An Assortment of Audio Treasures
“Mommy, can you put it on now?” one child asks before we even get the coats, the hats, and the littlest one all out the door.
“Just a minute, I can’t even think about that yet.” I answer as I grab the toddler running by without her shoes.
“I already got it ready!” the eight year old yells from the back as I dump the diaper bag on the seat beside me in the van.
“Just let me get going,” I growl.
“Don’t ask again,” the ten year old whispers to everybody. Finally, we’re on the interstate, my swirling thoughts settling like the snow that was here last week.
I reach for the button and I hear, “She’s doing it. Â She’s putting it on.”
And the story begins. Â Most assuredly, it was one of these:
Radios Dramas by Focus on the Family Radio Theater
Once my eldest began listening to this series, she’s never again been satisfied with one person narrating a book on cd. For the past few years, these have been the main request for her Christmas list. Thoughtful story selection, great acting and writing, and a dramatic sound and musical score blended together into a compelling story. We have the entire Narnia Series(listened to repeatedly both in the car and at home) and The Secret Garden. We’ve listened to Squanto and hope to add it to our collection soon. On Christmas Day, Anne of Green Gables and George MacDonald’s At The Back of the Northwind will find a new audience.
These volumes are a great way to dive into history as a family.  There a many, many volumes and they’re told in a dramatic format like the Focus on the Family series.  We’ve entered the life of slave with Sojourner Truth, grown up with Eleanor Roosevelt, and journeyed to a famous hymn with John Newtown.  Though these don’t match the top notch quality of the Focus on the Family Series, they’ve still engaged our whole family.  They have another series that chronicles the life of Jesus. My only word of caution is that occasionally one of the historical stories will include content  a bit questionable for our younger kids.  I’ve found that this series is a mixed bag, we find a volume in which every story is great and appropriate and then with another we might skip a few stories and I might silently wish the acting was a little better.  We have not found these are the library, but you can buy them online and look for good deals at your local homeschool convention.
Classical Kids
We don’t own these cd’s but they’ve always been on my “To Purhchase” list. Â Dramatic, well-written, musically inspired stories about great composers. Â We just finished Mozart’s Magnficient Journey this morning on the way home. Â I didn’t let them bring it inside this week to listen, because I didn’t want to miss any of the story. Â If only they would make more of these.
And finally, Seeds Family Worship:
Okay, so these cd’s are not story collections, they are a collection of even more important words. Â I can’t help but mention these Bible verses put to music, delightfully not dumbed down either in words or music, for the whole family. Â Many times these verses have stirred in my heart at just the right moment. Seeds in my heart. Â There are six volumes and they are all available for listening free online OR, if you purchase the a cd, you get a second cd free to give away. Â Seeds of Courage and Seeds of Encouragement are two of our favorites.
“Mommy, I can picture it now…”
That’s what I’ve heard from my 5 year old son each time we’ve read aloud for the last two weeks. Â Because of his older sister, I thought it was normal for all children to enjoy the Narnia books at 4 and listen to two hours of Little House on the Prairie tapes by age 5. Â On the contrary to his very auditory older sister, prior to the past few weeks, the boy always groaned when I pulled out a chapter book and he’s just begun to enjoy books on tape but mostly prefers music not long well-written prose. Â Finally, he’s tracking a lengthy story with enthusiasm, stopping twice in thirty minutes to say, “Mommy, I can picture it. Â I can see the fence and the tree and the dogs trying to get the coon. Â I bet Billy’s going to win the bet, don’t you?”
The book that has won him over is Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. Â Well, it has the right elements to capture a boy’s heart-a determined boy with an adventure, puppy and woods style. Â Even my girls are roaming through Billy’s world in their mind as we read, anxious to see who will win, coon or dog.
So I’m here to encourage you. Â If your boy needs to jump and drive cars while you read, let him. Throw in great picture books along with your chapter book while he’s still growing into his listening and comprehension skills. Â Keep trying GREAT books, and eventually I hope you’ll hear those sweet words, “No, don’t stop, another chapter, plee-ase!”
Readers note: Â This book does contain tragedy, some detailed passages of a fatal injury to a human and a heart-wrenching ending that is worth tears of sadness and joy as Billy struggles with the ways of God. Â I edited those two passages for younger ears.
Discovering a Nothing to Do Kind of Day
We happened upon a sweet picture book that I wanted to share with you. Â We’ve been happening upon a lot of great picture book finds now that summer has begun and I’m not pulling chapter books for school. Â I’d forgotten the joy of walking through the aisles and pulling out a book with great illustrations, maybe something I’ve never seen before or maybe an old friend.
Tonight’s surprise grab from the library bag was Nothing to Do by Douglas Wood and Illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin.
Nothing to Do begins likes this:
“Once in a while, along comes a day when there is nothing-absoultely, positively nothing to do.”
Which at first sounds similiar to our children’s cry of boredom, but it’s actually the voice of a boy who’s celebrating the day that has no “school. homework. dance class. soccer practice. no anything.” And he embarks upon a day of true childhood fun, entreating the person with the “big shoes”(aka, us, the adults) to give it a try.
With whimsical illustrations, the girls and I were reminded of the potential of  a There’s Nothing to Do Today kind of day.
In this book Halperin chooses six patterns from nature and uses them as the base of each picture. Â We might try our own take on her ideas tomorrow. Â With pure happenstance(I didn’t even know what the book was about before we opened it) waiting on the printer was a list of things to do when you’re bored that I’d printed out the night before. Â The girls ran and grabbed the list, giggling at “organize your room” and “walk the dog”(mom, we don’t have a dog).
It turns out we’re familiar with Halperin’s illustrations through another series from the summer. Â If you enjoy her illustrations try the Cobble Street Cousins by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Halperin as well. Be prepared for your kids to ask if they can start their own cookie company in the neighborhood.
The next book kept our good mood rolling,
Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek: A Tall, Thin Tale(Introducing His Forgotten Friend) by Deborah Hopkinson
If you like this one try another book by Hopkinson,
Apples to Oregon Being the (slightly) True Narrative of How a Brave Pioneer Father Brought Apples, Peaches Pears, Plums, Grapes, and Cherries(and Children) Across the Plain Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter
Both are based on true events but told with tall tale humor.
Enjoy your day, reading or doing nothing.
Read This Book Out Loud
Life and learning have carried on over the past few months even without a record of either in words.
For today, a quick review of a book that we’ve all fallen head over heels for in the Anteater house. Experiencing books aloud has brought us much joy over the years, long past the time that my nine year started reading on her own.
The Indian and the Cupboard contains all of  the elements that make for a great family read-aloud. Adventure, characters that jump off the page and demand a great performance, anxious and hilarious scenes, and a story that was enjoyed from ages 5 to 32(note: probably the first chapter book that our 5 year old boy didn’t  say “next you’ll read a book for me, right mommy” when I pulled it out, this time it was his book too).
When Omri receives a cast-off plastic indian from his best friend he tries to shrug off his disappointment, only to discover that with the help of an old cupboard and a family heirloom key, it will be his most memorable present ever. Â After studying Indians this year, we all appreciated that Little Bear was not just a generic Indian but an Iroquois who refuses a teepee and builds a longhouse instead. Â The care to detail doesn’t necessarily carry over to Boone, the cowboy, but he’s really too loveable to let that matter long. Â This story opens-wide the possibility of favorite toys being brought to life and the possible, unnexpected consequences when Omri and Patrick discover just how real their toys can become. Note: From a parent’s perspective, this made a better read aloud because there were a few words and phrases along with a playful emphasis at the end on Boone’s cowboy-ish need for a drink that I skipped over without losing any of the grand adventure.
Add it to the summer read aloud list.
Other books you might consider reading aloud if you stopped sharing stories after the Dr. Seuss years(these will appeal to various ages, you know your family the best):
- My Father’s Dragon
- The Invention of Hugo Cabret
- Peter Pan
- Anne of Green Gables
- The Narnia Series
- Mrs. Piggle Wiggle
- Mr. Poppers Penguins
- A Wrinkle in time
- The Hobbit
Speaking of books, I was out just this morning combing garage sales for our family bookstore, our idea for spurring on young readers.
reading together last spring
Keeping Track of Good Reads
My middlest daughter  has gained the most ground with her reading whenever we’ve offered an incentive of some kind.  While her older sister is reading a chapter book every two days, Jellybean still bounces around from book to book, never really seeing one all the way through. I’ve been trying to think of a way for the girls to keep a record of the books they’ve read.
I found these fun book forms tonight, they look like a creative way to summarize a book. Â I’m thinking about offering some time of incentive for every 5 log pages completed. Â No, they won’t have to do one on every book they read, and I might make the number higher for the 9 year old. Â Our summer bookstore will be opening again in a few months, so I’m thinking of a simpler reward for the present moment. Â We’ve instituted a full hour of quietness at our house, removing play and audio books for those precious moments of peace. Â Maybe I’ll offer minutes of audio book time on fridays, I’ll have to think on it.
I printed several of each type of log and I’ll let them choose what strikes their fancy. Â They’ll keep their completed forms in a folder and then we can staple them together at the end of the year. Â I think I’ll also provide a blank list for recording the titles of books that aren’t entered into a form.
To view and print the six book logs, go here, click on any of the “logs”.
Jimmie also has some great resources for encouraging your child to dive, not just toe waggle, Â into a book.
Books to Feed the Hungry Reader at Your House
As I sat in a chair(or rather scurried around the floor as Sparkles wove a maze between the chairs) and listened to the speaker, I patted myself on the back, “Great, she says I need to make great readers  and then my kids can learn anything they want to learn.  Two kids down, two to go.”  And then I listened some more and bought more books.  But in the afternoon someone asked the question that had also been forming in my mind.
“What if you’ve created a reader who carries a book from room to room each day, but you can’t keep up with them. Â What I mean is, how can I find more books that are well-written but also still appropriate for him, how can I keep up with him?”
Exactly my problem with our 9 year old.
Lucky for me the speaker had an answer. Â She recommended two books and said if we purchased the two books our readers would have hundreds and hundreds of books to choose from and we would approve of them all.
We just checked out one of the two recommended books from the library, perfect timing after a week of Mookie asking me as the hour of daily quiet time approached, “What do you think I should read mommy? And remember I like adventures.”
Books Children Love: A Guide to the Best Children’s Literature by Elizabeth Wilson
After almost five years of homeschooling, something like pride has crept into my heart regarding my knowledge of great reads for families. Â I keep the Sonlight lists handy(even though we don’t use the curriculum), take a peak at Ambleside, poke around on blogs, Â and generally, Â keep my eyes and ears open and for a few years begun to recognize an overlap amongst the recommended books. Â I’ve become comfortable with their names, a running list from which our family can choose. Â So I was both anxious to get this book and also worried that it would consist of already tapped book titles.
I was wrong. Â How delighted I am to discover that there really are hundreds of books suggestions, three-quarters of them completely and wonderfully unknown to me! Â The author has grouped the books under similiar subject/genre. Â From Dance and Art, to several chapters on Literature, divided further into Fantasies, Realistic Stories-Historical, and Realistic-Modern to name a few.
When the speaker mentioned this book she said, “Give it to your child, let them mark all the books that interest them, putting their initial next to the ones that grab their attention.” Â As soon as we get our own copy, we plan to do just that, but until then we requested 10 new-to-us books from the library today.
What are you feeding your hungry reader?
Books in Hand
No wonder life has felt off-kilter at our house.
We’ve been forgetting to read.
What a crazy thing to say about a family who started their babies teething on books. Â Absolutely ridiculous to insinuate when the mom reads a couple of books a week on average. Â Kookier even still when we’ve considered in the past what non-essential furniture(like couches and beds) could be removed in order to fit more bookshelves in our small abode.
But it happened. Â Not a completely ink-free home, but the days a sleepy little baby while I read aloud on a porch swing are over Drummer boy who does not enjoy endless chapter books like his sisters. Â With limited time to get things done, I’ve found myself buying into the idea that we should give that precious time to tasks that give me a more tangible sense of accomplishment.
Thanks goodness we’ve recovered from that, and all is right in the world again.
Here are a few things we’ve a been enjoying, there’s a little bit for everyone.
Usborne Stories From Around the World
Finally a book that all three kids moan and groan after just one short story, “Puh-lease, just one more.” Â And then I sweetly, but sympathetically close the book and say, “Not until tomorrow.” Â Each 2-3 page fable, fairy tale, or myth originates from a different world location, providing a great chance to send kids running to the map on the wall to find New Zealand, Morrocco, or Sweden. Â There’s also a well-illustrated map at the beginning of the book. Â But even more than map skills, these are clever and adventurous stories, a great addition to our Square time each morning.
Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield was the perfect book to draw us back into a family read aloud.  I’d had this on my list to read for a few years but after reading my friend’s post, I requested it from the library that night. Even Drummer Boy was laughing out loud at the smothering antics of Aunt Frances and the dramatic skills developed in young Elizabeth Ann.  After Aunt Frances takes leave from the story, 9 year old “Betsy” finally begins to think and breathe for herself after arriving at the dreaded house of the Putney Cousins.  I recommed savoring this one as a family, as laughing together will bring Betsy more fully to life.  Your kids will realize how brave and knowledgeable they are compared to the early Elizabeth Ann and as a parent you’ll want start taking cues from the Aunts.
Frindle by Andrew Clements
When I said that we had stopped reading I should have excluded 9 year Mookie from that statment. Â She’s continued her one chapter book a day diet, and I’ve fallen behind on pre-reading some new books for her to keep her well-stocked. Â After reading The School Story by Andrew Clements, she wanted to try some of his other books. Â I read Frindle in about 45 minutes and I knew my daughter who loves books and words(and identifies with the dread of the dictionary) would like this one. Â What a fun adventure for this 5th grader as he attempts to convince his teacher and a town to start using a new word. Â I won’t spoil it for you but this would be a good read for your middle elementary aged child or a family read aloud.
Talkers, Watchers, Doers by Cheri Fuller
This book explores the learning styles of children, offers suggestions to teach within that learning style and also how to strengthen the weaker areas of how your child learns. Â I haven’t read this entire book yet, but since I have a talker, a watcher, and a doer, I’ll be taking notes.