April is almost here and as I'm working on putting together my list of books for April, I can hardly believe we are approaching the end of Cycle 2 in Classical Conversations.
Time really does fly by.
As I look back on all that we have studied in Cycle 2 this year, I am pleased at all the children's literature we have read that relates to our Classical Conversations memory work.
Good books help the memory work come alive.
As I put together this list, it really hit me how close we are to the end of this year in Foundations. We are going to enjoy these last few weeks reading plenty of good books together. I hope you do too!
*Thank you to Amy, Homegrown Learners' Children's Literature Expert, for this month's book list!
This list of children's literature for April covers the last couple of weeks of Cycle 2. I have not found any children's books specifically about The Gulf War. However, our family has a copy of The Liberation of Kuwait - Honoring The Veterans of Desert Storm that was a gift to my husband since he is a veteran of Desert Storm. He will spend some time going through this book with our children, showing them pictures of his time overseas, and sharing stories about his service.
If you know of any children's literature about The Gulf War, please do share in the comments.
I also included some books about September 11, 2001 since we will be covering that in the timeline. I always get choked up when we get to that part in the song. There are several children's books about 9/11 on the list. I'm particularly interested to read Saved By the Boats: The Heroic Sea Evacuation of September 11 with my children. This is a story I'm not familiar with. We all know that tragedy does happen in our world. But when it does, I like to point my children to the heroes and this book looks like it will do just that.
The science books I included are on the general topics of heat and electricity to provide some additional coverage of these topics for your children. My children just love anything Magic School Bus. And I think many of us homeschool moms have an inexplicable desire to be a little like Ms. Frizzle.
There are several books on the list to help you explore adjectives and interjections with your children. Zounds! is a dictionary of interjections that could be really fun for Essentials students.
There is also a list of books about U.S. Presidents since they will be covered in the final week of the year.
Children's Literature for April - Spring Sillies
In addition to the books related to our Foundations memory work, I have also included some books to help engage your children in the holidays in April.
The first day of April is known as April Fools' Day. I prefer to celebrate what we call Spring Sillies with my kiddos instead of encouraging them to play pranks on others.
So, I've included a few books that are just fun and silly books to read with your children like Do Not Open This Book! and Warning: Do Not Open This Book! The titles of these books just seem to draw kids in to wanting to see what's inside.
The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak is a unique book that demonstrates you don't have to have pictures to have an interesting book. Here's a snippet of the author, B.J. Novak reading it aloud to a group of students.
See how much fun they are having? Seems perfect for Spring Sillies to me.
Children's Literature for April - Palm Sunday & Easter
The books I've listed for Palm Sunday and Easter help bring focus to the real meaning of these important events. I've included Amon's Adventure: A Family Story for Easter that I'm reading with my ten year old this year. It is a historical fiction book designed to read as a family as Easter approaches. We have read and enjoyed some of the Christmas stories in this same series, but this is our first year reading the Easter book. This is one for your older children while the picture books would work well for younger ages.
Children's Literature for April
In summary, this list of children's literature for April includes picture books and chapter books on the following topics:
That align with our Classical Conversations memory work:
President George H.W. Bush
Nelson Mandela
Beethoven
Brahms
Dvorak
Orchestra Instruments
September 11, 2001
Heat and electricity
Adjectives and interjections
U.S. Presidents
April Fools Day / Spring Sillies
Palm Sunday and Easter
George Bush: Forty-First President 1989-1993 (Getting to Know the U.S. Presidents)George H. W. Bush (Kid's Guide to Drawing the Presidents of the United States o)
Who Was Nelson Mandela?
National Geographic Readers: Nelson Mandela (Readers Bios)
Nelson Mandela (Great Figures in History series)
Ludwig Van Beethoven (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Composers)
Why Beethoven Threw the Stew (And Lots More Stories about the Lives of Great Composers)
Beethoven (Famous Children)
Beethoven Lives Upstairs
What's So Great About Beethoven?: A Biography of Ludwig van Beethoven Just for Kids! (Volume 10)
Beethoven's Wig: Sing Along Piano Classics
Welcome to the Symphony: A Musical Exploration of the Orchestra Using Beethoven's Symphony No. 5
Story of the Orchestra : Listen While You Learn About the Instruments, the Music and the Composers Who Wrote the Music!
Brahms (Famous Children (Paperback))
Johannes Brahms (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Composers)
Two Scarlet Songbirds: A Story of Anton Dvorak
Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story
I Survived the Attacks of September 11th, 2001 (I Survived, Book 6)
Saved by the Boats: The Heroic Sea Evacuation of September 11 (Encounter: Narrative Nonfiction Picture Books)
America Is Under Attack: September 11, 2001: The Day the Towers Fell (Actual Times)
September 11 Then and Now (True Books)
The Magic School Bus in the Arctic: A Book About Heat
The Magic School Bus And The Electric Field Trip
Charged Up: The Story of Electricity (Science Works)
Many Luscious Lollipops: A Book About Adjectives (Explore!)
Things That Are Most in the World
If You Were an Adjective (Word Fun)
Fantastic! Wow! and Unreal!: A Book About Interjections and Conjunctions (Explore!) by Heller, Ruth (2000) Paperback
Cool! Whoa! Ah and Oh!: What Is an Interjection? (Words Are Categorical) (Words Are Categorical (Paperback))
If You Were an Interjection (Word Fun)
ZOUNDS!: A Browser's Dictionary of Interjections
The Book with No Pictures
Do Not Open This Book
Warning: Do Not Open This Book!
Humphrey's First Palm Sunday
The Donkey That No One Could Ride
Little Colt's Palm Sunday
The Tale of Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale
The Berenstain Bears and the Easter Story: Stickers Included! (Berenstain Bears/Living Lights)
Amon's Adventure: A Family Story for Easter
The Legend of the Easter Egg
Easter Bunny, Are You For Real?
Benjamin's Box: The Story of the Resurrection Eggs
I want to remind you of the many wonderful resources Mary offers to help you teach your children about the orchestra. I am thankful to have someone like Mary provide guidance on teaching my children about classical music and the orchestra.
Did you attend her recent webinar on Vivaldi's "Spring"? My kiddos really enjoyed it and we are looking forward to what she offers in the future.
And her newest resource in the SQUILT family, Meet the Instruments: Explore the Orchestra is a beautiful way to introduce your children to the orchestra. These give you a beautiful hands-on resource to introduce your students to the instruments of the orchestra.
