Is it just me or is 2020 shaping up to be a weird year? My kids are out of school for the next two weeks for a combination of spring break and a preemptive attempt to prevent an outbreak of coronavirus. Between this, the days they missed in February for flooding, and all the regularly scheduled off days like MLK Jr. day and Super Tuesday, it feels like they’ve barely been to school this year.
The good news about that is that I was homeschooled so I feel like I have the background to claim preparedness to venture into the realm of pre-k and 1st grade teacher for a few days. The bad news is that there is reason I didn’t choose elementary school teacher as a career path, and that reason is that I lack patience. But the second piece of good news in this news sandwich is that at this age most of their schoolwork revolves around reading, and you know I’m here for that. So in honor of this unexpected educational opportunity I’ll be sharing my tentative plan and resource list at the end of this post.
But first, the books!
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Just Finished:
You might have seen me mention on Instagram earlier this week that I’m basically obsessed with Laura Frantz right now, especially on audio. I’ve been flying through her Ballantyne legacy series, a multigenerational saga of which Love’s Awakening is the second. I love the romance between Ellie and Jack, as well as how she address the question of determining one’s purpose in life, finding faith that changes you, and doing the right thing at all costs.
Remember how I said I was going to read six books for Middle Grade March? So far this is the only one I’ve finished, although I’m currently reading two more. My overall impression was that I liked it. I liked the premise, I liked the world building, and I liked that the main character is basically a bad guy. What I didn’t like (probably because I’m not 10 years old) is the potty humor towards the middle. I also wasn’t crazy about the fact that there were about three curse words towards the end that just seemed really unnecessary for a book geared towards kids. But I liked it well enough in total that I was excited to learn that there is an Artemis Fowl movie scheduled for release in May 2020.
Since I posted a review of this book earlier this week I won’t belabor the subject, but I enjoyed this book just like I always enjoy Mary Connealy’s books. She’s so funny and I love her historical cowboy romance. If you like independent female characters, you will like any of her titles.
In Progress:
My second choice from the Middle Grade March list, The Wild Robot is probably the lowest reading level of the six. I’m planning to hand it off to my seven year old soon as I’m done with it, which will probably be pretty soon, not just because it’s an easy read, but because it’s sweet and enjoyable as well. It follows a robot named Roz who is stranded alone on an island and has no idea how or why she is there, only that she needs to learn things in order to survive.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
I’m 42 pages in and I think I’m beginning to see why this series is such a cultural phenomenon. So far it’s an intriguing story set in an unpredictable world and I can’t wait to see what happens next. But can I just say, I can’t believe how mean Harry’s aunt and uncle are! I feel so sad for him! I hope his situation improves soon because I really want to punch Dudley in the face.
Sing: How Worship Transforms Your Life, Family, and Church
You might recognize this book from my February list. It’s so short I thought I would finish it in like 2 days, but my Reading List app says I’ve been reading it for 20 days. I think it’s because when I have a lot of tantalizing fiction in front of me I tend to push nonfiction aside unless it is particularly compelling. This book is interesting and inspiring, but it hasn’t been grabbing me. I do want to finish it, but it will probably take awhile longer.
This is the newest release from Laura Frantz, whom I mentioned a moment ago. She is so great at writing historical fiction that is so full of detail that you can totally see what’s happening in your mind’s eye. And I love a good ‘will they, won’t they?’ romance, which is what you get with Clay and Tessa in this story. Not to mention the fact that constant threats of Indian attack on the fort and surrounding homesteads, plus a white captive returned to her community brings in plenty of action and tension.
Is there anyone on bookstagram who hasn’t heard of this book? It’s been everywhere on social media and bookish podcasts so I decided to give it a go. It’s pretty short at less than 300 pages, and so far I’m enjoying it. It’s the tale of two young men who are on what is supposed to be a relaxing canoe trip together, until everything starts to get crazy. There’s a forest fire coming, a woman missing, and they need to get the heck out of there as fast as they can, but with no satellite phone they have no way to call for help.
Up Next:
This just popped over from on hold to available and I cannot wait to dig into it! I loved A Curse So Dark and Lonely (I know I’m not the only one) and I was a little sad that I had to wait months and months for the second one to come out. I’m excited to go back to Emberfall and see what’s up with Rhen and Harper, and what is going to become of Grey in light of the information bomb we were handed at the end of the last book.
Next up on the middle grade list is Eventown. This one is about a girl who moves to a new town where everything seems strangely perfect. The tagline is “Everything may be “even” in Eventown, but is there a price to pay for perfection—and pretending?” This sounds like a middle grade version of the Stepford Wives to me and I can’t wait to start reading it.
This is perhaps the most critically acclaimed book on my middle grade list, and also, if I’m being honest, the one I’m the most nervous about. It’s a novel written in verse and I’ve never read anything like that before. I tend to not really like poetry all that much so I’m not sure what to expect. I’m trusting the glowing reviews from lots of readers that I think have good taste and crossing my fingers that I will enjoy it.
This was a recommendation from the children librarian at our local library, and the final book on my middle grade list. It sounded very magical and delightful, so I added it to my stack. Will I get to it this month? I hope so! I’m a completest by nature, so I’m trying really hard to finish all six books in March.
And thanks to Anne Bogel over at Modern Mrs. Darcy for hosting a quick lit linkup as she does every month. Go check out her post and all the great comments at the bottom for more book recommendations.
Now, as promised, my Tentative Educational Plan:
1st Grade Kid
– Read Charlotte’s Web, The Wild Robot, and another chapter book of her choice.
– Complete two creative writing assignments. She will have to write a short story based off a picture and it must include at least one new word that she’s never seen before from her children’s dictionary.
– Complete 5 printable math worksheets
Pre-K Kid
– Practice daily in the trusty Alpha-Phonics workbook (the same one I used 25 years ago!!)
– Complete 5 printable math worksheets
We also planted seeds on Saturday, so our on-going science lesson will be a daily check-in on our little vegetable plants to see if they need water and watch them grow. We will also be baking stuff, which sounds like Home Ec, yes?
I’m weirdly jealous that you are reading Harry Potter for the first time. One of my favorite series and such a delight to experience for the first time. Happy reading and good luck with your kiddos during this strange time! My 10 year old and 13 year old are home now until April 5 so I can definitely relate!
Harry Potter is so good! I’m currently watching the first movie actually, like literally as I comment. The sixth book was my favourite though
This is such a great book round up! I want to read that Brown Girl Dreaming book. I recently read a couple of books that were written in verse and they were so beautiful. I bet I would love this one too. Lots of good titles to read aloud to our daughter as well.
These sound like interesting books to read. I still need to work through my reading list but it’s been slow going.
I am going to pass on the middle school book recommendations to my kids. They are supposed to be reading each day while home.
These books sound great. I think I may be able o catch on some reading while on lockdown