Free Reading for All (with a tablet or computer connected to WiFi)...

Another letter to my students' parents:

Dear Parents,

Here are a few free ebooks I would recommend to get your kids started.  They can read them online using their Chromebook (html), or you can download them onto a tablet.

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/19722 A Child's Garden of Verses by Stevenson (beautiful children's poems)

https://rangerrick.org/freedigital/?fbclid=IwAR1K_WTkGwXoCPrYc9DeJQC2TSFGp9uErAZYOvPNlBc-tWbNGIms0jIkHn0 Free Ranger Rick digital subscription and other products from NWF

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/19154 With Lee in Virginia by Henty (about the Civil War)

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/29756 The Cat of Bubastes: A Tale of Ancient Egypt by Henty

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1874 The Railway Children by E. Nesbitt (a delightful story about a family that has to move due to dire circumstances)

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/770 The Story of the Treasure Seekers by E. Nesbitt (another great story)

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/45 Anne of Green Gables by Montgomery

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/37106 Little Women by Alcott

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2788 Little Men by Alcott

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/11757 The Velveteen Rabbit by Williams

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20781 Heidi by Spyri

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/708 The Princess and the Goblin by MacDonald

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/709/709-h/709-h.htm The Princess and Curdi by MacDonald

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/18614 At the Back of the North Wind by MacDonald (simplified)

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/289 The Wind in the Willows by Grahame

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/11 Alice's Adventures in Wonderful by Carroll

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/113 The Secret Garden by Burnett

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16 Peter Pan by Barrie

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/55 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Baum

http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Children%27s_Picture_Books_(Bookshelf)#Beatrix_Potter.2C_1866-1943 All of the Beatrix Potter books.

A List of other children's books that are worth reading: http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Children%27s_Literature_(Bookshelf)

A whole library of history books for children http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Children%27s_History_(Bookshelf) 

Librivox.org has several of these stories and more in audio format.

Have fun reading!

~Mrs. Larson

Favorite Children's Books This Year

1. Little Pilgrim's Progress by Helen L. Taylor

2. Dangerous Journey by Oliver Hunkin (adaptation of Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan)

3. The Silent Bells by William MacKellar

4. The Door In The Wall by Marguerite de Angeli

5. By The Shores Of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder

6. Little House In The Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

7. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

8. Alexander The Great by Jane Bingham

9. The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles

10. The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman

11. The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis

12. The Mandie Collection Vol.1-11 by Lois Gladys Leppard

13. The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

14. Landon Snow series Vol.1-5 by R.K. Mortenson

15. Bob Books (Beginning Readers) by Scholastic

16. The Quiltmaker's Gift by Jeff Brumbeau

17. The Children's Bible in 365 Stories by Mary Batchelor

18. The Adventures of Tintin Vol.1-8 by Herge

These are many of the books our children have enjoyed this past year, most of which they have read themselves. Some were read to them on our couch in the afternoon or evening.  When I was a child, I was not much of a reader, but since becoming a parent, children's literature has blossomed in our lives and in our imaginations. Some of these books we have read over and over again, particularly The Children's Bible in 365 Stories and Little Pilgrim's Progress.  They are worth that.

Spread The Joy

Hearing children's author Sally Lloyd-Jones this past Friday in Minneapolis gave me an appreciation once again for the power of a good story.  Ms. Lloyd-Jones wove the events of her childhood growing up in Uganda, then at a boarding school in England, into a tale of wonder and interest.  Stories from the Bible became imaginative, heart affecting masterpieces that drew tears to my eyes as she read excerpts from her award-winning book The Jesus Storybook Bible.  Ms. Lloyd-Jones is not only an amazing author, but a vivid storyteller.  This line from her book captured my attention and my emotions:  The One who made us has come to live with us.

These are some of her convictions as she taught us how to tell good stories to children:

Always start with a story.
Life is a great adventure.
Give the gift of faith.
Nothing but excellence will do with children.
Quality must be high.
Write up to children, not down.
The power of the story is the story, not the lesson.
A story invites imagination.
Listen to what is left out.
Be concise.
A story uses rich language; language is the power of the story.
A story tells the truth.
A story reaches the heart.
Leave room for mystery.
A story wakes you up.
The moral code always leaves us in despair. We do not need a moral code, we need a Rescuer.
Hope isn't glossing over things; it is telling the truth.
Hope is a direction. Children don't need an escape, they need a direction.
A story is a performance.

After hearing about it for two years now, I finally bought a copy of The Jesus Storybook Bible for my children.  I had it autographed by the author last Friday.  I now can share in the joys of these stories along with some orphans in Ukraine who also own a copy of their own, thanks to In Lumine and the donations of many who believe in this project.  A few years ago some missionary friends of ours in Ukraine began the long, expensive process of translating, publishing, and printing The Jesus Storybook Bible into both Russian and Ukrainian.  They now have a ministry where they are giving away copies to orphans throughout the country of Ukraine.  This project is called Bibles for Orphans, and you can be a part of giving to these needy orphans by donating at their website: biblesfororphans.com.  A gift of only $3 will provide one of these storybook Bibles to an orphan child in Ukraine.