profmom Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I'd love to hear your opinion on these books with a 4th and 5th grader in mind. Are they good? Which are your favorites? Are there any that you'd drop if time seems short? Also, which of these should not be read with younger children in the room? Read alouds: A Letter fo Mrs. Roosevelt Across Five Aprils Walk to the World's Rim Caddie Woodlawn In Search of the Source The Witch of Blackbird Pond Little Britches Miracles on Maple Hill Moccasin Trail Johnny Tremain Carry On, Mr. Bowditch Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Readers: By the Great Horn Spoon Freedom Train: The Story of Harriet Tubman Helen Keller Hero Over Here In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson Old Yeller Om-Kas-Toe: Blackfeet Twin Captures an Elkdog Pedro's Journal Phoebe the Spy Pocahontas and the Strangers Sarah, Plain and Tall Shades of Grey The Cabin Faced West The Great Turkey Walk The Great Wheel The Lewis & Clark Expedition The Matchlock Gun The Seventeeth Swap The Story of Thomas Alva Edison The Wright Brothers: Pioneers of Amerian Aviation Thimble Summer Toliver's Secret Turn Homeward, Hannalee What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin? I'd appreciate your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. Y Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Walk the World's Rim was dull ( to me). I never read In Search of the Source or Year of the Boar. Loved Seventeenth Swap and Roll of Thunder. Matchlock Gun was ok, but I found the end to be rather appalling for a children's book especially. By the Great Horned Spoon and Turkey Walk were both fun. Little Britches is a great read aloud so you can tone down the course language a bit. Love Ralph Moody books! Carry On Mr. Bowditch move a little.slow for.me, but my dc didnt seem to mind it. Hero Over Here was realistic, so was Letter to Mrs. Roosevelt. We skipped reading the Helen Keller book and watched the movie with a young Patty Duke in it instead. Loved the movie. Really, yeah, we pretty much like all of them with a few exceptions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaderbee Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I remember asking opinions for books I didn't have access to in order to see if they we're purchase worthy and not getting much of a response. So I'll give you my two cents. ;) My faves: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Caddie Woodlawn In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson Sarah, Plain and Tall I read each of those books multiple times as a kid because I loved them. I wasn't impressed with Om-Kas-Toe, Pocahontas and the Stranger, Walk the World's Rim, and Phoebe the Spy. There are better books feed a child's soul. I also think Poor Richard is a better bio about Ben Franklin than What's the Big Idea Ben Franklin? though it's certainly not as compact. And all this is written humbly. My tastes certainly aren't the most academic or well read. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threeofakind Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I have not read all of these, but some. Interesting to read others thoughts because we actually really liked Walk the Worlds Rim and Om-Kas-toe. My kids couldn't stand The Witch of Blackbird Pond. We'll be getting to several more soon! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Some stand out to me as having been wonderful books...Miracles on Maple Hill is one of them. Fabulous. Love it. Sarah, Plain and Tall also very good. Freedom Train...amazing! Careful with more sensitive readers, though. In the beginning of the book (forget the chapter) there is a fairly vivid description of young Harriet being whipped. Let's see...my children also enjoyed Pedro's Journal, Pocahontas and the Strangers, What's the Big Idea Ben Franklin?, Matchlock Gun, Johnny Tremain. We did NOT like Across Five Aprils. My children loathed the book and as I was not such a fan of it myself I did not make them finish it. In fact, I believe we read another Civil War book instead. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Read alouds: Across Five Aprils The older girls loved it. We have it on CD. The Witch of Blackbird Pond Mine thought it was dull. Incident at Hawk's Hill and My Side of the Mountain are the same genre and are more riveting. Little Britches Love it! All 3 have heard the entire series twice. Johnny Tremain Short, simple and does a great job portraying to younger kids a very American mindset. The main character chooses not to use his lineage to his advantage in the colonies. Helen Keller Her autobiography is very interesting. Old Yeller I warned them up front about then ending before I started and asked them if they still wanted me to read it. They did and liked it. Sarah, Plain and Tall Delightful. Get all 4 or 5 of them-it's worth it. The TV series is worth watching too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.