What we Read in July and Our Homeschool Read Alouds ll July 2024

 What I Read:

 

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

I'd been hearing a lot of buzz about this book and as a parent, I really wanted to see what all the hype was about.  In The Anxious Generation, author Jonathan Haidt lays out his argument for why he believes technology, specifically the Smart Phone is really rewiring our children's brains in a very detrimental way. His writing style is incredibly easy to read, but this book is so meaty, backed by scientific studies and really gets to the heart of why our children are becoming anxious and depressed at an alarming rate.  He also dedicates multiple chapters to how schools, the government and parents can reverse this trend if we work together.  If you're a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or just someone who cares about the direction that our society is headed in, get your hands on a copy of this book.  So worth the read.

Murder on the Orient Express

by Agatha Christie

I kept seeing this book recommended for homeschool high schoolers so I thought it would be a fun one to read and then pass off to my junior.  Agatha Christie is known for being an incredible mystery writer and I'd never read any of her work so I thought I'd give it a try.  Truthfully it was must meh.... middle of the line, not super gripping or compelling.  I struggled to keep all the characters straight and had to start the book twice.  And the ending was very unsatisfactory.  I was not at all happy with how it all wrapped up.  Maybe you just have to be more of a mystery reader, but I wouldn't purchase this book.  Check it out from the library, sure.  Then you'll know if you like her style.  But purchase it?  No.

A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille

A quick overview of the Thomas Jefferson educational style of teaching, this book isn't limited to homeschoolers.  Many of the suggestions in this book could just as easily be applied in the classroom. However, I think I might just be too Type A for this style of teaching.  I kept hoping for more "meat" to the book.  It was all just too open ended for me.  Great for an introduction to this style, but we won't be taking this route based on this book.

Our Homeschool Read Alouds:

Parables from Nature by Margaret Gatty

Loved, loved, loved this book.  I was worried that my 7th grader would be too one for it, but he really wasn't.  Parables from Nature is written with very high vocabulary and intricate details, and attempts to teach character and morals through nature lore  We both loved it and I'm actually glad that we didn't read it until he was older.  It lead to a lot of meaty discussions.

The Accidental Apprentice and The Weeping Tide by Amanda Foody

I originally heard about this series from Jessica at The Waldocky Way.  Her daught is just younger than my son so I thought we'd give it a try.  These are so much fun.  The series starts off with a young orphan trying to find his place in the world only to discover that he's bonded with a beast... a beast that terrifies him.  As he tried to unattach from the beast, he's thrust into a world of magic and folklore.  And seems to better find his place in the world.  So far, we've read the first two books in the series and plan on reading this as the library adds to the series.

What are you reading?

Or what are you adding to your read aloud list?