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20 Nature-Inspired Kids’ Novels to Nurture Interest In the Outdoors

June 16, 2020 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

This list of twenty nature-inspired kids novels are the types of books which helps kids connect to the outdoors. Whether you’re wanting kids to step away from their devices, looking for a nature-inspired book for a unit study, or you want to inspire your kid’s inner naturalist, look at this roundup of books.

20 Nature-Inspired Kids’ Novels to Nurture Interest In the Outdoors
The Illustrated Call of the Wild: Original First Edition

Call of the Wild by Jack London for ages 12 and up.

A classic story of survival from the perspective of Buck, a kidnapped Saint Bernard who is forced into being a sled dog during the Klondike Gold Rush.

Set in the Alaskan wilderness during the 1890s, the descriptions are stunning and take readers right to the freezing temperatures of the Yukon.

Nature-Inspired Kids’ Novels

Island of the Blue Dolphins

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell for ages 8 to 12.

A young girl is left deserted on a pacific island off the coast of California. Karana must forage for food, build weapons for protection, and make clothes for covering.

A story of strength and resilience that will inspire. Beautifully written and perfect taking the readers to an island filled with dolphins, otters, and sea birds.

These activities will go along with this book.

  • Foraging and Feasting Nature Unit Study and Lapbook
  • Oceans Unit Study and Lapbook
  • How to Dissolve a Seashell – Beach Hands-on Fun Activity
  • Super Seashore Watching Unit Study and Beach Lapbook
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: Original Illustrations

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain for ages 12 and up.

This classic, set near the Mississippi River in the 1840s follows Tom and his adventures through plenty of outdoor shenanigans.

Look at this activity Lewis & Clark – Mighty Mississippi book & Sediment Activity to go along with this book.

Nature Books for Kids

Travel to the river with Tom and Huck with this fully illustrated edition!

Hatchet

Hatchet by Gary Paulson ages 11 and up.

The sole survivor of a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian Roberson, finds himself stranded in the Canadian wilderness. He must fend for himself.

Brian slowly learns the survivor skills he needs to stay alive, building shelter, making fire, and foraging for food.

This novel takes the reader through a fifty-four-day journey of perseverance that forever changes a young man and his perspective about life and family. 

Gary Paulson has many other novels that are set in the wilderness, and spends his personal time split between Alaska, New Mexico, Minnesota, and the Pacific.

Nature Book List for Kids

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen (2005-12-27)

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen for ages 12 and up.

Carli Hiassen is known for his descriptions of Florida and the endangered wildlife that inhabit the state.

This book takes readers on an eco-adventure full of everything from the town’s well know bully to potty-trained alligators. There is a movie that would make a fun follow-up too.

Paddle-to-the-Sea (Sandpiper Books)

Paddle-to-the-Sea by Holling C. Holling for ages 8 to 12.

Follow a young boy as he travels from The Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean in this adventurous novel that brings geography to life.

This author has many other titles perfect for nature study.

The Secret Garden (HarperClassics)

The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett for ages 9 to 12.

An orphaned girl is sent to live with her great uncle and discovers a secret garden on his Yorkshire Moors property.

The lush garden is the young girl’s only escape.

This edition is beautifully illustrated by Tasha Tudor. Recreate some of the pictures or draw a scene from the book. 

The Secret Lake: A children’s mystery adventure

The Secret Lake by Karen Inglis for ages 8 to 12.

This book is a time-traveling mystery adventure of two kids who find a pathway to a secret lake and one hundred years old garden.

Nancy Drew meets The Secret Garden in this modern novel sure to become a favorite. 

Nature-Based Fiction for Kids

The Sign of the Beaver

The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare for ages 10 to 12.

Thirteen-year-old Matt is left to survive on his own in the Maine wilderness.

This is a story filled with descriptive detail about survival in the wilderness and the relationships between settlers and natives in the 1700s.

Look at my other activities here to go along with this book.

  • French and Indian War 1754 -1763
  • 15 Hands-on History Ideas for Kids Studying the French and Indian War
The Swiss Family Robinson (An Illustrated Classic)

The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Davide Wyss for ages 10 and up.

A classic story of one family’s survival after being shipwrecked in the East Indies on their way to Australia.

They live on a deserted island for ten years. A book filled with adventure, lots of exotic animals, and plenty of survival skills.

The Snow Child: A Novel (Pulitzer Prize in Letters: Fiction Finalists)

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey for ages High School.

Set in snowy Alaska in 1920, a couple desperate for a baby, build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow is gone, but a young girl is found running in the woods.

She hunts with a red fox by her side and survives on her own in the Alaskan wilderness. The couple’s lives are changed forever, as they grow to love the child as their own.

My Side of the Mountain (Puffin Modern Classics)

My Side of The Mountain by Jean Craighead George for ages 8 to 12.

Sam Gribley runs away from New York City to the mountains and must survive on his own.

The descriptions of nature are detailed, and it is the perfect choice for learning real-life survival skills.

The book’s rich vocabulary will make for a great read-aloud.

Our Journey Westward

Kids Novels to Inspire the Love of Outdoors

Summer of the Woods (The Virginia Mysteries)

Summer of The Woods by Stephen K. Smith for ages 8 to 12.

A summer packed with outdoor adventure! Follow these kids as they discover the Virginian woods where they find secret caves, rushing waters, and rare treasure. 

These books would be awesome for a state study of Virginia, as there are several more in the series that takes the reader to historical sites throughout the state.

The Last Unicorn

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle for ages 13 and up.

A lone unicorn ventures out on her own to find more of her kind.

Set in an enchanted forest, readers escape to the wood with this classic fantasy fiction.

The Wind in the Willows

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame for ages 8 and up.

Four animals live among the Thames Valley in England.

A classic novel about adventure, morality, and friendship is also well known for its depiction of nature.

The Wild Robot (The Wild Robot (1))

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown for ages 10 to 12.

Can a Robot survive in the wild? Find out as Roz learns to survive the wilderness.

Fans of the movie Wall-E will enjoy this adventurous story about the clash of technology and nature. The book includes lots of descriptions of nature and animals.

Riding the Flume (Aladdin Historical Fiction)

Riding the Fume by Patricia Curtis Pfitsch for ages 11 to 13.

Set among the giant sequoia trees in California, the novel is about a young girl faced with the discovery that her sister who died years earlier may still be alive. A must-read!

Nature Living Books

Nature Girl

Nature Girl by Jane Kelly for ages 8 to 12.

Eleven-year-old Megan is without internet and TV in the Vermont woods for the summer.

Our Journey Westward

When she gets lost on the Appalachian Trail, she decides to hike all the way to Massachusetts where her best friend lives.

Get ready for a hike with this adventure novel!

Where the Red Fern Grows
20 Nature-Inspired Kids' Novels to Nurture Interest In the Outdoors

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls for ages 9 to 14.

Set in the hills of the Ozarks, young Billy, and his two dogs explore the countryside.

This is a timeless tale of love and loss and the special bond between a boy and his best friends, two pups named Old Dan and Little Ann.

Wish

Wish by Barabra O’Connor for ages 9 to 12.

Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, a young girl makes the same wish every after year.

This is a sweet story about a girl and a newfound furry friend.

I hope one of these 20 nature-inspired books will teach your kids about nature and revive a love of the great outdoors.

Look at some of these other ideas:

  • 6 Boy Approved Books Which Spark the Love of Reading
  • 6 Tricks for the Kid That’s NOT in Love with Reading!
  • 5 BEST Books to Create an Around the World Unit Study (and Hands-on Activities)
  • 5 Steps to Choosing Geography Living Books Your Children Will Love
  • 6 Fun and Free Nature Studies to Beat the Doldrums

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Graduate a Homeschooler, Homeschool Boys, Homeschool Multiple Ages of Children, Homeschool Simply, Homeschool Teens _ From Teen to Graduation, Middle School Homeschool, Teach Homeschool Language Arts Tagged With: book lists, homeschoolanguagearts, homeschoolreading, livingbooks, nature, nature study, read aloud, reading, readingcomprehension, science, sciencecurriculum

6 Boy Approved Books Which Spark the Love of Reading

December 25, 2018 | 5 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Not wanting my boys to be among the boys-who-hate-to-read statistics, it was a challenge in the beginning to keep my boys’ enjoying reading. I had a LOT to learn about how boys learn. Sharing these 6 boy approved books which spark the love of learning, I’m hoping that one or more of them will flame that ember to read in your boys.

6 Boy Approved Books Which SPARK the Love of Reading!! Sharing these 6 boy approved books which spark the love of learning, I'm hoping that one or more of them will flame that ember to read in your boys. CLICK here to look at this short but TRIED and TRUE List!!

Boy Mom Reading Tips

Now that I have lifelong adult son readers, I know you’ll benefit from these three simple, easy, and tried and true reading tips.

One/ Quit thinking like female teachers.

I know, it sounds crazy because homeschool stats reveal that a majority of the teaching is done by moms. It’s hard to not think like a woman when you are one. Where am I going with this?

The point is we add to our son’s dislike for reading when we try to use the books we loved as a girl to spark a boy’s interest. My boys didn’t connect with a lot of the books I loved as a girl. When I started homeschooling I felt like I had a diversified reading diet growing up, but it didn’t include a lot of topics boys liked.

Sure some of the books were the same ones I loved like the Where the Red Fern Grows and The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe. But I had to expand what I thought were appropriate topics to read about.

Two/Hero or Heroine Matters

Although boys love to get lost in a world of fiction too, relating to the hero matters. It’s hard for boys who are struggling to read to relate to a sentimental girl. At the time my first son was struggling with a love of reading, unless the girl was mischievous or a tomboy, it wasn’t easy for my boys to understand the sentiment.

Too, a lot of boys, including mine, develop slower. Their maturity rate is different than girls. They don’t necessarily see themselves in a place through the eyes of the character, so you have to be sure they do.

Instead of trying to read between the lines, my boys needed to understand the why of a point directly. Finding a solution to the problem was more paramount than understanding exactly how a character felt.

A story line with male role models no matter the age was a good starting point in helping my sons identify with people who are like them.

Three/ Boys LOVE Pictures. Use this tip.

Boys are not ready to move away from pictures as fast as girls may be. Realizing that significant fact, I was so grateful for the Great Illustrated Classics series. True, some of the pictures are not like the comic books that boys love, but pictures are still pictures to boys.

The size of the print mattered to my first reader too. Until he felt comfortable and was hooked on reading, we just kept on reading most of the books from the Great Illustrated Classics series.

I never worried whether the books were abridged or unabridged until I hooked my reader.

That is the point – hook your reader first, then focus on literary value. There is so much time to do that.

Out of all the books I used for my boys to hook them on reading they narrowed down their favorites to these 6 choices to nurture a love for reading.

One or more of these book or series should give your boys a taste of boy approved books, but more important they’ll nurture a love of reading.

A book list doesn’t have to be long to work; the book list needs to be focused on what boys can relate to.

I’ll be sharing more book lists that have worked for us through the years.

Does your son have a favorite book or series that worked to fan that tiny ember to a raging love for reading?

6 Boy Approved Books Which SPARK the Love of Reading!! Sharing these 6 boy approved books which spark the love of learning, I'm hoping that one or more of them will flame that ember to read in your boys. CLICK here to look at this short but TRIED and TRUE List!!

You’ll love these other tips:

  • Homeschooling Stubborn Teens: Not for the Faint of Heart
  • 6 Tricks for the Kid That’s NOT in Love with Reading!
  • 3 Beginner’s Tips: Homeschool High School Literature
  • How to Transition a Child From Reading to Literature
  • Teaching Homeschooled Boys How to Read – When to Panic!

Hugs and love ya,

5 CommentsFiled Under: Homeschool Boys, Homeschool Simply, Reading Lists, Teach Homeschool Language Arts, Teach the Rebel Homeschooler Tagged With: book lists, books, boys, homeschoolreading, livingbooks, reading, teens

Online Homeschool High School Poetry (No Teaching Involved)

November 19, 2018 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I was given this product for free. All opinions are my own and for sure I will always tell you what is on my mind. When I do accept a product it’s because I’m giddy to tell you about it. Read my full disclosure here. Now on to the fun!

When my boys entered the high school years I admit feeling intimidated to teach poetry. An online homeschool high school poetry class with no teaching involved sounded pretty good.

High School Poetry

Online Homeschool High School Poetry (No Teaching Involved)

Besides fighting my sons’ perception that poetry is too emotional and for girls only, I struggled with the humdrum way I was taught poetry in high school.

When I saw that Literary Adventures for Kids had an online homeschool high school Poetry & a Movie literature course, I couldn’t wait to get started on it with my third teen.

Movies, an online self-paced course, and a hands-off approach to teaching the Poetry & a Movie literature course piqued my interest. My son not so much. However, by using this course I’m so tickled that I’ve been able to ignite my son’s interest in poetry. This course has easily become one of my favorites and must-haves for teaching high school teens poetry.

Online Homeschool High School Poetry (No Teaching Involved). When I saw that Literary Adventures for Kids had an online homeschool high school Poetry & a Movie literature course, I couldn't wait to get started on it with my third teen. Click here for this fun high school course!

Overview of Poetry & a Movie

Let me back up first and give you a bird’s-eye view of this super course:

  • it’s self-paced and online
  • there is no physical product and my high school teen loved to pick up and go at his leisure
  • the literature course has 10 units
  • it is a study of the master poets and their poetry
  • it is a study of the poetic devices or literary elements
  • videos are scattered throughout
  • it has a grammar component
  • it’s designed to give your teen the broad strokes of literary elements so there is no overwhelm
  • you can purchase the books used in the course or borrow them from your local library
  • a movie suggestion is included for a unit end celebration
  • there is flexibility to use this course as a full high school credit, one-half of a language arts course, or enrichment

Although studying literary elements is the foundation of poetry over prose, I couldn’t take that usual approach with my son. Another roadblock of high school programs is that most use a textbook method. My son is an auditory learner.

Online Literature Course for Homeschooled Teens

You know my struggle through the years with him because taking notes doesn’t work well with him. I need to blend different styles of teaching to fit his need to learn in a way that appeals to him and make this course a challenge. 

Taking information in through audio works extremely well. The Poetry and a Movie course uses an eclectic method of teaching by combining video, text, and real books. Win!

Besides searching for courses that match his learning style, I had to overcome his perception that poetry is not manly. If you have boys you know what I mean. Challenge on.

Instead of picking up another boring textbook about literary devices and beginning there, the course begins with a series of videos about what is poetry. I won’t ruin the videos for your kids, but I heard a chuckle or two from my son.

Poetry and Living Books for Teens

Using the living book in the course that is suggested as a spine or frame for this course is what my son loved. Remember, a spine is normally a living book that is the foundation on which a course is built.

That is another win for the course because real books should still be used in high school.

Now that I had my son hooked on the course, the next step was to choose a master poet that would help my son let go of his negative perception of poetry.

Before I tell you what I did, it’s important for your teen to cover the master poets in order. If this is your middle or high school teen’s first introduction to the beauty of poetry, don’t skip ahead like I had to do.

I was tickled to see Edgar Allan Poe listed as one of the master poets. We moved right to his poems first because my son needed to understand that poetry is not just about love; poetry is about real things in the world like cruelty, war, nature, despair, and friendship.

Because the powerful words of Poe were the first ones that inspired me, I was almost sure his words would not make my teen yawn. It worked.

Online Homeschool High School Poetry (No Teaching Involved). When I saw that Literary Adventures for Kids had an online homeschool high school Poetry & a Movie literature course, I couldn't wait to get started on it with my third teen. Click here for this fun high school course!
 #homeschool #homeschoolhighschool #poetry #onlinehomeschool #highschoolteens
Online Homeschool High School Poetry (No Teaching Involved)

Next the unit moves on to helping your teen define literary devices by using video to teach them and giving examples. At this point, your teen will set up his poetry notebook. Poetry, Literary Elements, and Trivia are the tabbed sections in the notebook.

Teaching Teens about Literary Elements


Guide your teen to help him set up the tabbed sections because they give your learner a way to break down learning into meaningful and fun parts. After all, learning poetry should have an organized approach so as to not miss one tiny detail.

The teacher in me needs to be sure my son comes away from high school with a foundation in literature and appreciation for figurative language and not just analytical writing.

The trivia section in the notebook helped my teen to see that poetry is lively, upbeat, and challenging.I mentioned before that this course uses many different teaching styles, but it equally incorporates different homeschool approaches.

The study of poetry is both a classical and Charlotte Mason feature. Charlotte Mason touts studying one artist or composer for a while. Studying one master poet thoroughly is the same approach in this course. Instead of quickly shifting focus, poetry requires lingering on words and digging deep for the intentions of wordplay by master poets.

After my initial fast forwarding to a point in the course to hook my kid on poetry, we benefited from staying focused on one poet for a considerable length of time. Mastery is also a unit study feature and that was one huge benefit for us in this course.

Living Books and Online Poetry Study

Online Homeschool High School Poetry (No Teaching Involved)

Having a culminating activity like watching a movie together or having teatime with your teen keeps it fun. Of course I didn’t dare mention teatime to my boy, but popping some popcorn and lighting the fireplace before a movie made it memorable.

Although the course is designed so that your teen can learn independently, don’t miss out by not reading the poems together. Poetry is supposed to be read out loud. Mentoring your teen doesn’t stop in high school. If you want him to appreciate figurative language and rhyme, then he needs to hear your voice.

I enjoyed reading the poems out loud with my teen, but you don’t have to. Another benefit of the program is that he can read it along side the narrator on each video. I have to admit, my voice was no substitute for the narrator reading “The Tyger” by William Blake. Your teen will love listening closely as the poem is read to him.

Although you can use the course for writing lessons, my goal was to use the time to kindle my son’s appreciation for poetry.

5 More Things You Should Know About Poetry & a Movie

One/  The specifics of the course are the introduction, the master poets which are Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Blake, Edgar Allan Poe, Walt Whitman, Lord Alfred Tennyson, Langston Hughes, William Wordsworth, William Butler Yeats, Dylan Thomas, and Robert Frost. The last section is a Final Project writing essays.

Two/  You will need to determine beforehand how much credit you will assign to your teen. Of course this depends on how extensive you want to use this online language arts course.

Third/ Each poet has been planned for a month-long study. Because I wanted to get the flavor of the course, we initially skipped around as I explained earlier. Now, my son prefers to cover one master poet in-depth.

Four/ There is unlimited access to the course and I see this as a huge savings. 

If you don’t know by now, curriculum for older kids is more expensive. We’re preparing teens for adulthood and curriculum shouldn’t just impart knowledge or rote facts; it should stir a teen’s mind to be included in the bigger picture of life after high school.

Teaching a teen how to think using poetry as an analysis cements beautiful thoughts in our kid’s mind and reciting poetry is a memory aid to use into adulthood. You don’t want to miss covering poetry and it’s especially fun when there is no stress planning.

In addition, this course can be used in a few different ways to get your money’s worth. The master poets and literary elements can be introduced in middle school.

In high school, use the course again, but fold in the grammar and essay components for high school credit. It’s a two-fer.

The best part is that you can use this with all of your younger kids. What a deal for a course that is prepped and ready to go.

Five/ Literary Adventures for Kids is owned by a homeschooling family. You know how much I prefer curriculum prepared by a homeschooling family because they get it when we need curriculum easy to teach and that appeals to a variety of learners. Another win for me.

Poetry Study for Homeschool High School

Poetry & a Movie may be a good fit for your family:

  • if your child needs multiple approaches to learning
  • if your child prefers using real books instead of a textbook
  • if you want to foster independence with your middle or high school teen, but want your child to have a framework to follow
  • if you fear teaching poetry and want to learn alongside your teen
  • if you prefer an online self-paced course over a physical product
  • if you need a course prepped and ready to go with minimal teacher planning

Bottom Line: I’m extremely delighted with Poetry & a Movie and any apprehensions I had that my teen son may find poetry only a girl’s subjects has been put to rest. Hearing him repeat part of the poems he learned as he goes through his day is a proud mama moment.

I am so pleased with this course and I just can’t think of anything that needs to be changed. I would highly recommend it if you have a teen that needs to learn outside the box, but don’t have time to prepare a unit study.

Poetry & a Movie is a keeper in my home and I plan on going over it again both as a standalone course and to use as a review tool. I look forward to seeing my son build on the foundational skills he learned in this poetry course. This has been a rewarding experience and has helped my son enjoy learning to write and read poetry!

Thanks to Literary Adventures for Kids for this excellent product to serve the homeschool community!

Don’t forget to purchase this at this huge discount from Nov. 23 to December 2.

Go on over and give it a look see. I’ll know you love it as much as I do!

How to Purchase It.

►Product Name: Literary Adventures for Kids – Poetry and a Movie
►Website: Literary Adventure for Kids/Hide the Chocolate
►Grade Level: 7th grade and up Note: There are products for your younger kids too.
►Type of product: These is an online course. No physical product will be shipped to you.

Online Homeschool High School Poetry (No Teaching Involved). When I saw that Literary Adventures for Kids had an online homeschool high school Poetry & a Movie literature course, I couldn't wait to get started on it with my third teen. Click here for this fun high school course!
Online Homeschool High School Poetry (No Teaching Involved)

Also, you’ll love these other helps for high school:

  • 54+ Fun Books Turned Movies to Spark a Love For Reading
  • Best Homeschool High School Literature Suggestions For Teens
  • How to Choose the Best Middle School Literature And Favorite Resources
  • How to Choose the BEST Homeschool Middle and High School Language Arts Curriculum & Options
  • Modern U.S. and World History High School Literature
  • 3 Beginner’s Tips: Homeschool High School Literature
  • Homeschool High School Literature Guides
  • The Ultimate Guide to Poetry for Multiple Ages (For the Intimidated)
  • How to Easily Add Poetry to Your Homeschool Subjects

Hugs and love ya,

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Graduate a Homeschooler, Homeschool Curriculum Review, Homeschool Teens _ From Teen to Graduation, How To - - -, Product Review, Teach Homeschool Language Arts Tagged With: high school, high school literature, homeschoolanguagearts, language arts, languagearts, livingbooks, middleschool, poetry, product review, review, teens

100 BEST Books for Kids from all 50 States (Easy Geography)

June 19, 2018 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Book lists are a great resource for beginning a homeschool unit study, to revive learning when you feel the homeschool doldrums, or to use them for a geography unit study when you want to move away from boring textbooks. Today, I rounded up 100 best books for kids from all 50 states.

BOOKS FOR KIDS FROM ALL 50 STATES 

Alabama

My Name Is America: The Journal Of Biddy Owens, Birmingham, Alabama, 1948
Who Was Rosa Parks? (Who Was? series)

Alaska

The Adventures of Balto: The Untold Story of Alaska’s Famous Iditarod Sled Dog
Sweet Home Alaska

Arizona

Wright on Time, Book 1: Arizona
Arizona (Lucky Luke)

Arkansas

Lost Mines and Buried Treasures of Arkansas
The Fifth Rule

California

By the Great Horn Spoon!
What Was the Gold Rush? (What Was? series)

Colorado

Down the Colorado: John Wesley Powell, the One-Armed Explorer
In the Heart of the Rockies: An Adventure on the Colorado River

Connecticut

The Moffats
The Forgotten Flag: Revolutionary Struggle in Connecticut Paperback

Delaware

The Last of the Mohicans
Dear America: A Light in the Storm

Florida

Because of Winn-Dixie
Defeat of the Ghost Riders (Trailblazer Books)

Georgia

My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Diary of Carrie Berry A Confederate Girl

Hawaii

Shipwrecked!: The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy
What Was Pearl Harbor? (What Was? series)

Idaho

West to a Land of Plenty: The Diary of Teresa Angelino Viscardi, New York to Idaho Territory
High Wind to Idaho

Illinois

DK Biography: Abraham Lincoln
What Was the Great Chicago Fire? (What Was? series)

Indiana

The Bears of Blue River
Oliver’s Travels: An Indiana Adventure

Iowa

Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Iowa Story
Searching for Anne Frank: Letters from Amsterdam to Iowa

Kansas

Prairie Skies: Cabin in the Snow
Moon Over Manifest

Kentucky

Daniel Boone: Young Hunter and Tracker (Childhood of Famous Americans)
Abandoned on the Wild Frontier (Trailblazer Books)

Louisana

Lorenzo And the Turncoat
Down in Louisiana

Maine

The Sign of the Beaver
Lost on a Mountain in Maine

Maryland

Goliath: Hero of the Great Baltimore Fire
Listen for the Whippoorwill (Trailblazer Books)

Massachusetts

Three Young Pilgrims
What Was the Boston Tea Party? (What Was? series)

Michigan

Brothers of the Heart: A Story of the Old Northwest
Who Was Henry Ford? (Who Was? series)

Minnesota

Farmer Boy Goes West (Little House, Big Adventure)
Wright on Time, Book 5: Minnesota

Mississippi

The Mystery on the Mighty Mississippi (Real Kids, Real Places)
Mississippi Morning

Missouri

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
What Was the Lewis and Clark Expedition? (What Was? series)

Montana

First Dog: Unleashed in the Montana Capitol
Magpie Treasures

Nebraska

Night of the Twisters
My Face to the Wind: the Diary of Sarah Jane Price, a Prairie Teacher, Broken Bow, Nebraska 1881 (Dear America Series)

Nevada

The Last Stubborn Buffalo in Nevada
The Mystery at Area 51 (Real Kids Real Places)

And if you love learning geography through literature, look at another one of my favorites from Beautiful Feet books which is Geography through Literature.

New Hampshire

The Trouble with Jeremy Chance
A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl’s Journal, 1830-32

New Jersey

The Fighting Ground
Who Was Thomas Alva Edison? (Who Was? series)

New Mexico

The Day It Snowed Tortillas
Loco Dog in the Santa Fe Rail Yard (Historical New Mexico for Children)

New York

Roundup of the Street Rovers (Trailblazer Books)
Who Was Jackie Robinson? (Who Was? series)

North Carolina

The Mystery of the Lost Colony (Real Kids! Real Places!)
The Mystery of Biltmore House (Real Kids Real Places)

North Dakota

The Long Winter (Little House)
Gift Horse: A Lakota Story

Ohio

The Boy Who Saved Cleveland
Who Was Neil Armstrong? (Who Was? series)

From Textbook to Living Book for Homeschool Geography

Oklahoma

Beautiful Land: A Story of the Oklahoma Land Rush
Oklahoma Prairie Tales: Mostly True Stories My Grandma Told Me

Oregon

Attack in the Rye Grass: Marcus and Narcissa Whitman (Trailblazer Books)
Attack in the Rye Grass (Trailblazer Books)

Pennsylvania

The Madcap Mystery of the Missing Liberty Bell
What Was the Battle of Gettysburg? (What Was? series)

Rhode Island

The Art of Keeping Cool (Aladdin Historical Fiction)
The World in One Square Mile: Central Falls

South Carolina

Sylvia and Miz Lula Maye
The Mystery at Fort Sumter (Real Kids Real Places)

South Dakota

Wright on Time: South Dakota
The Mystery at Mount Rushmore (Real Kids Real Places)

Tennessee

Flaming Arrows (Odyssey Classics)
The Perilous Road (Odyssey Classics (Odyssey Classics)

Texas

A Line in the Sand: The Alamo Diary of Lucinda Lawrence (Dear America Series)
What Was the Alamo? (What Was? series)

Utah

The Great Brain
Wright on Time, Book 2: Utah

Vermont

Aaron and the Green Mountain Boys
John and Tom (Vermont Folklife Center Children’s Book Series)

Virginia

With Lee in Virginia
The Mystery at Mount Vernon (Real Kids Real Places)

Washington

The Seattle Puzzle (The Boxcar Children Mysteries)
Exiled to the Red River (Trailblazer Books)

West Virginia

Way Down Deep
October Sky

Wisconsin

Little House in the Big Woods
Caddie Woodlawn

Wyoming

Lost Mines and Buried Treasures of Old Wyoming
Wright on Time, Book 3: Wyoming

100 BEST Books for Kids from all 50 States (Easy Geography)

Also, you’ll love these other books:

  • 8 World War II Historical Fiction Books for Middle School
  • 5 Steps to Choosing Geography Living Books Your Children Will Love
  • 5 BEST Books to Create an Around the World Unit Study (and Hands-on Activities)
  • 12 of the Best Books For Beginner Readers Being Homeschooled
  • 6 Boy Approved Books Which Spark the Love of Reading

Hugs and love ya,

Book lists are a great resource for beginning a homeschool unit study, to revive learning when you feel the homeschool doldrums, or to use them for a geography unit study when you want to move away from boring textbooks
Book lists are a great resource for beginning a homeschool unit study, to revive learning when you feel the homeschool doldrums, or to use them for a geography unit study when you want to move away from boring textbooks

This blog hop is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutual beneficial projects.

1 CommentFiled Under: Geography Tagged With: book lists, books, geography, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolanguagearts, homeschoolgeography, homeschoolreading, livingbooks

Modern U.S. and World History High School Literature

May 2, 2018 | 48 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I stalked the mailman waiting for these books. I was given this product for free and I was compensated for my time. However, paid for my time does not mean paid off or that a company will receive a glowing review. I don’t roll that way. ALL opinions are my own and for sure I will always tell you what is on my mind. When I do accept a product it’s because I’m giddy to tell you about it. Read my full disclosure here. Now on to the fun stuff!


Let’s face it! Whether you’ve homeschooled your kids from the beginning or started part way through, choosing high school literature can be intimidating. Until I started using Beautiful Feet Books a few years back, I made the high school years unnecessarily stressful. You want the peace of mind knowing you prepared your teen well by using great books whether he chooses a career or college track.

So using modern U.S. and world history literature by Beautiful Feet Books not only filled a general literature credit Tiny needs, but also allowed us to meet a modern world history credit.

Too, don’t miss the awesome giveaway below!

How to Narrow Down Your High School Literature Scope

Understanding that you have to have goals or reasons other than needing literature in high school makes it easier to narrow down your choices for literature and curriculum providers.

That may be an obvious statement, but there are many factors that you want to consider when choosing a program for your junior or senior teen.

Let's face it! Whether you've homeschooled your kids from the beginning or started part way through, choosing high school literature can be intimidating. You want the peace of mind knowing you prepared your teen well by using great books whether he chooses a career or college track. You’ll love these high school literature books along with the literary analysis. CLICK HERE to read about this curriculum!

I have several reasons for using and believing in Beautiful Feet Books:

  • foremost is our love for literature-based history to avoid a boring and blah approach to history,
  • thought-provoking books which may conflict with our world view or tug at my teen’s emotions are part of my job in preparing him for adulthood,
  • the role of the teacher is valued, respected, and encouraged with this curriculum to shape the teen’s understanding,
  • as the supervising teacher, I need to be the one to decide when and how we will deal with sensitive adult themes,
  • all of my sons need to be exposed to literature which may be covered in higher education,
  • a passion for history of any time period is awakened and appreciated through the use of living books, and
  • although non-fiction is important for a framework of facts, advanced literary criticism happens when a teen selects from excellent fiction literature to analyze.

My reasons may or may not include classic books, but they always include good books or living literature.

Too, having the opportunity to cover modern world history was not something I even thought about covering with my first high school graduate.

Sticking to the commonly held belief that high school teens need to have an emphasis on American history or U.S. government, I over emphasized those time periods with my first graduate.

Of course, hindsight gives you perfect vision. So I knew with my second and now third high school teen that I could tailor and tweak to suit their needs because Beautiful Feet Books  is flexible when it comes to covering history.

Most of the middle school and high school curriculum includes two history eras. I never appreciated this fact until I switched from a strictly classical approach to a more eclectic approach with an emphasis on unit studies.

At first notion, this dual history period approach may seem hodgepodge. However it’s quite the opposite for a true historian. And there are two main reasons.

1.  Past history and today’s current events always have multiple world powers and key players in action at the same time. 
While it’s true that an in-depth study of any civilization would make a fascinating study, my goal for high school is for my sons to have a framework of key events in a time period.

2. Being able to pull back and look at events happening in the world at the same time helped my teens to make a meaningful connection to what they’re learning.
Juniors and seniors especially have the maturity now to see that one area of history is part of a much larger piece of the history puzzle. Being able to pull back and see the broad strokes of history like the events in the U.S. and world history simultaneously works well for both a history lover and history hater.

For my history lovers, it gives them additional topics for rabbit trails. For my one history hater, (yes I can’t believe I had a child that came from me that wasn’t wild about history) he got an overview of key events without overwhelming him about details which didn’t interest him.

That is exactly why I love the way Beautiful Feet Books designs their courses. All of the benefits of teaching it to adjust to each of my teens likes and dislikes along with my need for minimal teacher prep makes it a superior high school literature program.

The Nitty-Gritty of Modern U.S. and World History Literature

I know you want the nitty-gritty like I do. Look at what this level includes and the details:

  • it’s designed for Junior and Senior levels of high school,
  • it covers American and modern world history from the 1850s into the 2000s,
  • you can award one American history or modern world history credit and one general literature credit,
  • it’s a one year study, but we go a bit longer because we school into the summer and we like to spread it out,
  • it is Christian-based, but as with all of their literature and questions, it’s easier than some other providers to tweak to what I want my sons to know,
  • these beautiful books: Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Rifles for Watie, The Red Badge of Courage, Virginia’s General, Up From Slavery, Around the World in Eighty Days, A History of the Twentieth Century, The Jungle, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Yanks are Coming, Stalin: Russia’s Man of Steel, No Promises in the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird, Hitler, Churchill, The Hiding Place, Night, Unbroken, Victory in the Pacific, Hiroshima, Lost Names, America and Vietnam: The Elephant and the Tiger, Red Scarf Girl and The Kite Runner, 
  • and it has a general literary analysis study. My goal was to be sure that Tiny had a general grasp on literary concepts. We used another language arts resource to enhance this one. Although literary analysis is very important to me at this age, it can be fun. For us that means learning it from books we love.

My emphasis on literary analysis leads me into another valued part of this curriculum which deserves the spotlight and it’s the Study Guide or teacher’s guide.

Modern U.S. and World History Literature Study Guide

I hesitate to call it just the teacher’s guide because at this age your teen needs to be independently delving into the Study Guide. Of course, it’s a teacher guide too.

Because the Study Guide is jam-packed full of teaching tidbits, supplements, and background information, you’ll want to take your time understanding how it’s set up.

The Study Guide is divided into five history periods:

  • Part I. Antebellum and the Civil War
  • Part II. Reconstruction, the Industrial Revolution, and the Turn of the Century
  • Part III. The First World War, the Depression, and Segregation
  • Part IV. Building Towards War, the Second World War, and the Atomic Age
  • Part V. The Struggle for Freedom in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries

To help your student hone his ideology and principles there are themes in each section.  Some of them are:

  • A Study in Freedom and Responsibility,
  • A Study in Conviction and Triumph,
  • A Study in Fortitude and Forgiveness,
  • A Study in Ambition and Courage,
  • and a Study in Conscience and Fairness.

In addition to the extensive notes in the Study Guide with background information, points in each lesson guided us on each discussion.

After reading the books like Stalin: Russia’s Man of Steel or Virginia’s General: Robert E. Lee and the Civil War it made for some great discussions about topics like freedom and prejudice. I loved having the themes to guide my teen to comprehend the theme in each book which is a part he has struggled with in the past.

Because my high school kid worked on his own on part of this, I have to rely heavily on the Study Guide for the answers, questions, and some of the background information. Although it’s not easy to flip back and forth between time periods and books, you can easily with the way this is laid out.

Also, some of the books my son read right away and wanted to delve deeper into those topics. World War II is one topic that my son knows well and never gets tired of talking about. Besides reading the books in the curriculum by Albert Marrin, one of our favorite history authors, the Study Guide has more recommended books and videos in the back to feed my son’s love for the Second World War.

Yet another reason I loved using this is that we needed more help in literary analysis. I’ve never been keen on assigning book reports although I know they have a practical purpose which is to train a child to write critically in the older grades.

Because I’ve never forced Tiny to do a formal book report, but have worked on reading a lot of good books I needed to be sure he has a good grasp on literary concepts.

There are six books highlighted to use for literary analysis:

  • Uncle Tom’s Cabin,
  • The Red Badge of Courage,
  • To Kill a Mockingbird,
  • Night,
  • Hiroshima,
  • and Lost Names: Scenes from a Korean Boyhood.

Learning literary analysis should be repeated like grammar and it’s best taught in context or while using examples from literature. As an example, earlier I mentioned ideologies listed in each section. The reason this was important is because even at this grade level students can still get confused between the plot of the story and its theme.

Exposing my sons to the basic elements of fiction like plot, setting, character, point of view, mood, and theme are the foundation of literary analysis, but I wanted to be sure we touched advanced concepts as well.

In addition, there are some literary concepts that can’t be recognized until your child is older.  Some figures of speech and poetry devices confuses my teen. So the books used gave him a good overall grasp of basic and advanced concepts.

It’s not necessary to break down every novel, but it’s important to choose a few to do. I try to be balanced when teaching literature analysis because I don’t want to suck the joy out of reading, but it’s important for our teens to become critical thinkers too.

Simply requiring my son to write down the term, define it, and explain it to me is a simple method, but it’s the same one I’ve used since I first taught him to read. Too, we wrote a few on index cards for review because just writing it down once didn’t mean he remembered it. Making a notebook like we have as we’ve used Beautiful Feet Books work best for us.

In addition to the literary concepts we focused on, we also chose a few of the essay topics. Essay writing was not my exact focus for him because we’ve done a lot of writing. When we wanted to, however, the Study Guide made it easy for us to choose writing topics.

The Study Guide is much more than an question and answer guide. It is the backbone at this level and it’s all-inclusive.

Our Experience with Modern U.S. and World History Literature by Beautiful Feet Books

Even at the high school level, there is no one-size-fits-all curriculum. As the parents, we still have to be involved when choosing the right curriculum for our teen.

This is my third high school teen to use Beautiful Feet Books because I love their literature and easy approach to teaching. I’ve never been disappointed with the high quality literature, guides, and help for the teacher. This level is no exception.

As the teacher, I don’t think you ever stop worrying if you’ve prepared you teen enough for whatever track you ultimately decide.  However, I do know that my first two sons are doing well in college after using Beautiful Feet Book. I know my third teen is equally well-prepared.

You’ll love reading these other posts for how I used

  • Read about Medieval History for Middle School
  • Read about  How to Teach Science Through A Story – Middle & High School
  • Read about When We Used Beautiful Feet Books as our History Spine

How to Purchase It.

►Product Name: Modern U.S. and World History pack
►Website: Beautiful Feet Books – BFBooks
► Don’t Miss: The Getting Started page. It’s been such a helpful guide for me through the years.
►Type of product: These is a physical product but the study guide is available as a digital download too.. From their site: This brand-new study features excellent literature for this tremendous span of American and World history from 1850 into the 2000s. This one year study is recommended for 11th and 12th grade. Students will learn a multitude of essential events, concerning political figures, technological advances, social climates, wars, ideologies, and movements all with in-depthstudy notes, discussion and comprehension questions, vocabulary, web links, and essay questions that encourage the mature student to evaluate, think critically, and express their thoughts in writing. In addition to the historical study notes, we have also included essential literary analysis on the finest works of literature in the study.
►Price: Regular Price: $298.09 15% OFF! BFB Price: $253.95.

Let's face it! Whether you've homeschooled your kids from the beginning or started part way through, choosing high school literature can be intimidating. You want the peace of mind knowing you prepared your teen well by using great books whether he chooses a career or college track. You’ll love these high school literature books along with the literary analysis. CLICK HERE to read about this curriculum!

YIPPEE! HAPPY DANCE! !

GIVEAWAY

Terms: Over 18. U.S. residents only

Please don’t think you’ll not win! I have to give this sweet giveaway to somebody! Go ahead and enter below.

May the Force Be With You! ha 

$100.00 Curriculum Credit Toward Beautiful Feet Books (oh yes baby)

48 CommentsFiled Under: Build Character in Homeschooled Kids, Do Unit Studies, Giveaways, Graduate a Homeschooler, Hands-On Activities, History Resources, Homeschool Curriculum Review, Product Review Tagged With: high school, high school literature, homeschool highschool, literary analyis, literature, livingbooks

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