Read-at-Home Mom Report: July 2023 Wrap-Up

July Favorites 

These favorites were all five-star reads. 

Shadow of the Hawk by Geoffrey Trease
This is a historical adventure novel in which two teens travel to a monastery to rescue the only known copy of an ancient play while pursued by nefarious forces who want the play only for monetary gain.  It has great characters, a compelling plot, and it was a great read-aloud. My kids loved it and kept begging me to keep reading.

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
I have been avoiding this book my entire life, but my husband put the audiobook on in the car, and I was totally hooked. Rawls's writing is impeccable. The scenes he paints with words completely stuck in my mind and have stayed with me for weeks. Yes, the book is sad, but there are few stories more beautiful than this remembrance of a childhood spent with hounds.  

Summer at Buckhorn by Anna Rose Wright 
This is another memoir-esque children's novel that I read aloud to my kids. Five siblings travel from the North to Virginia during the post-Civil War era to visit family and have a largely unsupervised summer in the great outdoors. When they arrive, they meet a sixth child who is reluctant to enjoy himself but soon learns how to have fun. The hijinks of these characters made my kids laugh out loud, and my middle child was tickled by the fact that the middle child in the story calls herself "the bookmark of the family." 

The Changeling by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

My husband and I read this with our friend and discussed over Zoom. It reminded me a lot of one of my favorite children's novels, Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth by E.L. Konigsburg. It does a beautiful job exploring the dynamics between two friends who meet and part and meet again at different points in their lives, and it highlights the role imagination often plays in friendship and in coping with difficulties during childhdood.  

Borrow My Heart by Kasie West 
This YA romance follows Wren and Asher. When Wren sees that Asher is waiting at the coffee shop for a girl who has clearly been catfishing him, she steps in to help him save face by pretending to be the girl. Then, quite unexpectedly, she falls for him herself, and has to find a way to let him know the truth. This was a delightful summer read, and one of this author's best books. 

Charting the Course by Leslea Wahl 
I reviewed this YA romance/mystery for Catholic Mom. I loved the believable characters and the realistic and relatable discussions of faith in the story. My full review is here.

The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis
This wacky sci-fi rom-com made me laugh and was so entertaining. The references to western and sci-fi movies were really fun, and all the quirky characters were so well-written. I couldn't put it down. 

Teaching a Stone to Talk by Annie Dillard
I listened to this book because my book group on Instagram was focusing on books published in the year of our birth, and this came out in 1982. It ended up being a beautiful collection of essays, including one that intertwines worship at Mass with arctic exploration in a surprisingly satisfying way. 

Stand-Alone Books

• Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri (3 stars) 
• Sparrow Being Sparrow by Gail Donovan (4 stars)
• The Me I Used to Be by Jennifer Ryan (3 stars)
• Ford County by John Grisham (4 stars)
• Begin Again by Emma Lord (4 stars)
• Gentle Writing Advice: How to Be a Writer Without Destroying Yourself by Chuck Wendig (4 stars)
• Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson (3 stars)

Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide

• Once More with Feeling by Elissa Sussman (3 stars)
• Summer Stage by Meg Mitchell Moore (4 stars)

Read-Alouds

• The Story of Science: Newton at the Center by Joy Hakim (3 stars)
• The Road to the King's Mountain by Margaret Ann Hubbard (4 stars)

Series Books

• The Final Empire (Mistborn Book 1) by Brandon Sanderson  (4 stars)
• A Cryptic Clue (Hunter and Clewe Mystery Book 1) by Victoria Gilbert (4 stars)

Did Not Finish 

• As You Wish by Jude Devereaux

Family Reading Lists

M. (girl, 9 years, 8 months)

• Alexander Fleming by Richard Tames
• Newton at the Center by Joy Hakim
• The School Segregation Cases by Janet Stevenson
• Brown v. Board of Education by Diane L. Good
• The Story of Jonas Salk and the Discovery of the Polio Vaccine by Jim Hargrove
• You Choose: The Civil Rights Movement by Heather Adamson
• Urchin of the Riding Stars by M. I. McAllister
• Urchin and the Heartstone by M. I. McAllister
• Meg and the Disappearing Diamonds by Holly Beth Walker
• Americans Into Orbit by Gene Gurney
• Walk in Space by Gene Gurney

C. (girl, 7 years, 10 months)

• Little House in the Highlands by Melissa Wiley
• No Flying in the House by Betty Brock
• All-of-a-kind-family Uptown by Sydney Taylor
• The Road to Oz by L. Frank Baum
• A Pet for the Orphelines by Natalie Savage Carlson 

E. (girl, 5 years, 9 months)

• Jenny Goes to Sea by Esther Averill
• The Hotel Cat by Esther Averill
• Betsy and Billy by Carolyn Haywood
• Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary
• The Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
• Lulu and the Duck in the Park by Hilary McKay
• The Rackety-Packety House by Frances Hodgson Burnett

R. (boy, 3 years, 5 months)

• Great White Shark by Claire Saxby
• The Dinosaur Book by the Smithsonian
• National Geographic Dinosaur Atlas 

A. (girl, 3 years, 5 months)

• No David by David Shannon
• Monkey Puzzle by Julia Donaldson
• All Better, Baby by Sara Gillingham
• What Shall We Do with the Boo Hoo Baby? by Cressida Cowell
• Lake Life with You by Cindy Jin

Read-at-Home Mom Report: June 2023 Wrap-Up

*I am very late in posting this! We had back-to-back trips in July, and this post has been sitting in my drafts for weeks.  But here, finally, is everything I read in June! The July round-up should be ready soon too. 

June Favorites

I Will Adventure by Elizabeth Gray Vining
I read this aloud to my girls at the same time that my 7 year old was studying Elizabethan England and Shakespeare. The story follows a teen boy to London as he takes on a position as a page for his cousin. He has several chance encounters with members of a theater troupe, including William Shakespeare himself, and he learns to overcome his homesickness and rise to the challenges of living in a new place. We all really enjoyed this one, and it was really easy and fun to read aloud. 

The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt
I wasn't sure at first how I would like this latest novel from Schmidt, but it was excellent. The plot requires some suspension of disbelief as some things do come together too neatly, but the writing is so beautiful, it truly doesn't matter. I loved all of the characters, and some scenes made me tear up. 

A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler 
This book had a rocky start for me due to a bit of a red herring on the first page as to what the story is about, but it ended up being another wonderful portrait of a family from the author who is best at writing those.

No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister
This novel follows the life of a manuscript, from the imagination of the author, through the publishing process and into the lives of some of its readers. The structure of this novel seemed like it could be gimmicky, but it isn't. Each of the characters has an interesting backstory, and some of them are connected to one another. The author did a great job executing this concept without making it cheesy. 

The Spectacular by Fiona Davis 
This novel about a Radio City Music Hall Rockette dancer and a bomber in 1950s New York City was so fascinating. It's a historical fiction book, but in parts it read more like a thriller. I've read a few books by this author, and this one is my favorite so far. 

Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan
This is the perfect nostalgic beach read for summer. The writing is delightful, and I loved the characters and the looks back into their past. Annabel Monaghan is a new favorite author for me this year.

The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh
The socially awkward science-minded protagonist of this romance is such a great character. I loved her journey toward not just romance, but toward widening her social circle and learning that she doesn't have to be alone to be happy. 

Stand-Alone Books

• Everyone Hates Kelsie Miller by Meredith Ireland (3 stars)
• The Firefly Summer by Morgan Matson  (4 stars)
• The Gauntlet by Ronald Welch (3 stars)
• The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (3 stars)
• Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica (3 stars)
• The Words We Lost by Nicole Deese (4 stars)
• It's Better This Way by Debbie Macomber (4 stars)

Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide

• Above Ground by Clint Smith (4 stars)

Read-Alouds

• Canadian Summer by Hilda van Stockum

Series Books

• Gathering of Pearls (Year ofImpossible Goodbyes Book 3) by Sook Nyul Choi
• Perelandra (Space Trilogy Book 2) by C.S. Lewis (5 stars)

Did Not Finish

• The Museum of Ordinary People by Mike Gayle 
• Watch Us Shine by Marisa de los Santos 
• The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
• Wait for It by Jenn McKinlay 
• If We're Being Honest by Cat Shook 
• The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry 

Family Reading Lists 

M. (girl, 9 years, 7 months)

• Ben-Gurion and the Birth of Israel by Joan Comay
• Other Sandals by Sally Watson
• The Garden by Carol Matas
• Exploring the Himalaya by William O. Douglas
• These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• The Ark by Margot Benary Isbert
• The Korean War by Tom McGowen
• The Korean War Soldier at Heartbreak Ridge by Carl R. Green
• The Man who made Time Travel by Kathryn Lasky
• Newton's Rainbow: The Revolutionary Discoveries of a Young Scientist by Kathryn Lasky
• The Shoes from Yang Son Valley by Yong-ik Kim
• The Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi 
• Echoes of the White Giraffe by Sook Nyul Choi
• Rowan Farm by Margot Benary Isbert

C. (7 years, 9 months)

• The King's Beard by Leonard Wibberly 
• Crossbows and Crucifixes by Henry Garnett
• Shakespeare: His Work and His World by Michael Rosen

E. (5 years, 8 months)

• Skylark by Patricia Maclachlan
• Caleb's Story by Patricia Maclachlan
• Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary 
• Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace 
• Betsy, Tacy, and Tib by Maud Hart Lovelace

R. (3 years, 3 months)

• Little Kids First Big Book of Dinosaurs by Catherine D. Hughes
• National Geographic Dinosaur Atlas
• The Dinosaur Book by John Woodward 
• Oceanarium 

A, (3 years, 3 months)

• Babybug magazines (old issues)
• What Shall We Do with the Boohoo Baby? by Cressida Cowell
• Eloise Wilkin Stories

Homeschool Update: April/May 2023

Group Activities

The girls worked on learning to pray the Anima Christi. 

Our read-alouds in April were The Turf-Cutter's Donkey by Patricia Lynch, Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, and Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome. In May, we read ...And Now Miguel by Joseph Krumgold, Soup by Robert Newton Peck, and Time at the Top by Edward Ormendroyd.  

Our April poet was William Butler Yeats and our May poet was Walt Whitman. We read the Poetry for Young People volumes for both. 

In the final days before Easter, the girls watched the Witnesses trilogy on Formed.org and M. and C. watched Jesus of Nazareth. For the Easter season, they each colored in a map from Catholic Icing counting the days until Pentecost.  

In early May, C. had her first Confession at our parish and her first Communion at a Latin Mass.

History 

M. continued studying World War II and its aftermath. She read a ton of historical fiction: 

• The U.S. Frogmen of World War II by Wyatt Blassingame
• We Were There at The Battle of the Bulge by David Shepard
• We Were There at the Opening of the Atomic Age by James Munves
• We Were There at the Normandy Invasion by Clayton Knight
• We Were There at the Battle of Britain by Clayton Knight
• We Were There at the Battle for Bataan by Benjamin Appel
• Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr
• The House of 60 Fathers by Meindert Dejong
• The Girl from Hard Times Hill by Emma Barnes
• Pancakes-Paris by Claire Huchet Bishop
• The Treasure Trove of the Sun by Mikhail Mikhailovich Prishvin
• Little Girl From the City by L. Voronkova
• The Impossible Journey by Gloria Whelan
• Burying the Sun by Gloria Whelan
• Winston Churchill by Quentin Reynolds
• Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot by Margot Theis Raven
• To Build a Land by Sally Watson
• Teammates by Peter Golenbock

She also watched a variety of history documentaries: 

• A Walk Through the 20th Century
• Berlin Airlift
• Candy Bomber
• Berlin Airlift - 1st Battle
• Days that Shook the World 

C. studied the Spanish explorers, and the history of the civilizations they discovered, followed by Martin Luther, King Henry VIII, and Queen Elizabeth I. 

In A Picturesque Tale of Progress (the last volume of which we finished), we read: 

• Ancient America (The Peopling of America, The Basket Makers,  The Cliff Dwellers, The Mound Builders, People of Plain and Forest)
• The Brilliant Civilization of the Mayas
• The Conquest of Mexico (Aztec Conquerors, The Empire of the Aztecs, The Spanish in America, Hernando Cortez Leads the Spaniards to Tenochtitlan, The Conquest of Mexico)
• The Indians of the Southwest (Spanish Exploration, The Pueblo Indians and Their Dances, The Poetry of the Indians, Arts of the Indian,  Acoma, the Sky City)
• The Conquest of Peru (Explorations of Central and South America, Ancient Peru, Conclusion)

We read about Martin Luther and Henry VIII from the Catholic perspective in The Story of Civilization.  We read about Henry VIII and Elizabeth I in Rulers of Britain. We also read Martin Luther by May McNeer and Lynd Ward, which is heavily biased but has beautiful illustrations. 

On her own, C read:

• The Ancient Maya by Lila Perl 
• One Day in Aztec Mexico by G. B. Kirtland 
• Good Queen Bess by Diane Stanley 
• The Spanish Armada by C. Walter Hodges 
• The Queen's Progress by Celest Davidson Mannis and Bagram Ibatoulline

She also watched Armada: Twelve Days to Save England and Macchu Picchu. 

Math 

M. worked on Khan Algebra Basics and Get Ready for Alegebra I on Khan Academy. She continued working through Life of Fred: Fractions and she drilled multiplication and division facts daily.  

C. worked on 4th grade math on Khan Academy and long division in Singapore 3A. She continued working on Life of Fred: Edgewood and she drilled addiiton and subtraction facts daily. 

E. worked on 4-digit addition on the soroban using rods and she started Early Math on Khan Academy.  

Science 

C. and E. finished the BFSU lessons we planned for this year. 

M. finished the rest of the lessons in Middle School Chemistry. Together we continued reading Story of Science: Newton at the Center by Joy Hakim. 

M. also undertook some research on ravens. 

English 

In addition to reading independently, M. worked on chapter 4 of Rex Barks and C. continued to work on the Treasures grammar curriculum. 

P.E. 

The girls rode bikes and played on various playgrounds. 

Art

All three girls created animations using Flip Animation for various occasions including Mother's Day. They also created Mother's Day cards. We continued reading A Child's History of Art. We're in the architecture section.  C. and E. also did some drawing videos from Art for Kids Hub. 

Music 

The girls practiced piano and recorder daily. They finished listening to The Twilight of the Gods. 

Health 

M., C., and E. went to the dentist and began a new flossing regimen. C. got a new orthodontic appliance and learned to care for it. M. had her braces removed.

Read-at-Home Mom Report: May 2023 Wrap-Up

May Favorites 

I read a lot of books this month, but a smaller number of five-star titles than in recent months. These six were my five-star books in May. 

The Habit of Being by Flannery O'Connor
This collection of letters is now tied with Brideshead Revisited as my favorite book of all time. I have always liked Flannery, but reading all of these letters made me appreciate her writing talent, her faith, and her sense of humor on a whole new level. I will definitely read this book again and again. 

The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica 
I picked up this thriller at random and it was such a twisty rollercoaster ride. I didn't guess at all what was going to happen, and I loved how clever the author was at both hinting at the twist and keeping me in the dark until the reveal. 

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
My dad always talked about this one, and I know he would be happy that I finally got around to reading it. I was really surprised  by the literary quality of the writing. I think this is the only book I've ever read in the noir genre, and I really liked it. I love The Thin Man movies and want to read that book too.  

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
This author is just such a great writer. I don't always like the vulgar humor in the dialogue and I skip the steamy scenes, but her character development is so spot-on. The male main character in this romance is an introvert who has anxiety and I just found him so relatable. He also makes an unbelievable sacrifice to help the female main character's family that was just so heartwarming. 

Until the Rising by Amber Kirkpatrick 
My friend Amber wrote this medieval-style fantasy story set in a distant future. It's the coming-of-age story of Tristan, who longs to reconnect with the family he lost as a young boy. I couldn't put this book down, and I just know that if all fantasy books were like this one, I would read many more of them. 

...And Now Miguel by Joseph Krumgold
This is one of the Newbery winners I had been putting off, and I am kicking myself for waiting so long! This is a great story about a boy from a sheep-herding family in New Mexico who longs to go with his father into the Sangre de Cristo mountains for the summer but has never been deemed mature enough. The most remarkable thing about the writing is the way it infuses English prose with the flavor of the Spanish language. 

Stand-Alone Books

• Now That You Mention It by Kristan Higgins (3 stars)
• The Blue Bedroom by Rosamunde Pilcher (3 stars)
• Commonwealth by Ann Patchett (3 stars)
• Almost Everything by Anne Lamott (4 stars)
  This one's not fully aligned with Catholic teaching, so it's good to be cautious, but I do love her writing.

Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide 

• The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane (4 stars)
• Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld (4 stars)

Read-Alouds

• Martin Luther by May McNeer (We had to make sure to balance this one with the Catholic perspective. It was a bit over-the-top in its portrayal of Luther as a hero.)
• Time at the Top by Edward Ormondroyd (4 stars)
• D'aulaires' Book of Greek Myths (5 stars)

Series Books 

• Naked in Death (In Death Book 1) by J.D. Robb (4 stars)
• Out of the Silent Planet (Space Trilogy Book 1) by C.S. Lewis (3 stars)
• Falling For Your Boss (Love Cliches Book 2) by Emma St. Clair
• Legends in Exile (Fables Volume 1) by Bill Willingham 
• Animal Farm (Fables Volume 2) by Bill Willingham 
• Glory in Death (In Death Book 2) by J.D. Robb (3 stars)
• Storybook Love (Fables Volume 3) by Bill Willingham 
• T is for Trespass (Kinsey Millhone Book 20) by Sue Grafton 
• The Road to Waterloo (Carey Family Book 13) by Ronald Welch 

Did Not Finish

• Happy Place by Emily Henry
  I'm too old for this book. I just couldn't relate to the immaturity of the characters. 
  
• Funny Feelings by Tarah Dewitt
  I couldn't get into this one. 
• Peg and Rose Solve a Murder by Laurien Berenson 
  This was a DNF because one of the main characters is a former nun who ran off with a priest and I just couldn't put up with it. 
• The Book Proposal by K.J. Micciche 
  This one had a lot of sexual innuendo and a lot of anti-religious comments. Nope.
  
• Unraveling by Peggy Orenstein
  I'm not reading books written in 2023 that scold people for not "following the science" in 2020. It's both too late and too soon.

Family Reading Lists 

M (girl, 9 years, 6 months)

• The Treasure Trove of the Sun by Mikhail Mikhailovich Prishvin
• Little Girl From the City by L. Voronkova
• The Impossible Journey by Gloria Whelan
• Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators in the Mystery of the Talking Skull by Robert Arthur
• Burying the Sun by Gloria Whelan
• Winston Churchill by Quentin Reynolds
• Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot by Margot Theis Raven
• To Build a Land by Sally Watson 
• Teammates by Peter Golenbock
• Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators and the Secret of the Crooked Cat by William Arden

C (girl, 7 years, 8 months)

• The Doll Shop Downstairs by Yona Zeldis
• Cats in the Doll Shop by Yona Zeldis 
• The Conqueror by Margaret Leighton 
• Doctor Dolittle's Garden by Hugh Lofting 
• The Spanish Armada by C. Walter Hodges 
• Good Queen Bess by Diane Stanley

E (girl, 5 years, 7 months) 

• Jenny and the Cat Club by Esther Averill
• Jenny's Midnight Adventure by Esther Averill 
• Captains of the City Streets by Esther Averill
• Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary 
• Back to School with Betsy by Carolyn Haywood 
• The Happy Hollisters and the Ghost Horse Mystery by Jerry West 
• On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• D'aulaires' Book of Greek Myths

R (boy 3 years, 2 months)

• The Three Bears by Byron Barton 
• Oceanarium by Loveday Trinick
• Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin 
• Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
• Go Away, Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley
• Fire Truck by Peter Sis 
• I Love You, Little Shark by Jeffrey Burton 
• Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
• Mama Cat Has Three Kittens by Denise Fleming 

A (girl, 3 years, 2 months)

• Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
• Eloise Wilkin Treasury 
• Hope is a Hop by Katrina Moore 
• Henry's Pizzas by Robert Quackenbush 
• Henry's Duckling Days by Robert Quackenbush 
• Stanley series by William Bee 
• Lake Life with You by Cindy Jin 

My husband 

• The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell 

Up Next For Me

In June, I'll be discussing Perelandra at book club, finishing The Scarlet Letter with Close Reads, and focusing on thrillers for #WorldFullofBooks.

Book Review: And Now Miguel by Joseph Krumgold (1953)

Miguel Chavez is twelve years old, and he's not little anymore, like his brother Pedro and sister Faustina, but he's also not quite as mature as his older sisters, Tomasina and Leocadia and older brothers, Gabriel and Blasito, who have a big part in helping their father and grandfather with the family's sheep. This year, though, Miguel is determined to join them when they take the sheep to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains for the summer. He does his best to prove himself ready by stepping in to help with delivering new lambs, and he also makes a special prayer to San Ysidro. He doesn't realize, however, that with the privileges of growing up also come some of the heartaches. 

This was one of only 19 Newbery-winning books that I hadn't read, and one of the reasons I hadn't read it yet was that I had the idea that it was going to be a boring slog of a story. I could not have been more wrong. I read about half the book before stopping and realizing it was the kind book I really wanted to enjoy with my kids, and we ended up doing it as a read-aloud.

One of the most notable features of this book is the language. Joseph Krumgold, who wrote the book based on a film he created for the U.S. government, writes in English in a style that closely mimics Spanish. So even though English speakers are reading the story in English, they pick up the cadence of Miguel's native language and practically hear the story as though he is telling it. I adopted a hint of a Spanish accent when reading it aloud and the text made that fairly easy to maintain. 

I'm also amazed by how beautifully Krumgold writes about sheep. He made even the most mundane of sheep herding tasks interesting, and he uses beautful metaphors to express Miguel's family's religious beliefs and Miguel's own feelings as he comes of age. There are many beautiful passages in this book that I would never have expected to find when I first took it off the shelf. I especially loved a section late in the book where Miguel and his brother Gabriel discuss the role of prayer in their lives and work out for themselves why not every prayer is answered exactly as they wish. 

And Now Miguel has risen heads above the rest as one of my favorites from among all the Newbery winners. Now I'm really excited to read Krumgold's other Newbery winner, Onion John, which is another one I've been putting off for years, and which I will probably wish I had read sooner.

Read-at-Home Mom Report: April 2023 Wrap-Up

April Favorites

I read a whopping 36 books this month, and I had a lot of favorites across a wide variety of genres. All of the titles below I rated five stars. 

Diary of a Country Priest by George Bernanos
I tried reading this last fall and decided to DNF at that time, but I tried again with Close Reads and ended up loving it. The writing is beautiful, I loved the unique diary format, and there is so much in the story to think about and reflect on. I also really enjoyed the commentary on Close Reads, and it definitely enriched my reading experience.

The Cross and the Beatitudes by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
My local book club chose this one as our book for April, but then we all got busy and our meeting was canceled. I read it during Holy Week, one chapter per day, and I loved how much Archbishop Sheen crams into his little chapters. There were lots of quotable lines that really get to the heart of Christ's Passion. 

Ashes: Visible and Invisible by Catholic Teen Books
I read this during Holy Week as well, and it was great, as I expected it to be. These authors always inspire me and give me great ideas for my own writing. 

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

This was my fourth time reading this book, and I'm already looking forward to the next time. There is no book in the world I love more than this one. 

Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan
I liked this because it reminded me Evvie Drake Starts Over in that it's a romance that is written with a slightly more literary flavor than others of the genre. The characters were great, and I was completely invested in their relationship the entire time. 

It. Goes. So. Fast.: The Year of No Do-Overs by Mary Louise Kelly 
This memoir of an NPR news host who is also a mom was so well-written and the audiobook narration by the author was wonderful. I enjoyed her insights about motherhood as well as some of the anecdotes she told about reading the news. Reading this made me want to seek out her novels.

Wither and Bloom by Anne J. Hill, et. al. (including me)
I finally read this anthology that I and a bunch of my friends are in. I loved the variety of pieces and styles that were represented, and it was fun to see how my stories fit in with the rest.

These Precious Days by Ann Patchett
I don't have much in common with Ann Patchett in terms of values, but her essay about the onset of the Covid pandemic that gives this book its title is one of the best and most emotional pieces of nonfiction I've ever read. She also writes beautifully, so that I can enjoy her prose even when she's using it to express points of view with which I disagree.

Squished by Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee Nutter 
This graphic novel portrays a large, loving family where main character Avery sometimes feels a bit squished. I loved the overall positive outlook on big families, and the way the mom calls the kids to her by saying, "Every last Lee!" (It reminds me of the way I say, "Fitzgerald five!")

Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn
I could have done without the steamy parts, but they were skippable, and these characters stole my heart. I loved the small-town setting, the redemption arc for the male protagonist and Georgie's own journey toward figuring out her life's trajectory. 

The Optimist's Daughter by Eudora Welty 
I read this with Close Reads, and it was so good. It reminded me a little bit of the things I love about Flannery O'Connor and other Southern writers, and I really admire the author's talent. I want to read more Welty now. 

Shorts  

I read more shorter works than normal in April, some with #ShortFormClassics and some just at random. 

• Congratulations, by the Way: Some Thoughts on Kindness by George Saunders (4 stars)
  I listened to this graduation speech because Mary Louise Kelly recommended it in her memoir. I didn't think it was as earth-shatteringly great as she did, but it reminded me that  I need to read A Swim in the Pond in the Rain. 
• Better Than the Prom (Better Than the Movies 1.5) by Lynn Painter (4 stars)
  This was a free read from the publisher's website. I've been wanting to try a romance by this YA author, and this gave me a decent taste of her writing. I'll probably give a full-length novel a try sometime soon. 
• Silver Blaze by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (4 stars)
• The Final Problem by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (5 stars)
  I read these with #ShortFormClassics and enjoyed both. Somehome Sherlock Holmes stories don't seem as intimidating to me as they once did. 

Stand-Alone Books

• Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney (4 stars)
• The Dig by John Preston (4 stars)
• The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell (3 stars)
• Meet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall by Alexandra Lange (4 stars)
• A Thousand Moments (ARC) by Kelly Moran (4 stars)
• Picture Perfect Boyfriend (ARC) by Becky Dean (3 stars)
• Something in the Heir (ARC) by Suzanne Enoch (4 stars)
• Famous for a Living (ARC) by Melissa Ferguson (4 stars)
• Heart Shaped II by Sheila M. Cronin (4 stars)
• The Golden Ticket: A Life in College Admissions Essays (ARC) by Irena Smith (4 stars)
• Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writing by Jennifer Weiner (3 stars)
• Kismet by Becky Chalsen (4 stars)

Read-Alouds 

• The Turf-Cutter's Donkey: An Irish Story of Mystery and Adventure by Patricia Lynch (4 stars)
• The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way by Joy Hakim (3 stars)
  (Catholic homeschoolers, beware of this author. We had to skip some things and correct some other things.)

Series Books

• Big Shot (Country Club Murders Book 15) by Julie Mulhern (4 stars)
• Chaos (Kay Scarpetta Book 24) by Patricia Cornwell (4 stars)
• Autopsy (Kay Scarpetta Book 25) by Patricia Cornwell (4 stars)
• A Spoonful of Murder (Murder Most Unladylike Book 6) by Robin Stevens (4 stars) 
• To Swoon and To Spar (Regency Vows Book 4) by Martha Waters (3 stars)
• The Day We Met (The Men of Engine 17 Book 1) by Ash Keller (4 stars)
• The Family Upstairs (The Family Upstairs Book 1) by Lisa Jewell (4 stars)

Did Not Finish 

• House Mate by Leah Brunner
• Ellie is Cool Now by Victoria Fulton & Faith McClaren
• The Book of Delights by Ross Gay
• In the Orchard by Eliza Minot 
• Spring, Summer, Autumn, Us by Fiona Collins

Family Reading Lists

M. (girl, 9 years, 5 months)

• The U.S. Frogmen of World War II by Wyatt Blassingame
• We Were There at The Battle of the Bulge by David Shepard
• We Were There at the Opening of the Atomic Age by James Munves
• We Were There at the Normandy Invasion by Clayton Knight
• We Were There at the Battle of Britain by Clayton Knight
• We Were There at the Battle for Bataan by Benjamin Appel
• Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr
• The House of Sixty Fathers by Meindert deJong 
• The Girl from Hard Times Hill by Emma Barnes
• Pancakes-Paris by Claire Huchet Bishop

C. (girl, 7 years, 7 months)

• Mattimeo by Brian Jacques 
• The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards 

E. (girl, 5 years, 6 months)

• Babe The Gallant Pig by Dick King-Smith
• Twig by Elizabeth Orton Jones 
• Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia Maclachlan 

R. (boy, 3 years, 1 month)

• In the Forest by Marie Hall Ets
• Truckery Rhymes by Jon Scieszka 
• Stanley series by William Bee 
• Mama Cat Has Three Kittens by Denise Fleming 
• Little Excavator by Anna Dewdney
• Fabulous Fishes by Susan Stockdale 
• All About series by Jim Arnosky 

A. (girl, 3 years, 1 month) 

• St. Joseph Picture Books 
• Stanley series by Wiliam Bee 
• Nini Lost and Found by Anita Lobel 
• One Lighthouse, One Moon by Anita Lobel 
• A Piglet Called Mercy by Kate DiCamillo 

My husband 

• Hakon of Rogen's Saga by Erik Christian Haugaard
• A Slave's Tale by Erik Christian Haugaard
• The Little Fishes by Erik Christian Haugaard 
• The Children of the Cave: A Tale of Israel and Rome by Zvi Livne Lieberman

Up Next For Me

I'm reading Out of the Silent Planet for book club, The Scarlet Letter with Close Reads, and The Habit of Being and The Maltese Falcon from my TBR. 

Homeschool Update: March 2023

Group Activities

The girls finished memorizing Psalm 133 in Latin and we recorded a video of them reciting it. Then they started memorizing Anima Christi. 

Our read-alouds were: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin (audiobook), Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher, and The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes.  We also finished listening to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in the car.

We continued reading about sculpture in A Child's History of Art and watched related SmartHistory videos.

We finished reading the rest of the volumes of The Catholic Children's Treasure Box.

Our March poet was Emily Dickinson and we read the Poetry for Young People book about her. 

We read daily Scripture readings throughout Lent, and the girls colored in squares on a chart counting down to Easter. M. and C. started watching Jesus of Nazareth.  

Religion

C. continued working on memorizing the questions and answers The New Saint Joseph First Communion Catechism.  

History 

M. continued to study World War II, still with The Story of World War II by Robert Leckie as her spine. She also read World War II for Kids: A History with 21 Activities by Richard Panchyk, The Story of D-Day by Bruce Bliven Jr., From Pearl Harbor to Okinawa by Bruce Bliven Jr., The Flying Tigers by John Toland, and The Battle of the Bulge by John Toland. 

She also watched The Longest Day and Battle of the Bulge as well as several episodes of The World at War and Victory at Sea. 

C. continued learning about ancient Eastern cultures with Ancient China by Virginia Schomp and Ancient India by Virginia Schomp. She watched an episode of The Museum about the Terra Cotta Warriors. She also read Ancient India (Myths of the World) by Virginia Schomp, Seasons of Splendour: Tales, Myths, and Legends of India, Hanuman by Erik Jendresen, Rama and Sita by by David Weitzman, Columbus by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire, The Columbus Story by Alice Dalgliesh, The Log of Christopher Columbus,  Lost Worlds by Anne Terry White (first half only) 

E. finished watching Liberty's Kids, and we started reading D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire. 

Math 

M. watched Magic Numbers: Hannah Fry's Mysterious World of Maths. In Khan Academy, she finished 6th grade with 87% on the course challenge. She is now working on Getting Ready for Algebra I and Algebra Basics. She also continued working in Challenging Word Problems 3 and Life of Fred: Fractions, and she drilled multiplication and divisions facts on Math-Drills.com. 

C. continued working on Singapore 2B, 3rd Grade Math on Khan Academy, and Life of Fred Edgewood.  She drilled addition and subtractions facts on Math-Drills.com.

English 

In addition to history reading, M. read Across The Puddingstone Dam by Melissa Wiley. E. read Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary and Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  

 

M. and C. worked on their Treasures grammar books. M. continued working on exercises in Rex Barks. 

Science 

In Middle School Chemistry, M. and I completed these lessons:  

• Why Does Water Dissolve Salt?
• Why Does Water Dissolve Sugar?
• Using Dissolving to Identify an Unknown
• Does Temperature Affect Dissolving?

In BFSU, C. and E. covered these topics: 

• How is a Candle Burning Like Living Things Using Energy?
• Evaporation and Condensation 
• The Water Cycle

Physical Education

The girls rode bikes on nicer days and played on the playground.

Art 

We finished reading about sculpture in A Child's History of Art. C and E. created animations using Flip Animation. (M. gave it up for Lent).  

Health

M. had her well check at the pediatrician. 

Music 

The girls continued listening to The Ring of the Nibelung and they each practiced piano and recorder daily. We did some evening sing-alongs on Fridays after dinner.