RESOURCES: CHAPTER 5 For publisher and catalog addresses, telephone numbers, and other information, see the Sources section. Most books can be obtained from any bookstore or library; where we know of a mail-order option, we have provided it. Where noted, resources are listed in chronological order (the order you'll want to use them in). Books in series are listed together.
Spelling
Modern Curriculum Press Spelling Workout series. Cleveland: Modern Curriculum Press, 1994.
$7.25 for each Student Edition, $6.95 of each Teacher's Edition. Order from Modern Curriculum Press. We've listed the entire series for fast workers, but most children won't get past E or F by fourth grade.
Spelling Workout A (1st grade level)
Teacher's Edition A
Spelling Workout B (2nd grade level)
Teacher's Edition B
Spelling Workout C (3rd grade level)
Teacher's Edition C
Spelling Workout D (4th grade level)
Teacher's Edition D
Spelling Workout E (5th grade level)
Teacher's Edition E
Spelling Workout F (6th grade level)
Teacher's Edition F
Spelling Workout G (7th grade level)
Teacher's Edition G (7th grade level)
Spelling Workout H (8th grade level)
Teacher's Edition HGrammar
Beechick, Ruth. A Strong Start in Language. Pollock Pines, CA: Arrow Press, 1993.
$4. Most bookstores can order this for you; you can also buy it through Amazon.com. It costs around four dollars and is a wonderful resource for technique in dictation and teaching basic phonics.God's Gift of Language A: Writing & Grammar. Pensacola: A Beka Book, Inc., 1998.
$11.65. Order from A Beka Book, Inc. The Teacher's Edition is $20.55G.U.M.: Instruction and Practice for Grammar, Usage and Mechanics series. Columbus: Zaner-Bloser, 1997.
$8.37 for each student edition. Order from Zaner-Bloser. Teacher's editions are $17.95 each; you should buy them for yourself if possible.
G.U.M Level A, Grade 3 (Student Edition)
G.U.M. Level A, Grade 3 (Teacher Edition)
G.U.M Level B, Grade 4 (Student Edition)
G.U.M. Level B, Grade 4 (Teacher Edition)
G.U.M Level C, Grade 5 (Student Edition)
G.U.M. Level C, Grade 5 (Teacher Edition)Hyde, Mary F. and Cynthia A. Shearer. English for the Thoughtful Child. Lebanon, TN: Greenleaf Press, 1990.
$18.95. Order from Greenleaf Press.Language 3: Grammar, Creative Writing, Dictionary Skills. Pensacola: A Beka Book, Inc., 1996.
$11.65. Order from A Beka Book. If you're not comfortable with grammar, you should also order the Teacher's Edition ($22.55).Reading (listed in order of use)
Remember, you don't have to read all of these! But you can choose reading assigments from among the following names. Note that this list -- especially the early modern and modern sections -- is merely a starting place. There are many other authors and books worth reading, and you'll discover them as you explore your library. Rather than organizing these books and authors alphabetically, we have listed them in chronological order, and
we suggest that you read them in this order. In most cases, you can use any version of these stories. We have suggested a few specific editions that we particularly like.Ancients, 5000 BC-400 AD (first grade)
Work through these books and authors in the following order:Look for stories and poems by, about, or from:
The Bible
Homer (The Iliad and the Odyssey)
Hutton, Warwick. The Trojan Horse. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 1992.
McCaughrean, Geraldine. The Odyssey (illus. Victor G. Ambrus). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993.
At most public libraries; worth asking for on interlibrary loan. Too difficult for first-graders, but a wonderful read-to over several weeks (one chapter per session). McCaughrean manages to keep the poetic flow of the original.
Greek and Roman myths
Fisher, Leonard Everett. Theseus and the Minotaur. New York: Holiday House, 1989.
__________. The Olympians. New York: Holiday House, 1984.
Twelve mythogical figures profiled. Fisher also provides the Roman names.
__________. Cyclops. New York: Holiday House, 1991.
Geringer, Laura. The Pomegranate Seeds. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1995.
A read-aloud rendition of the Persephone myth.
Hutton, Warwick. Theseus and the Minotaur. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 1989.
__________. Perseus. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 1993.
McCaughrean, Geraldine. Greek Myths. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 1993.
A read-aloud collection of sixteen tales.
Aesop's Fables
Plato
Aristotle
Egyptian myths
Indian folk-tales
Turnbull, E. Luica. Fairy Tales of India. Scranton, PA: Criterion Books, 1960.
African folk-tales
Courlander, Harold. The King's Drum and Other Stories. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1962.
Try your local library; these are particularly good because the stories are identified by tribal source.
Confucius
Chinese and Japanese folk-tales
Ancient Chinese and Japanese poetry
Bishop, Clair. The Five Chinese Brothers. New York: Coward-McCann, 1938.
Try your local library. This favorite folk-tale is available in several different versions.
Cicero
Virgil
English, Irish, and Welsh fairy tales
Bennet, Richard. Little Dermot and the Thirsty Stones, and Other Irish Folk Tales. New York: Coward-McCann, 1953.
Steel, Flora Ann. English Fairy Tales (illus. Arthur Rackham). New York: Macmillan, 1962.Medieval/Early Renaissance, 400-1600 (second grade)
Work through these books and authors in the following order:Look for stories and poems by, about, or from:
St. Augustine
Beowulf
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Hastings, Selina. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (illus. Juan Wijngaard). New York: William Morrow & Compall the, 1981.
___________. Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady (illus. Juan Wijngaard). New York: William Morrow & Compall the, 1987.
Chaucer, Canterbury Tales
McCaughrean, Geraldine. The Canterbury Tales (illus. Victor G. Ambrus). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995.
The Junior Bookshelf calls this "one of the very finest interpretations of Chaucer for the young." A read-to for most second-graders; well worth the effort of ordering on interlibrary loan.
Edmund Spenser, The Fairy Queen
Hodges, Margaret. Saint George and the Dragon (illus. Trina Schart Hyman). New York: Little, Brown & Compall the, 1984.
A Caldecott medal winner; retells the story of St. George from Edmund Spenser's Fairie Queene. Beautiful illustrations, and Hodges retains some of Spenser's original poetry. At most libraries.
William Shakespeare, all the plays
A Shakespeare Coloring Book. Santa Barbara: Bellerophon, 1995.
$3.95. Order from Greenleaf Press. Historical illustrations of famous scenes from Shakespeare's plays.
Beneduce, Ann Keay. William Shakespeare: The Tempest (illus. Gennady Spirin). New York: Philomel Books, 1996.
Birch, Beverly. Shakespeare's Stories series. New York: Peter Bedrick Books, 1998.
$7.95 each. Birch's retellings keep much of the original dialogue. Reading level grades 4-6; the stories are accessible to good readers, but probably a "read-to" for most first-stage students. Complete series of three paperbacks includes all the major plays. Order from The Writing Company.
Comedies: Twelfth Night, A midsummer Night's Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing, The Tempest.
Histories: Richard the Third, Henry the Fourth, Henry the Fifth, Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra.
Tragedies: King Lear, Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet.
Burdett, Lois. Macbeth for Kids. Buffalo, NY: Black Moss Press, 1996.
___________. Twelfth Night for Kids. Buffalo, NY: Black Moss Press, 1994.
Shakespeare retold in rhyming couplets, reading level 2-4 grade. Order both from The Writing Company.
Coville, Bruce. William Shakespeare's The Tempest (illus. Ruth Sanderson). New York: Doubleday, 1994.
Found in most libraries, this can be either a self-read for strong second-grade readers, or a wonderful read-to.
Lamb, Charles and Mary. Tales from Shakespeare. New York: Puffin Classics, 1994.
$3.99. Order from The Writing Company. These classic retellings of Shakespeare's stories, use the original words wherever possible. Sixth grade reading level; a "read-to" for grammar-stage students.
Dante, The Inferno
Thomas Malory, L'Morte d'Arthur
Translated, this means "The death of Arthur." Look for retellings of the Arthur legend, most of which are based on Malory.
Gross, Gwen. Knights of the Round Table: Bullseye Step Into Classics (illus. Norman Green). New York: Random House, 1993.
The Step Into Classics series adapts classic stories to a second to third grade level.
Erasmus
Martin Luther
John Calvin
Sir Thomas Wyatt
Wyatt sometimes shows up as a secondary character in stories about Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.
Sir Thomas More
John Knox
Rene DescartesLate Renaissance/Early Modern, 1600-1850 (third grade)
Work through these books and authors in the following order:Look for stories and poems by, about, or from:
John Milton
French fairy tales.
Many were collected by Charles Perrault, 1628-1703.
Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe
Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels
Riordan, James. Gulliver's Travels (illus. Victor G. Ambrus). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.
Wonderful pictures, and a decent adaptation of Swift's prose; most third-graders should be able to read the text. You may need to order this by interlibrary loan.
John Bunyan, Pilgrim's Progress
Victor Hugo
Hugo, Victor and Marc Cerasini. The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Bullseye Step Into Classics. New York: Random House, 1995.
Adapted to a second to third grade reading level.
Hugo, Victor and Monica Kulling. Les Miserables: Bullseye Step Into Classics. New York: Random House, 1995.
Adapted to a second to third grade reading level.
Alexandre Dumas
Dumas, Alexandre and Deborah G. Felder. The Three Musketeers: Bullseye Step Into Classics. New York: Random House, 1994.
Adapted to a second to third grade reading level.
William Blake, Songs of Innocence
William Wordsworth, collected poems
Jane Austen
Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Robert Browning, The Pied Piper of Hamelin
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Grimm's Fairy Tales
Charles Dickens
Dickens, Charles and Monica Kulling. Great Expectations: Bullseye Step Into Classics. New York: Random House, 1996.
Adapted to a second to third grade reading level.
___________. Oliver Twist: Bullseye Step Into Classics. New York: Random House, 1994.
Adapted to a second to third grade reading level.
Dickens, Charles. The Magic Fishbone (illus. Louis Slobodkin). New York: Vanguard Press, 1953.
This is a children's story, available at your local library.
Edward Lear, nonsense poetry
Christina Rossetti, all the poetry
Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass
Mark Twain, all the stories
Twain, Mark and Monica Kulling. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: Bullseye Step Into Classics. New York: Random House, 1995.
Adapted to a second to third grade reading level.
James Fenimore Cooper, all the novels
Jules Verne, all the novels
Verne, Jules and Gino D'Achille. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Bullseye Step Into Classics. New York: Random House, 1994.
Verne, Jules, et al. A Journey to the Center of the Earth: Troll Illustrated Classics. Mahway, NJ: Troll Associates, 1990.
Order from Troll Communications. Adapted to a third to fourth grade reading level.
Norwegian folktales
Asbjrnsen, Peter, et al. East of the Sun and West of the Moon: Fifty-Nine Norwegian Folk-Tales. New York: Dover Publications, 1970.
This book is an affordable version of the original 1849 collection.
Herman Melville, Moby DickModern, 1850-present (fourth grade)
Tell the children's librarian at your local library that you're looking for classic literature from 1850 to the present, on your child's reading level, and follow up on his or her suggestions. (Librarians may differ in their ideas about what's suitable for fourth-graders, so glance through all the recommendations.) We also suggest the following (work through these books and authors in the following order):Look for stories by, about, or from:
Robert Louis Stevenson, all the novels
Stevenson, Robert Louis and Lisa Norby. Kidnapped: Bullseye Step into Classics. New York: Random House, 1994.
Adapted to a second to third grade reading level.
Stevenson, Robert Louis and Paul Wenzel. Treasure Island: Bullseye Step Into Classics. New York: Random House, 1993.
Adapted to a second to third grade reading level.
Stevenson, Robert Louis and Earle Hitchner. Treasure Island: Troll Illustrated Classics. Mahway, NJ: Troll Associates, 1990.
Order from Troll Communications. Adapted to a third to fourth grade reading level.
Arthur Conan Doyle
Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan and Judith Conaway. Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes: Bullseye Step Into Classics. New York: Random House, 1994.
Adapted to a second to third grade reading level.
Johanna Spyri, Heidi
Carlo Collodi, Pinocchio
Collodi, Carlo. The Adventures of Pinnocchio: Story of a Puppet (trans. Nicolas J. Perella). Berkeley: University of California Press, 1991.
Try to read this in an unabridged version, not the Disney version, which changes both the plot and the original moral message of the story.
H.G. Wells, all the novels
Wells, H. G. The Time Machine: Troll Illustrated Classics. Mahway, NJ: Troll Associates, 1992.
Order from Troll Communications. Adapted to a third to fourth grade reading level.
Louisa May Alcott, all the novels
Andrew Lang (1844-1912), collected tales
Lang, Andrew. The Blue Fairy Book (illus. John Lawrence and Henry Ford). New York: Dover Publications, 1975.
_________. The Orange Fairy Book (illus. Henry Ford). New York: Dover Publications, 1975.
_________. The Violet Fairy Book (illus. Henry Ford). New York: Dover Publications, 1990.
Frances Hodgson Burnett, all the novels
Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows
Grahame, Kenneth. The Wind in the Willows. New York: Yearling Classics, 1990.
James Barrie, Peter Pan and all the plays
Barrie, James and Jean Zallinger. Peter Pan: Bullseye Step Into Classics. New York: Random HOuse, 1994.
Adapted to a second to third grade reading level.
Rudyard Kipling, Just So Stories and The Jungle Books
Kipling, Rudyard. The Jungle Book: Troll Illustrated Classics. Mahway, NJ: Troll Associates, 1992.
Order from Troll Communications. Adapted to a third to fourth grade reading level.
Beatrix Potter, all the stories
Laura Ingalls Wilder, all the novels
Walter De la Mare, collected poems
Carl Sandburg, collected poems
John Ciardi, collected poems
Ciardi, John. You Read to Me, I'll Read to You (illus. Edward Govey). New York: HarperTrophy, 1987.
Order from Greenleaf Press. An award-winning book of poetry designed for parents and children to read to each other.
T. S. Eliot, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats
Eliot, T. S. Growltiger's Last Stand (illus. Erroll Le Cain). New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1990.
Order from Greenleaf Press. Some selected poems from T.S.Eliot's larger collection, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.Recordings to supplement readings
Storyteller Jim Weiss retells classic stories for children and sells them through Greathall Productions. These cassette tapes and compact discs are wonderful listening; they won't replace reading, but they serve as a valuable supplement. You can order them from Greathall Productions. Many libraries also stock them. Titles include:
A Christmas Carol & Other Favorites
Arabian Knights
Greek Myths
The Jungle Book
King Arthur and His Knights
Rip Van Winkle/Gulliver's Travels
She & He: Adventures in Mythology
Sherlock Holmes for Children
Shakespeare for Children
Tales from Cultures Far and Near
Tales from the Old Testament
Three Musketeers/Robin Hood
Imaginative readingThere are hundreds of good books and collections of poetry available to a child who is reading on a first through fourth grade level. The children's librarian at your local library, or the children's books manager at a larger bookstore, can direct you towards award-winning stories, novels and poetry on your child's reading level. Also consider the following resources:
Perfection Books Catalog, Grades Pre K-8. Logan, IA: Perfection Book Company.
This catalog lists literally hundreds of children's titles on all subjects and provides short descriptions. Readers on all levels, fairy tales and fables, stories of ancient times, stories of other nations, poetry, science titles, biographies, Newbery and Caldecott winners and even audio books, all coded for reading level and interest level. You'll use this catalog as a resource for finding titles and as a wonderful source for placing orders. Call 1-800-831-4190, tell them you're teaching your child at home, and ask for a catalog.
Wilson, Elizabeth L. Books Children Love: A Guide to the Best Children's Literature. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1997.Writing
See Chapter Four, Resources for information on basic handwriting instructional materials.Poster/Wall Chart Super Pak. Columbus: Zaner-Bloser, 1996.
$9.99. Five charts showing how to hold a pencil, how to sit properly, and correct formation of all letters.Writing Strands: Challenging Writing Programs for Homeschoolers series. Niles, MI: National Writing Institute, 1995.
The Writing Strands program can be purchased directly from the National Writing Institute or, at a small discount, from Rainbow Resource Center. The books aren't cheap, but they aren't consumable either; you do all the assignments on notebook paper, so you can reuse these books for another child or resell them.
Writing Strands 2 ($17.25)
Writing Strands 3 ($17.25)
Writing Strands 4 ($17.25)
Writing Strands 5 ($19.25)Zaner-Bloser Handwriting Paper
$5.29 per ream. Order these packs of writing paper for extra handwriting practice from Zaner-Bloser. A typical student uses one ream of writing paper per year. The ruled lines on these sheets narrows each year. See Chapter Four, Resources for K-1 paper.
Grade 2 paper (1/2" wide)
Grade 3 paper (1/2" wide)
Grade 4 (3/8" wide)
Grade 5 (3/8" wide without red baseline)Zaner-Bloser Handwriting series. Columbus: Zaner-Bloser, 1996.
$7.37 each. Order from Zaner-Bloser. This is the Zaner-Bloser continuous-stroke alphabet method. See Chapter Four, Resources for the first three books in the series (K-1 grade).
Handwriting with a Simplified Alphabet: Grade 2C Student Book
This book provides the transition into cursive writing. Use for either second or third grade.
Handwriting with a Simplified Alphabet: Grade 3 Student Book
More practice in cursive writing.
Handwriting with a Simplified Alphabet: Grade 4 Student Book
Handwriting with a Simplified Alphabet: Grade 5 Student Book
Handwriting with a Simplified Alphabet: Grade 6 Student Book