Back to the Classics Challenge 2021

 It's time for the Back to the Classics Challenge once again! 

Last year took some unexpected turns and I ended up petering out in the challenge after Esther was born. The turns were good and God clarifying some things for our family, and now we're getting back into a more settled routine. So here's to hoping I can read what I'm planning to this year!

The categories for this year are:

1. A 19th century classic: any book first published from 1800 to 1899

2. A 20th century classic: any book first published from 1900 to 1971. All books must have been published at least 50 years ago; the only exceptions are books which were written by 1971 and posthumously published.

3. A classic by a woman author.

4. A classic in translation, meaning any book first published in a language that is not your primary language. You may read it in translation or in its original language, if you prefer. 

5. A classic by BIPOC author; that is, a non-white author.

6. A classic by a new-to-you author, i.e., an author whose work you have never read.

7. New-to-you classic by a favorite author -- a new book by an author whose works you have already read. 

8. A classic about an animal, or with an animal in the title. The animal can be real or metaphorical. (i.e., To Kill a Mockingbird).

9. A children's classic. 

10. A humorous or satirical classic.

11. A travel or adventure classic (fiction or non-fiction). It can be a travelogue or a classic in which the main character travels or has an adventure. 

12. A classic play. Plays will only count in this category.

I am still figuring out what to read for each of the categories, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Books I didn't get to last year that I would like to read include:

City of God

Little Women

Anne of Green Gables

Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglas

What would you read in each category?

Medicine News

This book was part of our Core C History with Sonlight.

Being a nurse this book was very interesting to read with my children and share with them discoveries that are directly related to the medical field. Most of the stories, shared in newspaper article form or advertisements, I was familiar with through my nursing studies, but some were new stories showing how things have grown and been applied over the years. I found this extremely interesting and enjoyed sharing this with my children. Our eight-year-old has expressed interest in being a nurse also, so it was good for him to learn this history as well.

Given what's going on in the world, you can see how we have gotten to some of the things we have today. As I relearned this medical history I see how far we have come in the ability to help people heal and preserve earthly life, but I also see where paranoia has come from and some of the detriment that has come from discoveries. This makes for interesting discussions as you recount these discoveries with what is being done in our current situation to see how it is helping us and how it's hurting us. 

I definitely recommend this book as a basic overview of medical history.

4.5 stars

Cornstalks A Bushel of Poems

 This book of poems is part of our Core C reading with our Sonlight curriculum. 

It is a book of poems of different forms, most short and kind of strange. I think the children enjoyed reading the poems in this book. Some of them were "designed" in their writing which made them visually appealing and a lot of the poems they laughed at simply because of their strangeness. 

Personally, I did not care much for the book. If you enjoy poetry and figuring out what short pithy poems are trying to say, you would probably enjoy it. I had a hard time with most of the poems. Because of the ease of reading it was a good book to let the children practice reading out loud for everyone. 

I would give this book maybe 3 stars.

Maps and Globes

This book is a part of our Core C Sonlight history and geography curriculum.

Maps and Globes is a good short introduction to teaching how to read maps and globes (hence the name). It is basic and easy to understand, so all of our children were able to listen and understand to some degree. It explains different keys, different types of maps and how to use the legend to read the map. As a starting point in the subject it is right on. 

5 stars for this book.

The Aesop for Children

 This book was part of our Core C studies from Sonlight.

My children really enjoyed reading and discussing The Aesop for Children. Many of the stories are familiar in some form or fashion, so hearing them again and discussing the moral or lesson and how it applies was really great for character development, especially as we compared them to Proverbs or other Scripture verses that backed up the point being made. There were even a couple of stories that we said, "Wait, what?" and realized the point was worldly wisdom and not Godly, like "The Lark and Her Young Ones." This copy of these fables also had beautiful drawings that enhanced the stories which the children enjoyed looking at as we read. On the whole, the family enjoyed reading this book together.

4.5 stars for this version of these tales.

The Usborne Book of World History

This book is part of our history studies in our Sonlight Core C curriculum.

Usborne is known for their excellent book and resources and this one did not disappoint. All of our family members enjoyed reading this book as it gives a snapshot of different periods throughout history with timelines. The pictures add life to this book, giving you a look at what things could have looked like and been like at different points in history. The ancient history clearly has some supposition, but on the whole it was a great overview of history. 

5 stars for this history book

Encyclopedia Brown Cracks the Case

 This read aloud is part of our Core C curriculum with Sonlight.

Who doesn't love a good mystery??? I have never read any of these books so I wasn't sure what I was getting. Encyclopedia Brown Cracks the Case was such a fun book! The children and I loved reading each chapter and guessing the who done it and how Encyclopedia knew the answer. What a great way to teach listening, looking for clues and introductory logic. Now that we know what these books are like, all of us are excited to read more in this series and solve more mysteries both together and individually.

5 stars for this fun read