2017 Children's Book List

In a following post, I will explain lessons I've learned about reading for personal growth and enjoyment, and listing the books we read over a year. The gist is that we should have a great feast of books set before us, and digest on them slowly, over time, as we wish. I'm convinced that many children detest reading because to them it means hunting for answers to ridiculous questions out of dry, meaningless passages.

Charlotte Mason presented her students with a feast, and encouraged them to savor each bite. In my own school, I'm not sure how else we'd accomplish feats like Robinson Crusoe or Just So Stories. What I'm learning is that outlines like those on Ambleside Online are suggestions; if the task seems too tall, we can take longer with a book, read fewer pages at a time, or even save certain titles for the future. Our goal is to add to our own feast and grow in wisdom, not compare ourselves to others. However, I enjoy sharing my lists with other parents, in hopes that you will share the joy of reading solid, living books with your children. Keep in mind, too, that these works aren't just for children; I enjoyed them, too!

Here is a list of major works my children and I have read together this year. These are the books I read along with my children, not including books they read over the course of the year on their own:

Noah’s Ark by Jerry Pinkney

Breathtaking illustrations in this beautiful book! 

James Herriot’s Treasury for Children by James Herriot

True, touching stories told by a former veterinarian. Lovely watercolor illustrations.

Grandfather Greenfingers by P. Catherine Coles

British story of children who go to live with relatives, and the fun gardening lessons they learn from "Grandfather Greenfingers." 

The Secret Garden by Frances H. Burnett

This was a book read before bed. What a treat to delight in this classic with my children!

Benjamin Franklin by Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire

All d'Aulaire biographies are informative tales illustrated with captivating, colorful drawings. 

Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney

Cute, inspiring, and sweet; great for children to learn love for family members. Another good book to read over time before bed.

"Adrift Again," from Paddle to the Sea

Paddle to the Sea by Holling Clancy Holling 

Page-long chapters make this rich story easy to digest in small bits. The scientific story of a wooden paddle-person and his adventures from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic. 

George Washington by Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire

Also read in small bits after dinnertime, several pages a week. Delightful tales about the life of the father of our country.

The Aesop for Children by Milo Winter 

This book was read over an entire school year, several stories a week. Who can't learn something valuable from Aesop? 

Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling

I confess I'm not a tremendous Kipling fan, although I appreciate these funny stories of "origin." At times he is a little confusing, yet we usually had laughs over the stories. The best way to read this is over time...lots of it.

Poor Richard by James Daugherty
The captivating life story of Benjamin Franklin, from cradle to grave. We especially enjoyed copying his epitaph, and the part about "food for worms"!

The Mysterious Mannequin by Carolyn Keene

Nothing like a good ole Nancy Drew mystery. The rich vocabulary makes this more of a "middle" book, although the chapters are relaxing and simple. We love the old-fashioned terms, and the mystery-solving sans cellphones and Internet.

The Mystery at Blackberry Bog by Dorothea I. Snow

This is a Lassie mystery thrift store find, every bit as charming as the classic show. I'm a sucker for 1950's stories about families who live in the country. 

The Masked Monkey by Frank Dixon 

Yes, we are also into Hardy Boys mysteries. This one had the guys going to Brazil to figure out a connection between a disappearance, and a terrifying monkey!

The Story of the Lincoln Memorial by Natalie Miller

From the Cornerstones of Freedom series, this book nicely describes the history of the Lincoln Memorial. Just enough information before our kids went to DC and saw it in person!

Gregor Mendel: The Friar Who Grew Peas by Cheryl Bardoe

Short, yet I recommend this in several sittings, since understanding genetics can be tricky. I loved learning about Mendel's life as well as his findings. 

Maida’s Little School by Inez Haynes Irwin

What a gem! There's a series of "Maida" books, and this was the first we read. It's about a group of boarding school children and what they learn in their "homeschool"...in the 1920's! I appreciated the French phrases and references to maps and geography throughout, but especially the children's excitement for their learning. 

The Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook by Joyce Lankester Brisley
This is our "Second Place" book of the year. Full of tales about a little girl and her family and friends, this 1920's gem just makes you feel good. Even adults should enjoy curling up with these simple, old-time adventures. 

Helen Keller by Margaret Davidson

This Scholastic book is the perfect length for elementary-age children. It tells Keller's story not as dry facts, but in interesting chapter-book form. I laughed and cried. What a hero Annie Sullivan was, and what courage Helen had! There's no excuse to say, "I can't." This book went nicely with my girls' earning the "All God's Children" badge in American Heritage Girls.

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

This is the "Blue Ribbon" children's book of the year for us! The only way to read this classic is slow, over lots of time. We spent 14 weeks on it, reading four pages, four days a week. I admit I was nervous at the outset, afraid my children (and I!) wouldn't understand it. I confess, there were times we didn't! However, we grew to love Robinson. The words are chilling, his adventures harrowing, and his relationship with Christ something that is absolutely not allowed to be discussed in schools today. By all means...get yourself in this book, and don't give up! Believe it or not, there were times when I stopped and my kids would cry, "Keep reading!!!" Children crave a challenge like this, and will rise to the occasion. Don't over-explain the text or words unless they ask; allow them to form ideas for themselves. Simply read as if such language is common and understood. Warning: there is cannibalism in this book, and there were a few details of it that I skipped over. Use your own judgment; children for three centuries have enjoyed this tale. 

Advent Storybook by Antonie Schneider

Our annual daily Advent book that begins Dec. 1 and goes to Christmas. My girls will have pleasant memories of Benjamin Bear's mother telling him all about another little bear and the friends he meets as he follows the star to visit Baby Jesus.

The Advent Book by Jack and Kathy Stockman

A lovely hardback thrift store find! Each day from Dec. 1-25 includes a door with a flap. The doors are ornately decorated, and inside is a Bible verse describing the birth of Christ. My girls take turns each night, alternating who gets to open the door, and who reads the verse. Another memory maker!

A Shiloh Christmas by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
This is the fourth book in Naylor's Shiloh series. She adequately covers Marty's questions about his neighbors' generational sin and dysfunction, mixed with more charming antics of the Preston family. A great series to introduce challenging ideas to children, enabling them to form ideas about right and wrong.

The Bible and New City Catechism
We spend time in the Word daily. On weekdays, we read from the NKJV or NIV in the morning, and from The Jesus Storybook Bible or the New City Catechism at night. I highly recommend this catechism. An app version is available, as well as YouTube videos for each day. We like to read the "older" commentary, but watch the newer one on video. We have gone through this with our children multiple times per year, and always learn something new.

And countless picture books!!!

These are all the books that belonged to my girls when they were younger, and even to me as a kid. They've been on the shelves for years. Shame on "educators" who think we should ever outgrow picture books! I encourage my children (and myself) to pull many down in large piles, and spend much time poring over Mark Brown's Arthur, Richard Scarry's charming animals, Eloise Wilkin's Golden Book illustrations such as in Baby Dear and We Help Mommy, Mayer's Little Critter, the Berenstain Bears, anything by Jerrold Beim (you won't even find them in a library anymore), Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad or Owl at Home, Parrish's classic tales of Amelia Bedelia, and hundreds of others! What joy!

 

Stay tuned as I look forward to sharing my own personal feast in the next post! 

Reading in 2016

This has been a year of reading. When I attended my first Charlotte Mason retreat in November 2015, I was challenged to spend more time feeding my mind with books. The Charlotte Mason method of teaching revolves around living books, a widely spread feast of topics and ideas, slowly chewing on small bits and reflecting through narration. I recall seeing lists of books some CM moms had read themselves or with their children and wondering, How do they find time to do all that reading? I remember thinking how wonderful it would be to accomplish so many works in one year, not just flying through them, but savoring them and knowing them intimately. 

I decided in 2016 to improve my professional development (or "mother culture," as Charlotte called it). They are one and the same: increasing my knowledge on a variety of subjects for my job as a homeschooler, while at the same time feeding my mind personally. We often want our kids to have the best, yet we sit neglect our own growth. If my goal is to provide my girls with a wide feast of ideas, I must nourish my own mind with the best "food," too.  

The most important Book is God's Word. I cannot go a day without drawing from the riches of His truth. Last December 30, I began going through the plan in the back for reading through my Bible in one year:

Although the technical start date was January 1, I began two days ahead to give myself a buffer. I also knew that mentally I would feel better if I went through the year knowing I was two days ahead, just in case I got behind. I flipped the assigned reading and did Old Testament in the morning, since those were always longer passages. When we went on trips, I took my Bible along, and continued to follow the reading plan. Today was bittersweet as I completed Revelation: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."

This was a journey and experience I'm grateful to have accomplished, but it was not always easy. Reading four chapters of Ezekiel at a time is heady, especially with a lot going on in the morning. God's Word never returns void. Another challenge was finding time to linger over verses I wanted to read in addition to having to do the readings for that particular day. A busy mom can allow herself the grace to listen to Scripture on the Bible app every now and then!

Here is a list of books I read on my own (meaning, not with my children) in the year 2016:

Leaking Laffs Between Pampers and Depends by Barbara Johnson

The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough

Just As Long As We’re Together by Judy Blume

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

7 Women by Eric Metaxas 

Cuentitos Simpaticos by Rubin Pfeiffer 

The Secret Thoughts of An Unlikely Convert by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield

Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty 

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller 

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte 

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

The Horse and Buggy Doctor by Arthur E. Hertzler 

Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley

It’s Not the End of the World by Judy Blume

The Holy Bible, NKJV

The Barbara Johnson book had begun the year before, and I had read it a page or two at a time. I love her humor and have read many of her books. Both Judy Blume books were ones I had owned as a pre-teen, and just wanted to enjoy again, this time as an adult. I had forgotten how much I was able to relate to Karen Newman in It's Not the End of the World. The DiCamillo book was a preview for my children's benefit, to check the appropriateness. I did enjoy it and believe they will, too.

One book I did not greatly enjoy was Go Set a Watchman. It was a letdown after re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird, and I was disappointed with Scout's outbursts. The biggest letdown on the list was Serafina and the Black Cloak. I can't believe parents are allowing their young (like seven years old!) kids to read this; I'm forty and had trouble digesting some parts. My theory is that they hear "It's about the Biltmore House!" and think it must be okay. I found it dark and horrifying and advise parents to read it first. That's the beauty of reading: we don't have to like everything we read, or even finish a book that's not going well. In fact, I began several books this year that had stories I enjoyed immensely, but that came along with vulgar words or descriptions that made the books not worth continuing. 

Currently I'm reading:

The Cloud of Witness (ongoing)

God is in the Manger and The Cost of Discipleship, both by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Little Rosebud by Beatrice Harraden

Allison's Girl by Theodore Acland Harper

Selections from Charlotte Mason's volumes

A Turtle on a Fencepost by Allan Emery

A Year With C.S. Lewis

The Bible

Here are the books I have read out loud with my children this year, just for fun:

The Clue in the Old Album by Carolyn Keene

The Secret in the Diary by Carolyn Keene

The Clue in the Crumbling Wall by Carolyn Keene

The Sign of the Twisted Candles by Carolyn Keene

Snowbound With Betsy by Carolyn Haywood

Pilgrim Stories by Margaret Pumphrey 

Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims by Clyde Robert Bulla 

Pilgrim’s Progress, A Beka version, by John Bunyan

Nancy’s Mysterious Letter by Carolyn Keene

Where Was Patrick Henry on the 29th of May? by Jean Fritz 

Dewey the Library Cat by Bret Witter and Vicki Myron 

The Terrible Wave by Marden Dahlstedt 

Beautiful Girlhood Revised by Karen Andreola 

Cherry Ames, Department Store Nurse by Helen Wells

The Mystery Off Old Telegraph Road by Kathryn Kenny

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls 

The Burgess Bird Book for Children by Thornton Burgess

A Taste of Blackberries by Doris Buchanan Smith

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle by Betty MacDonald

The Real McCoys and Danger at the Ranch by Cole Fannin

Trina by Patricia Miles Martin

This Cat Came to Stay! by Elizabeth Kinsley

Class Clown by Johanna Hurwitz

The House on the Cliff by Frank Dixon

Back to School With Betsy by Carolyn Haywood 

Pee Wee and Plush by Johanna Hurwitz 

Fourth Grade Fuss by Johanna Hurwitz 

Here’s Beaver! by Beverly Cleary

The Two Towers by Frank Dixon

The Haunted Bridge by Carolyn Keene

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

Mystery in the Pirate Oak by Helen Fuller Orton

Notice the Nancy Drews! Ah, Trixie Belden...the Hardy Boys...Cherry Ames...how we love you all! Some of these came from the library, but most belong to us. They are worn, most are old, and they have that lovely, well-read book smell. It's impossible to pick a favorite, but as I read over this list, I have beautiful memories of time spent with my girls through the pages of each one. We are currently reading Grandfather Greenfingers by P. Catherine Coles at night before bed; every other night they have been going through Harry Potter with Daddy. 

And here are the books we are reading in school, which we will continue into 2017:

Favorite Tales From Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb

James Herriot's Treasury for Children

Trial and Triumph by Richard M. Hannula

The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang

Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling

Outdoor Secrets by Margaret Boyle

Our Island Story by H.E. Marshall

Parables From Nature by Margaret Gatty 

Paddle to the Sea by Holling Clancy Holling

Fifty Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin

Now We Are Six by A.A. Milne

The Aesop for Children

And two readers: Here it Is and Move Ahead by Brown, Truher, and Weise. These are gems from the 1970's that provide challenging stories, both for reading practice as well as getting students to think about various moral and ethical topics. 

Before I go...

Here's one more book for me, personally:

Go ahead and laugh...I sure did when I pulled this off the 25 cents shelf at the public library yesterday. I couldn't resist throwing in my coins and bringing it home. And guess what? I read twelve pages today, just winding down at lunch time! I know I'm cheesy and like nerdy topics, but this truly is a fascinating book. It's not a glossary of Yiddish terms; the purpose of this book is to educate us on the influence of Yiddish on our own English language use. I bet I'm the only person I know who is reading (or has read) it, but I'm sure it's on Amazon. Why not grab a copy and let's have a discussion!

I love a feast of ideas.

Until next time....READ!!!!

Happy New Year! 

A Box of Books

Does your local Friends of the Library group have an annual sale? I can't believe this was the first year I went...boy, have I been missing out! Now that I've purchased books on the cheap for so long, it's almost impossible for me to pay full price for them at a department or chain store. Furthermore, with my love of nostalgia, the kinds of books I'm looking for usually are rare, out of print, or so old that I can get a used copy; these can't be found just anywhere. 

Little did I know when I decided to check out the Friends sale that by the time it was over, I'd have gone there three times! The first weekend, my daughter and I scoped it out and bought a few things: a Nancy Drew for $1.00, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, also $1.00, a Hardy Boys, Pat Conroy's Beach Music for $1.00, and even some other kid chapter books from the 1950's for 75 cents apiece. 

After such a pleasant experience, I couldn't stay away the second weekend, when everything left was half off. I found another Harry Potter (this time, 50 cents!!!), Coming Home by Rosamund Pilcher (an enormous book) for $1.00, and some beautifully bound old classics for $1.00 each. 

During this visit, I looked up and saw this:

Wow! I thought, what a gorgeous book! And only $3.00...I'll take it! I was so enamored that I paid little attention to what was on the inside. Once at home, I pulled out my precious find, excited to see what kind of poems Arnold wrote, and I discovered this:

Um...not quite the enlightenment I had in mind! The adage proved true, that one cannot judge a book by its cover. Immediately I notified my friend Liz of my find. She knows something about everything, is a trivia expert, a thrift shopper, as well as a collector of rare, fun books. 

I texted her some pages and we had a good laugh over the phone as Liz informed me that although benign and beautiful on the outside, Victorian books often contained obscure, unconventional themes within. Liz was ecstatic over the book, calling it a true find. I knew she had to have it because she was able to appreciate it a little more than I could. This is another joy of finding diamonds in the rough: they're not always a treasure to me, but I often know someone else who would love them. Liz said she was going to add it to her collection, right next to her "Uses of Baking Soda" book!

Here is another fabulous find from half-price day, one that I did keep:

I saw it the first day but held out until it was only $1.50. This little volume inscribed "Bertha Hildreth, 1895" contains information all about the human body and its systems, as well as about ailments and healthy eating. I was thrilled to make this find in addition to Arnold's Poems, and Liz was just as excited about it as I was. The upcoming final weekend of the sale consisted of filling a milk box with as much as you can cram in for a mere $6.00, so I didn't hesitate to invite Liz to accompany me.

Yesterday from two to four p.m. was book bliss. We flew in there, two women on a mission to jam as many cool book gems as we could into those boxes. First we scouted our favorite areas (mine: children's and classics; hers: sewing, cookbooks, and classics)...then we combed the place at least two more times. The first time you look, it's so exciting you're sure to miss something; we allowed ourselves some careless looks first in order to gain focus to then see everything more seriously. 

What I love most about thrift/book shopping with Liz is that she takes the hunt for treasure to a level of excitement that no one else can match. We both have a regard for "outdated" things that most folks would call weird or boring. Liz inspires me to rejoice in my book finding and enjoy this fun hobby! I had as much fun seeing all her finds than filling my own box, because Liz's taste and sense of humor are off the charts.

When we arrived back at my house, I wanted to dump the boxes out and look at all the prizes we had accumulated, but Liz needed to get home. Half-jokingly I told her to send me a list of all the books she'd bought. I should not have been surprised when, several hours later, that list did arrive:

Listen and Learn Russian CD

The Bathroom Trivia Book ii

The Book of Losers, 1980

The Standard Dictionary of Facts, 1922 (This was a find I made toward the end when we were saying there was "no way we could add one more item." It is a big, heavy-bound, brown book like an almanac. The list of presidents ends with Harding, and WWI is referred to as "The World War"...too cool!).

The Singer

Isaac Air Freight

Russian Bible, no date

Bible in Cambodian, 1954 (Can Liz read Cambodian? No! It doesn't matter...she just loves cool book finds...and I love that!).

Arabic New Testament, 1932 (See comment above!).

Gates of Prayer for Shabbat and Weekdays

St. Fridgeta, 1966 (This is a small, red book whose humor within seemed like Liz, so I threw it into her box without permission).

The Gods are A-Thirst, 1942

The October Revolution-Before and After

The Fannie Farmer Cookbook

Today's Custom Tailoring

Vogue Sewing

English-German Dictionary (Liz used to live in Germany, as you may gather from the rest of the books).

Heidi, German edition, 1952

German song book, 1948

German Bible book, 1950

Three German story books, 1950's

A girl's book in German, 1957

Two German cookbooks

What a list! What fun to type it here and remember the joy of being with Liz as she found such a diverse collection! Now, you might be wondering...do they just find these books for the fun of it, or do they actually read them? The answer to both is, YES!!! Absolutely, we read these fun, strange publications (although maybe not the ones in Arabic and Cambodian)! There is immense joy in rescuing and resurrecting what the world calls obsolete. 

Here is the list of what I managed to press into my own milk box:

Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert (no date, but old)

Tornado's Big Year, Trella Lamson Dick, 1956

Otras Gentes, Otros Modos (a Spanish reader), 1967

Al Buen Hablador (Spanish reader), 1958

Walden, Henry D. Thoreau, 1942 (a beautiful copy that looks unread)

Fräulein Schmidt and Mr. Anstruther, 1907

And Then There Were None, Agatha Christie, 1966 copy

The Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane, 1951

Pepita Jimenez, Juan Valera, 1943 (This came from Spain; there is a price label of 150 pesetas on the inside jacket).

Mama, Get the Hammer! There's a Fly on Papa's Head!, Barbara Johnson

Two copies of B. Johnson's Splashes of Joy in the Cesspools of Life (a book I love and enjoy giving to women going through trials).

Qui Est La? (children's French reader), 1966

Pan Y Mantequilla (Spanish textbook), 1974

Houseful of Laughter, Bennett Cerf, 1963

My Losing Season, Pat Conroy (first edition hardback)

The Oxford Book of Italian Verse, 1934 (No, I don't speak Italian, so I won't know if the poetry is like Arnold's or not!).

Der Rote Pull, Hans Baumann, 1954 (This book is completely in German, but Liz inspired me! It was so cute, I thought, why not?).

The Horse and Buggy Doctor, Arthur E. Hertzler, MD, 1941

Parnassus on Wheels, Christopher Morley, 1955 edition

Profiles in Courage, JFK, 1964

Castles, 1974 (children's book)

Horace Mann, Jessie Treichler, 1962

Science book, I Want to Know About... (jungles, rocks and minerals, small pond animals), 1972

Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller, 1949

Plays of Henrik Ibsen, no copyright but a nice little old copy

The Thurber Carnival, James Thurber...inscribed "Margery L. Eckland, 2-27-45 (not her birthday)"

So...there you have it. Two very different lists from two friends who share old books in common, and who spend little money on their preservation. Our only problems are where to keep them all, and especially when to read them all!

Until next time...

Grace to Build Takeaways

The first weekend of this month, I attended a new homeschool retreat in my area, "Grace to Build."  This is no ordinary conference, but a gathering of parents who specifically use the Charlotte Mason method in teaching.  Every seminar was packed with jargon and precepts well-known to "CM'ers," as we call ourselves.  I  was well-submerged in CM bliss, and left overflowing.  With all the information, there are two particular ideas that I felt led to apply immediately.

One was highlighted by Sonya Shafer, a fellow homeschool mom and authority in the CM community.  Any CM'er is familiar with Sonya and her wide array of books, videos, and talks on methods and habit training.  I enjoyed a morning in a group in which Sonya was the instructor, and we adults got to be students under the CM method.  We covered natural history, arithmetic, ancient history, singing, repetition, writing, and Spanish, all in under three hours.  

How refreshing to be the pupil, reading, narrating, and learning a rich variety of living ideas!  Surprisingly, after such robust instruction, my brain was not exhausted, but rather invigorated.  Sonya had not pounded dry, meaningless facts into our minds, but had exposed us to full-bodied ideas that we consumed eagerly.  My takeaway from the exercise was that my own teaching needed to be varied concerning the order in which I presented the subjects.  The meaningful instruction was there, but I couldn't wait for Monday so I could change the topics around.

For example, as I wrote in another post, I used to do all the "table" work in one sitting.  We covered reading and spelling back to back, and would do our science and history (in which I read aloud) together, too.  Sonya pointed out that when we sequence the lessons differently, then the brain's activity is more varied, thus enabling full attention.  Now, our order looks more like this: Bible verse, penmanship, history, math, reading/phonics, science, Spanish (oral), poetry.  I have noticed more enthusiasm from all of us, and brains that are not as tired.

The other takeaway that stood out for me came from a talk that I attended given by Cheri Struble, mother of nine.  She called it "Mothers as Persons," and if anyone is qualified to speak to the idea of mothers acknowledging our own personhood, it is she (I so wanted to say "her," but just can't do it in a post about CM!).  This is not about the "me time" so many modern moms complain they never get.  It also is not going to Starbucks or shopping alone for an hour.  Those things aren't bad, but Cheri's discussion centered on giving ourselves brain food, ideas for our own minds.

As someone who has valiantly been engaged in the battle of the mind, I was all ears.  There are no "steps" to this, nor a "how-to."  When mothers, especially those who are with children all day, do not respect our own personhood, Cheri says we end up empty, moving along through our tasks like robots, eventually stuck in a pit.  We need not be convinced that a "feast of ideas" is essential for our kids, yet are we pursuing this for ourselves?  Our minds thrive on meaty, living ideas, and it is imperative that we moms make small stops throughout the day to read a poem or a few paragraphs, take a few laps around the yard, and allow ourselves to "go out to play," as Charlotte wisely advised.

The main idea is: READ!  Not an entire book a week, but a few pages.  CM'ers talk about always having "something going" in the way of books, and Cheri was specific about this.  She recommends three books at a time: a novel, a moderately easy (medium-hard) one, and a "stiff," or difficult one.  Cheri herself has been reading Les Miserables for three years now, and is committed to it as long as it takes.  That's one thing I love about the CM method: it's a marathon, not a sprint; we are about quality, not quantity.  If half a page is all one can manage, then it's enough.  Our goal is not to plow through a work, having no idea what we just read or why we bothered with it.  We are after ideas, slowly savoring each sentence, even requiring ourselves as moms to narrate what we read.  There is immense freedom in treating books this way, allowing ourselves to enjoy them rather than having pressure to finish by a certain date.  We can see reading in a whole new light.

Some CM'ers have as many as nine or ten books going at a time.  The three that I am currently reading are:

Novel (easy): Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.  I only classify it as "easy" because it is my third time through it, and each time is not only more simple, but more delightful.  If you never read this classic, allow yourself the indulgence of time with the dear March sisters and their adoring mother, Marmee.

Moderately Easy: The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis.  If you have avoided this book because the main characters are demons, fear not.  Again, as someone familiar with the enemy's tactics, this book does not scare me, but rather serves to further expose his vile trickery and lies.  As in all his works, Lewis does not disappoint, displaying his usual genius and exposure of truth.  What causes Screwtape to fall into the "medium-hard" category is that the reader must become accustomed to the wording.  Because Screwtape, speaks in the first person, his "good" is actually evil, while "evil" is God's will; the "Enemy" is God, and "our father" is Satan.  This is a must for everyone, Christ-follower or not.

Difficult: Ourselves by Charlotte Mason, herself!  This book is actually two in one, and number four in a six-volume set of Charlotte's published essays.  A true CM'er must obviously spend time with Charlotte's writings, but I believe that they hold appeal for those who use other methods, too.  Although interesting, the material is about pedagogy in general, and Mason's rich words and references often cause the reader to reread sentences several times, even looking up the meaning of her colorful vocabulary.  In order to ingest Charlotte's ideas, I can only handle a few pages at a time; she herself required her students to read Ourselves, only two pages per week!  Charlotte wrote this work to provide students with an insight into human behavior, and to give them an idea of possibilities within themselves for good and evil.  

I also often refer to my favorite "go-to" besides the Bible: The Essential Works of Charles Spurgeon, ed. by Daniel Partner.  This volume of over a thousand pages is crammed with Spurgeon sermons, books, and even his autobiography.  Sometimes just a paragraph is enough to give me mind-food on which to chew for a whole day.

Within our homeschool, my girls and I have several books going as well:
Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan, the Abeka version designed for children.  Although Charlotte stayed away from "versions" of original works, I do not always adhere to the same principle (don't tell other CM'ers!). 

The Burgess Bird Book for Children by Thornton Burgess.  I recommend anything at all by this delightful author, who makes all animals real, alive, and fun for children and adults.  We read a chapter at a time, and have a corresponding Pinterest board with a photo and information about each bird.

Pilgrim Stories by Margaret Pumphrey.  In my humble opinion, this must be read by anyone who celebrates Thanksgiving!  We read it twice a week, about ten pages at a time, and usually paste a picture from it in notebooks, including copywork with a corresponding sentence.

Little Women, already mentioned, which means I am reading it for the fourth time as I read it a third time!  I am about halfway through in my personal reading, but the girls and I read only six or seven pages at a time.  So far, they are as enchanted as I am, and we have decided which characters we each represent.  Can you guess who they are??

Finally, in the evenings, my husband and I each have two separate books going with each girl, and alternate who reads to whom before bed, in addition to nighttime Bible reading.  I am enjoying a different book from the Nancy Drew series with each daughter.  Never having read these in childhood, I am completely sold on them as an adult.  The challenging vocabulary and engaging plots add to our solid diet of idea-food.

As rich as the retreat was, it has been easy to incorporate some simple principles and habits into our school and my life as a mom.  I am grateful to God for adding to the soundness of my mind with these ideas, and I believe all adults can form the habit of reading snippets during a busy day.