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AmblesideOnline Year 5 Booklist

"Our aim in Education is to give a Full Life. We begin to see what we want. Children make large demands upon us. We owe it to them to initiate an immense number of interests. Thou hast set my feet in a large room; should be the glad cry of every intelligent soul."
Charlotte Mason, Volume 3, p. 170

A Basic Overview of Year 5

Note: These booklists and curriculum suggestions are incomplete without a thorough understanding of Charlotte Mason's ideas and methods. We cannot emphasize enough that you take time to familiarize yourself with her philosophy by reading her books.

If you're planning to use AmblesideOnline, your first stop should be the the FAQ for some information about the curriculum and basic instructions. Our FAQ answers all the questions that people routinely ask: AO's history scope and sequence, how to schedule your school days, how to do narration, and more.

Key: (What do all those symbols mean?)

Book titles are linked to Project Gutenberg (which offers free etexts in a variety of formats) or other online text when no Project Gutenberg text is available.

Asterisks refer to which term the book is used: * Term 1 ** Term 2 *** Term 3

β - manybooks.net, another free ebook site.
α - free etext at archive.org; newer books can be borrowed for one hour at a time.
(ChrBk) - purchase from Christianbook.com using AO's affiliate link.
K - free Kindle text from amazon.com.
(£amzn) - Living Books Press purchase using AO's amazon.com affiliate link.
($amzn) - book purchase using AO's amazon.com affiliate link.
(K) - Kindle purchase using AO's amazon.com affiliate link.
(£) - Purchase directly from Living Books Press with an affiliate link; save 10% with discount code: AOBooks
Λ - free audiobook at Lit2Go
Ω - free audiobook at Librivox ^[2]
∩ - other free audiobook source
^[0] - Click the bracketed numeral to view any notes about the book near the bottom of the page.
^[0] - red footnotes indicate a heads-up for parents about the title. We cannot foresee every incident that might potentially be an issue to every family, but we have red-flagged those that are commonly a concern.

AO is an affiliate of Living Book Press, which means that when you purchase from our (£) links, we receive a commission which allows us to keep offering AO for free.

AO is an affiliate of Christianbook.com, which means that when you purchase from our (ChrBk) links, we receive a commission that helps with our costs.

AmblesideOnline is part of Amazon.com's Affiliate program. If you use the Amazon links, we receive a small commission which enables us to cover the costs of keeping the website and curriculum. Amazon links are identified like this: ($amzn) or (£amzn) or (K).

AmblesideOnline Year 5 Curriculum

Students continue studying Plutarch's Lives as well as a Shakespeare play each term. They will continue with daily copywork, as well as studied dictation and grammar study. Every scheduled reading will still be narrated, either orally or in writing. Written narration should increase to more often than once a week, serving as further preparation for composition. Foreign language study continues as begun in previous years, alongside the study of Latin.

---

Bible ^[6]

Old Testament - 1 and 2 Kings
New Testament - The ministry of Jesus taken from all four gospels

History: 1800-1914 up to WWI

Keep a simple timeline. ^[4]

This Country of Ours by H.E. Marshall β α ($amzn) (£) (£amzn) (£amzn) ($amzn) K Ω ^[8]
Answering the Cry for Freedom by Gretchen Woelfle, ch 5-8 ($amzn) (K)
* ** Abraham Lincoln's World by Genevieve Foster (ChrBk) ($amzn) ^[10]
*** The Story of the World Volume 4, The Modern Age by Susan Wise Bauer (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) ^[14]

Biography

Trial and Triumph by Richard Hannula (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) ^[20]
* ** Of Courage Undaunted: Across the Continent with Lewis and Clark by James Daugherty (ChrBk) ($amzn) ^[13]
** *** The Courage and Character of Theodore Roosevelt by George Grant (ChrBk) ($amzn) Also called Carry a Big Stick: The Uncommon Heroism of Teddy Roosevelt ($amzn) (K) ^[21]

Literature

One of Plutarch's Lives per term, following AmblesideOnline's Plutarch rotation
A play each term following AmblesideOnline's Shakespeare rotation

The Age of Fable by Thomas Bulfinch β α ($amzn) (K) (ChrBk) Ω K ^[42]

* King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K)
OR The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle (also here, here, and here) α (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) (K) ^[40]
** Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens β α (ChrBk) ($amzn) ($amzn) (K) Ω K Λ ^[40a]
*** Kim by Rudyard Kipling β α (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) Ω ^[41]

Poetry ^[37]

* Rudyard Kipling
** Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ^[38] Hiawatha (£) (ChrBk) (£amzn) Ω Λ
*** John Greenleaf Whittier and Paul Laurence Dunbar Λ

Purchase AO's Volume 5 poetry collection which includes Kipling, Longfellow, Whittier, and Dunbar in paperback or Kindle ($amzn) (K)

Copywork

A curriculum or program for handwriting is not necessary, but if you want to use one, these are some we've used and can suggest:
A Reason for Writing Level A: ($amzn) Level B: ($amzn)
Getty Dubay Italic Handwriting Series

AO's Language Arts Scope and Sequence for this level
Year 5 exam questions will focus on nouns, pronouns, proper nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.

Recitation ^[recit]

Term 1
Psalm 11:7; Luke 2:30-32; Psalm 51:10-12
The Children's Song from Puck of Pook's Hill by Rudyard Kipling
If by Rudyard Kipling
A passage from the term's Shakespeare play
Term 2
Matthew 5:14-16; Matthew 6:19-21; Hosea 1:7
The Arrow and the Song by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Excelsior by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A passage from the term's Shakespeare play
Term 3
Matthew 18:1-5; Luke 15:3-7; 2 Kings 18:5-7
Forgiveness by John Greenleaf Whittier
Sympathy by Paul Laurence Dunbar
A passage from the term's Shakespeare play

Foreign Language

Latin

Geography

The Complete Book of Marvels by Richard Halliburton consists of Book 1, The Occident ($amzn), and Book 2, The Orient ($amzn) ^[22]
Material World: A Global Family Portrait by Peter Menzel ($amzn) ^[24]
What the World Eats by Faith D'Aluisio and Peter Menzel ($amzn) ^[24]

Ten minutes of map drills each week ^[26]
Locate places from the day's reading on a map

In addition, these geography concepts should be explained and taught this year: ^[28]

Term 1:
Land forms such as: continent, island, mountain, hill, isthmus (neck), mainland, peninsula, cape, plain, prairie, shore, forest, field, plain, tundra, desert, oasis.
Bodies of water such as: brook, creek (stream), river, pond, lake (inlet, outlet), sea, ocean, cove, bay, gulf, strait

Term 2:
Food crops (vegetables, grains, fruit)
Other useful plants

Term 3:
Trees, flowers
What plants need to grow.

Citizenship

Follow AO's rotation of Plutarch's Lives.

Nature Study and Science

The Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock α (ChrBk) ($amzn), as scheduled for Nature Study.

Supplies for Nature Study:
Nature notebook and pencils or paint for each student
Begin to build a library of regional field guides
Plenty of time to allow Nature Study to be a fun learning experience for both parent and child

Follow AO's Nature Study Rotation of subjects.

Wild Animals I Have Known by Ernest Thompson Seton β α (£) (£amzn) ($amzn) K Ω ^[29]
Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology by Jeannie Fulbright and Brooke Ryan, M.D., Lessons 1-6 this year (ChrBk) ($amzn) ^[30]
Madam How and Lady Why, Volume II, Further Afield by Charles Kingsley, with notes by Anne White ($amzn) (K) ^[32]
Great Inventors and Their Inventions by Frank P. Bachman pdf (£) (£amzn) (K)
(or The Story of Inventions by Michael J. McHugh and Frank P. Bachman) α (£) (ChrBk) ($amzn) Ω ^[34]

Optional: Physics Lab in a Housewares Store by Robert Friedhoffer ($amzn) ^[36]

Science Biography:

* ** Always Inventing by Tom L. Matthews ($amzn)
or Talking Wire by O. J. Stevenson (£)
or other biography of Alexander Graham Bell
or biography of Marie Curie

** *** George Washington Carver by David Collins (ChrBk) ($amzn) or other biography of Carver

Mathematics

Select a program that meets your family's needs from our page of Math Options.

Art

Follow AO's Artist rotation; Picture Study helps on YouTube.

Music

Follow AO's Composer Study rotation.

Follow AO's Hymn Rotation.

Follow AO's Folksong Rotation.

Physical Education

One option is Swedish Drill Revisited by Dawn Duran purchase

Additional Books for Free Reading ^[46]

Are Free Reads required reading?

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott β α (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) Ω Λ
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens β α (ChrBk) ($amzn) Ω K Λ ∩
Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling β α (£) (ChrBk) (£amzn) ($amzn) (K) Ω K
Puck of Pook's Hill by Rudyard Kipling β α (ChrBk) ($amzn) Ω K
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain β α (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) Ω K Λ
The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain β α (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) Ω
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson β α (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) Ω Ω K Λ
Lad: A Dog (or another book in the Lad series), by Albert Payson Terhune α ($amzn)
The Treasure Seekers by Edith Nesbit β α (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) Ω K
The Wouldbegoods by Edith Nesbit; sequel to The Treasure-Seekers β α Ω K
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery β α (ChrBk) ($amzn) ($eries) (K) Ω Λ
The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) 9-bk series: (ChrBk) ($amzn) Paperback: ($amzn) (K)
Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K)
These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K)
The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K)
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin β α (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) Ω K
Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates by Mary Mapes Dodge β α (£) (£amzn) Ω K
Michael Faraday, Father of Electronics by Charles Ludwig (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K)
* Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K)
** Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) (Contains some violence pertaining to war.)
** Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K)
*** Falcons of France by Charles Nordhoff, James Norman Hall ($amzn) (K)
*** Goodbye Mr. Chips by James Hilton ($amzn) (K)
The Story of My Life by Helen Keller β (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) Ω K

*** Rilla of Ingleside by Lucy Maud Montgomery β α (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) 8-vol set (ChrBk) ($et) Ω
Shows WWI effects on a community. Eighth book in the Anne of Avonlea series; those who like these books might enjoy Rilla more if they read some of the earlier ones first.

If your students in years 4-6 could benefit from some easier, but still excellent living books for free reading, consider choosing four or five books from this list:

Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien ($amzn)
The Rescuers by Margery Sharp ($amzn) (K) (and others in the series)
The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden ($amzn) (K)
Homer Price by Robert McCloskey ($amzn) (K)
Centerburg Tales by Robert McCloskey ($amzn) (K)
The Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald (particularly interesting to boys; skip (or preview) the last chapter, ch 8, "The Great Brain's Reformation," as it's a light-hearted tale told in a frivolous manner about a boy's attempts to do himself in after his father disparages his disability. ($amzn) (K)

Noel Streatfeild books (appealing to girls in particular)
Ballet Shoes ($amzn) (K)
Skating Shoes ($amzn) (K)
Dancing Shoes ($amzn) (K)
Theater Shoes ($amzn) (K)

Kate Seredy books, including:
The Good Master ($amzn)
The White Stag ($amzn)
The Singing Tree ($amzn)
The Chestry Oak ($amzn)

(Purchase a Kindle)

Footnotes

2. Note on Audiobooks: While links to audio books are added as a courtesy, Miss Mason's approach to grammar and composition is heavily dependent upon the children receiving an immense amount of visual exposure to the written word over many years, so parents should exercise extreme caution in how many audiobooks they use each year. Our brains just work differently when we see the words.

For children who have difficulty reading, one solution is to have them follow the audio version along in a written text.
Librivox free audio is done by volunteers, and some are better than others. Heidi Nash has a list of some favorite Librivox readers. Be aware that apps, including Librivox, that have clickable ads can open a browser and allow children unfiltered access to the internet, even when browsers have been disabled by the parent. There are options: either download mp3 files from Librivox and listen without the app, or only install the app on a parent-controlled device. Librivox has a pay option to turn off ads.

Cindy Rollins did a Circe Mason Jar podcast that included the role of audiobooks with difficult books. (Back)

4. Timeline: Students at this level will likely add the Book of Centuries, a lovely and important notebook which has been described elsewhere. Two Book of Centuries options: (£) (£) However, a general timeline such as that created for earlier years will continue to be a helpful reference.

Resources: Read an Advisory member's blog post about early timelines at Wendi Wanders. Instructions for timelines and charts are included in these Parents' Review articles: Book of the Centuries; Teaching Chronology; The Correlation of Lessons. For more details about the why, when, and how of keeping CM timelines (and other notebooks), we strongly recommend reading The Living Page by Laurie Bestvater ($amzn). We have more links on our history page here. (Back)

6. Bible: Bible Gateway has many versions of the Bible online. It is preferable for a child to become accustomed to the language and flow of the King James Version of the Bible, as a familiarity with King James English will make other literature more accessible. Please read Lynn Bruce's article on the King James Version.
Year 5 students read stories from 1 and 2 Kings, and the ministry of Jesus taken from all four gospels. See AO's Bible plan. Charlotte Mason taught with commentaries, reading the Bible passage first, then narration, then reading the commentary, but Smyth's commentaries may reflect the doctrine of their era and denomination; they are not necessary to follow the Bible schedule. You can follow this schedule without commentary, or choose your own.
Optional Bible Resources: Timeline; Study questions with maps. (Back)

8. This Country of Ours: Vol 3, used this Year, contains ch 64-99. Available in Paperback: ($amzn) or Hardcover: ($amzn) as well as Kindle: (soon) (K) More details are explained on our blog.
If you prefer, you can still purchase the original version: ($amzn) K The link to Project Gutenberg's etext and Librivox's audiobook have used the original public domain version.
Scheduled this year.
Term 1: ch 64-75 (Washington-Tyler, George III - George IV- Victoria, 1783-1845)
Term 2: ch 76-87 (Monroe-Buchanan, George IV-Victoria, 1818-1863)
Term 3: ch 88-99 (Johnson-Wilson, Victoria-George V, 1865-1919)
This Country of Ours is our first choice for this term's US history book, and is used in all terms. The 'OR' options are world history selections; they are not an adequate substitute for this book. Year 5 uses the chapters that cover the time period between 1783-1914, or, if you use Donna-Jean Breckenridge's annotated and updated version, Volume 3 covers that period of history. ($amzn) Be aware that the edition for sale from Wilder Publications has no Table of Contents or chapter numbers. Public domain texts are available for anyone to copy, paste and publish, and many new companies are springing up publishing and selling these texts without editing for typos.
For planning purposes, there is a table of contents with dates for This Country of Ours. (Back)

10. Abraham Lincoln's World:
Term 1: first half, 171 pages
Term 2: second half, 171 pages
This book has several different editions with slightly different page numbers and section headings. Weekly schedules use the Beautiful Feet reprint; adjust the schedule to fit the copy you have.
If you prefer, you may use Story of Mankind by Van Loon β α ($amzn) (K) Ω Read Charlotte Mason's book review of Van Loon's Story of Mankind.
Term 1: ch 53-56 Napoleon, 1804; Holy Alliance; The Great Reaction; 1860, National Independence, 1791-1871, Age of the Engine, stone age 1878.
Term 2: ch 57-61 Social Revolution/1848; Emancipation/1831-1867; Age of Science/1846; A Chapter of Art/1827.
Term 3: ch 62-65 Colonial Expansion and War 1868-1914; A New World, Part of the 20th century text up through WWI.
The Kindle version linked doesn't have the copyrighted chapters scheduled in Year 6.
For planning purposes, there is a table of contents with dates for The Story of Mankind.
(Back)

13. Of Courage Undaunted: pg 56 has a typo which appears to be in all editions. The heading "Winter Quarters at Fort Mandan, November 8, 1904" should be 1804. (Back)

14. Story of the World: The historical books that were recommend for Years 1-6 such as An Island Story, A Child's History of the World, Abraham Lincoln's World, The Story of Mankind were carefully selected based on literary quality and availability for those historical periods and we believe that Susan Wise Bauer's Story of the World Volume 4 is the best book for the twentieth century that meets that same criteria. The book is not used until Term 3. To help with your planning, a table of contents for this book, with loose dates.
What Everyone Should Know About the 20th Century, Axelrod, Phillips ($amzn)
Full title is What Everyone Should Know About the 20th Century: 200 Events That Shaped the World, by Alan Axelrod and Charles Phillips. This book went out of print and has been replaced in our schedule, by The Story of the World Volume 4 The Modern Age, by Susan Wise Bauer. However, if you have this book, you can still use it.
In the first years of AO, the Advisory did not feel that there was an adequate children's level book available on the 20th century. "What everyone should know about the 20th century" is written for adults. We scheduled a number of the short chapters for year 6. Chapters not selected may have material deemed inappropriate for students, and parents should keep that in mind when giving the book to their children.
Parents may wish to read surrounding chapters to the chapters assigned. For instance, the chapter about the Moon Walk concludes on the page that a chapter on Woodstock begins. The Advisory did try to note any questionable wording in the chapters recommended. Parents should preview chapters where possible, as the author occasionally displays a bias that would not be acceptable to all families. This book has no photos - Parents are encouraged to select appropriate [non-graphic] photos of the century to show to their children, after they have read about the events ahead of time, in their context. This book was originally used in year 5 and 6.
Term 3: The United States Goes to War with Spain (1898)--The Treaty of Versailles Ends the Great War (1919)

For those who wish to supplement, or to combine students in the same year, corresponding chapters of A Child's History of the World for younger children are as follows:
Term 1: ch 77 Waterloo, 1821-ch 79 (Composers)
Term 2: ch 80 (1860's)
Term 3: ch 81 (1870)-83 (Industrial revolution)
Corresponding chapters of An Island Story by H. E. Marshall β α (£) (£amzn) (£amzn) ($amzn) (K) Ω for this year would be This time period is 1820-1914, George IV-George V:
Term 1: ch. 97 (Trafalgar 1805)-ch. 101 Victoria (1837)
Term 2: ch. 102 (Corn Laws repealed 1846)-ch. 107 Pipes at Lucknow (1857)
Term 3: ch. 108 (Australia; Arthur Philip 1787; 1867)-ch. 110 Boer (1899-1902) (Back)

20. Trial and Triumph: Descriptions of some trials of the Christians may be intense; parents should preview chapters to determine suitability based on their children's sensitivities. If you prefer, you can skip this book and cover church history in Years 7-9 with a different book, Saints and Heroes, by George Hodges.
This book tells church history from a definite Protestant perspective; some families may wish to skip this book or find an alternative.
Trial and Triumph used to be online, but now only a sample of the book is available online. This is what we used to post about the online posting: Google Books does have permission from Canon Press to have Trial and Triumph in full online. Here is a statement from Canon Press: "I believe we have extended permission to them to display that title. Obviously we would love for folks to purchase hard copies but we understand the limitations of many folks. If they do benefit from the online version though, we would be grateful for some sort of review whether it be on a blog, on Amazon, or on our own website. Thanks for contacting us to check. We really appreciate it." - David Hoos, Canon Press - Customer Service www.canonpress.com (Back)

21. The Courage and Character of Theodore Roosevelt is a reprint of Carry a Big Stick. The content of both books is the same, but the page numbers are slightly different. You can see table of contents for both editions. (Back)

Recitation: Charlotte Mason's PNEU schools expected children to be able to recite two Bible verses and a poem for their term exams. We have listed suggestions, but students should be allowed to have some input into what is memorized for recitation. Some students will gravitate towards a specific poem, or want to memorize all of a Psalm, and that should be encouraged. There are some possible suggestions for Shakespeare passages on our Shakespeare recitations page. (Back)

22. The Complete Book of Marvels is a combination of two books: The Occident, and The Orient (see contents). Both have been reprinted by Living Books Press. There's a list of suggested supplemental videos for volume 1 at Wonder and Wildness blog
Note that in The Orient, ch 8 - The Slave City, Halliburton talks in a humorous vein about the purchase of two children from a slave market. The apparent callousness is shocking and difficult to read. Halliburton's travelling companion at the time says this never happened, and his own travel notes indicate that it did not happen. Instead this was a quick story he told off the cuff to a group of reporters. It's not clear who added it to the book, as his father helped with quite a bit of the editing. It is clear it didn't trouble his editors, publshers, or reviewers at the time. The Orient was published in 1938 and by March of 1939 Halliburton was missing, presumed dead. We do not have any way of knowing if his views and attitudes, and those of his editors, would have changed over time in step with the rest of the west.
Chip Deffaa, who retraced Halliburton's adventures in 1973, wrote, "To my surprise and amazement, I discovered his letters had been highly edited (doctored would be a better word) by his father before publication. Lines were changed, deleted, added. Not all of Halliburton's adventures took place as he described them. For example, he wrote that he had bought and sold slaves in Timbuktu, when in reality he had left the city in a rush to escape the flies. The slaves were an afterthought, a story he tried out on reporters at his hotel suite in Paris. They loved it." Read the article here. The chapter is scheduled in Year 6.
Child's Geography of the World by Virgil Hillyer ($amzn) (contents here) is also good, but out of print as well.
If you can't access either book, we suggest Explore the Holy Land by Ann Voskamp. ($amzn) (Back)

24. Material World/What the World Eats - How to use these books:
Leave them out, preferably near a globe or world map, and browse through them together from time to time.
Leave them out, browse through them and maybe once a month pick a country that especially interests your child. Look it up (briefly) on Wikipedia or in a good atlas. Read a little bit more about it. Find it on a map or globe.
If your child is interested, he can pursue additional research in his free time and learn more about countries that particularly interest him, but this should be his own delight directed study or hobby.
How not to use these books: as the basis of a unit study or a burdensome checklist of additional tasks to fulfill.
Note: Material World: pg 16 and pg 70 have some National Geographic types of photos that parents may want to screen.
Hungry Planet: What the World Eats by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio looks similar to What the World Eats; we think it could be used interchangeably. ($amzn) (Back)

26. Geography: SeterraOnline offers Free Map Quiz Games. If you have an iPad or iPhone, TapQuiz is a free map quiz app. (Back)

28. The following geography concepts should be explained and taught this year; a book is not necessary as these can be explained informally during walks and outings.
AO's complete list of geography topics

Term 1: Land forms such as continent, island (archipelago), mountain, hill, isthmus (neck), mainland, peninsula, cape, plain, prairie, shore, forest, field, plain, tundra, desert, oasis. Bodies of water such as brook, creek (stream), river, pond, lake (inlet, outlet), sea, ocean, cove, bay, gulf, strait
These topics are covered in these chapters:
Long's Home Geography α (£) (£amzn) 24. A Map
Long's Home Geography α 25. Forms of Land and Water
Long's Home Geography α 26. More About Forms of Land and Water
Long's Home Geography α 27. A Trip to the Highlands

Term 2: Food crops (vegetables, grains, fruit) and other useful plants
These topics are covered in these chapters:
Long's Home Geography α 29. Useful Vegetables
Long's Home Geography α 30. Useful Grains
Long's Home Geography α 31. Fruits
Long's Home Geography α 32. Useful Plants

Term 3: Trees, flowers; what plants need to grow.
These topics are covered in these chapters:
Long's Home Geography α 33. Forest Trees
Long's Home Geography α 34. Flowers
Long's Home Geography α 35. What is Necessary to Make Plants Grow (Back)

29. Wild Animals I Have Known (and another similar book by Seton, Wild Animals at Home) has chapters that are particularly tragic (Lobo, the King of Currumpaw and The Springfield Fox) and those chapters are not scheduled. Wild Animals at Home also has a tragic chapter, chapter 7, the story of the kindly badger. Ernest Thompson Seton wrote realistic stories about animals based upon his observations. Parents of sensitive children would do well to preview these books. (Back)

30. Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy is used over two years -- the first six lessons are scheduled in Year 5, and the eight remaining lessons are scheduled in Year 6. We suggest your student read and narrate rather than do the discussion questions at the end of the chapters, and be selective about Projects and "Try This!" activities, choosing only those that illustrate the concept being learned. We hope to compile a list of which projects and activities we think should be done. The Notebooking Journal that goes with this book is not necessary, although projects and activities done from the textbook would be appropriate for your student's regular Nature Journal. (Back)

The Child's Book of Nature, Book II, Animals, by W. Hooker, or Christian Liberty Nature Reader, Book 5, by W. Hooker, ed. by Michael J. McHugh (£) (£amzn) ($amzn) was previously used in Year 5; if you prefer to use it this year in place of Fulbright's Anatomy, here is how it was scheduled:

Term 1
Wk 1 ch 1 What is Made from the Blood (teeth, tears, etc) [or, in the 2002 edition, 1. What is Made from Blood? part a]
Wk 2 ch 2 How the Blood is Made [or, in the 2002 edition, the next part of the chapter, How the Blood is Made]
Wk 3 ch 3 Mother Earth [or, in the 2002 edition, 1. The Dust of the Earth]
Wk 4 ch 4 The Stomach and the Teeth [or, in the 2002 edition, 2. The Stomach and the Teeth]
Wk 5 ch 5 More About the Teeth [or, in the 2002 edition, 2. More About Teeth]
Wk 6 ch 6 The Circulation of the Blood [or, in the 2002 edition, 3. The Circulation of Blood]
Wk 7 ch 7 Breathing [or, in the 2002 edition, 3. Breathing]
Wk 8 ch 8 Brain and Nerves [or, in the 2002 edition, 3. The Brain and Nerves]
Wk 9 ch 9 How the Mind Gets Knowledge [or, in the 2002 edition, skip this week]
Wk 10 ch 10 Seeing [or, in the 2002 edition, 4. Seeing]
Wk 11 ch 11 How the Eye is Guarded [or, in the 2002 edition, 4. How the Eye is Guarded]
Wk 12 none
Term 2
Wk 13 ch 12 Hearing [or, in the 2002 edition, 4. Hearing]
Wk 14 ch 13 The Smell, the Taste and the Touch [or, in the 2002 edition, 4. Smell, Taste and Touch]
Wk 15 ch 14 The Bones [or, in the 2002 edition, 5. Bones]
Wk 16 ch 15 More About Bones [or, in the 2002 edition, 5. More About Bones]
Wk 17 ch 16 The Muscles [or, in the 2002 edition, 5. Muscles]
Wk 18 ch 17 More About the Muscles [or, in the 2002 edition, 5. More About Muscles]
Wk 19 none
Wk 20 ch 18 The Brain and Nerves in Animals [or, in the 2002 edition, 5. The Hand]
Wk 21 ch 19 The Variety of Machinery in Animals [or, in the 2002 edition, 6. In Place of Hands]
Wk 22 ch 20 The Hand [or, in the 2002 edition, skip this week]
Wk 23 ch 21 What Animals Use for Hands [or, in the 2002 edition, 6. Variety in Animals]
Wk 24 none
Term 3
Wk 25 ch 22 The Tools of Animals [or, in the 2002 edition, 6. Animal Tools]
Wk 26 ch 23 More about the Tools of Animals [or, in the 2002 edition, 6. More Animal Tools]
Wk 27 ch 24 Instruments of Defense and Attack [or, in the 2002 edition, 6. Tools for Defense and Attack]
Wk 28 ch 25 Wings [or, in the 2002 edition, 6. Wings]
Wk 29 ch 26 Coverings of Animals [or, in the 2002 edition, 6. Coverings for the Body]
Wk 30 ch 27 The Beautiful Coverings of Animals [or, in the 2002 edition, 6. Beautiful Animal Coverings]
Wk 31 ch 28 How Man is Superior to the Animals [or, in the 2002 edition, 6. A Time for Sleep]
Wk 32 ch 29 The Thinking of Animals [or, in the 2002 edition, 7. The Superiority of Man]
Wk 33 ch 30 More About The Thinking of Animals [or, in the 2002 edition, skip this week]
Wk 34 ch 31 What Sleep is For [or, in the 2002 edition, skip this week]
Wk 35 ch 32 Hygeine [or, in the 2002 edition, 7. Hygiene and Diet]
Wk 36 none

32. Madam How and Lady Why: This year, the second half of the book is covered:
Term 1: The Chalk-Carts, Madam How's Two Grandsons, The Coral Reef
Term 2: Field and Wild, The World's End
Term 3: Homeward Bound
Anne White has formatted the text with her study notes into separate volumes. Volume 1, "A Walk Through the Glen," is scheduled in Year 4. Volume 2, "Further Afield," is scheduled in Year 5.
Further Afield text with a few edits (mostly for comments that would be considered racist by today's standards) for your student to read along.
The text with Anne White's study guide which is linked above is recommended but not required. If you prefer just the original book without the study guide or edits, it is available at these links: Project Gutenberg β α ($amzn) (£) (£amzn) Ω K Schedule for the original book
Madam How and Lady Why is scheduled slowly over two years. This is an earth science book; if you use the study guide, you'll see that it takes time to adequately cover the subject matter. Researching the topics is what makes this useful as a science book.

Of what value is an old science book like Madam How and Lady Why? Apart from the superior writing quality, the best thing you can get out of old science books is a strong sense that science is a constantly changing thing, and that the "scientific evidence/theory/conclusion" of today can be debunked in a year, or two, or ten. Children should learn to take the words "Scientists think . . ." for exactly what they are worth (always worth considering, but never to be considered the final word). Reading older books will help you develop that sense.
Note on Kingsley's "old earth" comments: During the era when Madam How and Lady Why was written, there was no "young earth" discussion out there: evidence seemed to show an old earth, and the Church of England (Charles Kingsley was a clergyman), by and large, accepted a kind of theistic evolution.
This book is invaluable for understanding the deeper ideas of how to approach science. If you do nothing else with this book, at the very least, read the preface and chapter 8 (Madam How's Two Sons) -- that's the bare minimum, but, really, this whole book is truly worthwhile. Some parents are hesitant to use this book because of outdated science information; keep in mind that whatever is current, accurate and up to date changes all the time. Even if you buy a current science book today, there is material in it that is already out of date and will be defunct next year. Some science teachers complain that in some areas what is currently held as true changes so fast that they think science would be best taught using science journals as the text, and even then, in some topics, over half of what is published in journals ends up being retracted later. But that's data, and it's easy to correct outdated data. The ideas in this book are the foundation of a CM philosophy. This is a book to read together with your kids, to discuss, to research together. Some of the style of the writing can be off-putting, but that is also something that could become an advantage: use it as a writing or narration project, asking your student to 'retell what the author is getting at, but in current terms.' (Back)

34. 'The Story of Inventions' and 'Great Inventors and Their Inventions' are the same book. 'The Story of Inventions' is online, except for the last 2 chapters, which were a later addition and still copyrighted. The online edition does not have the two later chapters. If you have the second edition, the chapter order may not match the AO schedule. AO member Amy H. posted a revised list on her blog here. Great Inventors and Their Inventions, by Frank P. Bachman is an earlier version of the same book. If you have a copy, you can substitute. Or, boys might enjoy War Inventions, by Charles R. Gibson (the Advisory hasn't read this yet.) All About Famous Inventors and Their Inventions α, by Fletcher Pratt is similar; The Story of Great Inventions by Elmer Ellsworth Burns α might be another option. Chapter 10 (Gutenberg): Watch 6 min video on Medieval Manuscripts (Back)

36. Friedhoffer's "Physics Lab in a . . ." books are a great resource, but they're hard to find; don't spend more than $10 on a used copy. Barnes and Noble still has copies. (Back)

37. Poetry: How do you "do" poetry? Simply read it and enjoy it, re-read it, read it again and listen to the sound of the phrases, let them paint a word picture in your mind. Do you feel like you need more direction? How to Read a Poem: Based on the Billy Collins Poem "Introduction to Poetry" by Tania Runyan is "less as an instructional book and more of an invitation." This is a suggested optional parent resource that encourages you read poetry for enjoyment. (Back)

38. Longfellow, used in Year 3, is repeated in Year 5 because his longer poems are more historically appropriate for this year; try breaking up longer poems and reading them over a few days. (Back)

40. King Arthur: Students should have some familiarity with King Arthur in preparation for Year 7. Roger Lancelyn Green will be easier for students to read on their own; if you use Pyle's, you may need to read it aloud. Alternately, you may use Andrew Lang's King Arthur, which is available online, and has audio available at Librivox. A 12-week schedule for Lang's is provided. Or, if you have The Boy's King Arthur, by Sidney Lanier, you may opt to use that, although, for scheduling, it doesn't break down as neatly into the 12-week term. It's also more difficult to read than Green's. The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights by James Knowles is also a worthy translation, and also online. Howard Pyle's has a sequel, Champions of the Round Table, for students who want more King Arthur tales. NOTE: Editions not specifically for children (including John Steinbeck's) may be racy and not family-friendly. Malory and Caxton, the earliest editions, on which all others are based, can be graphically explicit about knights' exploits with ladies. AO provides a comparison of these texts, the part where Arthur is given the sword Excalibur, for you to compare.
Regarding Howard Pyle's addition of Arthur disguised as a gardener's boy wearing a cap to hide an ugly place on his head: compare to the Grimm's fairy tale, "Iron Hans." (Back)

40a. Oliver Twist: There is one Jewish character in this book, Fagin, and he is depicted as a vile and despicable person. Throughout the book, Fagin is repeatedly referred to as "the Jew." Dickens based the character on a real-life Jewish man who was at the center of a highly-publicized trial at the time. But Eliza Davis, a Jewish mother of ten and the wife of a man who had purchased Dickens' home, wrote Charles Dickens and challenged him on this. As a result of their correspondence, Dickens changed the next printing of Oliver Twist so that many references to "the Jew" were changed to Fagin's name. He also wrote a subsequent book, Our Mutual Friend, in which the main Jewish character was depicted in a positive light. There is a picture book that tells the story of the correspondence between Dickens and Davis called Dear Mr. Dickens by Nancy Churnin and Bethany Stancliffe. ($amzn) (K) Parents can follow Dickens' own example and use Fagin's name rather than any other word.
Additional note: Some parents have asked whether this book, which contains a murder and anti-Semitic labeling of a villian, is appropriate for sensitive students. There is a thread discussing this on the AO Forum. It's a private forum; you must be a member to read it. This is a post from that thread written by Advisory member Wendi Capehart:
"My most sensitive child, and she is and was very sensitive, was horrified and broken hearted by Nancy's death, but I think it was good for her to read the book anyway. So much literature romanticizes the bad boy relationship, and makes much of the seductive idea that the bad boy's one true love can make him abandon his wicked ways and put him on the right path, when in fact, he is more likely just to add his one true love to his long list of victims. Nancy loved him with all her heart but she couldn't love Bill Sykes enough to make him not be a murderous thug. A girl could benefit a lot from this instructive example, read just before she's reached that romantic stage where girls are apt to crush on bad boys.
This is the same child who was sure for a very long time that the Artful Dodger and Fagin were really good people and good friends to Oliver. Even when it began to be more and more obvious, she didn't want to accept it and came to me wringing her hands several times, asking for reassurance that Dodger really was a very good friend, right? I kept saying she needed to keep reading and see what she thought. It was a hard lesson in discernment, but I am so glad she got her first exposure to these hard ideas in a book rather than in real life.
The anti-Semitism is jarring, at best, and mostly deeply disturbing, but as others have mentioned, it can be very instructive for children to see where we've come from in order to understand where we are. One could ask a reader, 'Is the real problem here that Fagin is Jewish, or that he is a manipulative thief who exploits children for gain?'" (Back)

41. Kim: Parents, please note that the most offensive racial slur is included in a few instances in this book. We suggest reading this aloud and skipping or replacing the word.
Also, chapter 10 talks about devils, drugs, pentagrams, spells, etc. Though it's in the context of the culture at that time, parents may want to pre-read. (Back)

42. Age of Fable, used over three years, is a book about Greek mythology, and some editions use illustrations of nudes, which some families might find objectionable. This year: ch 15 (Graeae) - ch 28 (Troy)
Term 1: ch 15 (The Graeae, Perseus and Medusa, Perseus and Atlas) to ch 20 (Theseus)
Term 2: ch 20 (Olympic and other games, Daedalus, Castor and Pollux) to ch 24 (Amphion-Muusaeus)
Term 3: ch 25 (Arion) to ch 28 (Agamemnon-Troy) (Back)

46. Free Reading books are books that no child should miss, but rather than overloading school time, these can be read during free time. No narrations need be required from these books. Advisory member Wendi C. suggests, "How you handle these is up to you..." (more) Parents should also explain to students that historical fiction, while often well-researched, is still fiction, and contains the author's ideas of how things might have happened. Books with asterisks pertain to that term's historical studies. (Back)

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For those on a strict budget, recommended purchases are:

Handbook of Nature Study, by Anna Botsford Comstock (used for 6 years; ($amzn) (Also online, but would be cumbersome to utilize that way.)
a math program
Abraham Lincoln's World, by Genevieve Foster ($amzn)
The Complete Book of Marvels by Richard Halliburton (£) consists of Book 1, The Occident (£) (£amzn), and Book 2, The Orient (£) (£amzn) Book 2, The Orient, is scheduled in the last few weeks of Year 5 and continues into Year 6.
Material World: A Global Family Portrait by Peter Menzel and What the World Eats by Faith D'Aluisio and Peter Menzel -- these are not required, but they're are nice to look through; we suggest seeing if your library has them.
The Story of the World Volume 4 The Modern Age, by Susan Wise Bauer (used in year 5 and 6) ($amzn) (K)
Of Courage Undaunted, by James Daugherty (check library) ($amzn)
The Courage and Character of Theodore Roosevelt by George Grant ($amzn) Also called Carry a Big Stick: The Uncommon Heroism of Teddy Roosevelt ($amzn) (K)
Biography of Alexander Graham Bell (check library)
Biography of George Washington Carver (check library)
Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology by Jeannie Fulbright and Brooke Ryan, M.D., Lessons 1-6 this year ($amzn) ^[30]
a Latin/foreign language program
Laura Ingalls Wilder books if your library doesn't have them. 9-bk series: ($amzn) ($amzn) (paperback) (K)
Other books can be read online or borrowed from the library.

Last updated March 31, 2023 (to update Bible)