Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes If your children on read one book about the events leading up to the American Revolution, it should be this. Apprenticed to a silversmith, the hero of this story learns the hard and valuable lesson of humility. After enduring an incredible set-back, Johnny finds his place in the world of… Read More Top Picks: For Boys
When I had been reading independently for a couple of years, I tackled David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. I was an ambitious young thing and eager to prove myself capable of plowing through those 12 (Braille) volumes. I was nine years old. It was slow going and I quit after the first chapter. I looked… Read More I Finally Finished Reading It
As we’ve mentioned before, we are a library dedicated to Living Books. We enjoy beauty. We love the feel of sitting down in our favorite spot by the fire and letting some words, penned long ago, feed our souls. We long to connect with the refined, the lovely, the good, the upright, the godly in… Read More New at www.livingbookslibrary.com
Giotto Tended the Sheep by Opal Wheeler The author of the classic Composer Biographies wrote this story of Giotto, the medieval artist known as the “Father of Modern Painting.” Beautiful vintage illustrations accompany the text. Written for mid-elementary through junior high school readers. Millet Tilled the Soil by Sybil Deucher The beloved co-author of the Opal Wheeler Composer… Read More Top Picks: Living Art
One seemingly ordinary Monday morning, we began school singing the hymn, “All Creatures of Our God and King.” As we finished I impulsively asked my eight-year-old son to look outside and tell me if the sunshine really had “golden beams” from the line in the first verse: “Thou burning sun with golden beam”. After a… Read More Golden Moments
Over twenty families visited the library yesterday and it was a fairly typical day of checking in and out books and making book recommendations. It is a marvel that so many parents are so deliberately looking after their children’s education. The day is full for us, going by in a blur as Emily and I enjoy conversations with… Read More Always Winter and Never Christmas
Having spent most of my life in northern Michigan, winter has always been a long season. After the holidaysespecially, it became the tradition in our family to hole up, play games, and read good books. This winter is turning out to be a mild one here in southwest Virginia, but the habit is established. My two youngest sons and… Read More A Season for Reading
Realms of Gold in Children’s Books by Bertha Mahoney and Elinor Whitney. This is my “gold standard” of good book recommendations. It was printed in 1929, so the books are old, though many are still in print, or have been reprinted. The recommendations in this nearly 800 page book are very clearly categorized. Part I… Read More Top Picks: Books about Books
When you think of getting an education, what first comes to mind? School? And what associations do you make with school? Desks? Chalkboards (my age is showing)? Teachers? Textbooks? When you think back to your own school days, whether recent or distant, I would be willing to bet that you can still conjure up the… Read More what is a LIVING BOOK? part four
Emily has written an art appreciation curriculum for SimplyCharlotteMason.com, called Picture Study Portfolios!You can read all about them here. Each portfolio contains everything you need to do a Picture Study unit on one artist: Instructions on how to do Picture Study A Biography of the artist written for children Suggestions for further reading on the… Read More Picture Study Portfolios