LITERATURE

We read quite a bit.

In case you didn't know that. ;p

I don't firmly plan out what we are going to read aloud every year, because I find that we always end of going off on tangents and I am okay with that.  Not to say I don't have a loose idea of what I would like to cover, but if we don't get to it--not a big deal.  

I thought I would share with you some of the literature that we have been reading this year.

The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson

These were recommended to me by a friend and we LOVED them!

The first two we read aloud and the second two we listened to the audio version. This is a fantasy/adventure story with a lot of Christian themes running throughout.

Old Yeller by Fred Gipson

The book is quite a bit different from the movie.

I said we would watch the movie after we finished the book, but for some reason we haven't yet.

It is on my to-do list.

My Weird School Fast Facts Geography by Dan Gutman

Fun and quick reading.  There were some laugh out loud moments.

From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

We Dine with Cannibals by C. Alexander London

Very far-fetched, action packed, silly but definitely of some historical value

The Samurai's Tale by Erik C. Haugaard

We actually didn't finish this one.  It is a bit on the longer side and we were moving on from Japan and instead we took a vote and decided to move to the next book.  Historical Fiction.

My America:  Our Strange New Land

Part of the My America Series.  Historical Fiction written in diary/letter style

The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien

We have another week or two and this one will be finished.  This one, though I had it on my list, was requested.

Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, MacBeth in the Shakespeare Can Be Fun! Series

Those are all the "major" read-alouds so far this year.  I have hundreds (no lie) of picture books, short stories, and what not we could add, and I don't record all the audio books that we listen to--I probably should!

Oh, we have been listening to some of the Harry Potter books as well.

I know that some people have very strong feelings on them one way or another--especially as Christians.  However, I would encourage you to read them for yourself prior to making judgement.  Some of the later books are definitely too mature for younger readers, but I find value in the literature and there are some really great lessons in the story not to mention that it is pretty well written and engaging.  It also opens the door to discuss some of the things we do NOT agree with and why.  My oldest three love the ones we have read or listened to so far.

I could go on a bit more about that, but I will spare you.

What have you been reading?