Book List

I wanted to make a record of what we are reading with James simply so I can remember what we have covered - I would like to read the books recommended by Ambleside Online plus some of the Sonlight Books. At the moment we are not doing FIAR but I hope to cover a few books in the summer as a row. Interestingly as I consider doing this I referenced to the the Year 0 Page on the Ambleside Online Web Page and found this quote:

"Away with books, and 'reading to'--for the first five or six years of life. The endless succession of story-books, scenes, shifting like a panorama before the child's vision, is a mental and moral dissipation; he gets nothing to grow upon, or is allowed no leisure to digest what he gets." (CM's OHS, V5, p.216)

I think what Charlotte is saying here is that it is important to read a little every day and allow the child to play with what he has absorbed in the book. I like the idea of a book basket with the same books for a month, well read and enjoyed before being changed for fresh new books. This hopefully will reduce the mental and moral dissipation that she warns of. When James and Hannah have reading time with me we do tend to read only a few books at a time - mainly because of their natural attention span. I hope that my book choice is wise and edifying for my children - gradually I am considering each book for it's worth and weaning out twaddle - this is easier said then done as I am not quite sure yet what is twaddle!

• Beatrix Potter:
• The Tale of Peter Rabbit
• The Tale of Benjamin Bunny
• The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies
• The Tale of Miss Tiggy Winkle
• The Tale of Mr Jeremy Fisher
• Two Bad Mice
• The Tale of Jemima Puddleduck
• The Tale of Miss Tittle Mouse
• The Little House
• The Story about Ping
• The Little Engine that Could
• Blueberries for Sal
• One Morning in Maine
• Make Way for Ducklings
• Ferdinand
• OxCart Man
• Stone Soup
• Miss Rumphius
• The Story of Little Babaji
• Brer Rabbit
• Poems and Prayers for the Very Young
• Mother Goose
• The Child's Garden of Verses - on second Time
• A Child's Book of Poems