A Quiet Simple Life with Sallie Borrink
Cozy and Simple Living, Homeschooling, Faith, Homemaking, & Books
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Every once in awhile you see a book somewhere that draws you in and you know you have to buy it. Potato: A Tale From The Great Depression was that way for me. It brings a complicated historical event and time down to a simple level for children, showing them what life was like for …
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A number of years ago when Caroline was just a baby, I happened across Apple Farmer Annie at a bookstore in Traverse City, Michigan. I instantly loved it! I loved the story, the graphics, and just how cozy it was. I’ve since read a number of Monica Wellington’s books and have enjoyed them all. So …
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The fall book Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington is the delightful story of Annie, a young woman who owns an apple farm and sells her products at the farmer’s market in the city. The book has bright, colorful illustrations that appeal to younger children as well as simple text making it an ideal read …
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Here is a fantastic graphic that explains why a child needs to read every day. It points out the stark difference between a child who reads for twenty minutes every day and the child who basically doesn’t read. Why Your Child Needs to Read Every Day The long-term difference and impact of reading every day versus …
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I am just young enough that I “missed out” on learning to read using Dick and Jane books. I know many people who are slightly older than me remember them fondly. In fact, I’m sure seeing some of these below will bring a lot of memories rushing back for some! The Ultimate Dick and Jane …
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We happened across Market Day at the library one day while perusing the shelves for our pile of books to bring home. It was a book we all instantly liked and have read many times since. I didn’t realize it was a sequel to another favorite in our home, The Milkman, until I read the Amazon …
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Have you ever heard of The Ginghams Paper Dolls? They were very popular years ago and many women have fond memories of playing with them as a girl. I happened across a free download of these adorable paper dolls. I’ve already decided that I’m not showing Ginghams Paper Dolls to Caroline until we get all …
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Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte and Gertie are five sisters growing up in a poor Jewish family in New York City in the early 1900’s. The classic read-aloud All-of-a-Kind Family series by Sydney Taylor includes five chapter books that follow the joys and sorrows, faith and celebrations of the special family. This was by far one …
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A few of my favorite books growing up were Lois Lenski chapter books. Lenski was a prolific writer and I read many of her books over the years. She has such a distinctive approach both in terms of her writing style as well as her illustrations. Two of my favorite children’s novels were Strawberry Girl …
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The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg was one of my very favorite picture books when I first became a teacher. I immediately purchased a copy to use as a launch for both discussions and creative writing projects. I was not alone in my interest. My students also found the drawings fascinating and were …
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Sometimes I think parents get hung up on making sure everything is edifying and purposeful. Some parents are deeply concerned about avoiding what Charlotte Mason calls twaddle. But you know what? Sometimes you and your child want books that are just plain fun. Duck, Duck, Goose! A Coyote’s on the Loose! Duck, Duck, Goose!: A …
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Little ones seem to all go through a barn phase. I think it’s the combination of the red color and the cute animals. For whatever reason, it’s a predictable stage when you need to find barn-themed books for kids. These first two books about barns have been Caroline’s two favorite books for about three weeks …
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We never really sat down and taught Caroline her ABC’s. It just happened naturally over time because we provided lots of interesting materials for her to use such as the Baby Einstein Alphabooks. So while we did do lots of things to provide learning materials and engaged with her about print and books, she was …
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Sometimes you happen upon a book that you know is going to become a favorite. This was the case when I found Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush by Iza Trapani at the library. I knew it had everything Caroline would love including the illustrations, the silliness, the rollicking language, and the animals. Here …
