How to choose which books to use when there are so many good ones

If you're a homeschooler, or just someone fascinated by how odd we homeschoolers are, you might have read my last post, and wondered, are you guys READING all those books for school? The answer of course, is no way; I wouldn't have time for even half of them. So how did I chose which ones to use? Well, I'm glad you asked.

 The first principle I try to remember is too keep it simple. Less really is more. Yes, I own a lot of books. Yes, nearly all of them are "good books" - I don't waste my money or time on twaddle! But just because I *have* all these great books doesn't mean we have to race through a chapter book a week, or read a new picture book every day. Here's how I choose history books.

I start with a "spine;" this book will be the core of our studies and is usually some type of overview of history. Please note, this does not mean a textbook! Charlotte Mason, the 19th century British educator whose theories and philosophy have shaped mine, stresses the importance of living books in education. In a living book, the author is both passionate and knowledgeable about his or her subject matter, and presents it in an inviting and engaging tone. It is a book to help one see the grand scheme of things.

Next, I chose a book of history tales. These are the little stories of history that are, by necessity, overlooked in the 'big picture' books; stories one remembers long after forgetting the years of Henry VIII's reign: Horatio holding the bridge. Androcles and the Lion. Napoleon taming Bucephalus. Don't know those stories? You're not reading the right books ;) Some examples to follow.

Finally, I choose a high quality historical fiction book. While the true history tales often work to encourage or inspire the reader, historical fiction draws one in, letting you feel what it was like to live in that time place. We read these slowly, to savor them, to have time to digest, and not just rush along from one thrill to the next, in our eagerness to "see what happens" (that type of reading can be done during free time).   

And that's it! Three books for history, per child, per term. If you combine grades/ages it's even less. So here's what it looks like for us right now.

Year/Grade 6
Our Young Folks Josephus 
Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt
God King: A Story in the Days of King Hezekiah 

Years/Grades 2 & 4 (since we primarily read aloud at this stage, I have combined their history readings for my own ease)
On the Shores of the Great Sea
Peeps at Many Lands: Ancient Egypt
If I had to chose one historical fiction offering here, it would be The Golden Goblet.  But since I recently acquired both Boy of the Pyramids and Cat of Bubastes on CD, I wanted to use both of them, and so we are. One of the many beauties of homeschooling is breaking even my own rules.  

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