This special book list includes all of the books that have been recommended in January by Belle Ame at Home instructors, as well as books recommended by the Biblioguides Team because they tie in to something specific that was taught. This list will be updated as the month progresses so be sure to check back each week!
Revolutionary Friends: General George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette
By: Selene Castrovilla
Illustrated by: Drazen Kozjan
Biblioguides Recommendation
Reviewed by: Tanya Arnold
For the topics of both the American Revolution and France, we'd like to recommend a book to you about Lafayette called Revolutionary Friends: General George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette by Selene Castrovilla.
This highly-engaging story highlights the extraordinary bond between these two famous men of the American Revolution. It is in-print, available on kindle, and likely to be found at your local library. —Tanya
The Secret Cave: Discovering Lascaux
By: Emily Arnold McCully
Illustrated by: Emily Arnold McCully
Biblioguides Recommendation
Reviewed by: Tanya Arnold
For the topic of "France" this month, I'd like to recommend the book The Secret Cave: Discovering Lascaux by Emily Arnold McCully.
This picture book tells the fascinating story of the boys who discovered the cave in 1940 in Lascaux, France, and the amazing prehistoric paintings and engravings they found inside. We all wanted to have such an adventure as this!! While this book is now out of print, it is most likely available at your library or through inter-library loan! —Tanya
Henry and the Cannons: An Extraordinary True Story of the American Revolution
By: Don Brown
Illustrated by: Don Brown
Biblioguides Recommendation
Reviewed by: Tanya Arnold
For the topic of American Revolution in Month 5, I would like to recommend the book Henry and the Cannons: An Extraordinary True Story of the American Revolution by Don Brown.
"In 1775, in the dead of winter, a bookseller named Henry Knox dragged 59 cannons from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston—roughly 300 miles of lakes, forests, mountains, and few roads. It was a feat of extraordinary ingenuity and determination and one of the most remarkable stories of the Revolutionary War. And it brought the Americans a pivotal victory, chasing the British Army out of Boston and setting the course of the war that followed."
This is a really incredible story that our group really enjoyed! It is currently in print and likely available at your local library. — Tanya
The Apple and the Arrow
By: Mary and Conrad Buff
Illustrated by: Conrad Buff
Biblioguides Recommendation
Reviewed by: Tanya Arnold
The Apple and the Arrow is the story of William Tell, the Swiss archer who, in 1292, was commanded by a tyrant to shoot an apple off his son's head.
"This book has all freshness and vigor of a first telling. Walter is the hero of this book. The famous author-artist team, Mary and Conrad Buff, with vivid words and pictures tell the story of how he stood in the marketplace of Altdorf balancing an apple on his head while the Austrian tyrant, Gessler, commanded Walter's father to take aim at the apple with his great crossbow. His father's arrest and escape, the exciting eve of the new year, 1292, when bonfires on peaks of the Alps heralded the revolt of the Swiss against the Austrians, are a part of this dramatic tale."
Miss Jaster's Garden
By: N.M. Bodecker
Illustrated by: N.M. Bodecker
Biblioguides Recommendation
Reviewed by: Tanya Arnold
Today we'd like to draw your attention to a delightful and humorous picture book that has been reprinted by Purple House Press, Miss Jaster's Garden.
"Hedgie the hedgehog lives a quiet, peaceful life in a little corner of Miss Jaster's garden—until the morning nearsighted Miss Jaster mistakenly plants some seeds on his back while he is sleeping in the flower bed. Before Hedgie knows it, a colorful bunch of flowers has sprouted among his quills! 'I'm in bloom!' he cries.
But when Miss Jaster thinks she sees her flowers walking by themselves, she is convinced that her garden has been pillaged by a flower thief and starts to chase Hedgie. The small, frightened animal runs off, and Miss Jaster must enlist the help of the constable to find her runaway 'flower bed.' Will Hedgie ever be able to return to the garden he loves?"
Henry Knox: Bookseller, Soldier, Patriot
By: Anita Silvey
Illustrated by: Wendell Minor
Biblioguides Recommendation
Reviewed by: Tanya Arnold
I recently read a new-to-me picture book biography on Henry Knox, one of my favorite people from the Revolutionary period.
Henry Knox: Bookseller, Soldier, Patriot tells the story of Henry's devotion both to country and to George Washington, outlining his seemingly impossible idea of moving artillery from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston to aid General Washington. We absolutely loved learning more about this story! This gem is also available to read for free on Internet Archive.
Enjoy!
Tanya
The Story of Albert Schweitzer
By: Anita Daniel
Illustrated by: W. T. Mars
Biblioguides Recommendation
Reviewed by: Tanya Arnold
Today we wanted to share a book with you from the Landmark series called The Story of Albert Schweitzer.
"Albert Schweitzer, one of the greatest men of our time, is convinced that the ideals of young people are what count most in life. He urges you and all the young people everywhere to cling to your dreams, to listen to your own heart, to your own conscience, and to follow your own path. It may not be easy. You may have to fight all life long, as indeed he did, to make your dream come true. This is the great adventure of a man who abandoned a brilliant career, the country and the people he loved, to serve his suffering fellow men in the jungles of Africa. I have written his story not to exhort you to follow him there, but to give you the courage to follow his example: to start your life in the right direction and to live up to your ideals."
He Went With John Paul Jones
By: Louise Andrews Kent
Biblioguides Recommendation
Reviewed by: Tanya Arnold
We would like to draw your attention to a book set during the American Revolution, He Went With John Paul Jones by Louise Andrews Kent.
Told through the eyes of young Nick as he experiences the exploits and adventures of John Paul Jones as well as James Cook, this riveting book brings history and geography to life through the recreation of the historical events and naval battles fought during colonial times. This is a wonderfully epic adventure story! Luckily for all of us, this wonderful book is now back in-print from Living Book Press and Biblioguides members can receive a 10% discount.
Journey for a Princess
By: Margaret Leighton
Biblioguides Recommendation
Reviewed by: Tanya Arnold
We'd like to draw your attention to an exciting, historical fiction book set during the time of King Alfred the Great with his daughter, Elstrid, at the center of the story.
Journey for a Princess is a rare title (we dearly hope it can be reprinted one day) that is available to read for free on Internet Archive. This story "is a portrait of a young girl on the threshold of womanhood at a vital moment in the history of western civilization. King Alfred the Great has succeeded in arresting the onslaught of the dread Vikings and securing a shaky peace for the English people. His youngest daughter, Princess Elstrid, is just turning fourteen when we meet her...With the new responsibility forced on her by her aunt's death and the knowledge of the secret contained in her father's letter, it is no longer possible for Elstrid to be a child." We highly recommend this book for 12-14 year old's and above. It would make a lovely book for a mother/daughter book club!
The Other Mozart
By: Hugh Brewster
Illustrated by: Eric Velasquez
Biblioguides Recommendation
Reviewed by: Tanya Arnold
We'd like to draw your attention to an excellent picture book biography about Chevalier de Saint-George.
The Other Mozart: The Life of the Famous Chevalier de Saint George is an excellent picture book biography that is perfect for upper elementary student and above, but can be enjoyed by listeners of all ages. In today's mania for all things superhero it's fun and inspiring to read about a real-life superhero/renaissance man of the past, Joseph Bologne Le Chevalier de Saint George (just saying his name is exciting)! Le Chevalier is known as the OTHER Mozart because of his musical genius, but he only turned to music after he peaked as Europe's greatest swordsman! Born on a Caribbean island in 1745 to a wealthy French landowner and a Senegalese slave, Joseph broke societal norms with his meteoric rise to fame in France and Europe. This picture book biography about Joseph is sometimes hard to find. But lately, copies seem to be easier to locate for sale and in libraries. Definitely worth hunting down and reading!
Sleeping Beauty
By: K.Y. Craft
Illustrated by: K.Y. Craft
Biblioguides Recommendation
Reviewed by: Tanya Arnold
We would like to draw your attention to three WEH recommended fairy tales illustrated by K.Y. Craft:
Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty are three classic fairytales that have been wonderfully adapted by K.Y. Craft and/or her husband Mahlon F. Craft and all are exquisitely illustrated by K.Y. Craft herself. The stunning illustrations truly capture the essence of these timeless stories.
Beauty and the Beast
By: K.Y. Craft
Illustrated by: K.Y. Craft
Biblioguides Recommendation
Reviewed by: Tanya Arnold
We would like to draw your attention to three WEH recommended fairy tales illustrated by K.Y. Craft:
Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty are three classic fairytales that have been wonderfully adapted by K.Y. Craft and/or her husband Mahlon F. Craft and all are exquisitely illustrated by K.Y. Craft herself. The stunning illustrations truly capture the essence of these timeless stories.
Cinderella
By: K.Y. Craft
Illustrated by: K.Y. Craft
Biblioguides Recommendation
Reviewed by: Tanya Arnold
We would like to draw your attention to three WEH recommended fairy tales illustrated by K.Y. Craft:
Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty are three classic fairytales that have been wonderfully adapted by K.Y. Craft and/or her husband Mahlon F. Craft and all are exquisitely illustrated by K.Y. Craft herself. The stunning illustrations truly capture the essence of these timeless stories.
The Story of Lafayette (Freedom Series)
By: Elbridge S. Brooks
Inspiration Station: France and Switzerland Day 1
Reviewed by: Marlene Peterson
In the back of the book about Lafayette, I included some letters that he wrote home to his wife when he was on his adventure in America. You can learn a lot about people from reading the letters they wrote. In fact, a lot of the history we learn and the people we learn about has been pieced together from letters that were written.
Jeanne d'Arc: My World Story Book Volume 12
By: Amy Steedman
Inspiration Station: France and Switzerland Day 2
Reviewed by: Marlene Peterson
For my young friends, you may want to start with the story of Joan that I shared in Book 12 of My World Story Book that tells the story of her when she was little, like you.
The Story of Joan of Arc in Stories of France and Canada (World History Series)
Inspiration Station: France and Switzerland Day 2
Reviewed by: Marlene Peterson
For my older friends, if you look for Volume 5 in the World History Series, you will find a longer book that tells her story.
Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc
By: Mark Twain
Inspiration Station: France and Switzerland Day 2
Reviewed by: Marlene Peterson
For you older youth that are ready to dive deep, there is no better book that I know of than the one written by Mark Twain—The Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc. He tells us how the book came to be written. He said he was coming home from his office one day when he noticed a square of paper being swept along by the wind. He chased it down and picked it up. It was a page from some old history of Joan of Arc. It told of her time in the prison tower when she was being so mistreated by her ruffian captors.
Marie Antoinette (Landmark)
By: Bernadine Kielty
Inspiration Station: France and Switzerland Day 4
Reviewed by: Marlene Peterson
Now, I wish I could send you to books that are written about her. There is a Landmark book and a Messner biography, but you can no longer read them in Internet Archive nor several other books I would send you to. There is a story of her in the Great Lives Series Volume 5 where you can learn more. This is a side of her that sadly is not taught very many places. But I hope one day you will want to learn more about her and find good books to read.
(It is actually available to read for free on Internet Archive linked here)
Marie Antoinette (Messner Biography)
By: Odette and Manuel Komroff
Inspiration Station: France and Switzerland Day 4
Reviewed by: Marlene Peterson
Now, I wish I could send you to books that are written about her. There is a Landmark book and a Messner biography, but you can no longer read them in Internet Archive nor several other books I would send you to. There is a story of her in the Great Lives Series Volume 5 where you can learn more. This is a side of her that sadly is not taught very many places. But I hope one day you will want to learn more about her and find good books to read.
(It is actually available to read for free on Internet Archive linked here)
Marie Antoinette: Great Lives from France, Canada, and Switzerland (Great Lives Series)
Inspiration Station: France and Switzerland Day 4
Reviewed by: Marlene Peterson
There is a story of her in the Great Lives Series Volume 5 where you can learn more. This is a side of her that sadly is not taught very many places. But I hope one day you will want to learn more about her and find good books to read.
Anne of Green Gables
By: Lucy Maud Montgomery
Inspiration Station: Canada Day 2
Reviewed by: Marlene Peterson
Did you recognize the quote I shared with you yesterday? If you guessed that it came from the book Anne of Green Gables, you are correct! In fact, all the quotes for your copy work this week will come from Anne. With an E. I bet a lot of you have read that book or watched the movie. It’s a favorite of mine.
Lucy Maud Montgomery (Great Lives from France, Canada & Switzerland Volume 5)
Inspiration Station: Canada Day 2
Reviewed by: Marlene Peterson
If You Want to Write
By: Brenda Ueland
Inspiration Station: Canada Day 2
Reviewed by: Marlene Peterson
There’s a wonderful little book I hope your moms and dads and my older friends here will read. It was written almost a hundred years ago by a woman named Brenda Ueland. It’s called If You Want to Write. Another very famous writer, Carl Sandburg, said it is “the best book ever written on how to write.” I keep a copy of it by my desk. I think it’s worth reading because sometimes that desire to share what’s in our hearts gets crushed with all the spelling and writing exercises we sometimes make kids do. And I believe that every single one of you has something worth sharing.
Acadian Reminiscences
By: Felix Voorhies
Inspiration Station: Canada Day 3
Reviewed by: Marlene Peterson
And then one day their peace was destroyed. The English came to drive them from their homes. Among these French settlers was a beautiful 16-year-old girl named Emmaline who was to marry her love on the very day the English came. Instead of a happy wedding, she watched him be captured and carried off to a ship that sailed away. She spent the rest of her life looking for him. One of America’s most loved poets, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, heard of this young girl and wrote a long poem as he imagined the story to be. It’s called Evangeline and the book became very popular.
The Mitchells Series
By: Hilda van Stockum
Inspiration Station: Canada Day 4
Reviewed by: Sarah Kim
The Mitchells series by Hilda van Stockum. She is an excellent author. I highly recommend you look at all of her books. There are 3 books in this series. It is about an American family who moves to Canada.
