Literature and Books

A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt (Homeschool subjects covered: history renaissance and reformation, martyrs) Robert Bolt's classic play...

Foundlings, book one of The Peleg Chronicles is Historical Fiction that takes place in the time period of Peleg, soon after the tower of Babel dispersion. In a land of giants and dragons, and men running from the knowledge of their Creator, wickedness spreads as a plague, but a remnant of faithful souls shine in the darkness.

"The soldier heaved me over his shoulder as if I were a spring lamb.
"I am not Israelite!" I screamed.

Sold into slavery, Adara becomes a servant to General Namaan and his family and begins a remarkable journey of self-discovery, healing, and redemption a journey that, in the end, faces herwith the hardest decision of her life . . .

Don't be misled by the title. This book is written for you, homeschool mom. When you were a young girl, didn't you dream of growing up to become a mommy some day? Didn't you play with dollies and practice your parenting skills? What about now? Do you ever dream of the next season of life? Of being a grammy? Do you ever wonder how you can practice to equip yourself to be an effective grandparent that will pass on a legacy of the gospel for your grandchildren? The problem is that American philosophy of the retirement years has completely robbed this most-important season of life from any meaning or value. 

On a cold February day, Samuel was studying in his overcoat, rubbing his chilled fingers, when a loud knock at the front door startled him. His good friend Lowell Mason had come to remind Samuel of a promise. A New England pastor, he wrote the lyrics to "America, My Country 'Tis of Thee.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is the Newbery Award winning story of an African American family living in Mississipi in the early part of the 20th century. Segregation was the norm, with black and white children living in separate social strata, attending separate schools, and subject to different rules. The story explores difficult subjects such as segregation, prejudice, and the KKK. Written for grades 6-8. This story would make an excellent addition to any study of recent American history.

Against the backdrop of the French Revolution, Dickens unfolds a masterpiece of drama, adventure, and courage featuring Charles Darnay, a man falsely accused of treason. He bears an uncanny resemblance to the dissolute, yet noble Sydney Carton — a coincidence that saves Darnay from certain doom more than once. Brilliantly plotted, the novel culminates in a daring prison escape in the shadow of the guillotine.

Intended at first as a simple story of a boy's adventures in the Mississippi Valley--a sequel to Tom Sawyer--the book grew and matured under Twain's hand into a work of immeasurable richness and complexity. More than a century after its publication, the critical debate over the symbolic significance of Huck's and Jim's voyage is still fresh, and it remains a major work that can be enjoyed at many levels: as an incomparable adventure story and as a classic of American humor.

In 1520, thirteen-year-old Anne Boleyn, jealous of her older sister's beauty and position at court, declares that she will one day be queen of England, and that her sister will kneel at her feet. Though born without great beauty, wealth, or title, Anne Boleyn blossomed into a captivating woman. She used her wiles to win the heart of England's most powerful man, King Henry VIII, and to persuade him to defy everyone--including his own wife--to make her his new queen. But Anne's ambition proved to be her fatal flaw.

Book 1 of the Circle C Adventure series. Twelve-year-old Andrea Carter can't seem to stay out of trouble. Now her beloved horse, Taffy, is missing and it's Andi's fault. The daring young girl will do anything to find the thief and recover Taffy. But her choices plunge her into danger, and Andi discovers that life on her own in the Old West can be downright terrifying! 

Book 2 of the Circle C Adventure series. Andi nearly tramples her new teacher in a reckless, impromptu horse race down the main street of Fresno, California--not a good way to begin the fall 1880 school term. Her troubles multiply when she must decide if she should deliberately walk into a dangerous situation to rescue the teacher's mean-spirited, trouble-making daughter.

Book 3 of the Circle C Adventure series. Strange things are happening on the Circle C. Andi finds a stranger near death in the creek. A mysterious young woman shows up at the ranch with her three young children. And why was Andi never told the secret her family has carefully kept hidden? Angry and hurt at being left out, Andi saddles Taffy and sets out to find some answers--answers that turn her world upside down.