I love telling you about great books to put on your library shelves. But, don't leave this one on the shelf. Pick it up and read it cover to cover!

Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan is a Christian classic that was written in a jail cell. John Bunyan (1628-1688) was a Puritan pastor in the seventeenth century (1600’s).

​John was arrested for his faith and teaching which did not line up with the Anglican Church viewpoint at the time. From his jail cell, he wrote down a dream. Wow! What an intricate dream!

This allegory (symbolic story) follows Christian, the hero of the story and a pilgrim on a journey from the City of Destruction to the Heavenly City. An allegory is a story on two levels. On the first level Pilgrim’s Progress is a literal adventure story with all kinds of twists and turns. But, there is a second level to the story. The symbolic story is the story of every Christian who tries to live a pure Christian life. We each have our own adventure of trials, temptations, and tribulations.

John was not a godly little boy or young man.

​Bertie’s War by Barbara Tifft Blakey takes you back in time to the early 1960’s when America was facing the Cuban Missile Crisis.

It was a stressful time for everyone, but especially for our protagonist, Bertie, the youngest of three children. Her father is strict and Bertie tries very hard to please him, but it is the threat of missiles pointed at the United States that is hard for Bertie to understand.

When her father builds a bomb shelter for her grandparents, she is baffled. Why isn’t her father protecting his wife and children too?

Barbara takes us inside Bertie’s heart to feel her struggles and fears. We see the world through her eyes. We meet the people she loves and those she struggles to relate to. Children and young adults reading the book will relate to Bertie and her inner thoughts. 

Celebrations are never complete without stories.

And our American Thanksgiving is full of stories.

Here are two chapter books that are lovely to read aloud to your children or grandchildren during the week of Thanksgiving.

Divide the chapters up so that you can finish the whole book in a week. The children will love these books and they give them a look back in time to the very first Thanksgiving.  

​Celebrations are never complete without stories.

And our American Thanksgiving is full of stories.

You can Learn from the Pilgrims and Puritans in my blog, but there are many more picture books and chapter books that are lovely to read aloud to your children or grandchildren.

Here are some picture books to read aloud.

Samuel Eaton’s Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Boy by Kate Waters with Photographs by Russ Kendall (Scholastic 1989) is a lovely picture book with photographs taken at Plimoth Plantation, a living history museum. Samuel sailed over on the Mayflower with the Pilgrims. At the beginning of the book, you meet Samuel and he shows you his village. Then we go through his entire day with him, from putting on his stockings to doing his chores, from helping with the rye harvest to gathering mussels for the evening meal.

My children loved this book when they were little. Children love to learn about other children! Samuel is obedient and prays before he goes to sleep. The family says a blessing before their meals. It’s refreshing to see prayer included in a Scholastic book. I don’t know if this has been edited out of more recent versions. The photographs are vivid and attractive. There is a also a section in the back where you can learn more about Samuel Morton, Plimoth Plantation, and the rye harvest at the back of the book. 

My children have never attended public or private school but have been educated at home.  Homeschooling is a HUGE source of JOY in my life. I enjoy spending time with my children so much that I never wanted them to be at school for six hours a day instead of at home with me.  They are curious and interested and excited--easy to teach! I love learning together with my children--there is always something new to discover!

My educational goals tend to be higher than anything except the most expensive of private schools. What a privilege for my students to have a personal curriculum scope chosen specifically for them according to their strengths and giftings. I can focus on my children’s interests and strengths, targeting their education so that they are ready for the life God has called them to live.

They have had the privilege of reading many, many excellent works of literature. Living books practically breathe—they are interesting and exciting. Our home is filled with books. My children can pull a book off the shelf and get lost in an adventure that takes place in another time or place.

I love meeting moms who have raised godly children who are raising godly children. You see, I want to learn from women who have done it right and have good fruit to show for it. I also love meeting moms who are funny and spunky.

So, for me, reviewing this book was not like other reviews because I got to meet a happy, energetic mom who has run the race and is now enjoying her grandchildren. Her daughter is carrying on the principles her mother lived by and heartily endorsing them.

Secret Cody Time: Creating an Unbreakable Bond between Parent and Child by Sky McNeill and Paula Stevenson is a book about relationships. This lovely book is not just for homeschooling families. Any parent that wants to forge a close relationship with his/her child will appreciate this book.

Secret Code Time is written by Paula and Sky, a mother/daughter team who believe in the relational principles of Secret Code Time and practice what they preach. Well written and engaging, the book is 142 pages long. Not a long book to get through. You will enjoy all the photographs through the pages of the authors and their family. The book itself looks lovely and would make a great gift for another homeschooling mom for birthday or Christmas.

When Sky was a baby, Paula purposed in her heart to begin building a lifetime friendship with her daughter. The foundation of the this relationship is loving communication.

When Sky needed to talk to Paula, she would say, "Secret Code Time 305." Paula would drop everything. Sky was able to say anything she wanted without fear of punishment, reprimand, or any other reprisals. Sky could talk to Paula about anything, any place, any time.

This established complete trust as the foundation of their mother/daughter relationship. They remained close through the middle and high school years. Today, they remain dear friends and Sky has continued this tradition with her own children.

Paula did instruct, encourage, and help Sky walk through issues in her life with Biblical principles, but Secret Code Time was simply a time that Sky could share her thoughts and feelings freely.

Another relationship builder was a weekly date with Mom and a weekly date with Dad. Though Paula admits that weekly dates would be impossible with large families, she does encourage monthly dates instead for parents of many children. Paula did everything she could to make these dates special by dressing up, going some place fun, and even shopping for special treats.

Paula began these all these habits with Sky when she was a very young child and calls it "Advanced Parenting." She set the stage early in life for Sky to know that she was valued and loved unconditionally.

What about Boys?

While some boys are great talkers, willing to share their emotions with Mom and Dad, others would rather visit the dentist than share their feelings. So, can this work with boys too?

There is advice given to help with boys who are more active and less likely to want to sit and chat. Recommendations include throwing the football together or engaging in an active pastime together first. But, the authors believe that Secret Code Time is just as important for boys as it is for girls.

Does the Book Talk about Anything Else?

​When Sarah's Wish by Jim Baumgardner arrived to be reviewed, I decided to read the book and found myself immediately involved in Sarah's life and dreams.

Emotionally involved, I wanted her to find a family, to help her friends escape to freedom through the Underground Railroad, and to protect her from the evil slave catchers that made her life miserable.

I felt scared with Sarah sometimes and, other times, found myself laughing aloud at her antics.

When I finished the book, I wanted to read more about Sarah, to stay involved in her life. I felt like I had made a new friend. ​

"Read this one, please," Katie Beth's chubby hands held the book up to me. I adjusted Julianna who had finished nursing and was asleep on my lap. I opened the lovely Christmas picture book and began to read aloud. Katie Beth and I smiled at each other and the baby slept peacefully.

Fast forward 20 years. My baby is a grown up lady. Katie Beth and my third baby, Jenny Rose, are cuddled up on the couch reading Anne of Green Gables aloud. They have both read the book several times, but there is something wonderful about reading a good book together aloud.

This summer I went to visit my aunt with two of my daughters. The four of us enjoyed an Agatha Christie short story together. We took turns reading aloud. My aunt wrote me a note the next week about how much she had enjoyed that sweet time reading aloud together.

What is it about reading aloud that is so wonderful? Is it the story? Is it the sound of someone you love reading aloud? Or is it the sense of togetherness? There are several Christmas picture books out there. Which are the best for reading aloud?

"How do you like the game?" I asked my four volunteers: Maria, Aisha, Christina, and Saxon.

"Saxon is frustrated because he can't get any of his dogs out," Maria answered first.

"Well...." Christina paused. (She is twelve and the game was created for much younger children.)

"I love it!" twenty-two year old Aisha gushed. She is very young at heart.

"It's a lot like Parcheesi," Maria added, "You move around the board and if you land on someone else's spot you send them back, no wait, that's the other game. In Tornado, you just share a spot.

I glanced at the small plastic game board. It was bright, cheerful, and colorful. The little doggie pieces were cute as could be. Thirty minutes later, Saxon, who had by then gotten out onto the board, was enjoying the game immensely. Saxon is nine years old!

Hank the Cow Dog is a lovable mutt that solves all kinds of mysteries with his friend and fellow Cow Dog, Drover. The game, the children were playing was based on Hank and his life. We received a book, Hank the Cow Dog: The Case of the One-Eyed Killer Stud Horse by John Erickson, the Tornado game, CD, and audio tape to review.

My son, Jimmy and I both read the book, agreeing that Hank the Cow Dog was hilarious. The book was a little young for Jimmy, age eleven, but we thought his friend, Saxon, age nine, would enjoy it. Neither of us could help laughing aloud at Hank's escapades on the ranch where he lives with his assistant, Drover, Sally May, Loper, Little Alfred, and his nemesis, Pete, the cat.

Hank is always doing something he shouldn't do, whether it's snacking on bacon grease, licking Sally Mae's nose, or stealing the family's pumpkin pie. Hank is incredibly funny as he narrates the book, telling the whole story from his perspective. I loved to see the story unfold through his eyes. For the most part, Hank is a wholesome character, but in the beginning of the book, he does encourage his readers to lie about wetting the bed. It's all very tongue-in-cheek and silly, but still...However, though Hank gets into trouble because of the choices he makes, in his world, good is good and bad is bad. Bad deeds are punished and good deeds are rewarded. And though the stories are silly, I felt like I was visiting a ranch in Texas. I liked the book!

"Mr. Fogg reminded me of a richer, smarter, older Cody," Josh said, referring to his older brother. 

"I liked the yellow in China--the royal color..." I began.

"Only the royalty could wear it, unless you were over 80," Josh interrupted with excitement. "I loved that!"

Christina, Josh, Jimmy, and I continued to discuss this book that we were all ready for our geography co-op. We each had to chose a fiction book each month to read that would help geography come alive. What a great choice we all had made!

Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne is an amazing book with a great story line and enough twists and turns to keep us interested. 

Last time, in Building Your Homeschool Library I, we talked about shopping for children's picture books, classic literature, Christian literature, and historic fiction. Today, we will talk about more genres to add to your growing homeschool library.  The following categories of books will make great additions to your homeschool library, so be sure to investigate these genres. Talk to other homeschool moms about their library suggestions.

Biographies

This is my favorite way to learn about people from other times and places. Biographies, like historical fiction, introduce us to the time and place we are studying by seeing it through the eyes of one person, the subject of the biography. When I close a biography, I feel like I have a new friend. Of course, usually this new friend lives somewhere far away and is no longer alive! When I was a little girl I read every single Childhood of Famous Americans, a series of biographies written for children, that I could get my hands on. Soon after he learned to read, my son Jimmy gobbled them up too. Autobiographies are biographies written about the author. Two autobiographies that our family enjoys are Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington and The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin. Closely related are diaries and journals. We read The Log of Christopher Columbus in US History class, his personal account of his famous voyage across the Atlantic in 1492.

Inspirational Books

These books are for all ages and help us grow closer to the Lord. Purpose Driven Life and Prayer of Jabez and wonderful examples of this category of books. My children have a deep desire to grow in their walks with Jesus in their teen years. They have enjoyed some of my favorite books and have discovered their own favorites. Here are some more Curtis favorites, both classic and modern, to inspire spiritual growth: A Christian's Secret to a Happy Life by Hannah Whittal Smith, Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hannard, Authentic Beauty by Leslie Ludy, I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Josh Harris, Prison to Praise by Marlin Carothers, Improving Your Serve by Charles Swindoll, Victory over Darkness by Neil Anderson, and Search for Significance by Robert McGee.

Cookbooks

Cookbooks are always fun, especially historical or geographical ones with recipes you can use to supplement history class. We have enjoyed The U.S. History Cookbook:  Delicious Recipes and Exciting Events from the Past by Joan D'Amico and Karen Eich Drummond. I have created a cookbook to go along with Ancient Times for those studying world history, Time Travel in the Kitchen: Ancient History Cookbook. Another great E-book cookbook is Aunt Sarah's Alaskan Cookbook. Cookbooks usually have interesting food facts and history tidbits to spice them up. Don't underestimate their value in the homeschool library.

Activity Books

Books, books, and more books! That's the way life is for homeschooling families. Every good school has a good library and home schools are no exception. But what books should you line your shelves with? Here's a quick overview of what kind of books will benefit your children and you during your family's homeschool adventure. 

Remember you can build a library slowly. Don't rush out and buy everything. Look for sales and become a frequent shopper at used book stores and thrift stores. I have picked up many classic books for 25 cents. My favorite place to get books is at public library sales. The libraries often toss out older, more conservative books to make way for modern silliness. That's great for us!  We can pick up expensive classic books for a song.

Here are the kinds of books that you should purchase with examples of quality reading material in each category.

Picture Books for Young Children and Early Readers

Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman was my husband's favorite book as a child. It's on our shelves too and my children enjoy it just as much as he did back in the sixties. A picture book purchase should be based on the story and the illustrations. There are picture books in our library that are practically works of art. There is a list of our family's favorite picture books on our website, Joyful and Successful Homeschooling.

Picture Books for Older Children

These books are wonderful for read aloud in unit studies. Do you know that no one is too old to read a well-written, beautifully illustrated picture book? But there are actually picture books written for older children that our family uses for unit studies. The Library of Alexandria by Kelly Trumble is a lovely book about the largest library of the ancient world. The oldest living story, Gilgamesh, is available as a picture book, Gilgamesh, the Hero by Geraldine McCaughrean, that our family has been delighted to listen to as mom reads aloud.

Classic Literature for Children

"Geography?  I don't remember ever learning much about geography. I'm not even sure what hemisphere the Mediterranean Sea is in," the mom of four elementary age boys bemoaned.  We were both watching our children play on the playground.

"I'm a terrible writer. I don't know where to begin to teach my child to write well," a young mother with two babies on her lap admitted to me over lunch.

"I don't know a thing about good art or good music. How on earth can I teach my children to appreciate fine art and fine music?" a mom who was considering homeschooling asked me as we discussed the possibilities for taking her children out of public school.

The biggest problem we face as homeschooling moms is not our ability to teach our children, but our confidence level in our ability to teach our children. We all have areas where we feel inadequate simply because no one can know all there is to know. In educating our children, we lay a foundation of knowledge in several areas and give them the tools of learning so that they can learn anything they need to learn.

So, know for the question, "How do I teach IT if I don't understand IT myself? That is a great question. Almost all homeschooling parents will encounter this dilemma. It might be that you've learned it, but forgotten it. Or it could be a gap in your education. Either way, there is an easy solution!

The solution to teaching something, that you don't know or don't understand yourself, is to delegate it to someone else or to learn about the subject quickly. I seldom delegate for this reason because I love to learn and I look at this situation as an opportunity to learn more! (I usually delegate because I just don't enjoy teaching something...like science experiments! smile).

Delegating

"Mrs. Rachel Lynde lived just outside where the Avonlea main road dipped down into a little hollow, fringed with Alders and Ladies' Eardrops and traversed by a brook that had its source away back in the woods of the old Cuthbert place; it was reputed to be an intricate, headlong brook in its earlier course through those woods, with dark secrets of pool and cascade; but by the time it reached Lynde's Hollow, it was a quiet, well-conducted little stream, for not even a brook could run past Mrs. Rachel Lynde's door without due regard for decency and decorum; it probably was conscious that Mrs. Rachel was sitting at her window, keeping a sharp eye on everything that passed, from brooks and children up, and that if she noticed anything odd or out of place she would never rest until she had ferreted out the whys and wherfores thereof," (Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery, opening paragraph)

From the moment we read this paragraph, we are hooked! To the little town of Avonlea we go, across the Lake of Shining Waters, greeting beloved folk, especially the inhabitants of Green Gables. Literature takes us to delightful places such as Prince Edward Island.

All people in all places around the world love stories. It must be because our Creator is the Master Storyteller and we live in anticipation of His final climax: His Glorious Return and the final destruction of our enemy and all those in his bondage. As we gather together with extended family, there are always stories, "I remember when I met your mother..." "The first time he ever..." "When I was your age...." Once we hear the beginning of a good story, we are hooked, wanting to hear the rest of the tale.

We teach our children to read so that they can read the Bible, drawing closer to their Savior and Redeemer, Jesus. That is the most important reason. We also want them to read to learn. They will read all kinds of writing that brings knowledge and information. There is a third reason we teach our children to read: we give them a passport. This passport can take them on any adventure they would like to embark on, to places where they can meet people they've dreamed of meeting, or to any place in the entire world, real or imaginary.

When children are young, teach them to value reading as a treat and privilege--something they look forward to! If your child is always having to write a book report or read books he doesn't like, reading may not be a great joy in his life. If television is always on, he will most likely choose it because watching television is a passive activity that requires no mental exertion! Remove the computer and the television as competitors by limiting their use. You might have television-free and computer-free hours between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.