August was a fantastic reading month for me, with many books that I know will end up being favorites of the year!
I read 19 books in August and 6,079 pages, for an average of 319 pages per book. I read 15 books by female authors and 4 books by male authors. I borrowed 8 books and owned 11 of the books I read. I had 6 rereads and 11 new reads. I read 2 new releases. I read 5 middle grade, 2 YA, and 12 adult books, with 3 read alouds. I read 6 books that are part of a series, starting 1 series, and finishing 1 series. I read 8 five star reads, 5 four star reads, 4 three star reads, 1 two stars read, and 0 one star reads.
Today I am sharing my favorite reads from last month!
The Outlaw Noble Salt by Amy Harmon
I wasn’t sure this would be my kind of book. I really love some of Amy Harmon’s books and others are a bit heavy for me. With this one following Butch Cassidy, I wasn’t sure how it would go. I loved it! It is my new favorite book by Amy Harmon. I really loved the love story and the struggle throughout, but then I also really loved the ending.
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
I knew going in that I was going to love it and I did! As an aspiring author, I loved the writing aspect of it and the love story was so cute. I also loved the focus on family and the theme of putting the most important things first in life.
The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery
This is one of the most underrated classics, in my opinion. Despite never having heard of it before, I loved it from beginning to end. The main character Valancy is my favorite and the love story is so sweet. It is also so satisfying watching Valancy grow into her own person and stand up for herself against people who put her down her whole life. It is one of my new favorite classics.
Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
This is a classic I’d heard of but never read (the only Thomas Hardy book I’d read before was The Return of the Native in high school, which I did like). I ended up really liking this one, it had a lot of drama and I was there for it.
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
This historical fiction was beautifully written and was heart wrenching with some great moments of hope. I didn’t love the ending but otherwise, I just loved it.
Rereads:
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
This is my favorite book by Jane Austen and always will be. Earlier this year, I read a retelling following Mary and it made me want to read the source material again. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
I know this one is less-well known by Austen and not everyone’s cup of tea, but I love it. It’s one of my favorites by her. There is something about Catherine’s character that I love and relate to. I also love Catherine’s love of novels.
Mr. Whiskers and the Shenanigan Sisters by Wendelin Van Draanen
This is a book that released earlier this year and both the kids and I love it! We relistened to it on a road trip we were taking (it’s just the right length to listen to as we drive to visit my family) and I was reminded about how much I love it. It has fun humor (my kids love all the dog jokes) and I love the plot line and the characters. We are all hoping she writes more and makes it into a series.
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
It’s been years since I’ve read this one and it was fun to revisit it with my kids. They liked it, though I think they were a little young (9, 8, and 6) to really just love it. They loved the idea of running away and living in a museum though.
Those are the books I read last month that I loved! I would love to hear about the books you’ve read recently that you really enjoyed! Let me know in the comments below.
July was a fun reading month for me! I had some reads that surprised me with how much I enjoyed them and read one that I missed as a child but loved as an adult.
In July, I read 21 books and 6,203 pages, for an average of 295 pages per book. I read 7 eBooks, 12 audiobooks, and 2 physical books. I borrowed 10 books and owned 11 of the books I read. I had 7 rereads and 14 new reads. I read 9 middle grade books, 1 young adult book, and 11 adult books. I read 2 new releases. I read 2 books that are part of a series, starting none and finishing 1. I read 11 five star reads, 6 four star reads, 4 three star reads, and 0 two or one star reads.
Today I am sharing the books I read last month that I loved the most. I would love to hear what your favorite reads from July were!
The Lost Man by Jane Harper
The Lost Man is a character-driven thriller that takes place on a cattle ranch in the outback of Queensland. It didn’t feel like it would be my kind of book, but I devoured it and hated to see it end because then I couldn’t keep reading it.
The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani
The Night Diary is a middle grade historical fiction about a half-Muslim, half-Hindu girl and her family as they try to find their place in the world as India gained independence from Britian and divided into two countries. Throughout, the main character Nisha is writing to her dead mother. It was a beautiful and heart wrenching story.
Dead Man’s Folly by Agatha Christie
I honestly just love most of Agatha Christie’s books, especially the Poirot ones. This one took a bit to get into for some reason, but once I did, it was a winner!
From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
This middle grade was a fun read, but also hit on some deeper issues that I loved reading about. Zoe Washington’s father is in jail for murder and her mother doesn’t want her to have any contact with him, but as she starts writing letters to him, she realizes he might be innocent. The friendships and the family relationships in this one are very well done and the main character is one you want to root for.
That Fine Line by Cindy Steel
This was a fantastic hate-to-love romance with pranks and character growth and cute family ties. It was a lighthearted, closed-door romance and it exactly hit the spot for what I was wanting to read at the time.
Empty Smiles by Katherine Arden
This is the finale to the Small Spaces series and was a fantastic ending to it all. I found the series to be creepy, but not too much for me to handle, and I loved the friendships that developed throughout.
Emily of New Moon by LM Montgomery
I grew up reading Anne of Green Gables as a child, but somehow missed this one. I found Emily to be just as charming and fun to read about!
The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner
This was not what I was expecting going in, for some reason, but I devoured it. The mystery of what was going on and then the fallout of the confrontation and earthquake kept me hooked. I especially loved the female relationships that formed and the theme of motherhood that ran throughout.
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
This was a reread for me as I was reading it aloud to my kids. My girls (ages 9, 8, and 6) absolutely loved it and it was such a joy to share it with them. I loved hearing them laugh at all the appropriate spots and I also just loved revisiting this family and all the antics they get up to.
The Emperor’s Soul by Brandon Sanderson
This was one of my Cosmere rereads for the month (since it’s shorter) and I had forgotten just how good it is! Despite it’s shorter lengths, it’s one of my favorites my Sanderson.
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
This was my main Cosmere reread for month. I was surprised to find as I started it that I was having a hard time actually wanting to reread it. As I got into, I enjoyed it, but it’s not my absolute favorite by Sanderson. The one thing I do LOVE about the book is the romance. I love that as a reader, I want the main characters to be together before they even meet in person.
Those were my favorite reads from July! What are some of your favorite books that you’ve read recently? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!
For our homeschool, we use Reading Eggs and other online programs (like Duolingo and NitroType) each day to easily get in the main subjects the kids are working on. We also make reading a huge part of our school day and daily lives. The other subjects–like science, art, history, etc.–I like to plan out in chunks. I’ve loved planning out unit studies recently for the kids (and I’ve learned a lot during the unit studies as well!). The next few weeks, I thought I would do less of a unit study and more of an eclectic mix of some of the “bonus subjects”. Because of some life things happening, I knew I would need to keep them pretty simple and easy for the kids to do more independently.
I tried to include a variety of subjects, focusing most on geography and science. I also threw in a few “just fun” activities that the kids will love. I found all the activities on Pinterest and will share the links to each.
Here is what I have planned for the next six weeks!
Week 1:
Eiffel Tower Craft
This is a simple 3D Eiffel Tower craft that looks fun! Our oldest is learning French, so learning about France and the Eiffel Tower will be extra fun. I also thought it would be fun to watch the episode of Fancy Nancy where she goes to Paris.
Planets Coloring Pages
I plan on helping the kids look up what colors the planets are to color them accurately and watch some YouTube videos on SciShow Kids about planets. These coloring pages will be a fun and easy addition to learning about it.
Finish this Comic
This website has quite a few different “finish this comic” strips that I think my kids will have a lot of fun with!
Roll the Dice Movement
This movement game is fun and simple! It’ll be a great way to break up our school day and I think the older kids will enjoy helping Oliver do it.
Color Scavenger Hunt
My kids love scavenger hunts and ones like this that are really simple for me to set up are great!
Week 2:
Me on the Map
This activity is a fun one that helps kids better learn the geography around them and how they fit in the world. I think the kids will have a lot of fun with it and learn a lot.
Insects bookmarks
My kids are always running out of bookmarks and love coloring their own. These are fun ones that will go well with a free bug course we’ve been doing this summer.
HP coloring
My kids have been very into Harry Potter lately and I think they’ll love to have some coloring pages.
Turn circles into anything
We’ve done similar creative drawing activities with shapes before, and my kids always have a lot of fun with it! This website is cool because it has a lot of different sheets of shapes.
Rainbow craft
This rainbow craft is great fine motor practice and I know all my kids will love it. It’s a little more initial set up, but not much and I know the girls will help me cut up the colored paper too.
Week 3:
United States map
I like this website because it has a lot of great printable maps. I thought it would be good to start with a US map and then we can do different places around the world later on.
Layers of the Earth
My kids love learning about the layers of the Earth (we’ve done a few activities in the past) and this one is a coloring one. The kids can do it mostly independently.
One Page fold up book
My kids love making one page fold up books. I like this printable because it adds some formatting to each page that is cool!
Origami Butterflies
My kids love origami and butterflies, so this printable is right up their alley!
Mario and Peach coloring
My kids love Mario, especially since the Mario movie came out. I thought these coloring pages would be really fun for them! There are also these Mario ones.
Week 4:
Flags of the World Memory Game
I thought this free printable would be a fun way for the kids to start getting familiar with some different flags around the world.
Coffee filter butterflies
These butterflies look so fun! They are also simple enough that the kids will be able to do them mostly on their own once they figure them out.
Create Your Own Puzzle!
I love this open-ended activity and I think my kids will have a lot of fun with it. I love this puzzle template and the website has a few different puzzle piece sizes to choose from.
Invent an ice cream flavor
I thought the kids could use this printable to come up with their own unique ice cream flavor!
Superhero masks
This is a fun and creative activity that can be done very independently and will likely lead to a lot of free play afterward! Just my kind of activity!
Week 5:
Learn the 7 continents
I thought we’d do a simple activity to get the kids familiar with the continents and color this map.
Human anatomy layer book
I love how much this little book teaches and the way it is set up. I think the kids are going to have a lot of fun with it and learn a lot at the same time!
Opposite scavenger hunt
My kids love scavenger hunts and this will be a good one to get them thinking about opposites (my oldest probably don’t need that, but it will still be fun for them).
How to draw a sunflower
My kids love drawing tutorials and they love sunflowers, I think they’ll have fun with this tutorial.
Squishmallow coloring
Squishmallows are another thing my kids–and especially Rylee–love. I know Ryle is going to die of excitement when she sees these coloring pages.
That is what I have planned the next five weeks. I already know that it won’t go exactly to plan and that there might be things we don’t get to. What are your homeschool plans for the next while? What are you learning about right now? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
I had a pretty good reading month in June! I had a lot of reads I really enjoyed and a few that I loved!
I read 19 books in June and 6699 pages, for an average of 353 pages per book. I read 11 books by female authors and 8 books by male authors. I borrowed 6 books and owned 13 of the books I read. I read 5 physical copies, 4 eBooks, and 10 audiobooks. Of the books I read, 5 were rereads and 14 were new reads. I read 8 middle grades, 5 YA, and 7 adult books. I started 2 series and finished 0 (and read 5 books that were part of a series). I read 11 of the 15 books on my monthly TBR and 4 books on my yearly TBR (of 33). I read 6 five star reads, 10 four star reads, 3 three star reads, and 0 two or one star reads.
Today, I wanted to share my top 5 favorite books from the month of June!
Juniper Bean Resorts to Murder by Gracie Ruth Mitchell
This romcom meets cozy mystery was really fun to read! As far as the mystery it went, it was fairly predictable, but still fun to see the characters figure it out and their relationship was very engaging!
The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow
I’m always very wary of books that are trying to write further from other (beloved) characters. In this case, I thought she did a great job staying true to the characters and it was really fun seeing a happy ending for Mary and how she got there.
This is Where You Belong by Melody Warnick
This nonfiction book talked about the importance of finding belonging in a community and different ways you could do that right where you are at. While I didn’t feel like I was the target audience of the book, I found the research very interesting and came away with a greater desire to be more invested in my community and reach out to my neighbors more.
Black Coffee by Agatha Christie
This Agatha Christie was originally a play and was adapted to novel format by Charles Osborne. Because of that, the writing can sometimes feel a little stilted, but the characters and mystery are still on point, and I had a lot of fun reading it.
A Game of Hearts by Joanna Barker
This was my favorite book this month (and will probably end up being one of my favorites this year!). This regency romance had a really great hate-to-love relationship with a marriage of convenience during the second half that was really fun to read. I loved the characters and the relationships they had with each other throughout.
These were some fun reads in June and I’d highly recommend them! What were some of your favorite reads in June? What is a book you’ve recently read that you just loved? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
Sarah Adams has been a favorite author of mine since I picked up her first book. I found Sarah Adams when she was writing her regency novels. When she came out with her first rom com, I read it and loved it and was hooked! I’ve read every one of her novels since except her newest book, The Rule Book (because it’s open door and I personally don’t read those).
I’ve loved all of the books I’ve read by her! They have all been 4 or 5 stars for me. Today I wanted to share how I rate her books, going from my least favorite to my favorite.
Practice Makes Perfect
While this is my least favorite of her books, I still really enjoyed it. I loved the characters and setting and she always writes amazing chemistry in the romance.
One reason this isn’t my favorite of her books is because it is heavily focused on the fact that the love interest has tattoos–I know that’s a big selling point for some people, but it isn’t really a thing for me, so I didn’t click with it. Another reason it was not my favorite is because it pushed the bounds on a “closed-door” romance for me more than any of her others (and in fact, she added an optional open-door epilogue after publication). The thing that bothered me the most was that the characters slept together without committing to each other and it has a more descriptive lead up scene to that. I still enjoyed the book overall, but because of those things, it was less enjoyable to me and made it my least favorite of her books.
When in Rome
This is the prequel to Practice Makes Perfect and is one of her latest books. One of my favorite things about Sarah Adams’ books is her characters and I really liked the main character in this one. The sexual content in this book (although it is closed door) did bother me some and for some reason, it didn’t click for me as much as some of her others. Like the previous book, though, it was still a solid 4-star read for me.
The Cheat Sheet
This was a fun book, with great characters and really fun friendships (especially within the football team). It wasn’t my favorite of her books as I’m not really into sports or football and the plot dragged a little more for me.
The Temporary Roomie
One thing I love about all of Sarah Adams’ books are her female leads–I think I love every single one of them, including the one this one book! They have such fun and individual personalities and are very relatable. I found myself laughing out loud with her throughout the book. I also loved the focus on pregnancy in this one. The plot didn’t leave as much of an impression for me, but I rated it 5 stars and really loved reading it!
To Con a Gentleman (and her other regency romance books)
Before Sarah Adams wrote rom coms, she wrote two regency romances as well as a novella, all connected. I very much enjoyed the characters and romance in these, as well as how clean they are (since they are regency).
While I love her regency books, I really fell in love Sarah Adams as an author when I read her first rom com. She really has a gift for rom coms!
The Match
This was Sarah Adams’ first rom com and it was a true delight to read! I loved the main characters, their chemistry, and the deeper plot surrounding her epilepsy and his daughter. It was still a fun, light read, but it was nice to have that depth to the characters. I loved the book from beginning to end and it got me hooked on reading rom coms!
The Enemy
This is the sequel to The Match and my number one favorite book by Sarah Adams! I loved everything about it, from the donuts to the characters to the romance to the relationship between the female main character and her mom. It is probably my favorite rom com I’ve ever read. And while (like I said before) I like every female lead Sarah Adams wrote, this one was my favorite. I loved her quirkiness and individuality and just loved reading her story!
Have you read any books by Sarah Adams? Which were your favorite/least favorite? I’d love to hear about them even (or especially) if your opinion differs from mine!
I had a fun reading month in May, really enjoying a lot of the books I read! I read 16 books and 5,825 pages for an average of 364 pages per book. Of the books I read, 9 were by female authors and 7 were by male authors. I borrowed 6 books and owned 10 of them. I read 1 physical book, 8 eBooks, and 7 audiobooks. I had 5 rereads and 11 new reads. I read 4 middle grade books, 4 YA books, and 8 adult books. I read 5 books that are part of a series, starting 1 series and finishing 1 series. I read 12 of the 15 books on my May TBR and I read 1 book on my yearly TBR (of 33 books). I read 10 five star reads, 2 four star reads, 2 three star reads, 2 two star reads, and 0 one star reads.
Today I am sharing my favorite books from May!
The Clocks by Agatha Christie
This was a fun Poirot, with great side characters and an engaging mystery. I always look forward to my Agatha Christie read of the month.
Words on Fire by Jennifer A. Nielsen
This is a middle grade historical fiction set in Russia-occupied Lithuania. It follows the underground network of book smugglers and a young girl named Audra. I loved the characters in the book, the focus on words and books, and the themes of courage and family/nation identity.
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
This was my second book by Sarah Addison Allen and I absolutely loved it! The characters immediately drew me in and I loved watching the relationships grow between them. The twist is fairly predictable, but I think that’s what the author was going for. The ending was very satisfying for me.
The Empty Grave by Jonathan Stroud
This was the final book of the Lockwood and Co series. I loved each book in the series more than the last and really enjoyed the final installment. I was so sad to leave the characters and story, but the ending was just what I wanted!
Defend the Dawn by Brigid Kemmerer
This was another book in a series, the second in the Defy the Night series. It was a fun sequel. I really liked seeing more off the characters and the way it set up for the final book.
Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson
The last couple of months, I’ve been rereading the Wax and Wayne series. I finished off Shadows of Self and also read The Bands of Mourning and The Lost Metal. While I like the original Mistborn trilogy more, I love this series and seeing the way all the characters grow so much. I also love Steris. I really relate to her and I love how I don’t like her in the first book and by the last book, she becomes my favorite character.
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
Another reread this month was listening to Princess Academy with my girls (ages 9, 7, and 5). It took them a little to get into it, but they ended up loving it! The audio production was great, with singing and different voice actors.
I loved some of my reads in May! It is always fun to find a series you just love and also to revisit some old favorites. One of my favorite things is sharing my old favorites with my kids (especially when they end up loving it too!).
What did you read in May? What is a book you’ve read recently that you loved? I would love to hear about it in the comments!
One of my favorite things to do with my kids is read a book with them and then watch the movie! Sometimes, we even switch it up and watch the movie and then read the book. It is so fun to enjoy a story in different formats and see the creative differences between the two.
Today I am sharing my favorite book to movie adaptations for the whole family to enjoy!
Charlotte’s Web
Charlotte’s Web is probably my favorite children’s classic. I love the nature descriptions and fun animals in it. I started reading it with my kids when my oldest was 4 and I read it every few years. It is great for every age!
Our favorite movie to watch along with the book is the 1973 cartoon. It has such great songs in it and the cartoon really appeals to my kids!
Treasure Island (Muppets)
I recently read Treasure Island with my kids, and they enjoyed it! The one thing they didn’t love is how many people (mostly pirates) who die, but the adventure side of it is fun!
Our favorite movie version to watch is, of course, Muppets Treasure Island! In my opinion, this is the best Muppets movie there is and the music in it is so good too. Another fun one my kids like is Treasure Planet.
Matilda
I grew up just adoring this movie and never read the book until I was an adult. I loved the book, of course, and loved sharing it with my kids. I think the book and movie are so great to experience together as a family!
Where the Red Fern Grows
This is another book I didn’t read until I was an adult, but I absolutely fell in love with it. It was a treat reading it as a family and crying together at the end. While I like the book more than any of the movies, I think they are worth watching. Our favorite movie version to watch together is the 1974 version.
Heidi
Heidi was one of my favorite books and movies growing up and I loved sharing them with my kids! I have always had a soft spot for kids helping change old, gruff people and softening them to life again. I think it’s such a sweet story and I love the friendships in it. My favorite version (and the one I grew up on) is the one by Filmrise.
The Hobbit
The Hobbit is one of my favorite books to read aloud. I love that my kids are getting old enough to really appreciate it and it was especially fun to see my 9-year-old carry the book around so she could tell the riddles to everyone. After reading it, we love to watch the 1977 Japanese-American cartoon.
Kiki’s Delivery Service
This is another movie/book combo that I never experiences until I was an adult and I got to experience them alongside my kids for the first time, which was fun! The book and movie are different from each other, but both are charming and fun!
A Little Princess
I grew up absolutely loving this movie! When I read it as an adult, I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it as much as the I had the movie! I haven’t read or watched this yet with my girls, but it’s on my list for this year and I’m very excited!
Ella Enchanted
Ella Enchanted was my favorite book growing up and I have to admit I was disappointed with the movie when it came out just because it was so different from the book. I know many who love the movie, though! I have read the book with my girls and it was so fun to share that part of my childhood with them. I’m planning on watching the movie with them very soon.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
My kids are just getting old enough to appreciate Harry Potter and it’s been fun! With watching the movie, we got ClearPlay to edit out the little bit of swearing and I also knew my kids would be okay with the scarier scenes. Some more sensitive kids might struggle.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
This is my favorite Narnia book to read with the kids! I also love the movie. It does have the scarier/sad scene where Aslan dies, but we knew our kids could handle it and watched it together.
These are our family’s favorite book to movie adaptations to enjoy together! What are your family’s favorite books that are also movies? I’d love to hear about them in the comments section!
My kids and I recently read Treasure Island together. Afterwards, we watched Muppets Treasure Island as well as Treasure Planet. Then I started noticing that we were reading and watching more about pirates and that my kids were interested, so I decided to go to Pinterest for some ideas and make it a full-on pirate unit study for school!
Today I wanted to share some of the things we did together to learn about pirates.
Books
I always start our unit studies with different books. These books range from novels to nonfiction chapter books to nonfiction picture books to just-for-fun picture books.
Treasure Island
Like I said earlier, reading this children’s classic aloud was what started us on this unit study. My kids were very invested in the book and enjoyed it overall, although they didn’t like that so many people in the book die. It was a fun introduction to pirates.
Who was Blackbeard?
While looking for some other books, I found this one at our library. We had just finished watching Blackbeard’s Ghost for movie night and I knew my kids would love learning more about Blackbeard.
Magic Tree House: Pirates Past Noon
My kids love the Magic Tree House and we’ve read many of the books several times (together as a family and individually). This is the fourth book and a fun one for any kid who likes pirates! They also have a graphic novel version of the book, which my kids love!
Pirates: A Nonfiction Companion to Pirates Past Noon
This is another one we got from the library. I love these little companion books. They are full of great information and tie in well with the fictional books.
You Wouldn’t Want to be Pirate’s Prisoner
My kids loved this one, but I have to preface it by saying that I was a little wary of some of the content–it talks about the prisoner of a pirate being tortured and goes into some detail. It didn’t bother my kids, but a sensitive kid could get scared or bothered by it. It certainly taught about the life of a pirate in a memorable way.
The ABC’s of Piracy! By Anna Butzer
This was a fun little book about pirates! I was impressed with how much good information was in it and the layout (teaching by the letters in the alphabet) made it fun for my younger kids as well. It was one of my favorite picture books that we got.
Pirates (Usborne books)
This is one we got from the library that gave a good general overview of pirates.
Pirates Tools for Life at Sea by Cindy Jenson Elliot
This was a great read for our unit study. It was a little more specific than the general books and both the kids and I learned a lot.
Pirate Treasure (from Ignite)
This was another more specific one, and my kids were very interested. It’s fun to learn about pirate treasure in real life!
The Most Famous Pirates by Cindy Jenson Elliott
This book was informative and taught about various famous pirates. It was one of the last books we read and the kids had fun recognizing a lot of the names we’d already heard or learned a little about.
There was an Old Pirate Who Swallowed a Fish by Jennifer Ward
We love to include just-for-fun picture books in all our unit studies. This one is a fun twist on a classic song and my kids laughed a lot while we read it.
Dirty Joe the Pirate by Bill Harley
This says on the cover that it’s a true story, but it’s very obviously not. It’s a silly take on pirates, who steal socks and then come across another boat of pirates who steal underpants. It’s just the kind of silly that kids love.
Never Mess with a Pirate Princess by Holly Ryan
This was a funny little story about a girl with spunk and her teddy bear, and of course, pirates.
Activities
I love to do at least one or two hands on activities with the kids, to really help them remember the topic and make it fun! I usually limit the activities to just a couple to make it manageable for me.
Make Pirate Maps
Pirate maps are probably the most fun part of pirates! By making their own maps, they got to learn about symbols, following maps, and a little chemistry. We had a lot of fun in the process as well!
Flashlight constellations
As we talked about pirates, ship navigation was something we got to learn about, and we talked about how they would use stars and constellations to guide themselves. Flashlight constellations is a fun activity I found on Pinterest! You use black cardstock paper and cut it in the shape of your flashlight. Then the kids can poke holes in the paper to make the constellations. They can try to make patterns really found in the night sky or make up their own! When they are done, they tape the paper over the flashlight and shine their constellation onto the ceiling.
Marshmallow constellations
This is one of my kids’ favorite activities and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to let them do it again! Using toothpicks and mini marshmallows, the kids recreate constellation shapes or make up their constellations (my kids love coming up with names for their new creations as well!).
Treasure Hunt
I’ve always loved treasure hunts and scavenger hunts. When I was a teenager, I used to set them up for the kids I would babysit. I had a lot of fun setting up a treasure hunt for the kids, with chocolate gold coins to find at the end!
Talk Like a Pirate
This blog has a post about talking like a pirate and we lea1qrned some different words that pirates used, then talked like that as we remembered to!
Pirates Color by Number
My kids love color by number and this pack themed pirates is a free printable.
YouTube Videos
We love using YouTube to supplement what we’re learning in school. It’s a great, free resource for homeschooling!
The Definitive History of Pirates
This short video uses animation and pirate slang to keep the kids’ interest and shares an overview of pirates.
Five Pirate Myths that are Actually True
This video is by National Geographic, a channel the kids and I love! It’s fun and informative!
Famous Pirates in History
This short video walks through different pirates, teaching about the reality of pirates and their history.
Did Pirates Bury Treasure?
I loved this video! It was fun to see what pirates were like in real life versus how they are often depicted in the media. We watched this video in conjunction with our map making activity.
How Did Early Sailors Navigate the Ocean?
This video was perfect to help us learn about pirates navigating the ocean and went well with our constellation activities.
Let’s Look at Constellations!
This video is one from SciShow Kids, one of our favorite YouTube channels and while it’s not about pirates, it was a great one to watch when we did our constellation activities.
How Does Math Guide Our Ships at Sea
This final video was interesting and I’m not sure how much the kids followed, but it is a great video to help kids see how useful math can be in different situations.
Movies
While these movies aren’t necessarily educational, it was a fun way to spend our movie nights watching movies that tied in with our homeschool unit study. There are so many fun pirate movies you can watch, these are the ones we chose.
Muppets Treasure Island
The Muppets are so fun, and this is actually my favorite of the Muppet movies. The music in it is so good! Our kids absolutely loved it! It was really fun to watch it after reading the book.
Treasure Planet
I remember going to this in theaters as a kid and I’ve loved it from the beginning. It was fun to read the book together and then see the differences between the book and this retelling. I love the changes they made and the space aspect of it.
Swiss Family Robinson
This is one of our family’s favorite movies and it has a big focus on the pirates, with them attacking the family. It’s such a fun one to watch (though I found the book to be boring and entirely devoid of pirates!).
Blackbeard’s Ghost
This was one of my brother’s favorite books growing up. It’s an old one, but such a fun and silly one too. My kids laughed and laughed at Blackbeard’s antics, and it has a sweet message. It was perfect to watch alongside learning about the real-life Blackbeard.
The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything
My kids say that everyone must know this is the best movie ever made. They love it! We were doing our pirate theme and finding different movies to watch and I didn’t even think of this one–but my kids quickly reminded me! Veggie Tales are a classic and this is one of their best movies, in my opinion.
We had a lot of fun learning about pirates and exploring the fictional side of pirates as well! It’s very interesting to see the different myths that have popped up around pirates because of famous books and movies versus what old-fashioned pirating was really like. One of the things I love about unit studies like this is that I always learn a lot too!
What is your favorite pirate book or movie? Have you done any fun unit studies recently? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
I had a busy month in April, so my reading month was a little slower, but I still enjoyed many great books!
I read 16 books and 5,146 pages, for an average of 322 pages per book. 10 books were by female authors and 6 were by male authors. I read 6 middle grade, 3 YA, and 9 adult books. I read 1 new release and 4 read alouds with my kids. I read 4 eBooks, 9 audiobooks, and 3 physical copies. I had 4 rereads and 12 new reads. I read 5 books that are part of series and didn’t start or finish any series. I read 7 five star reads, 5 four star reads, 2 three star reads, 2 two star reads, and 0 one star reads.
Today I am sharing my five star reads from April!
Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie
This is a collection of Poirot short stories from Agatha Christie. I loved all of them! I especially loved the last story, which had a treasure-hunting feel to it.
The Hollow Boy by Jonathan Stroud
This series–Lockwood and Co–is a really fun YA supernatural series. This is the third and with each book, I like the series more! I really love the way the characters interact together and love so many of the characters (including a talking dead skull one of the characters carries around) and the mystery of The Problem is a fun plotline! I also read The Creeping Shadows (book four in the series) and gave it five stars as well. I’m very excited to finish the series.
Dead Voices by Katherine Arden
This is the sequel to Small Spaces, a middle grade horror book I read a few years ago. I’ve been meaning to get back to the series and finally have–and am loving it! This book takes place at a ski lodge, where the main characters get stuck in a snowstorm without power–but with ghosts. I may have enjoyed this sequel more than I did the first.
Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson
This was my Cosmere reread this month and I so enjoyed reading it! My favorite will always be the original Mistborn trilogy, but the Wax and Wayne books (which take place in the same world as Mistborn) are fun in their own way. I love the characters and laugh out loud at many of their interactions. I also love the way Steris grows throughout the series (she becomes my favorite character by the end!).
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
This was another reread for me. I’ve read many books by Liane Moriarty and this one remains my favorite. My husband and I did a road trip without the kids and were looking for a book to listen to. My husband had never read this and we decided to listen together. It definitely isn’t “his kind of book” but he really enjoyed it and it was fun to listen together. We found ourselves exchanging looks and laughing together at some of the characters (especially Madeline) and would pause often to have related philosophical discussions. I never would have thought to listen to it together, but it was such a great experience to do so!
A lot of my favorite books from the month were part of a series I am in the middle of or a reread, but I very much enjoyed delving deeper into or revisiting these worlds and characters! What was one of your favorite recent reads? Let me know in the comments below!
I love celebrating small, holidays with the kids! We always celebrate days like Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day, Hobbit Day, and Pizza Party Day. If I can incorporate a holiday into our homeschool, even better! Read Across America Day (Dr. Seuss’ Birthday) is a really fun one for that! We make a whole day of it!
Today I wanted to share some of the fun things we’re doing this year for Dr. Seuss’ birthday!
Books
Who is Dr. Seuss?
We read this book last year and I was very impressed. It was interesting and even I learned a lot about the man behind the books! The kids really liked it, so I am planning on reading it again this year.
Dr Seuss books!
Of course! What Dr. Seuss Day is complete without reading Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat in the Hat, and Horton Hears a who?
If we don’t own the book yet, then I love to go to YouTube for Dr. Seuss Read Alouds. Each year, I like to do a mix of reading some books with the kids and letting them watch some on YouTube.
Activities
Draw their own wacky creatures
This is an activity we do every year (usually after reading the book Who’s Dr. Seuss, because that book talks a lot about his love for drawing wacky creatures his whole life). It has a great tie-in to Dr. Seuss, sparks a lot of creativity, and is super simple!
Dr. Seuss Scavenger Hunt
This printable from Pinterest is another super cute and super easy activity to do with the kids. Since it’s still pretty cold outside most days, it’s also great to find indoor activities for them to do!
Coloring Pages
It is super easy to find free printable coloring pages on Pinterest and my kids love printing off pictures to color!
Dr. Seuss Hats
My kids love making and wearing paper hats! This printable I found on Pinterest is super fun and perfect for Dr. Seuss Day!
Memory Game
One of my kids’ favorite things to do is play memory games. They can play them over and over again. I found this free printable one on Pinterest and am very excited to play it with my kids!
Food
Green eggs and ham
For this “classic” meal, we do scrambled eggs with green food coloring and then roll up sandwich meat on the side. Simple but the kids love it!
Cat in the Hat Jello Cups
This is a new food we’re trying this year and I think my kids are going to love it! You simple layer red Jello and whipped cream in clear cups.
Cat in the Hat Pizza
This is another super easy food to do! We love making homemade pizza and I think it’ll be great to theme it Dr. Seuss!
Things we’ve done in the past:
Cat in the Hat Pancakes
Layering pancakes, whipped cream, and strawberries is not only delicious, but super cute and easy!
“Green Eggs” science experiment
This little experiment is super easy and the kids love it (my kids always love when we do baking soda and vinegar!). You take baking soda, a little bit of water, and green food coloring to make “eggs”, then let the kids add vinegar!
Make Bookmarks
These cute bookmarks I found on Pinterest are a free printable and my kids had a blast doing them last year as a “craft” activity.
Dr. Suess Day is such a fun thing to celebrate with kids and I love anything that makes reading more fun for kids! What do you do for Dr. Suess Day? What is a favorite holiday or theme to celebrate with your kids? Let me know in the comments section!
