Woodland_Mom Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 (edited) I'm fine-tuning my read-aloud list for our study of American History. What "must reads" should I add to my list? Anything I should replace/remove?My boys are 4th and 6th grade. Almost Home - The Pilgrims and the Mayflower Sign of the Beaver - Early Settlers near Indian territory Guns of Thunder - French and Indian War Johnny Tremain - Pre-Revolutionary War Boston Tolliver’s Secret - Revolutionary War Bold Journey - Lewis & Clark explore the west Courage to Run - Harriet Tubman & path to freedom The Boy in the Alamo - Seige of the Alamo Bound for Oregon- Journey west to the Oregon Territory Iron Scouts of the Confederacy - Civil War Little Britches - Life on a ranch in early 1900s Little Riders - World War II Edited August 29, 2011 by Pylegang Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay W Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 I think your list is great. I wouldn't remove any of the titles you have. Others that you might consider adding would be: Moccasin Trail Across Five Aprils The Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson The Diary of Anne Frank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Birchbark House? And I second The Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson. But I don't know why anyone would do Diary of Anne Frank for US ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lily_Grace Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 We liked Blood On The River: James Town 1607. It has the most insights to the voyage and early colony of any children's book we've read on the topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland_Mom Posted August 29, 2011 Author Share Posted August 29, 2011 Thanks! Any other recommendations? :lurk5: Is Across Five Aprils a great read aloud? It seems to have mixed reviews on Amazon. Some people love it, some don't. I'd never heard of the Jackie Robinson book. I've added that to my list! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom&nana Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 If you want to add a read aloud for Jamestown, I recommend Surviving Jamestown: The Adventures of Young Sam Collier by Gail Langer Karwoski. We thoroughly enjoyed that book!! Another one by the same author is Seaman: The Dog Who Explored the West with Lewis & Clark (Peachtree Junior Publication). I have it, but we haven't read it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom&nana Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Just thought of two more favorites of ours. Ben and Me - Benjamin Franklin and his pet mouse By the Great Horn Spoon- Gold rush Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland_Mom Posted August 29, 2011 Author Share Posted August 29, 2011 Just thought of two more favorites of ours.Ben and Me - Benjamin Franklin and his pet mouse By the Great Horn Spoon- Gold rush Oooh! Thank you for remembering and sharing these books. I'm adding both of those to my list. I think we'll enjoy both of those.:D Does anyone know of a really terrific Civil War or World War book that has good detail, but not too much for young kids. Is "Young Riders" a good choice for WWII? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Uncle Tom's Cabin. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lily_Grace Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Does anyone know of a really terrific Civil War or World War book that has good detail, but not too much for young kids. Is "Young Riders" a good choice for WWII? Be Ever Hopeful, Hannalee/Turn Homeward, Hannalee - about a girl millhand taken from the South as a sort of prisoner of war. I found it to have a very interesting perspective on the war. For WWII we liked Snow Treasure, Number The Stars, and the My America book about Ben Uchida, a boy in a Japanese internment camp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Would boys like Turn Homeward, Hannalee? It seemed to appeal more to girls when I read it. Swift Rivers by Cornia Meigs takes place after the Louisiana Purchase - about logging on the Miss. River. Carry On, Mr. Bowditch seems to be a favorite with boys around those ages. I second, By The Great Horned Spoon, although I'm having my oldest do it as a reader & my #2 as an audiobook. I'm having my oldest do Across Five Aprils as a reader & my younger listen to it on audiobook. I want to talk about the issues, but not have to read it myself! My girls love horses, so we won't miss Gabriel's Horses (trilogy but only the first will be a read aloud for us) by Alison Hart. It takes place during the Civil War and is about a slave boy (well, at least he's a slave for the first book). And Iron Thunder by Avi is an interesting read about the Monitor/Merrimac fight (but has less info about the actual fight than it has info about making her & the spying that must have been going on in those days). I liked Dragonwings by Laurence Yep. One does not often read books about the Chinese in California from this perspective. Well, at least I don't! It has cultural (chinese) stuff, flying (post-Wright Brothers), and the 1904 San Francisco Earthquake all in one book! I enjoyed Miracles on Maple Hill (post WW2) by Virginia Sorensen. And don't forget to throw in a movie or a book about the space race! I didn't find any one that fit my liking, so I ended up with a smattering of books (one read aloud, one for my 3rd grader, one for my 5th grader) and the Apollo 13 movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blessedmother Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Amos Fortune Free Man Farmer Boy Any of the Jean Fritz books--she writes wonderfully! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 I'm fine-tuning my read-aloud list for our study of American History. What "must reads" should I add to my list? Anything I should replace/remove?My boys are 4th and 6th grade. Almost Home - The Pilgrims and the Mayflower Sign of the Beaver - Early Settlers near Indian territory Guns of Thunder - French and Indian War Johnny Tremain - Pre-Revolutionary War Boston Tolliver’s Secret - Revolutionary War Bold Journey - Lewis & Clark explore the west Courage to Run - Harriet Tubman & path to freedom The Boy in the Alamo - Seige of the Alamo Bound for Oregon- Journey west to the Oregon Territory Iron Scouts of the Confederacy - Civil War Little Britches - Life on a ranch in early 1900s Little Riders - World War II Love your list Angela, plus all the great suggestions. I was curious if you had compiled a final list (in order?) that you might share here. I'm terrible about putting things in order, but we are studying American History in depth this year (dd8) and I am so excited to have found your post! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evergreen Academy Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Just wanted to second the recommendation for Moccasin Trail. We loved all the books mentioned, but when I asked my guys which book they liked best last year, it was Moccasin Trail that got their vote - it helped us to more clearly visualize and understand the trials of western migration, and had great story that really captured their interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 I've got a girl, and she'll be nearly 8, so some of the book choices might not be the best for your boys, but this is a partial list of what I have for early American history. I'm still working on the list for books set after 1850: Pedro's Journal The Witch of Blackbird Pond The Courage of Sarah Noble Om-Kas-Toe Ben and Me The Cabin Faced West Little House By Boston Bay For activities, we have The Indian Book, which will also be a read-aloud, and Colonial Days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In2why Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 If you are doing anything on Native Americans we loved "The Birchbark house" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In2why Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 We liked Blood On The River: James Town 1607. It has the most insights to the voyage and early colony of any children's book we've read on the topic. I forgot this one! But yes, and excellent book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newlifemom Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Uncle Tom's Cabin. Bill Isn't this for an adult? I've always thought of it as having more adult themes. Pam [Who's ashamed to admit she hasn't read this book yet. :o] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Isn't this for an adult? I've always thought of it as having more adult themes. Pam [Who's ashamed to admit she hasn't read this book yet. :o] Pam - you must read it. I just read it a couple months ago and really loved it. But it's definitely not for young children! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyeska Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Across Five Aprils was a tough read aloud for us. And I third the Moccasin Trail recommendation. It was one of our all time favorite books. For Johnny Tremain, the first couple of chapters were tough (for us), but is also on our favorites list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyeska Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Are you using MFW this year? 1850-modern? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom4sons Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 Does anyone have a recommendation for a great world war I book? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momto3indians Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 ...and I think your list sounds great!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busymotherof4 Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 For books about american indians I love Soun Tetoken: Nez Perce Boy (Amazing Indian Children Series) - Kenneth Thomasma Thomasma has written several other books. I read them as a child and loved them Also what about A Lion to Guard us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 For books about american indians I love Soun Tetoken: Nez Perce Boy (Amazing Indian Children Series) - Kenneth ThomasmaThomasma has written several other books. I read them as a child and loved them Also what about A Lion to Guard us I just looked up Soun Tetoken and saw that Amazon doesn't have them new but bn.com does. I might have to order that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 I have a distinct memory of reading Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry (and Let the Circle Be Unbroken) as a child. Yoshiko Uchida's Jar of Dreams is also worth considering. These are both 20th c. books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 Just wanted to second the recommendation for Moccasin Trail. We loved all the books mentioned, but when I asked my guys which book they liked best last year, it was Moccasin Trail that got their vote - it helped us to more clearly visualize and understand the trials of western migration, and had great story that really captured their interest. Moccasin Trail was a big hit at our house! My boys were 9 and 12 at the time. and Om-Kas-Toe was a surprising hit, too. I loved Birchbark House - I cried and cried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 Does anyone have a recommendation for a great world war I book? I remember reading Cynthia Voigt's Tree by Leaf and LM Montgomery's Rilla of Ingleside, but I am not sure if they count as great. Hattie Big Sky is yet another about the effect on N American teen girls. For battle scenes, what about Kipling's Choice or No Hero for the Kaiser? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMom2One Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 Be Ever Hopeful, Hannalee/Turn Homeward, Hannalee - about a girl millhand taken from the South as a sort of prisoner of war. I found it to have a very interesting perspective on the war. We really enjoyed this book as well, and I would heartily recommend Across Five Aprils. Dd and I thought it was one of the best stories ever! I haven't read the whole thread yet, but would like to suggest Carry On, Mr. Bowditch and The Witch of Blackbird Pond to your early America era reading. Blessings, Lucinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 We really enjoyed this book as well, and I would heartily recommend Across Five Aprils. Dd and I thought it was one of the best stories ever! I haven't read the whole thread yet, but would like to suggest Carry On, Mr. Bowditch and The Witch of Blackbird Pond to your early America era reading. Blessings, Lucinda I purchased a bunch of books from this list but left Across Five Aprils off because of some of the reviews on Amazon. It sounds like there are some (including you, lol!) that highly recommend it. Any reasons why there might be the negative reviews? Also, I'm curious what age is appropriate for The Witch of Blackbird Pond? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 We liked Blood On The River: James Town 1607. It has the most insights to the voyage and early colony of any children's book we've read on the topic. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 We are enjoying The Printer's Apprentice which I blogged about here: http://ournestof3.blogspot.com/2011/09/interesting-history-read-aloud.html We'll also read Johnny Tremain and Paul Revere and I. I'll have to look at my plans for books later on. Oh, and I loved Streams to the River, River to the Sea by Scott O'Dell (Lewis & Clark, Sacagawea) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwoest Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 Ditto!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mert Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 I'm doing Amer Hist with my 5yo this year and am trying to put together some read-alouds as well. I'm wondering if anyone can share if they thought any of these would be good for a younger crowd. I read The Courage of Sarah Noble and LOVED it. Hoping to find several more that are on that level. Thanks!! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satori Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 I took all your suggestions and plus researched more literature books and put them all in chronological order last week. I can put it up on my blog if people want. We just read Morning Girl today in one hour, it's about a Taino family right before Columbus arrives in 1492. I'm also making an American Timeline (blank but with dates) at this very moment and can also put that up as a free download. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 I took all your suggestions and plus researched more literature books and put them all in chronological order last week. I can put it up on my blog if people want. We just read Morning Girl today in one hour, it's about a Taino family right before Columbus arrives in 1492. I'm also making an American Timeline (blank but with dates) at this very moment and can also put that up as a free download. Um, yes, yes, yes! I would love that chronological order. I made a huge order two weeks ago in a combo of the recs in this thread plus a few others, and now I realize I have the huge task of sorting through them to put them in some sort of order. I would absolutely LOVE your ordered list :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland_Mom Posted September 19, 2011 Author Share Posted September 19, 2011 Are you using MFW this year? 1850-modern? I don't think I'm going to use MFW 1850 - Modern. (We school year round and will start that "cycle" in January) I've found that want to just focus on American History so we can develop a strong foundation about our country. When we're finished, I plan to listen to SOTW3 and SOTW 4 as read-alouds --via audio CDs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satori Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Well, it's still a work in progress, but here's what I got so far: http://satorismiles.com/curriculum/american-history-literature-book-list/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Well, it's still a work in progress, but here's what I got so far: http://satorismiles.com/curriculum/american-history-literature-book-list/ Thank you so much Angela! You are really such an incredibly valuable asset to this community. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland_Mom Posted September 19, 2011 Author Share Posted September 19, 2011 Love your list Angela, plus all the great suggestions. I was curious if you had compiled a final list (in order?) that you might share here. I'm terrible about putting things in order, but we are studying American History in depth this year (dd8) and I am so excited to have found your post! Yes, I do have my books in chronological order. I typed the history topic next to each book title. Thanks, everyone, for the suggestions! I've made several changes to my list. I am hoping to squeeze a WWI book in somewhere, but I don't know of one, yet! Here's my current plan: Almost Home - Mayflower& Pilgrims The Sign of the Beaver - Colonial life among Indians Guns of Thunder - French & Indian War Johnny Tremain - Pre-Revolutionary War - Boston Ben and Me - Life of Benjamin Franklin Tolliver’s Secret - Revolutionary War Bold Journey - Lewis & Clark Courage to Run - Harriet Tubman & path to freedom The Boy in the Alamo - Seige of the Alamo Moccasin Trail - Life with Indians and Journey Westward By the Great Horn Spoon - California Gold Rush Iron Scouts of the Confederacy - Civil War Little Britches - Adventures on a ranch in early 1900s Little Riders - Dutch town responds to Natzi’s in World War II Snow Treasure - Norweigan kids save town’s treasure during World War II In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson - American Culture Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satori Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 :blush: Aw, thanks Tammy... I just uploaded my American History timeline download for those of you that may be interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland_Mom Posted September 19, 2011 Author Share Posted September 19, 2011 :blush: Aw, thanks Tammy... I just uploaded my American History timeline download for those of you that may be interested. You have some great information on your blog. Thanks so much for sharing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Just one note on Angela's list: I Am Regina has an attempted rape scene. It can be skipped, but it changes her adoptive "mother's" opinion about another main character (the mother's son - who is a drunk & ne'er do well), so plays into the rest of the book enough that it isn't easily skipped. You'll want to pre-read it & see how you want to handle it with your kids - older & younger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Just one note on Angela's list: I Am Regina has an attempted rape scene. It can be skipped, but it changes her adoptive "mother's" opinion about another main character (the mother's son - who is a drunk & ne'er do well), so plays into the rest of the book enough that it isn't easily skipped. You'll want to pre-read it & see how you want to handle it with your kids - older & younger. I did notice that and removed it from my personal list of books for our study. In looking at reviews, there were several others that seemed too mature for my dd8, so I just crossed those off my own list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjneary99 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Satori--your blog is amazing, thank you for posting such excellent information and sharing it with others. I have printed your lists and will be printing the timeline as well. NestofThree I read your review of the Printer's Apprentice which I was considering reading too. I didn't know anything about the book and found this thread by searching that book. I appreciate your thoughts on it. I also love your gardens--very well done, lovely....gardening is one of my favorite activities, thanks for sharing your photos. Thanks to all for your book suggestions. I have noted them all along with reviews.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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