about $40 - $50 that would allow me to type in the connected cursive style, but when I did a trial run with one, I wasn't impressed. The pages could only be typed in that particular program, and nothing could be copied or pasted out of it. It was a hassle and not very user-friendly. The two I looked at were Educational Fontware, Inc. and StartWrite.

I gave up and started scouring the internet for free fonts that could be downloaded and used in my existing word processing programs. I found Fontspace, and was able to download several different styles of connected cursive, all for free. On the Fontspace site, there's a category list on the left. Click on the tag "connected" and you'll get all the connected scripts. Some are a bit flowery, but here were my favorites: discipuli britannica, ecolier, cursif, farewell, VA-Pe2, and LA-El 2.

One advantage that StartWrite has over the freebies is that you can add starting dots and/or arrows to letters. That would be particularly helpful for teaching early writers. Another plus with StartWrite was that you could easily insert blank lines at the end or in between lines for copying.

Educational Fontware sells a CD of traditional fonts, including Handwriting Without Tears, D'Nealian, Zaner-Bloser, Getty Dubay, and many others. When the fonts are installed, you can type within your word processor, but the letters are not connected. When you are done typing, you highlight your text, and run a program called LinkLetter, which then connects your script for you.

I've already made a few sheets with spring poems for the kids... and a couple of goofy ones, including this one called My Hamster Has a Skateboard.

Happy writing!

I love a good storyteller

2010-03-12T12:01:00.005-05:00

We love audiobooks around here. We play them in the car, listen to them over breakfast, and everybody has them on their iPods. I do like reading aloud to the kids, but there's only so much reading aloud one mom can do. Audiobooks to the rescue.

Our very, very favorite lately is Jim Weiss. We started out listening to his retelling of the Greek myths, and couldn't get enough. He's taken us through the middle ages with Robin Hood and King Arthur and Archimedes, and now through the Renaissance with Galileo, Shakespeare, The Three Musketeers and Queen Elizabeth. The kids can't get enough, and these are the quietest car rides we've ever had. I can't recommend his stories enough.

If you do a classical 4-year history cycle in your homeschool, Jim Weiss also narrates the Story of the World books by Susan Wise Bauer. The kids read the books at home, but the audio versions make for a great refresher and a chance for us to talk about the stories as a family.

Happy listening!

more music: classics for kids!

2010-02-28T18:29:00.001-05:00

I found a great site last week that goes along with the composer study/music history theme, but this one is geared toward younger ears. Classics for Kids is a website dedicated to introducing children to classical music. I love the way it is arranged! You can easily listen by composer, by period, or just chronologically work your way through the list. There's even a handy dandy timeline if you're into that sort of thing (we are).

There's much more to explore there, too, with printable activities, online games, and info on all the orchestral instruments. You can even learn about musical careers or consult the musical dictionary, and it's all in a kid-friendly environment.

Aside from their own collection, Classics for Kids has a link to Naxos.com, a web radio environment where you can search content and play your selections. At Naxos, you can listen to 20% of any piece without paying for the subscription, however, an annual subscription is a bargain at $9.95 for FM quality or $19.95 for CD quality.

Music Appreciation

2010-02-22T14:15:00.000-05:00

I've been aware of Harmony Fine Arts for a while, but I really took a good look at it last week. If you're looking for a chronological survey of art and Western music, this is a great place to start, especially for the upper grades.

There are 3 levels of instruction, based on the classical trivium. Grammar stage for grades 1-4, Logic for grades 5-8, and Rhetoric for high school. Within each stage is a full year program for each grade level. The lesson plan for each grade level includes a weekly schedule, resource list, and supplies needed. Within each lesson, there are 3 levels of depth with which to study, from picture study to a full-on art course (using Artistic Pursuits). Click here to see a sample page for each grade level.

The best thing I discovered this week is that the high school level music appreciation courses are FREE! The 4-year course is broken down into 36 weeks for each grade (9-12), and surveys major composers from Palestrina (renaissance) to Bernstein. The schedule includes a listening schedule, reading assignments, and writing assignments for each section, and would probably lend itself to at least 1/2 credit in music history or music appreciation per year. Click here to download the PDF files for the courses.

The 12th grade Art Appreciation course is also a free PDF download, but grades 9-11 must be purchased. They are $9.95 for the print version or $8.95 for the e-book.

Great Backyard Bird Count starts today!

2010-02-12T08:23:00.000-05:00

It's my favorite part of winter... time for the Great Backyard Bird Count!

We did this for the first time two years ago. We'd spent the previous five years living overseas in very urban locations, and the kids knew next to nothing about nature. We had recently moved to a place with lots of birds... a completely new experience! When we heard about the Backyard Bird Count it sounded like a great way to get to know our backyard neighbors, so we got out our binoculars and started taking notes.

My younger daughter was 6 at the time, and soon she could identify those little creatures better than any of us. We had heated discussions about whether a certain bird was a song sparrow or a house sparrow... when we got out the guide books and compared notes, by gosh, she was right! It was so much fun for her - she loved showing off her new identification skills, drawing pictures of new birds, and taking pictures of our crowded feeders. An interest in nature photography was sparked in a 6 year old!

So, the Great Backyard Bird Count has a special place in our hearts. It takes as little as 15 minutes per day over 4 days. You can mail in your results or enter them online (that's the job of my older daughter!) and see what kinds of birds your neighbors are counting.

The GBBC website has tons of fun activities for kids to get to know the birds they're counting, from puzzles to quizzes to guides. There are even directions on how to make your own homemade feeders to attract more birds.

Here are the directions from the GBBC site:

How to do the Great Backyard Bird Count

It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. Plan to count birds for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count. You can count each day or just some of the days and you can count in different places. Just be sure to keep a separate list of birds for each day and each location.
2. For each type of bird you see, count the most you see at any one time. For example, maybe you see two chickadees when you start watching, then five chickadees a few minutes later. The number you put on your list for chickadees is five. Do not add two plus five. (This way way you don't accidentally count the same bird twice.)
3. Enter your results on the Great Backyard Bird Count website . Then watch the maps as more and more people enter their reports.
That's it! Now get ready to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count because when it comes to watching birds, kids count!

And the winners are...

2010-01-18T09:18:00.000-05:00

Newbery Medal

"When You Reach Me," written by Rebecca Stead, published by Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random House Children's Books

Newbery Honor Books

"Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice" written by Phillip Hoose, published by Melanie Kroupa Books/Farrar Straus Giroux, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group

"The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" written by Jacqueline Kelly, published by Henry Holt and Company

"Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" written by Grace Lin, published by Little Brown and Company Books for Young Readers

"The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg" written by Rodman Philbrick, published by The Blue Sky Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

Caldecott Medal

"The Lion and the Mouse" illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney, published by Little, Brown and Company Books for Young Readers

Caldecott Honor Books

"All the World" illustrated by Marla Frazee, written by Liz Garton Scanlon, published by Beach Lane Books

"Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors" illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, written by Joyce Sidman, puslished by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Printz Award

"Going Bovine" by Libba Bray

Printz Honor

"Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman

So, I was 1 for 3. Going Bovine came out of nowhere for me. I read the first 2 pages and put it down... now I'm going to have to give it another shot, since I typically like Libba Bray (Great and Terrible Beauty).

Happy reading!

ALA Awards Announced Tomorrow!

2010-01-17T21:43:00.000-05:00

I think that I will not be able to sleep tonight in anticipation... you can keep the Golden Globes. I'm on the edge of my seat for the book awards on Monday morning! Caldecott, Newbery, and Printz awards, among others, will be named at 7:45 am. If you want to watch the webcast, click here.

The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney- my pick for the Caldecott Medal

I stand by my personal pick for Newbery, The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo (even though she probably won't be chosen since she's a previous winner). But I would be pleased as punch to see Grace Lin get a nod, since she's written some wonderful books that have been overlooked.

The Printz Award for young adults has me a bit perplexed. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead has been getting all the buzz. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson is a solid choice, too, but has limited appeal since it's a "girl" story. My choice: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld.

Elementary Geography

2010-01-10T15:36:00.005-05:00

Coming off the holiday break, I'm getting my plan together for our "geography club" (for lack of a better term) that meets here once a week. It's a small group of 8-10 year olds, and we're focusing on culture with a little bit of mapping thrown in for good measure. The plan is to hop around the world in one year. Here are some of the resources I've found to be particularly helpful:

Scholastic Atlas of the World
This is our go-to book for basic info on every country we study. It's very detailed and could easily be used for much older students. We use it mostly for detailed maps and to fill out our country fact sheets that I print from Enchanted Learning.

My First Picture Atlas
It looks like this particular one may be out of print, but there are two things about it that I love, and that you could find in another similar book. First, it's huge. It's about 11'x14", which makes it great for group work. The maps inside are large, bright, and cartoony, which makes it very easy to see borders, capitals, and other important landmarks. When the kids are doing their map work, this is the one I prop up for them to use as a reference because it is so bold and easy to follow. The National Geographic Picture World Atlas looks just as good and is available from Amazon and other retailers. I wouldn't use either of these beginner atlases as my only map source since they are very basic, but they are a very nice addition to use along side a more detailed book.

   Usborne Stories from Around the World

While the kids are working on their maps, I often read to them a traditional story from the country we are studying. This Usborne title is a nice collection of 22 stories, each 5 to 6 pages long. It's nicely illustrated, and the print is large, which makes it nice for read-alouds. The text is written so that most 3rd to 5th graders could read it independently (similar to other Usborne story collections such as their Greek myths or fairy tales).

Kids Multicultural Craft Book by Roberta Gould

This book contains 35 craft projects from around the world. Each entry also contains a good amount of cultural information about the author's experiences in that country (and even includes some photographs from her travels). The craft ideas are very good, have detailed instructions and are not babyish (no paper plate masks, etc.). The only downside for our class is that a good number of them require several steps or long drying/setting times between steps, but for most families this would not be a hindrance.

Unicef's Children Just Like Me Meet the families of about 40 children from around the world and discover what their daily lives are like! The kids absolutely love this book, as it brings to life the similarities and differences between cultures in sweet and simple ways.

Another similar book is Children from Australia to Zimbabwe: A Photographic Journey around the World by Maya Ajmera & Anna Rhesa Versola. This book has more information about the geography and the larger culture in each of the countries, including favorite foods, sports, past times and holidays.

My group likes to cook, so we've used two different books for our recipes. First is Eat Your Way Around the World by Jamie Aramini. This one includes a full meal for each country, so we usually choose one or two pieces to make (usually dessert!). There are also great cultural references included such as how food is served and what traditional foods signify in that country. And the recipes are delicious, which doesn't hurt.

Kids Around the World Cook! is the other one I find myself grabbing. The recipes are simple and traditional, and the recipes are arranged not regionally but by course. So, all the drinks are together, all the desserts are together, etc. This makes it easy to prepare just a side dish or a beverage to sample the country's flavors without pulling out all the stops for a full meal.

Amazing Greek Myths of Wonder and Blunders

2010-01-06T21:16:00.001-05:00

Okay, so I'm in a bit of a rut with the Greek myths, I know, but this one was too fun to pass up. It releases January 7, but I got an early look at it and it's a keeper.

Amazing Greek Myths of Wonder and Blunders by Mike Townsend is an irreverent spin on the Greek myths - think Captain Underpants meets Homer. The stories, though, are unchanged. Any fan of The Lightening Thief series or Diary of a Wimpy Kid will be drawn to the humor and whimsy of this story collection. The publisher's recommendation is ages 9-12, but I think the book would interest the younger set (boys!) as well with it's bright glossy pages and excellent illustrations.

Check it out.

"The Harms of Homeschooling": a debate

2009-12-23T09:08:00.000-05:00

My hackles are up this morning. I just read this piece published in the Philosophy and Public Policy Quarterly from the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland (and I groan inside because I am employed by this very university system). Get yourself in a good place before you read this article, since it will certainly tick you off, no matter what kind of home educator you are. There's bile for everyone in there. Ms. West, the author, paints us all as hyperconservative trailer trash (unless we are among the few "over-educated and bored suburban mothers" with nothing better to do than paint our nails and usurp public school power).

Thankfully, this excellent, thoughtful and well researched rebuttal exists (written by a passionate secular homeschooling mother), and so does this one, written by Milton Gaither (author of Homeschool: an American History).

Please take fifteen minutes and read this, then consider making your opinions known.

Are you a curriculum junkie?

2009-12-14T09:41:00.000-05:00

I don't think I am. It's hard, though, because I love books so much, so I do tend to over-buy. But this blog caught my eye today. I love Julie Bogart (Brave Writer)... if you have a second, give it a read.

The Curriculum Hunt

And if you like that one, backtrack just a bit and read her post on Developing a Philosophy of Education. This is one I think I need to print out and post in a handy place (the idea of recalling a time when we all felt miserable especially resonates with me, and I need to do that on those days when I think my life would be easier if my kids were back in school!).

As this seems to be the season of doubting what we're doing (I think it's really just year-end burnout in diguise) maybe these encouraging words will shift you back on track. They were just what I needed heading into our holiday break.

If Rosetta Stone is on anyone's Christmas list...

2009-12-13T14:06:00.000-05:00

There's a Rosetta Stone coupon that just came out from Borders. $30 off level 1, $100 off 1,2,3 and $125 off levels 1-5. Good through 12/20.

Books about books

2009-12-11T20:08:00.003-05:00

Some of my favorite books in the world are books about books. I have stacks and stacks of them. I love to read books, but I do admit that my secret pleasure is reading books about books. Sometimes they're fiction (The Historian comes to mind... and next on my list is The Book Thief) but usually not.

Nancy Pearl, librarian extraordinaire, has published a couple of books on books. Book Lust was the first, followed by Book Crush for kids and More Book Lust. If you ever find yourself in a reading rut, grab one of those books at your local library. You'll have a list a mile long by the time you're half done. Nancy makes me want to read everything.

I also picked up Honey for a Child's Heart recently. Written from a Christian perspective, it's especially good for homeschoolers who have sensitive readers at home. Most of the recommended books are uplifting stories and have subject matters that conservative readers will think are age-appropriate. What I love most about the book, though, is the focus on sharing reading together as a family, and how very nourishing that is to young spirits.

But, I found a new must-have for every homeschool library (it's on my Christmas list!). 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up is my new fave. Any book that ranks Lemony Snickett right up there with A Chair for My Mother or Goodnight Moon is okay by me.

The book is organized by age group/reading level, from board books up to Young Adult. The selections are listed chronologically, which I haven't seen before, and gives sort of an interesting perspective on the growth and evolution of children's literature. The books are reviewed by a team, giving not just a synopsis of the book but also a brief history of it (if relevant). It's $36.95, which is a big chunk of change for any homeschooling budget, but it's a bit less on Amazon and Borders has it on the BOGO 50% table through the holidays. (A great gift, but at 960 pages I wouldn't recommend hanging it in your stocking.)

Happy reading!

And on the subject of the National Mythology Exam

2009-12-05T13:26:00.001-05:00

The sub-test for this year is Heracles (or Hercules). I found this wicked cool book at the Walters Art Gallery (they had stacks of books throughout the Greek Myths exhibit that you could peruse as you enjoyed the ancient art). Strong Stuff: Herakles and His Labors is a picture book that describes the twelve labors given to the title character as a punishment for his transgressions (killing his family). School Library Journal says its for grades 2-4, Booklist says 4-7, and I say all of the above. It's a great book, and will certainly appeal to the younger kids that like superheros, monsters and all things destructive. I like it because it's a terrific explanation of the story of Hercules/Heracles/Herakles that kids will remember. Includes a map and pronunciation guide.

Odyssey Games

2009-12-05T12:57:00.003-05:00

We're getting ready here for the National Mythology Exam in February. Ever since reading the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, J is obsessed with all things Greek and mythological. So when I found out about the NME, she immediately wanted in.

We went to a class at the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore, where they have an amazing exhibition right now called Heroes: Mortals and Myths in Ancient Greece. While waiting for the kids, I found a couple of awesome games in the gift shop.

First is the Odyssey Memory Game, which includes the 60 most important names from Homer’s famous epic, with names, pronunciations, and definitions printed on each card. It's a classic Memory game, with 2 of each card to match. There are 3 groups of 20 (Classic Characters, Immortals, and Monsters, each group with different back-side pictures), so you can easily break the 60 cards into smaller batches for play.

The Odyssey Definitions Game is basically a set of flash cards. This is the one we bought to study for the exam. You could certainly flip them over and play memory with them as well (or any other pairs game) but we're using them as flash cards. I punched holes in the bottom left corner of each card and put them on a metal ring so they're easy to flip through.

The Odyssey Storytelling game is more of an interactive, role-playing game. It includes 30 Storyteller cards, 30 Divine Assistance cards, 60 Invoke the Muse cards: 120 cards in all. This looked better for a larger group setting.

There is a link on the publisher's page to receive 25% off your order if you are a homeschooler (Doh! Wish I had known that at the museum!) with a simple email.

I'm back!

2009-12-05T11:58:00.002-05:00

Little bit of a break... went on vacation and one thing led to another. I haven't quit thinking of books to share, though!

My latest quest originated from my daughter. She's 8. After a library visit where she checked out (yet another!) Scooby Doo Mystery (blech) she laid it on the line for me. "Mom. I want mystery books. But they have to have pictures. Not picture books, chapter books. With pictures. Mysteries." And so began the search for chapterbooks-withpictures-thataremysteries. Could she stump the Homeschool Librarian?

Not a chance! Here's what I found:

A to Z mysteries. One book for each letter of the alphabet, plus a few bonus books. Books in the series have 80-90 pages, with b & w illustrations on almost every page. This gives just enough of a page break-up for young readers. Main characters are male and female for broad appeal.

Also from this publisher is the Capital Mysteries series. There are 11 books in the series, and each takes place in Washington, D.C. Slightly shorter than the A to Z mysteries, at about 80 pages, Capital Mysteries have slightly fewer pictures (one illustration every 4-6 pages). The publisher's website has activities and coloring pages that correspond to each of the mysteries for both Capital and A to Z mysteries. Both series written by Ron Roy.

Cam Jansen Mysteries. 22 books in the series, each with about 64 pages. Illustrations on every other page. These books have been around for about 25 years. Written by David A. Adler.

From the author:
"The Cams are not simply chapter books with easy reading levels. Children who are just beginning to read on their own, read slowly. They read every word. But they don't think slowly. We can't ask them to speed up their reading, so to keep their attention it's necessary to keep the story moving. The Cams move quickly. Something is always happening. Characters are introduced through dialogue and plot. Scenes are set in just a few words."

Similar to Cam Jansen, Nate the Great mysteries (by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat) have been loved through generations. Nate the Great books are an excellent introduction to chapter books. Each is about 32 pages long, with less text per page than most of the other mystery series. The main character will appeal to boys (although girls will enjoy them, too) and there is a spin-off series with Nate's female cousin, Olivia Sharp.

22 books in the series, and 4 Olivia Sharp books. The recent re-printing of the books contain fun activities at the end such as jokes, recipes and craft ideas that correspond with the stories.

Remember Encyclopedia Brown? He's still around! First published in 1963, Encyclopedia Brown mysteries have been a favorite first chapter book for families everywhere. There are 23 books in the series (I still remember reading The Case of the Disgusting Sneakers) and each is about 100 pages long. Pictures every 4-6 pages. Written by Donald J. Sobol.

This series may appeal to slightly older readers who still want shorter books with some illustrations (Leroy "Encyclopedia" Brown is in 5th grade). Publisher's age recommendation is 9-12.

Another made-over blast from the past is the series Nancy Drew Notebooks. Shorter and simpler than the classic Nancy Drew books, these have 76-80 pages each, with a few illustrations thrown in every 6-8 pages. Recommended age group on these is 5-8, but I think they would appeal up to age 10.

Similar in appeal is the Nancy Drew Clue Crew. 82 pages each, with illustrations on every other page. Text is also slightly larger than the Notebooks series. There are 27 books in the Clue Crew series and 69 books in the Notebooks series.

How many versions of the Odyssey could there be?

2009-10-10T11:08:00.004-04:00

And which is the "right" one for me?

We've gone through about 7 versions so far! Not all from start to finish, of course... lots of hopping around as library books are due, one wants to read ahead, etc. Here are a couple of reviews:

The Children's Homer by Padraic Colum is a good, solid retelling of both the Illiad (the Trojan War) and the Odyssey (wanderings of Odysseus). Publisher says it's for ages 9-12, but I think most 9 year-olds would stumble over the King James style English. But, it's pretty thorough, doesn't leave out any of the adventures, and has a handful of black and white illustrations throughout. Good for middle grades to read independently.

I find Mary Pope Osborne's (of Magic Tree House fame) version, Tales from the Odyssey, the most... interesting. Broken into three volumes, the books are highly readable by the younger set - probably those that are used to reading her Magic Tree House series. However, just because the language is relaxed and there are fewer words per page does not change the content. The cyclops Polyphemus still bashes the brains out of the skulls of Odysseus' men, etc. So while you may be able to hand these books over to your second grader, you may not want to. The Odyssey has some scary stuff in it. I like it better as a read-aloud, and I find these books on the "light" side for our read-aloud tastes. I would recommend it for older elementary students that are still having reading difficulty.

So far my favorite version has been right in the middle. The Adventures of Odysseus by Hugh Lupton, Daniel Morden and Christina Balit is an excellent picture book version that still has a complete text.

This book is just under 100 pages, and is broken into 16 stories including a prologue (Trojan War story) and epilogue. Each page of text is surrounded by gorgeous watercolor, gouache and gold ink illustrations that really bring the story to life. I find the narration to be beautifully lyrical (and this story was a poem, right?), neither too antiquated nor simplistic.

"The next morning, when dawn took her golden throne, we said our last farewells to Circe. She gave us a wind to fill our sail. When the wind failed us, when the sail sagged, we knew we were approaching the enchanted regions of the Sirens."

I've renewed this book from the library twice already! Almost time to turn it in for good, so I think this weekend we will read the last few stories and put Odysseus to rest for a bit. But if we ever get the hankering again, this book is available in full text, for free, on Google Books.

Highly recommended as read aloud for all ages, and independent reader for ages 9 & up.

Life of Fred

2009-10-10T08:28:00.005-04:00

I've been hearing about this one for a while, but since you have to buy it from the publisher I've never been able to get my hands on a copy... until now! There are 8 books in the series, and I only happen to have the first two... but I love these books!

Dr. Stanley Schmidt has found a narrative way to teach math in Life of Fred. They're engaging, they're funny, and they really, really explain math concepts in a real-life way. The stories are about a boy named Fred (who also happens to be a math professor) and all his daily adventures. It's very hard to describe without making it sound ridiculous, so please look at the samples here.

What I love most about these books is that the lessons are really short. Dr. Schmidt has done a wonderful job of breaking the concepts down into bite-sized pieces, and breaking up the text with illustrations without making the pages too busy. After every five chapters there is a Bridge, which is a set of 10 review questions. You must get 9 out of the 10 questions correct before moving on to the next chapter. The nice thing is, though, that there are 5 sets of bridge questions, so if the students botches the first set, they can go back, correct their work, and begin again on the second set. So they have 5 tries at getting over the bridge!

There are 8 books in the series, ranging from pre-algebra to calculus. The first two books in the series are Fractions then Decimals & Percents. The subsequent books also have a teaching guide (Fred's Home Companion) to go along with them which includes a daily lesson schedule, all the solutions, plus more practice problems. My understanding is that you probably wouldn't need to have Fred's Home Companion for the advanced books in order to gain understanding of the concepts, but if you choose Life of Fred as your main math program and need to show substantial amounts of scheduled work for high school credit, you might want the extra problems and schedules.

Life of Fred would also make a very, very good review program for test prep and college placement. I wish I had had it before taking the math placement exam when I returned to college after an 18-year absence! Here's a word problem to illustrate:

Susan forgot all her higher math skills! When she decided to go back to school she had to take a math placement test. Because she did poorly (she hadn't taken math in almost 20 years!) she had to take a college review math class that cost $450 and did not even give her a math credit! The entire Life of Fred series (with Fred's Home Companion for 6 of the 8 books - 14 books in all) costs $302 (free shipping!). Which is the better value?

Answer: $302 < $450 (and much more fun)

Highly recommended for 6th grade and up.

Math Doesn't Suck

2009-09-28T21:40:00.003-04:00

Really. It doesn't! Especially with the help of Danica McKellar.

In Math Doesn’t Suck: How to Survive Middle School Math Without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail, mathematician and actress Danica McKellar shows 6th to 8th grade girls that math is fun, useful, and at times even glamorous! She explains fractions, least common multiples, factoring, decimals and percents with style and humor, and with more quizzes than a Teen Beat magazine. And it isn't fluff... I learned a few new tricks from Math Doesn't Suck, and I do math for fun sometimes. =)

The good news is that once you've mastered middle school math, you can move on to Kiss My Math: Showing Pre-Algebra Who's Boss. I can't wait!

Here's a fun video of Danica McKellar talking about Kiss My Math.

Crow Call

2009-09-28T21:14:00.001-04:00

If we didn't already love Lois Lowry...

Crow Call by Lois Lowry

Lowry (The Giver, Number the Stars) released her first picture book last week (illustrations by Bagram Ibatoulline). Crow Call is an autobiographical story of Lois (Liz) as a young girl, her father just returned home from WWII. He's been gone so long she hardly knows him, and in this early morning adventure they set out to reconnect. This book is absolutely lovely. It's as quiet as its country morning setting, and envelopes the reader in its warmth, wrapping us up in its bright woolen shirt. I hugged it when I finished reading it. =)

Highly recommended - ages 4-up

Before Columbus: The Americas of 1491

2009-09-18T12:30:00.001-04:00

This one is hot off the press!

Based on the adult nonfiction book 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, Charles Mann does his best to make us question everything we think we know about Native American culture before 1492.

Just over 100 pages - Before Columbus: The Americas of 1491 contains beautiful art, but is not your typical picture book. Target age is definitely ten and up, with several paragraphs of rich, full text on most pages. Mann does not gloss over the details, but instead tackles eleven chapters' worth of information - covering everything from the Asian footbridge to genetic engineering (of corn) to mummies and tapeworms.

For middle grades to adult, this is an excellent book to add to your studies of American History, especially for the textbook-phobic.

Unite or Die!

2009-09-18T12:02:00.003-04:00

Love this little book!

Unite or Die by Jacqueline Jules

If there were ever a fun way to learn about how the Articles of Confederation were replaced by the Constitution, this is it. For ages 8 and up, this picture book tells the story (in the form of a school play - *very* funny!) of the squabbles among the states during the post-revolutionary period. Each state, played by an elementary school actor, has its own distinct personality that beautifully displays the concerns and desires of each particular state.

Although it's a picture book, it can easily be enjoyed by older kids. I learned a few things! And while my kids are not likely to check out picture books from the library these days, I find that if I check them out and leave them scattered around, they definitely get read and are certainly enjoyed. ☺

As a lovely bonus, the book's website has a free download of the Unite or Die Reader's Theater, which is a play format of the book for up to 17 actors. How fun for a group of kids to act out the scenes in the book!

A Book in Time

2009-09-13T09:39:00.000-04:00

I stumbled upon a really helpful website this week called A Book in Time. This site indexes TONS of books by historical period.

If you're studying, for example, American History, you can search first by century. Then each century is further divided into 4 to 5 subcategories. Under each subcategory (ex: 1740-1770) is a list of book titles that fit that setting with a short description and a link to find it. The list contains books for K-12 (I can't find a search function that limits the list by book audience) but each title is clearly denoted with suggested grade levels.

Along with the book lists, the site also has links to craft ideas, reading logs, maps, and a host of other extras. The only downside I can find is that most of the books are older titles. Great books, but I'm not seeing some of my favorite books that have been published in the last few years. Still, this site is definitely worth bookmarking and checking out before your next library visit!

Susan

Update: The Magician's Elephant

2009-09-12T16:37:00.003-04:00

Well, now that I have read this book, I felt I had to post again. Amazing!! I honestly believe that I have to call it my New Favorite Children's Book Ever. Ever.

Click here for an excerpt.

I picked it up the other night at work, and couldn't put it down. Read it all through my dinner, and brought it home that night. It's completely enrapturing. Kate DiCamillo is a brilliant writer all around, but there's something so poetic, so lyrical about the writing in The Magician's Elephant that I just haven't seen in a long, long time. Its simplicity and flow remind me a bit of The Little Prince (which has been translated into 180 languages, so that's saying something). Because the book is fairly short (208 pages, but typically only 2 paragraphs per page) it would lend itself well to a Junior Great Books style of study with multiple readings. Read once for action, read a second time for deeper meaning, character study, and critique.

The book's website is hosting a webcast with the author on October 26 (held at Sidwell Friends School in DC, but you can log in via the Web) and I have signed up to participate!

Also from the site, you can download a free Activity Kit and Discussion Guide for the book. Enjoy!

Susan

Quizlet!

2009-09-10T16:04:00.001-04:00

Ooooh. I'm in awe of this website! Quizlet is a fun, simple, and free way to help kids with memorizing pretty much anything!

There are hundreds (maybe thousands?) of online flashcards already created, plus you can create your own. You can make them as easy or as difficult as you like, and you can add images to the cards as well (quizlet has them stocked - no need to find them on your computer or the Web). The best part is you can share them with any group or class! Try it here. Did I mention it's free??

We'll be using them for our Classical Conversations memory work every week.

The Magician's Elephant

2009-09-10T08:13:00.001-04:00

New this week from Kate DiCamillo (Tale of Despereaux, Because of Winn Dixie) is The Magician's Elephant. I can't wait to get my hands on this one (especially after just finishing Water for Elephants yesterday!). This novel is getting great reviews, and I'm sure it will be on the short list for the 2010 Newbery Award.

Recommended for ages 8-13.

The Goldsmith's Daughter

2009-09-06T22:51:00.001-04:00

If you love historical fiction the way I do, here's a great new YA title to check out by author Tanya Landman (I Am Apache). The Goldsmith's Daughter releases Tuesday, September 8.

Set in the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan during the Spanish conquest of Mexico, this story explores the devastating collision of cultures through the eyes of the teenage Itacate. I haven't found too many novels written in this setting, so this is definitely one to add to the list for a study of pre-U.S. American history.

Recommended for grades 7 and up.

Defining Twilight

2009-09-05T15:50:00.002-04:00

Am I excited to share this one! Do you have a Twilight fan in your house? Exploit the obsession... and turn it into a study session.

From the publisher:

This workbook contains 40 groups of vocabulary words selected from
Twilight. Many of these words will show up on your SAT, ACT, GED,
or SSAT. Beginning at Group 1, refer to the Twilight page where each
vocabulary word appears. Read the word in context and come up with
a definition. Then check your definitions against those provided in
this workbook and make corrections. I’ll also show you synonyms,
word parts, and memorization tools. Read these over a few times, and
then complete the drills. Do that for all 40 groups. There’s no easier or
more fun way to learn 600 vocabulary words! By the end of this book,
your vocabulary will be larger, your test scores will be higher, and
you’ll be a Twilight scholar!

I checked the book out at work, and it actually has a nice layout and decent vocabulary exercises for 40 word groups. These are not the most demanding lists on the market (from List 1, "noble" isn't going to stretch too many vocabularies, but "ubiquitous" might), though the fact that they're lifted from a real book and can be studied in context - and with the book in hand - is a definite plus, especially for a student that doesn't feel under the SAT gun quite yet.

Click here for a link to a free chapter from the publisher.

The guide to New Moon will be available Oct 26, 2009 and can be pre-ordered from Amazon.

The Claw

2009-09-05T11:24:00.007-04:00

Before we get started in Bookville, can I just post this one little gem? M has handwriting issues. Actually, they both have handwriting issues; M has grip issues. Big time. We've been working on this for 3 years now, and I can't break the thumb-wrap-around habit no matter how many weird pencils, triangular grippers, spongy-thingies I bought. Then, thanks to my peeps on the WTM boards, I found The Writing Claw.

It looks crazy, I know. But I am here to tell you that 2 days with the claw and we're in business. M can hold her pencil without the thumb-wrap on her own now. We'll still use the claw for a while, just to make sure the habit gets cemented in, but I have a feeling we won't have to rely on it for long.

Coming soon... Defining Twilight

Welcome to the Homeschool Library!

2009-09-05T09:38:00.000-04:00

It's all about the books.

I had a blog several years ago. We were living overseas, I had just started homeschooling my two girls, and I was excited to share our adventures with friends and family. Of course, because we were living in Italy, we had lots of cool photos to share, and we could make people jealous when we actually visited the places they were only reading about. =)

However, I found that a personal blog is just not for me. My life isn't that interesting. My kids aren't overachievers, and we're just not that different from any other family on the block (well, maybe a little different...). But BOOKS. Oh, books. Now that's where I have something to share.
Most homeschool moms have a plethora of books. Books are everywhere, piled on every flat surface, threatening to take over the house (and if they're not, you're not homeschooling right).

But can I admit here, freely, that I have gone a step beyond? Here's how it happened: when I finished my bachelor's degree, my kids were 6 & 3 (I was a late bloomer, what can I say?). By then I had figured out that I was really good at being a student, so I wanted to continue on to grad school. I wanted to do something that would allow me to be with my kids as much as possible. I thought about teaching, and got a job as a substitute teacher in my older daughter's school. Then, I started volunteering in the library. This was it. The place. Nirvana. A K-3 library, and I was hooked. I was in there every spare minute, and before I knew it, I was in library school with the dream of being a school librarian.

Two moves later (we're a military family) we had pulled both kids out of their DOD school, I was knee-deep in grad school, and I fell head-first into homeschooling. I checked out a pile of homeschooling books from the library (and on this trip I found The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise, which has pervaded my consciousness ever since) and we never looked back. Okay, we looked back a few times, but mostly we never looked back.

Fast forward a handful of years and here I am. I'm an assistant professor at a local university teaching Library Skills and Research Methods. I teach literature classes and facilitate book clubs for young people. And I work part time at a big-box book seller (who shall, according to company policy, remain nameless) where I have my hands all over the children's, young adult, parenting and education departments 4 nights a week. It doesn't pay well, but I can't give up just being surrounded by it all. Having all those books pass through my hands is a dream.

When I find a good book, a good resource, a diamond in the rough, I want to pass it on. I can't help it.

I hope I introduce you to something new here!

Susan