Books we have read - Term 4

We read this book in preparation for our trip to Japan - a beautiful, sad yet inspiring story.  But it was a little too sad for Erin, so I didn't continue it with the girls.

We read a few things about Helen Keller in term 4 - I have been wanting to "do her" for a while.   This particular book I borrowed off a friend and it was a lovely story to read - good size chapters for a morning reading session and just the right amount of information for the girls to digest.  They did find it a bit sad reading about her, and at times Natalie didn't want to continue, but by the end I think they were quite impressed and inspired.

This, and its sequel, were bedtime reading last term and the girls really enjoyed both books (by the end I was ready to stop though).  I must say though, Enid Blyton does do animal stories well and things always work out well - so it's perfect to go to sleep on!

This is a book I had as a child and remember rereading quite a few times.  I have wanted to share it with the girls for a while; we didn't get it finished last term, but will during the holidays.  Erin seems to enjoy them, Natalie not so much.

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Books we have read - Term 3

Because of Natalie's regular frustration at the longer stories that Erin and I enjoy, I have to compromise sometimes.  I found these two at the library recently - the girls really enjoyed them and Natalie loved having more pictures to look at.  There are two stories in each book, the perfect length to read over breakfast or at bedtime.

After this we read a couple out of the Fairy Realm series by Emily Rodda - the girls really enjoyed these.  It was a bit frustrating that we couldn't always find the right book at the right time in the library (which is probably part of the reason why I seem to spend so much on books!)

Emily Rodda also wrote the Deltora Quest Series and the Golden Door Series which the boys have all loved and I'm sure Erin will enjoy too in a little while.  It helps that I enjoy these stories too and so have no problem reading them out loud.

Erin has been asking for more "Laura and Mary" so we found the next one in the series at the library although we probably won't get it finished by "end of term".

And all these have been interspersed with picture books that Natalie has chosen from the library.

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Books we have read - Term 2

Erin is really enjoying the Little House books, but Natalie needed a break so I moved onto Hitty - a lovely autobiography of a small wooden doll.  Natalie did get fed up of this one too, but we made it to the end and her overall opinion is that it was "good" and she "enjoyed most of it".  I did avoid a chapter about whaling as I knew Erin's sensitivity wouldn't do very well with a whale hunt.

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Books we have read in Term 1

Every year I try and keep track of the books we have read together and then inevitably lose that piece of paper or the diary I wrote it in is gets filed away in a box somewhere.  Maybe an online version will work better ... here goes.

For our group reading this term (I try and read to the kids while they have breakfast) we read the series by Patricia MacLachlan, starting with 'Sarah, Plain and Tall'.  There are five books in this series and we are about three chapters from the end of the last one.  They are easy to read and were enjoyed by us all.

At bedtime I also read to the girls and this year, so far, we have read 'Little House in the Big Woods' and 'Little House on the Prairie'.  Erin loved these stories and would love to keep going with the series (I also loved these stories as a child and reread all of them many times) but Natalie was probably a bit young got a bit bored of them at times.

After a few months of "American farmer/settler" stories, I think it's time for a change.  With the girls I have just started 'Folk from Fey Berattelsea', a book given to the girls by a friend whose grandmother wrote, and published, the story.  It is a book of short stories about the land of Fey Berattelsea, where all sorts of magical folk live.  Natalie is enjoying this much more.

I think for our breakfast readings I will move onto something completely different too - maybe humorous or science fiction.

As an aside, I remembered a story from one of the Laura Ingalls books where she describes filling a full glass of milk with popcorn and being amazed that the cup didn't overflow - so the girls gave it a go!

So there was a little bit of science thrown in as we had discussions about why this would happen!

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