Interviewing me for the podcast yesterday, Andrea Schwartz had a good idea. Why not compile and maintain a reading list for homeschooling families? And, of course, anyone else who wants to get into the reading habit. The books recommended would not be any that you’d find on any public school curriculum.
I wasn’t sure how to set this up, but then decided I might as well just plunge into it and let it find its own shape over time.
The books on the list would have to be compatible with Christian faith, or at least not contradictory or subversive to it, entertaining (because we want you to read more!), “educational” in the broadest sense, and available without much difficulty.
So here goes! First two books on the list–
Ages 12 and Up:
Herodotus, The Histories/ The Persian Wars. A writer who can stay in print for 2,500 years doesn’t do it by being boring! Herodotus, nicknamed “The Father of History,” and other nicknames not so nice, like “That liar!”, offers a mix of history, travelogue, tall tales, and enough exotic material to fascinate you twenty times over. I like the Penguin paperback, with the translation by Aubrey de Selincourt. Honest, it’s one of the most entertaining books ever written–just the thing for breaking out of the digital stupor.
12 and Under:
The Freddy the Pig series, by Walter R. Brooks. I discovered these when I was nine years old, and have been reading them and loving them ever since. Kids will love the talking animal characters and exciting situations; adults will love the subtle humor that they didn’t fully appreciate as ten-year-olds. (Only Brooks would ever describe a beetle as “motherly.”) The series starts off with Freddy Goes to Florida–the first one I read–and quickly shifts into high gear. And there are a couple dozen of these books to keep you busy.
Well, that’s the start of my Homeschool Reading List. I’ll add to it from time to time, and entries will always be stored in the blog archives for easy reference.
Chuck the phones and open the books!
Good for you. This is a very worthwhile effort to benefit many.
I need hardly say I’ll take readers’ suggestions, too–although I’ll want to concentrate on books that I’ve actually read. But I think I can probably trust most of my readers not to give me a bum steer.
Hymn suggestion to cheer us up: Blessed Assurance. As t o the other issue, I will have to give that some though when I get a minute to think.
First I gotta get outside and race the calendar to get my book done.
My daughter liked the Freddy the Pig books.
It’s a bad day indeed when “Freddy and the Ignormus” can’t cheer you up.
I need to read Herodotus
It’s a real easy book to get hooked on.
Gotcha