Reading - Outside the Box Learners

Advent Family Read-Alouds

I love all things Christmas – the lights, the music, the food, and the festivities! It is my favorite time of year. And yes, I do start listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving – I just love it. 🙂

Yesterday was the start of Advent. The word “advent” stems from the word adventus which means coming or arrival – referring to Christ coming as a babe in a manger and his eventual coming again. Something which should give us great hope!

Our family has many Christmas traditions, such as decorating the tree, baking, giving gifts, the Jesse tree, etc., but one of our favorites is our Advent read-aloud. We have found a series of books we love. And this year we are reading the 4th and final book in this Advent series.

We started this series in 2015 when our oldest was in 2nd grade. It is always one of the highlights of the season for us and helps to get and keep our hearts focused on the reason for the season.

Note: These books are historical fiction, and like any historical fiction book, the author has done research to give you a good idea of what life was like during that time and includes true facts, but many creative liberties are also taken.

These advent storybooks, all by Arnold Ytreeide, are listed below. The books intertwine with one another which creates an even more interesting storyline.

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Advent Family Read-Alouds

Jotham’s Journey (available on audiobook too!)

We’ve had this book the longest, and even though we’ve read it a few times as a family, each year I’ll catch my kids re-reading it.

Jotham is a young shepherd boy who gets separated from his family and eventually discovers the Christ child in the stable.

Bartholomew’s Passage

Bartholomew is a young fishermen who gets separated from his family and undergoes many adventures, eventually leading to the stable in Bethlehem.

Tabitha’s Travels

Tabitha is the daughter of a shepherd and encounters many adventures and in the end finds her way to the manger.

Ishtar’s Odyssey

Ishtar is the son of a Persian wise man and adventures across the desert, following the star to Bethlehem.

How to read through the books:

Ideally, you start the 4th Sunday before Advent and read a section each day. But really, you can modify it to work for your family! Sometimes we have days where we can’t all gather and read at the same time, and so we’ll read two sections the next day. Sometimes we read it at night and other times during the day. Each chapter ends as a cliffhanger so the kids are always excited to read more.

The books all have between 150 – 200 pages and the recommended age is 8+. The books can be intense at times, so keep that in mind for sensitive readers.

Book Series for Christian Kids

I often get the question, “Do you have any suggestions for Christian book series?” And while I am not aware of ALL that’s available in this genre, I do have some series that have been a hit in our household!

Some of these books are not explicitly Christian, but have strong Christian themes or are heavily influenced by Christian thought.

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).

Four Book Series for Christian Kids

Spirit Flyer Series

These beloved books by John Bibee have been around for many years! The first book of this eight-book series was written in 1983 and is called the Magic Bicycle. Until recently, these books were hard to find. But recently they have gone into print again and you can easily find them on Amazon. The Spirit Flyer books are full of adventure and Christian allegory. My son LOVED these books.

Ideal age range: 4th-7th grade

Growly Series

The Growly Series follows the adventures of a young coming-of-age bear named Growly. They are not specifically “Christian” books but are wholesome, well-written, and will captivate the adventure-seeking reader. There are five books in this series. The first three books comprise the “Growly Trilogy”. These include Begin, Widewater, and Morning. You could also choose to start with either the 4th or 5th book, as stand-alone books.

Ideal age range: 8-12 years

Green Ember Series

My 11-year-old son is in the middle of reading this series right now and cannot put them down! These books follow the adventures of two young rabbits, Heather and Picket. While not specifically Christian, there are Christian themes throughout the book – friendship, redemption, sacrifice to name a few! This nine-book (and growing!) series is considered to be a favorite among many readers, and lots of families love it as a read-aloud.

Ideal age range: 8+

The Amazing Tales of Max and Liz & Epic Order of the Seven

Jenny L. Cote has masterfully crafted the genre of Christian Historical Fiction. The first series: ‘The Amazing Tales of Max and Liz’, includes two books and takes you through many of the events that take place in the book of Genesis, from an animal’s point of view. 🙂

Then her next series: ‘Epic Order of the Seven’ continues the journey of Max and Liz – starting with the birth of Christ, and then moving through the New Testament. And following that, their adventures cover the American Revolution (basically starting another series within a series!) We are anxiously waiting for her next book which is to be released next year in 2022!

This captivating series is perfect for animal lovers AND history buffs! When we are studying history during our morning time, I am often impressed by how much history my son has already learned from these books.

Ideal age range: 10 +

Book List 7th Grade Girl

If left to her own ways, my daughter, who loves to read, would settle in on modern fantasy books alone. And so, we came up with a compromise that worked quite well last year (her 7th-grade year.)

I created a list of books that I’d like her to read by end of 8th grade. I had her choose a book from that list each month for independent reading. These were in addition to her other favorites that she reads… and re-reads. 🙂

Most of these books started off slow for her but were appreciated by the time she got to the end.

The books on this list can be read by boys or girls, and also kids younger or older than 7th grade. These just happen to be the (assigned) books she read during her 7th-grade year.

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).

Book List for a 7th Grade Girl

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

Historical Fiction Novel that takes place in 12th century Korea. I had hoped to do this one as a family read-aloud for the Middle Ages, but we did not get around to it, so I was glad she picked this one!

Freckles by Gene Stratton Porter

A classic story about a disabled orphan who overcomes much.

A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter

Sequel to Freckles. This well-loved story is about a poor girl whose love for nature leads her to extraordinary circumstances.

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

This is an adventure story about a boy and his beloved hunting dogs.

The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald

This classic children’s fantasy novel was written in the 1800s and has stood the test of time. Written by George MacDonald whose works inspired and influenced C.S. Lewis.

Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi

Another historical fiction piece that takes place in the Middle Ages. This was a favorite of hers!

Lassie Come Home by Eric Knight

Sophia’s War: A Tale of the Revolution by Avi

Historical Fiction novel that takes place during the Revolutionary War.

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

The Giver by Lois Lowry

(Not technically assigned but was received as a gift during the summer and ended up being a favorite!)

Reading in the Early Years (Three simple things that worked for us!)

Reading in the Early Years

Reading is the bedrock of education. Once you learn to read, you can teach yourself anything. Once you learn how to read, you are on the path to becoming a lifelong learner.

Unfortunately, teaching reading is also one of those things that can scare parents away from homeschooling in the early years. And it doesn’t need to be that way!

As we now have three readers in the house, I’ve had a chance to look back and consider three simple tools we used to teach reading in the early years.

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).

1) Reading Aloud

I feel like a broken record with this one, but reading aloud is probably the best thing you can do to set your child up to be a lifelong reader and learner.

Remember, some children will be “late bloomers” when it comes to reading. Our middle son fell into this category, and we actually took a break from teaching him how to read, and simply read aloud to him until his brain was ready. That decision, which seemed crazy to some, paid off immensely.

If a child is resistant to learning the mechanics of how to read and it causes frustration or tears, I highly recommend focusing on just reading aloud to them, until they are ready.

2)Bob Books

Bob Books were a good starting point for teaching our kiddos the basics of reading. Bob Books appeal to young kids because the books are small and can easily be held by a child. And the characters are a little silly which also appeals to children.

The boxes these books come in are colorful and visually appealing (each color represents a level) and the books steadily progress in difficulty. Each book read gives the child a sense of accomplishment.

While Bob Books played a part in each of our children learning to read, some of our kids enjoyed them more than others. They are repetitive, which is great for learning how to read, but some learners may grow tired of them quickly.

3) Explode the Code Workbooks

With a focus on phonics, Explode the Code workbooks and are a fun and easy way to teach kids the building blocks of words.

Our daughter worked through a couple of these (Books 1 & 2) and then we felt they weren’t necessary anymore. She is a natural reader, writer and speller, and once it became busywork, we deemed it unnecessary.

Our son (age 10), however, is starting book 8, and has benefited from working through the entire series. Though he IS a strong reader, he is NOT a natural speller and these books have been instrumental in helping him see the breakdown of words. He also really enjoys working through them.

Our youngest (age 6) also enjoys working through the Explode the Code books and they have been a catalyst in his reading journey. I suspect he will not need to work through the whole series, but he is enjoying them for now.

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Remember, learning how to read should be enjoyable! If there are tears, just read to your child (this can also include audiobooks!) until they are ready.

Why We Stopped Reading Instruction for Our Son

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My son was 6 1/2 when we started having some concern over his inability to sound out basic words such as c-a-t and d-o-g. Truthfully, I was not as worried as my husband, but it begged the question…

Was the answer MORE reading instruction?

To me, that idea was ~~not ideal~~ painful. We had already been reading the same beginner Bob books over and over and were getting NOWHERE.

By that point, I had read enough and heard other homeschool moms say the same thing: Sometimes they just need time. However, when you’re in the thick of it, you sometimes start to worry.

About a year prior, a friend had introduced me to Carole Joy Seid’s philosophy. She even lent me Carole Joy Seid’s DVD series to watch. What Carole had to say made so much sense, but was unlike anything I had heard before.

If you’ve never heard of Carole Joy Seid, she’s a homeschool consultant who has been around a while. The DVD series of hers that I watched was called Homeschool Made Simple.

And really that is her mission – to make things easier for moms so they can not only survive but SUCCEED. She has much wisdom to offer, and at that time my husband I agreed that I should pursue a consulting session with her.

Homeschool Advice

Carole gave me lots of wonderful homeschooling advice during that phone call, but one piece of advice really stuck out and helped lay a foundation for my 6 1/2-year-old son.

The piece of advice: Stop the reading instruction and just read aloud to him.

She offered advice as to when to start up again and what to do if he still wasn’t ready when we did try again.

After that call, I had a plan and felt empowered.

Because we had just moved to WI, we still did not know anyone, were not yet part of a co-op (or any activities for that matter), and we had plenty of time to read aloud together. And that we did.

Shortly after his 7th birthday, something clicked. And out of nowhere, he was on the turbo track to becoming an amazing reader. Within a month, not only was he reading but he was reading chapter books! I realize that’s not most peoples’ story, but that is his, and I am happy to share in case it might encourage someone else.

Why the decision to stop reading instruction was a gift.

My son, now nine, is not only an amazing reader, but he LOVES to read. All kinds of things. Fiction, non-fiction, history, newspapers, anything and EVERYTHING weather, you name it – he’ll read it!

I believe those months of just reading together WITHOUT THE STRESS of being forced to do something his brain was just not ready to do, laid a foundation for a LOVE for reading. And that is a gift he has for LIFE!

stopping reading instruction — Reading about his favorite topic – WEATHER!

*If you’re feeling overwhelmed by homeschooling and looking for simplicity, Homeschool Made Simple is a great place to start!

**The point of this post is not to promote forgoing reading instruction, but rather point out the beauty and power of reading aloud to our youngsters, and also not pushing them before they’re ready!

How to Create an Amazing Narnia Unit Study

I am a minimalist. When it comes to reading aloud, we generally read the book, and then pick another one! And just repeat that cycle.

We managed to get through the whole Narnia series this past summer (thank you to good folks at Focus on the Family who put together the Radio Theatre dramatized series for audio use!) The Radio Theatre version was such a treat! I HIGHLY recommend! We have the hardcopy books too which came in handy when we forgot the name of a character or wanted to re-read certain parts.Since this was NARNIA and not your ordinary read-aloud experience, we thought it would be nice to have a little Narnia party.

And so I started brainstorming – flexing my creative muscles if you will… We knew that Narnia cuisine was a MUST since we are a food-loving family. Decorations would be a nice touch too.

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).

Following is how WE executed an AMAZINGLY SIMPLE Narnia Unit Study from start to finish. Emphasis on SIMPLE!

1. Read the books.

We started reading the hardcopy versions, but after finding Focus on the Family’s Radio Theatre dramatized audio versions were available at our local library, we switched to that. This was a game-changer, and WHY we were able to get through the whole series this summer.

We spent a lot of time in the car going on camping trips, day trips, etc, and most of our “reading” of the books happened while on the road.

2. Watch the movies as you read through the books.

Every time we finished a book, we would watch the corresponding movie to go with it. We watched the newer versions, so there were only movie versions for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. A friend lent us the 1990 BBC version of The Silver Chair (kids had a fun time critiquing that one, haha!)

3. Plan your party.

For us, the party included checking out this cookbook from the library. I had the kids pick out a few recipes that were MUST-DO’s.We also made a wardrobe. We ended up using a wardrobe box we still had from our last move. You can also buy them somewhere like Home Depot.

The wardrobe box worked GREAT and wasn’t as hard to transform into a Narnia wardrobe as I expected. Using a utility knife we cut the box to make doors and an opening in the back.

We bought brown spray paint and sprayed the front. My daughter also designed a lion’s head (Aslan!) to attach.

If the idea of cutting out a wardrobe box seems TOO difficult, you can use a tension rod in a hallway, and hang clothes to give the feeling of crawling through a wardrobe. Since we used an actual wardrobe box there was a rod for us to hang clothes from. It worked perfectly!

We also watched some youtube videos on how to make snowflakes (easy AND more complex for those who wanted a challenge) and spent a good hour making lots of snowflakes. A great way to keep normally active kids busy! 😉 We hung them in our kitchen by attaching them to two long pieces of yarn draped across the kitchen.

For activities, find anything fun you can do during your party. This can be as simple or as extravagant as you make it. We chose to keep it easy with a simple word search. If your kids are into costumes, you could do that too.

4.Party Time!

For the day of the party, we got our food ready (we had prepared some of our food the day before too… ahem Turkish Delight!).

Set your table and light a candle to make it special. Have any activities ready to go! I found these wordsearches on pinterest.

Set up your wardrobe. (This was one of the last things we did since it was hard to get in and out of the kitchen once it was set up!)

Play some music to set the mood (we played music from the soundtrack for The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.)

Let the magic begin!

5 Barriers to Reading Aloud and How to BUST through them!

Does the idea of reading aloud together as a family sound appealing, but the reality seems like an impossibility?

In our beginning years of homeschooling, reading aloud was something we did only if we got everything else checked off the list. Kind of like stuffing that last not so important box into a moving truck if there’s enough room.

As we’ve come to recognize the many benefits of reading aloud, it has become the core of our homeschool.

It is now the first box that goes into our truck and we’ve weaved it into the culture of our home.

But sometimes even if there’s a will to incorporate more reading aloud it feels as though there is not a way to make it happen.

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through these links will result in a small commission for me (at no cost to you!)

Following are five common barriers to reading aloud and how to break through them:

Barrier #1) Not enough time in the day

Solution: Read 5-10 minutes when you can. Squeeze it into pockets of the day. Tag it onto a meal where everyone is already sitting together.

Barrier #2) Boring for kids

This is a common barrier for us because our daughter can speed read and it can be pain-staking for her to have to listen, as reading aloud takes a lot longer than reading independently.

Solution: Entice them… Bake a treat. Light a candle. Draw them in. Take the concept of poetry teatime and read a fun book instead.

Use ridiculously funny voices (this even gets the hubs to listen in!) Pick a humorous book.

Here are a few entertaining read-aloud books our kids enjoyed (these are all series books): Pippi Longstocking , The Great Brain, Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library.

For our all-time FAVORITES, check out this post.

Barrier #3) Kids can’t sit still

Solution: Have them color, paint, draw or play with play-dough or thinking putty while you read. Let them play legos, wedgits, magnatiles, blocks. My son LOVES Perler Beads. Allow them to lie upside down if that helps them focus. You get the picture.

Let them move around. Many people are better able to listen if their body is moving. I know of such people because I’m married to one, and a parent to another!

Barrier #4) Little siblings

Solution: Bring out the crayons, play dough, rice bin, beans, stickers, etc. Invest in some busy bags., or make your own quiet bins.

If you’re ok with a little TV maybe save the TV for read-aloud time. I know at our house we don’t do much TV time, but it helps if we do it at the same time each day and then they know it’s just part of the routine.

Or have a few special activities you only pull out for read-aloud. Maybe a special toy that can keep their interest.

Barrier #5) You are in survival mode.

Maybe you’ve had a recent health change, or you have crippling fatigue (been there). There could be a new baby, a death in the family, mental health challenges or other life changes. Any number of things could cause us to be living in survival mode.

Solution: Audiobooks! Audiobooks don’t need to be saved for “survival mode” but they are definitely your best option if that’s where you find yourself.

Final Read-Aloud tip:

If you find a book dull, put the book away and try something else. There are so many books to choose from. Don’t waste your energy on a book you or your children don’t enjoy!

Book Review: Britfield & The Lost Crown

I was given a copy of the book Britfield & The Lost Crown by C.R. Stewart in exchange for writing a review. All thoughts are my own.

How do you determine a great read-aloud book…?

Is it a classic?

A favorite from your childhood?

Full of adventure?

At our house, the biggest indicator of a successful read-aloud novel is when the kids simply can not get enough of a book. They are hungry for more.

You know, when you say, “Ok, that’s all for tonight!” and they vehemently respond, “NOOOO!”

We experienced this with Britfield.

Britfield is the story of two orphans, Tom and Sarah, who escape from the terrible orphanage of Weatherly in a search to find Tom’s parents. They endure many interesting adventures all over England, and along the way discover that Tom may be a true heir to the royal throne.

Packed with adventure, mystery, history, geography tidbits, and themes of friendship, bravery and loyalty, there is much to love about Britfield. I definitely feel confident recommending this to other families looking for a unique read. Best for kids in the 8-12 age range.

It admittedly was a little slow to start but once the adventure kicked in, the kids were hooked. As a side note, I would love to have listened to this one on audiobook, and may choose that format when we read the subsequent books in the series (when they come out!)

A few comments from my kids:

“Britfield is really good. We should get the next book.” – Joe

“Britfield was a book with constant suspense and adventure; I loved it!👍❤️” – Lydia

The highpoints for the kids were the adventure and mystery. To be honest, I am NOT an adventure person. I’m more of a history and mystery gal. So the allure of Britfield for me was the description of historic landmarks all over England and the mystery and intrique regarding the royal throne that were tied in.

My son’s interest of England’s geography and history was piqued through reading Britfield.

Whenever you have interest, learning happens naturally, and it doesn’t need to be forced. THE BEST WAY TO LEARN! In that way, Britfield was like many historical fiction living books we’ve read.

Britfield & The Lost Crown will have it’s national release to the public on August 15, 2019. If you want to learn more about it now, you can check out their website here.

Want to win your own copy of Britfield? Enter their giveaway here!

Read Aloud Book Log 2018-2019

With the 2018-19 school year all done (not that we really ever stop, because the learning is always happening!), I wanted to look back at what we accomplished this last year. Here is our Read Aloud Book Log from 2018-2019.

As you will see, many tied in with our study of ancient history. These are the books I read aloud with my 9 and 11-year-old.

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through these links will result in a small commission for me (at no cost to you!)

Read Aloud Book Log for 2018-2019

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness – The first book in the Wingfeather Saga, this book is Andrew Peterson’s first novel, full of fantasy, humor and adventure. And the character’s have the best names!

Adam & His Kin – Written by Ruth Beechick, Adam & His Kin gives a picture of what life was like from Adam to Abram. Should be read alongside the book of Genesis. This book helped us to see Adam, Noah, Abram, etc. as real people.

A Cry From Egypt – One of my daughter’s now favorites! A Cry From Egypt, which is a Christian Historical Fiction novel, was a crowd pleaser for sure. It helped us to see what it might have been like to be living as a Jew during the time of the ten plagues and the exodus.

Golden Goblet – A book that gives a picture of what it was like to live as a common Egyptian in Ancient Egypt. Gives a great picture of what Ancient Egyptian culture was like with fantastic detail. A little slow to start but then it picks up. This was a favorite of my son’s.

In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson – We read this during the start of baseball season this year. It’s a sweet story about a Chinese immigrant girl moving to New York.

Adara – Another historical fiction novel (set in the period of the Kings from the Bible). This one takes place during the time of General Naaman. This book gave good insight into what life was like during that time. Kind of slow, but still liked by my kids.

Amon’s Adventure: A Family Story for Easter – We read this the weeks leading up to Easter and it was a favorite! This book certainly made the time of lent more meaningful for us, and will be read again many times I’m sure! It helped us reflect on the power and beauty of Jesus’s resurrection.

Jotham’s Journey: A Storybook for Advent – This was our third time reading this one! We always read to coincide with the advent season. A powerful little story that always helps us reflect on the meaning of Christmas.

Theras & His Town – This was one was slow to start and we almost stopped reading it. HOWEVER, this was perhaps one of the most surprising novels, because we ended up enjoying this one immensely. And it was especially good for teaching the differences between Athenian and Spartan culture. A fabulous living book.

Wanderings of Odysseus – Written by Rosemary Sutcliff, this is great retelling of the Odyssey. Still working through (we had to break so we could read Britfield because I’m writing a review for it!)

Britfield – This is the book we are currently reading. Loving it so far. Has a historical fiction “feel” but set in modern times. I’m personally loving the setting of England. A unique story with a great plot. This one comes out in August! www.britfield .com

Mysterious Benedict Society – We listened to this one on audiobook. It’s about 4 smart kids who go on a mysterious mission. It’s full of codes, puzzles, and intrigue.

Tale of Despereaux – An endearing story about a mouse (who talks!), a rat, a servant, and a princess.

Farmer Boy – The story of Almanzo’s (Laura Ingall’s Wilder’s husband) childhood growing up on a farm. Has the same feel as the Little House books. We listened to this one on audiobook. Great for the whole family!

Anne of Green Gables – Anne is one of my favorite characters and though I love the movie I had never read the book until this year. We chose to listen on Audiobook.

Crenshaw – This is a story about a family who is going through a difficult time, and a boy and his imaginary friend. It’s a touching story that my kids really enjoyed.

Wizard of Oz – This was our third time through this classic. Always a favorite! We listened to the audiobook version read by Anne Hathaway.

Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library – With a similar feel to Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, this is a fun quirky book that would make a great summer read! If you’re well acquainted with children’s literature, this book is sure to delight as there are so many references to children’s books.

Shiloh – Ok, I’ll admit, the kids listened to this one on their own! It was a short audiobook we did over just a few car trips. I remember enjoying this as a child so I thought my kids might like it too. It’s a moving story about a boy saving a dog. Phyllis Reynolds Naylor is one of my kids’ favorite authors.

Here is a list of our favorite read alouds of all time!

Favorite Read Alouds (Mom AND Kid Approved!)

When it comes to read-aloud novels I can think of countless books that are favorites in our family…

And then, there are the favorites of the favorites.

Reading aloud is the spine of our homeschool. A good majority of our time is spent reading (mostly living books) together. It is probably my absolute favorite thing about homeschooling.

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through these links will result in a small commission for me (at no cost to you!)

I compiled a list of all the books we have read aloud together during the last few years and then pulled our top 5 from that list.

These are perfect for ages 6-12, or elementary age kids!

And they are all kid AND mom approved!

Drum roll please………. (in no particular order)

1) Caddie Woodlawn

Based on a true story, and set in Wisconsin in the 1860’s, Caddie is a spirited young lady who gets into all sorts of ~~mischief~~ fun. This is one of the most entertaining historical fiction novels we’ve read.

2) Winnie the Pooh

Who doesn’t love Pooh?! We especially loved listening to the audiobook version of this book. The dramatization was fabulous and piglet’s snorts make us burst into giggles every time. And the characters have such different personalities. Winnie the Pooh is a classic!

3) Pippi Longstocking

Okay, so full confession here. Of this list, this is probably MY least favorite. But when I asked my kids what their favorite read-aloud books were, Pippi was the first book to come out of their mouths. And it’s been almost 3 years since we read it! Obviously, it made an impression! If you’re not familiar with Pippi, she’s a strong-headed orphan girl who lives alone and loves adventure and crazy antics. (No wonder the kids loved it!)

4) Little Pilgrim’s Progress

Based on the original Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, this version is a just a teeny bit easier (translate: RIDICULOUSLY easier) for kids to understand. The author has simplified the vocabulary and written it in modern English (the original is in Old English!) while still maintaining the same beautiful storyline. This title is a great read for both children and adults, and a FANTASTIC allegory of the Christian life.

5) Amon’s Adventure and Jotham’s journey

We just love these books by Arnold Ytreeide that take us back to the time when Jesus walked the Earth. I couldn’t pick just one as we loved BOTH of these. They have helped us understand what it may have been like to have lived during both the time of Jesus’s birth and death and resurrection. Not only do these books keep you on the edge of your seat, but they also foster spiritual growth and keep you focused on the meaning of Easter and Christmas.

There are three others in the series that we hope to read soon:

Ishtar’s Odyssey, Tabitha’s Travels, and Bartholomew’s Passage

Honorable Mention: A Cry From Egypt

We read this when we studied Ancient Egypt and my daughter has re-read it several times since and wanted to make sure it made the list. 🙂

All of these books, and many others that weren’t mentioned here come up in conversation often, whether it’s an amusing part of a story we remember together, or something meaningful that we dive into deep discussion about. I love how books have enriched our family culture.

Do you have a “favorite of favorites” read-aloud? We’d love to know!

Advent Family Read-Alouds

How to read through the books:

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Book Series for Christian Kids

Four Book Series for Christian Kids

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Book List for a 7th Grade Girl

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

Freckles by Gene Stratton Porter

A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald

Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi

Lassie Come Home by Eric Knight

Sophia’s War: A Tale of the Revolution by Avi

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

The Giver by Lois Lowry

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Reading in the Early Years

1) Reading Aloud

2)Bob Books

3) Explode the Code Workbooks

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Was the answer MORE reading instruction?

Homeschool Advice

After that call, I had a plan and felt empowered.

Why the decision to stop reading instruction was a gift.

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1. Read the books.

2. Watch the movies as you read through the books.

3. Plan your party.

4.Party Time!

Let the magic begin!

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Barrier #1) Not enough time in the day

Barrier #2) Boring for kids

Barrier #3) Kids can’t sit still

Barrier #4) Little siblings

Barrier #5) You are in survival mode.

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How do you determine a great read-aloud book…?

We experienced this with Britfield.

A few comments from my kids:

My son’s interest of England’s geography and history was piqued through reading Britfield.

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Read Aloud Book Log for 2018-2019

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