Learning from Literature

I love reading with my children! I discovered a women whose name is Sarah McKenzie. She has started a movement called the Read Aloud Revival. I first watched her on Instagram. But then i discovered her podcast. I immediately fell in love with it for a number of reasons. 1. They talk about all the best books. 2. She doesn't shy away from spirituality and often will talk about the the Lord's roll in her life and parenting. 3. She often will interview authors and illustrators of children's books and I am always left feeling inspired by what they share.

So that is what got me serious about reading to my children. Picture books are still a part of our day but chapter books have added an increase amount of richness and satisfaction into our life! We started with classic simplified books like:
Charlottes Web (This was the very first chapter book we read and it was a perfect first book for my kids. There are pictures in it which helps but the story is so charming that the kids really enjoyed it.)
Alice in Wonderland (Charlie loved this one! And i enjoyed all the history, math, and random facts Alice would share)
My Fathers Dragon (short and simple and a fun adventure!)
Swiss Family Robinson (This was liked as well. This provided a lot of conversation about outdoor survival and animals)
The Prince and the Pauper (Charlie liked the idea of this book- two boys changing places but he didn't get into the book like the others. I thought it was great to see different perspectives of two very boys lives.)
James and the Giant Peach (Very fun and sweet book! This was a favorite. I liked the singing parts and the kids always got a good laugh from my attempts to sing it. Olive was attentive to this story as well. She showed such compassion for James when he lost his parents and was so lonely in the beginning. She told me, "I think Jesus is in this book". She knew that Jesus would help James feel better and in a way a miracle did happen and James found joy with his new friends and life! I love the teaching moments and conversations we have with our books).
Stuart Little ( Charlie is really loving this one right now and the adventures Stuart goes on are very exciting!)
The BFG (This was the first book none of us really got into so we never ended up finishing, too bad)
Heidi (I was so excited to read this one because it was a childhood favorite movie of mine. Reading the book added so much more of the story. I loved the message about nature and the outdoors and how it can help people heal physically and spiritually. I felt like this story spawned some good conversations.)

I am pretty sure I am missing some books but this is what I can remember for now.

I also always have an audio book playing in the car. Charlie likes this and Olive sometimes does. If there is anything that seems scary she does not want to listen so we might go through them a bit slower.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (This is currently in the car. Its amazing!! I especially loved it for all the symbolism to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Its been so special to talk about the Savior and his sacrifice for us. Before Charlie knew who Asalan was he loved him and he lite up whenever he came into play. He felt the specialness of him. I thought it was a great opportunity to talk about how Jesus is like Asalan. And I hope that with that comparison he understands the Saviors role a little bit better.)
Winn Dixie (Just a light fun listen)
Where the Red Fern grows (Charlie loved this! Olive not so much. I think we could have waited a bit longer for this story for her sake)

We are going through books like crazy. The list of books I want to read feels endless! I realize that Charlie and Olive don't fully grasp every word and sentence but their desire to hear stories and love them is growing. I am trying to set a stage for them to hunger and thirst after good books. Good books and stories have great messages. They take us to a new world and help us experience new things. They teach us to see things differently. They teach us about kindness, love, challenges and having faith and hope through them. Learning about the authors and their lives will also provide more education in a fun and interesting way. The material is endless.

As homeschooling is now what we will be doing, i feel confident that books will be our teachers (and I say ours because I am one of the students and we are all learning together!) I have been inspired by the Thomas Jefferson education where you can learn more about it here.