High School

Smith of Wootton Major & Farmer Giles of Ham

Book cover: Smith of Wootton Major & Farmer Giles of Ham
Author(s): 
J.R.R. Tolkien

Tolkien has a habit of making stories that are just plain fun to read. And a sneaky little tendency to make them exceedingly rich too – offering many levels of interpretation and withstanding rigorous study by philosophers, theologians, philologists and anyone else. But all the time they remain delightful – and offer a healthy dose of poetic knowledge even to the most superficial readers. Both of these stories are 'old-fashioned' in style.

Just David

Book cover: Just David
Author(s): 
Eleanor Porter
Illustrator(s): 
Helen Mason Grose

Young David has grown up in an isolated cabin with his father (since his mother's death when he was only four) in a beautiful mountain setting. There, his father has given him an excellent but unusual education - he is fluent in several languages, knows a great deal about science and nature and plays the violin beautifully. His father has sheltered him from all evil and taught him only what is good and beautiful.

Julie of the Wolves

Book cover: Julie of the Wolves
Author(s): 
Jean Craighead George

Her Eskimo name is Miyax, her American name is Julie. She is journeying through the desolate North Slope of Alaska, from Barrow to Point Hope, and starving. There are no lemmings, which means there are no weasels, no white foxes, no snowy owls – in fact, no food that Miyax can catch with only a knife. Her only hope for survival, she feels, is to befriend the wolves, to become a member of their pack, and this she sets out to do.

North to Freedom

Book cover: North to Freedom
Author(s): 
Anne Holm
Translator(s): 
L.W. Kingsland

This unusual, but engaging narrative tracks the journey of a young boy as he escapes from a Communist prison camp in Eastern Europe, travels by boat to Italy, and gradually makes his way north to Denmark. The story shows the development of the boy's understanding as he begins to grasp the idea of freedom and what makes life worth living. The writing is very good and very thoughtful. The story explores the differences in culture and character of the various countries he visits and invites fruitful discussion about the themes of freedom and good and evil.

Men of Iron

Book cover: Men of Iron
Author(s): 
Howard Pyle

This is a stirring tale in the tradition of the Knights of the Round Table and Ivanhoe. It takes place in the early 15th century. Myles Falworth is a young boy brought up in a poor but noble household, late in the reign of Henry IV of England. His father, a supporter of Richard II, has been unfairly accused of treason and outlawed. As a youth, Myles is sent as squire to the household of an old family friend, where his unpolished manners, fierce strength of will and impulsive actions win him both loyal friends and fervent enemies.

J.R.R. Tolkien

Book cover: J.R.R. Tolkien
Author(s): 
Michael Coren

This is a surprisingly good, very readable biography of one of the most popular authors of all time. J.R.R. Tolkien was born in South Africa, the son of an English banker. After her return to England and the death of her husband, Tolkien's mother, Mabel, converted to Catholicism. Shunned by relatives after this, she was assisted by a kind parish priest who took care of her two sons after she died at age 34.

The Shadow of the Bear

Book cover: The Shadow of the Bear
Author(s): 
Regina Doman

This book was originally published in hardcover as Snow White and Rose Red: A Modern Fairy Tale. The original edition is out of print.

Among homeschool teenage girls who read this book, there is an interesting phenomenon occurring. They read this book, not once, not twice, but numerous times. In fact, my daughter's friend has lost track of how many times she has read it. Intrigued by this phenomenon, I was curious to read this book.

The Phonetic Zoo

Book cover: 'The Phonetic Zoo: A Self-Teaching Spelling Program (Advanced level)'
Author(s): 
James Webster
Andrew Pudewa
The Phonetic Zoo is an auditory (CD) based spelling program that includes at each level 5 Audio CD's (540 rule-based spelling words), 47 5 ½"x 8 ½" flashcards teaching the most important spelling rules and similar set of 2 �" x 3 5/8" (illustrated) zoo cards, an introductory DVD, and a pamphlet that explains the basics of the program.

Each lesson begins with the speaker reading the rule followed by a 15 word list that includes the speaker repeating the rule every three words.

The Killer Angels

Book cover: The Killer Angels
Author(s): 
Michael Shaara

This is really a rather remarkable novel about the battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania – probably the most famous battle of the Civil War. The Southern Armies, under General Lee, decided to invade the North in order to strike a blow that would "hit home" and make the Northerners wish to end the war. North and South met in the small farming town of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania and engaged in bloody battle for three days. The cost in human life was devastating to both sides.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens

Book cover: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens
Author(s): 
Sean Covey

We sometimes think of teenagers as immature, selfish and lacking in objectivity. Sean Covey believes they can learn to be otherwise. Using humorous story lines and a heavy sprinkling of anecdotes Covey has set forth a series of steps leading teens toward a more mature and compassionate view of life. While this is a secular book, it is written from a Christian perspective and "the Golden Rule" underlies most of the content.

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