What We're Reading in November 2019

The bad news: I fell down my basement stairs.

Actually, using the word fell is painting it gracefully. Plummeted is probably a more accurate description of my landing. Crashed would work too.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I accidentally flung my entire 40-year-old body down a half flight of stairs and smashed into a cold slab of concrete.

And now all I can do is feebly hobble around like an elderly cat.

The good news: Sitting sedately on a heating pad leaves me plenty of time to read a good book. (What can I say...I'm a "glass is half-full" kind of gal.)

For the next few days, I'll be reclining comfortably with a book in hand. Here's what I (and my small people) will be reading this month.

(This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for full details.)

Read aloud- everybody

The Great Turkey Walk- If you're in need of a funny, underdog-wins kind of story, this one's for you! In a wild misadventure, Simon Green, elementary school drop out joins forces with an ornery, old codger to drive one thousand turkeys from a farm in Missouri to the untamed boomtown of Denver, Colorado. Along the way, they face many obstacles and form unlikely alliances with a few other societal outcasts.

Please note: There are a few 19th-century swear words sprinkled throughout the story, like dadblameit and durned. 

Jamie- that's me!

The End of the Spear- I'm almost done reading this autobiography of Steve Saint, son of martyred missionary Nate Saint that I began last month in fulfillment of the October "missionary biography" theme for the Storied Mom Reading Challenge.

All in all, I have enjoyed reading about the long term effects of Operation Auca--the attempt of five American missionaries to bring the Gospel to an unreached and "savage" tribe of Ecuadorean natives. However, at times the writing has been a bit laboriously over-specific. (I don't really need to know the dimensions and weight of the suitcase that carried boat motor parts from Florida to the jungles of South America nor the names of every single person who handled said luggage. I only care to know that it got there safely and was helpful in the day-to-day operations of the mission project.)

Them- For my November pick for the Storied Mom Reading Challenge, I chose this runaway political hit by Nebraskan Senator Ben Sasse. I'm only two chapters in so it's hard to give it a raving endorsement. But, I don't mind confessing that I'm really enjoying it! To be clear, I'm not actually reading it. I'm listening to it on the free Libby app from my local library. I only mention that because Them is jam-packed with statistics and social capital "jargon" that might be kind of tedious to read silently. The audio version, however, gives voice to these otherwise apathetic facts and delivers them with a punch.


Sasse seeks to show the layered causes for the collapse of community and friendly discussion in our nation and to provide some bipartisan and non-political suggestions for change. 

Sweetie Pea- 11th grade

Finding God's Life for My Will- Like all life-long readers, my daughter swaps titles quite often with her friends. This one, written specifically for young people floundering to find God's "elusive" will, came highly recommended to her. It's a rallying cry to the next generation to seek God instead of seeking the perfect plan for their lives.

Super Boy- 8th grade

The Broken Blade- My oldest son only has a little bit left in this book that he started in the early part of fall. Since much of the book takes place in our neck of the woods, it continues to inspire him to ask questions and consult his map.

Other than the fact that one of the characters uses God's name in vain in the very first chapter, The Broken Blade is a very good book with an adventurous plot about a 13-year-old French boy named Pierre La Page. When his father is injured and can no longer join his fellow voyageurs to make the trek to Grand Portage, Pierre steps in to take his place. He has no idea what's in store for him as the youngest member of the brigade.

Blonde Warrior- 7th grade

Echo- Our entire family listened to this World War II epic on audio two years ago. I'm not overselling it in the slightest when I say it is by far the very best middle-grade audiobook I've ever heard. However, much of that praise is due to the outstanding narrators and audio technicians who used international accents, a few basic sound effects, and musical scores to paint a brilliant literary picture. It was not an audio drama, but it created similar excitement. All that said, I'm honestly not sure if the story would be quite as great when read silently to oneself. My son wants to find out.



Divided into five sections, Echo, combines a Germain fairytale with the lives of three kids from all across the globe and spanning several decades in order to show the injustice and eventual redemption of racial, socioeconomic, and national prejudice.



Please note: The first and briefest section of the book introduces the fairytale element and contains a witch and her magical spell.


Greased Lightning- 5th grade

Kildee House- This was one of my oldest kids' most favorite read alouds from 2014, but since my nature-loving boy was only five at the time, he doesn't really remember it. He's excited to explore a new-to-him part of the country, the Redwood Forest, as he reads.

This is a simple story about a naturalist who hermits himself into a tiny lean-to house that he built in the middle of the woods only to find his home quickly overtaken by critters all seeking shelter and companionship. Don't let the unassuming cover fool you; this one's packed with adventure. 


The Dude- 2nd grade

First Flight- My youngest is almost done reading this leveled reader based on the true story of Orville and Wilbur Wright, pioneers of aviation. We own many of the American history titles in this I Can Read! series and highly recommend them all. 

That's what we'll be reading in November. How about you? 

Set your homeschool day on autopilot!

Thank you! Your task cards will be sent to your inbox shortly.

Set your homeschool day on autopilot!

No more nagging your kids to do their work. Grab my free Task Cards today.