Books...

It's midwinter, and staying inside has encouraged some filing and chores that I have been putting off. For instance, I have been really slack this year about putting things in the Wonder Book. I usually stick papers in this handy little clipboard I have that opens and stores papers and pens, but it was getting a tad bit full.

Finally getting stuff filed made me realize that I wanted to make a book list for the year. And what a book list it will be! I've got categories like "History" and "Picture Book Biographies" and "Books on CD." Writing down even a fraction of what we read makes me realize that the heart of school for us truly is  the books we read. I get title ideas from everywhere. Simplehomeschool gave out a great list of new picture book biographies, and our library had most of them. We've read about Jefferson building the a Library of Congress, Einstein, Paul Erdos, Clara Barton. Books are such a wonderful way to introduce the idea that there are a million different things that you can do and think about and discover.

Seth was randomly listing our blessings the other night, and at the top of the list were "toys so the kids don't get bored" and "books so the grown ups don't get bored." We laughed at that, but it's true. He sees his parents with their noses buried in books when we can snatch a free minute or two. That's us. That's our family, and he's gotten the idea.

We just finished up "Farmer Boy" (reading aloud at lunch slowed down significantly for awhile), and I've just started reading "Owls in the Family." They're loving this one so much that the enthusiasm was really high when I asked them if they wanted me to get some books on owls from the library. I want to read "The Light Princess" by McDonald before things get more relaxed here in May.