Novel Thoughts

On this episode of Novel Thoughts talks Paddington Bear and his adventures. From his love of marmalade, to his infamous hard stare, to the many antics and activities throughout the Paddington series, this delightful character has enchanted children and adults of all ages.

Memoria Press is proud to feature Paddington in our classical literature education program for students to read and enjoy. We hope you enjoy this book recap and d...

Today Novel Thoughts dives into one of the best chapter books for beginner 3rd and 4th graders in the Memoria Press curriculum: The Moffats! This book is a great read for boys and girls to engage with big questions: How is home defined? What does it mean to be a part of a family or community? When is a spirit of adventure good? Meet the Moffats. There is Sylvie, the oldest, the cleverest, and—most days at least—the responsible on...

Today, Novel Thoughts explores Mr. Popper's Penguins, a book in the 3rd Grade Literature Curriculum Program. This delightful and entertaining read is a great option for kids in their third grade year. We cover how to teach Mr. Popper's Penguins, review key themes and insights, and talk about how the book provides a great catalyst in the rest of our Classical Christian homeschool curriculum. Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Fl...

Charlotte's Web— There must be something more than meets the eye when it comes to this beloved piece of classic children's literature. Today, Novel Thoughts sits down to unpack and explore this essential inclusion in our classical literature curriculum. Come along with us as we review the themes of friendship, freedom, responsibility, home, and belonging in a deep dive through the Memoria Press Literature Guides for Charlotte's Web...

Today we unpack Farmer Boy , the first book in our 3rd grade homeschool literature curriculum. Farmer Boy is also the second book in Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie book series following Little House in the Big Woods . We hope this review of the essential questions from our Farmer Boy literature guides will enrich your studies and reading! Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder tells of her husband’s struggles on a...

In third grade, things get pretty different when it comes to the literature curriculum. And today, on Novel Thoughts, we explore the Essential Questions model that have helped homeschool parents and children come to understand, appreciate, analyze, and explore the core themes and values from the Memoria Press curriculum. Moving forward in our show, Novel Thoughts will unpack each book from the same questions that we ask in our li...

On this episode,  Novel Thoughts goes into greater detail of the central themes and motifs of Little House in the Big Woods! Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder remains an all-time American classic about life on the frontier. The first book in the beloved Little House series begins in 1871 in a log cabin on the edge of the Big Woods of Wisconsin. Four year old Laura, her Pa, her Ma, her sisters Mary and Carrie, ...

Today Novel Thoughts takes a look at the last book in the Memoria Press 2nd Grade Homeschool Literature Curriculum with Little House in the Big Woods! This is a big conversation, because it's a pretty big book. As students transition from 2nd to 3rd grade our vision for their abilities grows and we challenge them with a piece of literature that will set the stage of what to expect when they move up to the next grade. Little House...

Today, Novel Thoughts explores the world of Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny, Tom Kitten, and all the other animal friends from the literature of Beatrix Potter. The Tales from Beatrix Potter Set from the Memoria Press curriculum includes four books by Beatrix Potter (The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, The Tale of Tom Kitten, The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse), the Teacher Guide, and the Student Guide. The Tale of Pe...

Today, we look at how to teach and what to look for in The Courage of Sarah Noble from the Memoria Press Second Grade Literature Curriculum. We dive into how to study this book effectively to find the themes and metaphors that make this classic novel essential to a great homeschool education. If you have any great study tips on how to review and study this novel in your own homeschool, let us know down below! The Newbery Honor-wi...

Today, Novel Thoughts sits down to explore a student's first chapter book in the Memoria Press curriculum! Prairie School by renowned children’s author Avi tells the story of Noah Bidson growing up on the prairies of Colorado. One day, his Aunt Dora arrives and begins teaching Noah reading, writing, and arithmetic. Noah is hesitant at first, trying to find ways to avoid studying. However, once Aunt Dora begins teaching him outside ...

On today's episode of Novel Thoughts we go back to analyze one of the first literature books that students are expected to read on their own! No more read-aloud books, it's time to move on to Animal Folk Tales of America. This book contains many famous stories told throughout American history, adapted by Caldecott Honor-winner Tony Palazzo. Legends in this text include Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, The Jumping Frog, Davy Crockett, Johnn...

Today, Novel Thoughts dives into the second semester of the Memoria Press Second Grade Read Aloud Books. We will talk about two books that almost didn't make it into the curriculum, Verdi and The Gardener. But we learned that this literature guides students toward understanding the themes of belonging, place, and self-reflection; important lessons that you shouldn't miss either! Start your second semester right, with two great book...

Today we unpack two categories of books in our 2nd Grade Classical Homeschool Curriculum, poetry and history. We will talk through Emily, A Visit to William Blake's Inn, Paul Revere's Ride, and The 4th of July Story, as we explore how understanding the language, meter, and rhyme of poetry prepares children for later success in their language arts studies. Second grade is a great time to get children invested in reading poetry, a sk...

On today's episode of Novel Thoughts, we dive into Maybelle the Cable Car and The Ant and the Elephant. These two classic stories are excellent stories that unpack a person's civic responsibility to their city or town and their interpersonal responsibility to their friend and neighbor. As young kids navigate their world, it's important for their teachers to enourage kindness, thoughtfulness, and grace toward one another as well as ...

Today Novel Thoughts dives back into the Memoria Press Second Grade Read Aloud Books. Let us be your literature guides as we be talk about Wee Gillis, Johnny Appleseed, and The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, and how these read alouds contribute big lessons in our classical Christian homeschool curriculum. We hope you enjoy this review of our education material and how reading these books are a great first start to learning h...

On this episode of Novel Thoughts, we continue to unpack selections from our 2nd Grade Read-Aloud set: Cinderella and The Emperor's New Clothes. These are two of Leigh's favorite choices from our set of 33 classic children's books. With every story and every illustration these classic authors give us countless lessons and virtues we can glean wisdom from. Join us as we talk about pride, jealousy, redemption and more. Have you ever ...

Memoria Press 2nd Grade Literature Curriculum introduces stories with powerful and poignant themes, like those of The Velveteen Rabbit. Today on Novel Thoughts we explore these classic children's stories, fairy tales, and read along books for kids using our classical homeschool curriculum. Education through story is a core part of our learning strategy and these books are a big part of setting a great foundation for young readers.