Popcorn & Peanuts

 Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brethern, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

Go here for Preschool and Elementary books,
Or Go here for Junior High books,
or back to the Parent Book Shelf.

 Have questions about High School the Charlotte Mason way? Try my CM High School page for sample schedules and topical essays.

Volume 6 booklists & links

 Our Literature List
Some Favorites, sorted into suggested Courses

Composition/Creative Writing/Literary Analysis

• The Loom of Language by Frederick Bodmer, Lancelot Hogben (Editor).
• How to Read a Book, by Adler

 

 

• The Elements of Style, by Strunk & White


These next books are a series written by highschool students as a school newspaper, then collected by their teacher into books. They have won all sorts of awards. They include a multitude of areas - history, science, writing - though each tries to focus on one main theme. Read them in any order you can.
 
 

• The Foxfire Book Hog Dressing, Log Cabin Building, Mountain Crafts and Foods, Planting by the Signs, Snake Lore, Hunting Tales, Faith Healing, Moon by Eliot Wigginton (Editor)
• Foxfire 2 Ghost Stories, Spring Wild Plant Foods, Spinning and Weaving, Midwifing, Burial Customs, Corn Shuckin'S, Wagon Making and More Affairs by Eliot Wigginton (Editor)

 

 

• Foxfire 3 Animal Care, Banjos and Dulcimers, Hide Tanning, Summer and Fall Wild Plant Foods, Butter Churns, Ginseng, and Still More Affairs of Plain Living by Eliot Wiggington (Editor)

 

 

• Foxfire 4 Fiddle Making, Springouses, Horse Trading, Sassafras Tea, Berry Buckets, Gardening, and Further Affairs of Plain Living by Eliot Wiggington (Editor)

 

 

• Foxfire 5 Ironmaking, Blacksmithing, Flintlock Rifles, Bear Hunting, and Other Affairs of Plain Living by Eliot Wigginton (Editor)
• Foxfire 6 shoemaking, 100 toys and games, gourd banjos and song bows, wooden locks, a water-powered sawmill, and other fascinating topics.
• Foxfire 7 traditions of mountain religious heritage, covering ministers, revivals, baptisms, gospel-singing, faith healing, camp meetings, snake handling, and more. Eliot Wigginton(Editor), Paul Gillespie (Editor)

 

 

• Foxfire 8 folk pottery from pug mills, ash glazes, and groundhog kilns to face jugs, churns and roosters; mule swapping, chicken fighting, and more. Eliot Wigginton(Editor), Margie Bennett (Contributor)
• Foxfire 9 General Stores, the Jud Newson Wagon, a Praying Rock, a Catawba Indian Potter--And Hant Tales, Quilting, Home Cures, and Log Cabins Revis by Eliot Wigginton (Editor), Margie Bennett (Contributor)
• Foxfire 10 Railroad Lore, Boardinghouses, Depression-Era Appalachia, Chair Making, Whirligigs, Snake Canes, and Gourd Art by George P. Reynolds, Susan Walker, Eliot Wigginton (Contributor)


In the same style, this next book is full of unbeatable interviews with old folks around the United States. It's out of print, but worth searching for!
 
 

• I Wish I Could Give My Son a Wild Raccoon Worth the price for one essay - "I been Jim Cooned", but there are many. Incredible!

 

 
 
 
 

American Literature

• The Pathfinder by James Fenimore Cooper

 

 

• The Deerslayer byJames Fenimore Cooper

 

 

• Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain

 

 

• Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

 

 

World Literature

• David Copperfield by C. Dickens (I read aloud a different Dickens every Christmas)

 

 

• Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak A modern but classical-style novel set in the Russian Revolution.

 

 

• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (A classic Gothic Novel; for a great discussion of what is Life, and what is a Soul.)

 

 

• Robinson Crusoe by Defoe

 

 

• Ivanhoe by Scott

 

 

• Silas Marner by "George Eliot" You can skip chapter 6.

 

 

• The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by A. Conan Doyle

 

 

Ancient/Classical Literature

• The Iliad by Homer

 

 

• The Odyssey by Homer

 

 

• Beowulf Prose edition, ed. by E. Talbot Donaldson.

 

 

• Beowulf Poem version, ed. by Burton Raffel.

 

 

• Beowulf Barron's Book Notes. Card catalog description : A guide to reading "Beowulf" with a critical and appreciative mind. Includes sample tests, term paper suggestions, and a reading list.


 Beowulf is the oldest complete Anglo-Saxon epic- and it's Christian! Did you know the Danes had such a rich spiritual understanding so long ago? Or did you think of them as wild men?
 
 

Psychology/Philosophy

• Hind's Feet In High Places by Hannah Hurnard

the parable of Christian growth.
 
 
• The Holy War - John Bunyan

 

 

• Out of the Silent Planet C. S. Lewis Vol 1 of the Space Trilogy. Ransom goes to Mars.

 

 

• Perelandra C. S. Lewis Vol 2 of the Space Trilogy. To Venus- where understanding Plato will help you understand the battle. What IF the elephant had accidently stepped on the snake in our Garden of Eden?

 

 

• That Hideous Strength C. S. Lewis Vol 3 of the Space Trilogy. The Spiritual battle returns to Earth.

 

 

• The Kink and I: A Psychiatrist's Guide to Untwisted Living

by James D Mallory, DD
 
 
• Biblical Psychology of Learningby Ruth Beechick.

 

 

• How Should We Then Live?

by Francis Schaeffer The title comes from Ezekiel 33:10. This is his application of his philosophy to various areas of life, not a study of other philosophies.
 
 
• L'Abri by MRS. Schaefer

What was it like to live with the Schaeffers? How did they teach their children?
 
 
• How to be your own Selfish Pig by SS Macaulay Highly recommended for independent thinkers!

 

 

• In His Steps by Charles Sheldon Never copyrighted, this has been reprinted around the world and is still a challenge!

 

 

• An Essay concerning Human understanding 1 and 2 - John Locke

 

 

• ANATOMY OF A MURDER by Robert Travers. Fiction, 1958, A gripping novel about a murder trial that also serves as a primer on the practice of law.

 

 

American Government/History

Michael Farris' "Constitional Law and the Christian Student."
 
 
• The Federalist Papers Newspaper essays by the men who wrote our Constitution.

 

 

• The Anti-Federalist Papers The companion volume - equally interesting essays by those opposed to the Constitution.

 

 

• Miracle at Philadelphia: the Story of the Constitutional Convention

 

 

• The Second American Revolution by J. Whitehead

 

 

• The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by B. Franklin. Written for his children and only covering the first half of his life, this is still fascinating!

 

 

World Government/History

• The Story of Mankind originally by Hendrik Willem van Loon , updated by John Merriman

 

 

• The Gallic War by Julius Caesar

 

 

• Ben Hur by Lew Wallace. This edition has reproductions of the original woodcut illustrations.

 

 

• The Prince - Machiavelli. Sarcasm on government - or is it?

 

 

World Geography

• The Brendan Voyage, by Tim Severin

 

 

• Geography, by Hendrik Willem van Loon

 

 

• A Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins

 

 

• Across China by Peter Jenkins. My sister was in China for 3 years; we read this as we read her letters.

 

 
 
 
 

Economics

• Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? Economics for children.

 

 

• How to Lie with Statistics by D Huff

 

 

Botany/Biology/Science

• Apologia Education Ministries Biology, Chemistry, and Physics designed for homeschooling High School. College prep classes - Algebra I and above skills required! Creationist, but the real skills of the sciences are what is emphasized rather than the Creation/Evolution mess. If your student needs information on Creationism vs Evolution, check out the ICR. Minimal parent involvement, student should expect 1 hour a day including labs. Try the on-line weekly quiz! Previous Q & A are posted.

 

 

• The Universe and Dr. Einstein, by Lincoln Barnett

 

 

• "I Am Joe's Body" by J.D. Ratcliff. Originally published as "Your Body and How it Works", this is the famous Reader's Digest series in a single volume. We used it as a reference/reading while we worked with the Lukens Felt Body, the Anatomy Coloring Book, and a plastic skeleton.

 

 

• The Country Diary Of An Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden. This is a beautiful example of what a young

adult can do as a Charlotte Mason Nature Notebook! The author grew up to be a famous Naturalist.

These written-for-college student coloring guides are incredible - detailed and beautiful! They were perfect for us!
 
 

• The Zoology Coloring Book by Lawrence M. Elson, Cinthea Vadala (Illustrator), Jacquelyn Giuffre (Illustrator)
• The Botany Coloring Book by Paul G. Young, Jacquelyn Giuffre (Illustrator)

 

 

• The Biology Coloring Book by Robert D. Griffin
• The Microbiology Coloring Book by I. Edward Alcamo, Lawrence M. Elson, Edward I. Alcamo (Contributor)

 

 

• The Physiology Coloring Book by Wynn Kapit, Robert I. Macey, Esmail Meisami

Do the Anatomy one first.
 
 
• The Human Brain Coloring Book (Cos, 306) by Marian C. Diamond, Arnold B. Scheibel (Photographer), Lawrence M. Elson

Do the Anatomy one first.
 
 
• Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady VIDEO. A dramatization of the life of author Edith Holden from 1877, depicting her girlhood, her family life on up to her eventual tragic death. Filmed on location.


 Out-of-Print books worth searching for:

• Green Medicine- The Search for Plants that Heal

by Margaret B Kreig
Library of Congress #64-14403
Out of print-But this classic will never go out of date. It is a history of the discovery and development of many modern medicines from natural plants and folklore. Fascinating!
 
 
• King Solomon's Ring by Konrad Z. Lorenz. This incredible natural science classic by one of the most capable scientists of his day betrays nothing of his philosopy. He was a follower of Hitler, believing totally in Evolution to the point of fanaticism. Read this with "Of Pandas and People". Study it for his wonderful observations, but consider his philosophy with care!

 

 

• Of Pandas and People by Davis and Kenyon. Christian but written to be used in public schools, this is an exogesis of the philosophy of evolution, useful as a supplimental science text or reference. Give an extra copy to your local library, or your Pastor.

 

 

• Darwin's Black Box, by Michael Behe
• _Shakespeare's Flowers__by Jessica Kerr and illustrated by Anne Ophelia Dowden. The author takes a quote from Shakespeare that includes mention of a flower or herb and then tells all about the plant.
• ___Consider the Lilies; Plants of the Bible___ by John Paterson and illustrated by Anne Ophelia Dowden. Takes a scripture that mentions a plant, and then tells all about the plant.

 

 

English & Grammer

• English From the Roots Up by Joegil Lundquist Vocabulary and Spelling program.

 

 

• Oxford Book of English Verse
• Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior : The Ultimate Handbook on Modern Etiquette by Judith Martin, Gloria Kamen (Illustrator) Practice writing all those real and important notes and letters!

 

 

Mathematics

• Math U See Homepage Where you find the MUS dealer for your area, and more general information. Borrow a demo video. This is a kinesthetic math for all levels, with music, manipulatives, and videotapes as well as worksheets. MUS seems to include more geometry than Saxon, and has some formal proof work in the upper levels. Excellent!

 

 

• Mathematics for the Million/How to Master the Magic of Numbers by Lancelot Hogben.

 

 

The Arts

• "The Gift of Music: Great Composers and their Influence" by Jane Stuart Smith and Betty Carlson. A reference of 36 biographies, very readable.

 

 

• "101 Hymn Stories" by Osbeck

 

 

Parent Resources

• 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum - Choosing the Right Curriculum and Approach for Your Child's Learning Style by Cathy Duffy

 

 

• When Children Love to Learn: A Practical Application of Charlotte Mason's Philosophy for Today Edited by Elaine Cooper. Cooper directs the Child Light Educational Trust in England with Susan Schaeffer Macaulay. She has written articles for several volumes on Charlotte Mason's ideas. Other contributors to the volume are Macaulay, Jack Beckman (Ph.D.), Maryellen St. Cyr (M.Ed.), and Bobby Scott (two M.Ed.s)."

 

 

• Bear's Guide to Earning College Degrees Non-Traditionally

by John Bear
Earn real college credits before going to college - or earn a degree in a surprising way!
 
 

 Let me know what you think: E-Mail Us!
I'm always looking for more good books! And if you think I picked a lemon, let me know why! I'm only human- maybe I read something without being spiritually discerning.

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