We heard them early in February this year, shrill piping in the marshy places near our favorite nature walk. Winter returned for a couple of weeks, and when next we tramped that path through the park, they were still boisterous, but their voices were a little lower pitched. Since moving to Virginia, the chorus of… Read More Books that Open Doors to Nature
Here in Virginia we are having an unusual amount of snow and very cold winter weather…it doesn’t exactly encourage us to get outdoors for Nature Study. Maybe you are experiencing a similar reluctance to venture outside? We would be missing an important part of our natural history education if we neglect this more hostile season.… Read More Top Picks: Winter Nature Study Books
During the usual school season, as we toil and trudge through our action-packed days, somewhere out before us is that distant glimmer of summer with its promise of long, lazy days to spend as we choose. And as we all know, when summer is upon us, those empty spaces soon teem with too many diversions and, sooner than… Read More Nature: Summer’s Open Book
Shelly wrote us asking for some recommendations of good Ocean Life books to read aloud to her science-loving 6-, almost 7-year-old. Here are some of our favorites: The Burgess Seashore Book For Children by Thornton Burgess One of the first field guides for children, Burgess’ inimitable ability to combine story with scientific fact is prominently… Read More Top Picks: Ocean Life
Sometimes in homeschooling our children we lose sight of our goals in the day to day work. On the other hand, we also tend to overlook the importance of each small lesson in our eagerness to see results. Charlotte Mason encouraged us to spread a feast before our children, to give them a taste of a wide variety of… Read More The Tortoise and the Hare
“I’d love some additional book ideas on volcanoes, dams, bridges, and the human body to read aloud to my 7 year old son…he’s still learning how to read!” -Kelly [Don’t forget, we’re taking requests for recommendations. Details here.] Kelly, Here’s some of our suggestions for your first topic (Volcanoes), we hope your son likes them! -Emily, Living Books Librarian Volcanoes… Read More Top Picks: Volcanoes
Spring is Here by Lois Lenski Beloved illustrator’s simple rhymes highlight the activities of spring. A perfect picture book for little hands–just slightly bigger than a Beatrix Potter book–thankfully reprinted recently, many libraries still have this, and used copies are available online (though Amazon has none that are affordable at the time of this post).… Read More Top Picks: Spring
Freckles by Gene Stratton-Porter This is the story of a young man who does not fit in, but whose courage, determination, and heart endear him to those around him. Set in the Limberlost Swamp, this tale is full of the wonders of the natural world. For middle-high school readers. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson… Read More Top Picks: Nature-Themed