The Black Fox of Lorne by Marguerite De Angeli was our first read aloud this month. It takes place about 900AD in Scotland during the reign of Malcolm I. It deals with the life of the Scots, the English and the Vikings. The book was a huge success, everyone liked it. I was very pleased to hear Chris and boys discussing the book and knowing they had no idea where it was going next. This book starts out quick and never really stops. In addition to history, the book covers sibling bonds, doing the right thing and Christianity. This author also wrote "The Door in Wall", which we will read later this year. It is not easy to find, but well worth the effort. I found my copy at AbeBooks.com I've having better luck there than Amazon lately but that can change anytime.
The Little Duke by Charlotte Mary Yonge was our second read aloud this month. This takes place in Normandy, France, two generations after it was given to the Viking Rollo, around 940BC. It's a wonderful book of historical fiction, personal growth and forgiveness. This book is a bit more history than adventure, but the boys enjoyed it equally well. This book is available for free on Guttenburg and the Kindle. 
Lance's independent read this month was Black Horses for the King by Anne McCaffery. I actually bought this book knowing nothing about it except that it was written by my favorite childhood author and it had a horse on the cover. Like the author, I'm not fond of the traditional tales of King Arthur that focus more on romance and mythical issues. It is for that reason that she wrote this book. She wanted to write a book that was more history. It centers around how Lord Artos (King Arthur) came to power. It does this through the eyes of a young boy who entangles himself in Lord Artos plight. Lance really enjoyed the book, his favorite part was the final battle.
Jared read two stories of independent read this month. The first was a family favorite he asked to read, The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White. This falls on my list of books every child should read. When my friend Mae and I first read it aloud to our oldest children, it endeared itself to all of us. When we visited Boston many years later, second only to seeing the scene of Robert McCloskey's book, was seeing the scenes described in this book. Jared enjoyed the read just as much.Jared's second read was Minstrel in the Tower by Gloria Skurynski. This was s simple book to get Jared into the spirit of the Middle Ages. It deals with two children searching for their uncle to help their ailing mother and the trouble they face along the way.
For Titus I got a very special book called the The Squire and the Scroll by Jennie Bishop. He liked it so much that he had me read it every night for over a week and many times since. It's an analogy about living by the bible, using traditional middle age elements and characters. I'm glad he had me read it so many times because each time we were able to talk a little bit about the different analogical references.Now for the boys top library picks.
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| Bats at the.... by Brian Lies. The boys really a kick out of this series. Each time they find a new one they get all excited. They are very cute books. |
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| Who's on First by Bud Abbot The boys have this one memorized, they couldn't stop laughing. |
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| Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French This was adorable. Chris and I are convinced this is based on their real experiences with wombats. |
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| Lego Adventure Books by Megan Rothrock Each time we go to the library Jared looks for another book in this collection. |
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