Extra reading for MFW AHL?

[fischerl]

What are some of the "for fun" books your MFW students have read while doing Ancients? MFW lists a few in the introduction, but DD has already read most of them.

[cbollin]

We didn't tie it to ancients at all. We had done several of those books the year before in CTG book basket from the optional list, so I didn't want to repeat all of that.

 

so....

She read Harry Potter series (for the first time for her.)

She read Artemis Fowl series - got to book 10 I think?

She started with the Wheel of Time series (Robert Jordan)

 

We had this plan that we'd use the classics listed in J. Stobaugh's SAT Prep book for ideas, but scrapped that plan as we just weren't interested and knew MFW would cover classics in most years.

 

so, given that the students read the entire OT, and Homer, and a Henty book, and whatever else, I decided that was "academic" enough for one year and let her enjoy what she likes to read for rest of "reading" time.

 

-crystal

[fischerl]

Oh! Well, that's freeing. :) Thanks.

 

She's been reading a book of Irish Folk Tales that she loves, along with Sherlock Holmes stories, so I guess we're good for now. I did put the Sutcliff books on hold at the library--I don't think she's read those particular ones. So we'll see how that goes, too.

 

Thanks!

[Melissa in CA]

We started the year with my ds reading Parelandra....OMGosh, how he hated that book with a passion. He is DEFINITELY not a sci-fi person. :lol: My plan was/is for him to read books from the SAT prep book we bought from MFW, but I have a feeling I am going to relent and let him read more 'fun' books here and there. He's never read the Harry Potter series, but began reading them for fun lately. He's on book 4. He asks almost everyday if he can just read those for school....to which I laugh and say, "uh, yeah, no, those are middle school books." Now I'm starting to wonder if I should just let him. :D

 

I do have some Sherlock Holmes and other 'fun' classics for him to read. I'm not at all trying to tie them in with his history.

[fischerl]

I just found several cool related books at our church library--the Sutcliff retellings in beautiful hardcover illustrated versions, a book of Greek myths (she loves those), one about the Dead Sea Scrolls and one called 'Walking With Frodo' (devotionals based on Lord of the Rings). But yeah, I guess I'll keep a broad perspective on the book basket. :001_smile:

[1Togo]

We're doing the same. The book basket is reader's choice (with a few hints from Mom).

[Julie in MN]

Just adding that we did unrelated reading last year and it went well. My son read books with his book club, which were all over the board in terms of historical era.

 

The only history-related book that I wanted to add for my son was Oedipus at the end of the year. But that would probably be if you are not doing all of the Iliad (or Odyssey, but that's considered less "optional"), and if you have some time to do it together. It's a play, so it's something like reading Shakespeare -- plays have to fit into like 2 hours, so they aren't long, but lots of drama that can get quite heavy if you're not on hand to chat about it & make it lively.

 

Oh, and if you read Sutcliff's Homer (Black Ships Before Troy & Wanderings of Odysseus), you might want to see if your library has the illustrated versions to have on hand (probably the ones Lori mentioned). My son's book club read those once & we liked having the illustrated version on hand for conversation. (Oh, one page had to have a sticky tab placed in lieu of a woman's shirt, as I recall.)

 

Julie