Kindle Deals for August 13, 2019
Exciting adventures in today’s Kindle deals for 8/13/19.
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.)
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, by Chris Grabenstein, $1.99, was part of my daughter’s mystery book club last year, and she was a huge fan. HSL has featured it as a readaloud of the week, and say this is why you’ll love it: Libraries! Puzzles to solve! Witty book references! While you shouldn’t look for nuanced character development, you’ll be so busy running around the library with Kyle and his allies to crack codes and unpuzzle puzzles, you will hardly miss it.
Magical Miniature Gardens & Homes, by Donni Webber, $2.99, is a great book for adding a little bit of enchantment to your homeschool this fall. Webber gives you all the details you need to make your own fairy gardens. The gorgeous projects include a fairly rendition of Hobbiton, for the Tolkien fans among us. The projects use fairly basic crafting materials (definitely have a glue gun handy) and natural objects. Start spreading that pixie dust!
The four book Mary Poppins set, by P.L. Travers, is $2.99. These books are delightful, but take a very different tone from the Disney movies. Mary is ascerbic, and the stories take some darker twists. You could do a fascinating study comparing the books to Mary Poppins, Mary Poppins Returns, and Saving Mr. Banks.
Still On Sale
The Princess Bride, by Williams Golding, $3.49. This book is in our Middle School Reading List and our Summer Reading list for fans of The Phantom Tollbooth. Golding’s novel might poke fun at some of the traditional fairy-tale elements in epic adventures, but the story of Buttercup and her Westley is an unabashed literary delight. (Golding was inserting wry narrator notes long before the trend took off in children’s literature.)
Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot, by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer, $1.99, is in multiple wheelhouses for me. This is the first in a series of epistolary novels set in an early 19th century England where magic is real. Amy loves it, too. The language is fairly true to the Jane Austen vibe, but the adventures are madcap and unique. You’ll be excited to discover what’s next for Cecelia and Kate as they take on rogue wizards and the hazards of Regency fashion.
I love science, but I’m also a social science person; I applied to college as a biochemistry major and graduated with an English degree. Periodic Tales, by Hugh Aldersey-Wiliams, $1.99, is the best of both world. Aldersley-Williams explains not just what an element does, but how it got discovered and what roles it has played in history and modern society. This is a great companion for a high school chemistry course. The writing feels like Bill Bryson’s A Brief History of Nearly Everything, another science book that I can’t recommend enough.
The Odyssey is also on sale today for $1.99. This Lattimore translation is near and dear to my heart; it’s the very first book freshmen read in Columbia’s core curriculum. Not the easiest read, as it stays fairly close to the original Greek, but the ultimate in epic poetry and a great choice for flexing those literary analysis skills.
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.
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!
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.
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 11, 2019
Great Kindle deals for 8/11/19.
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.)
Really good deals on some of my favorite books TODAY ONLY! Go check them out!
The Princess Bride, by Williams Golding, $2.99. This book is in our Middle School Reading List and our Summer Reading list for fans of The Phantom Tollbooth. Golding’s novel might poke fun at some of the traditional fairy-tale elements in epic adventures, but the story of Buttercup and her Westley is an unabashed literary delight. (Golding was inserting wry narrator notes long before the trend took off in children’s literature.)
The Name of the Rose, by Umberto Eco, $2.99, is one of my favorite novels. The movie version of the book, starring Sean Connery, is in our Medieval History movie list, but the book is even better. This is an incredibly faithful and richly detailed tale of monastic life that is also full of page-turning intrigue and mystery.
Seafurrers, by Phillippa Sandall, $2.99, had me right from the punny title. I love a good microhistory, and this very specifically focused book is delightful. You’ll learn about famous ship’s cats through history. It’s full of humor, but it is equally full of interesting cat facts. Several of the cats found their way aboard with famous explorers with names you will recognize. If you love cats, ships, exploration, or puns, this one’s for you.
Still On Sale
Beauty, by Robin McKinley, $1.99, is a perennial HSL favorite. Amy talked about it in some detail earlier this year. Amy says: This retelling of Beauty and the Beast is the book that got me hooked on Robin McKinley — I’m pretty sure I got it through a Scholastic book order form — and a recent rereading with my high schooler reminded me how much I love it. McKinley keeps the old-fashioned fairy tale setting with this story of a not-so-beautiful youngest daughter who volunteers to live in an enchanted castle to save her father. This would be great to read with a bunch of other Beauty and the Beast adaptations as a comparative literature project.
Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot, by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer, $1.99, is in multiple wheelhouses for me. This is the first in a series of epistolary novels set in an early 19th century England where magic is real. Amy loves it, too. The language is fairly true to the Jane Austen vibe, but the adventures are madcap and unique. You’ll be excited to discover what’s next for Cecelia and Kate as they take on rogue wizards and the hazards of Regency fashion.
Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt, $2.99, is a classic of my childhood. When Winnie Foster discovers a literal fountain of youth and a family that has been living off the water for decades, she has to consider what immortality would mean for her own life. This book is certain to foster interesting family discussion. There’s a adaptation starring Alexis Bledel of the Gilmore Girls if you’d like to do a lesson comparing the book and movie.
Swing, by Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess, is only $0.99 today! This YA novel in free verse is the story of best friends Walt and Noah, who are trying to make the world a better place and become cool in the process. It’s a story of baseball, jazz, love, and racial issues. The nontraditional storytelling may hook some more reluctant readers. The book’s message, “You can either uphold the status quo, or you can see what’s wrong and try to change it,” is something we all need to hear.
HSL loves The Sisters Grimm! We have featured the series in our What to Read After Harry Potter list. Sisters Sabrina and Daphne navigate the world of Ferryport, where all the familiar fairy tale characters are real and sometimes up to no good. The series companion book, filled with maps, timelines, behind-the-scenes journal entries, and other goodies, is on sale today for $2.99
I love science, but I’m also a social science person; I applied to college as a biochemistry major and graduated with an English degree. Periodic Tales, by Hugh Aldersey-Wiliams, $1.99, is the best of both world. Aldersley-Williams explains not just what an element does, but how it got discovered and what roles it has played in history and modern society. This is a great companion for a high school chemistry course. The writing feels like Bill Bryson’s A Brief History of Nearly Everything, another science book that I can’t recommend enough.
I’ve been looking forward to reading How to Talk so Teens will Listen, by Faber and Mazlish, $2.99. Their original book, How to Talk so Kids will Listen, gave me some great communication and parenting advice that I put into practice regularly at home and in the co-op I lead. I particularly like their focus on meeting kids on their emotional level. A few simple words that let a kid know you are hearing them can make a huge difference in working through tough issues. My daughter is (gasp!) moving into the tween/teen years, so it is time to check out what these two have to say about teenagers.
The Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare, is $2.99 this week. We featured it in our Favorite Campfire Readalouds, and it is part of Build Your Library and Brave Writer’s Arrow curricula. This is the story of a 13-year-old in the Colonial era who is left home alone to defend his cabin. When he meets a Native American boy, he learns to see the conflict between settlers and indigenous people in a new light. This Newberry honor book could be a valuable addition to your library.
You can’t read as many books as I do without unlimited funds or a deep appreciation for libraries. I love the hard work librarians do, so I was surprised when my daughter fell in love with Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, by Brandon Sanderson, $2.99. In this five-book series, the Librarians are part of a cult that is dedicated to taking over the world through the spread of misinformation and chaos. This darkly funny and over-the-top novel is a good fit for kids who enjoy Lemony Snicket.
When a book is blurbed by both Barack Obama and Bob Dole, you know it is off to a good start. What You Should Know About Politics… But Don’t, by Jessamyn Conrad, $1.99, was created in the run up to the 2016 election to provide a nonpartisan guide to some of the bigger issues. As we enter a new election season, this book may be a good starting point for an exploration of American government.
How to Write a Sentence, by Stanley Fish, $1.99, was featured in our Making the Shift to Middle School article. It is great introduction to thinking carefully about writing, a little more basic than Strunk and White. Fish focuses on how each sentence builds on the logic of the larger work The sentences used for examples come from a variety of authors and genres.
Nothing goes with writing better than a little literary analysis. How to Read Novels Like a Professor, by Thomas C. Foster, is $1.99 this week. Foster is an English professor who has also written about capital L literature, but this book focuses on more popular novels and what they share with literary classics. Teens will appreciate the conversational tone. As Amy describes, Foster theorizes that you can tell most of what you need to know about a book from the first page, which you may or may not agree with but which is a fun way to spend a sunny front porch kind of afternoon.
The Odyssey is also on sale today for $1.99. This Lattimore translation is near and dear to my heart; it’s the very first book freshmen read in Columbia’s core curriculum. Not the easiest read, as it stays fairly close to the original Greek, but the ultimate in epic poetry and a great choice for flexing those literary analysis skills.
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.
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!
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.
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 9, 2019
Fiction and comics in today’s Kindle deals for 8/9/19.
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.)
Beauty, by Robin McKinley, $1.99, is a perennial HSL favorite. Amy talked about it in some detail earlier this year. Amy says: This retelling of Beauty and the Beast is the book that got me hooked on Robin McKinley — I’m pretty sure I got it through a Scholastic book order form — and a recent rereading with my high schooler reminded me how much I love it. McKinley keeps the old-fashioned fairy tale setting with this story of a not-so-beautiful youngest daughter who volunteers to live in an enchanted castle to save her father. This would be great to read with a bunch of other Beauty and the Beast adaptations as a comparative literature project.
Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot, by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer, $1.99, is in multiple wheelhouses for me. This is the first in a series of epistolary novels set in an early 19th century England where magic is real. Amy loves it, too. The language is fairly true to the Jane Austen vibe, but the adventures are madcap and unique. You’ll be excited to discover what’s next for Cecelia and Kate as they take on rogue wizards and the hazards of Regency fashion.
Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt, $2.99, is a classic of my childhood. When Winnie Foster discovers a literal fountain of youth and a family that has been living off the water for decades, she has to consider what immortality would mean for her own life. This book is certain to foster interesting family discussion. There’s a adaptation starring Alexis Bledel of the Gilmore Girls if you’d like to do a lesson comparing the book and movie.
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Volume 1, by Brandon Montclare, is $3.99. I have high hopes for this Marvel comic series. Luna is a tween with an “Inhuman” gene that allows her to swap bodies with a giant dinosaur. Together the pair combat neanderthals and others who have teleported to the modern world. I’m excited to see a minority heroine, and the fact that she’s a STEM-loving genius make this a home run for me. School Library Journal calls the series “a much-needed, well-done, inclusive comic series that deserves a place in all libraries.”
Still On Sale
Swing, by Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess, is only $0.99 today! This YA novel in free verse is the story of best friends Walt and Noah, who are trying to make the world a better place and become cool in the process. It’s a story of baseball, jazz, love, and racial issues. The nontraditional storytelling may hook some more reluctant readers. The book’s message, “You can either uphold the status quo, or you can see what’s wrong and try to change it,” is something we all need to hear.
HSL loves The Sisters Grimm! We have featured the series in our What to Read After Harry Potter list. Sisters Sabrina and Daphne navigate the world of Ferryport, where all the familiar fairy tale characters are real and sometimes up to no good. The series companion book, filled with maps, timelines, behind-the-scenes journal entries, and other goodies, is on sale today for $2.99
I love science, but I’m also a social science person; I applied to college as a biochemistry major and graduated with an English degree. Periodic Tales, by Hugh Aldersey-Wiliams, $1.99, is the best of both world. Aldersley-Williams explains not just what an element does, but how it got discovered and what roles it has played in history and modern society. This is a great companion for a high school chemistry course. The writing feels like Bill Bryson’s A Brief History of Nearly Everything, another science book that I can’t recommend enough.
I’ve been looking forward to reading How to Talk so Teens will Listen, by Faber and Mazlish, $2.99. Their original book, How to Talk so Kids will Listen, gave me some great communication and parenting advice that I put into practice regularly at home and in the co-op I lead. I particularly like their focus on meeting kids on their emotional level. A few simple words that let a kid know you are hearing them can make a huge difference in working through tough issues. My daughter is (gasp!) moving into the tween/teen years, so it is time to check out what these two have to say about teenagers.
The Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare, is $2.99 this week. We featured it in our Favorite Campfire Readalouds, and it is part of Build Your Library and Brave Writer’s Arrow curricula. This is the story of a 13-year-old in the Colonial era who is left home alone to defend his cabin. When he meets a Native American boy, he learns to see the conflict between settlers and indigenous people in a new light. This Newberry honor book could be a valuable addition to your library.
You can’t read as many books as I do without unlimited funds or a deep appreciation for libraries. I love the hard work librarians do, so I was surprised when my daughter fell in love with Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, by Brandon Sanderson, $2.99. In this five-book series, the Librarians are part of a cult that is dedicated to taking over the world through the spread of misinformation and chaos. This darkly funny and over-the-top novel is a good fit for kids who enjoy Lemony Snicket.
When a book is blurbed by both Barack Obama and Bob Dole, you know it is off to a good start. What You Should Know About Politics… But Don’t, by Jessamyn Conrad, $1.99, was created in the run up to the 2016 election to provide a nonpartisan guide to some of the bigger issues. As we enter a new election season, this book may be a good starting point for an exploration of American government.
How to Write a Sentence, by Stanley Fish, $1.99, was featured in our Making the Shift to Middle School article. It is great introduction to thinking carefully about writing, a little more basic than Strunk and White. Fish focuses on how each sentence builds on the logic of the larger work The sentences used for examples come from a variety of authors and genres.
Nothing goes with writing better than a little literary analysis. How to Read Novels Like a Professor, by Thomas C. Foster, is $1.99 this week. Foster is an English professor who has also written about capital L literature, but this book focuses on more popular novels and what they share with literary classics. Teens will appreciate the conversational tone. As Amy describes, Foster theorizes that you can tell most of what you need to know about a book from the first page, which you may or may not agree with but which is a fun way to spend a sunny front porch kind of afternoon.
The Odyssey is also on sale today for $1.99. This Lattimore translation is near and dear to my heart; it’s the very first book freshmen read in Columbia’s core curriculum. Not the easiest read, as it stays fairly close to the original Greek, but the ultimate in epic poetry and a great choice for flexing those literary analysis skills.
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.
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!
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.
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 8, 2019
Great modern and classic lit in today’s Kindle deals for 8/8/19.
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.)
Swing, by Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess, is only $0.99 today! This YA novel in free verse is the story of best friends Walt and Noah, who are trying to make the world a better place and become cool in the process. It’s a story of baseball, jazz, love, and racial issues. The nontraditional storytelling may hook some more reluctant readers. The book’s message, “You can either uphold the status quo, or you can see what’s wrong and try to change it,” is something we all need to hear.
HSL loves The Sisters Grimm! We have featured the series in our What to Read After Harry Potter list. Sisters Sabrina and Daphne navigate the world of Ferryport, where all the familiar fairy tale characters are real and sometimes up to no good. The series companion book, filled with maps, timelines, behind-the-scenes journal entries, and other goodies, is on sale today for $2.99.
Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes, is $2.99 today only. Amy says: I still remember trying not to cry when we were reading it in my 8th grade lit class. (Pretty sure I wasn’t the only one.) Charlie undergoes an experimental brain surgery designed to increase human intelligence, and it works better than anyone could have expected. Charlie’s IQ leaps from 68 to 185, but being smarter doesn’t make Charlie’s life better. Keyes raises meaningful questions about emotion, intelligence, and science in this novel. (It’s one of our must-reads for middle school.)
I love science, but I’m also a social science person; I applied to college as a biochemistry major and graduated with an English degree. Periodic Tales, by Hugh Aldersey-Wiliams, $1.99, is the best of both world. Aldersley-Williams explains not just what an element does, but how it got discovered and what roles it has played in history and modern society. This is a great companion for a high school chemistry course. The writing feels like Bill Bryson’s A Brief History of Nearly Everything, another science book that I can’t recommend enough.
Still On Sale
I’ve been looking forward to reading How to Talk so Teens will Listen, by Faber and Mazlish, $2.99. Their original book, How to Talk so Kids will Listen, gave me some great communication and parenting advice that I put into practice regularly at home and in the co-op I lead. I particularly like their focus on meeting kids on their emotional level. A few simple words that let a kid know you are hearing them can make a huge difference in working through tough issues. My daughter is (gasp!) moving into the tween/teen years, so it is time to check out what these two have to say about teenagers.
The Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare, is $2.99 this week. We featured it in our Favorite Campfire Readalouds, and it is part of Build Your Library and Brave Writer’s Arrow curricula. This is the story of a 13-year-old in the Colonial era who is left home alone to defend his cabin. When he meets a Native American boy, he learns to see the conflict between settlers and indigenous people in a new light. This Newberry honor book could be a valuable addition to your library.
You can’t read as many books as I do without unlimited funds or a deep appreciation for libraries. I love the hard work librarians do, so I was surprised when my daughter fell in love with Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, by Brandon Sanderson, $2.99. In this five-book series, the Librarians are part of a cult that is dedicated to taking over the world through the spread of misinformation and chaos. This darkly funny and over-the-top novel is a good fit for kids who enjoy Lemony Snicket.
When a book is blurbed by both Barack Obama and Bob Dole, you know it is off to a good start. What You Should Know About Politics… But Don’t, by Jessamyn Conrad, $1.99, was created in the run up to the 2016 election to provide a nonpartisan guide to some of the bigger issues. As we enter a new election season, this book may be a good starting point for an exploration of American government.
How to Write a Sentence, by Stanley Fish, $1.99, was featured in our Making the Shift to Middle School article. It is great introduction to thinking carefully about writing, a little more basic than Strunk and White. Fish focuses on how each sentence builds on the logic of the larger work The sentences used for examples come from a variety of authors and genres.
Nothing goes with writing better than a little literary analysis. How to Read Novels Like a Professor, by Thomas C. Foster, is $1.99 this week. Foster is an English professor who has also written about capital L literature, but this book focuses on more popular novels and what they share with literary classics. Teens will appreciate the conversational tone. As Amy describes, Foster theorizes that you can tell most of what you need to know about a book from the first page, which you may or may not agree with but which is a fun way to spend a sunny front porch kind of afternoon.
The Odyssey is also on sale today for $1.99. This Lattimore translation is near and dear to my heart; it’s the very first book freshmen read in Columbia’s core curriculum. Not the easiest read, as it stays fairly close to the original Greek, but the ultimate in epic poetry and a great choice for flexing those literary analysis skills.
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.
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!
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 7, 2019
An assortment of Kindle deals for 8/7/19.
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.)
I’ve been looking forward to reading How to Talk so Teens will Listen, by Faber and Mazlish, $2.99. Their original book, How to Talk so Kids will Listen, gave me some great communication and parenting advice that I put into practice regularly at home and in the co-op I lead. I particularly like their focus on meeting kids on their emotional level. A few simple words that let a kid know you are hearing them can make a huge difference in working through tough issues. My daughter is (gasp!) moving into the tween/teen years, so it is time to check out what these two have to say about teenagers.
The Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare, is $2.99 this week. We featured it in our Favorite Campfire Readalouds, and it is part of Build Your Library and Brave Writer’s Arrow curricula. This is the story of a 13-year-old in the Colonial era who is left home alone to defend his cabin. When he meets a Native American boy, he learns to see the conflict between settlers and indigenous people in a new light. This Newberry honor book could be a valuable addition to your library.
You can’t read as many books as I do without unlimited funds or a deep appreciation for libraries. I love the hard work librarians do, so I was surprised when my daughter fell in love with Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, by Brandon Sanderson, $2.99. In this five-book series, the Librarians are part of a cult that is dedicated to taking over the world through the spread of misinformation and chaos. This darkly funny and over-the-top novel is a good fit for kids who enjoy Lemony Snicket.
When a book is blurbed by both Barack Obama and Bob Dole, you know it is off to a good start. What You Should Know About Politics… But Don’t, by Jessamyn Conrad, $1.99, was created in the run up to the 2016 election to provide a nonpartisan guide to some of the bigger issues. As we enter a new election season, this book may be a good starting point for an exploration of American government.
Still On Sale
How to Write a Sentence, by Stanley Fish, $1.99, was featured in our Making the Shift to Middle School article. It is great introduction to thinking carefully about writing, a little more basic than Strunk and White. Fish focuses on how each sentence builds on the logic of the larger work The sentences used for examples come from a variety of authors and genres.
Nothing goes with writing better than a little literary analysis. How to Read Novels Like a Professor, by Thomas C. Foster, is $1.99 this week. Foster is an English professor who has also written about capital L literature, but this book focuses on more popular novels and what they share with literary classics. Teens will appreciate the conversational tone. As Amy describes, Foster theorizes that you can tell most of what you need to know about a book from the first page, which you may or may not agree with but which is a fun way to spend a sunny front porch kind of afternoon.
The Odyssey is also on sale today for $1.99. This Lattimore translation is near and dear to my heart; it’s the very first book freshmen read in Columbia’s core curriculum. Not the easiest read, as it stays fairly close to the original Greek, but the ultimate in epic poetry and a great choice for flexing those literary analysis skills.
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.
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!
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 6, 2019
Check out the latest Kindle deals for 8/6/19.
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.)
We are going in a different direction today. Today’s theme is upper level language arts! We have some literature classics and helpful reading and writing guides.
How to Write a Sentence, by Stanley Fish, $1.99, was featured in our Making the Shift to Middle School article. It is great introduction to thinking carefully about writing, a little more basic than Strunk and White. Fish focuses on how each sentence builds on the logic of the larger work The sentences used for examples come from a variety of authors and genres.
Nothing goes with writing better than a little literary analysis. How to Read Novels Like a Professor, by Thomas C. Foster, is $1.99 this week. Foster is an English professor who has also written about capital L literature, but this book focuses on more popular novels and what they share with literary classics. Teens will appreciate the conversational tone. As Amy describes, Foster theorizes that you can tell most of what you need to know about a book from the first page, which you may or may not agree with but which is a fun way to spend a sunny front porch kind of afternoon.
The Odyssey is also on sale today for $1.99. This Lattimore translation is near and dear to my heart; it’s the very first book freshmen read in Columbia’s core curriculum. Not the easiest read, as it stays fairly close to the original Greek, but the ultimate in epic poetry and a great choice for flexing those literary analysis skills.
Still On Sale
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Kindle Deals of the Day for March 25, 2019
See all of our picks for the best ebook deals for your homeschool for 3/25/19.
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.)
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.”
Still on sale
The Hero and the Crown is $1.99. The Washington Post compared this Newbery winner to Tolkien’s and LeGuin’s modern fantasy classics. I love that it’s feminist without even trying.
The Witch’s Boy is $3.90. 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 Night Gardener is $2.99 and a great Halloween readaloud. From our review: “This is a terrific middle grades take on classic Gothic literature, complete with a spooky old house, a deliciously creepy ghost, and a slow nightmarish unfolding. Auxier has a deft lyrical voice that echoes classic scary tales like Rebecca and The Woman in White, but the story has a steady action pacing that will appeal to tween readers. Kids will identify with Kip, who really wishes he could just be like everybody else, and Molly, who’s taken on adult responsibilities that are really too big for her to face alone. There’s plenty of suspense and drama, but it winds up with a satisfyingly safe and happy ending for pretty much everyone the reader has gotten fond of over the course of the book.”
Ancillary Justice is $2.99. Sci-fi fan Suzanne put this trilogy kick-off on her best books of the year list and we talked about it on the podcast. This is old-fashioned science fiction in the traditional sense, but it also plays with notions of identity, gender, and responsibility in ways that are interesting (and satisfyingly resolved in the book!) for a non-hardcore sci-fi fan.
Six of Crows is $2.99. We've recommended Bardugo's Grisha-verse trilogy as a binge-worthy series more than once, and this book returns to that world with a story of six talented people commissioned to pull off an impossible heist.
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.”
Eleanor and Park is $1.99. It’s one of our summer readalikes for The Fault in Our Stars: “Misfits Park and Eleanor fall in love in high school, but both of them are smart enough to know that first love never lasts forever.”
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood is $2.99. Suzanne’s got our middle schoolers reading some of this as part of their African literature section. From The New York Times review: “By turns alarming, sad and funny, [Trevor Noah’s] book provides a harrowing look, through the prism of Mr. Noah’s family, at life in South Africa under apartheid. . . . Born a Crime is not just an unnerving account of growing up in South Africa under apartheid, but a love letter to the author’s remarkable mother.”
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.
The Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague is $1.99. From our science of infection reading list: When a bolt of infected fabric from London was delivered to the village of Eyam north of the city, the townsfolk there voluntarily sealed themselves off from the rest of the world to prevent the spread of the plague. (Their decision probably saved thousands of lives, though it was a death sentence for many of the people who lived there.) The Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague is set in Eyam during this time and told from the perspective of a young housemaid who sees both the incredibly generosity and kindness and the cruelty and horror of people faced with almost certain death.
The Story of Earth: The First 4.5 Billion Years, from Stardust to Living Planet is $2.99. This is a terrific text to ground your big history studies. From the publisher: “With an astrobiologist’s imagination, a historian’s perspective, and a naturalist’s eye, Hazen calls upon twenty-first-century discoveries that have revolutionized geology and enabled scientists to envision Earth’s many iterations in vivid detail—from the mile-high lava tides of its infancy to the early organisms responsible for more than two-thirds of the mineral varieties beneath our feet. Lucid, controversial, and on the cutting edge of its field, The Story of Earth is popular science of the highest order.”
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is $1.99. This is one of those big, satisfying books that makes for perfect holiday reading: In an alternate Austenian England, magic is still alive — but barely. Two magicians, with decidedly different abilities and opinions about magic, rise to power, and their friendship and eventual conflict will define the future of English magic. You know we love a good Jane-Austen-plus-magic mashup, and this one delivers, with fictional footnotes to boot. (The miniseries adaptation is also pretty good!)
All the King’s Men is $2.99. This is one of my go-to books for AP Literature reading lists because 1) it’s an interesting story of political corruption and power that never stops being disturbing or relevant, 2) I love that it is written by the only person to have won the Pulitzer for both poetry and fiction, and 3) it’s chock-full of themes, characters, and ideas that work for many AP essay test questions.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is $2.99. From our essential high school reading list: “What does it mean to be human? Dick’s twisted, dark tale of an android-hunter on a mission to take down rogue robots dives fearlessly into the question of self.”
Binti is $3.99. 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!
Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories is just $2.99, and I don’t even know why you are still reading this when you could be reading that right now. I don’t like to play favorites with short stories, but if I had to pick a desert island collection, this might just be it.
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History is $3.99. In addition to being a “compelling and enlightening report [that] forthrightly addresses the most significant topic of our lives” (that’s what Booklist says!), it’s part of the spine of Build Your Library’s 9th grade reading list.
A Study in Charlotte is $1.99. In this YA mystery, Sherlock Holmes’s equally brainy, equally troubled great-great-great-granddaughter ends up attending the same New England boarding school as John Watson’s great-great-great-grandson, and murder inevitably ensues. Kirkus said, “Cavallaro’s crackling dialogue, well-drawn characters, and complicated relationships make this feel like a seamless and sharp renewal of Doyle’s series. An explosive mystery featuring a dynamic duo.”
Sounder is $1.99. This is a classic! Amazon’s reviewer says: “William H. Armstrong's Newbery Award-winning novel quickly became a classic as a moving portrayal of resilience and hope in the face of profound human tragedy. Decades later, the bittersweet story still rings true, as strong-spirited individuals continue to battle the evil of prejudice.”
Breadcrumbs is $1.99. This middle grades homage to Andersen’s fairy tale “The Snow Queen,” set in the modern-day real world, is peppered with references to other fairy tales but manages to stand as its own story: about a girl who risks everything to save her friend. I’d read this with an Andersen fairy tale collection.
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.
Kindle Deals of the Day for March 20, 2019
See all of our picks for the best ebook deals for your homeschool for 3/20/19.
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.)
The Clockwork Scarab is $0.99. Bram Stoker’s sis teams up with Sherlock Holmes’s niece to solve mysteries in a steampunky Victorian London. In this first book in the series, the duo suspects a secret society based on Egyptology may be behind the disappearance of two society girls. I think this is one of the most fun middle grades mystery series I’ve discovered in recent years.
Still on sale
The Hero and the Crown is $1.99. The Washington Post compared this Newbery winner to Tolkien’s and LeGuin’s modern fantasy classics. I love that it’s feminist without even trying.
The Witch’s Boy is $3.90. 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 Night Gardener is $2.99 and a great Halloween readaloud. From our review: “This is a terrific middle grades take on classic Gothic literature, complete with a spooky old house, a deliciously creepy ghost, and a slow nightmarish unfolding. Auxier has a deft lyrical voice that echoes classic scary tales like Rebecca and The Woman in White, but the story has a steady action pacing that will appeal to tween readers. Kids will identify with Kip, who really wishes he could just be like everybody else, and Molly, who’s taken on adult responsibilities that are really too big for her to face alone. There’s plenty of suspense and drama, but it winds up with a satisfyingly safe and happy ending for pretty much everyone the reader has gotten fond of over the course of the book.”
Ancillary Justice is $2.99. Sci-fi fan Suzanne put this trilogy kick-off on her best books of the year list and we talked about it on the podcast. This is old-fashioned science fiction in the traditional sense, but it also plays with notions of identity, gender, and responsibility in ways that are interesting (and satisfyingly resolved in the book!) for a non-hardcore sci-fi fan.
Six of Crows is $2.99. We've recommended Bardugo's Grisha-verse trilogy as a binge-worthy series more than once, and this book returns to that world with a story of six talented people commissioned to pull off an impossible heist.
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.”
Eleanor and Park is $1.99. It’s one of our summer readalikes for The Fault in Our Stars: “Misfits Park and Eleanor fall in love in high school, but both of them are smart enough to know that first love never lasts forever.”
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood is $2.99. Suzanne’s got our middle schoolers reading some of this as part of their African literature section. From The New York Times review: “By turns alarming, sad and funny, [Trevor Noah’s] book provides a harrowing look, through the prism of Mr. Noah’s family, at life in South Africa under apartheid. . . . Born a Crime is not just an unnerving account of growing up in South Africa under apartheid, but a love letter to the author’s remarkable mother.”
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.
The Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague is $1.99. From our science of infection reading list: When a bolt of infected fabric from London was delivered to the village of Eyam north of the city, the townsfolk there voluntarily sealed themselves off from the rest of the world to prevent the spread of the plague. (Their decision probably saved thousands of lives, though it was a death sentence for many of the people who lived there.) The Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague is set in Eyam during this time and told from the perspective of a young housemaid who sees both the incredibly generosity and kindness and the cruelty and horror of people faced with almost certain death.
The Story of Earth: The First 4.5 Billion Years, from Stardust to Living Planet is $2.99. This is a terrific text to ground your big history studies. From the publisher: “With an astrobiologist’s imagination, a historian’s perspective, and a naturalist’s eye, Hazen calls upon twenty-first-century discoveries that have revolutionized geology and enabled scientists to envision Earth’s many iterations in vivid detail—from the mile-high lava tides of its infancy to the early organisms responsible for more than two-thirds of the mineral varieties beneath our feet. Lucid, controversial, and on the cutting edge of its field, The Story of Earth is popular science of the highest order.”
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is $1.99. This is one of those big, satisfying books that makes for perfect holiday reading: In an alternate Austenian England, magic is still alive — but barely. Two magicians, with decidedly different abilities and opinions about magic, rise to power, and their friendship and eventual conflict will define the future of English magic. You know we love a good Jane-Austen-plus-magic mashup, and this one delivers, with fictional footnotes to boot. (The miniseries adaptation is also pretty good!)
All the King’s Men is $2.99. This is one of my go-to books for AP Literature reading lists because 1) it’s an interesting story of political corruption and power that never stops being disturbing or relevant, 2) I love that it is written by the only person to have won the Pulitzer for both poetry and fiction, and 3) it’s chock-full of themes, characters, and ideas that work for many AP essay test questions.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is $2.99. From our essential high school reading list: “What does it mean to be human? Dick’s twisted, dark tale of an android-hunter on a mission to take down rogue robots dives fearlessly into the question of self.”
Binti is $3.99. 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!
Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories is just $2.99, and I don’t even know why you are still reading this when you could be reading that right now. I don’t like to play favorites with short stories, but if I had to pick a desert island collection, this might just be it.
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History is $3.99. In addition to being a “compelling and enlightening report [that] forthrightly addresses the most significant topic of our lives” (that’s what Booklist says!), it’s part of the spine of Build Your Library’s 9th grade reading list.
A Study in Charlotte is $1.99. In this YA mystery, Sherlock Holmes’s equally brainy, equally troubled great-great-great-granddaughter ends up attending the same New England boarding school as John Watson’s great-great-great-grandson, and murder inevitably ensues. Kirkus said, “Cavallaro’s crackling dialogue, well-drawn characters, and complicated relationships make this feel like a seamless and sharp renewal of Doyle’s series. An explosive mystery featuring a dynamic duo.”
Sounder is $1.99. This is a classic! Amazon’s reviewer says: “William H. Armstrong's Newbery Award-winning novel quickly became a classic as a moving portrayal of resilience and hope in the face of profound human tragedy. Decades later, the bittersweet story still rings true, as strong-spirited individuals continue to battle the evil of prejudice.”
Breadcrumbs is $1.99. This middle grades homage to Andersen’s fairy tale “The Snow Queen,” set in the modern-day real world, is peppered with references to other fairy tales but manages to stand as its own story: about a girl who risks everything to save her friend. I’d read this with an Andersen fairy tale collection.
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.
Kindle Deals of the Day for March 19, 2019
See all of our picks for the best ebook deals for your homeschool for 3/19/19.
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.)
Notorious RBG Young Readers' Edition: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg is $1.99. School Library Journal raved about this one (no surprise since RBG is awesome): “A tribute to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg that does more than catalog her achievements; it conveys her spirit, one that will leave readers in awe. This lively biography of this esteemed justice whose influence straddles two centuries is to be taken seriously. Highly recommended.”
Still on sale
The Hero and the Crown is $1.99. The Washington Post compared this Newbery winner to Tolkien’s and LeGuin’s modern fantasy classics. I love that it’s feminist without even trying.
The Witch’s Boy is $3.90. 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 Night Gardener is $2.99 and a great Halloween readaloud. From our review: “This is a terrific middle grades take on classic Gothic literature, complete with a spooky old house, a deliciously creepy ghost, and a slow nightmarish unfolding. Auxier has a deft lyrical voice that echoes classic scary tales like Rebecca and The Woman in White, but the story has a steady action pacing that will appeal to tween readers. Kids will identify with Kip, who really wishes he could just be like everybody else, and Molly, who’s taken on adult responsibilities that are really too big for her to face alone. There’s plenty of suspense and drama, but it winds up with a satisfyingly safe and happy ending for pretty much everyone the reader has gotten fond of over the course of the book.”
Ancillary Justice is $2.99. Sci-fi fan Suzanne put this trilogy kick-off on her best books of the year list and we talked about it on the podcast. This is old-fashioned science fiction in the traditional sense, but it also plays with notions of identity, gender, and responsibility in ways that are interesting (and satisfyingly resolved in the book!) for a non-hardcore sci-fi fan.
Six of Crows is $2.99. We've recommended Bardugo's Grisha-verse trilogy as a binge-worthy series more than once, and this book returns to that world with a story of six talented people commissioned to pull off an impossible heist.
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.”
Eleanor and Park is $1.99. It’s one of our summer readalikes for The Fault in Our Stars: “Misfits Park and Eleanor fall in love in high school, but both of them are smart enough to know that first love never lasts forever.”
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood is $2.99. Suzanne’s got our middle schoolers reading some of this as part of their African literature section. From The New York Times review: “By turns alarming, sad and funny, [Trevor Noah’s] book provides a harrowing look, through the prism of Mr. Noah’s family, at life in South Africa under apartheid. . . . Born a Crime is not just an unnerving account of growing up in South Africa under apartheid, but a love letter to the author’s remarkable mother.”
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.
The Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague is $1.99. From our science of infection reading list: When a bolt of infected fabric from London was delivered to the village of Eyam north of the city, the townsfolk there voluntarily sealed themselves off from the rest of the world to prevent the spread of the plague. (Their decision probably saved thousands of lives, though it was a death sentence for many of the people who lived there.) The Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague is set in Eyam during this time and told from the perspective of a young housemaid who sees both the incredibly generosity and kindness and the cruelty and horror of people faced with almost certain death.
The Story of Earth: The First 4.5 Billion Years, from Stardust to Living Planet is $2.99. This is a terrific text to ground your big history studies. From the publisher: “With an astrobiologist’s imagination, a historian’s perspective, and a naturalist’s eye, Hazen calls upon twenty-first-century discoveries that have revolutionized geology and enabled scientists to envision Earth’s many iterations in vivid detail—from the mile-high lava tides of its infancy to the early organisms responsible for more than two-thirds of the mineral varieties beneath our feet. Lucid, controversial, and on the cutting edge of its field, The Story of Earth is popular science of the highest order.”
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is $1.99. This is one of those big, satisfying books that makes for perfect holiday reading: In an alternate Austenian England, magic is still alive — but barely. Two magicians, with decidedly different abilities and opinions about magic, rise to power, and their friendship and eventual conflict will define the future of English magic. You know we love a good Jane-Austen-plus-magic mashup, and this one delivers, with fictional footnotes to boot. (The miniseries adaptation is also pretty good!)
All the King’s Men is $2.99. This is one of my go-to books for AP Literature reading lists because 1) it’s an interesting story of political corruption and power that never stops being disturbing or relevant, 2) I love that it is written by the only person to have won the Pulitzer for both poetry and fiction, and 3) it’s chock-full of themes, characters, and ideas that work for many AP essay test questions.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is $2.99. From our essential high school reading list: “What does it mean to be human? Dick’s twisted, dark tale of an android-hunter on a mission to take down rogue robots dives fearlessly into the question of self.”
Binti is $3.99. 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!
Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories is just $2.99, and I don’t even know why you are still reading this when you could be reading that right now. I don’t like to play favorites with short stories, but if I had to pick a desert island collection, this might just be it.
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History is $3.99. In addition to being a “compelling and enlightening report [that] forthrightly addresses the most significant topic of our lives” (that’s what Booklist says!), it’s part of the spine of Build Your Library’s 9th grade reading list.
A Study in Charlotte is $1.99. In this YA mystery, Sherlock Holmes’s equally brainy, equally troubled great-great-great-granddaughter ends up attending the same New England boarding school as John Watson’s great-great-great-grandson, and murder inevitably ensues. Kirkus said, “Cavallaro’s crackling dialogue, well-drawn characters, and complicated relationships make this feel like a seamless and sharp renewal of Doyle’s series. An explosive mystery featuring a dynamic duo.”
Sounder is $1.99. This is a classic! Amazon’s reviewer says: “William H. Armstrong's Newbery Award-winning novel quickly became a classic as a moving portrayal of resilience and hope in the face of profound human tragedy. Decades later, the bittersweet story still rings true, as strong-spirited individuals continue to battle the evil of prejudice.”
Breadcrumbs is $1.99. This middle grades homage to Andersen’s fairy tale “The Snow Queen,” set in the modern-day real world, is peppered with references to other fairy tales but manages to stand as its own story: about a girl who risks everything to save her friend. I’d read this with an Andersen fairy tale collection.
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.
Kindle Deals of the Day for March 15, 2019
See all of our picks for the best ebook deals for your homeschool for 3/15/19.
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.)
The Hero and the Crown is $1.99. The Washington Post compared this Newbery winner to Tolkien’s and LeGuin’s modern fantasy classics. I love that it’s feminist without even trying.
Still on sale
The Witch’s Boy is $3.90. 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 Night Gardener is $2.99 and a great Halloween readaloud. From our review: “This is a terrific middle grades take on classic Gothic literature, complete with a spooky old house, a deliciously creepy ghost, and a slow nightmarish unfolding. Auxier has a deft lyrical voice that echoes classic scary tales like Rebecca and The Woman in White, but the story has a steady action pacing that will appeal to tween readers. Kids will identify with Kip, who really wishes he could just be like everybody else, and Molly, who’s taken on adult responsibilities that are really too big for her to face alone. There’s plenty of suspense and drama, but it winds up with a satisfyingly safe and happy ending for pretty much everyone the reader has gotten fond of over the course of the book.”
Ancillary Justice is $2.99. Sci-fi fan Suzanne put this trilogy kick-off on her best books of the year list and we talked about it on the podcast. This is old-fashioned science fiction in the traditional sense, but it also plays with notions of identity, gender, and responsibility in ways that are interesting (and satisfyingly resolved in the book!) for a non-hardcore sci-fi fan.
Six of Crows is $2.99. We've recommended Bardugo's Grisha-verse trilogy as a binge-worthy series more than once, and this book returns to that world with a story of six talented people commissioned to pull off an impossible heist.
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.”
Eleanor and Park is $1.99. It’s one of our summer readalikes for The Fault in Our Stars: “Misfits Park and Eleanor fall in love in high school, but both of them are smart enough to know that first love never lasts forever.”
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood is $2.99. Suzanne’s got our middle schoolers reading some of this as part of their African literature section. From The New York Times review: “By turns alarming, sad and funny, [Trevor Noah’s] book provides a harrowing look, through the prism of Mr. Noah’s family, at life in South Africa under apartheid. . . . Born a Crime is not just an unnerving account of growing up in South Africa under apartheid, but a love letter to the author’s remarkable mother.”
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.
The Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague is $1.99. From our science of infection reading list: When a bolt of infected fabric from London was delivered to the village of Eyam north of the city, the townsfolk there voluntarily sealed themselves off from the rest of the world to prevent the spread of the plague. (Their decision probably saved thousands of lives, though it was a death sentence for many of the people who lived there.) The Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague is set in Eyam during this time and told from the perspective of a young housemaid who sees both the incredibly generosity and kindness and the cruelty and horror of people faced with almost certain death.
The Story of Earth: The First 4.5 Billion Years, from Stardust to Living Planet is $2.99. This is a terrific text to ground your big history studies. From the publisher: “With an astrobiologist’s imagination, a historian’s perspective, and a naturalist’s eye, Hazen calls upon twenty-first-century discoveries that have revolutionized geology and enabled scientists to envision Earth’s many iterations in vivid detail—from the mile-high lava tides of its infancy to the early organisms responsible for more than two-thirds of the mineral varieties beneath our feet. Lucid, controversial, and on the cutting edge of its field, The Story of Earth is popular science of the highest order.”
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is $1.99. This is one of those big, satisfying books that makes for perfect holiday reading: In an alternate Austenian England, magic is still alive — but barely. Two magicians, with decidedly different abilities and opinions about magic, rise to power, and their friendship and eventual conflict will define the future of English magic. You know we love a good Jane-Austen-plus-magic mashup, and this one delivers, with fictional footnotes to boot. (The miniseries adaptation is also pretty good!)
All the King’s Men is $2.99. This is one of my go-to books for AP Literature reading lists because 1) it’s an interesting story of political corruption and power that never stops being disturbing or relevant, 2) I love that it is written by the only person to have won the Pulitzer for both poetry and fiction, and 3) it’s chock-full of themes, characters, and ideas that work for many AP essay test questions.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is $2.99. From our essential high school reading list: “What does it mean to be human? Dick’s twisted, dark tale of an android-hunter on a mission to take down rogue robots dives fearlessly into the question of self.”
Binti is $3.99. 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!
Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories is just $2.99, and I don’t even know why you are still reading this when you could be reading that right now. I don’t like to play favorites with short stories, but if I had to pick a desert island collection, this might just be it.
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History is $3.99. In addition to being a “compelling and enlightening report [that] forthrightly addresses the most significant topic of our lives” (that’s what Booklist says!), it’s part of the spine of Build Your Library’s 9th grade reading list.
A Study in Charlotte is $1.99. In this YA mystery, Sherlock Holmes’s equally brainy, equally troubled great-great-great-granddaughter ends up attending the same New England boarding school as John Watson’s great-great-great-grandson, and murder inevitably ensues. Kirkus said, “Cavallaro’s crackling dialogue, well-drawn characters, and complicated relationships make this feel like a seamless and sharp renewal of Doyle’s series. An explosive mystery featuring a dynamic duo.”
Sounder is $1.99. This is a classic! Amazon’s reviewer says: “William H. Armstrong's Newbery Award-winning novel quickly became a classic as a moving portrayal of resilience and hope in the face of profound human tragedy. Decades later, the bittersweet story still rings true, as strong-spirited individuals continue to battle the evil of prejudice.”
Breadcrumbs is $1.99. This middle grades homage to Andersen’s fairy tale “The Snow Queen,” set in the modern-day real world, is peppered with references to other fairy tales but manages to stand as its own story: about a girl who risks everything to save her friend. I’d read this with an Andersen fairy tale collection.
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.
Kindle Deals of the Day for March 14, 2019
See all of our picks for the best ebook deals for your homeschool for 3/14/19.
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.)
Wintergirls is $2.99. From the publisher: “Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in fragile bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the thinnest. But then Cassie suffers the ultimate loss—her life—and Lia is left behind, haunted by her friend's memory and racked with guilt for not being able to help save her. In her most powerfully moving novel since Speak, award-winning author Laurie Halse Anderson explores Lia's struggle, her painful path to recovery, and her desperate attempts to hold on to the most important thing of all: hope.” (This sounds very depressing, and some parts of it are hard, but if your teens are emotionally ready, this is a profoundly moving novel.)
The Witch’s Boy is $3.90. 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?”
Still on sale
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 Night Gardener is $2.99 and a great Halloween readaloud. From our review: “This is a terrific middle grades take on classic Gothic literature, complete with a spooky old house, a deliciously creepy ghost, and a slow nightmarish unfolding. Auxier has a deft lyrical voice that echoes classic scary tales like Rebecca and The Woman in White, but the story has a steady action pacing that will appeal to tween readers. Kids will identify with Kip, who really wishes he could just be like everybody else, and Molly, who’s taken on adult responsibilities that are really too big for her to face alone. There’s plenty of suspense and drama, but it winds up with a satisfyingly safe and happy ending for pretty much everyone the reader has gotten fond of over the course of the book.”
Ancillary Justice is $2.99. Sci-fi fan Suzanne put this trilogy kick-off on her best books of the year list and we talked about it on the podcast. This is old-fashioned science fiction in the traditional sense, but it also plays with notions of identity, gender, and responsibility in ways that are interesting (and satisfyingly resolved in the book!) for a non-hardcore sci-fi fan.
Six of Crows is $2.99. We've recommended Bardugo's Grisha-verse trilogy as a binge-worthy series more than once, and this book returns to that world with a story of six talented people commissioned to pull off an impossible heist.
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.”
Eleanor and Park is $1.99. It’s one of our summer readalikes for The Fault in Our Stars: “Misfits Park and Eleanor fall in love in high school, but both of them are smart enough to know that first love never lasts forever.”
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood is $2.99. Suzanne’s got our middle schoolers reading some of this as part of their African literature section. From The New York Times review: “By turns alarming, sad and funny, [Trevor Noah’s] book provides a harrowing look, through the prism of Mr. Noah’s family, at life in South Africa under apartheid. . . . Born a Crime is not just an unnerving account of growing up in South Africa under apartheid, but a love letter to the author’s remarkable mother.”
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.
The Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague is $1.99. From our science of infection reading list: When a bolt of infected fabric from London was delivered to the village of Eyam north of the city, the townsfolk there voluntarily sealed themselves off from the rest of the world to prevent the spread of the plague. (Their decision probably saved thousands of lives, though it was a death sentence for many of the people who lived there.) The Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague is set in Eyam during this time and told from the perspective of a young housemaid who sees both the incredibly generosity and kindness and the cruelty and horror of people faced with almost certain death.
The Story of Earth: The First 4.5 Billion Years, from Stardust to Living Planet is $2.99. This is a terrific text to ground your big history studies. From the publisher: “With an astrobiologist’s imagination, a historian’s perspective, and a naturalist’s eye, Hazen calls upon twenty-first-century discoveries that have revolutionized geology and enabled scientists to envision Earth’s many iterations in vivid detail—from the mile-high lava tides of its infancy to the early organisms responsible for more than two-thirds of the mineral varieties beneath our feet. Lucid, controversial, and on the cutting edge of its field, The Story of Earth is popular science of the highest order.”
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is $1.99. This is one of those big, satisfying books that makes for perfect holiday reading: In an alternate Austenian England, magic is still alive — but barely. Two magicians, with decidedly different abilities and opinions about magic, rise to power, and their friendship and eventual conflict will define the future of English magic. You know we love a good Jane-Austen-plus-magic mashup, and this one delivers, with fictional footnotes to boot. (The miniseries adaptation is also pretty good!)
All the King’s Men is $2.99. This is one of my go-to books for AP Literature reading lists because 1) it’s an interesting story of political corruption and power that never stops being disturbing or relevant, 2) I love that it is written by the only person to have won the Pulitzer for both poetry and fiction, and 3) it’s chock-full of themes, characters, and ideas that work for many AP essay test questions.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is $2.99. From our essential high school reading list: “What does it mean to be human? Dick’s twisted, dark tale of an android-hunter on a mission to take down rogue robots dives fearlessly into the question of self.”
Binti is $3.99. 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!
Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories is just $2.99, and I don’t even know why you are still reading this when you could be reading that right now. I don’t like to play favorites with short stories, but if I had to pick a desert island collection, this might just be it.
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History is $3.99. In addition to being a “compelling and enlightening report [that] forthrightly addresses the most significant topic of our lives” (that’s what Booklist says!), it’s part of the spine of Build Your Library’s 9th grade reading list.
A Study in Charlotte is $1.99. In this YA mystery, Sherlock Holmes’s equally brainy, equally troubled great-great-great-granddaughter ends up attending the same New England boarding school as John Watson’s great-great-great-grandson, and murder inevitably ensues. Kirkus said, “Cavallaro’s crackling dialogue, well-drawn characters, and complicated relationships make this feel like a seamless and sharp renewal of Doyle’s series. An explosive mystery featuring a dynamic duo.”
Sounder is $1.99. This is a classic! Amazon’s reviewer says: “William H. Armstrong's Newbery Award-winning novel quickly became a classic as a moving portrayal of resilience and hope in the face of profound human tragedy. Decades later, the bittersweet story still rings true, as strong-spirited individuals continue to battle the evil of prejudice.”
Breadcrumbs is $1.99. This middle grades homage to Andersen’s fairy tale “The Snow Queen,” set in the modern-day real world, is peppered with references to other fairy tales but manages to stand as its own story: about a girl who risks everything to save her friend. I’d read this with an Andersen fairy tale collection.
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.
Kindle Deals of the Day for March 13, 2019
See all of our picks for the best ebook deals for your homeschool for 3/13/19.
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.)
Still on sale
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 Night Gardener is $2.99 and a great Halloween readaloud. From our review: “This is a terrific middle grades take on classic Gothic literature, complete with a spooky old house, a deliciously creepy ghost, and a slow nightmarish unfolding. Auxier has a deft lyrical voice that echoes classic scary tales like Rebecca and The Woman in White, but the story has a steady action pacing that will appeal to tween readers. Kids will identify with Kip, who really wishes he could just be like everybody else, and Molly, who’s taken on adult responsibilities that are really too big for her to face alone. There’s plenty of suspense and drama, but it winds up with a satisfyingly safe and happy ending for pretty much everyone the reader has gotten fond of over the course of the book.”
Ancillary Justice is $2.99. Sci-fi fan Suzanne put this trilogy kick-off on her best books of the year list and we talked about it on the podcast. This is old-fashioned science fiction in the traditional sense, but it also plays with notions of identity, gender, and responsibility in ways that are interesting (and satisfyingly resolved in the book!) for a non-hardcore sci-fi fan.
Six of Crows is $2.99. We've recommended Bardugo's Grisha-verse trilogy as a binge-worthy series more than once, and this book returns to that world with a story of six talented people commissioned to pull off an impossible heist.
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.”
Eleanor and Park is $1.99. It’s one of our summer readalikes for The Fault in Our Stars: “Misfits Park and Eleanor fall in love in high school, but both of them are smart enough to know that first love never lasts forever.”
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood is $2.99. Suzanne’s got our middle schoolers reading some of this as part of their African literature section. From The New York Times review: “By turns alarming, sad and funny, [Trevor Noah’s] book provides a harrowing look, through the prism of Mr. Noah’s family, at life in South Africa under apartheid. . . . Born a Crime is not just an unnerving account of growing up in South Africa under apartheid, but a love letter to the author’s remarkable mother.”
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.
The Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague is $1.99. From our science of infection reading list: When a bolt of infected fabric from London was delivered to the village of Eyam north of the city, the townsfolk there voluntarily sealed themselves off from the rest of the world to prevent the spread of the plague. (Their decision probably saved thousands of lives, though it was a death sentence for many of the people who lived there.) The Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague is set in Eyam during this time and told from the perspective of a young housemaid who sees both the incredibly generosity and kindness and the cruelty and horror of people faced with almost certain death.
The Story of Earth: The First 4.5 Billion Years, from Stardust to Living Planet is $2.99. This is a terrific text to ground your big history studies. From the publisher: “With an astrobiologist’s imagination, a historian’s perspective, and a naturalist’s eye, Hazen calls upon twenty-first-century discoveries that have revolutionized geology and enabled scientists to envision Earth’s many iterations in vivid detail—from the mile-high lava tides of its infancy to the early organisms responsible for more than two-thirds of the mineral varieties beneath our feet. Lucid, controversial, and on the cutting edge of its field, The Story of Earth is popular science of the highest order.”
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is $1.99. This is one of those big, satisfying books that makes for perfect holiday reading: In an alternate Austenian England, magic is still alive — but barely. Two magicians, with decidedly different abilities and opinions about magic, rise to power, and their friendship and eventual conflict will define the future of English magic. You know we love a good Jane-Austen-plus-magic mashup, and this one delivers, with fictional footnotes to boot. (The miniseries adaptation is also pretty good!)
All the King’s Men is $2.99. This is one of my go-to books for AP Literature reading lists because 1) it’s an interesting story of political corruption and power that never stops being disturbing or relevant, 2) I love that it is written by the only person to have won the Pulitzer for both poetry and fiction, and 3) it’s chock-full of themes, characters, and ideas that work for many AP essay test questions.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is $2.99. From our essential high school reading list: “What does it mean to be human? Dick’s twisted, dark tale of an android-hunter on a mission to take down rogue robots dives fearlessly into the question of self.”
Binti is $3.99. 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!
Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories is just $2.99, and I don’t even know why you are still reading this when you could be reading that right now. I don’t like to play favorites with short stories, but if I had to pick a desert island collection, this might just be it.
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History is $3.99. In addition to being a “compelling and enlightening report [that] forthrightly addresses the most significant topic of our lives” (that’s what Booklist says!), it’s part of the spine of Build Your Library’s 9th grade reading list.
A Study in Charlotte is $1.99. In this YA mystery, Sherlock Holmes’s equally brainy, equally troubled great-great-great-granddaughter ends up attending the same New England boarding school as John Watson’s great-great-great-grandson, and murder inevitably ensues. Kirkus said, “Cavallaro’s crackling dialogue, well-drawn characters, and complicated relationships make this feel like a seamless and sharp renewal of Doyle’s series. An explosive mystery featuring a dynamic duo.”
Sounder is $1.99. This is a classic! Amazon’s reviewer says: “William H. Armstrong's Newbery Award-winning novel quickly became a classic as a moving portrayal of resilience and hope in the face of profound human tragedy. Decades later, the bittersweet story still rings true, as strong-spirited individuals continue to battle the evil of prejudice.”
Breadcrumbs is $1.99. This middle grades homage to Andersen’s fairy tale “The Snow Queen,” set in the modern-day real world, is peppered with references to other fairy tales but manages to stand as its own story: about a girl who risks everything to save her friend. I’d read this with an Andersen fairy tale collection.
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.
Kindle Deals of the Day for March 12, 2019
See all of our picks for the best ebook deals for your homeschool for 3/12/19.
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.)
Seveneves is $2.99. 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.)
Still on sale
The Night Gardener is $2.99 and a great Halloween readaloud. From our review: “This is a terrific middle grades take on classic Gothic literature, complete with a spooky old house, a deliciously creepy ghost, and a slow nightmarish unfolding. Auxier has a deft lyrical voice that echoes classic scary tales like Rebecca and The Woman in White, but the story has a steady action pacing that will appeal to tween readers. Kids will identify with Kip, who really wishes he could just be like everybody else, and Molly, who’s taken on adult responsibilities that are really too big for her to face alone. There’s plenty of suspense and drama, but it winds up with a satisfyingly safe and happy ending for pretty much everyone the reader has gotten fond of over the course of the book.”
Ancillary Justice is $2.99. Sci-fi fan Suzanne put this trilogy kick-off on her best books of the year list and we talked about it on the podcast. This is old-fashioned science fiction in the traditional sense, but it also plays with notions of identity, gender, and responsibility in ways that are interesting (and satisfyingly resolved in the book!) for a non-hardcore sci-fi fan.
Six of Crows is $2.99. We've recommended Bardugo's Grisha-verse trilogy as a binge-worthy series more than once, and this book returns to that world with a story of six talented people commissioned to pull off an impossible heist.
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.”
Eleanor and Park is $1.99. It’s one of our summer readalikes for The Fault in Our Stars: “Misfits Park and Eleanor fall in love in high school, but both of them are smart enough to know that first love never lasts forever.”
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood is $2.99. Suzanne’s got our middle schoolers reading some of this as part of their African literature section. From The New York Times review: “By turns alarming, sad and funny, [Trevor Noah’s] book provides a harrowing look, through the prism of Mr. Noah’s family, at life in South Africa under apartheid. . . . Born a Crime is not just an unnerving account of growing up in South Africa under apartheid, but a love letter to the author’s remarkable mother.”
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.
The Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague is $1.99. From our science of infection reading list: When a bolt of infected fabric from London was delivered to the village of Eyam north of the city, the townsfolk there voluntarily sealed themselves off from the rest of the world to prevent the spread of the plague. (Their decision probably saved thousands of lives, though it was a death sentence for many of the people who lived there.) The Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague is set in Eyam during this time and told from the perspective of a young housemaid who sees both the incredibly generosity and kindness and the cruelty and horror of people faced with almost certain death.
The Story of Earth: The First 4.5 Billion Years, from Stardust to Living Planet is $2.99. This is a terrific text to ground your big history studies. From the publisher: “With an astrobiologist’s imagination, a historian’s perspective, and a naturalist’s eye, Hazen calls upon twenty-first-century discoveries that have revolutionized geology and enabled scientists to envision Earth’s many iterations in vivid detail—from the mile-high lava tides of its infancy to the early organisms responsible for more than two-thirds of the mineral varieties beneath our feet. Lucid, controversial, and on the cutting edge of its field, The Story of Earth is popular science of the highest order.”
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is $1.99. This is one of those big, satisfying books that makes for perfect holiday reading: In an alternate Austenian England, magic is still alive — but barely. Two magicians, with decidedly different abilities and opinions about magic, rise to power, and their friendship and eventual conflict will define the future of English magic. You know we love a good Jane-Austen-plus-magic mashup, and this one delivers, with fictional footnotes to boot. (The miniseries adaptation is also pretty good!)
All the King’s Men is $2.99. This is one of my go-to books for AP Literature reading lists because 1) it’s an interesting story of political corruption and power that never stops being disturbing or relevant, 2) I love that it is written by the only person to have won the Pulitzer for both poetry and fiction, and 3) it’s chock-full of themes, characters, and ideas that work for many AP essay test questions.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is $2.99. From our essential high school reading list: “What does it mean to be human? Dick’s twisted, dark tale of an android-hunter on a mission to take down rogue robots dives fearlessly into the question of self.”
Binti is $3.99. 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!
Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories is just $2.99, and I don’t even know why you are still reading this when you could be reading that right now. I don’t like to play favorites with short stories, but if I had to pick a desert island collection, this might just be it.
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History is $3.99. In addition to being a “compelling and enlightening report [that] forthrightly addresses the most significant topic of our lives” (that’s what Booklist says!), it’s part of the spine of Build Your Library’s 9th grade reading list.
A Study in Charlotte is $1.99. In this YA mystery, Sherlock Holmes’s equally brainy, equally troubled great-great-great-granddaughter ends up attending the same New England boarding school as John Watson’s great-great-great-grandson, and murder inevitably ensues. Kirkus said, “Cavallaro’s crackling dialogue, well-drawn characters, and complicated relationships make this feel like a seamless and sharp renewal of Doyle’s series. An explosive mystery featuring a dynamic duo.”
Sounder is $1.99. This is a classic! Amazon’s reviewer says: “William H. Armstrong's Newbery Award-winning novel quickly became a classic as a moving portrayal of resilience and hope in the face of profound human tragedy. Decades later, the bittersweet story still rings true, as strong-spirited individuals continue to battle the evil of prejudice.”
Breadcrumbs is $1.99. This middle grades homage to Andersen’s fairy tale “The Snow Queen,” set in the modern-day real world, is peppered with references to other fairy tales but manages to stand as its own story: about a girl who risks everything to save her friend. I’d read this with an Andersen fairy tale collection.
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.
Kindle Deals of the Day for March 11, 2019
See all of our picks for the best ebook deals for your homeschool for 3/11/19.
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.)
The Night Gardener is $2.99 and a great Halloween readaloud. From our review: “This is a terrific middle grades take on classic Gothic literature, complete with a spooky old house, a deliciously creepy ghost, and a slow nightmarish unfolding. Auxier has a deft lyrical voice that echoes classic scary tales like Rebecca and The Woman in White, but the story has a steady action pacing that will appeal to tween readers. Kids will identify with Kip, who really wishes he could just be like everybody else, and Molly, who’s taken on adult responsibilities that are really too big for her to face alone. There’s plenty of suspense and drama, but it winds up with a satisfyingly safe and happy ending for pretty much everyone the reader has gotten fond of over the course of the book.”
Still on sale
Ancillary Justice is $2.99. Sci-fi fan Suzanne put this trilogy kick-off on her best books of the year list and we talked about it on the podcast. This is old-fashioned science fiction in the traditional sense, but it also plays with notions of identity, gender, and responsibility in ways that are interesting (and satisfyingly resolved in the book!) for a non-hardcore sci-fi fan.
Six of Crows is $2.99. We've recommended Bardugo's Grisha-verse trilogy as a binge-worthy series more than once, and this book returns to that world with a story of six talented people commissioned to pull off an impossible heist.
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.”
Eleanor and Park is $1.99. It’s one of our summer readalikes for The Fault in Our Stars: “Misfits Park and Eleanor fall in love in high school, but both of them are smart enough to know that first love never lasts forever.”
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood is $2.99. Suzanne’s got our middle schoolers reading some of this as part of their African literature section. From The New York Times review: “By turns alarming, sad and funny, [Trevor Noah’s] book provides a harrowing look, through the prism of Mr. Noah’s family, at life in South Africa under apartheid. . . . Born a Crime is not just an unnerving account of growing up in South Africa under apartheid, but a love letter to the author’s remarkable mother.”
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.
The Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague is $1.99. From our science of infection reading list: When a bolt of infected fabric from London was delivered to the village of Eyam north of the city, the townsfolk there voluntarily sealed themselves off from the rest of the world to prevent the spread of the plague. (Their decision probably saved thousands of lives, though it was a death sentence for many of the people who lived there.) The Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague is set in Eyam during this time and told from the perspective of a young housemaid who sees both the incredibly generosity and kindness and the cruelty and horror of people faced with almost certain death.
The Story of Earth: The First 4.5 Billion Years, from Stardust to Living Planet is $2.99. This is a terrific text to ground your big history studies. From the publisher: “With an astrobiologist’s imagination, a historian’s perspective, and a naturalist’s eye, Hazen calls upon twenty-first-century discoveries that have revolutionized geology and enabled scientists to envision Earth’s many iterations in vivid detail—from the mile-high lava tides of its infancy to the early organisms responsible for more than two-thirds of the mineral varieties beneath our feet. Lucid, controversial, and on the cutting edge of its field, The Story of Earth is popular science of the highest order.”
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is $1.99. This is one of those big, satisfying books that makes for perfect holiday reading: In an alternate Austenian England, magic is still alive — but barely. Two magicians, with decidedly different abilities and opinions about magic, rise to power, and their friendship and eventual conflict will define the future of English magic. You know we love a good Jane-Austen-plus-magic mashup, and this one delivers, with fictional footnotes to boot. (The miniseries adaptation is also pretty good!)
All the King’s Men is $2.99. This is one of my go-to books for AP Literature reading lists because 1) it’s an interesting story of political corruption and power that never stops being disturbing or relevant, 2) I love that it is written by the only person to have won the Pulitzer for both poetry and fiction, and 3) it’s chock-full of themes, characters, and ideas that work for many AP essay test questions.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is $2.99. From our essential high school reading list: “What does it mean to be human? Dick’s twisted, dark tale of an android-hunter on a mission to take down rogue robots dives fearlessly into the question of self.”
Binti is $3.99. 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!
Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories is just $2.99, and I don’t even know why you are still reading this when you could be reading that right now. I don’t like to play favorites with short stories, but if I had to pick a desert island collection, this might just be it.
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History is $3.99. In addition to being a “compelling and enlightening report [that] forthrightly addresses the most significant topic of our lives” (that’s what Booklist says!), it’s part of the spine of Build Your Library’s 9th grade reading list.
A Study in Charlotte is $1.99. In this YA mystery, Sherlock Holmes’s equally brainy, equally troubled great-great-great-granddaughter ends up attending the same New England boarding school as John Watson’s great-great-great-grandson, and murder inevitably ensues. Kirkus said, “Cavallaro’s crackling dialogue, well-drawn characters, and complicated relationships make this feel like a seamless and sharp renewal of Doyle’s series. An explosive mystery featuring a dynamic duo.”
Sounder is $1.99. This is a classic! Amazon’s reviewer says: “William H. Armstrong's Newbery Award-winning novel quickly became a classic as a moving portrayal of resilience and hope in the face of profound human tragedy. Decades later, the bittersweet story still rings true, as strong-spirited individuals continue to battle the evil of prejudice.”
Breadcrumbs is $1.99. This middle grades homage to Andersen’s fairy tale “The Snow Queen,” set in the modern-day real world, is peppered with references to other fairy tales but manages to stand as its own story: about a girl who risks everything to save her friend. I’d read this with an Andersen fairy tale collection.
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.
Kindle Deals of the Day for March 10, 2019
See all of our picks for the best ebook deals for your homeschool for 3/10/19.
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.)
A Wrinkle in Time is $2.99. One of Amy’s all-time favorite tween books, this middle grades genre-busting novel also has a spot on our essential middle school reading list: “You don’t have to be a science-fiction fan to get completely caught up in this story of Meg’s search for her father, and even non-science-minded kids will appreciate the intelligent writing.”
Still on sale
Ancillary Justice is $2.99. Sci-fi fan Suzanne put this trilogy kick-off on her best books of the year list and we talked about it on the podcast. This is old-fashioned science fiction in the traditional sense, but it also plays with notions of identity, gender, and responsibility in ways that are interesting (and satisfyingly resolved in the book!) for a non-hardcore sci-fi fan.
Six of Crows is $2.99. We've recommended Bardugo's Grisha-verse trilogy as a binge-worthy series more than once, and this book returns to that world with a story of six talented people commissioned to pull off an impossible heist.
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.”
Eleanor and Park is $1.99. It’s one of our summer readalikes for The Fault in Our Stars: “Misfits Park and Eleanor fall in love in high school, but both of them are smart enough to know that first love never lasts forever.”
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood is $2.99. Suzanne’s got our middle schoolers reading some of this as part of their African literature section. From The New York Times review: “By turns alarming, sad and funny, [Trevor Noah’s] book provides a harrowing look, through the prism of Mr. Noah’s family, at life in South Africa under apartheid. . . . Born a Crime is not just an unnerving account of growing up in South Africa under apartheid, but a love letter to the author’s remarkable mother.”
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.
The Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague is $1.99. From our science of infection reading list: When a bolt of infected fabric from London was delivered to the village of Eyam north of the city, the townsfolk there voluntarily sealed themselves off from the rest of the world to prevent the spread of the plague. (Their decision probably saved thousands of lives, though it was a death sentence for many of the people who lived there.) The Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague is set in Eyam during this time and told from the perspective of a young housemaid who sees both the incredibly generosity and kindness and the cruelty and horror of people faced with almost certain death.
The Story of Earth: The First 4.5 Billion Years, from Stardust to Living Planet is $2.99. This is a terrific text to ground your big history studies. From the publisher: “With an astrobiologist’s imagination, a historian’s perspective, and a naturalist’s eye, Hazen calls upon twenty-first-century discoveries that have revolutionized geology and enabled scientists to envision Earth’s many iterations in vivid detail—from the mile-high lava tides of its infancy to the early organisms responsible for more than two-thirds of the mineral varieties beneath our feet. Lucid, controversial, and on the cutting edge of its field, The Story of Earth is popular science of the highest order.”
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is $1.99. This is one of those big, satisfying books that makes for perfect holiday reading: In an alternate Austenian England, magic is still alive — but barely. Two magicians, with decidedly different abilities and opinions about magic, rise to power, and their friendship and eventual conflict will define the future of English magic. You know we love a good Jane-Austen-plus-magic mashup, and this one delivers, with fictional footnotes to boot. (The miniseries adaptation is also pretty good!)
All the King’s Men is $2.99. This is one of my go-to books for AP Literature reading lists because 1) it’s an interesting story of political corruption and power that never stops being disturbing or relevant, 2) I love that it is written by the only person to have won the Pulitzer for both poetry and fiction, and 3) it’s chock-full of themes, characters, and ideas that work for many AP essay test questions.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is $2.99. From our essential high school reading list: “What does it mean to be human? Dick’s twisted, dark tale of an android-hunter on a mission to take down rogue robots dives fearlessly into the question of self.”
Binti is $3.99. 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!
Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories is just $2.99, and I don’t even know why you are still reading this when you could be reading that right now. I don’t like to play favorites with short stories, but if I had to pick a desert island collection, this might just be it.
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History is $3.99. In addition to being a “compelling and enlightening report [that] forthrightly addresses the most significant topic of our lives” (that’s what Booklist says!), it’s part of the spine of Build Your Library’s 9th grade reading list.
A Study in Charlotte is $1.99. In this YA mystery, Sherlock Holmes’s equally brainy, equally troubled great-great-great-granddaughter ends up attending the same New England boarding school as John Watson’s great-great-great-grandson, and murder inevitably ensues. Kirkus said, “Cavallaro’s crackling dialogue, well-drawn characters, and complicated relationships make this feel like a seamless and sharp renewal of Doyle’s series. An explosive mystery featuring a dynamic duo.”
Sounder is $1.99. This is a classic! Amazon’s reviewer says: “William H. Armstrong's Newbery Award-winning novel quickly became a classic as a moving portrayal of resilience and hope in the face of profound human tragedy. Decades later, the bittersweet story still rings true, as strong-spirited individuals continue to battle the evil of prejudice.”
Breadcrumbs is $1.99. This middle grades homage to Andersen’s fairy tale “The Snow Queen,” set in the modern-day real world, is peppered with references to other fairy tales but manages to stand as its own story: about a girl who risks everything to save her friend. I’d read this with an Andersen fairy tale collection.
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.