Book Recommendations

Inspiring Non-Fiction Reads for Kids

It’s been a while since I’ve shared some book recommendations! We’ve been reading some brilliant books and it’s about time I let everyone know about them.

Each day we have a couple of read-aloud times over morning and afternoon tea. While the girls eat, I read a page from each of the current books in our basket and we have the best discussions! I truly think reading together is one of the most important parts of homeschooling. SO much is covered in this time. So many ideas, opinions, facts, discoveries, and interests sparked. I am constantly on the lookout for new books to add to our collection, about a range of different topics. Here are six of those books I want to share today…

The Power Book

This feels like a really important book! It has led us to many conversations about personal power, equality, racism, sexism, childism, privilege, and more. These are definitely vital conversations we need to be having with our children, and books are a really good way to bring up these topics and get us thinking.

Lots of the pages have a ‘thinking point’ which we all liked. We read the questions and all share our thoughts on the topic and talk about if we agree or disagree with what others said and why.

Find it here

Migration

Animal books are always a favourite. Nature is fascinating! And how beautiful is this book?

Each two-page spread is about a different animal, it’s migration habits, and more. It includes lots of factual information but coveys it in more of a storytelling style, which is really good for the younger kids! The illustrations are so beautiful. We all love this one!

Find it here

Happy, Healthy Minds

A recent addition, recommended by a friend. We haven’t read this whole book but I’ve included it because I could tell it was a winner as soon as we started reading it. It’s just the kind of book my girls like. They absolutely love books that talk about topics that they relate to, that spark discussion about feelings and opinions, that make them think and help them learn about healthy ways to deal with problems. This is one of those books! You might have seen me recommend a couple of philosophy books we really enjoyed; this has a similar feel.

Some of the topics included are: keeping your mind healthy, screens, anxiety, parents, confidence, patience, friends, anger, feeling misunderstood, love, how to make a true friend, shyness, gender, changing bodies, etc. Many things that children might wonder about! It’s basically a book on emotional intelligence, and in my opinion that is an incredibly important area of our children’s development.

We’re really enjoying this one! We haven’t got to the end so I can’t say if we agree with the whole thing. There’s a chapter on school in there so we’ll see, LOL. But, I don’t necessarily need a book that I 100% agree with anyway. If it prompts discussion and us talking about why we do or don’t agree with what is written, that’s success for me!

Find it here

Through the Night Sky

This is a book I picked for my younger girls for reading time. Like the migration book, it combines narrative and fact. This is perfect for them! Hearing the facts as part of a story is where they’re at right now at 7 and 5 years old.

“Track a colony of bats as they fly through the twilight to pollinate the flowers of the mysterious baobab tree, travel into the wilderness to gaze at the constellations of the Northern and Southern Hemisphere, watch a pod of humpback whales swimming through chilly Arctic waters under the gentle glow of the Northern Lights, then travel through the ages to check in on Halley’s Comet as it makes its appearance above the Earth every 75 years.”

Find it here

An Emotional Menagerie

A new poetry book! We haven’t had one in a while and when I saw this I knew we needed it! Twenty-six poems (one for each letter of the alphabet) all about emotions.

To understand and regulate our emotions we need to be able to identify and name them. This beautiful book of poetry helps with that. It puts words to feelings. It’s a regular at our poetry teatimes now.

Find it here

The Language of the Universe

Maths! We don’t have many books about maths really. This one is great! It talks about math in the real world and how it is a part of everything: from finding Fibonacci in flowers, to the role of prime numbers in when cicadas emerge. Truly fascinating! A really great book to encourage us to see the math all around us.

Find it here

That’s all for now! I have more to share and I’ll try not to leave it so long this time.

What have you been reading lately?

Comments

March 21, 2021 at 10:45 pm

We just got “The Power Book” from the library in their new section! We’ve also subscribed to Honest History this year, which offers a thorough review of its subjects in each magazine. Working our way through India (the winter issue) and its discussions about colonialism and caste (it’s nice to approach racism in such a different tack), plus lots of stories and lore. We’re also reading “Your Happiest You” by American Girl, an overview on happiness for pre-teens that’s proved helpful. It’s totally for girls, but I’ve been changing pronouns as I read for my 10-year-old boy, who’s getting the most out of it. I couldn’t find one in the same vein for boys, but now I’m encouraged to try the Happy, Healthy Minds you’ve listed. Thanks!



Melissa
March 26, 2021 at 11:10 pm

Hi Sarah,
We are a new unschooling family this year! I just wanted to say how inspirational your family has been to us. As new Unschoolers we sometimes go through a ‘doubt’ period and I know during these periods I just have to jump on your site and read a page or two to feel ‘full’ again!
One question for you; how the heck do u choose your books? Through the endless lists and endless aisles at the library l sometimes find it hard to find any real ‘good’ choices!
Take care, and thank you for the inspiration!
Melissa



Jess64
May 1, 2021 at 9:35 am

Thank you for the book recommendations. We have loved the Maths one, and I’m still waiting for some of the others from the library. We will be buying the maths one.



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