Blog

5 Good Things: All the Books!

We’re taking it a day at a time here.

Schoolwork, housework, music, basketball (things are slowly opening up for limited practices), getting together with a friend or two. We are coming out of this crazy funk, but somehow things still aren’t quite “normal”.

Our official school year is FINISHED, but we’re taking the time now to read ahead for next year, start the online Drivers Ed course, and pursue an interest or two.

We have ZERO plans for this summer. What we did have planned has been canceled. We are truly winging it.

5 Good Things: All The Books!

And - maybe that is the lesson in all of this. Flexibility. Patience. Discernment.

There have been an abundance of opportunities to discuss the pandemic with our children. Where do we get our news? Who is our authority? Can we view this crisis through our lens of faith? Are we exercising judgment? Are we living joyfully, and not controlled by fear?

I imagine I will come back to this post in 5 years and the world will be a very different place.

Because I have been reading so much - I decided to dedicate this 5 Good Things post to books - books I have enjoyed, a summer reading list with prizes, and a great online story resource.

Reading has been my escape in all of this - so I hope you enjoy today’s post and that it might allow you to escape a bit, too!

Enjoy!

  • Storyline Online

    Have you seen this amazing resource of videos? I can’t believe I’ve not seen it yet. A reader sent me the link to the Trombone Shorty story - which is wonderful! And, there are so many great stories to watch and listen to. Enjoy!

  • Jane Eyre

    I have been re-reading Jane Eyre this week. It is included in my son’s Challenge II curriculum, and I wanted to have it fresh in my mind to discuss it with him this year. Let’s be honest: this is a hard book for a 15-year-old boy. So, I am seeking ways to help him connect more with the story. One thing a friend gave to me was this Jane Eyre graphic novel. It’s great!

    Additionally, I want to try out the Jane Eyre BBC miniseries, and I heard there is a 2011 movie that is good, too. If you have any suggestions for me, please let me know in the comments!

  • Elizabeth Berg

    This recommendation is purely for moms. Elizabeth Berg is one of my favorite authors. Her books are sweet, humorous, timely, and literally bring a smile to my face while I am reading them. I just finished The Confession Club on audio - which was such a treat because it was read by the author! If you just want an escape, read the three books in the Mason series! (I use RB Digital through my local library for audiobooks - any time I can read for free is great!)

  • The 2020 Minimalist Summer Reading Guide

    I’m a big fan of Anne Bogel (Modern Mrs. Darcy). She just released her summer reading guide, and I always enjoy the minimalist version of that guide! Reading has been such a great way for me to escape, broaden my horizons, and be a better teacher for my children. I get most of my recommendations from Anne Bogel!

  • Veritas Summer Reading Contest

    This is a simple summer reading contest with several good recommended book lists, too. It also includes a printable to track your reading.


Do you have a book recommendation for me?

Leave it in the comments below! I want to add to my summer reading list!

5 Good Things for the Homeschooling Parents

5 Good Things: Austen & Algebra

Each Friday I write a weekly homeschool roundup - which has turned into sharing five good things from the week with you.

I’d like to rename this weekly post to more accurately reflect those good things! So, I hope you will look forward to reading “5 Good Things” each week here at Homegrown Learners.

Because of the tremendous amount of time I put into SQUILT Music Appreciation each week I’m finding my time to write about homeschool, in general, is dwindling - but I still have the heart to share information and encourage homeschoolers. Homegrown Learners is the place it all started many years ago (read how we went from school to home here), and I still marvel at how beautiful this homeschool journey has been.

5 Good Things: a weekly dose of delightful, inspiring, and creative information for the homeschooling mom

In Our Corner of the World…

Our state is beginning to open up.

I’ve returned library books, gone to Target, and done a few more “normal” things. It feels good. We’re beginning to let the kids spend time with a friend or two, and I am noticing a difference in everyone’s mood and motivation. Let’s pray things keep going in a positive direction and the rhetoric in our nation settles down.

We certainly have interesting points for discussion and discernment with our homeschoolers, don’t we?

This week, I’ve been writing our year-end summary - looking back on my son’s 9th-grade year. Several things just WORKED, and I wanted to share a few of those with you today.

Additionally, I will share a couple of MY favorite things - because mama needs things for herself, too!

  • Shormann Math

    Grant made the switch this year to Shormann Math - mostly because I wanted the grading done for me, and for my Grant to have more of an independent experience for math. It’s been a good change for both of us, and he will continue with Algebra 2 and Integrated Geometry in his 10th grade year.

  • Homeschool Spanish Academy

    Although Latin has been a part of our curriculum for the past several years, I decided that we needed to add a functional language to Grant’s high school years. He continued his Henle Latin studies this year while taking Spanish 2 times each week through Homeschool Spanish Academy. It was a lot of work, but he did it!

    Next year Grant will step back from Latin a bit and focus more on Spanish. We’ve been extremely happy with the model used and his progress so far. You can read all about it in my article about the foreign language requirement in high school.

  • Reading Aloud

    We continue to read aloud through high school. It’s actually a very fun time in our house - most often Grant does the reading aloud and it’s usually quite dramatic and entertaining. The latest read-aloud was Freak the Mighty, which we both highly recommend! You can follow along with our read-alouds (and all of the books I read on my own, too) at the Homegrown Bookpicks Instagram account.

  • Emma

    Thanks to the Read-Aloud Revival Emma event, I have a renewed interest in Jane Austen. My daughter, Anna (18), and I watched the BBC 4 part series on Amazon Prime and enjoyed it immensely! (I recommended this to all my friends with teen girls) Now, I’m watching Sanditon, which is an adaptation of Jane Austen’s last (unfinished) novel.

    Part of Grant’s 10th-grade curriculum includes Pride & Prejudice, so I will try to re-read that this summer in preparation for discussions with him. It might just be a Jane Austen summer!

  • The Silvan Reverie

    If you aren’t familiar with this site, you should be! I first found Sarah on Instagram and since that time I’ve gotten to know her and work with her a bit. She is such a creative, clever homeschool mom and creator.

    And, I am totally IN LOVE with the peg dolls she creates. I have a set of composers dolls coming soon and I can’t wait to display them in my office!

    Look at these Beatrix Potter peg dolls - I’m in love!

I hope you’ve discovered a “good thing” in this post.

And, if you have a good thing to share - let me know in the comments below!