What we have read so far this school year (from late summer until now)

It has been a while since I have had time to sit down and post something.

I wanted to take a minute to jot down what we have read so far this school year before I forget (I did post here about my favorites, but this list includes all of the books we've read - not just those that were our favorites).  As it is already, I have texted myself a dozen "oh yeah, don't forget this one...".

By the way, completely random, does anyone else text themselves so they won't forget something?  It works fine until I accidentally send it to someone other than me :).  I usually get a "what in the world?!?!"  Ha!

So here is what we have read in no particular order...

Echo (I read this one, holding off on reading it aloud for now, but WONDERFUL book!)

Okay For Now (same thing - AWESOME book, just not right at this moment for us)

Insanity of God (THIS BOOK!  Wow - this book.  I will do a whole post on just this book)

21 Balloons (delightful book about the adventures to be had in a hot air balloon)

Remember My Name (about the trail of tears...how did I NOT know about this before now?!?! Highly recommend this read aloud)

Little Women (still reading this one aloud, already have marked several passages I want to commonplace)

Number the Stars (about World War II in Denmark.  We just finished this one today.)

Naya Niku (a friend of Sacagawea, LOVED this book)

Anne of Green Gables (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!!!!! this book!  My kids were just ok with it, how is that possible?  I wish I could step into this book and walk the paths that Anne tread and hear her talk.)

Sarah Bishop (we have discovered and fallen in love with Scott O'Dell)

Island of the Blue Dolphins (my kids absolutely LOVED this book)

Mysterious Benedict Society (recently got books two and three on Audible and cannot wait to start them)

Tom Sawyer (a favorite from my childhood, but my kids did not like it.  At all.)

Harriet the Spy (I remember my third-grade teacher reading this aloud to us.  I loved it then.  Did NOT love it now.  Neither did my kids.)

A Long Walk to Water (HIGHLY recommend this book)

Tree in the Trail (Sante Fe trail.  Holling C Holling - really, really like this author)

Crenshaw (GREAT book!  Eye opening for those going through hard times)

Inside Out and Back Again (had no idea this is what refugees sometimes experience(d).  This one was during Vietnam.  I really appreciated this story, my kids did not enjoy it, but they learned quite a bit and sometimes that is enough).

Robin Hood

King Arthur

The Bronze Bow (a favorite of mine - so glad my kids enjoyed this one too)

Bambi's Children (my oldest read Bambi aloud to us earlier last year, and is now reading this one aloud to us.  We think we like this one better than Bambi, but they are both wonderful books.)

These next seven books my oldest read aloud to my youngest
Sword in the Tree

Light at Tern Rock

Twenty and Ten

A Lion to Guard Us

The Courage of Sarah Noble

The Bears on Hemlock Mountain

Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie

The Matchlock Gun (I had not read this story before, we really enjoyed it)

The Castle Glower Series (utterly enchanted with this series, we got it on Audible and LOVED it!)

8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel/ 1 Dog = Chaos (laughed ourselves silly over this one)

George Frederick Handel (neat story - afterward we followed it up with listening to The Messiah and also reading excerpts from Cindy Rollins advent book called Hallelujah)

Mere Motherhood (I love Cindy Rollins)

Gladys Aylward (it has been probably six months, maybe more, since we read this, but my kids STILL talk about this book.  Almost daily.  That is the mark of a great book!)

Clementine series (adorable series!)

In Grandma's Attic (my oldest read this whole series to us this year)

The Reluctant Dragon (a favorite of my youngest)

Caddie Woodlawn (looking forward to the sequel Magical Melons)

Stuart Little (did not like the ending on this one)

BFG (normally we have loved Roald Dahl, but this one...not so much)

Daring to Hope (really, really, really loved this book.  Have debated on reading it aloud to my kids.  Maybe next year?)

Sacred Mundane (this was going to be just a 'me' book, but will definitely be a read aloud at some point.  Too many great points covered not to read it aloud to my kids)

Each and every book on this list carries with it a cache of memories.

I found myself, as I was typing thinking....'yep, we read that one when our sewage pipes busted and sewage was spewing out of all three bathrooms'. Or 'yep, we listened to that series driving back and forth to KY several times this year'.  Or, 'we read that one waiting.  Waiting in dr offices, in parking lots for appointments to begin or end and while we (somewhat) patiently waited for Daddy to get done with work so we could run errands together'.  Such fun and such love unfolds with each moment spent reading to these kids.  I LOVE getting to do this daily, I love getting to be their momma, I love, love, love to watch their own love of reading take root and blossom.