Our Family's List of Best Books for Boys

Finding books that boys can really love these days seems like a momentous task, what with video games and media distractions. Teaching a young man that reading is something to be valued is a delicate skill, it seems, but it can be done. Spending time together reading, both parents modeling a love of reading and books, limiting screen time, and allowing for boredom are all critical in developing a love of reading in a boy.

A friend posted this link of 40+ books for boys on Facebook today. I found the list interesting, and it causes me to worry that I've missed some great reads, but we also have a sizable list of our own that I would add. That said, it must not be that difficult to find books that boys love, after all! My 13-year old son has become a bibliophile. Both his dad and I have shared with him our favorite books, and these have become some of his as well. He has also forged a selection of his own favorites, mostly those that were not available when we were kids. I have asked his input on what he would include in a list of books that he couldn't put down, and he listed many of these. Others I have chosen based on my own observation, but he didn't think of them when he was naming books. A few would seem atypical for boys, but we listened to them together and there was no prejudice of them being books "for girls," namely books in the Little House series or The Secret Garden (which he added, not I). Because I have both a son and a daughter, if one wants to participate in a book being read aloud, they must accept the fact that it might not be their first choice. There have been some surprising likes along the way as a result. 

*I'm not providing you the links. You know how to use the internet and your local library. I will be here all day making links and you'll never get to read the list.

That said, here is the list of books my son has loved.

The Chronicles of Narnia (series): My "share" with my son. He has loved every volume except for The Magician's Nephew, which gave him nightmares. He has never wanted to go back and read it again. 

Alice in Wonderland: This is the book that launched my son into reading. Seems a strange choice to me, but I handed him a leather-bound volume that I said had belonged to my grandfather, and his eyes grew wide at the thought that I would let him hold such a thing. He read it cover-to-cover over the next week or so, and took very good care of the book.

Ralph S. Mouse (series): Another of my childhood favorites which has become a favorite of both of my kids. 

Henry Huggins (series): We love Henry. And Ribsy. And his bike. And his paper route. And his guppies. Ramona...ugh!

Ramona (series): Wait...we LOVE Ramona! All of our family loves Ramona. Even when she's pestering Henry.

The Wizard of Oz (series): Son read all of 14 books in this series front to back. Completely enjoyed them.

Frindle: A boy decides to change the name of a pen from "pen" to "frindle" and it catches on. Sounds innocent enough until the school is in an uproar and this new word spreads across the country...

Half-Magic: Laugh-out-loud funny (I know because my kids were cracking up) story about some children who find a magic coin that turns out only to be half-magic. The results of their adventures with this particular magical device are hilarious.

Little Britches (series): Another family read-aloud favorite. Especially good for boys to see what it means to be a young man in a time of need. 

Misty of Chincoteague: Local and true, another favorite for both son and daughter. "The only horse story I ever liked," he added.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane: Lands in the category of very different, thought provoking, and good material for discussion. A toy rabbit is separated from his owner and goes on a lifetime of adventures. Watch out, Mom, you may cry at the end.

The Tale of Despereaux: Like Edward Tulane in that it is thought provoking and very different. A mouse falls in love with a princess?? Yes, something like that...

The Secret Garden: Magical. Listened to this together and enjoyed it completely. You will feel a great need to plant things in the spring, and the beautiful story will remind you to never give up hope.

Around the World in 80 Days: Couldn't stop. Fantastic book. Leaves you with a book hangover. A man takes up the challenge to use all the modern means of travel at his disposal to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days or less. Wonderful character development.

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch: Another family favorite read-aloud that leaves you feeling more able to take on the world. The story of colonial-era navigator Nathaniel Bowditch who, despite being indentured and severely disadvantaged proves himself a math genius, educates himself by learning several languages and re-writes the books on navigation. His work set the standard for accuracy in navigation and is still used and studied today in modern times.

Johnny Tremaine: The story of the American revolution from a handicapped boy's perspective. A great way to experience the founding of our nation.

By the Great Horn Spoon: I can't say too much about this book, but my son gave it an excellent review. Takes place during the California gold rush.

The Sign of the Beaver: Another of my son's favorites. Asked for more like this when he finished reading it. It's the story of a solitary boy who befriends an Indian boy and his grandfather. He has to make a difficult choice when it appears that his family may not return to him and the Indian boy offers his family and friendship.

Farmer Boy (and other Little House Books, but especially this): Another family favorite read-aloud. We love the Little House books, but Farmer Boy had some especially funny moments that endeared it to all of us.

Swallows and Amazons: The story of some children's adventures sailing during their summer holiday. Kid-power all the way. This story was the kind that leaves kids wishing they could have a boat and an island of their own, and will inspire them to build forts and seek adventures, real or imagined. This is the first in a series, but we have only read the first one together.

The Great Brain (series): Dad's share. This was my husband's favorite book series when he was young, and he read them to my son. As a result, these are some of his most cherished books, and he reads them over and over.

Moccasin Trail: One of our family's all-time favorite read-alouds. I sat one day and read for three hours, pausing only to use the rest room. We could not put it down. It is the story of a boy who is separated from his family and is rescued by Indians, and that is all I will say because I refuse to spoil it. A great book for brothers to experience together.

Harry Potter (series): Harry, of course. No introduction necessary. Four Harry Potter fans live here. Yes, I cried at the end. I don't know if my son did or not.

Percy Jackson (series): Percy is a demigod but doesn't know it. He must save the world. How it happens in modern times is quite fun. Both kids have loved Percy.

Heroes of Olympus (series): More Percy

The Wanderings of Odysseus: The Odyssey told to young people with beautiful illustrations. 

Black Ships Before Troy: The Iliad told to young people with beautiful illustrations.

Stories from Shakespeare (various authors) and real Shakespeare productions: My son loves Shakespeare, especially Hamlet and Henry V, which is is favorite. We have never shied away from it, have approached the stories like any other, and have ventured into watching the actual productions together. Anything done by Kenneth Branagh is amazing, but I highly recommend Much Ado About Nothing and Henry V. Attention span required. 

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings: Bilbo, Frodo and all the gang. We are huge LOTR fans from the youngest to the oldest. If reading LOTR is a little too heavy for your kids, I highly recommend the unabridged audio version available on Audible. Even my daughter listened at the tiny age of 8, and amazingly she loved it. Both of my kids have gone through the series more than once, not to mention seen all the movies.

Mysterious Benedict Society (series): A somewhat dystopian series that challenges the mind of anyone, let alone a kid. Invokes the question of what it means to be intelligent, what it means to be human, and how do we prevent tyranny? A savant is solicited for his intelligence but finds himself up against another great mind that seeks unjust power.

Eregon (series): Dragons and fantasy. Son loves it. I have not read it, but can attest to his enthusiasm for this book and this genre.

Animal Farm: A story of barnyard animals. But not. Wicked political satire that had my son and some of his friends saying, "Wait, that's just like what is happening today with (insert political situation x)!" Read as a history assignment two years ago, but still discussed over dinner even now.

Joyful Noise, Poems for Two Voices: Poems written from the point of view of insects that are read together. We have had so much fun reading these together, and it conveys the notion that poetry is neither boring nor inaccessible. Even bugs can write it! Some are funny, some are beautiful, some are sad. My daughter and I began reading these together the other day, and she's hooked, too.

Where the Sidewalk Ends, Runny Babbit and anything by Shel Silverstein

Comics: Garfield, Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts, The Far Side

Off with their Heads! and Remember, Remember the Fifth of November: British history in engaging  story forms, not unlike Horrible Histories. I purchased these in England but a quick search shows me that you can get them here.

Horrible Histories: "History with the nasty bits left in." This is a British series that is very engaging and quite funny with disgusting historical truths and amusing illustrations left right where they belong--on the pages of a boy's history books. 

The Dangerous Book for Boys: A handbook on how to do boy stuff, be a gentleman, an adventurer, and a friend.

The Guinness Book of World Records: Every guy needs this book so he can one-up his pals with weird information. 

Returning to Our Normal

I wish I had pictures of the beautiful ski day that my family had yesterday, but I don't. I was just. too. busy. flying down hills and taking in the sunshine to bother pulling out my phone. I must be better about this in the future. But that happened, and it felt right and wonderful to be doing something crazy together again.

It is now the fourth week in January. We chose to take lessons very easy last semester after my mother's passing to give me the mental space to grieve, which was one of the best decisions I've ever made. The kids kept up with some math, science and history reading, but we did nothing that would require planning on my part or lots of mom-intensive teaching. By January 1, we were all ready to get back to more rigor and a more normal lesson schedule. We are now four weeks in and things are going quite well.

When grief strikes no one can prepare you for it, warn you about it, or explain to you what it might be like. It is a vast, unknown wilderness for everyone who experiences it. On the other side of this are many who have already passed through, and I have found these special people to be dear companions and friends in this season, as they are the only ones who can give sound advice about how to traverse this mysterious place. I am thankful for everyone who gave loving and knowing guidance and support, and am so thankful that I listened to them along the way.

There is not a day that passes that I do not consider my mother--her voice, the memories of her, who she was as a mom and a friend is with me more constantly and more clearly than ever, and I miss her horribly. There are still tears, and often. Even so, the time has come to learn to live again without the shadow of Alzheimer's that lingered for so long.

I will pull out the camera, dust off my writing hat, and return to the things that I love so much. At the very least I want to return to weekly reports of schooling efforts, and continue writing thoughts and contemplations as time allows.

Meanwhile, here are some things that have been happening here in the last month!

   

 PJ school returned to normal

Have enjoyed teaching my little artist...

Been cooking quite a bit, and introducing new veggies to the family, with good results.

Went with good friends to see a theater version of C. S. Lewis's The Great Divorce--a perfect evening out, and a fantastic production

Watched my beloved Green Bay Packers win against the Cowboys in the playoffs with my big bro!

Made peace with my Cowboys-loving neighbor after the game.

Have enjoyed doing lessons with Molly's BFF once a week.

Here they are with their finished spider webs, their final project of the science unit on arachnids.

January is almost passed and February is full. Check back for updates--the one who said she would never homeschool is suddenly faced with decisions about homeschooling through high school--it will be a wild ride, I have no doubt!

More of my Favorite Things

If you have kids who color, you need Lyra colored pencils. 

 

These are the best colored pencils I have found. I have gone through the "just get cheap ones, it won't matter" stage, to "The gurus recommend good pencils so I'd better get Prismacolor" stage to the "I'm not sure colored pencils are all that," stage. That was until I came to these. I have in this picture a mixture of pencils, but they are all Lyra brand, both the "Ferby" types and the "Color Giant" types (the ones with painted sides). My daughter, who loves to color, absolutely loves these pencils. They are fat, they do not wear down quickly, they sharpen beautifully, and they never break inside--you know, that thing that happens when you're happily coloring along with a pencil and suddenly you have half a pencil and most of your lead stuck inside the sharpener? That never happens with these. The color is smooth and intense and blends beautifully. If you are starting out homeschooling with a young child just go ahead and spring for these and save yourself the heartache of spending over and over for inferior colored pencils. Spring for them if you have an older child, too. But wait, there's more...These pencils also have a set specifically designated for skin tones. My daughter is very particular about coloring people the right color. There is a whole box available for just skin tones. You need these. I didn't know there were so many varieties of brown "skin tone." Here are just a few because I have all of ours mixed together. There were 12 shades of skin tone in the pack.

In saying this, I am not suggesting that Prismacolor colored pencils are not good quality--they are. It is hard to find a soft lead that blends nicely and lays down smooth, intense color, and they certainly do. There is also greater variety of colors with Prismacolor, but for general coloring purposes, not to mention blending, these Lyra colors are the best. I would just save my money and purchase the Prismacolor much later.

If you have children who read books, and if you plan to discuss those books with your kiddos, then you need my next favorite thing:

This book has helped me tremendously in learning how to introduce literary analysis to kids. In studying literature with my kids, the thing I don't want to do is kill the love books for my readers. They really don't need to understand everything about literary analysis yet. What they need to know is how to really love and appreciate a book and how to ask questions about it. This book guides parents as they walk with their children through various book selections. The skills gained from these authors' experience leading elementary book club discussions will take students far in their journey of reading. 

My only reservation about this book is that in my opinion, they start the kids a little young. Not only would I not do a book club like this until 5th grade or so, I would also not discuss some of the selections they have chosen with children of the age they are describing. It is not a matter of them being unable to do so, but rather a matter of protecting their innocence for as long as possible.

This week we discussed Call of the Wild using the Deconstructing Penguins model of discussion with children aged 10-12. Every single student stayed fully engaged for over an hour as we discussed the beautiful progression of Buck from pampered prince to full-fledged King of the wild things. I have to credit this book with helping me to structure a conversation with the students that kept them so engaged for so long. All of them left feeling a deeper appreciation for the book than they had when they arrived. Mission accomplished.

Stay tuned for more of my "Favorite Things" as I think of them.

These are a Few of my Favorite Things

Don't you love it when you find a tool that you can use for more than one purpose, or a purchase that you use over and over and really get your money's worth? Here are a few items that I believe have (or definitely will) be worth the money I spent on them because of the usefulness or enjoyment that we get from them.

1. Audible is the number-one purchase I have made for homeschooling. My kids and I love literature, and while I read out loud to them a lot, they read to themselves, there is always more to cover. We all absolutely love Audible. We can find almost any book we want to read, read by a fabulous narrator, and we get to enjoy it together. Maybe I'm just a big kid, but I still love listening to a story. I would much rather do that than watch t.v. I have also used audible for myself on a number of occasions and have "read" some of my favorite books this way. For instance, I read The Help and loved that book so much that I wanted to read it again, but took a different slant and listened to it on Audible instead. The performances by the readers of this book were phenomenal! I enjoyed it even more than I did reading it myself. Another book I couldn't stop listening to was Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. My family couldn't talk to me for a few days and my ears hurt from the ear buds, but my house was very clean that week.

The kids and I look forward to lunch time every day because that is our literature hour. I prepare lunch and they turn on the iPod (stationed at a dock in the kitchen) and we listen. so far we have covered Great Expectations, David Copperfield, Tom Sawyer, Around the World in 80 days, The Swiss Family Robinson, The Secret Garden, Anne of Green Gables, all of Beverly Cleary's Ramona Quimby series and the Henry Huggins series (fun for the summer!) and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

My next favorite thing involves my favorite thing to do--write! Writing is one of those disciplines that I believe people THINK they understand, but in actuality, they don't. Most of us who were raised in the '80s were deprived of excellent writing instruction, and many just fell through the cracks, and this crisis persists even now. I remember thinking that I had aced English in high school, and was shocked and horrified to have my first freshman level composition returned to me, covered in red, with a recommendation that I seek assistance at the writing center. While I believe that I have overcome these initial shortcomings in my ability to write, somewhere down the line my writing instruction fell short. Therefore, I willingly submit to the expertise of someone who is a proven student, writer, teacher, and home educator to avoid the formation of those holes in the education of my children.

2. Writing With Ease by Susan Wise Bauer and her lectures entitled A Plan for Teaching Writing: Taken alone, Writing With Ease (WWE) is one of the best writing curricula out there. Combined with the lectures she has given, it is phenomenal. I have listened to the lectures numerous times--at least two or three times per school year. Bauer is a professor at William and Mary, she has multiple degrees to her name, she was classically homeschooled in an era when this was unheard of, and she herself has homeschooled her four children. There is an excellence about everything that she writes and every lecture she gives. If I understand "The Plan" and am willing to admit that this lady has some sense, I truly believe that my children will turn out to be competent, and perhaps even excellent writers.

5. If we're on the subject of Susan Wise Bauer, then my next favorite thing (which should probably be listed as my #1 favorite homeschooling tool--ever!) is her book The Well-Trained Mind. Don't use it as a formula, but as a guide book, road map, general reference, sanity-finder, talk-me-down-off-that-ledgerator. Quite simply, don't leave home school without it. 

4. Map Trek : There are two things for which I am constantly in search. One is the perfect vacuum cleaner, and the other is the perfect collection of maps. I have not found the perfect vacuum, but Map Trek maps are the closest thing I have found to the perfect collection of maps. They are relevant, clear, and can be printed out on 8 1/2 x 11 paper. There are maps for just about every topic in history that one could cover, and there is a student's version and a teacher's version. Perfect! The one shortcoming that they have is that the tiny details that may be found on some maps may not be present on these, so if you are looking to study physical features or mountain ranges in detail this would not be the right choice. These are intended to go along with the study of history. For example, when we were studying how the plague ravaged Europe in the middle ages, there was a map showing what areas were most affected and in what years. There are many other maps illustrating various other concepts. It is an ideal companion to the study of history, and can be dowloaded in a minute! For $47.00, you can own every map you would need to study history from Ancient times right up to the current war in Afghanistan.

5. Notebooks for Apologia Science: I'm finding that I really don't have to do things the hard way in order to be a good teacher. I don't have to create every worksheet and lap book from scratch! I have wondered for a while if the notebook companions to the Apologia textbooks were worth the money, and finally this year I purchased them to accompany our Anatomy and Physiology book. We have only worked on the first lesson of the book, but in so doing I am figuratively smacking myself on the forehead saying, "This is GREAT! WHY didn't I use these before!?" There are two levels, one for my younger student and one for my older. The notebooks include diagram exercises, study questions, vocabulary exercises, writing exercises, and copy work. You could choose to do all of it or just the pages that benefit your child most.

6. Sticky backed 8 1/2 x 11 sheets: I am so glad we discovered this! My kids love to print photos off from the internet to illustrate notebooks, timelines and lap books. Sticky-back paper means all we have to do is cut out the picture, peel and stick. While I don't mind glue sticks or glue to do this same job, there is a certain "cool" factor that this holds for the kids, since they have made their own stickers. They save time too, and that holds a certain "cool" factor for me.

So far this school year these are my favorite things. I'm sure I'll add to the list as time goes on, but it's early yet! Happy learning!

Toys for Home School Moms...(did I say toys? I meant tools!)

I have always been an office / art / school supply junkie. When I was a kid I hoarded amazing pens and pencils. I began doing calligraphy and keeping a journal at the age of 11. I was always in search of the perfect fountain pen, automatic pencil, or notebook. When I was older and trying to make my calligraphy into art pieces, art supply stores nearly bankrupted me. When I was a teacher, I was just..well...happy. Pens, books, copiers, folders, and all that stuff is just fine with me. Don't get me wrong--I actually do really enjoy the act of teaching as well. I get a huge rush out of being in front of a classroom and having students have "light bulb" moments but this post is about the toys tools of the trade.

When I began homeschooling, the office / art / school supply obsession became a lifestyle. I have, for the past six years, been on a constant quest to find better and better ways of keeping us organized, on track, and efficient. The first home school toy tool that I bought and loved used (and still do) for all kinds of projects was my laminator. It is wonderful how clear and bright and indestructible things can become when they are slipped between two pieces of plastic and heated up.

My husband's vote for the coolest school supply item is the (can't find one when you need one) highlighter. As he says, "It's not just a pen--It's a mark you can see through!" True. What would we do without highlighters? Molly likes them for more than just identifying the sound that she's learning...but then, she is her Daddy's girl.

Another essential home school friend tool is the humble three-hole punch. One must have one to remain sane. There is no way I would go about lining up and punching by hand all the holes I need to punch on any given day. It is definitely a friend to me...But his reign in my house may be threatened, because a new toy tool has made its way into my home. This would be the amazing, never to be matched comb binder. I have become Kinko's incarnate. (Remember the scene in Wayne's World when Wayne looks at the Fender Stratocaster and says, "It will be mine. Oh yes, it will be mine"? This is how I feel right now.) See, while I love the humble hole-punch tool, I do not love the even more humble three-ring binder. They take up far too much space, they do not hold pages securely, cats love to lie on them when they are open and rip out the pages, thereby requiring the pesky hole-reinforcer. Kids also love to escape from the table as soon as they have finished their worksheets and leave the loose pages everywhere for me to sort and file in the three-ring binders. They are necessary, I suppose, but I do not love them.

The comb-binder, by contrast, can host such a variety of options for notebooks, filing, and making reports that I can come up with any number of assignments for my kids in seconds, just so that I get to use this fancy gizmo. It looks like this:

 

(I do not think it rates as "humble")

And makes notebooks look like this:

 

Look how tidy and peaceful it looks lying beside my coffee cup. 

The one disadvantage to this is that it cannot easily be used as a binder in which you can continually insert and remove things, but if one wishes to make up packets of worksheets and assignment pages, or a grouping of maps, or a workbook that lies flat when it is being used, then this gizmo is for you. (I considered the Circa system by Levenger to circumvent this problem, but could not justify the price.) For other things, the pesky 3-ring binder can continue to be used, but when a quarter's worth of work is completed (say, for writing), it can be quickly bound and saved for posterity. One can take a collection of the students' best work for the year and bind together as a portfolio for the year, then toss the rest! It will serve me well for the summertime clutter-bust, when I clean out all the notebooks and files and save only what is worthwhile.

I have examined other TOG users' blogs to see how planning goes for them. Many of them do in fact make the notebooks up ahead of time, placing all of the necessary worksheets, maps and assignments into one bound workbook per quarter, and in spite of all my joking here, this is my motivation for borrowing my friends' comb binder (and consequently purchasing my own). I decided to start this final unit of Year 3 to see if it is a method that will work well for us in the future as we continue with TOG. I needed a more effective way to keep all of their weekly work in one place, as well as a way to see it all together at one time. I love having a way to quickly look back and review all that has been covered in a unit. If it works well, I will plan out the next two to four units this summer and get them ready for next school year. (Ah...planning...one of my other favorite pastimes, but that is a post for another day.)