Renaissance and reformation: literature and free reads

We don't always coordinate our literature selections to the history period we are studying in our homeschool, but as our students get older it happens more frequently. This year, I have chosen two main novels of enduring literary and historic value for my Year 8 student to read. It is my hope that the rich vocabulary will proffer a vivid picture of the times and places described, and that each will speak truths about human nature, and of the relationship between God and man.  

Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley - If ever a book gave a flavor of the times, this is one. Set in Elizabethan England, the ins and outs of 16th century religion, politics, and warfare all come into play in the hero Amyas Leigh's life. Amyas sails and explores, fights Spanish invaders in Ireland, and in the end, gets the girl; his integrity and faith guiding him through it all.


I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed) by Alesandro Manzoni - another book that is new to me, Amazon had this to say about it: " The Betrothed's exploration of love, power and faith presents a whirling panorama of seventeenth-century Italian life and is one of the greatest European historical novels."

(Both of the above books are also available free in Kindle or ebook format.)

And because I can't keep my daughter in books, I have also added these rather easier reads to her schedule this year: 
The King's Fifth by Scott O'Dell (1541) - recounts the adventures and trial of Spanish mapmaker Julian Escobar in the New World. So good, truly.

The Explorations of Pere Marquette by Jim Kjelgaard (1670) - okay, this is actually a non-fiction title, from the much acclaimed Landmark Series; this book recounts the travels of French Jesuit Marquette (and his friend Joliet) as they explore the Mississippi river and environs.

A Parcel of Patterns by Jill Paton Walsh (1665) - I picked up this small volume one night and could not put it down until the last page. Based on the true story of how the Plague devastated the English village of Eyam, it is a haunting story of love and loss, but also a thoughtful look at the convergence of religion, politics, and science in the 17th century. 

And because my 4th, 6th, and 8th grade students are all studying this same time period, I have chosen a few books to read aloud that we can all enjoy, though every book on this list would make an excellent free read choice as well. All are appropriate for younger children as well, though they may find The Black Arrow a bit dull.  

The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson (1460-61) Set during the War of the Roses, young Dick Shelton finds himself betrayed by his treacherous guardian, and torn between conflicting loyalties with the houses of York and Lancaster, as he seeks to become a knight and rescue his lady love. Truthfully, this should have been a part of last year's studies, but hey  - I can't always get it perfect.

The Hawk That Dare Not Hunt by Day by Scott O'Dell (early 1500s, during the reign of Henry VIII) - while his uncle is merely out for profit, young smuggler Tom Barton sees that the writing of one Martin Luther, and William Tyndale's hopes of an English Bible, are changing the lives of English men and woman and ushering in the dawning of a new age.

Unknown to History; The Captivity of Mary of Scotland by Charlotte Yonge (1567) - it seems that every British child knows the story of Mary, Queen of Scots, but if I ever learned it, I've forgotten it. Through the story of the Talbot family and their foundling daughter, Cicely, we read here of Mary's captivity and her conflicts with Queen Elizabeth I.  (available free for Kindle or ereader)

Red Hugh, Prince of Donegal by Robert C. Reilly (1580) -  an exciting and adventurous tale based on a true story from Irish history - that of Red Hugh's capture, imprisonment, and escape from his Elizabethan English enemies. A story of bravery, loyalty, and perseverance.

 I Will Adventure by Elizabeth Janet Grey - (1596) - I randomly picked up this out-of-print book at a sale, and am glad a did. A quick and easy read, the story follows Andrew, who is sent from his home in Canterbury to become a page to his London uncle, but what he really wants is to be apart of the exciting theatrics of Mr. Shakespeare.  

The Children of the New Forest by Frederick Marryat  (1647) -  Set in England during the time of the Civil War, four children, whose royalist father was killed fighting for King Charles, flee their burning ancestral home, and take up residence with Jacob Armitage, a keeper in the New Forest. An exciting and detailed look at a very volatile time. 

Master Cornhill by Eloise Jarvis McGraw - (1666) Full of detail about life and customs in 17th century London, this story centers around Michael, orphaned during the great plague, and left to fend for himself in the city. He befriends a balladeer, a map maker, and his lively housekeeper Susanna, but that only seems to make it worse once the Great Fire sweeps through London, threatening them all...

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (1687) - 16 year old Kit finds it difficult to adjust to life with her uncle's family in Puritan Connecticut, after growing up in sunny Barbados. The colonists, in turn, have a hard time understanding her different ways, especially after she befriends a Quaker woman that is already regarded as a witch. I originally intended to assign this book in Term 3, but decided instead to read it aloud to all my children - I believe everyone from the 7 to 13 year old will enjoy it, and I don't doubt the younger children will pick up more than I expect!
Disclaimer: I am NOT an Amazon affiliate. Clicking the above links will get me nothing. though it may give you helpful information :)

Renaissance & Reformation History

I've been deep in planning mode for the 2015/16 academic year for many moons, and now have all our books chosen, scheduled, and (mostly) bought. We mainly follow Ambleside Online and my oldest daughter will be doing Year 8 this year. Two years ago, we began our study of world history with the ancient Hebrews, Greeks, and Romans; last year we delved into the middle ages, and now Eldest Daughter (and two of her younger siblings) will be exploring the tumultuous years of 1400s - 1600s - the time of European Renaissance and Reformation. As always, I'm excited about the books we'll be reading this year (I mean, if I wasn't, I wouldn't be using them!) and would like to share them with you, along with a little bit about why each was chosen. I'm even MORE excited about the public-domain primary-source documents that Ambleside has included in their YEAR 8 schedule. I can still hear one of my college professors waxing on about how significant primary source documents are, and how important it is to base any real research on them, and I am so glad the AO advisory took the time to dig up and include them in middle and high school history studies. I'll probably not go into them too much here, so be sure to check them out in the Year 8 link above.

The New World - Churchill 
This will be our main text, or spine, for this year. This book is the second volume in Churchill's four volume set, A History of the English Speaking People. We read the first volume this year, and even though my daughter found it a little dry, I feel that it's well done and important enough to stick with. So to help it go down a little easier, and to round out our studies, I am also assigning

The Story of the Renaissance and Reformation - H.A. Guerber and Christine Miller
 I may or may not have mentioned this before, but I love Guerber's writing. LOVE. And if I had an infinite amount of time and a lot more money, then I would buy her Story of the English and the Story of Old France, and pick and chose my favorite chapters to assign, throwing in a few from Marshall's A History of Germany (which I DO own). But really, what would be the point, when Christine Miller has done it all already, and thrown some helpful maps in, in the bargain? My daughter and I are really looking forward to this book.


The Voyage of the Armada - Howarth
The first of three non-fiction titles we will be reading during the year, these are not boring textbooks! this one recounts one of the seminal events of this period in history - from the Spanish point of view. I was hooked after the first few pages. 

Homes in the Wilderness - Margaret Wise Brown
Yes, THE Wise Brown of Good Night, Moon fame! It was a little surprising to see her name as editor of this collection of pilgrim journals from William Bradford and others, but this important document was only helped by Brown's updated spelling and Mary Wilson Stewart's simple illustrations. 

A Coffin for King Charles - Wedgewood

I've not read this book yet, but it is said to be a well researched account of one of the most shocking events in English history - the trial and execution of King Charles I, written in magnificent prose.

You can learn a lot of history through the well told story of one person's life. To this end, we will also be reading these biographies this year:

A Man for All Seasons - Bolt
A two act play about the Lord Chancellor who refused to compromise and was executed by Henry VIII.
                Utopia - After reading ABOUT Sir Thomas More, we'll also be reading this classic work          BY him, which, though not strictly a book of history, nonetheless had historical value. 
 
The Life of John Donne - Izaak Walton


Please note, the above link is NOT to an Amazon book listing, but to an online text from Project Canterbury, a "free online archive of out-of-print Anglican texts and related modern documents."
This short selection has the distinction of being written a contemporary of Donne's, and includes excerpts from many letters written by the latter.



Galileo's Daughter - Sobel 
I read this years ago, and while it was occasionally a bit slow, for the most part it is a fascinating look at the Medici's Florence and the mythic "father of modern science," through correspondence with his daughter, the nun Maria Celeste.

Did you notice that I didn't mention a few of the books pictured? We'll get to literature (including poetry!) and free reads in my next post.



And once again, please remember that I am NOT an affiliate with Amazon or anyone else. Any links provided are simply for reader ease, I currently receive no compensation for keeping any part of this blog. :)



 

Early American history with historical fiction

I was cleaning my desk and found a list I had scribbled out when someone asked me about living books for early American history. And, because I must have been in a fastidious mood that night, I even arranged the books in chronological order. It's too good of a list to just throw away, and I will lose it in a heartbeat if I try to save it, so I am posting it here for all posterity. Know too, that for purposes of this list I defined "early American history" roughly as the time from Columbus to about the year 1800. 

Pedro's Journal by Pam Conrad  (1492-93) the fictional diary of a ship's boy on Columbus' vessel  Santa Maria.

Walk the World's Rim by Betty Baker (1527+) A 14-year old Indian joins Cabeza de Vaca's expedition through the Southwest.

Conquista! (1541) - an early chapter book about a young native American who encounters his first horse.

The King's Fifth by Scott O'Dell  (1541) - recounts the adventures and trial of Spanish mapmaker Julian Escobar in the New World.

The Lost Colony of Roanoke (1587) - a non-fiction title from Jean Fritz, recounting the mystery surrounding one of the earliest attempted colonies in the New World. 

Landing of the Pilgrims by James Daugherty (1620) - One of the highly esteemed Landmark Books, tells of the coming of English Puritans to Plymouth.

The Scarlet Letter (1642) - an excellent  literature selection for older students, this powerful psychological novel explores themes of sin, guilt, and redemption in the early Massachusetts Colony.


The Explorations of Pere Marquette (1670) - another non-fiction Landmark title, this book recounts the travels of French Jesuit Marquette (and his friend Joliet) as they explore the Mississippi river and environs. 

The Witch of Blackbird Pond (1687) - 16 year old Kit finds it difficult to adjust to life with her uncle's family in Puritan Connecticut, after growing up in sunny Barbados. The colonists, in turn, have a hard time understanding her different ways, especially after she befriends a Quaker woman that is already regarded as a witch.

Madeline Takes Command (1692) - with her parents away, 14-year old Madeline is left to defend a fort on the St Lawrence River against an Indian attack.


Om-kas-toe (early 1700s) -fictional tale of the Blackfeet tribes first encounters with the horse.

Amos Fortune, Freeman - Spanning the whole of Amos' life, from 1710 to 1801, in which he is kidnapped in Africa and sold into slavery in Massachusettes, where he dreams of and plans for freedom for 45 years.

Indian Captive (1743) -well done fictionalization of the story of Mary Jemmison, who is captured in a raid as a young girl, and lives out the rest of her life with the Seneca Tribe.

Calico Captive (1754) - more engaging historical fiction, recounting the trials of Miriam Willard, who is taken from her home in New Hampshire during a raid, and sent to Quebec during the French and Indian Wars. 

The Last of the Mohicans (1754-1763) - paints an excellent picture of frontier life and struggles that made up the French and Indian War, this a must read for high school students. And though I don't often recommend adaptations, THIS ONE is particularly good. 

Sign of the Beaver (1768) - 13 year old Matt faces teh task of guarding his family's new cabin in the wilderness bravely - until a wandering stranger steals his gun and leaves him feeling vulnerable. But a friendship with Attean, a boy of the Beaver clan, teaches him more than just practical survival skills.

A Light in the Forest (1769) - not just another story about a white boy living with Indians, this well crafted story explores the ways in we create any identity for ourselves.


Johnny Tremain (1773) -Bitterly disappointed over an tragic accident that ended his days as an apprentice silversmith, Johnny finds that his new job as a dispatch rider brings him in contact with Boston patriots and the excitement that leads up to the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Lexington.


Early Thunder (1774-75) - a 14 year old boy who has been raised as a royalist begins to questions his loyalties as the event of history unfold in Salem, Massachusettes.

The Cabin Faced West (1784) - a simple story of life on the Pennsylvanian frontier, with a fun cameo by George Washington himself.

The Reb and the Redcoats (1779-80) - An interesting look at the American Revolution, as told from the point of view of a British family who takes in an American prisoner of war.

Year 1.5

Last fall, when my daughter was 6 1/2, I started formal lessons with her. She was more than ready, so in addition to Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, Italic Handwriting, and math, we did Ambleside Online's Year 1. My son, who is my daughter's faithful sidekick in most things, had just turned 5 and was NOT ready for Year 1, and so we did Year 0 with him. I kept both schedules as light as possible, for my own sake, because the addition of these two children meant I was teaching 5 different students/grades in our little homeschool and well, yeah. There are only so many hours, and so much sanity, to go around.    

Anyhow, THIS fall my little guy is ready for Year 1, and in interest of consolidation, ease, and family togetherness, I decided to create a Year 1.5. This way, they can be reading the same books (or rather, be read the same books) in Bible, history, geography, natural history, and literature, without repeating too many of the ones my daughter already did this year. They will still each work at their own level in math, reading, and handwriting. It is also going to allow me to include some books that I either didn't have time for this year, or that I didn't feel we were ready for yet. Then the year after next these two students will move on to Year 2 together, and continue to go forth together in the future. So here's what we'll be doing:

Bible
Ergermier's Bible Storybook - part 2 of 3
                Because we have daily family devotions, I try not to overload our school time with Bible readings. But I love this book and feel that it's a good way for young children to learn these stories. We have stretched this book out over three years (YR 0-YR 2) but other families may prefer to do it all in one or two years.

57 Stories of Saints - I am using this in place of Trial and Triumph, and have only scheduled 2 per term.

Parables From Nature - Two per term. I've not had success with this book in the past, but I am giving it another try. I think it will be a good fit this time. 

History
Child's History of the World - ch 5-41 (skipping ch 37) this year. The more I read this book, the more I like it, and am excited to use it with my littles this year.   

Boy of the Pyramids, Alexander the Great, A Triumph for Flavius, & Viking Tales (also available free for Kindle)

Geography
Paddle-to-theSea - I skipped this with my daughter this year, but I think they are ready for it now.

Natural History
Burgess Animal Book  - one chapter per week     

Literature
Grimm's Fairy Tales  When looking back, I was surprised to find that we haven't covered more of Grimm's tales already. But our Year 0 selections seemed to be mostly Hans Christian Anderson and Perrault, and Year 1 was The Blue Fairy book. I chose only two per term because I am also adding in a few longer stories that I wanted to share with my children. They are:

King of the Golden River, The Velveteen Rabbit, and The Reluctant Dragon

Peter Pan and Pinocchio

(There are so many different versions of these literature selections, that I am hesitant to link to just one. I love lavishly illustrated hardcovers, but there are many less costly paperback versions that are equally nice, especially when you can find one illustrated by the likes of Milne and Arthur Rackham!)

Poetry: A Child's Garden of Verses (Robert Louis Stevenson), When We Were Very Young, & Now We Are Six (A.A. Milne) - yeah, I just read these with my daughter this year, but I love them so much, I'm doing them again. Although, I just now occurred to me that some Edward Lear might not be remiss in Term 2 instead....

And that's it. Pretty simple, but I'm always excited when I get to introduce kids to good book for the first time.

NOTE: I am NOT an Amazon affiliate. I will get absolutely nothing if you click any of these links. I simply include them because I know how much  it enhances *my* blog reading experience, to be able to immediately click and see which book is being referred to. 

The Prince and the Pauper

So if my middle schooler's schedule had not already been full of great books, I would have also assigned her The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain. As it was, I read it aloud to my 3rd and 5th graders, and she listened in. We just finished it, and I'm so sad because I love love loved this book.
I'll admit, one of the first things I loved about this book was that my copy had illustrations by Peter Spier. His pen and line drawings are among my favorite types of art, because they are so beautiful in their simplicity. If you can find a copy with Spier's illustrations, I highly recommend it.

The second thing I loved about this book was the vocabulary. The antiquated dialog did not sound forced or awkward, and the story was rich in descriptive vocabulary, fun similes, and Twain's trademark ironic humor, which, if sometimes went over the heads of my students, at least amused me.
Here is one that we recently used for copywork:

Whilst the true King wandered about the land poorly clad, poorly fed, cuffed and derided by tramps one while, herding with thieves and murderers in a jail another, and called idiot and imposter by all impartially, the mock King Tom Canty enjoyed a quite different experience.

Finally, I loved how clear it was that Twain had obviously done his research in writing this novel (he was a journalist first, you know). Through the nature of the plot the reader is treated to a clear picture of both the splendors of Henry VIII's court as well as the plight of the poor and downtrodden. If the the occasional footnote weren't enough, the unparalleled description of the nuances of daily life in 16th century would have given it away. And yet, in all the information, the story never felt bogged down or slow. Reporter, yes; and master storyteller.

Truly I think this a gem of a book, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Have you read it? What did you think? If you haven't, do you think you might now?