School's Out—Learning's In

  What adventures are in store for your nature lovers? 

It is intriguing to me what is accomplished, even when home school is officially out.

Our nature enthusiasts, Gideon, 8, and Benjamin, 5, had taken me on many turtle hunts near our farmhouse in Washington state, with no luck. Praying about it, Gideon finally captured an orange spotted painted turtle. Soon after, we found ourselves on an adventure: we moved to Arkansas. 

The boys loved getting to know many new creatures: armadillos, fireflies, ground hogs, slugs, giant beetles, crawdads, many new insects, even a skunk. Our animal encyclopedias were in constant use. They found the remains of turtle shells, and then discovered a box turtle, who they studied closely for five days. Box was scared and stayed hidden in his shell whenever the boys got near. He also did not eat. Two weeks later, we found another they named Friendly Ted, who allowed the boys to hold him, stroke his head, and feed him lettuce from their hands.

Teaching Gideon to use the card catalog at the library, we found a reptile field guide and read all about turtles and snakes. We identified states on maps which told us where the different species lived. On his own, Gideon got out his dad’s 25 ft. tape measure, and discovered just how big that python was if it was all stretched out. The boys both learned about measuring in inches, feet, yards, centimeters, and meters.

During all of this, their Aunt just happened to send them a book, The Practical Entomologist. It was a perfect book to further excite their curiosity. On one of our library trips, Gideon picked out a fascinating video on turtles. He also brought home Minn of the Mississippi, by Holling C. Holling, a delightful story that follows the travels of a snapping turtle. We read this together and even older brother who isn’t that much into critters, listened in. We learned about some U.S. geography from this book, too.

Gideon entered a contest in a children’s newsletter by writing an account of his summer activities, including his wildlife observations. He also answered a pen pal request and wrote a letter about his discoveries and interests in nature.

Being very artistic, Gideon drew numerous pictures during these summer months of insects, turtles, and underwater scenes. With my suggestion, he started a scrapbook for his nature drawings, and wrote titles and captions to explain them. He was inspired to view a collection of shells on display at the library, owned by a ninth grade boy. We read up on their favorite shells. Their Dad divided up his old seashell collection among our four boys, which they arranged in a new showcase in the living room. Out came the field guide on shells, and the 25 foot rule. "Wow, that Giant Conch gets to be this big!"

The boys went rock collecting and compared specimens to a book on rocks and minerals. When their Grandpa visited recently, together they picked out many new additions to their collections. And what a thrilling experience it was for us all when we were invited to visit Hurricane River Cave!

Earlier in the summer, we picked wild flowers on our daily neighborhood walk, and made nature notecards from dried flowers and leaves. Another display at the library detailed exquisitely painted Arkansas wild flowers by a local artist.

Many biblical and scientific discussions took place, including talking to God, how God answers prayers, the story of creation, the beauty of nature, clean and unclean animals, food chains, taxonomy classifications, and animal reproduction.

As I look back over the past two months I am amazed at the learning that has taken place with almost no planning from me. A love for nature, curiosity, a few supplies, and a shared enthusiastic interest from Mom and Dad provided a wonderful home (summer) school education for two young brothers. It makes me wonder if I could have ever planned anything better!

-The above post was from my journal, Fall, 1997. Mary Hood (the Relaxed Homeschooler) used this in her newsletter back then, and this was the inspiration on which I wrote an article for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine in their summer 2011 issue. Of all the summers we had I think this one was the best, and our introduction to Arkansas as well! 

Trusting—Then, and Now

It used to be easy—trusting God. 

When the boys were young, they were hardly ever out of my sight—and for good reason. I was the ever watchful Momma Bear, and frankly, since no close family were around when the boys grew up, I just didn't trust anyone else to care for my boys.

It was so natural to homeschool them. And of course, I was delighted in that I didn't have to send them off to be taught by strangers. Wasn't it important, who I entrusted to teach my child? 

As a young girl, I used to play school all the time with my sister who was four years younger than me. I fashioned worksheets for her and loved teaching her what I knew. In high school I really wanted to study art and possibly teach it. But art teachers were not getting many jobs at that time, and well, I went on to study nursing which was high in demand. I would have never guessed that one day I'd become a teacher of language, science, history and (gulp) algebra! And yeah, I got to teach art too. All through the years I've truly felt that guiding my boys through homeschooling was my true calling, and my greatest joy.

  God is so good.

But as some of you know, 2012 was the last year for us homeschooling in the traditional sense, though these last several years seem nothing at all traditional to me. The boys grew up, and guess what? They had minds of their own. They asked even more questions than when they were small. They weren't always patient with me! They became very determined and independent minded—a good thing, right? Plus, I could no longer follow them around everywhere to keep an eye on them. The time I spent instilling character in the younger years was over. Their outcome surfaced. The guilt crept in.

Did I do okay?

While I'm very proud of my sons, and we did some very creative projects, learned a lot—even independently, and had a love for learning and a heart for God, at times I am overwhelmed, especially when I am confronted with worldly things, and those sinister mindsets that lurk out there.

Not only do I have to trust God to guide my sons and keep them in His care; I have to trust myself, that I did the best I could, and simply let go. But now, I  think of many things I should have spent more time on. I wish I'd done a few things better. I wish I'd known some things earlier on. I wish I hadn't been so darn lazy sometimes.

 My faith reminds me that whatever the circumstances, the One who knows ALL is in charge. He's got my back. He loves us even more than I love my own family (hard to even comprehend). He's been there for us more times than I can count. In times of stress and doubt, I can trust that what happens in life is meant to be for a purpose, and I can look for the learning moments in each one. Then, I can use those lessons of life, make them part of who I am, and use them to benefit others.

Just a few weeks ago, I came the closest to death I had ever been. Though it was a scary experience, and I did not want to leave my family this soon, I was ready to go meet my Maker. Feeling scared and peaceful sound like opposites, but that's how I felt at the same time. I remember thinking, "Mom, I'll be with you soon." But I was ambivalent to actually go, and thankfully, the hospital ER probably saved my life. (Atrial Fibrillation, in case anyone wants to know.)

Each day is a gift from my Creator.  

I have so much to be thankful for! How cool it is, that I just found out that I won a copy of Mary DeMuth's book "Everything: What You Give and What You Gain to Become Like Jesus." I look forward to reading it, and I imagine I'll come away with much needed inspiration, something we all need. 

Resting in Him. Relying on Him. Thanking Him. Loving Him. Counting my blessings and trusting Him today and everyday. 

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

—Romans 15:13

Momma Hugs

This cute little picture put a big smile on my face today. (That's me, on the left.)

How often have I been in a difficult place of mind when something simple changed my focus? A touching incident, or an actual touch.


Out of the blue, my teenage son comes up to me . . . "Can I have a Momma hug?"  or "I haven't had my Momma hug in a while." Then, the best part—he wraps his strong lanky arms around me and squeezes me tight. 

For the brief minute this takes place I am transported to Momma Mountain, that restful place above the clouds where everything is fine and life is at its best. I am loved. I am nestled in God's arms through my son's. I linger there awhile.

I'm overwhelmed 'cause God lovingly chose me to be the Momma to four living wonders—servants of His in a world gone crazy. I realize that we did something right in raising these boys. I'm reminded that they all need hugs too.


Sometimes a hug is all you need. 

Sometimes a hug is all I need.

What Works Wednesday: How I Educated Myself

I already knew how to read when I entered first grade at St. James Elementary. In fact, I don't remember a time not being able to read, or write for that matter. Maybe it's just my poor memory, since I do have what seems to be years of my life that I cannot remember at all, or maybe it's because I'm already half-past the age toward self-destruct. But I don't want to go there . . .

This July 18th post I'm linking up with What Works Wednesday thanks to Upside Down Homeschooling:

 When my first child was born 26 years ago my husband gently brought up the subject of homeschooling—NOT! He matter-of-factly told me that we would homeschool. (It was kind of like the way he announced that we'd have our babies at home the year before.) His desire for homeschooling stemmed from his misadventures in public school education. He did not want his sons to have to go through what he did. I however, loved school, and used to play teacher to my younger sister, the student. I kind of liked the idea!

 My baby—the last of the bunch!

So, I  left nine years of registered nursing behind to embark on this new journey called boys and all that would come with it. My heavenly dreams of having a child finally materialized, but with my mind reeling and my heart skipping, there was a lot I needed to know, and quickly. I had a great desire to learn. I read numerous books. I interviewed people. I took classes. I discussed things with hubby, and the perfect plan ensued.

In time, I found myself as the nurturing Momma hen to four delightful boys (about three years apart in age). Our homeschool journey fascinated me. Having loved books and going to the library as a child, I adored taking the boys to check out books and we read aloud 'til they dropped off to sleep at night. And I discovered the classics that I had missed as a child (pretty much all of them) so I delightedly would read, while the child-in-me clapped at each book's end for an encore.

 Just about all grown up!

It dawned on me down the road, somewhere between consonant blends and algebra, that I was getting much more out of homeschooling than I'd realized. I had been educating myself right along with the boys! 

The history and geography I knew little of and hadn't liked in grade school, now caught my attention through the lively stories we read and fun activities we did. The arithmetic I had forgotten, reappeared with new meaning. Experiments pretty much just happened in our household and my love for nursing and the workings of the human body kept me on my toes fashioning unit studies using living books in many fascinating areas of science. The arts I enjoyed gave me opportunities to share with my sons and we ventured into new crafty areas. The creative writing I adored (needing much polish) opened doors for self-improvement as I learned many of the missing links in my English education. Bible studies came alive as we took from what we learned to make our lives more complete and useful with our new understanding of God's design for our lives and grace through Jesus Christ. 

Of course, parenting, being a homeschool Mom, and attempting to keep a marriage in swing was/is quite an education in itself.

I think there is a point here somewhere . . . You will learn what you have an interest in learning. Force feeding doesn't work. A child needs to be engaged to learn, just like we do as adults. Sure, I learned things and passed tests with As for many years growing up, but that information quickly left me. Last year I studied for four months every day and re-took my RN licensure exams and passed! I was stunned, but you know, I had some interest in the material, but did cram a lot in and that short-term memory study for a test didn't last too long. If I don't use the material much will be lost. We can expect the same from our kids.

Perceptions are important. Writing is not a school subject, it's a necessary life skill. Engaging children in such a way that appeals to them is a worthy goal in all subject areas. Embracing a child's learning style and individual abilities just adds more education to your life! 

Now that all my sons have graduated, homeschool hasn't ended for me, and it hasn't ended for them. In fact, my youngest son wasn't all gung-ho about the graduating aspect completing 12th grade at all. I thought it was a big thing—apparently not for him. He said he doesn't like the way some new grads he knows think that they've arrived somehow. For him the transition toward his future life is just another step in the learning game, as it should be. Every day brings something new and there is so much to learn! I like that mindset. And I admire and respect his perspective, so I didn't make a big deal of graduation (even though I wanted to).

We educate ourselves in our own ways. Just by living, we learn whether we want to or not. Make the most of it!

“I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope” (Psalm 16: 8, 9).

I think I've had a pretty good education thus far—thanks guys, for all you've taught me!  

Happy Homeschooling!

—KathyMarie

Motivating Boys to Do School

I responded to an e-newsletter about this subject when a frustrated mom said her boys "do not want to do their schoolwork, and it is a battle come school time." Her slightly older daughter was a different story. I thought I would share my perspective here:

I've been a homeschooling mom of four sons for the past 17+ years and I think I've learned some valuable lessons. I know that this is not necessarily a "boy" problem, though it may be more prevalent since boys tend to mature slower than girls. Some personality types adore all the paper work and attention to details while some students (especially some boys) just aren't impressed. All children however should have a natural curiosity and be excited about learning which can be expressed in a number of ways—other than writing or filling in workbooks etc. If you use a "canned" curriculum that is meant for a classroom of kids, there is no way that you will be teaching to your individual child's strengths, interests or abilities.

We approached school as an enjoyable learning time and "lifestyle" together—very flexible. My desire to learn along with my sons meant that I was always very involved. I made time to do more fun things together, tap into their interests, utilize more oral (rather than written) expressions of learning in the earlier years, along with many hands-on activities. We always read aloud and discussed many great books together. Unit studies worked very well for us. I had two very late readers who eventually caught up. I had a gifted son who needed very little from me, as well as two sons with delayed abilities which meant doing math together for many years, lots of spelling games, and utilizing hands-on learning. My advice is to tune into your children's needs and wants.

How do you get them to care and become self motivated? You have to spark their interest. They have to see a relevancy in what you are making them do. Here are some ideas: Find more practical and interesting writing assignments—a letter to Grandpa, a friend or the President! Keep notes about observations for a science project; design a game and write the activity cards for it; create true/false questions about a subject you are learning and test Dad and your friends; dramatize a story; let them dictate a story or poem to you and make it into a real book to be shared; write a review on a book they liked for a kid's magazine or Amazon.com; make a recording of a story complete with sound effects; enjoy scrapbooking as a family writing captions for photos or each member can tell their side of the picture story presented. Project oriented ideas can be wonderful motivators adding a fun element. (see my list of many more ideas in a previous posting)

Help children to take pride in their work. Offer encouragement and praise for each little success they show. Take it one step at a time. It may be that your expectations are too high. Help them form good new habits and enjoy expressing their ideas. Learn to enjoy your boys and their unique perspective on life and don't be afraid to ask them what they'd like to learn and follow up on it. Pray, pray and keep on praying for God to guide you in this awesome journey of living and learning with your precious children.

Photo Credit: Benjamin takes a different look at Jeremiah who is reading a creative story he wrote to a class of other homeschoolers.

A Brand New Homeschooling Year!

I'm finding out that when you have a side job that consists of a lot of writing, you don't have much time to write the things you really want to write about—I miss that part of my life!

I haven't written here in so long I feel the urge to just put down a little something so here goes:

Anyway, we've started a brand new school year here, with the last two boys in homeschool high school. I love the beginning of the year and the goal planning stage. The boys have written their goals and I've been working on mine and things are going well. I REALLY want to encourage as much independence as possible with our studies and assist the boys in meeting their goals. I'm open to "What do you want to study for history or science?" as well as "What are your personal goals?

One of Jeremiah's goals is learning how to speak, read and write French. He got interested in this over the summer when he met some French speaking Canadians. I'm thrilled!

I'm utilizing some DVDs this year and we're enjoying one called "How to Be a Super Star Student". Sounds kind of corny, I know, but there's some good stuff in it—and stuff to make you think seriously about study habits and your future. Math DVDs and Language/Composition are on the agenda as well. Standard Deviants has some fun stuff—and you know—we're learning too! Have you guessed I have an auditory learner? I should have been using more DVDs and audios all along!

I look forward to the coming year in a big way. I'm filled with expectations as I always am, but each year that I get closer to the idea of the empty nest, I just want to cherish the days as long as they are there. Sometimes I reminisce about the olden homeschooling years but they are gone. It's a different homeschooling scene here now. But you know, it's just as good!

I hope you have some worthy goals lined up for yourself and family and enjoy the year to the fullest!

Blessed by an Education!

My life has been a whirlwind of activity the past month and it looks like its not going to slow down much, if at all!

It's so interesting and faith building to look back and see the hand of God in the circumstances surrounding your life. I have felt Him nudging me to write more and more and knew that He was going to use me somewhere down the line in that capacity. One thing has led to another and another and I found myself accepted into a special Marketing Class being offered by TOS (The Old Schoolhouse Magazine) of which I had recently begun a subscription. I was one of 30, chosen out of 125 for this amazing, educational, one month class.

Why was I interested in marketing, of all things? Well, we are a home business family that produces a bimonthly magazine where advertising is involved, and we are looking for new ways to promote ourselves. We also have web sites, my sons are interested in small business ventures, and hey, it's just become an interest so I thought, I can learn something worthwhile here. I was right.

I have been telling myself more and more, that when opportunity comes knocking, if you can, take advantage of it. I didn't want to miss out on this opportunity involving my favorite homeschool magazine with these 30+ friendly, awesome ladies from TOS and elsewhere. AND at the end of the class they offered several staff positions to ladies that had done especially well and successfully completed the class.

Guess what? I was one of those offered a position. Wow, I was almost in shock, but I knew God had called me into this and I shouldn't be surprised at what He can do through me. My new part time position is E-book Production Assistant, and I will work with the production of E-books that TOS produces, writing ads (sell sheets) and managing the E-books and I'm even contributing a chapter in their soon to be released new book To Market, To Market. (The publisher really liked my last written assignment and asked if I'd expand it for the book.) Getting compensated for writing is a dream come true. I pray that I can be a great team member and be used in a significant way in this new endeavor, and continue to be an encouragement to homeschoolers through TOS.

Our Homeschool Gazette Story (Newspapers and Reporters Unit Study)

One of the best unit studies we ever did resulted in a wonderful way of sharing what we were learning and writing with other homeschoolers around the world. This is taken from our web site Homeschool Gazette. We no longer accept submissions there, nor do we have a newsletter, but you'll find some creative ideas and encouraging information. ~Kathy

Since age seven, Josiah took off with reading. He loved 3-2-1 Contact, Ranger Rick, and Highlights magazines. His favorite was Reader's Digest, in which I had to rip out any unwanted articles that I preferred to hide from him. I so enjoyed seeing him curled up with a book, and hear him chuckle at something funny he had read.

Writing was a different story. He had a vivid imagination and could sometimes narrate his ideas, but he seemed to balk at attempts to write on his own, outside of simple thank you notes and short letters to grandma. I felt he needed a reason to write.

An inexpensive work book caught my attention in a homeschool catalog - Newspaper Reporters (an introduction to newspaper writing), published by Teacher Created Materials. At age nine, Josiah, and Gideon, seven, began a unit study on "Newspapers and Reporters". My idea was to study various aspects of good writing related to newspaper and magazine type articles, try writing their own similar articles using our word processor, culminating the study with a newsletter filled with their writings to share with family and friends. The boys thought it sounded like fun. It worked out to be one of the best ideas I've ever had!

Grandma sent a Sunday paper from Ocala, Florida. We lived in Washington state at the time and I wanted a different perspective on the news to study from. We used the workbook but only as a guide to meet our own desires and needs, feeling free to skip parts that we had no interest in (like writing sports stories) or that were redundant, unnecessary, or unappealing to the boys. It had some great ideas though that we had fun using.

Before long, the boys compiled articles, poems, ads, puzzles, cartoons, and a contest. Josiah wrote a humorous piece after reading the Dave Barry columns. He wrote a feature article on traveling through New York state, requiring research. Gideon dictated an intriguing work of prose about springtime. We studied layout, headlines, art, advertising, weather, proofreading, interviews, and editorials. Some of Josiah's work was half narrated, which helped ease his way into writing on his own.

At the time we were ready to embark on our own newsletter compilation, a real live computer had just arrived in our living room! The timing was perfect. Our study turned to computers and learning how to set up our newsletter using Publisher software. We turned out our first Homeschool Gazette soon afterward. The computer became an instant love, and Josiah absorbed knowledge incredibly, as if by osmosis. The newsletter turned out so nice, we all had the idea to continue it, making it a publication that our friends (most all homeschoolers) could participate in. [We published it faithfully for close to five years. Josiah designed and maintains this web site, and other homeschoolers from around the world are welcome to participate.] But best of all, Josiah is a writer, and an editor. When he gets an idea, he can whip out an article on the computer and he enjoys it.

During this particular time of study, we concentrated on writing and language arts. Only a smattering of math was accomplished apart from facts review. We read a lot together, and discussed what we liked about the articles we read and what we didn't like. I also participated by writing some of my own articles to share with the boys. It was a very enjoyable time for all of us. As a side note, I have heard home school moms say to me, "But you are so creative. I could never do what you do!" Perhaps they are afraid to try. We are ALL creative, and just need to act on our ideas. Relax, and let your God inspired creative ideas go wild...

P.S. Our boys are presently 22, 19, 16, & 13.

A Job Well Done

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." -Ecclesiastes

The packed auditorium was buzzing with excitement as we sat among a few scattered parents and dozens of children of all sizes and ages. It was Jeremiah's turn to audition for his first full length play, Seussical the Musical. He had been given a page of script in which he had just a few minutes to review and then gave a "cold" reading. Pretty good.

We waited some more. Time to sing. Wait a minute, can Jeremiah sing? His chosen song was the humorous parody Cats in the Kettle sung to the tune of Cats in the Cradle as written by Weird Al (If you've never heard it, look it up on the web). The audience was tickled with his antics and his voice, and I think that's what won him the part of The Grinch. He also played a double role as the eagle.

Though on stage for most of the production, his speaking (and solo singing) parts were relatively small. He went to almost all of the practice days of which there were too many, often having to wait long periods for his turn to come up. He really gave his all to each of four performances.

Well the play has been long over for months now, but several lasting friendships resulted, and so many good things have transpired as part of that experience. (A dream of mine was for the boys to be able to participate in the realm of drama or perhaps speech in some way.)

A few weeks ago Jeremiah got notice in the mail that he was nominated for an award and to please come to the awards ceremony which was last Saturday night. We went not expecting anything but a good time, but we were pleasantly surprised. The very first award given was for "Outstanding Performance By a Supporting Actor in Children's Literature" (of which all nominations were from Seussical) and Jeremiah won! He went up on stage and received his award and said his thank-you.

This unexpected delight was recognition of a job well done that somebody(s) had noticed. It amazed us to think of the large cast of characters in the play and that he was chosen. A speaker for the Arts Council summed it up this way: "Their role may or may not have been a big one, but their performance was such that when you walked out the theater door, their character made a definite impact on you."

Congratulations again to Jeremiah for a job well done!

Our Family's Favorites & Worthwhile Reading List

The following list of books include some of our all time favorites and inspirational treats (in no particular order). Many have been delightful read-alouds, especially those at the top children's section. There are some genres I'm not including like much adult fiction and very young children's books, poetry, political or historical, though they'd have a place in my favorites also, and I'm sure I've left out a few that should have been included here. These are mainly from the gist of our normal life's reading. If you want to explore new horizons or have a life changing experience, check these out!


Children/Teens:

• Heidi by Johanna Spyri
• Little Britches, Father and I Were Ranchers by Ralph Moody (and others in the series)
• Sir Gibbie by George MacDonald
• A Hive of Busy Bees by Effie M. WIlliams
  
• Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. James
• Mama's Bank Account by Kathryn Forbes
• Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
• James Herriot's Treasury for Children by James Herriot
  
• Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
• Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
• The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
• Little Women by by Louisa May Alcott (also Little Men)
• The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann D. Wyss
• Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
• Far North by Will Hobbs
• Lost on a Mountain in Maine by Joseph Egan
• Pagoo by Holling C. Holling
  
• Minn of the Mississippi by Holling C. Holling
• Benjamin West and his cat Grimalkin by Marguerite Henry
  
• Leonardo Da Vinci (Childhood of World Figures) by George E. Stanley
• Painting America's Wildlife: John James Audubon by Janet Stevenson
• Seeing Fingers - the story of Louis Braille byEtta DeGering
  
• Little House in the Big Woods (and others in the series) by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Brink
• Missionary Stories for Children
• Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
• Nothing is Impossible: the Story of Beatrix Potter by Dorothy Aldis
  
• So Dear to My Heart by Sterling North
• Rascal by Sterling North
• Young Thomas Edison by Sterling North
• Holes by Louis Sachar
• The Giver by Lois Lowry
• The Saturdays (and others) by Elizabeth Enright
• The Merry Adventure's of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle
• The Great Fire by Jim Murphy
• An American Plague by Jim Murphy
• Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Spear
• Hank the Cowdog (and many in the series) by John R. Erickson
• The Chronicles of Narnia (series) by C. S. Lewis
• Cricket in Times Square by George Selden
• There's an Owl in the Shower by Jean Craighead George
• My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
• Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli
• Homesick by Jean Fritz (and her many historical fiction biographies for children)
• The Great Brain by John D.l Fitzgerald (more in the series)
• The Borrowers by Mary Norton
• Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
• The Ransom of Red Chief and other stories by O. Henry
• Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Gray
• Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
• Watership Down by Richard Adams
• Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter
• Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
• Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
• The Wheel on the School by Meindert Dejong
• Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
• Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• All Creatures Great and Small and others by James Herriot
• One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich and others by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
• The Strange Lives of Familiar Insects by Edwin Way Teale
• Tesla: Man Out of Time by Margaret Cheney
• Scottish Chiefs by Jane Porter
• The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky
• Archimedes & the Door of Science by Jeanne Bendick
• Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
• Augustus Caesar's World by Genevieve Foster
• The World of William Penn by Genevieve Foster
• Material World by Peter Menzel (photographic journal)
• Honey For a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt

Women's Interest:

• The Story of My Life by Helen Keller
• Mrs. Mike by Benedict and Nancy Freedman
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• The Small Woman: The True Story of Gladys Aylward of China by Alan Burgess
  
• Honey For a Woman's Heart by Gladys Hunt
• I'm Going to be the Greatest Mom Ever by Terri Camp
• Fascinating Womanhood by Helen Andelin
• Created to Be His Helpmeet by Debi Pearl
• How to Become Your Husband's Best Friend by Gary Smalley
• Creative Counterpart by Linda Dillow
• The Fruit of Her Hands: Respect and the Christian Woman by Nancy Wilson
• Praise Her in the Gates: the Calling of Christian Motherhood by Nancy Wilson
• Intimate Issues by Linda Dillow and Lorraine Pintus
• Seasons of a Mother's Heart by Sally Clarkson
• Tilly by Frank E. Peretti
• Pro-Life Christians by Joe Gulotta

Educational:

• Ignite the Fire by Terri Camp
• The Holy Bible
• A Child's History of the World (also Art & Geography) by V. M. Hillyer
• The Way They Learn by Cynthia Tobias
• Teach Your Own by John Holt
• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
• The Law by Frederick Bastiat
• Preparing for Adolescence by Dr. James Dobson
• The Well-Educated Mind by Susan Wise Bauer
• Literature Alive! by Cay A. Gibson
• The Moral Compass by William J. Bennett
• Letters to Jessica by Robert Bissett
  
• Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew
• The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

Marriage/Family Helps:

• Jumping Ship by Michael Pearl
• Grace Walk by Steve McVey
• Shattered Dreams: God's Unexpected Pathway to Joy by Larry Crabb
• The Marriage Builder by Larry Crabb
• Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul by John Eldredge
• Sheet Music by Kevin Leman
• Love is a Decision by Gary Smalley & John Trent
• The Blessing by Gary Smalley & John Trent
• His Needs, Her Needs - How to Build an Affair Proof Marriage by Willard F. Harley Jr.
• The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands by Dr. Laura Schlessinger
  
• Marriage Fitness by Mort Fertel

Health, Nutrition, Cooking:

• Inflammation Nation by Floyd H. Chilton
• What the Bible Says About Healthy Living by Rex Russell
• Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
  
• God & Vitamins by Marjorie Holmes
• The Hallelujah Diet by George Malkmus

I love to get recommendations and always have a "to read" list going. Please share your favorites with us too!

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

What I'm Reading

I don't usually read much fiction for myself. The last book of fiction I read was the huge Echo in the Darkness by Francine Rivers, which was recommended to me. I mostly read it when it comes highly recommended which is what interested me in the book Honey for a Woman's Heart. I gave "Honey..." also to my mom as a gift and she has dissected it and is finding all sorts of great treasures as a result which we discuss together.

I still like to read kid's picture books. This week at the library I found Leonardo's Horse by a favorite children's author, Jean Fritz. I have a collection of hers but didn't even know about this particular book. Now I need to buy one for my own. I have read much fiction, especially historical fiction with the boys over so many years of homeschooling (my favorite activity!) but I tend to love what is true the most and that is what excites me - real stories of real heroes in real life!!

There's a slew of interesting books all beckoning me at once. Let's see what I am reading at this scene in my life...

• Honey For a Woman's Heart by Gladys Hunt
• Living Peacefully in a Stressful World by Ron Hutchcraft
• The Teenage Liberation Handbook by Grace Llewellyn
• The Bible Cure for Weight Loss & Muscle Gain by Don Colbert, M.D. (rereading)
• The Writer's Jungle by Julie Bogart
• Families Writing by Peter R. Stillman
• Home by Choice by Brenda Hunter, Ph.D.
• Caring Enough to Forgive; Caring Enough to Not Forgive by David Augsburger
• Write Upon My Heart : Cheerfulness by Keepers of the Faith Publishing
• The Raw Food Gourmet by Gabrielle Chavez
• Your Right to be Beautiful-the Miracle of Raw Foods by Tonya Zavasta (a bit at a time)
  
• Juices & Smoothies by Suzannah; Farrow, Joanna Olivier

With the Boys:

• It's a Jungle Out There! by Ron Snell
• Created for WORK - Practical Insights for Young Men by Bob Schultz
• Fearfully & Wonderfully Made - a Surgeon Looks at the Human & Spiritual Body by Dr. Paul Brand & Philip Yancey