Our Month Ahead ~ Books to Read in July 2017

Welcome to July.    So good .... that means only 2 months until Spring!
I'm trying to make the most of the winter months, so one of the indoors tasks we are working on is - trying to -  down scale the home educating items we've accumulated.
I've managed to cull the math section,  many of the history texts,  and most of the spare copies of things just sitting in boxes.  
Now it's time to thin out the educational Dvds and the homeschooling-helps-for-mum books.   Seems to be a lot of both ;-P
We want to down scale as it's time to get rid of younger years 'stuff'  and we're hoping to move home before the end of the year;  the less I have to pack and then find a new home for will be win-win in the long run.

Switching topics to our month ahead and the items in our home educating book baskets; some of the titles still being read are from last month, along with any new books, listed in bold type, to be read in July.  

Beneath are our initial literary/book basket selections for  July  - I'll update with any extras as we go along.   
YLR stands for Younger Level Read: not all books have to attain to the pinnacle of rich literature to be appreciated.  Daisy and I enjoy reviewing new finds, to us, in children's literature.   The C which may appear beside any item, during this month, means completed:

 Daisy: 

• Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps & ...      p.39-40 AD1100 -1300 Church Hist  
• The Church Ages study W.M.B   continue
• Woman of Faith, bible study with mum. Continue
• Caught Up in a Story ~  Sarah Clarkson    C  we've already listened to the RAR podcast
• TGC: Classics of British Literature        Chaucer—Social Diversity  (prelude to studying  The Canterbury Tales)
• Sir Gawain & the Green Knight  ~ translated by Tolkien selections only. mature themes, content issues.  Using Greenleaf Guide with this.    
• A Single Shard ~ Linda Sue Park      1100's   YLR
• RAR author interview podcast  #53    Linda Sue Park     audio
• The Hawk and the Dove ~ Penelope Wilcock      1300's    C    I haven't pre-read this one. Daisy said it was okay, not a favourite you-must-read-this sort of book, just a pleasant read with lots of mini-stories.
• I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade ~ Wilson    1339.  C    YLR   Animistic themes.  This was a SL recommended title for a younger age range, I intentionally waited until Daisy was much older before giving her this book to read :  ancient animism under pins many of the community practices where we live.
• Cadfael      abridged audiobooks.  listening to select titles only    C
• A Night Divided ~ Jennifer Nielsen    audio option     C    YLR    Available thru ePukapuka
• News of the World ~ Paulette Jiles     C    Such a good book!!  The WTM moms recommended it.  Has 2 - one word - cursing excerpts.  Child prostitution is one of the topics (not graphic or detailed) but it's mentioned.
• A Bunch of Sweet Peas ~ Henry Donald    C
• RAR Author Access:  Avi  RAR members area
• Crispin: The Cross of Lead ~ Avi     England.  1377    C   YLR
• The Angel Knew Papa And The Dog ~ McKelvey    YLR  

Jay:

• Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps & .....   p.39-40 AD1100 -1300 Church Hist
• The Church Ages study  W.M.B   continue
• Book of Proverbs ~ KJV Life Application Study Bible
• Leaders and Misleaders ~ Van Heerden
• On Stories: And Other Essays on Literature ~ C.S. Lewis
• Babylon's Ark ~ Lawrence Arthur    profanity! edited out

Family Book Basket:

• Bible (KJV)      St. John   Ch: 15-19
• Then Sings My Soul BK 3 ~ Morgan    Select songs
• BiblioFiles Episode #29:  Introduction to Anglo - Saxon Lit
• TGC     1066: The Year That Changed Everything     family 'read-aloud'  
• The Abolition of Man  ~ Lewis

Shorter listen at only 3hrs long.

I'm going to see if I can encourage the family to listen to The Swoose ~ Dick King-Smith with me; I know it's for younger years but June Whitefield has crafted a laughter producing narration.

Our Month Ahead ~ Books to Read in May 2017

Thinking of the all the Southern hemisphere families we know as we all endeavour to settle into home educating during the winter months; and of the Northern hemisphere home educators as they wind down their learning year and prepare for summer time break.

We've just had 2 weeks of term break and are now back to scheduled learning.  Ho-hum ;)
It feels like we've been going full pace during term break attending to around -the-home projects and tasks, which is so good as it's nice to start a new term with a sense of achievement during the weeks away from scheduled learning.

I think I'll skip creating weekly updates from now on and just go for Our Month Ahead posts as this years reading assignments, and book lineups, are intentionally pretty spread out to allow time for all the other subject areas we are working in; and, not sure about other highschooling years, educating at home, families but our reading time has definitely morphed into a vastly different look this year:  the sheer number of books we read has become less and yet we discuss so much more (age and maturity stage of teens) - and the literary goals do not seem to be, so much, about completing the books but about immersing ourselves in the thoughts and discussions surrounding the themes in the books..... along with rabbit trails, which happen constantly and are creating some delight filled distraction.

Beneath are the titles we completed during the end of April , along with the books to be read during May.  (I'll update with any extras as we go along. The C beside each item means completed.)
Our literary/book basket selections for this Month:

Daisy: 

• Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps & Timelines   p.35 & 36  AD200  - 500   Church Hist  C
• Start Here: Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are ~ Harris & Harris  C
• TGC: Classics of British Literature ~ Sutherland    Anglo-Saxon Roots—Pessimism and Comradeship
• Anglo-Saxon Poetry (selections) Greenleaf Guide     Deor's Lament,  The Seafarer,  The Wanderer,  Caedmon's Hymn,  The Dream of the Rood   C
• Beowulf   GG       the illustrated version is a family favourite 
• Spring Tide ~Mary Ray         Roman. AD 311   C
• The Faerie Queen ~ Edmund Spenser    1590's epic poem  (unabridged audio)  C
• I Needed a Neighbour ~ St. John        Refugees/ Africa/ Modern Times   C
• The Witch's Brat ~ Rosemary Sutcliff      England AD 1121  C
• The Bet ~ Chekhov   Short story   C
• The False Prince ~ Nielsen    C   (audio opt for series)  clean story. not for sensitive children - separation from parents, family murdered, mistreatment of children.  Some parents may not appreciate the initial conduct/character of the children, adults in this series.   Daisy's reading the books.
• The Runaway King ~ Nielsen   C
• Journey to the River Sea ~ Ibbotson  C
• Samurai's Tale ~ Haugaard    Japan 1500’s   C
• Flame-Coloured Taffeta ~ Sutcliff   England. 1750+   C   Daisy really enjoyed this book.  Contains reference to 'witches and potions' in that area. 
• Cadfael      abridged audiobooks. select a few
  

 Jay:

• Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps & Timelines   p.35 & 36  AD200  - 500   Church Hist
• How to Read Slowly ~ James Shire   p.90-148    Fiction section 
• The Student Leadership Challenge ~ Kouzes & Posner     p.163-231  
• Leaders Who Last ~ Kraft  Pt 3       audio
• Sparkling Cyanide ~ Christie       audio     Mature themes, inc.  marital unfaithfulness
  

Family Book Basket:

• Bible (KJV)      St. John   Ch: 11-12
• Short Stories By Saki ~ H.H.  Munro    car time audio      free. library loan
• Then Sings My Soul BK 3 ~ Morgan    Select songs
• Church Ages      Dn to read, discussion
• The Conscientious Objector        US documentary   youtube.  Post ANZAC day go-along.  Not sure of content yet?
• The Victorian Slum BBC     DVD  C
• Tudor Monastry Farm     DVD

KJV Life Application Bible.  Excellent Bible.

Our Week ~ 23 Jan 2017 Ramping up the subjects

The first few weeks back are, intentionally, slower as we start to ramp the subject material back up to use.
Neither the children or I enjoy a full on 'back to it' start in a new learning year.

This week consists of Jay, who turns 17 in a few days,  working with focus on the draft copy of a Research Paper, so that hopefully by the end of next week we can tie off NCEA 2 English: a year of correspondence school English has completely finished off ANY desire, from both of us, to do another year of English that way.   Shudder! ;-)

Reading
He's been reading through NCEA Accounting Level 1 and 2 books to prepare himself for working towards Accounting credits through Te Kura.
He asked that I subscribe The Whisper of Glocken to him, otherwise he won't get it read, and he wants to.

Jay, Dn and I have been pondering, praying and discussing Jays options for his last year of homeschooling - and today we finally managed to arrive at a settled end result with that.
No maths this year, he's finished.   (So proud of him!!)
No stand alone English courses this year - he'll be completing writing inside Business Studies, and Philosophy.

I've detailed what he, and Daisy, will be studying during 2017 in this post.

Daisy, 15 in a few days,  has eased back into educating at home without a hiccough.  She is such a honey ♥   2017 is her last year with me facilitating ALL her home educating choices... next year, 2018, she becomes a young adult student and starts working on achieving credits for NCEA learning standards  via the NZ Correspondence school, and only doing a few home educating courses.

English, and, Penmanship
This week she's completed a beautifully penned grammar review piece for English, which also ends her handwriting course  (she didn't get a chance to complete that last year and we both wanted her to).

She asked!! (which slightly gobsmacked me) to start working on NCEA topics/workbooks so that next year won't be as pain filled for her, as Jay's first year  using Te Kura appeared to be.  He's been rather vocal and supportive of her decision, and thinks it's a great idea, for her.... he said;   however,  he would never do that, even in hindsight.
(laughing)

History
She's being going through an NCEA History Level 1 Topic this week, and said she's enjoying it as it's a chance to review what she already knows about Nancy Wake during WWII.

Literature
The Hound of Ulster ~ Rosemary Sutcliff
This is our lead in novel to reading Beowulf.  Daisy said the story line is enjoyable, but if she doesn't concentrate she gets all the names beginning with "C" jumbled.

I need to get our (Church) History & Lit reading schedule typed up and running!  Seriously behind in that quarter this year.

Curricula ~ Possibilities for 2017

I originally crafted this as an ongoing, idea collecting, post as we headed down the wire towards our 'official' start up date for scheduled learning in 2017.  (Jay restarted on the 9th Jan, and Daisy recommenced the week after) :

Possible Choices for:  Jay 17, and, Daisy 15
This years focus for both is a (may be) one year study in Christian History/World View.
Daisy will begin part 1 of a two year study in British Literature.
We think this is Jay's last year of 'educating at home' with me as the facilitator - unless he decides to continue with additional courses through Te Kura (NZ Correspondence School) in 2018.

Both Jay's and Daisy's book lists  include  literature allsorts - which I'm compiling at the end of this post.
(Helpful lit post and rabbit trailing links !! over on TWTM forum.)

___________________________________________________

Bible & Personal growth: 

Life Study Books - Daisy:
8-17: Start Here: Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are ~ Harris & Harris

Life Study Books/items - Jay:  Leadership and Character Course (other titles listed at the end of this post)

• The Student Leadership Challenge ~ Kouzes & Posner  (spine)

Both - Hymns and Memorisation
Then Sings My Soul BK 3 ~ Morgan  (Select songs)
Various Bible Verses

Christian World View - Both
Philosophy Adventure: Pre-Socratics 
Surprised by Joy ~ Lewis (1955) essay,  Autobiographical/Christian
How Should We Then Live ~ Schaeffer    (youtube  & study guide ?  discussion)

Christian World View ~ Jay:
Church History In Plain English ~ Bruce Shelley (free pdf)  (read and discuss)
Leaders Who Last ~ Dave Kraft (christian)

The Abolition of Man ~ C.S. Lewis (christian) (audio option)

Margin ~ Richard Swenson (christian)

Have a Little Faith ~ Mitch Albom   (semi- autobiographical  pub. 2009) Religion

Christian World View ~ Daisy:
Bede's Ecclesiastical Hist of the English Speaking Church     (use with Greenleaf Guide to Med Lit.       GLG is Now, amazingly, available through Whitcoulls NZ)
The Prince of the House of David ~ J.H. Ingraham (AD30's) Christian Classic

Inspirational Stories 
Biographies/books about select Christians (delight led selection)
George MacDonald ~ C.S. Lewis

The Autobiography of George Muller ~ George Mueller   (purchase whispersync kindle first)
Just as I Am ~ Billy Graham   Autobiography

Church History
Christian History Made Easy ~ Timothy Paul Jones      (Learning Activities pg 15-29 )
Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps & Timelines  (think we'll switch back to this. Using pgs 34 -36)
Documents of the Christian Church ~ Edited by Bettenson & Maunder (selections)
Church Ages 

History and Geography:
Christian History (AD 64 - today)  Mostly Daisy

New Zealand History & Geography (Review. Daisy) 
NCEA History Level 1 & 2  (selections.  prep for Te kura)
Stories of Old New Zealand      (Universal Books) (Out Of Print)
The Women of New Zealand ~ Helen M. Simpson    (O.O.P.)

(History) Geography
Online tools, or go for blank map copywork?

English:
English - Daisy
Latin and Greek Roots Greek 
Essentials In Writing
Visual Latin
Books to read:  5-7:  How to Write Clearly ~ Beechick

Literature, and Other,  Guides - Daisy:  
1:  Essentials in Literature  (selections beneath)
Short Story 
The Secret of Walter Mitty ~ Thurber
The Most Dangerous Game ~ Connell
A White Heron ~ Jewett
The Bet ~ Chekhov
N/F
Charles Martel (research)
John Steinbeckon on Falling in Love
Mockingbird & Kathryn Erskine (Review)
Novel 
Hobbit ~ Tolkien  (switch out some of the topics & use NZ NCEA writing requirements)
Poetry (various)

2:  Greenleaf's Guide Yr2: Medieval Literature ~ Shearer (selections)
3:  NZ Based English Guide (selections from NCEA 2.  Reader Responses and a final Research Paper.  Refer to NZQA Exemplars for standards to use.)

English - Jay

NCEA research paper ( MUST be completed by first week of term 1.  Finished. Yay!!)
Essentials in Writing Level 12   fini :-)
Research papers being completed inside Business Studies, and, Philosophy
Visual Latin  
      Books to Read:      
How to Read Slowly ~ James Shire
On Stories: And Other Essays on Literature ~ C.S. Lewis


Math: 
Math - Daisy 
Mathbuddy (CTC Math)
NCEA (selections) Workbooks Level 1 & 2
Math based literature and biographies
Real Life Math Application

Math - Jay
Nil  (all finished.   switching to Accounting studies.)


Business Studies
Business Studies (Te Kura Level  2, and,  Level 3  in succession)
Accounting (Te Kura Level 2)
Digital Technology (Te Kura Level  2, and,  Level 3  in succession)
Other Economics, Business, and Investment studies (Jay with Dn)
*Delight led farming/live stock business study (Both with Dn)


Science:
Daisy
Interest led nature study, books, and DvD's
1: Delight Led Animal Husbandry Course  (increase herd this year)
2: Agriculture?

Jay
1: Delight Led Animal Husbandry Course 


Electives:
Photography - Both

Music:  
Delight Led (composers, hymnists).
Music lessons - Both (Jay: Drums, and, percussion.  Daisy: Piano, guitar, violin)
(Theory for Church Pianists ~ Greg Howlett.  Daisy)

Other Languages:
Rosetta French (Jay to complete this year)   

Logic:
The Art of Argument (Daisy) I'd really like to complete this
Chess (Jay)

Other:
Computer Programming (Daisy)
Carpentry and Farming Skills (Jay and Dn)
Driving Course (Jay)
Farm Machinery (Daisy)
Home Economics (Interest led. Both)
Crafts (Both.  delight led)



____________________________
Literature
Book Lists:

Family 

Book Basket

Bible (KJV)

Then Sings My Soul BK 3 ~ Morgan (Select songs)

Church Ages    (Dn to read aloud and discuss)

TGC  1066: The Year that Changed Everything ~ Prof Jennifer Paxton (audio. 3hrs total)
Hamlet ~ Shakespeare (BBC Production.  audio)   (free. library loan)

Elbows off the Table ~ Patsy Rowe   (etiquette refresher. switched to reading individually)

Short Stories By Saki ~ H.H.  Munro  (car time audio)    (free. library loan)
An Anthology of Twentieth Century New Zealand Poetry ~ O'Sullivan

An NZ History read.
Other titles to select as we go along.

Plays & Films

A: Longitude DvD  (content issues)

21: The Misanthrope ~ Moliere  (1666)  (play)   

Arsenic and Lace ~ Joseph Kesselring (play)

Of Gods and Men (2011)   ? DvD 

___________________________

Daisy:  

  

part 1 of British Literature

TGC: Classics of British Literature ~ Prof. John Sutherland (audio. selections)

8: Anglo-Saxon Roots—Pessimism and Comradeship

16: Chaucer—Social Diversity

17: Chaucer—A Man of Unusual Cultivation

5: Bede's Ecclesiastical Hist of theEnglish Speaking Church  GG

8: Anglo-Saxon Poetry (selections) GG

  -Deor's Lament

  -The Seafarer

  -The Wanderer

  -Caedmon's Hymn

  -The Dream of the Rood

9: Beowulf   GG  (the illustrated version is a family favourite)

17: Chaucer (selections)  GG

20: Hamlet   GG   (Read alongside:  Brightest Heaven of Invention)

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead  GG   already covered

25: The Hobbit ~ Tolkien ( re-read for lit study EiL)

26: Nicholas Nickleby ~ Charles Dickens  1861 (Brit Lit) audio, dramatised

28: Silas Marner ~ George Elliot    1861  (Brit Lit)

34: Surprised by Joy ~ C.S. Lewis   (1955) (essay.  Auto biographical/Christian)

AllSorts Selection (Includes Brit Lit books listed above)

1: The Whisper of Glocken ~ Carol Kendall (fantasy)

2: The Hound of Ulster ~ Rosemary Sutcliff  (Celts.  Cuchulain Saga.  Read before Beowulf)

4: The Prince of the House of David ~ J.H. Ingraham   (AD 30's) (Christian Classic)

9: Spring Tide ~ Mary Ray    (Roman. AD 311)

16: Knight's Fee ~ Rosemary Sutcliff  ('England'   1066 tie-in)

17a: A Single Shard ~ Linda Sue Park (11oo’s) listen to RAR #53 podcast first)

17b: The Hawk and the Dove ~ Penelope Wilcock   1300's

17c: I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade ~ Wilson  (1339.  Animistic themes)

18: Crispin:The Cross of Lead ~ Avi   (England.  1377)

19: Gateway of the Sun ~ Lori Wagner    1541+

21: The Three Musketeers ~ Alexandre Dumas (1625-28)  (French Lit)

24: The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn ~ Hoobler  (Mystery) 1735

26: Nicholas Nickleby ~ Charles Dickens  1861 (Brit Lit) audio, dramatised

28: Silas Marner ~ George Elliot    1861  (Brit Lit)

31: Moonfleet ~J. Meade Falkner  (pub 1898)  setting 1757

34:  Surprised by Joy ~ C.S. Lewis   (1955) (essay.  Auto biographical/Christian)

Free Reading (optional titles)

3: Three Little Great Ladies ~ W. Percy Smith (Young Ladies of Virtue Series) 

3: Dora: A Tale of Influence ~ author unknonw (YLoVS   which are similar to Lamplighter books)

4: A Little Child Shall Lead Them ~ Amy Le Feuvre (YLoVS)

4b: Christie's Next Things ~ Minnie E. Kenney

7:  Just Binnie ~ Dick King-Smith (younger, easy reading.  good story though)
7: What She Could: & Opportunities ( A Sequel) ~ Susan Warner

The Witch's Brat ~ Rosemary Sutcliff (England AD 1121)

Cadfael (abridged audiobooks)
The False Prince ~ Nielsen   (audio series)

The Samurai’s Tale ~ Haugaard  (Japan 1500’s)

The Faerie Queen ~ Edmund Spenser (1590's epic poem)   (unabridged audio)

Flame-Coloured Taffeta ~ RosemarySutcliff   (England. 1750+) 

The First Four Years ~ Wilder (American Classic)

Young Pioneers ~ Rose Wilder Lane  (American)

Underground to Canada ~ Barbara Smucker   (1850-60.  US Slavery. Canada)

A Tree for Peter ~ Kate Seredy  (illustrator.   Young read)

Miss Buncle ~ D.E. Stevenson

(NZ titles.  easy!! reading)

The Rhys Griffiths Read Aloud Stories Vol II  New Zealand History  

Journey Under Warning ~ Elsie Locke  (1843)

NZ Focus  

Stories of Old New Zealand      (Universal Books) (Out Of Print)

The Women of New Zealand ~ Helen M. Simpson    (O.O.P.)

(NZ titles.  easy!! reading)

No One Went to Town ~ Phyllis Johnston

Black Boots and Buttonhooks ~ Johnston

A Comet in the Sky ~ Johnston

Other Subjects Books

(Church History)

5: Christian History Made Easy ~ Timothy Paul Jones (read & discuss with mum)

(English)

5: How to Write Clearly ~ Beechick

____________________________

Jay: 

AllSorts Selection

4: The Whisper of Glocken ~ Carol Kendall (fantasy)

4: Surfeit of Lampreys ~ Ngaio Marsh (NZ author.  mystery.  pub. 1941)

9-13: Babylon's Ark ~ Lawrence Arthur   (profanity edited out.  pub. 2007) Modern auto Biography

33-36: Have a Little Faith ~ Mitch Albom   (semi- autobiographical  pub. 2009) Religion

32: Three Men on The Bummel ~ Jerome (humour)

Other titles (possibilities):

1 Shakespeare (?)  Brit Lit/Drama/ Classic  (completed)

1 Charles Dickens Brit lit/Classic (completed)

A Severe Mercy (?)  (read C.S. L directly)

Sci-fi  (?)  refer to Loris links on WTM thread Helpful lit post 

Harvard Classics (reference pdf)

French or Russian authors (maybe switch to short stories)

Short Stories  (Source from town library: Select extra works from Scotland, Minority Groups, Polynesia, NZ, Australia)   

Other Subjects Books

(Church History)

5: Church History In Plain English ~ Bruce Shelley (free pdf)  (read and discuss)

(English)

5: How to Read Slowly ~James Shire  (English)

16-20: On Stories: And Other Essays on Literature ~ C.S. Lewis

Poetry/Speeches/Essays ( delight led selection, including)

St. Orfeo  (Poem. Translated by Tolkein)  Circa 1300

Luthien Tinuviel  (Poem from the Silmarillion) 

5: War and Peace: A Collection of Classic Poetry & Prose ~ compiled by Kate Agnew

23-27: Surprised by Joy ~ C.S.Lewis   (1955) (essay.  Autobiography/Christian)

Short Stories

1: Short Stories by Saki   (British)  (audio free. via library)  (H.H Munro 1870-1916)

28: The Most Dangerous Game ~ Connell  (American)  (1924)

29: A Letter to God ~ Gregoria Lopex Y Fuentes  (Mexican)  (1940)

30: A Sound of Thunder  ~ Bradbury  (pdf & lesson) (American)  (1952)

(Business)

4: Litecoin ~ Branson  

(Life/Personal Growth)

5-16:  The Student Leadership Challenge ~ Kouzes & Posner  (spine)
17-22: Leaders and Misleaders ~ Andre Van Heerden (business. NZ)
6-8: Leaders Who Last ~ Dave Kraft (christian)

18: The Abolition of Man ~ C.S. Lewis (christian) (audio option)

23-24:  Steven Covey  pdf to read  
28-31: Margin ~ Richard Swenson (christian)
The Marshmellow Test  (documentary, already watched)

Optional

To Kill a Mocking Bird ~ Harper   (American Lit.  pub. 1960)  US History Fict

Died in the Wool ~ Ngaio Marsh (audio) (Mystery)

Sparkling Cyanide ~ Agatha Christie (audio) (Mystery)
Curtain: Periots’s Final Case ~ Agatha Christie (audio) (Mystery)