Considering Chemistry

Well, I had more preliminary things that felt like they needed saying, but Instagram overwhelming voted to Get On to the Books, Already! So here we are. I will just say that following multiple streams of science in the high school years requires a little forethought, not just about which books to use, but how to schedule them, i.e., don't leave all the hard ones for the same year, or overload one year with too many pages worth of reading and not enough time for observation, experimentation, and notebooking. Even if you decide to utilize textbooks, there is no rule that says they must be completed in year or, indeed, that they have to be completed at all. But we'll get those in a bit. Also, definitely do not take it that your student should read *all* the books in this post for a Full Credit of Chemistry or some such silliness. I'm just trying to help people choose by giving options and discussing a few pros and cons. 

If you'd like to follow a more living book approach, there are lots of options, so I'll touch on the few I'm most familiar with here: 

First up is Crucibles: The Story of Chemistry, I have the updated fourth edition, by Bernard Jaffee. This book is subtitled From Ancient Alchemy to Nuclear Fission, and as suggested, it tells the history of chemical discovery through biographical chapters of scientists and discoverers. It is the most systematic coverage of chemistry of the books listed in this post, and yet it is still very readable. This is a fantastic way to learn - through the stories of real people who had real triumphs as well as real failures. It is somewhat similar to The Mystery of the Periodic Table, written for adults. The chronological organization helps the reader slowly build up chemical knowledge and vocabulary. This is a very "CM" title; it is interesting and engaging, and it would be a good fit for a child willing to put in the work of extracting the important concepts, and lends itself well to narration. The main downside is the lack of illustrations or diagrams in the book, so supplementation is needed, as well as lab work, if one wanted to make a lab course using this book as the spine. 

Napoleon's Buttons: 17 Molecules that Changed History by Penny Le Couteur. If you're familiar with Ambleside Online you'll recognize this book as part of their Year 8 science curriculum, but it too is definitely high school level. My eldest three children and myself all enjoyed this book, it is a great living title, covering an interesting mix of science and history, explaining the chemistry of the commonplace. However, when it came to my fourth child, she read a couple chapters over a term before declaring to me that she "didn't understand it, and hadn't learned one thing." A little more probing and we discovered that she did not have the foundation necessary to understand it - she had little concept of atoms and almost no idea of bonds and molecules. It is true that she had read The Mystery of the Periodic Table just two years before in AO year 6, but it seemed she hadn't given that book the attention it was due either. We paused Napoleon and chose a short text to fill those foundational gaps, but all that to say - you might want to make sure your student is prepared for this book if you choose to include it in your school. This title definitely deserves a pre-read, or at least a perusal of the possible problem areas, which Ambleside Online has so helpfully noted here.

That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles: 62 All-New Commentaries on the Fascinating Chemistry of Everyday Life by Dr. Joe Schwarcz. This is an even more "popular science" title than the last and may be a good fit for students whose interests lie elsewhere than in the sciences, but who still need either a wide feast spread before them, or a requirement met.  Conversely, perusal of this book might inspire a student's interest in something they hadn't previously considered and spark new love for chemistry. The biggest downside to this book, in my opinion, is that it is only loosely organized; however the chapters are short and the reading easy, devoid of technical jargon. I have only skimmed this title, and that not recently, so I cannot speak to any inappropriate/objectionable material, and therefore I recommend pre-reading it first, as there may be things to note for discussion or skipping.

Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood by Oliver Sacks. An enjoyable memoir that highlighted the ways Sacks' curiosity and interest in science led him to experiment with and understand the nature of many common elements and chemicals. I felt much respect for his parents while reading this, for the ways in which they both encouraged his interest, and (mostly) tolerated his blowing stuff up. Interspersed with his own life, he highlights the discoveries of scientists like Davy, Dalton, and Curie. This is a great title for picking up important scientific concepts effortlessly. 

There are two things to note in this title: Sacks occasionally gets off track writing. In chapter 19 he describes his first org*sm (at a young age, randomly by himself in a pool). In chapter 22 he casually mentions how his mother (in a midwifery capacity) occasionally drowned disabled/malformed newborns. For sensitive readers, these chapters could both be skipped without detriment to the overall story, but for mature readers, I highly recommend this title. </>

      

Finally, I want to suggest Theodore Gray's fantastic trio of books: The Elements, Molecules, and Reactions. Again, if you're familiar with AO's Year 6, you might recognize The Elements, but don't let its placement, or the plentitude of photographs fool you - this book (and the other two) was written for adults. In The Elements, Gray looks at each of the 118 elements in turn and discusses their properties, their common (and uncommon) forms, and how they are most often used (or not). There's also a short section at the beginning of the book about the format of the periodic table and how it got that way, that acts as a helpful primer. The second book, Molecules, explores (according to the jacket flap): "the most interesting, essential, useful, and beautiful of the missions of chemical structures that make up every material in the world." But you'll learn some scientific concepts here too, if you wish: he begins with a discussion of how atoms bond to form molecules and compounds, and organic vs. inorganic chemistry. Gray then goes on to explore soaps and solvents, goops and oils, rocks and ores, smells and colors. Parents should be aware that Gray purposely addresses drugs (legal and illegal), sweeteners (natural and artificial), and controversial compounds. Again, this is an adult book, and some of his comments may be unsuitable for younger students, and you may not agree with his conclusions on opioids, Splenda, thimerosal, or CFCs. I recommend pre-reading, at least those sections of most concern. Reactions, the final book, is a recent acquisition of mine, and as such I've not had the time to peruse is very thoroughly, but it purports to demonstrate how molecules interact and change in essential ways, while explaining such chemical concepts as energy and entropy, and how time affects all. In all three books, Gray's enthusiasm for his subject shines through, and I feel like a student could learn a lot more from these books than from your average chemistry text.  Though the same could probably be said about all the books mentioned here today. 

Sidenote: my son will (most likely) be reading Molecules and Reactions, along with Drawing Physics and some labs/experiments/demonstrations for a high school credit of Physical Science. Just thought I'd mention it in case that option appeals to someone else as well. Remember that if your students are looking to apply to college, they will probably need to show some type of lab credit. This doesn't have to be as hard as it sounds! But that's a topic for another post. 

ETA: None of these links are affiliate links - I make absolutely no money off this masterpiece of a blog, lol. They are simply there for your ease - to quickly get a bit more info about a book. I ALWAYS recommend shopping around, buying second hand, and supporting small businesses. <3 

Anno's China

Guys, a super exciting thing happened to me the other day: the lovely people from Beautiful Feet Books contacted me (on Instagram, follow them, and me - @bibliobites) and asked if I would like to review their newly released picture book, Anno's China. This makes me feel like I'm some big time blogger or reviewer, instead of some little old nobody SAHM who is doing this for the first time! But shh! Don't tell them that I don't know what I am doing, and maybe they will send me more books!

I was introduced to Mitsumasa Anno some years ago by MommaofMany who was appalled - appalled, I say - to find that I was not familiar with his work. I have obviously learned better since then, and am now the happy owner of Anno's Counting Book (part of my preschool curric, more on that later!), Anno's USA, Anno's Italy. Anno's Magic Seeds, and Anno's Medieval World, besides China. While the "geography" or country books are my favorites, I think Anno's China is fast becoming my new favorite, and I will tell you why.

First, I will say that I was almost disappointed when I pulled this book out of the envelope, because although it was a hardcover with crisp new dust jacket, it seemed to me that everything seemed a bit fuzzy, like when my home printer needs to be aligned. China did not look the same as the other books I owned. And I was surprised, because I actually own an abundance of  publications by Beautiful Feet Books and have never felt their quality to be lacking before. Then I remembered that the illustrations were SUPPOSED to be watercolors, which OF COURSE have a fuzzy, ethereal quality to them, by virtue of the media. Which made me wonder why Anno's other books, by other publishers look like they were illustrated in children's markers. I am not here to run anyone else down, all the books are lovely, but - this one by BF books may be a more accurate representation of the artist's original intentions.

But enough about that, here's the real reason why I love this book so much, are your ready for this? It has an index or appendix explaining what you're seeing in each scene! I know, right? But maybe you're not familiar with Anno's books, and if so, let me explain.

Anno's country books are wordless picture books, wherein Anno (always dressed in blue, with a pointy cap) journeys across a geographic area such as the Italy or the United States, and sometimes across time. There's an amazing amount of detail, but sometimes, unless you know what you're looking at, you don't know what you're seeing.

When I first pulled this book out of my mailbox, I thought, let me sit down an look at it real quick. Oh boy. You'd think I would have known better, right? There is no "quick look" with Anno's books. As soon as I opened it, I was drawn in- the beginning scenes were so calm and peaceful and I recognized men fishing with cormorants, like we'd learned about in Ping! But soon I began to feel a little frustrated. I could recognize that the author was taking us up river, but I wondered if this was a famous village I was supposed to recognize? What were those people doing? What did *that* mean? I simply did not know enough about Chinese culture and traditions to appreciate all that this book contained.

But then, THEN, my friends - I found the index. The lovely, 9 page index, PLUS an author's note, that carefully explained each scene, without becoming tedious, and still leaving much for the reader to discover on their own. This is the ONLY one of my Anno books that has this feature, which leads me to believe it is something that Beautiful Feet put together, or included, though it is written from the author's point of view; and it is, in my opinion, what makes this book amazing instead of only great, and definitely worth having. When I'm finally finished oogling it, my next step is going to be to figure out where I can fit it in to my curriculum...

*As aforementioned, I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I have received no other compensation. Links to Amazon are not affiliate links, I receive no monies for recommending good books to y'all, I just like to see people reading. ;)

Early American History - intermediate

Usually as I'm preparing for the beginning of our school year, I write up a post about what our plans are and what books we'll be doing. Mostly to help me keep it all straight in my brain, but also because I get so excited about new books and all the amazing things we're going to be learning! Well, I never got around to doing any of those posts for this school year, but now that we've just passed our halfway mark, I think I shall. I'd like to do a series of posts, in no particular order, starting with this one here; What my Year 5 and Year 7 students (ages 10/11 and 12/13, respectively) are currently reading for history. In general, I start with Ambleside Online and then tweak it to fit our family. This is loosely based on Year 4, but because my students are older than the intended audience, we've decided to condense the year's history readings into 2 terms, then begin Year 5 in our final term.

For our history spine, I chose to replace H.E. Marshall's This Country of Ours with  H.A. Guerber's The Story of the Thirteen Colonies. We have been reading Guerber's books since way back when we studied Ancient Greece and they have never disappointed. We actually began this one last year, as the founding of most of the original 13 colonies fell into the time period of the reformation, and will finish it at the end of our second term, coming up in just 4 weeks(!). I really enjoy Guerber's writing style, and so we will begin with The Story of the Great Republic in term 3, and on into next year.



I would have loved to find some original publications of these, since you know how I feel about vintage books, but at the time I could not. I hesitated to buy these versions from Nothing New Press because I knew them to be edited, but the wonders of the internet allowed me to view Christine Miller's entire preface in which she carefully explains which changes (and why!) she has made. After that, I bought with confidence, and as I said, have not been disappointed.

Next up are Genevieve Foster's books, George Washington's World, and Abraham Lincoln's World. If you came here from Instagram (I'm @bibliobites, hello!) you might have seen me declare my love for GW's World a couple weeks ago. These books have been on my radar for many years now, but I had not managed to work them in before, and now I regret all that time lost, when we could have been friends, lol! While there is plenty of American history in here, I chose these books primarily for the presentations of what else was going on in the world during this time period. I might have continued with The Struggle For Sea Power, from M.B. Synge's fabulous Story of the World series, as we read the previous three books in as many years, but again - I really wanted to use Foster's books, they're just that good. Honestly - I wish I could have used them all, but that would have been overkill and redundant.



Another note about older editions vs new: You'll notice I have the "expanded editions," published by Beautiful Feet Books, in which Genevieve Foster's daughter, Joanna, has added more stories to her mother's original text. I have not done an in-depth comparison, but a friend recently found a (vintage hardcover!) version of GW's World, and it appears to me that what Joanna has done is round out the conversation by adding the voices of some Native Americans and African-Americans, as well as a few more discoveries and inventions. Overall, I feel the additions definitely added to the book's appeal, though I wish I could get the newer editions in hardcover, my paperback is already looking worn!

Oh, and again, we spread GW over two terms, and will do the same with Lincoln, carrying him over into our next school year.

Abigail Adam: Witness to a Revolution - I'll begin by saying I've not read more than a few lines of this. Maybe I should have, because it is the book my children complain about the most. However, it seems that their complaints are mostly about how 'unfair' they think the Adams' lives were: "it's like they're not even married!" "He's been away for THREE YEARS!" Which, of course, cannot be helped. And yes, I tired to help them see what a sacrifice it was for the greater good, and that we need people like that - so that the rest of us can stay home cozy and safe. Not sure they bought it, but I tried. I also like how this is one of the more academic and 'grown-up' books that we've used thus far, and important transition as my teen nears high school.  We're nearing the end of this book, and will begin Of Courage Undaunted soon.



Of Courage Undaunted is the story of Lewis and Clark, of course. Honestly, there are so many good books out there about Lewis and Clark, but that's a discussion for another post. I chose this one this time for two reasons: 1. I like the cover art, and 2. AO had already scheduled it out, saving me the trouble of doing so. However, I DID enjoy Daugherty's The Magna Charta, and these same students gave great narrations from his Poor Richard last year, so I felt like this was a pretty safe choice. Safe and pretty:  win-win.



Since historical fiction is probably my favorite genre, we are constantly reading it over here. Last year, when we studied the Renaissance, I was able to read aloud a whole list of great historical fiction to enhance our learning. This year, we wanted to read the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, which is wonderful, but I *do* feel like we're missing so many great books we could be reading about this time period. However, I did assign a few, as you may have noticed in the very first picture. My son is reading Johnny Tremain, In Search of Honor, and Crossing the Panther's Path, one per term, respectively,



Johnny Tremain is on nearly every booklist there is, so I'll not waste too much time here, other than to say - it's definitely worth your time. In Search of Honor is a story of the French Revolution, and it turned out to be better than I expected. It has a clear Christian message, but did not feel fake or forced. It has been several years since I read Crossing the Panther's Path,  but I remember being totally enthralled when I did.  It's the true story of Billy Calder, a boy of British and Mohawk decent, and educated by French Jesuit missionaries, who joins Tecumseh and his band as they attempt to regain control of their homelands. Another story full of honor and bravery, and facing difficult choices with integrity.



My daughter recently finished Calico Captive, and begun The Reb and the Redcoat. The former is sometimes overshadowed by Elizabeth George Speare's more well known titles, The Bronze Bow, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, and The Sign of the Beaver. I'm not really sure why, as it is just as well done as any of those. I like that, like The Reb and the Redcoat, it shows familiar events from a point of view not often presented in children's literature from American authors. I had a hard time choosing between Calico Captive and Lois Lenski's Indian Captive, so I let my daughter choose, and she was happy with it.

                            

And I think that's it! I hope to share what my younger children are reading for history this year, and well as what my older ones are doing for other subjects, because it's really fun and helpful to me, but I also have very modest hopes that it may one day be helpful to someone else. So stay tuned!

Vintage Musings

As I gathered up the pile of books that had represented most of Monday's school, it struck me just how many of the titles we were reading were older, vintage, and - in some cases, fragile- tomes. In most cases, perfectly new printings, all smooth and shiny, are readily available. So why so many old books? 

Well, frugality for one. Our home library has grown over the years from a couple hundred books to currently over 3,000. I couldn't have done that while paying the Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price. So instead I shop second hand and thrift stores, and find books for a dollar or less. Plus, it's good for the environment - the more books we re-use, the less that end up in a landfill, and the less demand there is to print more (I hope). Anyway, save money and the world - win-win.

And what began as a way to save money has now become a super fun way of life. When you walk into a store that sells used books you never know what you're going to find - it's a treasure hunt! Maybe nothing, but maybe a book you've wanted for years, that's been really hard to find, and here it is just sitting in this bin, minding it's own business, and you grab it and look around to make sure no one saw it too, and when you go to pay you feel like you're stealing when they ask 75 cents for it, and you can't help but giggling and thinking, if only you knew!  

I found this complete Book of Marvels at a used book store for $1 once! True story. 

Third (was I counting?), buying vintage books allows you to commune with books that may have been long out of print. Sometimes our curriculum intentionally uses these, but sometimes I come across a book that just looks interesting or friendly, and I have to bring it home, I bought A Child's Geography of the World (pictured above) with it's companion volume A Child's History of the World at our library books sale, for maybe $4 for the matching set. While the latter is easy to come by, the former has been out of print for some time. And yet here I am, owning a perfectly sound copy that has quickly become one of our favorite books. 

It's also fun to imagine where vintage books have been before you. My sweet mother-in-law bought me the book you see on the top of the stack there - a collection of Eugene Field poems - I had fallen in love with his poetry, but did not enjoy reading them online, as I had been. I knew the book was old, but I was not prepared for the inscription I found inside. Can you read it there, in the picture above? It says: 

For dear little Eric with 

love from his "Gran muddie"

on his 8th birthday - 2nd Oct 1898

1898! Can you believe it?! Almost 120 years ago! And that "Granmuddie" would have lived in the time of Dickens! Tennyson! Queen Victoria! Tchaikovsky! DH and I had fun wondering what path it took after it left little Eric's hands - who took such good care of it, that it lasted this long? And why? Was it given up willingly, or unwillingly? Had it been treasured, or left to collect dust, forgotten on a shelf? I'll never know, but it's worth pondering of a half hour. 

And finally, which was the point I came here to make, but got sidetracked by all the other points, vintage books just  make me feel more than newer books can, that I really am communing with great minds, joining the great conversation, learning from what so many before me have learned from. Can you read the same exact text in a newer printing? Of course. But it doesn't feel the same. Hey, I didn't say it was a rational point! 😃 

Well there you have it: Five Reasons To Love Vintage Books. Do you have another you'd like to add? A favorite vintage copy? I fun story about a great find? Please share in the comments!