What We're Reading in June 2017

"If you build it, they will come." 

That's not just some 1980s movie banter. There's truth in those words. Almost two years ago, my husband built me an attic library. He, along with my sons, spent several weeks creating a space dedicated to all of my children's books. I craved a place that would be an OPEN YES for my kids -- a library where every single book was appropriate to read -- a room that would provide easy access to a good story whenever the reading mood hit -- an inviting space that beckoned my kids inside. 

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He built it and they came.

My attic library has been a huge success and has really helped to cultivate a reading culture in our home. I keep buying books to fill the shelves and they keep reading them. The only problem is, I've now bought so many books that the shelves are overflowing. Books have spilled out onto the floor, the desk, the window seat. Books are everywhere. So this month, The Hubs is expanding the shelves and adding a section on the other side of the room. He's nearly done and I'm itchin' to get up there and play librarian again.

Here's to a summer of good books! We'll be starting with the following...

(For the first few weeks of summer break, I'll not be assigning my children any particular titles. They'll only be reading just-for-fun books of their own choosing. Also, you'll notice that since the school year has come to a close, I've bumped all their grade levels up to indicate their standing for the 2017-2018 school year.)

Read Aloud-everybody

These Happy Golden Years- After reading Little Town on the Prairie last month, my kids all unanimously voted to read the next installment of the Little House series. We are two chapters away from finishing and have loved following along with Laura as she comes of age. We haven't yet voted on our next family read aloud, but the top contenders are as follows:
The First Four Years
The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic
By the Great Horned Spoon
The Prairie Thief

If you have read any of these and have opinions to share that would help us in our decision making process, we'd love to know your thoughts. 

Jamie- that's me!

For the Children's Sake- I read this Charlotte Mason companion several years ago and am rereading it for a writing project I'm currently working on. This time, I've got my highlighter in hand ready to mark up all the meaty passages I want to remember.

Audacious- I've heard great things about this latest offering from Beth Moore. While I've completed many of her Bible studies, I've only read a couple of her non-fiction books. I'll be cracking this one open in a few days and am looking forward to what Ms. Moore has to say on the topic of living audaciously for God. 

The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls- As a mommy blogger, I'm often sent advanced copies of soon-to-be-released children's books. Since I don't have the time to vet them all, most just get set aside. This one, however, intrigues me. It is the first in a Christian illustrated chapter book series and seems to be on par with other lighter reads that my children enjoy like The Imagination Station series and the Greetings From Somewhere books. I'm gonna spend an evening reading through it to see if it's worth recommending to my boys and others.

Sweetie Pea- 9th grade

Some Must Fall- Written by a homeschooler, this epic fantasy is the first in a series that I thought my daughter might like. I placed it in her Christmas stocking this past December with hopes that she'd be inspired by another budding young author. She's only about a fourth of the way through it and has really been enjoying it. She's a huge fantasy fan and has already blown through most of the books on my Fantasy for Christian Narnia Fans list. So I'm glad that she's found another series worth reading. 

Super Boy- 6th grade

Warships- Our boys received several titles in the Discovery Adventures series a few years ago for Christmas. Since most of them featured military themes, my oldest son read them and re-read them. Now, more than two years later, he's revisiting his favorites including this full-color book on warships. 

Blonde Warrior- 5th grade

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe- A dinnertime conversation sparked curiosity for this book. We read it as a family last year...or was it the year before?? But, when it came up again at the dinner table a week ago, my son decided he'd like to read it all by himself. He's a re-reader, to be sure. He always forms such deep attachments to the characters of books that he often likes to read, re-read, and read again. 

Greased Lightning- 3rd grade

Homer Price- I was so excited to introduce Homer to my son. His curiosity and moxie have always reminded me of this classic literary character. Not surprising, my son is loving the misadventures of a small town boy turned hero. 

The Dude- Kindergarten

Scholastic Ready Readers (Books 1-12)- I've pulled out this vintage set of phonics readers for my son's summer reading practice. These along with a host of other phonics-based basal readers will keep his skills sharp while also providing him with reading success.

That's what we'll be reading at the start of June. How about you?