Book Catch-up: Read alouds

It is a while since I have written about books. We usually have several read alouds running at once. 

The current read alouds are

• The Ology
• Leonardo's Horse
• Children of the New Forest
• The Ultimate book of Science

The latter is a strange read aloud but is much loved by Younger Son. We only read a page or so at a time and it usually provokes discussion. 

Other recent read alouds have been those for the Book Club. These were Gentle Ben for the older group which Younger Daughter attends and Charlotte's Web for Youngest Son. Youngest Son loved both of these books. 

A friend recommended Gentle Ben some time ago and it has been a great choice for our North America topic in the book club. It is about a friendship between a boy and a large brown bear. The book is set in Alaska where livelihoods are dependent on the annual salmon run. Fascinatingly, the Swedish authorities refused to screen the television programme made from the book, as they were worried that it might encourage people to befriend a potentially dangerous animal.

A few weeks ago, I finished reading The family with Two Front Doors with Younger Daughter. I have written about this book before but recommend it. We hope to study the Second World War next year and reading this book, is helpful background to some of the antisemitism which existed between the wars and the effect of the Holocaust on families. Yet, despite this the book is mainly happy and centres around family life and a wedding.  Having read the book, we are hoping to make challah.

We have also finished a children's biography of CS Lewis:The Story Teller by Derek Bingham. My children all love the Chronicles of Narnia so finding out more about CS Lewis is an obvious extension. Younger Daughter is keen that we read War in the Wasteland next. This is a fictionalised telling of the atheist CS Lewis's time in the trenches in the First World War and his thoughts about faith, at that time. 

I would love some recommendations, particularly, as I am putting together some ideas for reading around history from September when we hope to look at the Victorians followed by the First and Second World Wars.

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