The Middle Ages for middle school

Once again I have three drafts open on my desktop, yet here I am starting a new post. Anyone who is a writer knows: some stories fight you, and some beg to be written. But I'm not telling stories here, I'm telling you *about* stories. Specifically, medieval stories, since that's where we've been in our history cycle for oh, the last 15 weeks or so (Eep!) I wanted to share our books with you way back then, but I was preparing up until (and past!) the last minute, and we just jumped in full steam ahead. Now that it's Christmas break, I have a little breathing room, so without further ado, here are some of the books my 12 year old 7th grader is reading this year, as we delve into the Middle Ages and study the geography of Europe.

Oh, and you should know that I base our lessons largely on Ambleside Online's curriculum, which you can (and should!) check out by clicking on the link above. However, I make several modifications and changes to suit our family's needs and interests.

My daughter's main history texts this year (or "spines) are:

Winston Churchill's The Birth of Britain
   - Truthfully, she finds it a little dull, but we are sticking with it. It is the first volume of Churchill's History of the English Speaking People, a four volume set.

The Story of Europe by H.E. Marshall 
  - Some people love Marshall's writing. I don't think it is spectacular, but again, this book meets a need, and does it in the simple, storytelling way that we like. I like that dates of important events are in the margins and footnotes, so as not to interrupt the narrative, and that it does not focus solely on Great Britain, like so many other books covering the same time period.




The Story of the English, vol 1
   - I DO love Helene Guerber's writing, and after enjoying her Story of the Greeks and Story of the Romans last year, my daughter begged me to include this books this year. Many of the stories will be ones she had also read elsewhere, but since she wanted to read it, I did not object.

For biographies, I chose:

King Alfred the Great by Jacob Abbott
   - I cannot understand why this book is no longer in print, but it is worth reading about one of the most famous kings in British history. This book is also sometimes called King Alfred of England.

 The Magna Carta by James Daughtery
  - Part biography of King John, part biography of the document itself, I read this book a few years ago, and enjoyed it while also learning a few things. Win.







Saint Joan: The Girl Soldier
  - Another option might be Landmark Books' Joan of Arc. Both of these could be considered rather easy reads for a middle schooler, but not everything has to be Shakespeare. And they are well done besides.

I would have loved to have my daughter read George Makepeace Towle's telling of Marco Polo: His Travels and Adventures too, but there just wasn't room this year. I solved this problem by deciding to read it aloud to my elementary schoolers, while she listens in :D I love homeschooling! If your student is a male, he may prefer reading this story over Joan of Arc's.

And, because I cannot keep my daughter in books, I like to add a few historical fiction titles to her plans. Historical fiction is my all time favorite way to learn history. This year she is enjoying:

 A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver 
  - I thought this book was so much fun - interesting, and informative and clever - much like Eleanor of Aquitaine herself.  A great picture of a dynamic woman who barely got a mention in Churchill's history.






In Freedom's Cause by G.A. Henty
- I could do a whole post on Henty, who was a prolific writer of boys historical adventure stories in the late 19th/early 20th century, but I won't today. This story of Scotland's William Wallace and Robert the Bruce is perfect for my sensitive daughter, who is not quite ready for Braveheart yet.

Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
  - This was an Ambleside suggestion  that I wasn't sure about, since it is an adult book, not one written for kids. So I pre-read and found it fascinating. It's a really engaging look at what we think we *know* and what sources we get our history from. There was maybe a time or two of innuendo, but it was so slight that I'm pretty sure it will go right over my daughter's head. In any event, it in no way detracted from the story, and if I hadn't been looking for it, I might have missed it too.

So, aside from a few primary source texts, this is the whole of my daughter's history curriculum for the year. What do you think? Anything you've read and loved? Read and hated?  Think I should have added something? Or left something out? Let me know in the comments! 

Review: Flame Over Tara

 
Flame Over Tara by Madeline Polland

This book has been on my radar (and my bookshelf!) for a long time, but I have only now gotten around to reading it . And now that I've finished, I have to say that THIS is how historical fiction, and especially Christian historical fiction, should be written. I can't tell you how many books I've had to put down because the characters, and especially their conversation, were so wholly unbelievable. I know a lot of Christians, but I don't know any who quote whole sections of scripture during casual speech, complete with the "address" tacked on to the end, or who model the sinner's prayer to every unbeliever they meet. Who DOES that? No one.

Then there is the historical aspect - I do not appreciate characters whose thoughts and/or actions seem totally out of tune with their time or place. I believe one has to earn the title of historical; just setting your story "sometime in the past" does not historical fiction make.

Granted, it should have been easy enough to tell this story without unnecessary embellishment. In it, 13 year old Macha and her foster brother Benet encounter the Bishop Patrick upon his arrival to Ireland. Much of Patrick's work in Ireland is know to history, largely through his own letters and writing. In them, his faith and character shine through, hence my comment that no embellishment is needed.

But Polland's other characters are equally well thought out in this story. The quiet trust of Benet, the confused Macha and her affianced, Kiann; Macha's honorable father, and the thoughtful King. The omniscient point of view allows a glimpse into all their thoughts, and the reader finds it easy to understand and sympathize with them.   

 I also appreciated that, as in many of Polland's other writings, the romance is only hinted at. Yes, a wedding is in the future, and yes, the two involved actually care for each other, but there are no drawn out passages of angst or longing or details of passion, making a safe book in that respect for readers or listeners of any age.

Many of the well legends about Patrick are included in this story, which could be viewed as either pro or con, depending on how strictly you define your history. I thought it all worked well, except the part about the shamrock, which felt a little forced and sloppy.

The only real fault I found with this story is that it felt to me like it ended too abruptly. I like to think I've gotten over my childhood desire to know *exactly* what happened next - I no longer need to know the details of the wedding dress or the names of the grandchildren. The early conflict in the story - that Macha had run away to follow Patrick, angering both her father and fiance, who felt she had been stolen by the strange Roman - was quickly and easily settled. The rest of the story dealt simultaneously with the larger conflicts Macha trying to reconcile her twin desires of following God and marrying Kian, and of Patrick winning over the pagan island, all leading up to his confrontation with the king's Druid priests, which occurred in the final chapter. The reader is given less than the last two pages to see how Macha and Kiann will go forth. Not enough, I say!

Last year, during our Eastern Hemisphere studies, I read aloud Mission to Cathay, also by Madeline Polland, and we enjoyed it immensely for good writing and well drawn out characters mentioned above, combined with the added bonus of a little mystery. Soon, I will begin City of the Golden House  in conjunction with our Roman studies (look for a separate post on that book soon-ish). And soon after that, I hope to share Flame Over Tara with my children. Because the only thing that can make a good book better is sharing it.

Ancient Rome in Literature

The past few weeks in our homeschool have seen the decline of Greece and the Rise of Rome, and our booklist has shifted accordingly. There are history books aplenty  - and good ones at that - covering this time period, so I'll not dwell on those now. But I wanted to share with you a few of our fiction/literature selections, because, well, they're just so good I can't help myself!

Brave Cloelia by Jane Louise Curry - Long been one of our favorite picture books, the story of Cloelia, a young Roman hostage whose fearlessness and cleverness made her a national heroine, comes from Livy.

A Triumph for Flavius by Caroline Dale Snedeker -  a short tale from the time Rome's heyday, this story could be easily read by my eight yer old. However, when I read it aloud, everyone - from the 4 to the 12 year old - listens in.









The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth Speare - The 1962 Newbery Award winner, this classic story of the bitter Daniel's life changing encounters with Jesus has become a staple of school curriculum everywhere.








Twice Freed by Patricia St. John -  tucked in among Paul the Apostle's longer epistles, is a short letter to Philemon, encouraging him to seek restoration with his runaway slave, Onesimus. This is Patricia St. John's story of how it all might have happened.  







City of the Golden House by Madeline Polland - I haven't finished this book yet, but what I've read is SO good. The young and lame Diomedes and his British slave, Gretorix, are curious to learn more about the new sect of Christians, and the rumored healings of one Peter, but times are dangerous in Nero's Rome.





 
In Search of a Homeland: The Story of the Aeneid by Penelope Lively - this description of the Aenied from Wikipedia pretty much sums it up: Virgil took the disconnected tales of Aeneas' wanderings...and fashioned [them] into a compelling founding myth or national epic that at once tied Rome to the legends of Troy, explained the Punic wars, glorified traditional Roman virtues and legitimized the Julio-Claudian dynasty as descendants of the founders, heroes and gods of Rome and Troy. Livey's version is easily understood and enjoyed by both young children and adults.

The Which and Whyfore of Mother Goose

When I was a young mother, I did not enjoy nursery rhymes overly much. I thought they were nonsense; at best not worthwhile, and at worst, difficult to explain to my very literal daughter who wanted to know what everything meant. I figured they were just something used to keep young children busy at preschool.  Then I started reading about how nursery rhymes aid in teh development of language. And I started thinking about how they are part of our cultural heritage, how without a knowledge of them, our children will  miss references in literature and popular culture. Like when Basil Crawford infuriated Mary by singing "Mistress Mary, quite contrary" in The Secret Garden. Or realizing that Pa Ingalls wasn't just making things up on the banks of Plum Creek when he sang,  

 "Mary put the dishes on,
The dishes on, the dishes on,
Mary put the dishes on,
We'll all take tea!"

But that it actually came from the old rhyme, Polly Put the Kettle on. Furthermore, all the experts agree that the rhyming patterns and vocabulary of Mother Goose are beneficial to language acquisition.  All this to say, your children will love nursery rhymes and become baby geniuses if you read some Mother Goose to them. Which begs the question, which version to buy???

The content of any two Mother Goose or Nursery Rhyme books will mostly be the same; however, there are one or two things regarding the text to keep in mind when choosing one:

1. It is mighty handy to have some sort of alphabetical title index, so you don't have thumb through/skim all 250 rhymes to find Little Bo Peep. Again. 
2. There are some variations in wording among these rhymes. If you are able, you may want to look up one or two of your favorites or most well known ones, and see if they are the same in the book you are considering. In one of my books, after falling down the hill, Jack  

"Went to bed to mend his head"

 But in another, he went

 "To old Dame Dob, who patched his nob."

After that, the only other consideration is which illustrations you like best. Here is my list of eight that I believe are worthy of consideration.

1. Lavender's Blue - This was the first book of nursery rhymes I ever bought for my children, and I chose it because it was the only one in print at the time with the type of vintage illustrations that I love. Harold Jones' pictures are reminiscent of Kate Greenway's, and we have really enjoyed them. There is an index of first lines in the back, as well as some hints on "games" to play with the rhymes - think: This Little Piggy. 

The pages alternate between black and white and full color. My copy is hardcover, which I feel is a necessary investment for a book that is sure to be much-handled and well-loved.

2. The Real Mother Goose illustrated by Blanche Fisher Wright. This book is the one suggested or included in several popular homeschool curriculum. I (ok, my kids) were gifted a hardcover copy by a very good friend many years ago. I will admit that initially, I did not care for the illustrations, but they have grown on me since then. The pictures are all in color, and every fourth page boasts a full page spread.

 The biggest problem I have with this book is that there is no index. There is a table of contents, but since there is no rhyme or reason to the way the poems are placed, it really doesn't do any good. There are 272 rhymes on over 120 pages - it would be nice not to have to flip through the entire thing in search of a particular one.

  The third and last copy I (currently) own is Marguerite de Angeli's Book of Nursery and Mother Goose Rhymes. Besides the fact that I am a huge fan of everything de Angeli has done (note to self: future blog post), I had the added bonus of purchasing this book for a mere $0.75 at a local Goodwill store. I gotta tell you, I just love treasure hunting!

There are A TON of rhymes in this volume - over 180 pages worth, with an alphabetical index in the back. The illustrations are mostly pencil drawings, some full sized, and about 20 full-color, full-page pictures. If you can get your hands on one of these, I do not think you would be disappointed. 

4. The Arnold Lobel Book of Mother Goose - apparently this was once published as The Random House Book of Mother Goose, so if you find that, you'll be getting the same thing. I bought this at a used book store recently, intending to give it to a friend who is expecting her first baby, but I am afraid I will have a hard time giving it up! Lobel's illustrations always have a nostalgic feeling and calming affect, despite their brightness and fun.

(If you're seeing that image upside-down, I cannot for my life figure out why, or how to change it.) There is an alphabetical index of first lines in the back, all pictures are in color, many full page. Seriously, I think I need my own copy.

These next few books are ones I do not own, because even I exercise restrain *some*time. But they are all illustrated by popular, well loved artists, and would be excellent additions to any library.

5. The Jessie Wilcox Smith Mother Goose  - Smith, one of "the most prominent female illustrators in the United States during the Golden Age of American Illustration," created the kind of soft look that works so well in children's books, without being overly sweet or sentimental, in the way some of her predecessors.  My favorite versions of Heidi and A Child's Garden of Verses are adorned with her illustrations.

6. Tomie de Paola's Mother Goose - it seems that people either love Tomie, or hate him, but if you love him, why not pick up this book? In fact, I have a strong suspicion that this one IS actually hiding around my house somewhere...Simple and colorful, most children {heart} Tomie's illustrations.

 
 
7. Mother Goose by Tasha Tudor - Do not think that being last on my list means least! Caldecott Honoree Tasha Tudor may be one of the most loved modern illustrators. Her nostalgic depictions of smiling children and happy families have me picking up her books whenever I find them, for the illustrations alone, wholly regardless of the written content. And while her volume of Mother Goose does not appear to be currently in print, I do not believe it is that hard to find.
                                 
                                           

So - if you don't already have one of these fine volumes, go get one. And no, those are NOT Amazon affiliate links, so feel free to buy them from whomever you please ;)

The Further Chronicles of Avonlea

I set out three days ago to write a review on The Wind the Willows and here my web browsers sits, still open to a new - but totally blank - post. And since I have a policy of not fighting against the muses, I've decided to indefinitely postpone said post, and begin a new one on the book I have just this afternoon finished reading: The Further Chronicles of Avonlea. If you are a fan of Anne-with-an-E of Green Gables, the name Avonlea ought to be familiar to you. And if you know me in real life, you may know that I am a fan, and even named my youngest daughter Avonlea. And, if you're a fan, and I'm a fan, that makes us "kindred spirits," and possibly "of the race that knows Joseph," and we ought to get a long swell.

Anyway, back to the book. The Further Chronicles of Avonlea is actually a companion volume to - wait for it - The Chronicles of Avonlea which, I will admit, I've not read. Yet. The Further Chronicles is a volume of 15 short stories that take place in and around Avonlea, and in which Anne has only a small mention. Being a true Anne Fan, this kept me from these beautiful stories for far too long. But my prejudice was unwarranted, and as I finished the book today, what struck me was the beauty of true love, honor, duty, and faith shining through them.

The first two stories, "Aunt Cynthia's Persian Cat" and "The Materializing of Cecil" seem to be just for fun; not bad, but I'm not sure I could have take a whole book of their frivolity either. And chapter five, "The Dream Child," in which a young woman loses her infant son, goes nearly crazy hearing his cries in the dark, only to one night come upon a cast away child that restores her health and her faith, was a little haunting for this mama. But then there is "Her father's Daughter," "Jane's Baby," and "The Son of His Mother" which so beautifully portrayed the dangers of stubbornness and the importance of forgiveness between husband and wife, sisters, and mother and son.

Familial love and relationships are foremost in all, and the cultivation of what is right and good and true in ones character is held the highest esteem, as in "The Education of Betty" and "The Conscience Case of David Bell."  Indeed, L.M. Montgomery's heroes and heroines, whatever their faults, are never 'petty,' and strive for the integrity and nobleness of character that has sadly fallen out of fashion in today's world. 

But most beautiful, I felt, were the stories in The Further Chronicles which had characters setting aside their own desires and even needs to "esteem others as more important than themselves." Men like Robert Monroe in "The Brother Who Failed," who sacrificed time, money, and opportunities, to boost his five younger siblings to success (both worldly and otherwise) and to care for his neighbors when no one else would, prompting his aunt to realize that, " 'There's a kind of failure that's the best success.' "  And Eunice Carr, who looked after her brother in his life and his death. People like Miss Emily Leith and the 'common' Mark Foster who loved their respective loves enough to let them go. All the best that the human spirit is capable of shine through in these short, simple stories, and I'm sure I will return them again and again in years to come, both for my own pleasure and to read to my children; for in character training, one can never have too many models of what is honorable set before them.

"We both belong to the race that knows Joseph, as Cornelia Bryant would say."
" 'The race that knows Joseph?' " puzzled Anne. 
"Yes. Cornelia divides all the folks in the world into two kinds - the race that knows Joseph and the race that don't. If a person sorter sees eye to eye with you, has pretty much the same ideas about things, and the same taste in jokes - why, the he belongs to the race that knows Joseph."
"Oh, I understand," exclaimed Anne, light breaking in upon her. "It's what I used to call - and still call in quotation marks - 'kindred spirits.' "

from Anne's House of Dreams

In which I issue a retraction

So, I hardly ever do this, but in my last post, I recommended a book that I'd not yet read. It was on several lists, it's description seemed perfectly suited to my needs, it was a good length. But once I'd begun to read it, I realized that the writing style was poor, the vocabulary much too simplistic for the 10-and-up demographic for which it was intended, and the structure made it seem as though the author could not decide whether she was writing a work of historical fiction or non-fiction.  And though it has its good points, overall, I was unimpressed with Theras and His Town.

And because life is too short to be wasted on sub-par books, I replaced it in my YR 6 daughters schedule with Three Greek Children by Alfred Church. While this book is still rather light for my voracious reader, the vocabulary was more sophisticated, as was the writing style, and the story altogether delightful. Theras may have included more 'facts,' but as we are getting plenty of those from our other books, I am glad to let my daughter be drawn into Ancient Greece through this lovely story.