In reading on Charlotte Mason’s style I came across a term I have heard many times now — Living Books. She says this about choosing reading material:

For the children? They must grow up upon the best . . . There is never a time
when they are unequal to worthy thoughts, well put; inspiring tales, well
told. Let Blake’s ‘Songs of Innocence’ represent their standard in poetry
DeFoe and Stevenson, in prose; and we shall train a race of readers who will
demand literature–that is, the fit and beautiful expression of inspiring ideas
and pictures of life.

She warns against twaddle, a word I just love.  So, I have started a vigilant hunt for books that breathe.

We read living books because we love them, they bring us together. They prompt incredible conversations. Even my little ones surprise me with the observations that they make about a book and its connections with real life. They bring something to our home school that no unit study, hands-on project, or even a field trip can. They spark the imagination and make creativity soar.

Some look alive, but hold nothing of value beyond the front cover. Others look old and dry and yet have carried us on amazing adventures. How do I know? Where do I find a good book?

Just wanted to share some great resources for finding a good read:

Ambleside Online — This website builds directly off of the Charlotte Mason philsophy. It assigns a time period for each year and can and is used by many as the core of their homeschool. We used them loosely for a couple years. Now, I still refer to that site because the book lists are excellent. We have loved probably 90% of the books we found through that site.

Curriculum reading lists — I started looking through other curriculums (like Sonlight — which we also used for a year) to see what books they recommend at various grade levels. Lots of great recommendations made it into our reading list this way as well.

Five in a Row — For books and accompanying activities, these books can give you plenty to choose from. Books that have stood the test of time, and you will love reading and rereading with your kids.

The Book Guardians — This is a brand new site for which I will be a contributor. Be sure to check it out over time as more books get added to its ranks. It will list books and share in 10 key areas if they have content that might need consideration. I talked more about it on my blog post about book reviews.

Common Sense Media — This site offers a number of reviews, but does not seem to have a strong moral slant. I did not find the reviews as helpful because I tend to have a stricter standard on what I deem appropriate reading for my kids. Still, definitely some value in the sheer quantity of books they have reviewed.

Christian Children’s book reviews –A good site, but seems to review only Christian books.

Focus on the Family has a book review section — Some good reviews, but they seemed to be lacking a depth in their recommendations and information provided. Does come from a conservative preference morally.

Facts on Fiction — Lots of reviews and clearly targeting key areas of concern. Alphabetized and easy to find what you are looking for.

1000 Good books — compiled by 25 homeschool moms, you can find 1000 of their recommendations. That should keep you busy for a while!

Many books also offer lists and reviews:

- Honey for a Child’s Heart

- What Shall We Then Read

- Hand that Rocks the Cradle (from the Bluedorns)

- Books Children Love

- Invitation to the Classics

- The Read-Aloud Handbook

Finding the time:

With six kids, five of them now school age, the trick is finding time in a day to read books. We have employed a variety of means to do so. We read a bit each day. Sometimes at bedtime, sometimes in the afternoon. We have a silent reading time each day as well. Books on CD also help. We listen to these in our rooms, at bedtime, and definitely in the car. We “read” an extra book or two each month by listening in the car. And, it keeps the kiddos quiet while we travel!

Looking for some recommendation? Here are some of our favorite books:

The Little House on the Prairie series

The Princess and the Goblin

Gone Away Lake

The Calico Captive

The Endless Steppe

God’s Smuggler

Bruchko

Robin Hood

Galileo and the Magic Number

And, every year we discover a few more favorites. Stay tuned to hear what we unearth this year.

Please add some more resources or book favorites of your own in the comments. We are always looking for well loved books.

This post linked to Works for Me Wednesday.

If you’re researching or buying homeschool curriculum, you have to check out the Vendor Hall at the Schoolhouse Expo! It’s open to everyone. Browse through companies such as Rainbow Resource, WriteShop, Apologia, Latin Road, Phonics Road, Multiplication Shake, Go Phonics, and MANY MORE!

Latin Road, Phonics Road has freebies in their booth. Rainbow Resource has a free shipping offer. Spears Art Studio has a free CD. Real Science by Gravitas has a 25% discount coupon.

There is just so much to see. Stop by and meet the virtual hostess from each company, browse their selection, and look for “conference specials”.

You don’t even need your walking shoes or suitcase to lug your purchases in! Be sure to check out the Schoolhouse Expo Vendor Hall.

Coupons on top of deals all wrapped up in a warehouse stocked with books, what could be better?

Look up Illinois dates and locations, pre-register to print your coupon, and go shopping!

Another great opportunity to pick up some USED CURRICLUM at great prices.

The Kane County Christian Homeschoolers are having their annual used curriculum sale.

Many sellers will be on hand with their no-longer-needed materials. I find these sales a great place to pick up deals and advice on what to buy and why.

When: Friday May 14, 2010

Time: 1:00-4:00 PM

Where:  Morning Star Community Church in Aurora, Illinois

Members and non-members are welcome to sell and, of course, everyone can come and shop.

Big sale coming at the Beacon Homeschool Group.

They have over 20 different families selling their used curriculum. Loads of things to choose from for less than new cost!!!
Bring small bills to making paying easier. 5’s, 1’s, and quarters!!

When: Tuesday, April 27 7:00-9:00pm
Where : Elk Grove Village Public Library

Everyone is invited to come out and see the great finds!
For more details, check their website. www.beaconhomeschool.org

Beacon is a non-denominational Christian support group for parents who home educate their children. Their membership is open to any home schooling family for support. The goals of Beacon are to provide fellowship, encouragement, field trips, workshops, and resources for our members to benefit from.

The following information came from the Homeschool University in West Chicago:

This is located in Bloomingdale, and I have often found it a great source for fresh reading material for our at home classroom as well as little rewards for learning incentives. As usual, if you register in advance you can print out a coupon for money off if you spend over $60.

Read on for more details:

Please add BookFairs@emailer.scholastic.com to your address book.

Save BIG on Books During Our Dollar Days Sale! • Hundreds of GREAT BOOKS all $5 or less! (Sale applies to selected product only) • Register online and receive a coupon to save $10 OFF a purchase of $60-100, or $15 OFF a purchase greater than $100. (Enter source code: EMAIL) • Limited time only – Find great deals on quality books for home, school, and classroom libraries. • Dollar Days are exclusive sales for educators, librarians and Book Fair volunteers. • Preferred payment methods: Credit cards, checks, purchase orders, and Scholastic Dollars. Items purchased with Scholastic Dollars do not qualify for further discount pricing and will sell at the cover price. > Find a Sale Near You (Enter Source Code: EMAIL)

Visit Scholastic.com Book Fairs | Find a Warehouse Sale | Contact Us

What better way to enjoy this snowy day than with a giveaway of a wonderful brand-new (not even in the stores yet) book?

A few days ago I received a package in the mail with a children’s picture book on prayer. This book is not for me to keep, it is just for one of you! The author contacted me and graciously offered a book to giveaway to one of my readers.

To see more images or to pre-order this book to be released on February 16, check out Anthony DeStefano’s website.

This is a beautiful book that helps teach children about prayer by walking them through a child’s prayer. Anthony DeStefano along with illustrator Mark Elliott have created a pictorial and linguistic image of praying to God with humility, thankfulness, and requests.

There an abundance of good picture books to read with your kids, but not enough of them contain a spiritual message that we would like to pass along to them. This book is a great addition to your home bookshelves.

Of course, it also caught my eye and my kids noticed that the picture hanging on the wall is Raphael’s Sistene Madonna that we were just studying in history. Nice when learning crosses real life . . .

Anyway, if you would like to enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post. And you can earn an extra entry by sharing about this giveaway with some of your friends. Either blog, tweet, post, or email about this giveaway somewhere, and come back and leave a second comment saying you did so and you will receive a second entry.

You want another entry? Well, because I appreciate all my fans and subscribers so much, if you are a fan on Facebook or a subscriber to this site leave another comment for yet another entry. Not yet a fan? No problem, become one, and then leave a comment.

That’s a total of three possible entries (one just for telling me you are reading this, one for telling others about it, and one for subscribing or being a fan).

The contest will continue through Friday, February 19, at 11:00 p.m.

Even if you don’t win you can order this online from Amazon or other websites, or keep your eye out for it in your local bookstore as well.

One of the larger homeschool book sales in the Chicago area is set for May 1. These sales offer a great place to pick up gently used curriculum at a fraction of the price of buying new. Also, they welcome sellers, so start clearing out all those books you do not need and make room for the next year’s needs. Mark your calendars now!

Date:      Saturday, May 1, 2010

Time:      8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Location:      Christian Liberty Academy

502 W. Euclid Avenue

Arlington Heights, IL 60004

(847) 259-4444

Free Admissions!

Come, join home school and Christian school parents from throughout northern Illinois as they gather to buy and sell their new and used educational materials and school books. This event offers a wide variety of books at bargain prices, and an opportunity to sell or trade your used school materials. A limited number of display tables will be available free of charge; you are also welcome to bring your own tables. Set up starts at 7:30.

Christian Liberty Press will be selling new CLP-published books at 25% discount. New books from other publishers will also be available for purchase.

The Christian Liberty Academy music department will also have a bake sale to raise funds for their mission trip.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact:

Lina King
Conventions Coordinator
Christian Liberty Press
Christian Liberty Academy School System
502 W. Euclid Avenue
Arlington Heights, IL 60004
(847) 385-2057

Got enough books to open a small library?

Finding you could probably do without a few?

Looking for a good home for some of your excess books?

The military is actually looking for a few good books.

Find out more about this program at the Books for Soldiers website.

As eager as you may be to pass along some great reads,

there are some guidelines (posted on their site as well) to keep in mind:

• Try to keep your package the size of a shoe box or similar. When we send out a box, we use FLAT RATE BOXES that the US Postal Service offers. It is a very good deal – you can cram as much as you can in the box and shipping is a flat $8.10. Also, the boxes are FREE from the US Post Office.
• Large packages over 25 pounds probably will not get through or be greatly delayed.
• Include a note to the recipient. Tell them about your support of them and your hopes of a safe return. If you are sending to the unit in general, explain that these books are a gift to the whole unit and to give them to someone else once they are finished.
• It is also good to send a small care package of useful items along with your book. Click here for a recommended list.
• Include your return address. Packages with no valid return address will be considered a suspicious package and likely to be destroyed according to the Defense Department.
• Any book is better than nothing, but if you have the choice, please send the paperback version because it is smaller, lighter, and easier to carry.

Obviously, they want mostly books geared toward adults, not children, but since most homeschoolers are bookaholics all around, you probably have your share of those to spare as well. There is a bit of a process to go through to actually send your books, but if you want to encourage a soldier this holiday season, a little effort on your part could go a long way.