Kindle Deals for August 5, 2019
Check out the latest Kindle deals for 8/5/19.
Today's Best Book Deals for Your Homeschool
(Prices are correct as of the time of writing, but y'all know sales move fast — check before you click the buy button! These are Amazon links — read more about how we use affiliate links to help support some of the costs of the HSL blog here.)
This is going to be a GREAT week for Kindle deals. Amazon has put a lot of excellent books on Back to School sale. I’m starting with nonfiction, but be sure to check back in later this week for some fun fiction.
Tooth and Nail, by Charles Harrington Elster, $2.99, is a nontraditional test prep book. Instead of tedious lists of root words and vocabulary to memorize, this book presents SAT words integrated into a suspenseful narrative. Put this in the hand of your teen who needs a bit of word work.
The For Kids series is great for elementary and middle school students, and your young physicists will love Albert Einstein and Relativity for Kids, by Jerome Pohlen, $1.99. My family has really enjoyed the creative projects and extensive reading guides each book in the series has to offer. This book provides a nice introduction to Einstein’s research through thought experiments and hands on activities. Perfect for families ready to dive down a quantum rabbit hole.
A People’s History of the United States, by Howard Zinn, $2.99, is a classic. Zinn reframes American History to include more from marginalized populations and the social movements that have shaped the modern world. Consider this book an important contrast to the traditional narrative of the US, from the pre-Columbian era to the late 1990s. Amy says she would never teach a history course without this book.
Still On Sale
Maker Dad, $0.99, is an awesome book of projects that are fun and easy to accomplish without lots of specialty tools. We own this one in print and have looked to it for inspiration many times. All of the projects are well illustrated and feel accessible for people who are not especially handy. We particularly enjoyed the Drawbot!
I haven’t read Don’t Panic, $1.99, yet, but I don’t really see how it could go wrong. This is beloved author Neil Gaiman’s take on beloved author Douglas Adams. Get ready to learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Douglas Adams and the Hitchhiker series.
My daughter can’t get enough of the Vanderbeeker family! The second book in the series, The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden, is on sale today for $2.99. You’ll enjoy getting to know the large and somewhat chaotic Vanderbeeker family in their Harlem brownstone. In this book, the girls are working to create a secret garden for a beloved neighbor. This series has hints of the All-Of-A-Kind family series and is perfect for Penderwicks fans.
Think Like a Freak, $2.99, is kind of a self-help book for people who hate self help. You may know Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner from the excellent Freakonomics podcast. They take economic principles and apply them to everyday situations. This is a great read for an older teen who wants to know more about why the world is the way it is, or for a parent to pick and choose sections to share with younger kids. There are a few heavier topics.
Sabriel, $1.99, is the first book in the Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix. This is a fantasy classic featuring a strong female lead, an epic quest to save the world, and a feline companion who is more than it seems. Get ready to dig deep into Nix’s impressive world building. I devoured these in my late teens.
One Crazy Summer, $1.99, has been featured in our 28 Great Books for Black History Month list. Suzanne raved about it in her 2017 Library Chicken Roundup: In 1968, three sisters travel from New York to California to spend the summer with the mother who left them to follow her own dreams. Instead of visiting Disneyland, they find themselves at a Black Panther day camp. After reading the first book, I couldn’t wait to read more about this amazing, loving, complicated family in P.S. Be Eleven and Gone Crazy in Alabama. My only complaint is that there aren’t more books in the series, as I’d happily follow these sisters from pre-teens to 40-somethings. (As an extra bonus, the covers of all three books are gorgeous.)
Look! Look! Look!, $0.99, is an adorable picture book that is also a great introduction to looking at art. Three tiny mice have discovered a fine art postcard. Follow them as the discover patterns, textures, and shapes. Don’t miss the activity guide at the end! Note, you’ll want to read this one on a color screen or you will lose out on some of the details.
Kindle Deals for August 4, 2019
Check out the latest Kindle deals for 8/4/19.
Today's Best Book Deals for Your Homeschool
(Prices are correct as of the time of writing, but y'all know sales move fast — check before you click the buy button! These are Amazon links — read more about how we use affiliate links to help support some of the costs of the HSL blog here.)
Maker Dad, $0.99, is an awesome book of projects that are fun and easy to accomplish without lots of specialty tools. We own this one in print and have looked to it for inspiration many times. All of the projects are well illustrated and feel accessible for people who are not especially handy. We particularly enjoyed the Drawbot!
I haven’t read Don’t Panic, $1.99, yet, but I don’t really see how it could go wrong. This is beloved author Neil Gaiman’s take on beloved author Douglas Adams. Get ready to learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Douglas Adams and the Hitchhiker series.
Still On Sale
My daughter can’t get enough of the Vanderbeeker family! The second book in the series, The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden, is on sale today for $2.99. You’ll enjoy getting to know the large and somewhat chaotic Vanderbeeker family in their Harlem brownstone. In this book, the girls are working to create a secret garden for a beloved neighbor. This series has hints of the All-Of-A-Kind family series and is perfect for Penderwicks fans.
Think Like a Freak, $2.99, is kind of a self-help book for people who hate self help. You may know Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner from the excellent Freakonomics podcast. They take economic principles and apply them to everyday situations. This is a great read for an older teen who wants to know more about why the world is the way it is, or for a parent to pick and choose sections to share with younger kids. There are a few heavier topics.
Sabriel, $1.99, is the first book in the Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix. This is a fantasy classic featuring a strong female lead, an epic quest to save the world, and a feline companion who is more than it seems. Get ready to dig deep into Nix’s impressive world building. I devoured these in my late teens.
One Crazy Summer, $1.99, has been featured in our 28 Great Books for Black History Month list. Suzanne raved about it in her 2017 Library Chicken Roundup: In 1968, three sisters travel from New York to California to spend the summer with the mother who left them to follow her own dreams. Instead of visiting Disneyland, they find themselves at a Black Panther day camp. After reading the first book, I couldn’t wait to read more about this amazing, loving, complicated family in P.S. Be Eleven and Gone Crazy in Alabama. My only complaint is that there aren’t more books in the series, as I’d happily follow these sisters from pre-teens to 40-somethings. (As an extra bonus, the covers of all three books are gorgeous.)
Look! Look! Look!, $0.99, is an adorable picture book that is also a great introduction to looking at art. Three tiny mice have discovered a fine art postcard. Follow them as the discover patterns, textures, and shapes. Don’t miss the activity guide at the end! Note, you’ll want to read this one on a color screen or you will lose out on some of the details.
Kindle Deals for August 2, 2019
Check out the latest Kindle deals for 8/2/19.
Today's Best Book Deals for Your Homeschool
(Prices are correct as of the time of writing, but y'all know sales move fast — check before you click the buy button! These are Amazon links — read more about how we use affiliate links to help support some of the costs of the HSL blog here.)
Theodore Gray’s Completely Mad Science: Experiments You Can Do At Home, But Probably Shouldn’t is $2.99 today! If the title didn’t immediately have you clicking Buy Now, you should know that Theodore Gray is the creator of the awesome Elements and Molecules books. You’ll love his lighthearted tone and whimsical pictures, but don’t be fooled! There is real chemistry happening in this book. Most experiments will require adult supervision and some are probably not safe for home use.
My daughter can’t get enough of the Vanderbeeker family! The second book in the series, The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden, is on sale today for $2.99. You’ll enjoy getting to know the large and somewhat chaotic Vanderbeeker family in their Harlem brownstone. In this book, the girls are working to create a secret garden for a beloved neighbor. This series has hints of the All-Of-A-Kind family series and is perfect for Penderwicks fans.
Think Like a Freak, $2.99, is kind of a self-help book for people who hate self help. You may know Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner from the excellent Freakonomics podcast. They take economic principles and apply them to everyday situations. This is a great read for an older teen who wants to know more about why the world is the way it is, or for a parent to pick and choose sections to share with younger kids. There are a few heavier topics.
Still On Sale
Sabriel, $1.99, is the first book in the Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix. This is a fantasy classic featuring a strong female lead, an epic quest to save the world, and a feline companion who is more than it seems. Get ready to dig deep into Nix’s impressive world building. I devoured these in my late teens.
One Crazy Summer, $1.99, has been featured in our 28 Great Books for Black History Month list. Suzanne raved about it in her 2017 Library Chicken Roundup: In 1968, three sisters travel from New York to California to spend the summer with the mother who left them to follow her own dreams. Instead of visiting Disneyland, they find themselves at a Black Panther day camp. After reading the first book, I couldn’t wait to read more about this amazing, loving, complicated family in P.S. Be Eleven and Gone Crazy in Alabama. My only complaint is that there aren’t more books in the series, as I’d happily follow these sisters from pre-teens to 40-somethings. (As an extra bonus, the covers of all three books are gorgeous.)
Look! Look! Look!, $0.99, is an adorable picture book that is also a great introduction to looking at art. Three tiny mice have discovered a fine art postcard. Follow them as the discover patterns, textures, and shapes. Don’t miss the activity guide at the end! Note, you’ll want to read this one on a color screen or you will lose out on some of the details.
Stuff We Like :: 8.2.19
Rediscovered Langston Hughes, the Algonquin Round Table turns 100, feminist utopias, and more stuff we like.
Hello, end-of-summer! You could slow down a little if you want.
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT HOME/SCHOOL/LIFE
I’ve been taking a little summer break from blogging — I’ve been doing my live series over on Patreon, working on the summer issue, and wrapping up the Year Two curriculum (true story: the second year is so much easier than the first!), but the HSL blog has been pretty quiet. I’m kind of in planning/evaluating mode, so if you have thoughts about things you like, stuff you’d like to read more of, or other ideas for the HSL blog, now is a great time to share them!
in the magazine: Thanks for all the feedback on the summer issue format! It has been really helpful — even though it seems to be about a 50/50 split for people who prefer each version.
on the blog: The awesome Sarah Smee is bringing back our Kindle Deals posts! (She’s the best!)
at the academy: We wrapped our summer chemistry class with an escape room challenge inspired by the periodic table.
from the archives: The bigger picture of multiple intelligences, tips for making your homeschool feel more home-y and less school-y, and some of our favorite homeschool school supplies
LINKS I LIKED
I identify with Dorothy Parker less as an adult than I did as a teenager (when she was my — possibly problematic — role model), but I’ll still read any story about the Algonquin Round Table.
This recently rediscovered Langston Hughes essay is going on my U.S. history required reading list.
This is one of the best essays I’ve read in recent years.
The complicated history of feminist utopian literature: “We didn’t slay the angel in the house just to replace her with a lady CIA officer in a flak jacket, cool shades, and a cattle prod.”
THINGS I DIDN’T KNOW BUT NOW I DO
My inability to fall asleep unless I have one shoulder under a blanket is maybe not as weird as I have always thought it is.
BOOKS ADDED TO MY TBR LIST
This Is How You Lose the Time War (I have heard so many good things about this!)
I Like to Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV Revolution (I love Emily Nussbaum, and not just because Buffy changed her life)
WHAT’S MAKING ME HAPPY
Octavia Butler love! (I remember when I was trying to convince people to read Kindred, and now she’s everywhere, and it’s so great. I wasn’t super-smart about discovering her or anything — I was just lucky to have a great teacher who recommended her to me.)
This. (*Please be good. Please be good.*)
WHAT’S CONFUSING ME
The Cats trailer. I mean — I don't even know what I mean. But it’s weird.
(We’re Amazon affiliates, so if you purchase something through an Amazon link, we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Obviously this doesn’t influence what we recommend, and we link to places other than Amazon.)
Kindle Deals of the Day for August 1, 2019
See all of our picks for the best ebook deals for your homeschool for 8/1/19.
Today's Best Book Deals for Your Homeschool
(Prices are correct as of the time of writing, but y'all know sales move fast — check before you click the buy button! These are Amazon links — read more about how we use affiliate links to help support some of the costs of the HSL blog here.)
Sabriel, $1.99, is the first book in the Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix. This is a fantasy classic featuring a strong female lead, an epic quest to save the world, and a feline companion who is more than it seems. Get ready to dig deep into Nix’s impressive world building. I devoured these in my late teens.
One Crazy Summer, $1.99, has been featured in our 28 Great Books for Black History Month list. Suzanne raved about it in her 2017 Library Chicken Roundup: In 1968, three sisters travel from New York to California to spend the summer with the mother who left them to follow her own dreams. Instead of visiting Disneyland, they find themselves at a Black Panther day camp. After reading the first book, I couldn’t wait to read more about this amazing, loving, complicated family in P.S. Be Eleven and Gone Crazy in Alabama. My only complaint is that there aren’t more books in the series, as I’d happily follow these sisters from pre-teens to 40-somethings. (As an extra bonus, the covers of all three books are gorgeous.)
Look! Look! Look!, $0.99, is an adorable picture book that is also a great introduction to looking at art. Three tiny mice have discovered a fine art postcard. Follow them as the discover patterns, textures, and shapes. Don’t miss the activity guide at the end! Note, you’ll want to read this one on a color screen or you will lose out on some of the details.
Hi All! This is Sarah, your new Kindle deal maven. I’m coming to you with 30+ years as a rampant reader and 5 years as a homeschooler. I read 100+ books a year and love nothing more than talking about what I’ve been reading lately. I’m looking forward to sharing many of my favorite reads with you! Let me know what types of books you’d most like to see in the comments.
Stuff We Like :: 7.19.19
Preschool politics, battles on the YA shelves, Stone Age engineering projects, the subtleties of translation, and more stuff we like.
It’s been a while!
I don’t usually talk about my personal life (that’s not why you’re here!), but this has been a rough year for me, and I’ve been having a hard time keeping my depression — which has been pretty well controlled for the past several years — in check. I’m fine — I have a great therapist, tons of support, and I’m trying all kinds of different medications and techniques — but the whole Stuff We Like thing has felt a little hard to wrap my brain around some weeks. Which is long-winded way of saying, it’s not you, it’s me, and I hope I’ll be back in the rhythm of regularly liking stuff soon
what’s happening at home/school/life
The summer issue is out! We tried something new and published an all-digital edition (so no PDF to download) — we’ve had several people ask for that, so we wanted to give it a try. If you have an opinion, let us know!
on patreon: We’re wrapping up our homeschooling high school series next week. (Where did the summer go?) Support us on Patreon for as little as $1/month, and get access to all our Patreon-only content.
at the academy: Our fall online class schedule is up!
out and about: You can find Amy chatting about literature-based learning at the SEA Online Symposium in July.
from the archives: A great curriculum for right now: The Science of Climate Change; Suzanne says this steampunk alt-history series is the perfect summer binge; we bust some common myths about homeschooling high school
in the store: Last call for print curriculum orders this year! :)
links i liked
This story about politics and in-fighting at a fancy Brooklyn preschool should totally be turned into a television series.
I loved this piece about literary translations: “Translation, after all, is literary analysis mixed with sympathy, a matter for the brain as well as the heart.”
How horror movies kill off inquisitive women of color.
I found this really interesting: There’s a lot of anger and drama happening in the YA community around representation, and I appreciate this thoughtful unpacking.
things i didn’t know but now i do
George Washington was a (racist) amateur genealogist.
Ancient Scots built artificial islands during the Stone Age. (That’s around the same time Stonehenge was built.)
books added to my tbr list
Gin Austen (because I am there for Jane Austen cocktails!)
The Nickel Boys (because I’ll read everything he writes)
what’s making me happy
(We’re Amazon affiliates, so if you purchase something through an Amazon link, we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Obviously this doesn’t influence what we recommend, and we link to places other than Amazon.)
Stuff We Like :: 6.21.19
The downside of gifted-ness, secret literary fellowships, loving Judge Judy, LARPing with goats, and more stuff we like.
Sorry to be an absentee liker-of-stuff last week! I was busy testing chemistry experiments and honestly forgot what day it was.
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT HOME/SCHOOL/LIFE
on patreon: So far we’ve covered getting started, what to teach, and how to write a transcript in our summer series on homeschooling high school.
at the academy: We’re having a nerdily good time in chemistry this summer! And I’m teaching an AP English Language and Composition class in Atlanta this year if you want to check it out.
in the magazine: We’re hard at work on the summer issue. One of the best things about my job is that I get to interview really smart people about my own big homeschooling questions!
on instagram: Suzanne’s daughter’s off to the summer TIP program.
out and about: You can find Amy chatting about literature-based learning at the SEA Online Symposium in July.
from the archives: How to grow your homeschool community (hint: just like a garden, it can take a lot of effort on your part); 5 ways to get excited about teaching U.S. history; and 31 great books to inspire young writers of all ages
LINKS I LIKED
I laughed so hard at this: The 12 Labors of Millennial Hercules (the Stymphalian Birds!)
I found this a really interesting read on giftedness, and the challenges it brings for kids who grow up with everyone talking about how smart they are: "Outside the protection of academia, I became intensely aware that I had never learned how to work for things. Enough things came easily to me that if I wasn’t good at it, I simply didn’t do it.”
There’s a lot of conversation (including political and legal conversation) happening about homeschool charters in California. (In California, homeschoolers can sign up for charters that give students money for curriculum, classes, and extracurriculars.) My state doesn’t offer anything remotely like that, and while I’m sometimes envious of families with thousands of dollars to spend on homeschool stuff, I’ve always also been glad that no one gets to weigh in on the “legitimacy” of our homeschool choices. I’m hoping this gets resolved in a way that works out for everyone.
This story about a secret literary fellowship and all the drama behind it was fascinating.
I think about this a lot: In a meaningful way, my life has been all about my kids. So when I talk about my life or post pictures of my life online, it’s my kids’ lives I’m sharing, too.
THINGS I DIDN’T KNOW BUT NOW I DO
There is LARPing specifically designed to entertain goats!
Suzanne is not the only person obsessed with Judge Judy.
How to protect devices against airport security and customs social media searches.
BOOKS ADDED TO MY TBR LIST THIS WEEK
The Song of Simon de Montfort (because 13th century revolutionaries are my sweet spot)
Big Sky (because I have missed Jackson Brodie)
WHAT’S MAKING ME HAPPY
Grilled Cobb Salad (we’re eating variations of this two or three times a week right now!)
my summer chemistry class (they’re just so much fun)
Stuff We Like :: 6.7.19
Why do we trust online reviews, reading by plant-light, the overlap between Waldorf, privilege, and vaccinations, Babylonian break-up tablets, and more stuff we like.
One of my favorite things is being surrounded by stacks and stacks of curriculum galleys and knowing that in a couple of weeks, they will be off to the printer, and I will be lounging by the pool.
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT HOME/SCHOOL/LIFE
in the magazine: We’re hard at work on the summer issue — and we’re trying something new, which Suzanne has declared “awesome.”
on patreon: If you missed the first of our live seminar sessions on how to homeschool high school, you can catch the recording any time before the next session starts on Tuesday.
in the store: Our high school curriculum sale ends June 15, so if you want to score our best discount, now’s the time to order.
at the academy: Our fall schedule of online high school classes is up now! (We’ll have middle school options up later this month.)
with the curriculum: If you’re using the Year Two curriculum and want to be added to the AP U.S. History or AP Government online class, we’d love to have you join us! Look for details in the curriculum Facebook group early August. (There’s no charge to join the AP class, but you do have to be a Year Two curriculum student to join.)
from the archives: Exploring the Oregon Trail through literature, a look back at Amy’s 9th grade homeschool (I can’t believe we’re coming up on her senior year!), and the life-changing magic of embracing your child’s reading choices
LINKS I LIKED
"Illegal border crossings” in the other direction tend to get ignored, but they’re happening all the time.
Um, how did you get in my bedroom? And I really am going to read all of those! (Eventually.)
I found this piece about Waldorf, privilege, and vaccinations fascinating. (Disclosure: Our daughter went to a Waldorf school before we started homeschooling. She has never missed a vaccination.)
Why DO we trust online star ratings?
How social media has changed the way we mourn.
THINGS I DIDN’T KNOW BUT NOW I DO
Break-up letters date back to 6th century B.C.E. Babylon.
Glowing plants may be the lightbulbs of the future.
BOOKS ADDED TO MY TBR LIST THIS WEEK
The Overstory (apparently I need to read more about trees)
Austerlitz (several people have recommended this to me)
The Three Escapes of Hannah Arendt (come on, a graphic novel memoir about Hannah Arendt? I think we all know I am in for that)
WHAT’S MAKING ME HAPPY
Stardew Valley (my kids got me hooked on this farming game!)
Good Omens (it’s so much fun!)
Stuff We Like :: 5.31.19
Is Mark Twain the problem with the modern United States, it’s still possible to get a great 1980s photo of yourself, television should be doing a better job across the board with women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ people, and more stuff we liked this week.
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT HOME/SCHOOL/LIFE
in the magazine: Tell us what your favorite part of your homeschool routine is.
at the academy: My awesome Latin II students hosted a Latin camp for elementary students this week, and everyone had a great time.
on patreon: Suzanne and I posted the schedule for our summer seminar series, which is all about homeschooling high school.
in the store: Year One and Year Two are still on sale!
from the archives: 5 things about dyslexia everyone should know, what to read next if you loved Swallows and Amazons, and how travel can be a great education
LINKS I LIKED
I gave up on Game of Thrones way before this final season (though I confess to reading spoilers this year to find out “what happened” to Arya and watching some of the final season), and this piece really encapsulates what made me opt out of this cultural milestone: "What I missed — what I already knew, and forced myself to forget— was that this conversation originated within the fandom, not within the writers’ room, and certainly not within the mind of George R. R. Martin. No matter what women told themselves, Game of Thrones was never our story.”
Possibly related: Basically, if you’re in a movie/television show and not a straight white man, your time is probably limited.
This was fascinating: Is Mark Twain to blame for the cult of adolescence in the United States?
THINGS I DIDN’T KNOW BUT NOW I DO
You can still get Glamour Shots!
This is a great year to plan a trip to Amsterdam if you’re a Rembrandt fan.
There’s a new adaptation of Rebecca coming out! (I feel like this book is just made for a movie version, but I’ve not yet seen a great one. I live in hope!)
Smell, like color, can vary significantly from person to person.
BOOKS ADDED TO MY TBR LIST THIS WEEK
WHAT’S MAKING ME HAPPY
Binging The Flash and Stranger Things with my kids
This ridiculously gorgeous Victorian “farmhouse”
Stuff We Like :: 5.24.19
Revisiting the 90s, utopias vs dystopias, what your favorite color says about you, dinosaur courtship, and more stuff we like.
One of the most challenging things about writing a U.S. history curriculum was learning how to rethink the language I’d grown up on for U.S. history completely. For instance, the word “settlers” is one that gets used all the times for Europeans coming to North America and for citizens of the new United States as they moved beyond the country’s western borders. But it’s not really an accurate word — it’s a word that whitewashes what was basically an invasion of lands that belonged to several different Native American nations. Finding meaningful ways to talk about the history of the United States in a way that includes people who aren’t just straight white men required me to think more carefully about all the history vocabulary I grew up with — and to deal with some of the not-so-shiny parts of U.S. history in a respectful and thoughtful way.
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT HOME/SCHOOL/LIFE
Our curriculum sale is still going on!
Shelli reviewed the Critical Thinking Company’s Vocabulary Virtuoso — and we’ve got a 20% coupon for your curriculum shopping, too! (The Red Herring Mysteries are a favorite in our house, and Suzanne uses Mind Benders in the Academy’s junior high.)
It’s that time of year: 18 fun ways to take your homeschool outside
Summer classes start at the Academy June 3. (I am very excited about my chemistry class!)
From the archives: What to read next if you loved The Wizard of Oz, why this just might be the summer to start that homeschool co-op, and how homeschooling can be the opportunity to get the education YOU always wanted, too.
LINKS I LIKED
I quite enjoyed this NYT homage to the joys of the 1990s. (I totally remember getting phone ear from talking too long on the telephone, but I’m sad there was nothing about the literary pleasures of those long notes — with complicated folding — that you would write your best friend for hours after you finished your homework.)
We do tend to focus on dystopias (and especially right now), but literary utopias can be revealing, too.
THINGS I DIDN’T KNOW BUT NOW I DO
I feel like the title here speaks for itself: Everything you wanted to know about dinosaur sex.
My favorite color apparently says I am a robot. (I am not a robot. I think. Would I know, though?)
BOOKS ADDED TO MY TBR LIST THIS WEEK
Watch and Ward (Henry James that I've never gotten around to!)
The Impeachers: The Trial of Andrew Johnson and the Dream of a Just Nation
WHAT’S MAKING ME HAPPY
Curriculum Review: The Critical Thinking Company's Vocabulary Virtuoso
Shelli reviews a vocabulary program that’s designed to help middle and high school students boost their vocabulary — by going beyond memorizing word lists and mastering the nuances of adding new language to their repertoire. (Plus, we’ve got a special coupon code for you!)
If you are looking for an easy-to-use workbook to help expand your student’s vocabulary, look no further than Vocabulary Virtuoso by The Critical Thinking Co. For the purpose of this post, I’m reviewing the PSAT-SAT Book 2, which according to the Critical Thinking Co. is appropriate for grades 8-12. (They offer workbooks for younger levels as well.)
To be honest, I didn’t plan to do formal vocabulary work with my son. He reads a great deal, and I know he already possesses a high vocabulary. But now that I’ve seen Vocabulary Virtuoso, I’m going to have him begin the book next year as he starts the 7th grade. Even though the workbook is geared towards 8-12th graders, he’s a strong reader, so I don’t think it will be difficult for him to work through it. I think it will help him prepare for the standardized tests that are required for homeschoolers in our state.
In fact, he’s already looked at it and volunteered to start using it now. How cool is that? When he was younger, he hated doing worksheets, so I never made him do them. Now, he’s much more willing to do them, and he even seems to like them! A book like this is much easier for me because he can work through it on his own without me looking over his shoulder.
Vocabulary Virtuosos PSAT-SAT Book 2 is 187 pages long, and it contains twenty lessons. Each lesson begins with a list of vocabulary words that may be used on the PSAT and/or SAT exams. The list contains the word, pronunciation key, definition and a sample sentence using that word.
Following the vocabulary list is six worksheets or exercises that require students to think critically and use words in different ways. For example, they will see synonyms for the word, fill in the blanks with the appropriate word, read a story that uses each word, etc. Another exercise requires them to unscramble the letters in the word, which will help them learn how to spell it correctly. They will also need to complete a sentence that shows they understand the definition of a word. I believe that going through each of these exercises slowly will help a student remember the words and their meaning.
I also like that through the exercises and stories, students who complete this workbook will also learn a little about ancient Greek history, ancient Greek drama, Shakespeare’s London, Renaissance artists, epistolary writing, U.S. musical history, types of literary conflict and many other interesting topics.
The Critical Thinking Co. is a great company with many products worth looking at. Each one incorporates critical thinking, so they aren’t your run-of-the-mill workbooks. I’ve only just started looking through their catalog and determining what we can use in the future.
They have an awesome free critical thinking puzzle of the week you can get by signing up here.
Stuff We Like :: 5.10.19
Burnout is not a professional goal, the myth of the frontier in U.S. history, what do we mean when we talk about “electability,” what we always suspected about cats is true, and more stuff we like.
I had a long lunch with my best friend, saw a movie with my family, and am looking forward to a sushi date with my husband tonight. Hello, my life, how I’ve missed you!
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT HOME/SCHOOL/LIFE
Year One and Year Two of our high school curriculum are on sale now! (If you want a print copy with all the books, order soon!)
on the blog: Suzanne’s (almost) winning at Library Chicken. Next week is her week!
at the academy: Graduation!
from the archives: Shelli’s family loved their My Side of the Mountain readaloud; 7 great resources for teaching critical thinking; rhythms and routines in unschooling
LINKS I LIKED
I am fascinated (and I think also a little terrified?) of the implications of this test-your-DNA craze.
Yes! Why have we embraced burnout as a professional value? I’m thinking a lot about this lately.
I’ve always been really interested in the construct of the frontier and the role it played (and still plays) in the development of the United States, and after this year of obsessing over U.S. history, I’m even more interested.
This was fascinating to me: The Mississippi Freedom Trail markers that mark sites connected to the murder of Emmett Till are more controversial than I’d realized: “As soon as the Bryants’ store was allowed to crumble, the forensic fascination of who-did-what-to-whom was reframed as an examination of how racism persists in the Delta. The onset of ruin has transformed the focus of commemorative inquiry: the inattention of the local community is now part of the meaning of Till’s murder.”
Why are we talking about electability (what does that mean??) and not about the best candidates?
I love real pictures of people’s lives on Instagram! (But it takes a lot of courage to put them out there.)
THINGS I DIDN’T KNOW BUT NOW I DO
Anything about the amazing woman Redoshi, who survived a slave ship, the Civil War, and the Great Depression. (How did I not know this?)
Actually I probably did know this; I just didn’t want to admit it: Cats May Recognize Their Own Names — But It Doesn’t Mean They Care
BOOKS ADDED TO MY TBR LIST THIS WEEK
WHAT’S MAKING ME HAPPY
(I feel like this list is totally dating me, you guys. I mean, I guess maybe the Cure poster I still have in my office does that, though?)
Tiffany is back at the mall, you guys!
The new Veronica Mars trailer
(We’re Amazon affiliates, so if you purchase something through an Amazon link, we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Obviously this doesn’t influence what we recommend, and we link to places other than Amazon.)
Library Chicken Update: 4/5/19
School’s out for summer, and Suzanne’s reading list just keeps getting bigger.
Welcome to the weekly round-up of what the BookNerd is reading and how many points I scored (or lost) in Library Chicken. To recap, you get a point for returning a library book that you’ve read, you lose a point for returning a book unread, and while returning a book past the due date is technically legal, you do lose half a point. If you want to play along, leave your score in the comments!
It’s that time of year again — the time when I finally give up on reading the entire stack of library books on whatever-flavor-of-history-we’re-doing-in-class that I’ve collected all semester. Around the time I’m starting to think about final projects it dawns on me that I’m probably not going to get to them all before we’ve actually wrapped up the class, which means that I have to return all those books (though not before making sure they’re on the to-read list for the next time we visit this era) and start collecting books for next year’s class. (It’s the American Revolution and the Civil War in 2019-2020!) It also means that my Library Chicken score is going to go negative, so I should definitely schedule more reading time next week. (Sorry fam, I know it’s my turn to make dinner, but you’re on your own tonight — Mom has to get her Library Chicken score into the positive digits!)
Stalin: A Biography by Robert Service
My last WWII book ends up being a biography of Joseph Stalin. For a child of the Cold War, I’m realizing how little I actually know about Soviet Russia. This bio was a good place to start with Stalin, if a bit dry. And depressing. Though I guess that comes along with the topic. (Okay, I lied: this isn’t my last WWII book because I’ve kept back a stash of Eleanor Roosevelt books. And I’m definitely going to get to them Real Soon Now. I’d much rather finish up with the awesome Eleanor than with this guy.)
(LC Score: +1)
Cousin Kate by Georgette Heyer
Charity Girl by Georgette Heyer
Lady of Quality by Georgette Heyer
If you’re going to be reading about one of the great mass murderers of history, it helps to have some Heyer on the side! These three were all new to me, and they were all quick, fun reads.
(LC Score: +3)
The Ghost Stories of Muriel Spark by Muriel Spark
I like ghost stories and I like Muriel Spark, so this seemed like an obvious choice. The longest and most well-known story here is “The Portobello Road,” which I’ve encountered in other collections. It’s a very slim anthology and some of the stories here are only vaguely ghost-related, but it was a nice little break from All the War Stuff.
(LC Score: +1)
The Time Traveler’s Almanac edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer
Whew. At nearly 1000 pages this collection is NOT slim. But I’m always happy to dive into another VanderMeer compilation! Amy and I talked about this one on the podcast, even though I was only about 80 percent through at the time. I did eventually finish it and some of my favorite stories were towards the end: I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more by Bob Leman, Tamsyn Muir, and Carrie Vaughn.
(LC Score: +1)
The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths
This mystery, the first in the Ruth Galloway series, has been on my to-read list for a while, and now that I have finally read it, I have mixed feelings. I was unprepared for the brutality of the murder plot, which involves kidnapping and child murder (and even the killing of a pet animal, which SHOULD COME WITH A WARNING LABEL ON THE COVER, PEOPLE). I enjoyed getting to know Ruth, who is an archaeologist and professor, and I appreciated that she was not a stereotypical protagonist, but I thought that there were some unfortunate cliches in the way Griffiths handled gender issues and Ruth’s concerns about her weight. That said, it was a fast, entertaining read, and I have a feeling that Griffiths was just beginning to hit her stride when she wrote it. I’m looking forward to the next one in the series!
(LC Score: +1)
The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders
Amy and I both enjoyed Anders’s first novel, All the Birds in the Sky (which we also talked about on the podcast), so I was very excited to read her second novel. This one is an ambitious science fiction adventure set on a tidally locked planet, meaning that the planet keeps one side facing the sun and one side facing out to the stars. Humans can only live in the small band where day meets night, and have to learn to deal with never-ending twilight. I loved the world-building here, and the way that Anders thought about all of the different ways that her characters would be impacted by this sort of life. I also loved the diverse relationships. Unfortunately, though, I thought that the plot lost some of its narrative drive and focus at a certain point, so even as we’re building to the climax things just sort of happen. Which was a bit disappointing, if only because I had such high expectations. I’m still thinking about the world that Anders created, however, and I’ll be first on the hold list for her next novel.
(LC Score: +1)
Books Returned Unread: -14
Library Chicken Score for 4/5/19: -6
Running Score: - ½
On the to-read/still-reading stack for next week:
The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths (Ruth Galloway mysteries #2)
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (reread after finally seeing the FABULOUS movie adaptation)
The War Before Independence: 1775-1776 by Derek W. Beck (time to start reading for next fall!)
(We’re Amazon affiliates, so if you purchase something through an Amazon link, we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Obviously this doesn’t influence what we recommend, and we link to places other than Amazon.)
Stuff We Like :: 5.3.19
Highs and lows of Facebook groups, Teddy Roosevelt and the Iron Throne, my new favorite interview with a vampire, and more stuff we like.
School’s out for summer! Well, our homeschool is kicking into summer mode since we go year round, but the hybrid school Suzanne and I run has officially wrapped for summer. Graduation is Saturday, and I am looking forward to a glorious month of no teaching before I hop back into my summer chemistry class in June.
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT HOME/SCHOOL/LIFE
in the store: Our Year One and Year Two curricula are on sale now, and you can get a nice deal if you preorder them! (I expect to keep the digital editions all year, but the print editions will have a limited run again.)
on the podcast: Suzanne and I are talking about why we decided to add “run a hybrid school” to our to-do lists.
on patreon: Weigh in on what you’d like us to cover in our series on academic homeschooling through high school.
on instagram: Project season!
at the academy: If you’re in Atlanta, you should come take chemistry with me this summer!
from the archives: Shelli reviewed IEW’s Student Writing Intensive; a peek back at Amy’s 3rd grade; homeschooling is messy, but maybe that’s okay.
LINKS I LIKED
This piece about neighborhood Facebook groups is funny because it’s true. (We literally have a guy in our neighborhood group who prefaces almost every post with “I don’t want to be that guy, but”— and it makes me laugh out loud every time.
Similarly: Private Facebook groups can be surprisingly wonderful spaces, in a totally non-ironic way.
Carmilla was one of my lit students’ favorite reads this year, so I found this kind of perfect. (Read it all the way to the end!)
This was just … wow: “I can endure about five minutes more of this. Nothing of any value has been said by either party on any subject.”
THINGS I DIDN’T KNOW BUT NOW I DO
I am surprisingly good at guessing what Teddy Roosevelt would say.
The world of Los Angeles parking tickets is not simple.
BOOKS ADDED TO MY TBR LIST THIS WEEK
Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee (because it's so wild to think of what Harper Lee's In Cold Blood would read like)
Stony the Road (because I can’t stop reading about Reconstruction)
No Walls and the Recurring Dream: A Memoir (because I grew up on Ani!)
WHAT’S MAKING ME HAPPY
Sandal weather! (I’m still tromping around in my super-comfy, super-clunky Alegria sandals — I think breaking my ankles has permanently altered my shoe wardrobe, and I am okay with that!)
(We’re Amazon affiliates, so if you purchase something through an Amazon link, we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Obviously this doesn’t influence what we recommend, and we link to places other than Amazon.)
Our High School Curriculum: Year Two Is Available to Pre-Order Now (And Year One Is Back in Stock!)
Get the scoop on year two of our complete high school curriculum!
And if you pre-order it, you can save about 20%: Through August, the print cost for Year Two is $775 (regularly $995) and the digital cost for Year Two is $350 (regularly $450). You don’t need a coupon — the discount will be automatically applied.
And I think it’s even better than Year One, thanks in no small part to the fabulous team of students who test-drove Year One this past year. I have loved hearing from folks every week about how things are going, nerding out about books together, and getting to read some of their awesome work. It has been a real pleasure! And as a bonus, they’ve given me tons of feedback about how the curriculum plays out in a real-life homeschool, so I’ve been able to make some tweaks to make Year Two even better.
One of the tweaks is maybe more of a big change than a little tweak: As you can see from the lovely picture above, for Year Two I’ve written several books to go along with the Year Two curriculum. I struggled to find the right spines for classes like history and science — so, in classic homeschooler fashion, I ended up writing them myself. I’ve also edited separate readers for literature, philosophy, and government (in Year One, readings are included in the lesson guides) so that you can more comfortably read them in bed or the hammock.
Another tweak is that we’ve upgraded from audio to video lectures for Year Two. One of the nicest pieces of feedback I got from the folks who used Year One was that they loved the lectures that came with each class, so I’ve been making videos for Year Two. (Don’t worry, you hardly have to look at me at all! But I still make random Buffy references and default to feminine pronouns.) I think for things like Latin and chemistry, you’ll really love the visual component — but you can download just the audio if you prefer your lectures podcast-style.
Just like last year, you can choose between the print edition and a digital edition. The curriculum ships in August, and both curricula will be on sale until shipments start.
So what’s actually in our Year Two curriculum? I’m so glad you asked! Year Two is our U.S. history year, which means we’re focusing on the United States — history, literature, and government.
What’s included:
This 28-week curriculum contains everything but math.
Philosophy
After a year of grounding ourselves in critical thinking, we’re ready to tackle some real philosophy! We’ll start easy with Transcendentalism, arguably the most American philosophy and one that’s very accessible. In the second half of the year, we’ll turn to ethics, considering Aristotle, Kant, Mill, and care ethics.
Philosophy primary source reader (edited by HSL)
Philosophy student guide (with weekly lessons and assignments)
Philosophy lectures channel (this year with video!)
U.S. History
I feel like by high school most of us know the basics of U.S. history, so I’ve chosen to focus on the lives that often get left out of history books: immigrants, women, people of color, LGBTQ people. I’ve tried to tell the story of the United States through their stories, and I hope I’ve done them justice. And, of course, we continue to emphasize primary sources.
The Colorful, Queer, Feminist, Immigrant Lives That Helped Shape the United States by Amy Sharony
History student guide (with weekly lessons, assignments, and primary source readings — see a sample)
History lectures channel (this year with video!)
Literature and Composition
We’ll explore “American literature” through a series of focused studies, including American Gothic literature, The Awakening, the Harlem Renaissance, American poetry, and We Have Always Lived in the Castle. We’ll be writing a mix of critical and personal essays about literature.
Literature reader (edited by HSL)
Literature student guide (with weekly lessons, assignments, and critical considerations — see a sample)
Composition student guide (with assignments and rubrics)
Literature lectures channel (this year with video!)
Chemistry
Our textbook-based biology last year was fine, but I think we can do better. Chemistry is fascinating, full of compelling people and wacky elements (there’s a Poisoner’s Corridor in the periodic table!), and there wasn’t really a book that managed to cover the basics of chemistry while also giving plenty of room to the stories that make it interesting. I hope this book fills the gap — I certainly had a great time writing it and working with a couple of super-smart chemists on balancing information and fun and making sure we had really good labs.
Chemistry for People Who Would Rather Be Reading by Amy Sharony
Chemistry Lab Manual
Chemistry student guide (with weekly lessons and assignments — see a sample)
Chemistry lessons channel (this year with video!)
U.S. Government and Politics
It only makes sense to cover U.S. government and politics during our U.S. history year. We’ll spend about half this class taking a close look at the Constitution, including elections and the branches of government, and the other half exploring some of the most significant U.S. Supreme Court cases.
The Annotated Constitution of the United States (edited by HSL)
Major Supreme Court Cases (edited by HSL)
U.S. Government and Politics student guide (with weekly lessons, assignments, and primary source readings)
Government lectures channel (this year with video!)
Latin IB
We’ll continue with Ecce Romani, learning more vocabulary and more complex grammar. I’ve also added more individual grammar lessons with videos because I hear you: You want more grammar!
Latin student guide (with weekly lessons and assignments — see a sample)
Latin lessons channel (this year with video!)
Student Guide
The student guide is part inspirational manual, part goal-setting tool, and part weekly planner. (See a sample.)
Contracts, annual goals, and semester goals
Grade matrix options and tracking for each subject
Annual, monthly, and weekly schedule suggestions
Parents Guide
Midterm and final exams with answer keys
Suggestions for counting units and course descriptions
Online Support
I am available online for a live chat every week in our curriculum Facebook group to answer questions and offer whatever other support you need.
You will need: (This is the stuff you’ll need that is NOT included in the curriculum.)
The Awakening
We Have Always Lived in the Castle
Ecce Romani 1 and 2 (if you don’t already have it from last year)
Supplies for chemistry labs (listed in lab manual)
whatever you’re doing for math
Questions You Might Have
If I don’t tackle your question here, please feel free to ask!
What if we want to jump right into Year Two without doing Year One?
You can, of course — I am not the boss of you! The challenge you might run into is that some of the critical reading and writing you’ll be doing in Year Two builds on skills you learned in Year One, like annotating as you read, self-editing your essays, using the toolkit, etc. You could certainly learn these things as you go, but you’ll miss out on the structured development of these skills.
Can I buy Year One?
Yes! It’s on sale again now, too. (It will ship in August, too, so I can do all my box-packing / emailing in one big push.)
Can I buy just one piece of the curriculum?
Not yet — sorry! It is a goal for down the road, but right now, it makes sense for us to keep the curriculum as a bundle. (I am teaching a couple of online classes this fall at the Academy based on this curriculum, including history and literature, so keep an eye out for those if you’re looking for just one class.)
How does this translate to credits on our transcript?
As a general guide, I recommend:
1.0 History
1.0 Literature: Main Literature (0.75) + Composition (0.25)
1.0 Latin
1.0 Philosophy
1.5 Chemistry (with Lab)
0.5 U.S. Government and Politics
But I’m happy to chat specifics with you if you run into questions!
How much parent support is required?
The curriculum is written for the student, so it’s designed for students to work through on their own. I’ve included step-by-step strategies for close reading, critical thinking, making connections, and analyzing information as well as tools for self-evaluation with the idea that students will get better at these things over the course of the year — there’s a lot of skill-building integrated into the program. You know best what your student needs, but an on-level high school student should be able to use this curriculum largely independently.
How do I grade this?
For each subject, I’ve included a grade matrix, which students can use to plot their own version of academic success. Each grade matrix includes a recommended number of points to indicate a level of academic success: students can opt to pass the class, work to earn an A, or aspire to an honors-level A based on their own goals for that particular subject. The grade matrix includes a broad range of output activities, from taking notes and completing annotated readings to writing papers and projects with lots of different options in each category. Aside from a few required items, students can combine projects and activities to create their own assessment framework. Output options include midterm and final exams for each subject.
What do the rest of the years look like?
We’re building this curriculum as we go, so some of the specifics might change as our weekly plans actually start to come together. But the broad outline for the next three years is set as follows and will remain the same, even if specific readings change:
Year Three: Asian and African History includes:
Humanities: History, literature, and philosophy of China, Japan, India, and non-Egypt Africa
Composition: Synthesis essays (explanatory and argumentative); creative writing
Philosophy: Confucius/Daoism/Chuang-Tzu
Science: Physics (with Labs), includes history-related primary source readings
Latin 2
Year Four: The Classical World includes:
Humanities: History, literature, and philosophy of ancient Greece and Rome
Composition: Scientific writing; persuasive essays
Philosophy: Plato/Lucretius
Science: Astronomy (with Labs), includes history-related primary source readings
Latin 3
Supplements: World Religions; The Epic of Gilgamesh
Other things you might want to note:
This curriculum was designed to cover two 14-week semesters, for a total of 28 weeks of structured academic time. Because of the short time span, it’s a very focused, rigorous curriculum — you could definitely slow down and spread it across more time if you wanted to.
This is a reading- and writing-intensive curriculum. While you could definitely modify it to make it less so, critical reading and writing are such essential parts of it that if you hate those things, this curriculum might not be the best fit for you.
All of the information in this curriculum was reviewed by and created by or in close collaboration with people with advanced degrees in the subject area.
This is a secular curriculum.
This sample does not include complete lessons and is only a sample — the completed curriculum may differ from what you see here.
Stuff We Like :: 4.26.19
Our weekly roundup of links, books, and other homeschool inspiration.
It’s crunch time here at HSL HQ: Finals at the Academy are next week, our galleys are in for the new Year Two curriculum, and the spring issue just wrapped.
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT HOME/SCHOOL/LIFE
in the magazine: The spring issue is out! Make sure to download your copy.
on instagram: The galleys for our Year Two curriculum make such a pretty stack.
at the academy: Lots of excitement at the high school and the junior high
on patreon: Suzanne and I are kicking off a summer series on academic homeschooling through high school — we’ll talk course rigor, transcripts, testing, AP classes, and college matchmaking.
from the archives: A close-up look at my homeschool planner, some of our favorite Shakespeare adaptations, and the first steps to starting a homeschool group in your neck of the woods.
LINKS I LIKED
I am pleased to report that I have read all of the 11 most challenged books of 2018.
I think by now you know that I will happily read anything about fonts. (My son was poking fun at my daughter yesterday because she’s been spending all week changing the fonts on the covers of her Wattpad books, but I think it’s probably genetic…)
Walt Whitman, for me, is a huge piece of American literature, which I’m teaching next year, so I found this particularly interesting. I feel like this may well be the work of 21st century academic literature: How to build a canon that is respectful and inclusive, that can separate excellence from personality without excusing racism, sexism, colonialism, etc.
THINGS I DIDN’T KNOW BUT NOW I DO
I’m not the only compulsive notebook buyer out there. (It feels so good to start a new one, though!)
The internet is changing the way we preserve endangered languages.
BOOKS ADDED TO MY TBR LIST THIS WEEK
WHAT’S MAKING ME HAPPY
The prospect of getting caught up on the parts of my life that get put on hold during editing binges!
(We’re Amazon affiliates, so if you purchase something through an Amazon link, we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Obviously this doesn’t influence what we recommend, and we link to places other than Amazon.)
Library Chicken: Books You Can Be Seen Reading in Public
Suzanne’s recent reads includes a Gothic-ish murder mystery, children’s literature from Isabel Allende, Lizzie Borden, and a few hyped books that just DID NOT do it for our Book Nerd.
Welcome to the weekly round-up of what the BookNerd is reading and how many points I scored (or lost) in Library Chicken. To recap, you get a point for returning a library book that you’ve read, you lose a point for returning a book unread, and while returning a book past the due date is technically legal, you do lose half a point. If you want to play along, leave your score in the comments!
This school year I’ve been doing a lot of World War II reading for the middle school history class, which means (among other things) a lot of very thick biographies about very terrible people. (I’ve discovered that I’m really not comfortable carrying a Hitler biography around to read in public). I’ll do a round-up post of my nonfiction WWII reading later in the year, but as we’re getting back into the swing of things, I thought I’d focus on my recent non-Hitler-related reading:
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
Turton’s debut novel is a Groundhog-Day style murder mystery where the detective relives the same day over and over again, each time inhabiting a different guest at a house party, while trying to solve the murder that will happen at the end of the night. I am definitely up for this level of weirdness, but I was a little disappointed: it felt like the author worked so hard to get all the puzzle pieces to fit together that he forgot to create interesting characters for me to root for. (LC Score: +1)
City of the Beasts by Isabel Allende
We’ve reached South America in World Lit, which means I get to make my middle schoolers read one of my very favorite authors! City of the Beasts is Allende’s first children’s/YA novel and the first in a trilogy. In it we follow our 15-year-old protagonist up the Amazon river in search of a mysterious yeti-like creature. It’s a little slow to get started and occasionally the prose (translated from the Spanish) can be a bit clunky, but I love the descriptions once the adventure really starts and things get exciting. (LC Score: 0, off my own shelves)
The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz
Horowitz is hit or miss for me. I really enjoyed Magpie Murders, but haven’t fallen in love with any of his other books. This one (coming after Horowitz’s popular Sherlock novels The House of Silk and Moriarty) casts an obnoxious ex-cop as a “consulting investigator” and stand-in for Holmes, with Horowitz himself as first-person narrator and Watson. I have mixed feelings about authors who insert themselves as characters in their own books; I think it creeps me out a bit, not knowing where the reality ends and fiction begins. There are some good plot twists, but I really didn’t enjoy the Holmes character and I don’t think I’ll be picking up the forthcoming sequel. (LC Score: +1)
The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths
A high school English teacher is horrified when her best friend is murdered--and is even more upset when the murder seems to be connected to a famous Victorian ghost story written by an author that she has studied for years — and THEN mysterious messages start to appear in HER OWN DIARY!! So creepy I get chills thinking about it! This one is hard to put down and I’ve got my fingers crossed that Griffiths will write a follow-up with the same investigating officer, a not-quite-out lesbian Sikh who still lives with her parents. (LC Score: +1)
Pandemonium by Daryl Gregory
I already know I love Gregory’s books and this one, his first, was no exception. Since 1950, the United States and the rest of the world has been living through an epidemic of demonic possession, though no one can quite figure out what the “demons” actually are. Are they aliens? Telepaths? Jungian archetypes? Gregory’s worlds are always bizarre and fascinating, and I thoroughly enjoyed this story of one man desperately trying to solve his own demonic possession problem. Plus lots of cameos by celebrities both fictional and non! (Let me know when you read it so we can have a conversation about the true identity of Siobhan O’Connell.) (LC Score: +½, returned overdue)
See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt
I’m always up for a good Lizzie Borden book. (Most recent favorite: Maplecroft by Cherie Priest, which is Lizzie Borden plus Cthulhu.) Schmidt’s book is a retelling of the Lizzie Borden murders, showing us the inside of a deeply dysfunctional family. (Slight SPOILER: I was concerned that it was all going to be about sexual abuse, which I do NOT enjoy reading, but it turns out that there are many ways of being dysfunctional! Hurray!) I maybe wanted to go a teensy bit deeper, but it’s incredibly compelling and I read it in one sitting. (LC Score: +1)
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
Aw, man, I really wanted to like this one. I love the cover and I’m definitely intrigued by the idea of taking a year off to “hibernate,” but I found the protagonist--who is miserable but always (as she keeps reminding us) beautiful--completely unrelatable and borderline unrecognizable as an actual human, capable of actual human relationships. It’s an example of what I think of as a very New York City novel about very New York City people, who are apparently completely unlike the rest of us in the rest of the world? This one, unfortunately, didn’t work for me. (LC Score: +1)
The Broken Teaglass by Emily Arsenault
Adventures in lexicography! While researching etymologies for a new edition of the dictionary, editorial assistant Billy discovers pieces of a story told via the citations collected in their catalog. As he looks for more pieces of the puzzle, he discovers the outline of a mystery, perhaps even involving murder! I found the ending slightly anti-climatic, but it was a very fun read. (LC Score: +1)
Books Returned Unread: -1
Library Chicken Score for 3/22/19: 6 ½
Running Score: 5 ½
On the to-read/still-reading stack for next week:
The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths (loved The Stranger Diaries and can’t wait to read this one!)
Stalin: A Biography by Robert Service (I mentioned all the terrible people, right?)
Cousin Kate by Georgette Heyer (as an antidote for all that WWII stuff)
(We’re Amazon affiliates, so if you purchase something through an Amazon link, we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Obviously this doesn’t influence what we recommend, and we link to places other than Amazon.)
Library Chicken: We're Back! And the Best Books of 2019 So Far
Look! Suzanne is back! And she’s got a big list of her favorite 2019 reads so far.
Welcome to the weekly round-up of what the BookNerd is reading and how many points I scored (or lost) in Library Chicken. To recap, you get a point for returning a library book that you’ve read, you lose a point for returning a book unread, and while returning a book past the due date is technically legal, you do lose half a point. If you want to play along, leave your score in the comments!
HEY GUYS, I’M BACK! Did you miss me? I missed you! I thought about asking Amy to commission a zombified back-from-the-grave version of the Library Chicken logo (which would be AWESOME, am I right?) but then I thought maybe not. Also — and I blame this entirely on the current political situation — I think about a zombie apocalypse waaaay too much.
I hope that your 2019 has been wonderful so far and you have been busily checking books off your to-read list. To get us back in the groove, I thought I’d start out with my own Best of 2019 So Far list.
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer
Part of self-care for me is comfort reading: re-reading old favorites. If you do a lot of comfort reading (ahem), you may find that you need to at least temporarily retire some of those favorites that you nearly know by heart (Jane Austen, The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley, Sorcery and Cecelia by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer, P.G. Wodehouse, Dorothy Sayers) in favor of relative newbies. These are all on my nextgen comfort reading shelf.
London Falling by Paul Cornell
The Severed Streets by Paul Cornell
Who Killed Sherlock Holmes? by Paul Cornell
Paul Cornell is a talented author and screenwriter (he wrote the Doctor Who episodes “Father’s Day” and — one of my personal favorites — the two-parter “Human Nature/The Family of Blood”). In this series (The Shadow Police) we follow a modern day London detective squad that acquires special powers during a very strange case, allowing them to see the “shadow” London of magic and mystery that exists side-by-side with the everyday world. It’s a great combination of police procedural and urban fantasy, occasionally hard-boiled and dark (the first book, London Falling, involves child-murder) with a dash of weird humor (a witch who kills soccer players who score goals against her favorite team). Very much UNfortunately, according to Cornell, this supposed-to-be-five-books series has been dropped by the publisher, so it’s possible we will never get to see the very end of the story arc. That said, if book three, Who Killed Sherlock Holmes?, does end up being the last one, it is not a bad wrap-up for the series (most of the urgent plot points are dealt with), which is still very much worth reading.
A Cure for Suicide by Jesse Ball
Census by Jesse Ball
How to Set a Fire and Why by Jesse Ball
Jesse Ball is weird and wonderful and I don’t know what he’s doing half the time but I’m totally fine with it. In A Cure for Suicide, we’re transported to a carefully constructed village where people who want to leave their lives behind are taught to live again after having their memories wiped. Census follows a father, recently diagnosed with a terminal disease, and his young son on a journey as census-takers through a world that is not quite our own. How to Set a Fire and Why, a coming-of-age story about a teenage girl with a tragic past (and, almost certainly, a tragic future) is the most mainstream (and perhaps the saddest) work of his that I’ve read.
Wolf in White Van by John Darnielle
I read this immediately following How to Set a Fire and Why, which turned out to be one of those happenstance pairings that works really well. Our narrator, Sean, has severe physical handicaps as the result of an “accident” when he was in high school. He now runs a by-mail adventure game, which has unexpectedly led to tragedy for some of his players. It’s a short novel, but there’s so much good stuff going on here that I look forward to revisiting it some time in the future.
Confessions of the Fox: A Novel by Jordy Rosenberg
This is the bizarre and wonderful story of notorious 18th-century London thief Jack Sheppard, told in parallel via footnotes (I LOVE STORY-TELLING IN FOOTNOTES GIVE THEM ALL TO ME) with the story of the professor who found the mysterious manuscript detailing Jack’s true history (turns out he’s transgender, among other things). It’s weird and compelling and (SPOILER) there is a LOT of explicit sex, which can sometimes turn me off a book (that’s just me) but didn’t bother me here.
Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman
We’re doing biology in the high school and middle school this year, which means I’ve been reading up on Darwin. This nonfiction biography of the Darwins’ marriage (aimed at the YA audience, I believe, but certainly enjoyable for adult readers) shows the challenges and complexities of their relationship, which was long-lasting and, by all accounts, incredibly successful. I love reading about all the Victorians, but Darwin — who was apparently a quite decent and loving human being! — is one of my very favorites.
Anne Frank: The Book, the Life, the Afterlife by Francine Prose
I believe that everyone should read The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank at some point (I prefer The Definitive Edition, edited by Mirjam Pressler and published 1991), and this is the year for my middle school students, since we’re covering the 1930s and World War II in history class. Francine Prose (Reading Like a Writer) explores the diary as a piece of serious literature, along with the history of its publication and popularity, and the (surprisingly!) scandalous production of the play and movie adaptations. This is a great companion to the diary for students and teachers, and a fascinating read in its own right.
The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan
More 1930s reading: companion book to the excellent American Experience documentary episode, Surviving the Dust Bowl. It’s hard to imagine what it must have been like to live through this ecological disaster, but Egan does a great job bringing it to life with first-hand accounts.
Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt by H.W. Brands
No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and the Home Front in World War II by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Eleanor Roosevelt, Volume One: 1894-1933 by Blanche Wiesen Cook
I may be a teensy bit obsessed with the Roosevelts, and this year I’m getting to indulge my obsession. These are all great accounts of Franklin and Eleanor and their complex relationship. I’ve got another stack of Roosevelt-reading next to the night stand; we’ll see how much I can get through before I have to start studying up for next year’s history class.
We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby
Meaty by Samantha Irby
These two funny, compelling, and occasionally heart-breaking essay collections (by the author of the blog “bitches gotta eat”) cover a wide range of topics including dating, chronic illness, and tyrannical cats. Irby is currently working on the Hulu adaptation of Lindy West’s Shrill (another great book!) starring Aidy Bryant (so many talented women!).
...AND I’m starting fresh for the new year, even though the new year was some time ago, so:
Library Chicken Score for 3/15/19: 0
Running Score: 0
On the to-read/still-reading stack for next week:
Eleanor Roosevelt, Vol. 2: The Defining Years 1933-1938 by Blanche Wiesen Cook (I want to be Eleanor when I grow up)
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (everyone in the world has read this already, including my daughter who is very upset that it is taking me so long)
The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths (don’t know much about it other than that it’s supposed to be a “gripping gothic thriller,” so yes, I’m in)
Pandemonium by Daryl Gregory (Spoonbenders was great, and this looks good too!)
(We’re Amazon affiliates, so if you purchase something through an Amazon link, we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Obviously this doesn’t influence what we recommend, and we link to places other than Amazon.)
Stuff We Like :: 3.29.19
Our weekly roundup of great links, books, and other stuff that’s inspiring our homeschool life.
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT HOME/SCHOOL/LIFE
I’m wrapping up the spring issue and next year’s curriculum, in that order!
on the blog: Don’t let other people’s voices get in your way
at the academy: What’s happening at the high school and the junior high
on instagram: Suzanne makes the best book recommendations
from the archives: A Civil War reading list and 30 great ideas for celebrating National Poetry Month
LINKS I LIKED
I love this so much: Reimagining history, one whitewashed diorama at a time. We really can do better as we know better, just like this.
I love my job, but I don’t want my job to be the most important thing in my life.
Suzanne and I were just talking about what ever happened to Wite-Out. (Do you think the internet is spying on me?)
I thought this was great — I love getting to review books as part of my day job, but sometimes I just want to talk about books, and that’s not the same thing.
THINGS I DIDN’T KNOW BUT NOW I DO
One of the most celebrated women authors of the 19th century got erased from literary history.
Fantasy birding is a thing, and it is GLORIOUS.
BOOKS ADDED TO MY TBR LIST THIS WEEK
Murder by the Book: The Crime that Shocked Dickens’s London (obviously!)
Tokyo Stories: A Japanese Cookbook (I think my daughter will love this one)
The Old Drift (Salman Rushdie makes this sound like a can’t-miss)
WHAT’S MAKING ME HAPPY
These amazing illustrations for Howl’s Moving Castle.
(We’re Amazon affiliates, so if you purchase something through an Amazon link, we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Obviously this doesn’t influence what we recommend, and we link to places other than Amazon.)
Kindle Deals of the Day for March 28, 2019
See all of our picks for the best ebook deals for your homeschool for 3/28/19.
Today's Best Book Deals for Your Homeschool
(Prices are correct as of the time of writing, but y'all know sales move fast — check before you click the buy button! These are Amazon links — read more about how we use affiliate links to help support some of the costs of the HSL blog here.)
Tea with the Black Dragon is $1.99. From our reading list for Appreciate a Dragon Day: When Martha comes to San Francisco to find her worried—and now missing—daughter, she meets the mysterious Mayland, who, it turns out, is a centuries-old Chinese dragon—a fact that comes in handy when Martha goes missing, too.
Still on sale
As I Lay Dying is $2.99. I can never explain my love for Faulker’s haunted fiction — haunted by language, haunted by history, haunted by himself — so I’ll let Amazon sum it up for you: “Faulkner's distinctive narrative structures--the uses of multiple points of view and the inner psychological voices of the characters--in one of its most successful incarnations here in As I Lay Dying. In the story, the members of the Bundren family must take the body of Addie, matriarch of the family, to the town where Addie wanted to be buried. Along the way, we listen to each of the members on the macabre pilgrimage, while Faulkner heaps upon them various flavors of disaster. Contains the famous chapter completing the equation about mothers and fish--you'll see.”
The Witch’s Boy is $3.4. Kelly Barnhill’s modern fairy tales are effortlessly complex, and I love them all. From the publisher: “When Ned and his identical twin brother tumble from their raft into a raging river, only Ned survives. Villagers are convinced the wrong boy lived. Across the forest that borders Ned’s village, Áine, the daughter of the Bandit King, is haunted by her mother’s last words: “The wrong boy will save your life, and you will save his.” When the Bandit King comes to steal the magic Ned’s mother, a witch, is meant to protect, Áine and Ned meet. Can they trust each other long enough to cross a dangerous enchanted forest and stop the war about to boil over between their two kingdoms?”
Seveneves is $1.99. This hard sci-fi story is a great follow-up for fans of The Martian. What would happen if the surface of the Earth suddenly became uninhabitable? In Stephenson’s world, scientists band together to create a tiny space colony of chosen survivors, a task that comes with constant technical challenges that need to be scienced if humanity is going to stand a chance of survival. (The first part is stronger than the second, but I always feel that way about Stephenson’s books.)
The Fifth Season is $2.99. I have to confess that I read this book to be polite because Suzanne kept talking about how great Jemisin is, and I was BLOWN AWAY. The three interconnected narratives tell the story of a world where the earth’s power can be harnessed by a much-feared and heavily controlled group of people, but the gorgeous language, complex plotting, and subtle characters make this an extraordinary piece of literature.
The Vengekeep Prophecies is $2.99. From our readalikes for The Hobbit: “Jaxter Grimjinx was born to be a master thief—but it turns out that with disaster bearing down on his world, he may need to become a hero instead.”
Terrible Typhoid Mary is $2.99. My son became really interested in infections when our homeschool group got hit hard by a bug this winter, and I picked up this book about one of the most notorious infections of all time at the library. This was a pleasantly complex book that went into the science of pathology but also the legal and social issues at the center of her case. Really interesting!
Vengeance Road is $2.99. From our great YA westerns roundup: Kate disguises herself as a boy to find justice for her father, who was murdered for his journal containing the location of a secret gold mine. (Remind you a little bit of the plot for True Grit?) But family secrets are dangerous in a world where gold is king, and even with the help of her unlikely band of allies, Kate may not be able to avoid the danger that awaits her.
Binti is $1.99. I grabbed a copy of this YA sci-fi-with-magic fantasy from Akata Witch author Nnedi Okorafor, and I have high hopes! Kenyan director Wanuri Kahiu said, “Binti is a supreme read about a sexy, edgy Afropolitan in space! It's a wondrous combination of extra-terrestrial adventure and age-old African diplomacy.” Yes, please!
Archer’s Goon is $2.99. This is classic Diana Wynne Jones: A band of sorcerer siblings will go to any lengths to beat each other to the 2,000 words Harold’s author father was supposed to deliver — words that they believe will be the key to breaking them out of the individual jails they rule. Harold, of course, finds himself caught up in the competition, and trying to tell the good guys from the bad guys isn’t always easy.
AMY SHARONY is the founder and editor-in-chief of home | school | life magazine. She's a pretty nice person until someone starts pluralizing things with apostrophes, but then all bets are off.