Family Read Alouds {May-June 2020, Age 5 and 7}

The length of this list reflects the times well… we’ve read so many books during our quarantine days! With so few other activities to pull our attention, we settled into the captivating worlds of the stories below. These stories have filled our quarantine days to the brim with happy memories!

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Books

The Spartan Twins by Lucy Fitch Perkins. I specifically chose this for our history unit on Ancient Greece. Although published 102 years ago, it kept my bookworms’ attention and we finished it within a week. I love finding fiction stories that teach so much by making history come alive! There’s nothing like “walking in a character’s shoes (sandals in this case)” to understand a historical time period more clearly.

Favorite Greek Myths retold by Mary Pope Osborne. We read this compilation because it was what I had on hand (picked up at a library book sale) and my oldest adores Mary Pope Osborne (Magic Tree House author). Greek myths are weird. They’re violent and strange. But, we’ve also seen so many connections- word origins and constellations for example- since reading this. This compilation includes 12 myths with one full page color illustration at the start of teach tale. (We also read The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus by Aliki before starting this, as a more basic introduction.)

The Odyssey (Classic Starts abridgement). After reading Swiss Family Robinson’s abridgment from this series, I decided to give this one a try in conjunction with our Ancient Greece studies. My kids really enjoyed it and begged for more chapters at each sitting. (See my comments about abridgments below.)

Morning (Growly trilogy, book 3) by Philip & Erin Ulrich. I began reading this series to my firstborn several years ago, before my secondborn was old enough to attend to a long chapter book with no illustrations. He is now 5 and joined us for this third installment… and he LOVED it. While in the middle of reading it, he repeatedly asked if we could go back and start at the first book immediately when we completed the third. This is a sweet series- an adventure/wilderness survival story with a 3-book arc but each each stands on its own. One aspect that I especially appreciate is that there are no “bad guys” but instead the characters show teamwork and perseverance against incredible obstacles, demonstrating self-sacrifice at each step. This is not always easy to find, and it’s just what my sensitive bookworms need. It does have longer descriptive passages so it requires some listening stamina. ⁣
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Audiobooks

The Wild Robot and The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown. My kids INHALED these! I am 100% shocked by this… since I JUST got done (above) explaining that my kids are sensitive. This series would not be a good match for sensitive readers but apparently mine were okay based on an unknown algorithm that I wish I could figure out. Anyhow, the series is an odd mix of technology and nature survival. Roz was the most likeable heroine and we loved cheering her on through each chapter.

My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett. Although my oldest listened to this several years ago, he didn’t have a memory of it. So, both boys enjoyed this as a car listen. It’s classic. It’s short. It’s part of a trilogy. I happened to have the second in book form and handed that to my independent reader and he read it in one sitting.

The Swiss Family Robinson (Classic Starts abridgment). I’ve had a back & forth opinion of abridgments. After reading The Well Trained Mind and listening to the advice of classical homeschoolers that I admire, I’ve come back on board with them. My kids adored this retelling of the classic story, and I know that when they tackle the original independently, they’ll have the mental pegs to confidently read it and enjoy the richer language of the original.

The Bark of the Bog Owl by Jonathan Rogers. (Book 1 of the Wilderking trilogy)

I can’t say enough wonderful things about this book! It was pitch perfect- the narration combined with the sweeping tale of adventure and bravery and heroism. My boys could NOT get enough. They were plotting errands we could do in the car just to listen to more chapters! (Not an easy feat in this semi-quarantine world.) It is loosely a retelling of King David as a shepherd boy/Goliath-fighter, but without being heavy handed or literal. Instead, the story highlights the heart of the young hero- his devotion to his faith and to his country which lead him to follow the advice: “live the life that unfolds before you; love goodness more than you fear evil.” I do recommend listening to this on audio, narrated by the author with the perfect Southern accent.

Where Are You Going, Baby Lincoln? by Kate DiCamillo. After the hundredth re-read through the Mercy Watson series, my 5 year old had a legit meltdown at the TRAVESTY that author Kate DiCamillo only wrote SIX books in the series. We tried to console him with the understanding that she wrote a spin-off series but it was lost on his overtired mind. I ordered this from our library curbside pickup to great cheers from both of my boys. Much longer than the original series and with fewer (black and white) illustrations, these chapter books focus on the peripheral characters from the originals. Tales from Deckawoo Drive for the win!

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