Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
Elijah of Buxton is the first free born black child, the son of two freed slaves, who escaped to Buxton, Ontario, a little settlement just North of the US-Canada border. Elijah is a likeable character and a typical 11 year old boy in his often humorous adventures and antics. In…
Nothing Daunted: The Story of Isobel Kuhn by Gloria Repp
Of all the biographies my parents read to us as kids, Nothing Daunted: The Story of Isobel Kuhn by Gloria Repp is probably the one I loved most, so I recently bought it for our own kids. I think it resonated with me because Isobel grew up in a Canadian,…
Journey Through the Night by Anne De Vries
My husband bought our family copy of Journey Through the Night shortly after our first son was born. He had such fond memories of reading it himself as a kid, and wanted to pass along this piece of our Dutch heritage when the time was right. This work of historical…
A Better Ending by Doreen Tamminga
Sometimes, when things get hectic (while dinner is cooking and everyone is tired and hungry, for example, or when it’s raining and there’s “nothing to do”), I find reading a short story generally puts everyone back in a good mood (including myself) and changes the atmosphere of the house for…
Created for Work by Bob Schultz
“Free” Healthcare. “Free” Education. “Free” Housing. “Free” Childcare. “Free” Money. We are raising our kids in a society that conditions us to expect good things for free from an institution that does not create any of the income it redistributes. By the same token, hard work is hardly incentivized when…
Tree in the Trail by Holling C. Holling
The kids unanimously agreed that after Paddle-To-The-Sea, Tree in the Trail was their next favorite Holling C. Holling geography book, followed by Seabird, and Minn of the Mississippi (we didn’t care so much for the last one, but looking forward to Pagoo next!) Tree in the Trail explores the history…
Spurgeon Stories for Children by Tony Hutter
Tony Hutter’s 5-book series, Spurgeon Stories For Children, is a family favorite! We bought them a few years ago to read with our older kids, and I just pulled them out again so our younger ones don’t miss out on this excellent introduction to the ‘Prince of Preachers,’ Charles Haddon…
Twenty Texans by Betsy Warren
Twenty Texans: Historic Lives for Young Readers by Betsy Warren was another book we greatly enjoyed about the Lone Star state! It was recommended to me by a “born and raised” Texas mama, and it appealed to our whole crew as we learned about 20 mostly famous and a few…
Journey to America by Sonia Levitin
Journey To America by Sonia Levitin was a much enjoyed read aloud from the Word War 2 Era. If you are concerned about the worst of history repeating itself in our children’s lifetime, this is an eye-opening book to read. Much of what happened in 2020 was happening in Germany,…
The Secret of the Village Fool by Rebecca Upjohn
I was happy to find a copy of The Secret of the Village Fool by Rebecca Upjohn at the thrift store! We had borrowed it from the library a few times, and our youngest son particularly enjoys this true story of a Polish man who risks his life to hide…
Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison by Lois Lenski
This book has seen better days, but its worn cover, loose binding, and dog-eared pages speak volumes (no pun intended); Indian Captive, The Story of Mary Jemison by Lois Lenski is a well-loved living book that I’ve enjoyed since I was as young as our children are now! The story…
Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
Turning the last page of Johnny Tremain evoked audible sighs all around the room. What an experience to live in Boston during the latter half of the 1700s over the past few weeks! Author Esther Forbes introduced us to a plethora of interesting characters a few years before the Revolutionary…
Fill your Morning Basket.
What is a Living Book?
When your children plead, “just one more chapter!” and you find yourself complying for your sake as much as theirs, you may just be reading a living book!
What is a Morning Basket?
A Morning Basket is not really about mornings, or baskets, but having a set time of day to read living books to your children.