Home Schooling and Raising Chickens

[Grace Boyer]

Chelly,
Pretty impressive! Try the 'Childhood of Famous Americans' Series. I think that's about the right level, and I loved those. Also 'A Patriot Lad of Old Cape Cod', 'Johnny Tremain', and the 'Hero Tales' Series. You could also try the old classics, 'Oliver Twist', 'David Copperfield', 'A Christmas Carol', 'A Tale of Two Cities', 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea', or the 'Little House' books (I thought that one was boring, but my brother really liked it). The classics may be too advanced for him, and none of these are any thing like Harry Potter, so I don't know if they'd interest him at all. Just ideas.

 

[Chelly]

Thanks Grace.
The classics might be too advanced or boring for him, or he wouldn't understand the older english type language.

He's got the harry potter series to go through, that should keep him busy for a while.
The childhoodof famous americans sounds interesting, I wonder if its based on fact!?

 

[Grace Boyer]

It is based on fact, although I don't know how closely. I used to read them a lot, and there are tons of them. The only one that wasn't that great was the one about Laura Ingalls Wilder-it made the kids seem like brats.
I think they sell abridged versions of the classics for kids, but I'm not sure, and that probably wouldn't make them any more interesting. Another book I loved was the Swiss Family Robinson, although that might also be a little advanced. Come to think of it, they sell an abridged version of that, too. Also there's a lot of good dog books like Old Yeller, Big Red, and A Dog Called Kitty, although the endings are generally depressing. It seems that authors think a good dog book has to end with the dog dying? Another of my favorites was The Runt, and the dog didn't die in that one. There wouldn't be any sophisticated language in that one; it's set in Cassville, Missouri, which is definitely the most hillbilly-type place I've ever been. Talk about a culture shock!
Hope that gives you some workable ideas.

 

[Chelly]

OH he'd love books about dogs, without the sad endings, there is a good one I read as a child, I can't remember if it had a sad ending but I htink it did.... Jock of the bushveld!
I'm going to look for it.
I also read lots of "secret seven" books as a child, those were great - I don't think you can get them here in the USA very easily - I'll have to look!

 

[Grace Boyer]

Chelly,
Did you grow up outside the U.S. ?
The dog books I can think of without sad endings are Big Red, Outlaw Red, I think there are a couple other ''Reds'' but Im not sure about names, and The Runt, about a puppy that everyone thinks won't amount to much but who, at the end, saves a little girl's life by tracking her into the cave she's lost in.

 

[Chelly]

Yes, I grew up in Africa.
I'll look for those books! Perhaps at Amazon.
Thanks Grace!

 

[TitiBebbs]

Quote:
Where are you in Florida? I used to live in Orange Park just out side of Jacksonville. The parks department used to have the most wonderful programs for kids. I enjoyed all the hsing opportunities when we lived there. Good luck this summer.

I'm in a small town, Lee. That's in the county of Madison, just south of Valdosta, GA. Summer has started and so have we. I've assigned the boys with a self created project to incorporate as many subjects as possible (all but SS) into a powerpoint presentation about Bubbles. I heard my son on the phone with my nephew who is coming here tomorrow talking about their projects. They were creating a glossary of terms relating to bubbles. I will start the chickens unit next week-after dn has gotten to know them. I guarantee this site will be their main resource. I'll look to get them both apropos names.

 

[Julie in Al]

Hi everyone, My oldest son in now 36 yr old we were some of the first homeschoolers in Al. We helped get the laws changed for others to be able to homeschool. We have great homeschool groups in our city now that are sponsered by Churches. One of my son's has his children in a great group with a Tues co-op that has foreign language taught by people from the foreign countries. My GS is taking Russian which works out well because his parents have been to Russia on Mission trips numerous times.
On another note for book reading. One of our favorite series is Hank the Cow Dog. It is such a good read and hilarious. Another series which is very well written is All Things Bright and Beautiful, written by a British Vet. You feel like your on the adventures to the farms with him and his brother Tristan stories will crack you up. Good reading.

 

[Grace Boyer]

Julie in Al
I forgot about the James Herriot books. Those are very good, although maybe a little advanced for a second grader, which is the age we're looking for, and they would DEFINITELY have to be edited by a parent before I'd give them to any age child. They are excellent books after you cross the bad language out, though. I especially liked the stories about Mrs. Pumphrey and her terrier.
I've read/heard all those stories so many times I could almost quote them.
Good book idea!

 

[BirdBrain]

Grace,
How about trying the James Herriot Treasury for Children. I read it to my kids when they were in 1st grade...no need to edit anything there.