SereneHome Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 I've decided to do a "country of the month" with the kids. Oct was Japan. November was voted to be England. I am trying to find fiction and non fiction books about England and having heck of a time. Fiction books could really be anything. Non fiction - Something like this would be great! http://www.amazon.com/The-Story-Scotland-Richard-Brassey/dp/1858815495/ref=pd_sim_b_19?ie=UTF8&refRID=0JYMYBPVWR5Z9MHHX9PQ thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mohini Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 There's this series http://www.amazon.com/This-London-Miroslav-Sasek/dp/0789310627/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415416215&sr=8-1&keywords=this+is+london http://www.amazon.com/This-Britain-Miroslav-Sasek/dp/0789317532/ref=pd_sim_b_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=0T6XNQQ1Z822R14AFJC3 But what about some guidebooks with pictures? The library probably has tons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SereneHome Posted November 8, 2014 Author Share Posted November 8, 2014 I am not sure if guide books will hold their interests. I just can not believe that it was so easy to find tons of resources for Japan ,but not for Great Britain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 Is your book searching problem perhaps an issue of terminology? The country is now called the United Kingdom, it was formerly Great Britain, but the individual country you plan to study sounds like it's England... since both UK and GB would include Scotland but you didn't want the Scotland book? Also, unlike a country like Japan, if you search for something like "books about England" you're going to turn up too many things to sift through because you'll catch all kinds of stuff. There's so much out there in terms of fiction that I wouldn't even know where to begin... Since your kids are so young... How about Padington Bear? Or Madeline Goes to London? Or how about just reading a large pile of Charlie and Lola? Gosh, there's nothing more English than Charlie and Lola, right? You could turn to picture book biographies. There are a bajillion about Shakespeare. And Queen Elizabeth I. And Charles Dickens. There's a bunch about the British kings and queens in general... I guess the problem may be more a need to pick a few focuses than a lack of potential resources... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintinative Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 For their ages, why not Paddington books for the fiction? There is a Paddington in London book and a Paddington at the Tower book. Those would be good. Possibly a version of Robin Hood? I am thinking there were some books referenced in SOTW for England as well if I can figure out where. Nonfiction-wise: Try your library first of course! Look what came from England There is a whole series of them. We have read several for other countries and they have good content for their age ranges. http://www.amazon.com/Look-What-England-Kevin-Davis/dp/0531164349 Phillip Steele Knights http://www.amazon.com/Knights-Single-Subject-References-Philip/dp/0753451549/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415579891&sr=1-1&keywords=philip+steele+knights books about castles--we have a great one that is also a popup book. http://www.amazon.com/Castle-Medieval-Knights-Sabuda-Reinhart/dp/043954324X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415579952&sr=1-1&keywords=castle+pop+up+book Not sure these are really England, but they are "in the area": A Street Through Time http://www.amazon.com/Street-Through-Time-Anne-Millard/dp/0789434261/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415579816&sr=1-3&keywords=A+street+through+time There is a lot to look at--and funny things to find in the pictures too. There is also A Farm through time http://www.amazon.com/Farm-Through-Time-Angela-Wilkes/dp/0751371785/ref=pd_sim_b_7?ie=UTF8&refRID=1F3F9Z26HMGZSHHJYAR0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mohini Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 Maybe you could use guidebooks to have them make a travel brochure. That was a fun exercise we did for French - the kids loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SporkUK Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 Living in the middle of England, my top book idea is We Are Britain, lovely book of poems and information about children and families living throughout Britain. It also has a nice map at the front where each of the kids live. One of my kids favourites and my top choice for learning about Britain now. There is also the Horrible History of Britain and Ireland and separate paperbacks for each of country, including one just about England. Maybe a guide to animals or plants in the UK and compare to one you have from your local area? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 Paddington (the originals by Bond), Winnie the Pooh (the originals by Milne), the AA Milne poems (When We Were Very Young; Now We are Six). Mary Poppins. The Hundred and One Dalmations. ETA: for non-fiction, try Britannia. It has traditional history stories, with a side-bar discussing how likely they are to be true. My boys used to love it. It's not just stories from England, but you could pick out the ones you wanted (you don't have to use the whole book for it to make sense). I do think that part of the problem is that England has not been a political entity on its own since the conquest of Wales in the medieval period. The conquest of Ireland and the united crown with Scotland were all well under way by the early 17th century. So books about England on its own will be harder to find. In fact (for your benefit, not your children) the status and identity of England is a current hot topic. L . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sally Day Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 Anything by Enid Blyton. For your age-group maybe 'The Faraway Tree'. There are Usborne 'See Inside' books of London and British History. If you are interested in Scotland too (where we are) the Katie Morag books are a beautifully-illustrated insight into island life at the opposite end of the country to London. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike in SA Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 Usborne has some great UK-specific offerings. You might need to go to Amazon.uk to order them (shipping is not that expensive, btw). We picked up some "see inside" books, as well as encyclopedia of kings and queens that way. Shipped, less expensive than buying on the street in London (we've done that, too). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 Perhaps a Ladybird history book would work wellhttp://books.ladybird.co.uk/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9781409308720,00.html. I just looked at the US Amazon site and there are several used ones cheap! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 Some of the books we've used: Brittania: 100 Stories from British History (short stories) by Geraldine McCaughrean A Bear Called Paddington The Secret Garden Mary Poppins Robin Hood various retellings of the legends King Arthur Videos: The Little Travelers: The British Isles Horrible Histories (includes world history and British history) Other books: A Walk in London Pop-Up London B is for Big Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SereneHome Posted November 11, 2014 Author Share Posted November 11, 2014 Thank you so much everyone. I've reserved as many as I could find in the local library and will probably get a few on amazon - This is Britain looks really good. Again, thank you so so much for all the suggestions!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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