(by 9 people)
Reading Nature Through Books
Of course, the best way to learn about nature is through first hand experiences. Nothing can substitute for a nature walk. But a living book with nature themes make for a great read when you're not out exploring the woods or the beach. Fortunately for us, many of the books Charlotte Mason recommended are available for free in the public domain. Read on for more details of great nature tales.
Learning Science Should Be Fun
Science should never be boring! If you are a homeschooler, consider replacing your dull science textbooks with "real" books -- living books.Both fiction and non-fiction books can be valuable for teaching science in an engaging and memorable way.
Simply Charlotte Mason has an excellent article about the value of adding science books to your nature study.
Ideas for books
nature readers
novels in natural settings
biogoraphies of famous naturalists
non-fiction picture books
and more!
Fiction by Helen Hoover
If you ever imagined getting away from it all and living in a cabin in the woods, you will love Helen Hoover's novels.
These wonderful stories are enhanced with fine pen and ink illustrations.
For an indepth review of Helen Hoover's series, see Offenburger.com
A Place in the Woods
Homeschooling mom Kris says, "the author describes her and her husband's moving from the Chicago city life, to the northwoods of Minnesota. It is very humorous as they adjust to the "middle of nowhere" life! They are completely into the nature study of the life around them - her stories of how they watch and interact with the animals are simply amazing!"
Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $10.52
The Gift of the Deer (Fesler-Lampert Minnesota Heritage Book Series)
Kris goes on to say, The Gift of the Deer is similiar, but focuses more on Peter (a deer they rescued from certain death) and then its recovery and eventual maturation. It is utterly amazing - you will learn so much about these animals, but in a 'hard to put down' type of read."
Amazon Price: $12.71 (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $4.01
The Long-Shadowed Forest (Fesler-Lampert Minnesota Heritage Book Series)
the third book in the series
Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $7.61
The Years of the Forest (The Fesler-Lampert Minnesota Heritage Book Series)
last book in the nature series
Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $10.84
Living in the Woods Fiction
Amazon Error: Could not open remote connection
Sorry, there are no results available from Amazon.Reptiles and Amphibians
from Flickr
All of these photos come from the Flickr group Reptiles and Amphibians.
Books Recommended by Charlotte Mason
FREE online
Charlotte Mason recommended these naturalists' books excellent for reading aloud to children. As she says, they are "all pleasant reading, many of them written by scientific men, and yet requiring little or no scientific knowledge for the enjoyment."Fortunately many of them have entered the public domain and can be found online for free. Follow the links below.
- Fairyland of Science
- by Arabella Buckley, 1879. Topics include sunbeams, the ocean, water, ice, a rose, coal, bees.
- Librivox's Fairyland of Science
- Free audio recordings of this classic text!
- Madam How and Lady Why
- Charles Kingsley, 1891. This is mainly a book about geology --earthquakes, volcanos, coral reefs, soil, etc.
- Wild Animals I Have Known
- Ernest Thompson Seton, 1898.
Tales of eight wild animals -- crow, fox, dog, mustang, etc. - Works by William J. Long
- The Baldwin Project has online texts for four volumes of Long's Animal Nature Stories:
School of the Woods
Ways of Wood Folk
Secrets of the Woods
A Little Brother to the Bear. - Water Babies
- Charles Kingsley, 1863.
A novel about a boy who lives underwater and learns about sea creatures. - LibriVox's The Water-Babies
- LibriVox is an amazing site that offers free MP3 recordings of many works in the Public Domain. The Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley is now available!
Picture Books for the Younger Ones
Dandelions: Stars in the Grass (Carolrhoda Picture Books)
The lowly "weed," the dandelion, is the star of this picture book.
Amazon Price: $13.22 (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $0.25
Chirping Crickets (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 2)
The Let's Read and Find out series has many titles and in two levels.
Amazon Price: $5.99 (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $3.19
Flute's Journey: The Life of a Wood Thrush
From egg to maturity, this beautiful book follows the life of a wood thrush.
Amazon Price: $11.56 (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $2.49
Box Turtle at Silver Pond Land (Smithsonian's Backyard) (Smithsonian's Backyard)
This series has several other titles featuring sea, forest, and desert creatures.
Amazon Price: $4.95 (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $0.01
Owl Moon
A walk through the woods at night, in search of owls.
Amazon Price: $11.55 (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $4.85
More Public Domain Books Online
These old books are all in the public domain and therefore are available free!- Nature/Naturalists
- Many environmental books from the early 1900's are published here in digital format. Some titles: Birds Every Child Should Know, Squirrels and Other Fur-Bearers, Romance of the Beaver, Reading the Weather.
- Parables from Nature
- Written by Margaret Gatty between 1855 and 1871 in four series. This collection includes some of the original illustrations. These stories teach about both nature and God's truth.
- The Burgess Bird Book for Children
- Nature stories are the vehicle for teaching about the many different types of birds.
- LibriVox's Burgess Bird Book
- A free audio recording of Thornton Burgess's classic Bird Book for Children.
- LibriVox's The Burgess Animal Book for Children
- These are free MP3 files to dowload. Listen to the story read outloud. Peter Rabbit goes to school with Mother Nature as his teacher. In this zoology book for children, Thornton W. Burgess describes the mammals of North America in the form of an entertaining story.
- Animal Nature Stories
- Six books written by Clara Dillingham Pierson between 1898 and 1901: Among the Forest People, Among the Farm-Yard People, Among the Meadow People, Among the Pond People, Among the Night People, Dooryard Stories.
- Librivox's Birds of the Air by Arabella Buckley
- Arabella Buckley had a great love of nature and wished to impart that love to children. Birds of the Air will encourage children to observe birds in their natural environment.
Modern Nature Readers
Christian Liberty Nature Reader Book 1 (Christian Liberty Nature Readers)
Amazon Price: $6.95 (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $1.71
Christian Liberty Nature Reader Book 2 (Christian Liberty Nature Readers)
Amazon Price: $6.95 (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $2.49
Christian Liberty Nature Reader Book 3 (Christian Liberty Nature Readers)
Amazon Price: $6.95 (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $0.86
Christian Liberty Nature Reader Book 4 (Christian Liberty Nature Readers)
Amazon Price: $6.95 (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $1.42
Christian Liberty Nature Reader Book 5 (Christian Liberty Nature Readers)
Amazon Price: $6.95 (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $0.51
Non-fiction Nature Books
Seashore (DK Eyewitness Books)
Amazon Price: $10.87 (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $6.30
Smithsonian Rock and Fossil Hunter (Dk Nature Activities)
Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $4.88
Pond & River (DK Eyewitness Books)
Amazon Price: $10.87 (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $9.18
Find the Constellations
Amazon Price: $9.95 (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $0.50
Tree (DK Eyewitness Books)
Amazon Price: $10.87 (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $4.50
Chapter Books -- Wildlife Turned Pet
for grades 3-5
There's an Owl in the Shower
Amazon Price: $5.99 (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $0.01
Capyboppy
Amazon Price: $8.95 (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $1.77
Rascal (PMC) (Puffin Modern Classics)
Amazon Price: $5.99 (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $1.24
The Year of the Panda
Amazon Price: $4.99 (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $0.01
Activity Books About Nature
Geology Rocks!: 50 Hands-On Activities to Explore the Earth (Kaleidoscope Kids)
Amazon Price: $10.36 (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $4.69
Nature in a Nutshell for Kids: Over 100 Activities You Can Do in Ten Minutes or Less
Amazon Price: $10.36 (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $4.83
The Complete Backyard Nature Activity Book: Fun Projects for Kids to Learn About the Wonders of Wildlife and Nature
Amazon Price: (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $3.24
Awesome Ocean Science: Investigating the Secrets of the Underwater World (Williamson Kids Can! Series)
Amazon Price: (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $4.13
Pet Bugs: A Kid's Guide to Catching and Keeping Touchable Insects
Amazon Price: $10.36 (as of 10/06/2008)
Used Price: $2.82
Guestbook
I welcome your comments, suggestions, and questions.
Excellent resources!
I'd add "Owl in the Family"
"That Quail Robert"
Lisa @ http://hopewellmomschoolreborn.blogspot.com/
Posted October 02, 2008
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RinchenChodron
Yes, learning science should be fun. Great grasshopper graphic! Well done. Posted September 16, 2008 |
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coopd
I love your lenses. Welcome to the Nature Lovers group :) Posted September 03, 2008 |
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debnet
Great lens! Last week as I walked into the entrance of an inner city school, amongst all the noise & chitter chatter, I heard some cheeping. When I looked up there was an old pipe going into the wall & there was a Sparrow feeding her young. Isn't nature wonderful? Posted June 29, 2008 |
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ElizabethJeanAllen
Good job! But I would have liked to see more about the birds. Bird watching is the second fasting growing hobby in the country. Even the little ones can identify Cardinals and http://www.squidoo.com/americanrobin Posted March 20, 2008 |
