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DianaC
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| Posted: May 20 2010 at 9:28am | IP Logged
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We just came back from visiting family - and my niece who asked me to be her Confirmation Sponsor. We had an opportunity to discuss her goals and I am trying to encourage her to spend more time reading. She is in a very rural area with limited means and no real enrichment opportunities.
My daughter and I have been talking about putting together a collection of books to send her for summer reading - a collection that will really ignite a love for reading. We'd also like them to be living books that will expose her to many peoples, countries, historic periods, etc.
So far, we have decided on a couple of our best loved favorites:
Listening for LionsThis is historical fiction that takes us to Kenya,Africa during the early 1900s
Esperanza RisingThis is also historical fiction that begins in Mexico and comes to Southern California in the early 1900s
St. Katharine Drexel America 1800s - wonderful faith witness!
We would like to add 3 or 4 more to the list, but can't decide! We'd like to include other countries and perhaps a story or two about a man.
Any recommendations?
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SeaStar
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Yes! The Life of JoseMaria Escriva for Young Readers
We are currently reading this one and liking it a lot. It is set in Spain.
You can find it here also. Even though it is meant for young readers, I am thoroughly enjoying reading it as an adult. The pictures are very good.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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Mackfam
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The Golden Legend of Young Saints is a fantastic book and covers a multitude of cultures and time periods!
How about the Anne of Green Gables series? Does she have that? Actually, Lucy Maud Montgomery has some lovely titles beyond Anne that we have fallen in love with. My dd really enjoyed the Emily Novels (3 in the series).
Anything by Louisa May Alcott - Little Women, Eight Cousins, and we especially love Old Fashioned Girl.
Another wonderful collection would be the newly reprinted Betsy-Tacy series.
Hmmmmm...these aren't necessarily historical fiction books, just fantastic literature with a feminine emphasis! If you want to get her hooked on reading though, I can't think of anything better than Anne or Betsy-Tacy.
Now...onto favorite books of my 13yo that are historical fiction...
She'd never forgive me if I didn't mention her all time favorite, Mara, Daughter of the Nile. Obviously, set in Egypt, about 1400's BC.
Calico Captive by Elizabeth George Speare, set during the French and Indian War.
ANYTHING from Bethlehem Books. Use their historical reading timeline which cross references setting and you have a world tour right there!
Hope this helps! What a fantastic idea - a collection of treasured books!
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19 , ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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DianaC
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Thank-you for these great suggestions!It will be hard to limit ourselves.
I'm also thinking of including a book about Louis Pasteur - that would take her to France - and also he was a Catholic. But, can anyone recommend a well-done book about him?
BTW, I forgot to mention that my niece is almost 15 and will begin high school in August.
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Mackfam
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I don't have a Louis Pasteur idea for you off the top of my head, but I have a France idea...how about Mark Twain's Joan of Arc?
Thinking on Louis Pasteur...I know I had a book idea on him somewhere...if I think of it I'll come back. (It might be a picture book though - which isn't what you're looking for  .)
Hopefully someone here has a good Pasteur recommendation for you!
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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SeaStar
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Louis Pasteur
This one looks promising....
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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ekbell
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Mackfam wrote:
The Golden Legend of Young Saints is a fantastic book and covers a multitude of cultures and time periods!
How about the Anne of Green Gables series? Does she have that? Actually, Lucy Maud Montgomery has some lovely titles beyond Anne that we have fallen in love with. My dd really enjoyed the Emily Novels (3 in the series).
Anything by Louisa May Alcott - Little Women, Eight Cousins, and we especially love Old Fashioned Girl.
Another wonderful collection would be the newly reprinted Betsy-Tacy series.
Hmmmmm...these aren't necessarily historical fiction books, just fantastic literature with a feminine emphasis! If you want to get her hooked on reading though, I can't think of anything better than Anne or Betsy-Tacy.
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While not historical fiction as such, they are classic works of fiction firmly set in a different time period.
I rather agree with CS Lewis about the value of reading old books- it's rather enlightening to compare contemporary historical novels about a time period and books which were written during that time period. If nothing else you can get a real sense of the difficulties of knowing what future generations will consider important about our generation. 
I think that Rilla of Ingleside in particular is a very good book to read when studying the First World War and it's effects on the home front.
Other books I've enjoyed for the light they've given to time and place.
Agatha Christie's Autobiography which paints a clear picture of how her world changed during her lifetime. Also her book Come, Tell Me How You Live: An Archaeological Memoir a recount of her life on a dig in the middle east during the 1930's.
Jane Austen's books
Chesterton's two saint books St. Francis of Assisi and St. Thomas Aquinas: The Dumb Ox
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4Real Forums : Living Literature
Topic: Summer Reading - World Tour Recommendatio
