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Help me plan US history book list for 1st and 3rd grade?


ByGrace3
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I have a lot of books. I have been collecting all year, and really don't want to overbuy. Anyone care to help look over this list, (most of the SL Core D, and some other sources thrown in) and help me eliminate any books that would not be good for my kids ages and add anything fantastic I have missed? I found a bunch of SL books at a used curriculum sale so I won't be bummed to drop any that won't be good. Thoughts? What am I missing? Any major topic or book glaringly lacking? Thank you!!!

 

Our plan: 3 day a week "History" with readers and read alouds every day. dd will be reading the SL Core D readers independently, and I will read some to ds if he is interested.

 

Also, for reference, I have been reading the SL core B (last year) and Core C (this year) read alouds to both children and they have loved them. I know Core D ramps up, so if there are any read alouds way over there heads, I would love a heads up to look over or pre-read.

 

Spines:

Truthquest the first and probably partially through the second US history (thinking explorers to Gold Rush... about the equivalent of SL Core D)

AJTL notebooking, builder binder, coloring pages, and timeline

The Complete Book of US History (We will not use this entirely, just to fill in gaps here and there)

Maestro Books:

Discovery of the Americas

More Perfect Union

Liberty or Death

Exploration and Conquest

The New Americans

Struggle for a Continent

D'Aulaire Books

Columbus

Ben Franklin

G. Washington

Buffalo Bill

Pocahontas

Leif the Lucky

 

SL Books I own:

The Matchlock Gun

The Cabin Faced West

The Bears on Hemlock Mountain

A Lion to Guard Us

The Winter at Valley Forge

Meet Thomas Jefferson

Meet George Washington

Pheobe the Spy

Pocahontas the Stranger

Robert Fulton Boy Craftsman

Sara Whitchers Story

The Skippback School

Squanto Friend of the Pilgrims

North American Indians

Incas, Aztecs, Mayas (thinking of skipping this one)

And then What Happened Paul Revere?

What's the Big Idea Ben Franklin

Calico Bush

Johnny Tremain

The Journeyman

Justin Morgan had a Horse

Swift Rivers

Can't you Make them Behave King George

Carry on Mr. Bowditch

If you were there when they signed the Constitution

Om Kas To

The Lewis and Clark Expedition

The Story of Eli Whitney

The Secret of the Sealed Room

Toliver's Secret

The Very First Americans

The Thanksgiving Story

The Witch of Blackbird Mountain

The Courage of Sarah Noble

The Sign of the Beaver

Walk the Worlds Rim (thinking of skipping this one)

Sarah Plain and Tall

Pedro's Journal

Secret of the Andes

 

NON SL books I own:

Ben and Me

Adventures in Colonial America: Jamestown

If you Lived with the Hopi

Pioneer Sampler

MTH Thanksgiving on Thursday

If you Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620

If You Lived in Colonial Times

The First Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving on Plymouth Plantation

American Girl:

Meet Felicity

Felicity Learns a Lesson

Meet Kirsten

Kirsten Learns a Lesson

Ferdinand Magellan

You Wouldn't Want to be at the Boston tea Party

Liberty How the Revolutionary War Begun

Time Travelers Colonial Times CS

 

Other books I plan to buy:

The 4th of July Story

American Girl books: the rest of the Felicity and Kirsten series, and Kaya.

Other Resources I plan to purchase:

Either 10 Days in the USA or other such game

States and Capitals CD

We Sing America

 

 

SL don't have: (which if any do I NEED?)

Adoniram Judson

Ben Franklin of Old Philadelphia (but I do have Ben and Me and D'Aulaires B Franklin)

George Washington (but I do have Daulaire's G Washington)

Mr. Revere and I

Naya Nuki

Stone Fox

The Corn Grows Ripe

Vostaas: White Buffalos story

Tree in the Trail

Tikta Liktak

 

What am I missing? What should I cut? I want to get the book list finished so I can start planning units. Thank you!!!

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I have a lot of books. I have been collecting all year, and really don't want to overbuy. Anyone care to help look over this list, (most of the SL Core D, and some other sources thrown in) and help me eliminate any books that would not be good for my kids ages and add anything fantastic I have missed? I found a bunch of SL books at a used curriculum sale so I won't be bummed to drop any that won't be good. Thoughts? What am I missing? Any major topic or book glaringly lacking? Thank you!!!

 

Our plan: 3 day a week "History" with readers and read alouds every day. dd will be reading the SL Core D readers independently, and I will read some to ds if he is interested.

 

Also, for reference, I have been reading the SL core B (last year) and Core C (this year) read alouds to both children and they have loved them. I know Core D ramps up, so if there are any read alouds way over there heads, I would love a heads up to look over or pre-read.

 

Spines:

Truthquest the first and probably partially through the second US history (thinking explorers to Gold Rush... about the equivalent of SL Core D)

AJTL notebooking, builder binder, coloring pages, and timeline

The Complete Book of US History (We will not use this entirely, just to fill in gaps here and there)

Maestro Books:

Discovery of the Americas

More Perfect Union

Liberty or Death

Exploration and Conquest

The New Americans

Struggle for a Continent

D'Aulaire Books

Columbus

Ben Franklin

G. Washington

Buffalo Bill

Pocahontas

Leif the Lucky

 

SL Books I own:

The Matchlock Gun

The Cabin Faced West

The Bears on Hemlock Mountain

A Lion to Guard Us

The Winter at Valley Forge

Meet Thomas Jefferson

Meet George Washington

Pheobe the Spy

Pocahontas the Stranger

Robert Fulton Boy Craftsman

Sara Whitchers Story

The Skippback School

Squanto Friend of the Pilgrims

North American Indians

Incas, Aztecs, Mayas (thinking of skipping this one)

And then What Happened Paul Revere?

What's the Big Idea Ben Franklin

Calico Bush

Johnny Tremain

The Journeyman

Justin Morgan had a Horse

Swift Rivers

Can't you Make them Behave King George

Carry on Mr. Bowditch

If you were there when they signed the Constitution

Om Kas To

The Lewis and Clark Expedition

The Story of Eli Whitney

The Secret of the Sealed Room

Toliver's Secret

The Very First Americans

The Thanksgiving Story

The Witch of Blackbird Mountain

The Courage of Sarah Noble

The Sign of the Beaver

Walk the Worlds Rim (thinking of skipping this one)

Sarah Plain and Tall

Pedro's Journal

Secret of the Andes

 

NON SL books I own:

Ben and Me

Adventures in Colonial America: Jamestown

If you Lived with the Hopi

Pioneer Sampler

MTH Thanksgiving on Thursday

If you Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620

If You Lived in Colonial Times

The First Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving on Plymouth Plantation

American Girl:

Meet Felicity

Felicity Learns a Lesson

Meet Kirsten

Kirsten Learns a Lesson

Ferdinand Magellan

You Wouldn't Want to be at the Boston tea Party

Liberty How the Revolutionary War Begun

Time Travelers Colonial Times CS

 

Other books I plan to buy:

The 4th of July Story

American Girl books: the rest of the Felicity and Kirsten series, and Kaya.

Other Resources I plan to purchase:

Either 10 Days in the USA or other such game

States and Capitals CD

We Sing America

 

 

SL don't have: (which if any do I NEED?)

Adoniram Judson

Ben Franklin of Old Philadelphia (but I do have Ben and Me and D'Aulaires B Franklin)

George Washington (but I do have Daulaire's G Washington)

Mr. Revere and I

Naya Nuki

Stone Fox

The Corn Grows Ripe

Vostaas: White Buffalos story

Tree in the Trail

Tikta Liktak

 

What am I missing? What should I cut? I want to get the book list finished so I can start planning units. Thank you!!!

 

 

 

That's a lot of books! I don't know that I would cut anything, if you're planning on using it for 2-yrs., I also don't think I would add anything, at least not right now. I would wait and see how quickly you guys went through the books before adding anymore books.

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That's a lot of books! I don't know that I would cut anything, if you're planning on using it for 2-yrs., I also don't think I would add anything, at least not right now. I would wait and see how quickly you guys went through the books before adding anymore books.

 

This is just the first year :lol:

 

It is mostly SL core D with a few substitutions for their spines, as is I don't think it is "more than" SL, just different books replacing their spines. I have an old SL core d to assist, but I don't want to be tied to that schedule.

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We did US History last year. (Plan is linked in my sig.) You have a LOT. Keep in mind that Sonlight does history 4-5 days per week.

My notes below:

 

Robert Fulton Boy Craftsman - So/so. Easily skippable until kids are older.

Johnny Tremain - I tried reading it twice & couldn't stand it. Got it for the kids on audiobook & they begged to be able to not listen to the end. One of my best friends IRL & her kids LOVED it. YMMV.

The Journeyman - Kids & I loved this one!

Justin Morgan had a Horse - I loved this one and kids still refer to it, but they didn't enjoy it as much as I thought they would.

Swift Rivers -- One of my favorites, but might be a bit old for your kids.

Carry on Mr. Bowditch -- Very sad (people keep dying, lots of adversity).

Om Kas To -- Unless you plan to read this aloud & make it more exciting by changing the wording, this is Boring. (How the author manages to make this story boring is mind-boggling. Writing is terrible!)

The Story of Eli Whitney -- Kids got a kick out of talking about all the mistakes Mr. Whitney kept making by wanting to do everything himself. Not my favorite book.

Walk the Worlds Rim (thinking of skipping this one) -- Kids enjoyed this one, but it takes awhile to read.

Pedro's Journal -- Boring! (Can you cover this topic w/something else?)

 

Other books I plan to buy:

We Sing America -- I looked at this one, but in the end got I Hear America Singing! instead. Kids put it in (now!) weekly & refer to stories behind some of the songs when they come up in other settings. I only wish the CD came with all the songs contained in the book!

 

SL don't have: (which if any do I NEED?)

Ben Franklin of Old Philadelphia (but I do have Ben and Me and D'Aulaires B Franklin) -- You can use your Franklin books instead. No issue.

Naya Nuki -- Same author as OmKasTo, but much better writing. Interesting story. You don't NEED it at the ages your kids are, though.

Stone Fox -- Not necessary. Very short book!

The Corn Grows Ripe -- Totally skippable.

Vostaas: White Buffalos story -- Totally skippable.

 

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We did US History last year. (Plan is linked in my sig.) You have a LOT. Keep in mind that Sonlight does history 4-5 days per week.

My notes below:

 

 

We've been reading a lot of the books you have on your list this year, OP, and I agree with a lot of RootAnn's assessments.. Except that my kids really liked Om-Kas-Toe and Naya Nuki...and Walk the World's Rim was huge flop for us (we didn't even finish it, which rarely happens for us). We didn't even try Johnny Tremain because I remember hating it in middle school. Maybe I'll have my dd try it when she is that age.

 

A newer book we really liked is Sophia's War by Avi, for the revolutionary time period. Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich is good, if your kids can handle the death of a child in a story (a baby brother dies). Despite the sadness in that book, it is one of my favorites that we have read this year.

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I'll give this a shot, since I did those Sonlight cores with my older kids, and am getting ready to do 2 years of American History with my youngers (who will be 1st and 2nd grade next year).

 

I'll be blunt; I think you have too much. You have some marvelous books on there, but in my opinion they're better for logic stage kids. Books like Johnny Tremain, Walk the World's Rim, Witch of Blackbird Pond, and Carry On Mr. Bowditch. All four of these books are excellent and memorable, but better used with mid to upper elementary students. They'll get more out of them if you wait. And you won't have to "drag" them through them.

 

The good news is that there are SO many great books on Am History for the younger set. Maybe concentrate on what Heart of Dakota and My Father's World offers for the younger (roughly 1st - 3rd grade) set. Save the more complicated books for later. :)

 

And I'll be following this thread with interest, since I'll be doing something very similar as well next year. If it helps, I'm strongly considering using the following as my "spine", then adding in many wonderful readers and basic biographies:

 

http://simplycharlottemason.com/store/stories-of-america/

 

Good luck!

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We did US History last year. (Plan is linked in my sig.) You have a LOT. Keep in mind that Sonlight does history 4-5 days per week.

My notes below:

 

So helpful! Thank you so much! I understand about SL doing history 4-5 days a week, but many of those I listed are readers and read alouds which we will be doing 5 days a week as well.

 

I am certain we won't read all those titles, and your details are exactly what I was looking for to help me weed it down. Thank you!

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We've been reading a lot of the books you have on your list this year, OP, and I agree with a lot of RootAnn's assessments.. Except that my kids really liked Om-Kas-Toe and Naya Nuki...and Walk the World's Rim was huge flop for us (we didn't even finish it, which rarely happens for us). We didn't even try Johnny Tremain because I remember hating it in middle school. Maybe I'll have my dd try it when she is that age.

 

A newer book we really liked is Sophia's War by Avi, for the revolutionary time period. Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich is good, if your kids can handle the death of a child in a story (a baby brother dies). Despite the sadness in that book, it is one of my favorites that we have read this year.

 

Thanks, I think Walk the Worlds Rim is a flop for many, i was pretty sure we would skip it... thanks for the other suggestions, I will look them up!

 

I'll give this a shot, since I did those Sonlight cores with my older kids, and am getting ready to do 2 years of American History with my youngers (who will be 1st and 2nd grade next year).

 

I'll be blunt; I think you have too much. You have some marvelous books on there, but in my opinion they're better for logic stage kids. Books like Johnny Tremain, Walk the World's Rim, Witch of Blackbird Pond, and Carry On Mr. Bowditch. All four of these books are excellent and memorable, but better used with mid to upper elementary students. They'll get more out of them if you wait. And you won't have to "drag" them through them.

 

The good news is that there are SO many great books on Am History for the younger set. Maybe concentrate on what Heart of Dakota and My Father's World offers for the younger (roughly 1st - 3rd grade) set. Save the more complicated books for later. :)

 

And I'll be following this thread with interest, since I'll be doing something very similar as well next year. If it helps, I'm strongly considering using the following as my "spine", then adding in many wonderful readers and basic biographies:

 

http://simplycharlottemason.com/store/stories-of-america/

 

Good luck!

 

Thanks for the input. I do think we will skip a few of those. I may pre read the Witch of Blackbird Pond to see what I think. I have looked at HOD and MFW and have some of those here, but the SL books are always top picks for us and my kids have seemed to do well with the core read alouds the far...

 

I certainly have no desire to drag them through anything, so I am glad to have input on those to skip. I am not opposed to drop boring books even in the middle..too many good books out there! :)

 

Thanks all!

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Nicole, just to clarify, I am a HUGE fan of Sonlight. I think I've purchased something like five complete cores in my homeschooling career. Many of their choices are absolutely fantastic . . . but I think that many of the books you listed above would be better enjoyed, and better appreciated, by older kids.

 

I just was trying to make the point that those ages would be best served, in my opinion, by reading choices like:

 

 

Sam the Minuteman

The Long Way Westward

Eat My Dust (Henry Ford's First Race)

Lewis and Clark: A Prairie Dog for the President

plus the wonderful Jean Fritz books, etc.

 

Since your 3rd grader will obviously be at a higher reading and comprehension level, you could always add in a few additional choices. That's what I'm planning to do for my rising 2nd grader (who will be an older 2nd grader, born Oct. 2005). I'm going to incorporate many of the American Girl books that will fit the best into our joint reading sessions. My first grader will obviously be less interested in them. ;)

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Nicole, just to clarify, I am a HUGE fan of Sonlight. I think I've purchased something like five complete cores in my homeschooling career. Many of their choices are absolutely fantastic . . . but I think that many of the books you listed above would be better enjoyed, and better appreciated, by older kids.

 

I just was trying to make the point that those ages would be best served, in my opinion, by reading choices like:

 

 

Sam the Minuteman

The Long Way Westward

Eat My Dust (Henry Ford's First Race)

Lewis and Clark: A Prairie Dog for the President

plus the wonderful Jean Fritz books, etc.

 

Since your 3rd grader will obviously be at a higher reading and comprehension level, you could always add in a few additional choices. That's what I'm planning to do for my rising 2nd grader (who will be an older 2nd grader, born Oct. 2005). I'm going to incorporate many of the American Girl books that will fit the best into our joint reading sessions. My first grader will obviously be less interested in them. ;)

 

 

I think those books you mentioned would be great choices for the OP's 1st grader, but might be pretty easy (though probably enjoyable) for the 3rd grader. My K'er and Pre-K'er loved those this year as read alouds, and they were quick "read it in a few minutes while waiting to do something else" sort of reads for my 3rd grader -- not a challenge at all. I am reading a lot of our more challenging history selections outloud to my 3rd grade DD alone without her younger brothers. She LOVED Carry on Mr. Bowditch and Witch of Blackbird Pond -- both titles you listed as better for older ages. Hopefully the OP knows her kids well enough to know what they are comfortable with and will be challenged by. There are so many book choices for American History that it's not like we are all going to "run out" of books to read by the time they get older...LOL!

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I think those books you mentioned would be great choices for the OP's 1st grader, but might be pretty easy (though probably enjoyable) for the 3rd grader. My K'er and Pre-K'er loved those this year as read alouds, and they were quick "read it in a few minutes while waiting to do something else" sort of reads for my 3rd grader -- not a challenge at all. I am reading a lot of our more challenging history selections outloud to my 3rd grade DD alone without her younger brothers. She LOVED Carry on Mr. Bowditch and Witch of Blackbird Pond -- both titles you listed as better for older ages. Hopefully the OP knows her kids well enough to know what they are comfortable with and will be challenged by. There are so many book choices for American History that it's not like we are all going to "run out" of books to read by the time they get older...LOL!

 

 

Thanks for your input. My kids (even the 2 yo) are great for read alouds. My two olders LOVED Augustine Farmer Boy of Tagaste this year. I seriously tried to get then to let me drop it I thought it was dry and too much. No they loved it! ;)

 

I know I can get easy picture books here and there at the library, so I am more concerned with having the meat of the program in readers for dd and read alouds.

 

Many kids are different and I know so many sat don't use SL at the bottom, but while we don't use straight SL my dd at the bottom, and ds under the age, have all enjoyed the read alouds. There were a few books on the SL list I questioned and thanks to a few reviews here, I will preheat them. I just don't want to waste time on books they won't enjoy when there is so much good out there.

 

Glad to know your dd enjoyed those two!

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Just to add my two cents - my ds8 is currently loving Johnny Tremain. We just finished with the Revolution in school and I had started it as a read aloud. He is now reading it on own time and constantly telling me what Johnny's doing now. Maybe it's a boy/girl thing and being able to relate to character as opposed to "boring" and "dry."

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We actually loved Om-kas-toe it was one of our favorite books so far this year. Even my four year old wanted to hear more everyday, it was an easy read as well. I would keep it. Oh, and I would agree with the assessment of Pedro's Journal, we put it down it was very, meh. We loved Sign of the Beaver (which is SL Core D) it was also one of our favorites. However, we took about 6 weeks at the beginning of Early Modern History to study Native North American tribes and groups. it was so great.

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When you start planning your year, count up how many books you have (both for you & as read alouds) and you'll see how quickly you have to "get through" them. You don't want to rush through some of these! The experience is better for savoring & discussing. The books you have for readers, you might consider just putting in a "book basket" for your kids to choose from. It doesn't hurt if they read them a little ahead or behind where you guys are with the rest of your history studies.

 

Just to add my two cents - my ds8 is currently loving Johnny Tremain. We just finished with the Revolution in school and I had started it as a read aloud. He is now reading it on own time and constantly telling me what Johnny's doing now. Maybe it's a boy/girl thing and being able to relate to character as opposed to "boring" and "dry."

 

 

Re: JT -- My friend's kids who LOVED it were all boys, so maybe you have something there. However, it wasn't so much that it was boring (although it had a slow start, IMO), it was disturbing for me & the kids. I personally couldn't finish it which is why I got it on audiobook for the kids. I've tried multiple times to get through it & I couldn't. Maybe "upsetting" is more of the word I'm looking for?

 

We actually loved Om-kas-toe it was one of our favorite books so far this year. Even my four year old wanted to hear more everyday, it was an easy read as well. I would keep it. Oh, and I would agree with the assessment of Pedro's Journal, we put it down it was very, meh. We loved Sign of the Beaver (which is SL Core D) it was also one of our favorites. However, we took about 6 weeks at the beginning of Early Modern History to study Native North American tribes and groups. it was so great.

 

 

I thought the idea behind OKT was great. It took discussing the writing style for me to figure out how the author could make such an exciting story sound so totally un-exciting. Perhaps you are good at getting past the writing style. I wasn't!

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My book list to add to SOTW 3 for those ages:

 

The Story of Jamestown (cornerstone)

If you Sail on the Mayflower

If you lived with the Iroquois

If you lived in Colonial Times

Welcome to Kaya’s World

Breakfast w/ George Washington or Meet George Washington

The Eve of Revolution

Winter at Valley Forge

And Then What Happened Paul Revere?

If You Lived in the Time of the American Revolution

Where Was Patrick Henry on the 29th of May?

Abigail Adams: The President's Lady (Piper Books)

Welcome to Felicity’s World

Heroines of the American Revolution

Shh! We're Writing the Constitution

If You Were There When They Signed the Constitution

What’s the Big Idea Benjamin Franklin?

Life on a Plantation

Meet Thomas Jefferson

The Industrial Revolution (All About America)

Lewis & Clark, How We Crossed the West

Boomtowns of the West

Unfading Beauty- Molly Madison

The Story of the Trail of Tears (cornerstone)

If You Lived With the Cherokee

Andrew Jackson, Frontier Patriot

Welcome to Josefina's World

The Story of the Gold Rush (cornerstone)

 

Read Alouds:

 

A Lion to Guard

Almost Home

Sign of the Beaver

Ben & Me

The Story of Eli Whitney

Madeleine Takes Command

Naya Nuki

The Boy in the Alamo

By the Great Horn Spoon

The Cabin Faced West

 

DD8 will read all the American Girl books for this time period.

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.....

 

I thought the idea behind OKT was great. It took discussing the writing style for me to figure out how the author could make such an exciting story sound so totally un-exciting. Perhaps you are good at getting past the writing style. I wasn't!

 

 

 

I agree that it was a learning curve with the writing style. Even when I would go to a different read aloud I had to adjust to the new writer's "voice". Overall, it worked for us. I'm sure it's not for everyone.

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