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teachingmom
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Virginia Bluebells
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| Posted: Aug 30 2007 at 6:15pm | IP Logged
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Can you all suggest the best of the best among the living books available for the American colonial era and the Revolutionary War? I've spent hours scouring my library's site, Amazon.com, and the archives here and have created a booklist that's over 3 pages long. Now I need to whittle it down.
I'm looking for both chapter books and picture books. We are also going back to read a bit about early explorers too, so suggestions that date back to Columbus, etc. are welcome too.
So, what are your VERY favorites??? 
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~Irene (Mom to 6 girls, ages 7-19)
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Bookswithtea
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All my kids, both boys and girls, love love love The Sign of the Beaver. My girls love Madeline Takes Command. I like the "If you lived/sailed..." series very much for information in a nontextbook format.
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mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and  due 9/10
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Mary Chris
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Irene,
Really you need to come over and check out my bookshelves!
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Blessings, Mary Chris Beardsley
mom to MacKenzie3/95, Carter 12/97 Ronan 3/00 and wife to Jim since 1/92
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guitarnan
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Irene,
Johnny Tremain
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
US Kids History Brown Bag Book of the American Revolution
USKids History: Book of the American Colonies
(These two are not living books as much as great project and resource books...they're really great!)
More forthcoming, I'm sure, when I am, well, awake.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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teachingmom
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Virginia Bluebells
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| Posted: Aug 31 2007 at 12:25am | IP Logged
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marychris wrote:
Irene,
Really you need to come over and check out my bookshelves! |
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Oh, I definitely will. Between what I already own on my shelves here and what you have, I probably shouldn't be spending so much time searching for the perfect books. I'd likely be set without setting foot in our library.
But late August each year, I get a bit obsessive about creating my history booklists. I guess you could call it my "No living book left behind" policy! 
And, truth be told, I really enjoy this part of homeschooling. 
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~Irene (Mom to 6 girls, ages 7-19)
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teachingmom
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| Posted: Aug 31 2007 at 12:27am | IP Logged
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These look great! I already have a handful of activity type resources, but haven't seen these yet. Thanks!
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~Irene (Mom to 6 girls, ages 7-19)
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Kelly
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I second Nancy, the Brown Bag books are great. One of the problems with teaching the colonial/revolutionary period is that there's SO much material, it left my head spinning! The Brown Bag books help keep things on track, I think.
For older kids, teens, I'd recommend the book I posted about on Book Club, the "Court Martial of Daniel Boone"---it is a FABULOUS book, IMHO.
Also for older readers, the Anne Rinaldi books are excellent---I very much enjoyed the book about Patrick Henry, "Or Give Me Death"---it really brought the character of old PH to life. My dd has read and re-read the Rinaldi books (always a good sign!).
For Young and Middle Readers, the books by Eva K. Betz: "Desperate Drums", "Freedom Drums" and so on are all good. My kids also liked the "Young Americans" series published by Colonial Williamsburg. Everyone enjoyed "Indian Captive". Also, the Jean Fritz books are all keepers. Also, William O'Steele, "Year of the Bloody Sevens" and others are all very good.
For Little Readers, my kids loved "What Thomas Jefferson Ate", "George VS. George" (George Washington vs. King George III), "Matchlock Gun" (Dutch colonial), "Alonso's War" (Spanish involvement in Am. Revolution), "Madeleine Takes Command" for Read Aloud, also "Savannah of Williamsburg: Being the Account of a Young London Squirrel".
Don't forget the poetry of the Benets. They have so many good poems about American historical figures---my kids all loved memorizing "Southern Ships and Sailors" about the Southern colonies, "Peter Stuveysant", "Pocahontas", "Miles Standish" (Miles Standish was a little man, a soldier from his youth./ He said he fought the Spaniards and I think he told the truth/...And when he died, they mourned him from the bottom of their hearts./For it isn't where your inches stop. It's where your courage starts.") Their "Book of Americans" which contains all these poems is a real keeper. Naturally OOP but worth tracking. Another worthy poem is "Daniel Boone" by Alan Guiterman. It's a wonderful poem. One of the gals on our board here sent that to me ten years ago when my brother, also named Daniel Boone, was dying-said she thought of my brother when she read it. Makes me cry. My dds recited it at our Boone family reunion and we ALL got the sniffles! Silly old us, but it shows the power of poetry!
Back to books: Last but not least, if you have a thoughtful 16 or 17 year old reader, they might really get into "Martin's Hundred" by Ivor Noel Hume. Noel-Hume was the official archaeologist at Williamsburg for many years and he spins a great yarn. This book is an account of their excavation of a site next to Carter's Grove, near Williamsburg. The excavation starts with a mystery: they find the body of a homicide victim just outside the walls of the Martin's Hundred palisade. What happened? This question and others takes N-H, and his patient, persevering wife, Audrey, jet-setting to London and the Continent, studying armor, scrutinizing period paintings, reading archived materials---pursuing all manner of cool historical sleuthing activities. It might be a book Mom would enjoy, too. Very, very interesting!
Oh Irene, I identify with your "No Living HIstory Book Left Behind" policy. I'm EXACTLY the same way. Once I get started on a themed-book hunt, watch out!
Kelly in FL, fellow Book Tracker
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vmalott
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Oh, don't forget the D'Aulaire books on Columbus, Pocahontas, and Ben Franklin! I second the Jean Fritz books as well. And for those just starting out in chapter books, from the "I Can Read" series, my kids enjoyed Sam the Minute Man and The Boston Coffee Party.
This certainly isn't whittling it down, is it?
Valerie
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Valerie
Mom to Julia ('94), John ('96), Lizzy ('98), Connor ('01), Drew ('02), Cate ('04), Aidan ('08) and three saints in heaven
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teachingmom
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| Posted: Aug 31 2007 at 3:20pm | IP Logged
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Kelly wrote:
| Also for older readers, the Anne Rinaldi books are excellent---I very much enjoyed the book about Patrick Henry, "Or Give Me Death"---it really brought the character of old PH to life. My dd has read and re-read the Rinaldi books (always a good sign!). |
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Hi Kelly,
When I searched the archives I found that you had done this type of unit awhile back and got some great ideas from your past threads. I'm glad you chimed in. I appreciate all the suggestions.
I saw all the Ann Rinaldi books at Amazon, but they had mixed reviews. Do you think they are appropriate for all ages? Or do they have innuendo or mature themes? If so, what age do you think would be a minimum for her books?
Kelly wrote:
Don't forget the poetry of the Benets.
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See, that's why I need to ask here. I did completely forget about their poetry until now -- Thanks!
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~Irene (Mom to 6 girls, ages 7-19)
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guitarnan
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Irene,
Some of Rinaldi's books involve more mature themes (there's one about a slave girl who's the master's daughter, for ex.). The Sarah Revere book also includes insinuations (false, but repeated) about two people having an inappropriate relationship. Pre-read. They're excellent, though. I loved the Patrick Henry book.
If you like, I can look over some of my Rinaldi books (I have several); let me know what titles interest you.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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Kelly
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Thanks, Nancy---you were spot on. Some of the Rinaldi books do indeed involve more mature themes (like the slave girl one---which I looked at but didn't get). The one about Benedict Arnold, "Finishing Becca" was popular here, as well as "The Fifth of March". Nothing overtly awkward that I can think of. The good thing is you'll probably enjoy pre-reading any of the books. Not an onerous task at all! :-) The Patrick Henry book really was excellent.
Kelly in FL
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Macmom
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Marychris-
If you Librarything, we CAN check your bookshelves! You list all of your books online, so a) you can see at a glance what you have and b) your friends can see your books, too! And c) for me is my local friends borrow my books!
Do you have an account? Mine is: http://www.librarything.com/catalog.php?view=Macmom
I have all of my ancients and medieval books catalogued, but I haven't made it up to Renaissance and Exploration yet! (Hopefully this winter, I'll add them!)
Peace,
Macmom
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Catholic family life works on the same principle as a washing machine- clothes get clean by agitation.
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teachingmom
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Virginia Bluebells
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Macmom wrote:
Marychris-
If you Librarything, we CAN check your bookshelves! |
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Well, Mary Chris wouldn't be able to catalog her colonial era books for awhile -- because the majority of them are now at MY house.  (And she really has a superb collection!)
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~Irene (Mom to 6 girls, ages 7-19)
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Kelly
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| Posted: Sept 11 2007 at 6:36pm | IP Logged
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Well, while we're on the subject of Things Colonial and Revolutionary...does anyone have a single GREAT resource for note-taking and key-word summarizing that would follow this time period. I'm thinking of something that's pretty easy, anywhere between being a DK History of the World type of summation (but only on American Col/Rev History) OR along the lines of the "Writing Trails" series published by Logos School Literature. Or a "Great Men of the American Revolution" kind of thing sort of like the Greenleaf "Great Men" books. Even as I write this, I note that there is a "Writing Trails in American History" but I seem to remember that is covers all American History and only has a little on the early history.
Any suggestions???
Kelly in FL
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Topic: Colonial & Revolutionary War Books?
