Two great books
Here are some great books we have been reading this week.
My younger two children, ages 4 and 7, are reading this and that. A great way to read for kids!
My nine-year-old is reading Swiss Family Robinson, by Johann Wyss. It is a great old book. I had never read it, either, but I enjoyed reading through it before my son began. It tells the tale of a family with four sons who are shipwrecked on an unknown island. They make an idyllic existance there, with hard work and luck. They meet all manner of animals, from penguins and elephants to monkeys and ostriches. There is a lot of hunting, and animal death, which seems strange to our modern thinking. However, it is a great adventure book for those who are willing to wade through the slightly more difficult writing.
I have two books this week. I love to read more than one book at a time, going back and forth as I wish!
My first offering is for those who are Tolkien fans, or who wish to read the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I have to admit that I was a fan long before the movies. Since my mother put the books in my 13-year-old hands (a long time ago now), I have read and re-read the stories countless times. I purchased The Origins of Tolkien's Middle-earth For Dummies by Greg Harvey, one of the books covering a wide range of subjects for the Dummies series. I got it as a joke, or a humorous piece. However, I have found it to be full of great information and a great way to keep all the people, places, and events in the history of Middle-earth straight. This would be a great addition for any homeschooler beginning the series.
My second book this week is by Ron Clark. I am a sucker for good teacher movies, so when I heard "The Ron Clark" story advertised on television a while back, I was enchanted. I tuned in, and was not dissapointed. Ron Clark is a dynamic guy who is full of energy and passion for teaching kids. Having taught in public schools in North Carolina and New York, he is now opening the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, Georgia. You will have to read it to get the full idea, but if i lived there and could get my kids in his school, I would gladly give up homeschooling! Anyhow, I have recently purchased and read his book, The Essential 55, his books of essential rules for the classroom. Only, these rules go way beyond the classroom and affect the way we interact with others and behave in a mannered way. I am really excited about this book, and plan on using some of these rules in our own small homeschool, and instituting more at some of the classes I teach. This book is a great tool for any teacher you know, all parents, and quite a few adults!
Read deep, read wide, but most of all, just read! Happy reading!
