Classics, Nonfiction, and Children's Literature
Big Mean Mike by Michelle Knudsen, illustrated by Scott Magoon (Candlewick, 2012) is about a rough-edged dog who learns to have a little bit of a softness to him when fuzzy white bunnies begin following him around. Although Mike doesn’t want to be known as a softy, the fuzzy bunnies begin to grow on him. As
Z is for Moose by Kelley Bingham, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinksy (Greenwillow, 2012) is a creative alphabet book. Zebra is directing an alphabet of friends (including Apple and Ball and others) in a alphabet pageant, and Moose is really excited for his turn. The problem is that when it comes to the letter M, Zebra
One “cold little afternoon, in a cold little town,” Annabelle finds a way to warm her town when she finds a box full of yarn and she decides to knit sweaters for everyone and everything. Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen (Balzer + Bray, 2012) is a magical book, with a hint of intrigue
One Cool Friend by Toni Buzzeo, illustrated by David Small (Dial Books, 2012) features a very proper boy who adopts a very proper-looking kind of animal, a penguin. With his father always distracted inside of a book or newspaper, Elliot seems to be going about it without his father understanding. For example, Elliot very politely takes
Otto the Book Bear by Katie Cleminson (Disney Hyperion, 2011) was probably my son’s favorite book this week. Otto is a bear that lives inside of a book, but likes to come out when no one is around. When Otto gets left behind on the family moving day, he feels very small. He finds the world
Lemonade in Winter by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Schwartz and Wade, 2012) is a clever story to teach about money. A brother and a sister have decided to have a neighborhood lemonade stand, despite the fact that it is the middle of winter and snow covers the ground. Their parents suggest they won’t have
There seem to be a variety of ways of approaching explorers to America. Share superficial information? Delve into the negative facts about the explorers? Although I’m not keen on focusing on the negative colonial aspects of American history, it is important that my young kindergartner(age 5) get some type of overview of the various explorers
I have to say that I may be one of the most unusual homeschooling/classics reading/living books-loving moms out there for this reason: I really do not like D’Aulaire’s book about Leif Erikson (Leif the Lucky). And this is not just the case with Leif Erickson. The more of the other D’Aulaires historical books I read (Pocahontas, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham
For a indigenous perspective on Christopher Columbus’ arrival to the new world, I read the picture book Encounter by Jane Yolen (illustrated by David Shannon; Harcourt, 1992). This showed the arrival of “strangers” on an island, from the perspective of a dreaming young boy who forebodes danger for his people. It’s clear that the strangers
My kindergartner (age 5) and I read aloud Pedro’s Journal by Pam Conrad (first published 1991), a fictionalized middle-grade novel from the perspective of a young cabin boy who attended to Columbus on the voyage. My son really liked this book because it seemed like a fun adventure! He loved the chapter when young Pedro sank the
Although it seems that Native American culture is a topic that is covered in detail in various books that study each individual tribe, there seem to be few books for early readers celebrating the entire existence of Native American Indians. We did find one fantastic book to celebrate Native Americans: Many Nations by Joseph Bruchac
One of the first “explorers” books about Christopher Columbus that my five-year-old son and I read for our homeschooling history year was Stephen Krensky’s early reader Christopher Columbus: Explorer and Colonist (originally published 1991). This was just what an early reader needs for nonfiction: easily accessible text, just enough information, and not too many pages. My
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