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Emerald Stoker

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  1. Child is reading Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities. I'm reading Georges Perec's Life: A User's Manual; my husband is reading Virginia Woolf's The Waves.
  2. We split homeschool duties, too--my husband handles languages, since he speaks more of them than I do! Though I'm the only one who posts here....
  3. Not a history book, but since you also mentioned literature...ancient literature can really be fun! When we did ancients, all of my kids loved (LOVED) this book: http://www.iupress.indiana.edu/product_info.php?products_id=20677 It's full of jokes, fortune-telling manuals, racy novels, National Enquirer-type tall tales--it was a blast, I tell you! Also really fun--Theophrastus's Characters (we had the Loeb edition, but there are others, including a freebie on archive.org); my kids had the best time making up their own stock characters, and also got very good at identifying them in other things we read or plays/operas/movies we saw. We go to a lot of opera, in particular, and of course the stock character is a staple of opera in certain periods, and they liked knowing the roots of that theatrical tradition. More fun stuff: Lucian's Satires https://www.amazon.com/Selected-Satires-Lucian-Norton-Library/dp/0393004430 ; and plays by Menander, Aristophanes, Plautus (we mounted family productions of several of these and did them for our friends)... It doesn't all have to be philosophy or history or theology--it is a legitimate window into an era to examine its comedy and popular literature as well! We did several other works in addition to the ones I mention above (and really, the Odyssey especially is a ripping yarn!), but the foundation of our year was comedy and satire, and I think it served us well--all of my kids have very fond memories of that year, remembering our readings vividly and discussing them still. What surprised them most, and me too, really, was how modern the sensibilities of the ancient Greeks in particular seemed to us--it didn't feel remote or strange at all. I don't know if these kinds of things will work for you, but I hope so!
  4. One possibility might be using materials designed for the Theory of Knowledge course they teach in IB schools; here's a link to one textbook: http://education.cambridge.org/ca/subject/humanities/theory-of-knowledge/theory-of-knowledge-for-the-ib-diploma-(second-edition)
  5. I wonder if some citizen science projects might interest him? There's a list here (but there are undoubtedly other things happening out there, too): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_citizen_science_projects I also wonder if, in lieu of a text, one of the Great Courses series would work for him? Like this, perhaps: http://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/biology-the-science-of-life.html And/or some audio books of interesting trade books on biological topics? I often look for science trade books by googling "best science books of" 2014 or 2015, etc., to come up with lists of things we might enjoy here (the Guardian has especially good annual lists). I'm sure there would be audio versions of some of those things. And of course there would be documentaries to watch, lectures in the community to attend...if you decide to go ahead and do biology. (I have no idea how US high school/university requirements really work, so I can't help you there.) I'm sure you will figure out the scenario that would work best for you and your family! Good luck.
  6. The Homework Helpers Essays and Term Papers book might work for you, and it's only eleven bucks: https://www.amazon.com/Homework-Helpers-Essays-Papers-Career/dp/1601631405
  7. Our update is that we have embraced the idea of North to the extent of acquiring a flock of Icelandic chickens!! So that's pretty fun!
  8. Would he like some vintage series, like Tom Swift? or The Mad Scientists' Club? Or some of the Enid Blyton series, like The "X" (Castle, Island, Circus, Mountain, etc.) of Adventure books? The Great Brain series? The Just William series? The Bagthorpe series? (I am revisiting my childhood with this list, though I am sparing you all of the "nurse" series, since he is a boy....) https://www.amazon.com/Tom-Swift-Megapack-Complete-Novels-ebook/dp/B007ZTN08S?ie=UTF8&keywords=tom%20swift&qid=1463844115&ref_=sr_1_1&s=books&sr=1-1 http://www.amazon.com/Mad-Scientists-Club-Complete-Collection/dp/1930900511/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1463844031&sr=1-1&keywords=mad+scientists+club http://www.amazon.com/Enid-Blyton-Adventure-Collection-Books/dp/B002RAUTAM http://www.amazon.com/John-D.-Fitzgerald/e/B000APM5M6/ref=pd_sim_14_bl_3?_encoding=UTF8&refRID=05EWMN5NQF0PYCZZCP0B http://www.amazon.com/Just-William-Richmal-Crompton-Collection/dp/0330391445?ie=UTF8&keywords=just%20william&qid=1463844164&ref_=sr_1_1&s=books&sr=1-1 http://www.amazon.com/Ordinary-Jack-Bagthorpes-Helen-Cresswell/dp/0192753991/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1463844238&sr=1-1&keywords=ordinary+jack
  9. Polly Horvath, The Pepins and their Problems Alan Cumyn, The Secret Life of Owen Skye and sequels Alan Snow, The Ratbridge Chronicles Tim Wynne-Jones, Rex Zero trilogy (nothing supernatural) Philip Ardagh, Eddie Dickens trilogy Kaye Umansky, Solomon Snow, etc. Philip Reeve, Larklight books James Thurber, The Thirteen Clocks, The Wonderful O, The White Deer JBS Haldane, My Friend Mr. Leakey Penelope Lively, The Voyage of the QV66 Joan Aiken, Felix trilogy (exciting, some supernatural elements, not really funny at all) Mary Clive, Christmas with the Savages Has he read the Green Knowe books? (LM Boston) Not really funny, but some of the best kids' supernatural books around, I always think.
  10. I read the Fuentes book long ago, and remember it being very good. Another one I remember reading back then was Mariano Azuela's The Underdogs, which I also liked.
  11. Could you make some of the literature and composition science-related? I'm thinking about books like these: http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Science-English-Chicago-Publishing/dp/022602637X/ref=pd_sim_14_6/182-2119318-9138127?ie=UTF8&dpID=41dN6vYrL4L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR104%2C160_&refRID=07924RRE0RN5A319N0F6 http://www.amazon.com/Best-American-Science-Nature-Writing/dp/054428674X/ref=pd_sim_14_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=1M43RZRYDDF6NN5XDBB2 http://www.amazon.com/Norton-Book-Nature-Writing-College/dp/0393946347/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1458525023&sr=1-1&keywords=finch+elder+nature+writing Just a thought! Editing to add a couple of lists of interesting science writing: https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/12/11/best-science-books-2015/ http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/dec/08/science-books-of-2015-evolution-genetic-code-environment
  12. I wonder if it would work to look north? Canadian university application deadlines are typically later than many American ones; the University of Windsor has an engineering school and they appear to have some special financial arrangements for American students. I only mention it because it's quite close to the school where your son was accepted, so I hoped it might still be close enough to home to be an interesting option for you. https://www.uwindsor.ca/engineering/ http://www1.uwindsor.ca/awards/us-federal-funding http://www1.uwindsor.ca/future-students/us-students Good luck--you have had a lot on your plate this year, it sounds like. I hope you will find something that will work well for your son. Edited to add an additional link.
  13. I think in part (maybe?) this might be one of those UK vs US usage things: in Canada, at least, my (inexpert) impression is that "physical geography" tends to imply subjects embracing those that I see on the boards here most often called "earth science". Here are a couple of Canadian discussions of physical geography, for instance: http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/environment/departments/geography/undergraduate/bsc_phys_geography/index.html https://www.sfu.ca/geography/undergraduate-programs/degree-programs/physical-geography.html But I agree with Monica about boxes! Good luck, loesje!
  14. Would there be anything of interest here? http://www.rebeccaruppresources.com/?p=3915
  15. Another series of books I have on the shelves and like is the Addison-Wesley set from the '60s and '70s; the Alg2/Trig book is by Johnson/Lendsey/Slesnick/Bates and the Precalc book is Shanks/Brumfiel/Fleenor/Eicholz. I don't have the Geometry book, but I think it's Moise/Downs. If you like the looks of Dolciani (I've got that, too!), you will probably like the looks of this series as well. They're "proofy", and the explanations and problems seem good to me (but I am a musician and not a mathematician! So take with a salt mine's worth of the white stuff....). We've only used them so far for sources of additional problems or for alternative explanations of something in our regularly scheduled programming that needs further clarification, but they've been useful in that regard.
  16. I've burbled on before about how much I liked the Chakerian/Crabill/Stein geometry book; I don't think I've yet mentioned here how much I liked their Algebra 2 and Trigonometry book, too. It strikes me that they might possibly suit you--they're very interesting and challenging, and there is still a fair amount of discovery-type learning involved--but the scaffolding of skills seems potentially more--mmm, can't find the right word--supportive? That's not quite right, but I hope you can tell what I'm trying to say--it's as though the steps on the ladder are just the right distance apart, somehow! But the project questions at the end of each chapter are definitely meaty enough to be fun for a math-gifted student. The Alg2/Trig is out of print (the Geometry may be by now as well--I'm not sure), but I got mine for cheap on abebooks some years ago. I wonder if you would be able to turn up a cheap copy, or an interlibrary loan copy, and see if that might appeal to your son?
  17. Quark, I don't really know how things work in the US, so maybe this is a silly idea...but if you wanted to stick with semester-based scheduling, could you do online university courses instead of online AP ones? I am thinking of something like this, for instance (a US history course): http://www.athabascau.ca/syllabi/hist/hist235.php Or these two literature courses: http://www.athabascau.ca/syllabi/engl/engl211.php & http://www.athabascau.ca/syllabi/engl/engl212.php I think most of these courses are self-paced, so one could fit it into the time frame that worked best for the individual student. I don't know if that will help...but I hope it does! Editing to add some chemistry links, too: http://www.athabascau.ca/syllabi/chem/chem217.php & http://www.athabascau.ca/syllabi/chem/chem218.htm
  18. Adding (for the '60s): DA Pennebaker's "Dont [sic] Look Back"; the Maysles Bros.' "Gimme Shelter".
  19. I don't think it's lame at all! Here's a very respectable scholar, several of whose books deal with history on film: http://www.rosenstone.com/ His books are very interesting and readable, and you could do worse than just watch the films he discusses. (He looks at dramas, not just documentaries.) What about John Sayles's "Matewan"? And Barbara Kopple would be good, too. I will put my thinking toque on and see if anything else occurs to me when I am not so sleepy!
  20. Thank you for mentioning this book, Janice! (Also I see the first review that comes up on Amazon is by mathwonk!) It looks as though it is wonderful; perhaps I might get brave enough to try reading it some day! I should just hide quietly in the corner and listen...and I mostly will, since I don't know anything. But--mostly by way of a bump for you--I did want to mention a couple of other books I have been finding interesting lately (I never took calculus--not offered in small high schools in my province back in the--cough,cough--dark ages of my teens). So I am trying to learn it on my own now that I am old and grey, and have been enjoying two books I found at abebooks: Israel Herstein and Reuben Sandler's Introduction to the Calculus, and Barry Mitchell's Calculus without Analytic Geometry. I found them recommended on the stack exchange website, and am finding them very clear (and Mitchell, I must say, is absolutely hilarious! I laugh out loud several times per chapter.) Also, and I find this very interesting as a math layperson, both books are very short (right around 300 pages each). The problems are fun to do, and so far I understand what's going on! So maybe when I am done those two books, I will, with some trepidation, take a look at the books you mention here! Thanks, Janice!
  21. http://www.amazon.com/Woodshop-Kids-Jack-McKee/dp/1884894534 is a terrific book about setting up a workshop for kids.
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