Angie Windheim

During my two years of  homeschooling Ben and Joe, we read a lot of historical fiction. I adopted the literary-focused American history series from Sonlight Curriculum.  Reading to the boys every day was probably the best part of the whole homeschooling experience. That being said, a good book made our day and a bad book was incredibly tough on us. And, let’s face it, some of those “classics” are difficult to read because of the complex language and long-winded sentences. I thought it would be useful to compile a short list of books that both taught us about a time period in American history AND entertained us with good writing and a sense of humor. In no particular order:

• Old Yeller, Fred Bipson
• By the Great Horn Spoon!, Sid Fleischman
• The Great Turkey Walk, Kathleen Karr
• The Wright Brothers, Quentin Reynolds
• The Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson, Bette Bao Lord
• Caddie Woodlawn, Carol Ryrie Brink
• The Seventeenth Swap, Eloise McGraw
• Little Britches, Ralph Moody
• The Great Wheel, Robert Lawson

Here’s a few that I really enjoyed. The boys gave them an “OK” but they’re longer and don’t have as much humor.  

• Johnny Tremain, Esther Forbes
• Carry on Mr. Bowditch, Jean Lee Latham
• Moccasin Trail, Eloise Jarvis McGraw
• Walk the World’s Rim, Betty Baker
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Elizabeth Greorge Speare