Our Books
We love our books!  I�ll share with you what books we use for homeschool.... what I consider �the best� from a variety of publishers. 

Grade School
Reading: 
To teach a child to read, I recommend:
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
Or 
Saxon Phonics

If you use Teach Your Child�, later on  you will need readers.  My son was a reluctant reader until we started using the Nature Reader Series.  He loved the Nature Readers and was so disappointed when he read the last one!  My daughter loved the Pathway Readers, full of sweet stories about Amish families.

When children are good readers, I highly recommend these:
For Boys:  The Little Britches series, by Ralph Moody
These books are so good, they are priceless!  Not only is it great story-telling, but some of the traits your children will see lived out in these books are:  ingenuity, honesty, optimism, good work ethic, inventiveness� and more!  There is a little bit of rough language in a couple of the books (from cowboys in the story), but it is minimal.

For Girls:  The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Most (if not all) Americans knows of these books, so I probably don't need to tell you that these books are delightful!  They are a great read for boys and girls alike (boys will especially enjoy Farmer Boy).  A host of supplemental books for the Little House series are out there, such as the Little House Cookbook.

Other Grade School Books:
History:  Sonlight Curriculum.  We use their history curriculum, along with select readers and read alouds. 
Math: Saxon or Math-U-See.  We use mostly Saxon, but Saxon quits using manipulatives after 3rd grade.  So, if the child still seems to need some hands-on activities to grasp math concepts after 3rd grade, we switch over to Math-U-See.  Otherwise, we stick with Saxon.
Science:  Bob Jones University Science (the homeschool package).  These texts are excellent, and since they have a homeschool teacher's edition, it is easy to use in the homeschool setting.  Their teacher's manuals are not just answer books!  They give you background information and lots of helps.  We usually finish the BJU Science books before the school year ends, so then we supplement with books like Science on a Shoestring (my favorite!), and the Backyard Scientist.  In addition, I check out books from the library that correspond with experiments we are doing from those books.
Language Arts: Write Source Series  (These writing handbooks are absolutely a treasure.  Just about any information you need on writing can be easily found in these handbooks.  There are several different handbooks for different grade levels, and every student should have one in his desk.  We also use the workbooks that go along with the handbooks (called Sourcebooks).  From about 4th grade on, the workbooks begin to introduce some really fun writing assignments.  Save your money... don't buy the teacher's guides, as they are just answer books and are written for the traditional school setting. For Gramma, I don't think you can beat Grammar With a Giggle. Daily grammar exercises teach grammar quickly and painllessly. Other books in this series are called Caught Ya Again and The Chortling Bard. Inexpensive, too! For writing we like the materials from The Institute for Excellence in Writing. It is expensive, but the main program is one you will use for years, so the cost is dissipated by the number of years you can use it.
Missouri State History:  Most students in our state's public schools will study state history in fourth grade.  I looked all around for a state curriculum, but didn't find any I liked.  I finally wrote my own.  It is called A Guide to Studying Missouri History Through Literature.  It is now available for sale. Currently (2003) the price is $16.75 and can be ordered by mail. If you want more information, please go to this web site:Missouri History Through Literature.
Drawing:  Mark Kistler�s Draw Squad, Imagination Station, and Drawing in 3-D.
 

Junior High and High School
We continue using most of the same texts in Junior High and High School, however, we switch to Apologia Science in 7th grade.  The BJU texts no longer have a homeschool package at that level, and labs require a lot of expensive equipment.  Meanwhile, Apologia is written specifically for homeschoolers, and minimal lab equipment is required. The texts are written in a conversational, understandable style.  And Dr. Wile (author of the texts) answers e-mail questions from students using Apologia.  Perfect for parents that don't know the sciences very well.

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