Middle Ages Middle East and Africa

This list is geared towards elementary/middle school. Reviews will be posted at Goodreads.

MIDDLE AGES MIDDLE EAST and AFRICA

North Africa - 400 to 1500
Usborne Encyclopedia of World History 260
History of North Africa – Diagram Group (also History of South, West and East Africa)
Peoples and Cultures of North Africa – Peter Mitchell

Arabs - 600 to 1260
Usborne Encyclopedia of World History 206-209
Arabs: In the Golden Age (People's of the Past) - Mokhtar Moktefi

West Africa - 800 to 1500
Usborne Encyclopedia of World History 262-263
Adventures of Spider – Joyce Cooper Arkhurst
Ancient West African Kingdoms (History Opens Windows) – Jane Shuter
Ancient West African Kingdoms – Mary Quigley
Fire Children – Eric Maddern
History of West Africa – Diagram Group
Zomo the Rabbit – Gerald McDermott

Turks - 950 to 1450
Usborne Encyclopedia of World History 252-253

East Africa - 1000 to 1500
Usborne Encyclopedia of World History 261
History of East Africa – Diagram Group
Safari – Caren Stelson
This Place is Wild – Vicki Cobb

Middle Ages Far East

Another day...another list....

This one is for the Far East, middle ages (about 500 AD to 1500 AD). I know I'm fairly light on some of the countries so any suggestions are greatly appreciated. There just doesn't seem to be a whole lot for this time period in the Far East. And this list is for mostly elementary/middle school ages.

MIDDLE AGES FAR EAST

Mongols - 1200 to 1400
Children's Atlas of Civilizations 74-75
Usborne Encyclopedia of World History 250-251
Empire of the Mongols – Michael Burgan
Genghis Khan – Demi
Genghis Khan: Invincible Ruler of the Mongol Empire – Zachary Kent
Life During the Great Civilizatons – The Mongol Empire – Don Nardo
Lost Civilizations: Genghis Khan’s Mongol Empire – Thomas Streissguth
Mongols – Robert Nicholson

India - 550 to 1500
Usborne Encyclopedia of World History 264-265

Southeast Asia - 500 to 1500
Usborne Encyclopedia of World History 266-267

China - 580 to 1500
Children's Atlas of Civilizations 72-73
Usborne Encyclopedia of World History 268-269
Adventures of Marco Polo – Russell Freedman
Animals Marco Polo Saw – Sandra Markle
Looking for Marco Polo – Alan Armstrong
Marco Polo – Demi
Marco Polo: A Journey Through China – Fiona MacDonals
Marco Polo for Kids – Janis Herbert
Marco Polo’s Journey Through China – Diana Childress
Marco? Polo! (Time Warp Trio) – Jon Scieska

JAPAN - 500 to 1500
Children's Atlas of Civilizations 76-77
Usborne Encyclopedia of World History 270-271

KOREA
Children's Atlas of Civilizations 76-77

Middle Ages America

Here is the list for books we'll use when studying the middle ages and what is happening in the Americas. It's mostly geared towards the elementary and middle school ages. We will most likely do this right before we go into American history (as in the Pilgrims and such).

MIDDLE AGES AMERICAS

North America - 700 to 1500
Usborne Encyclopedia of World History 276-277
Between Earth and Sky: Legends of Native American Sacred Places - Joseph Bruchac
Clamshell Boy (Makah) - Terri Cohlene
Dancing Drum (Cherokee)- Terri Cohlene
The Earth Under Sky Bear's Feet - Joseph Bruchac
Geronimo - Joseph Bruchac
Indian Book – Holling C. Holling
Is My Friend At Home? Pueblo Fireside Tales - John Bierhorst
Ka-Ha-Si and the Loon (Eskimo) - Terri Cohlene
Little Firefly (Algonquian) - Terri Cohlene
Many Nations – Joseph Bruchac
More Than Moccasins (Activity Guide) – Laurie Carlson
Native Americans (First Discovery Books) - Gallimard Jeunesse
North American Indians – Douglas Gorsline
Quillworker (Cheyenne) - Terri Cohlene
Thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back - Joseph Bruchac
Turquoise Boy (Navajo) - Terri Cohlene
Very First Americans – Cara Ashrose
Wabi - Joseph Bruchac
Who Were the First North Americans? - Philippa Wingate

Aztecs - 1300 to 1500
Children's Atlas of Civilizations 82-83
Usborne Encyclopedia of World History 278-279
Aztec News - Philip Steele
Growing Up in Aztec Times - Marion Wood
Sad Night: The Story of an Aztec Victory and a Spanish Loss - Sally Schofer Matthews
Two Mountains: An Aztec Legend - Eric Kimmel
You Wouldn't Want to be an Aztec Sacrifice - Fiona MacDonald

Incas
Children's Atlas of Civilizations 84-85
Usborne 282-283
Incas (See Through History) - Tim Wood
Macchu Picchu: The Story of the Amazing Incas and Their City in the Clouds - Elizabeth Mann
Secret of the Andes

Central America - 500 to 1500
Usborne Encyclopedia of World History 280-281
Coyote: A Trickster Tale from the American Southwest - Gerald McDermott
Jabuti the Tortoise - Gerald McDermott
Papagayo: The Mischief Maker - Gerald McDermott
Stories from the Amazon - Saviour Pirotta
Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest - Gerald McDermott

Anasazi - 550 AD to 1300 AD
Anasazi - Leonard Everett Fisher
The Ancient Cliff Dwellers of the Mesa Verde - Caroline Arnold

Middle Ages Europe

Here is the list of books we'll use for our study of the Middle Ages, with an emphasis on Europe. I have other lists for other geographic regions. We've already read some of these, but the rest will be studied in another year or two.

We'll start at the top and read our way through. If I feel like we've covered an area well enough, we'll move on without reading all of them. We won't use all those spines either! I need to get my hands on some of them to figure out which ones I want for sure. Also, I won't be able to find some of these at the library. I have a lot of books listed in order to give me options!

As we read them and decide which ones are best I'll edit the list and post my reviews at Goodreads.

MIDDLE AGES EUROPE
About 500 to 1600 AD

Spines (read a little bit every day in addition to the books listed below)
Famous Men of the Middle Ages - Poland and Haaren, edited by Cynthia Shearer (394 to 1471)
Famous Men of the Renaissance and Reformation - Poland and Haaren, edited by Cynthia Shearer (1304 to 1572 )
Famous Men of the 16th and 17th Century – Robert Shearer (1519 -1715)
Heroes of the Middle Ages – Eva March Tappan
Story of the Middle Ages – Micheal McHug and John Southwort
Story of Liberty – Charles Coffin (start with Magna Charta and read a little each week)
Middle Ages – Dorothy Mills
Middle Ages: A Cultural Atlas – Mike Corbishley
Hamster History of England – Janis Mitchell
Looking at History – R. J. Unstead
Rats, Bulls and Flying Machines – Deborah Mazzotta Prum (1350 -1642 – begin reading around time we start da Vinci)

Elementary/Middle School Read-alouds
Door in the Wall – Maguerite De Angeli
Apple and the Arrow – Conrad Buff (William Tell, 1291)
King Arthur and His Knights
Try these:
Classic Starts: The Story of King Arthur – Howard Pyle, edited by Tania Zamorsky
King Arthur (Usborne) – Felicity Brooks
Tales of King Arthur – Hudson Talbott (if we like check others in series)
King Arthur (Troll Illustrated Classics) – Don Hinckle and Howard Pyle
King Arthur and His Knights – Maude Radford Warren

Between the Forest and the Hills – Ann Lawrence
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - J.R.R. Tolkein
Otto of the Silver Hand - Howard Pyle
Don Quixote and the Windmills - Erick Kimmel
Stories of Don Quixote Written Anew for Children - James Baldwin

Elementary/Middle School (listed chronologically)
Byzantine
Byzantines – Thomas Chubb
Arabs – Harry Ellis
Silk Route – John Major

Europe
Usborne Time Traveler 2-31
Across a Dark and Wild Sea – Don Brown (521, Ireland)
Augustine Came to Kent - Barbara Willard (597)
Son of Charlemagne - Barbara Willard (781)
Two Travelers – Chris Manson
Marvelous Blue Mouse – Chris Manson
Dragon and the Raven - G.A. Henty (870 - Danish invasions of England)
Wulf the Saxon – G. A. Henty (1066)
Tower of London – Leanard Everett Fisher
White Isle - Caroline Dale Snedeker (Roman Britian)
Red Keep: A Story of Burgundy in 1165 - Allen French
If All the Swords in England: A Story of Thomas Becket - Barbara Willard (1170, Henry II)
Hidden Treasure of Glaston – Eleanore Jewett (1171)

Crusades
Usborne Encyclopedia of World History 240-243
Crusaders – Walter Buehr
Winning His Spurs (aka Boy Knight) - G.A. Henty (Crusades, 1190, King Richard)
Big John’s Secret – Eleanore Jewett (1218)
Lost Baron: A Story of England in the Year 1200 - Allen French (under King John/Robin Hood)
Tales of Robin Hood – Tony Allan
Robin Hood – Howard Pyle
Star & Sword – Pam Melnikoff
Ivanhoe - Marianna Mayer (Richard Lion Heart and Robin Hood)
Red Falcons of Tremoine – Hendry Peart
Stories from the Crusades - Janet Harvey Kelman

Genghis Khan and Mongol Invasion (1213-1227)
Genghis Khan – Demi

Empire in the East – Earle Rice OR
Genghis Khan and the Mongol Horde – Harold Lamb
Time Warp Trio: You Can’t, But Genghis Khan

Magna Charta
King John and the Magna Carta – L. DuGarde Peach (Ladybird books)
Magna Charta - James Daugherty (1217)

Knights and Castles
Castle Diary – Richard Platt (1285)
Making of a Knight – Patrick O’Brien
Medieval Feast – Aliki
Knights in Shining Armor - Gail Gibbons
Page, Esquire and Knight - Marion Florence Lansing
Knights, Castles and the Feudal Life – Walter Buehr
Castle - David Macaulay
When Knights were Bold - Eva March Tappan
Archers, Alchemists and 98 Other Medieval Jobs – Priscilla Galloway (1000-1500)
Medieval World series – various authors – Manners and Customs, Law and Punishment, Medicine and the Plague, Trade and Travel, etc. – Lynne Elliott, Marc Cels, Kay Eastwood, Marsha Groves, Joanne Findon, etc.

Saint Brendan and the Voyage Before Columbus – Michael McGrew
Canterbury Tales - Barbara Cohen (1340ish)
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales - Marcia Williams
Pied Piper of Hamelin – Robert Browning (1300)
In Freedom's Cause: A Story of Wallace and Bruce - G.A. Henty (1314)
Fine Print: A Story About Johann Gutenberg - Joann Johansen Burch (late 1400s, Germany)
Pippo the Fool – Tracey Fern (1377-1446)
Prince Henry the Navigator – Leanard Everett Fisher (1394-1460)
Joan of Arc - Diane Stanley (1412-1431)
At Agincourt – G. A. Henty (1415)
Marguerite Makes a Book – Bruce Robertson (1400-1425)
Illuminations – Jonathan Hunt
Trumpeter of Krakow - Eric Kelly (1461)
Year of Columbus – Genevieve Foster (1492)
Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists, Leonardo da Vinci - Mike Venezia
Leonardo da Vinci - Diane Stanley (1452-1519)
Leonardo, the Beautiful Dreamer - Robert Byrd (Leonardo da Vinci)
Leonardo’s Horse – Jean Fritz
Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists, Michelangelo - Mike Venezia
Michelangelo - Diane Stanley (1494)
Michelangelo’s Surprise – Tony Parillo
World of Columbus and Sons – Genevieve Foster (1451 to 1537)
Hawk That Dare Not Hunt by Day - Scott O'Dell (William Tyndale - 1525)
Good Queen Bess - Diane Stanley (1533 to 1603)
World of Captain John Smith – Genevieve Foster (1580-1631)
Renaissance: Understanding People of the Past - Mary Quigley
Renaissance - Jane Shuter
Apprentice – Pilar Molina Llorente
Matilda Bone - Karen Cushman

Shakespeare
William Shakespeare & the Globe – Aliki
Bard of Avon - Diane Stanley (1561 to 1661)
World of Shakespeare - Claybourne and Trayes
Shakespeare Stealer trilogy – Gary Blackwood (free time reading if wanted)
Begin reading Shakespeare once a week. We own most of the following resources:
Beautiful Stores from Shakespeare – E. Nesbit
The Tempest - Marianna Mayer
William Shakespeare's Winter Tales - Bruce Coville
Hamlet - Bruce Coville
Twelfth Night - Bruce Coville
Romeo and Juliet - Bruce Coville
A Midsummer Night's Dream - Bruce Coville
Stories from Shakespeare – Anna Claybourne
Tales from Shakespeare – Marcia Williams
Lamb’s Tales from Shakespeare – Charles Lamb

Cathedral - David Macaulay
By Pike and Dyke – G.A. Henty (1579)
By England's Aid - G.A. Henty (1588 – sequel to By Pike and Dyke)
The Siege – Stephen Shapiro (1585 – Holland)
Ship – David Macaulay
A 16th Century Galleon – Richard Humble
Westward Ho! - Charles Kingsley (Elizabeth and Drake – 1575 - 1588)
Red Hugh: Prince of Donegal (1587)
Peter the Great - Diane Stanley (1672-1725)

Vikings
Children's Atlas of Civilizations 56-57
Usborne Encyclopedia of World History 210-213
Time Traveler 34-63
Viking Tales –Jennie Hall (Norway, 850-933, online)
The Vikings – Elizabeth Janeway (900-1000)
Leif the Lucky - Ingri D'aulaire and Edgar P. D'aulaire
Viking Adventure – Clyde Robert Bulla
Everyday Life of a Viking Settler – Giovanni Caselli
Leif’s Saga – Jonathan Hunt
Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow - Allen French (maybe elementary age)
Sword Song - Rosemary Sutcliff
Beorn the Proud - Madeleine Polland
Beowulf - Michael Morpurgo
Beowulf the Warrior - Ian Serraillier
Stories of Beowulf Told to the Children - H.E. Marshall
Book of Norse Myths - Ingri and Edgar d'Aulaire
Viking Quest series - Lois Walrid Johnson

Books we don’t want to use again
The Hero Beowulf - Eric Kimmel

Explorers
America Begins – Alice Dagliesh
Explorers Who Got Lost – Diane Sansevere-Dreher
Exploration and Conquest – Betsy Maestro
Picture History of Great Explorers – Gillian Clements
They Put Out to Sea – Roger Duvoisin
By Right of Conquest - G.A. Henty (1595)

High School (mostly in order)
May want to repeat some of the books from earlier
Life in Medieval Times - Marjorie Rowling
Mystery of History Volume 3 – Linda Hobar (use student text only)
Renaissance - Paul Johnson
A History of the English Speaking People – Winston Churchill
Renaissance and Reformation Times - Dorothy Mills
History of the Kings of Britain - Geoffery of Monmouth
The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Medieval World
Lantern Bearers – Rosemary Sutcliff (450)
Shining Company – Rosemary Sutcliff (600)
More King Arthur (maybe Howard Pyle)
Song of Roland - Dorothy Sayers (778)
Saga of the Volsungs - translated by Jesse Byock
1066 The Year of Conquest - David Howarth
Magna Charta – James Daugherty (1167-1216)
1215 The Year of Magna Carta - Danny Danziger and John Gillingham
The Scottish Chiefs - Jane Porter (1296-1305 Scots against English)
Canterbury Tales (1340s)
Divine Comedy – Sayers translation (just read bits of it to get a feel for it)
St. George for England –G.A. Henty (1340)
White Company – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
March on London – G. A. Henty (1381)
Men of Iron – Howard Pyle (1400s)
Joan of Arc - Mark Twain 1412-1431)
The Black Arrow - Robert Louis Stevenson (War of the Roses, 15th century)
Prince and the Pauper – Mark Twain (1530)
The Prince - Machiavelli (1531 - translated by Bull?)
Queen Eleanor - Polly Brooks (mother of Richard the Lion-Hearted)
Ivanhoe - Sir Walter Scott (Richard and Robin Hood)
Warriors of God, Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in the Third Crusade – James Reston
Behind the Mask: The Life of Queen Elizabeth – Jane Resh Thomas (1558)
Under Drake's Flag - G.A. Henty (Sir Francis Drake, 1560s)
The Lion Of The North – G. A. Henty (1618 -1648 – ‘30 Years War’)
A Messenger for Parliament - Erik Christian Haugaard (1641-1651)
Cromwell’s Boy – Erik Christian Haugaard (sequel to A Messenger for Parliament – 1643)
Governor of England: A Novel on Oliver Cromwell - Marjorie Bowen
Don Quixote - Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra, translated by Samuel Putnam
Shakespeare – read some of his works
Paradise Lost – translated by Elledge (1667)
Les Miserables - Victor Hugo (1789-1799)
Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
Scarlet Pimpernel – Baroness Emmuska Orczy
What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew – Daniel Pool

Preschool Read Alouds aka Picture Books

Here is my list of books to read to my two youngest (currently 6 and 3). The two older boys have heard many of these before, but that doesn't stop them from listening to them again! (They still come sit by me when I'm reading Goodnight Moon out loud!!!) Some are new to us so we'll see how it goes. I probably will only go through this once, but read each book several times. Reviews will be posted at Goodreads.

This list is alphabetical because I was double listing too many books. I may or may not use it alphabetically though. I'll probably just grab whichever ones I can find at the library and keep track of what we read so I can make sure to hit them all.

The books in bold are ones we have read and for which I have reviews at Goodreads.

1,2,3 to the Zoo - Eric Carle
A House for Hermit Crab - Eric Carle
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day - Judith Viorst
Alexander Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday - Judith Viorst
Alexander, Who’s Not (Do You Hear me….) - Judith Viorst
Angus and the Ducks – Marjorie Flack (several other Angus books too)
Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing - Judi Barrett
Are You My Mother? P.D. Eastman
Bearymore – Don Freeman
Berlioz the Bear - Jan Brett
Best Nest - P.D. Eastman
Big Dog, Little Dog – P.D. Eastman
Big Sneeze - Ruth Brown
Biggest Bear – Lynd Ward
Billy’s Picture – H.A. Rey
Blueberries for Sal – Robert McCloskey
Brown Bear, Brown Bear... – Bill Martin Jr.
Burt Dow, Deep-Water Man – Robert McCloskey
Caps for Sale - Esphyr Slobodkina
Cat in the Hat - Dr. Seuss
Cat in the Hat Comes Back - Dr. Seuss
Chester, the Worldly Pig – Bill Peet
Chewy Louie – Howi Schneider
Chicka Chicka 123 - Bill Martin Jr.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom - Bill Martin Jr.
Chicken Little
Corduroy - Don Freeman
Crictor - Tomi Ungerer
Curious George – H.A. Rey
Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too? - Eric Carle
Dr. Seuss's ABC
Dragons, Dragons - Eric Carle
Empty Pot - Demi
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed – Eileen Christelow
Flap Your Wings - P.D. Eastman
Foolish Tortoise - Eric Carle
Foot Book - Dr. Seuss
Fox in Socks - Dr. Seuss
Fred and Ted Like to Fly - P.D. Eastman
Frederick - Leo Lionni
Gingerbread Baby - Jan Brett
Go, Dog. Go! - P.D. Eastman
Goldilocks and the Three Bears - Jan Brett
Good Dog, Carl – Alexandra Day (read others in series if we like)
Good Night, Gorilla - Peggy Rathmann
Goodnight Moon - Margaret Wise Brown
Greedy Python - Eric Carle
Green Eggs and Ham - Dr. Seuss
Gregory’s Shadow – Don Freeman
Grouchy Ladybug - Eric Carle
Guess How Much I Love You – Sam McBratney
Hand, Hand, Finger, Thumb – Al Perkins
Harold and the Purple Crayon - Crockett Johnson
Harry the Dirty Dog – Gene Zion (read others in series)
Hello, Red Fox - Eric Carle
Henny Penny – Litle Golden Book
Home for a Bunny – Margaret Wise Brown
Honey, Honey, Lion - Jan Brett
Honeybee and the Robber - Eric Carle
Hop on Pop - Dr. Seuss
Horton Hatches the Egg - Dr. Suess
Horton Hears a Who - Dr. Suess
Hug - Jez Alborough
I Love You Forever – Robert Munsch
If I Were in Charge of the World - Judith Viorst
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie - Laura Joffe Numeroff- read others from this series
Imogene’s Antlers – David Small
Inch by Inch - Leo Lionni
Inside Outside Upside Down - Stan Berenstain
Katy No-Pocket – Emmy Payne
Lentil - Robert McCloskey
Leo the Late Bloomer - Robert Kraus
Little Blue and Little Yellow - Leo Lionni
Little Engine that Could - Watty Piper
Little Golden Books
Little House - Virginia Lee Burton
Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear - Don and Audrey Wood
Little Red Caboose – Marian Potter
Little Red Hen - Little Golden Book
Little Toot – Little Golden Book
Lost in the Woods – Carl R. Sams
Magic Hill – A.A. Milne
Make Way for Ducklings - Robert McCloskey
May We Sleep Here Tonight – Tan Koide
McDuff Moves In – Rosemary Wells (read others in McDuff series if we like)
Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear - Don and Audrey Wood
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel - Virginia Lee Burton
Milk and Cookies – Frank Asch
Millions of Cats – Wanda Gag
Miss Rumphius – Barbara Cooney
Mister Seahorse - Eric Carle
Mitten - Jan Brett
Mixed Up Chameleon - Eric Carle
Mother Goose – pick any version
Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? – Dr. Seuss
Nana Upstairs and Downstairs - Tomi de Paola
Napping House - Don and Audrey Wood
No Jumping on the Bed - Tedd Arnold
Norman the Doorman – Don Freeman
Now One Foot, Now the Other - Tomie de Paola
Old Hat New Hat - Stan Berenstain
One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish - Dr. Seuss
One Morning in Maine – Robert McCloskey
Opposites - Eric Carle
Our Animal Friends at Maple Hill Farm - Alice Provensen
Panda Bear, Panda Bear...- Bill Martin Jr.
Pet of the Met – Lydia Freeman
Pete's a Pizza - William Steig
Please Say Please! Penguin's Guide To Manners - Margery Cuyler
Poky Little Puppy – Little Golden Book
Polar Bear, Polar Bear... - Bill Martin Jr.
Polite Elephant – Richard Scarry
Pretzel – H.A. Rey
Quick as a Cricket - Don and Audrey Wood
Rooster's Off to See the World - Eric Carle
Runaway Bunny - Margaret Wise Brown
Saggy, Baggy Elephant – Little Golden Book
Sam and the Firefly – P.D. Eastman
Shy Little Kitten – Little Golden Book
Slowly, Slowly Said the Sloth - Eric Carle
Stone Soup - Marcia Brown
Story About Ping -Marjorie Flack
Story of Ferdinand - Munro Leaf
Stranger in the Woods – Carl R. Sams
Strega Nona - Tomie de Paola
Tale of Peter Rabbit (and other Beatrix Potter books) – Beatrix Potter
Tawny Scrawny Lion - Kathryn Jackson
Taxi That Hurried – Irma Simonton Black
Ten Apples Up On Top! - Theo LeSieg
That's Good! That's Bad! in the Grand Canyon - Margery Cuyler
That’s Good! That’s Bad! - Margery Cuyler
Things People Do - Anne Civardi
Thy Friend, Obadiah – Brinton Turkle (others in series if we like it)
Tikki Tikki Tembo -Arlene Mosel
Time of Wonder – Robert McCloskey
Tiny Seed - Eric Carle
Tootle – Gertrude Crampton
Ugly Duckling (there are lots of versions, pick one!)
Velveteen Rabbit - Margery Williams Bianco
Very Best Home for Me – Jane Werner Watson
Very Busy Spider - Eric Carle
Very Clumsy Click Beetle - Eric Carle
Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle
Very Lonely Firefly - Eric Carle
Very Quiet Cricket - Eric Carle
We're Going on a Bear Hunt – Michael Rosen
What Do People Do All Day? - Richard Scarry
What Spot? - Crosby Bonsall
Where the Wild Things Are – Maurice Sendak
Whistle for Willie – Ezra Jack Keats
Winnie the Pooh – A.A. Milne (read them all)

Read Alouds

I love reading aloud to my kids. And they love it too. Even if I'm reading Cat in the Hat to the youngest, which they've all heard a bazillion times, I find them coming from around the house to sit around me while I read. Reading aloud draws them to me and keeps them there. So, we read aloud a lot. And their dad reads to them at bedtime. We choose mostly fun books, but will occasionally read a history or science book "for fun".

Here is a list of books I plan on reading to the boys. Some we have already read, some we have not. Some only the older boys have heard, others they have not. I plan on starting at the beginning and working my way through. When we're done, we'll start over again so the littler ones will get a chance to hear it again, and hopefully understand it better. I'm sure we'll hate some and take them off the list. And we'll find new favorites to add. As we read them I'll be posting my reviews at Goodreads.  If a title is in bold, we have read the book.

Children’s Book of Virtues – William Bennett
Classic Tales of Brer Rabbit – Joel Chandler Harris
Complete Adventures of Peter Rabbit – Beatrix Potter
Lion Storyteller Bedtime Book – Bob Hartman
Stories from Around the World – Heather Amery
Uncle Wiggle’s Story Book – Howard Garis
Mike Mulligan Treasury and More – Virginia Lee Burton
Living Long Ago – Felicity Brooks
Eric Carle’s Animals Animals – Eric Carle
Mother Goose
Boxcar Children – Gertrude Chandler Warner
Dolphin Adventure – Wayne Grover
Dolphin Treasure – Wayne Grover
20th-Century Children’s Book Treasury – Janet Schulman
Five True Dog Stories – Margaret Davidson
A Grain of Rice – Helena Clare Pittman
House at Pooh Corner (read the others too) – A. A. Milne
Hundred Dresses – Eleanor Estes
James Harriet’s Treasury for Children – James Harriet
Encyclopedia Brown books – Donald J. Sobol
Aesop’s Fables – Milo Winter
My Father’s Dragon – Ruth Stiles Gannett (Elmer and the Dragon is the sequel)
Richard Scarry’s Please and Thank You – Richard Scarry
Riki Tiki Tavi – Rudyard Kipling
A Treasury of Children’s Literature – Armand Eisen
Story of Dr. Dolittle – Hugh Lofting
Capyboppy – Bill Peet
Thomas the Tank Engine stories
Great Brain books – John D. Fitzgerald (read first one)
Wonderful World of Oz – Frank Baum
Andersen’s Fairy Tales – Hans Christian Anderson
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle – Betty MacDonald
Hidden Tales from Eastern Europe – Antonia Barber
Charlotte’s Web – E.B. White
A _______ Fairy Book – Andrew Lang (choose a color)
Follow My Leader – James Garfield
Henry Huggins – Beverly Cleary
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
Homer Price – Roald Dahl
Little Britches – Ralph Moody (read others in series too)
Little Pear – Eleanor Frances Lattimore
Mountain Born – Elizabeth Yates
Mr. Popper’s Penguins – Richard Atwater
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle’s Farm – Betty MacDonald
Understood Betsy – Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Year of Miss Agnes – Kirkpatrick Hill
Gooney Bird Green – Lois Lowry (there are others in the series if we like)
Narnia – C. S. Lewis (have read them 3x now)
Wheel on the School – Meindert De Jong
A Big Ball of String – Marion Holland
Bravest Dog Ever – Natalie Standiford
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle’s Magic – Betty MacDonald
Cricket in Times Square – George Selden
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh – Robert C. O’Brien
A _______ Fairy Book – Andrew Lang (choose a color)
Books by Sam Campbell (http://www.samcampbell.com/ to read online)
Red Sails to Capri – Ann Weil
Twenty-One Balloons – William Pene DuBois
White Stallion of Lipizza – Marguerite Henry
Amelia Bedelia – Peggy Parish
Big Balloon Race – Eleanor Coerr
Daniel’s Duck – Clyde Robert Bulla
Greg’s Microscope – Millicent E. Selsam
Tales from the Arabian Nights (find a suitable version)
Hill of Fire – Thomas P. Lewis
Nate the Great – Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie – Peter Roop
Last Little Cat – Meindert De Jong
The Littles – John Peterson
Tippy Lemmey – Patricia McKissack
Black Stallion – Walter Farley
A _______ Fairy Book – Andrew Lang (choose a color)
Along Came a Dog – Meindert De Jong
The Indian in the Cupboard – Lynne Reid Banks
Children of Noisy Village – Astrid Lindgren
Trumpet of the Swan – E. B. White
Frindle – Andrew Clements
Grimm’s Fairy Tales – Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm
Tell Me a Story – Deseret Book collection
Henry and Ribsy – Beverly Cleary
Laddie – Gene Stratton-Porter
King’s Equal – Katherine Paterson
Heidi – Johanna Spry
Llama in the Family – Johanna Hurwitz
Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin – Marguerite Henry
McBroom’s Wonderful One-Acre Farm – Sid Fleischman
Toothpaste Millionaire – Jean Merrill
James and the Giant Peach – Roald Dahl
Whipping Boy- Sid Fleischman
A _______ Fairy Book – Andrew Lang (choose a color)
Cheaper by the Dozen – Frank Gilbreth (probably won't read this)
By the Great Horn Spoon – Sid Fleischman
Little Lord Faulteroy – Frances Hodgeson Burnett
Half Magic – Edward Eager (if we like read Knight’s Castle, Magic by the Lake, Time Garden)
Great Turkey Walk – Kathleen Karr
Pinnochio (use abridged version) – Carlo Collodi
Castle in the Attic – Elizabeth Winthrop (sequel is Battle for the Castle)
Old Yeller – Fred Gipson
Journey to the Center of the Earth – Jules Verne
All Sail Set – Armstrong Sperry
The Great Wheel – Robert Lawson
My Side of the Mountain series – Jean Craighead George
Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun – Rhoda Blumberg
Exploring Planet Earth – John Hudson Tiner
Around the World in 80 Days – Jules Verne
A _______ Fairy Book – Andrew Lang (choose a color)
King of the Trees series – William Burt (won't be reading)
Ali and the Golden Eagle – Wayne Grover
Redwall – Brian Jacques
Incredible Journey – Sheila Burnford
Terrestria Chronicles and Tales from Terrestria – Ed Dunlop
Just So Stories – Rudyard Kipling
King of the Wind – Marguerite Henry
Swiss Family Robinson – Johann Wyss
A Wrinkle in Time – Madeleine L’Engle
Westing Game – Ellen Raskin
Secret Garden – Frances Hodgeson Burnett
Phantom Tollbooth – Norton Juster
Samurai’s Tale – Erik Christian Haugaard
Marvellous Land of Snergs - E.A. Wyke-Smith
The Wonderful O - James Thurber
Viking Quest series – Lois Walfrid Johnson
Best Christmas Pageant Ever – Barbara Robinson
Robinson Crusoe – Daniel DeFoe
It’s a Jungle Out There – Ron Snell
A _______ Fairy Book – Andrew Lang (choose a color)
Who Was That Masked Man, Anyway? - Avi
Tarzan – Edgar Rice Burroghs
Peter Pan (probably an abridged version) – J. M. Barrie
Jungle Book – Rudyard Kipling
Tanglewood Tales – Nathaniel Hawthorne
Ranger’s Apprentice – John Flanagan
Fable Haven series – Brandon Mull
Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites - Chris Heimerdinger
Septimus Heap series – Angie Sage
John Carter of Mars – Edgar Rice Burroughs
Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien
Lord of the Rings triology – J.R.R. Tolkien

Man cannot live by bread alone...

...but my kids sure are trying. For the past month or so I've made all our bread and bread products. I even grind my own grains for it and feel just like the Little Red Hen. My kids don't want to eat sandwiches now - just bread and butter with a little honey or jam.

I bake once a week, 5 or so loaves at a time. Well, sometimes I have to bake twice a week because I have growing boys who eat a whole loaf for a 'snack'.

I love to mix and match flours. I regularly use white wheat, kamut, spelt, barley, amaranth, millet, brown rice and quinoa for bread. It's a tricky balance since some of those are non-gluten flours. Sometimes you can use them as an "extra", like yesterday I made bread using the normal amount of flour but added a cup of amaranth (not ground into flour) to give it a "crunch". I have found that I can add about 2 cups of non-gluten flour and have the bread turn out just fine.

So, here's the recipe (from The Urban Homemaker) and how I make it.

Add 6 cups warm water to my Bosch mixer (which I love, love, love)
Melt coconut oil to make 2/3 c. - add to water
Add 2/3 c. honey to water
then 3 tbsp. yeast (I recommend SAF)

Then I start grinding. You'll need between 16 and 18 cups of flour, depending on which flours you use and the humidity. I measure it in as I go. You can use all wheat, you don't have to mix it up like I do.

Add 2 tbsp. sea salt
1/3 to 1/2 c. gluten (I'm trying to figure out how to make a good loaf without using gluten)

Jog it on "M" for a few seconds to get it slightly mixed, then go to Speed 2 for 6 to 10 minutes.

At this point you can bake it, but I like to let it rise once, then punch it down, put it in pans and let it rise again.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. This makes 4 to 6 loaves, depending on the size of pans you use.

To grind I follow this crazy method: I add in a bunch of white wheat. Once it's ground I measure 6 cups into the Bosch. Whatever is left over I put in a gallon size baggie to freeze. Then I grind some kamut (I just throw a bunch in). I measure out a few cups into the Bosch and throw the rest in the SAME baggie as the wheat. I grind something else, use some for the bread then put the rest in the SAME baggie as the wheat and kamut. I use this "mystery flour" for making pancakes, muffins, waffles, whatever. Or bread. Sometimes I have no idea what kind of flour is in my baked goods, but I know it's whole grain and I know it's fresh. (If you don't use the flour right away, it should be stored in the fridge or freezer).

I really want to learn to make bread without adding extra gluten. I'll need to research natural dough conditioners. I'd also like to learn to soak my flours overnight before making the bread, but thus far it's resulted in a big, gloppy mess. For more about soaking you can read here or here or here.

I grind the quinoa, millet, and amaranth in my Blendtec. They are too small to grind in my Whisper Mill (which I love, love, love).

Here's the recipe without all my commentary.
6 cups warm water
2/3 c. oil (I prefer coconut)
2/3 c. honey
3 tbsp. yeast
16-18 cups flour
2 tbsp. sea salt
1/3 to 1/2 c. gluten