Book Reviews

Frindle is a book that I'd heard of, frequently, but not checked out until just recently. I got it originally for Lauren. Bookadventure lists it as reading level 3, but when I got it, I realized that Lauren won't be ready to read it independently for a little while yet. Interestingly, ARBookFinder lists the reading level at 5.4. I decided to read it myself, and really enjoyed it, so much so that it's one I'd like to add to our permanent library. Sarah read it very quickly and also enjoyed it. (She also just finished Holes, which is another one I'd like to have on our shelves.)

I read The Tale of Desperaux to Lauren while Sarah was on her Girl Scout trip; another good book, with great themes and characters, but I'm not quite as keen on having it on our shelves. Would I pass it by if I saw it at a used book sale? No, but I wouldn't squeal quite as loudly as if I found one of the previous two.

For myself, I'm making my way through The Core: Teaching Your Child the Foundations of Classical Education. This is one of those "rocket fuel" books: I have to pause frequently to digest what I'm reading. It's giving me a LOT to think about, and inspiring me for the coming school year.

I've just put The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains on hold at the library. I'm very interested in how technology is changing our world, and how this will affect the education I'm giving my kids. More thoughts on this in a future post.

Minority Rules

I'm in a minority of parents with school-age children--I homeschool.

I'm in a minority of homeschoolers--I'm not a fundamentalist, I don't take the bible literally, I couldn't care less if someone is gay, and your political and religious choices don't really matter to me.

I'm in a minority of "secular" homeschoolers--I'm a Christian.

I've always prided myself on being independent, but it would be nice to feel like I had more in common with people sometimes. I guess I need to look at the commonalities more and let the differences go.

Next on the Book Horizon

(ok, so I'm double posting, here/FB. sue me.)

We finished Wolves of Willoughby Chase, and the girls did like it. The weren't put off by the melodrama at all, which shouldn't come as any surprise.

Sarah is off with her Girl Scout troop for the next few days (and I totally forgot to have her stash a couple books in her bag--d'oh!). Here at home, we are going to read The Tale of Despereaux, which Sarah has read already but Lauren & I have not.

I haven't started Redwall yet; in fact, I don't even know where it is right now. I did jam through The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle the other day, which is my next suggestion for Sarah. That's also pretty dramatic, but I liked it quite a bit better.

Lauren's current reading is The Littles, which shares a basic premise with The Borrowers, but is shorter and seems easier/younger ((though Amazon considers them both for ages 9 - 12). She says she likes it, but I still had to nudge her out of a MTH book.

Right now, there are so many novels floating around that I don't even have any more on hold at the library. We have a downright glut of books, which is just how I like it. There is a used book sale up in Rochester tomorrow, though . . .