We started our 18th year of homeschooling this week. I shuffled shelves, scoured the attic for a missing grammar book and lay out fresh school supplies and goodies at each child’s place around the dining room table as we ramped up to full schedule.
We’ve graduated four kids so far with three more still at home. The years have been a sieve to all the daily tasks — the memory work, Bible study, history projects, co-op days, math facts, 5-point essays. Though so much of it was necessary and all of it seemed valuable, two things stand out above the others as time best spent: our shared mornings of Bible study and the shared books we’ve read aloud. More than any other work, those two seemed to have molded and shaped our family, our thoughts and values and perspective.
With the launch of a new school year, this new release, Give Your Child the World: Raising Globally Minded Kids One Book at a Time by Jamie Martin, arrived in my mailbox at just the right time. I had been casting about for an exciting theme or new unit study — something that would give this school year a special spark. This book is it and I could not be more excited to explore the world and this treasure this year!
Give Your Child the World is a carefully curated list of more than 600 children’s books from all around the globe. These books listed let kids taste and see the people groups and cultures of countries on every continent.
It’s not a geography book, though you could easily incorporate many of the books listed to round out an amazing world geography course. It’s not a missions book, though these books would provide a rich backdrop to help understand the people and places where missions takes place.
It’s really a buffet of some of the best in children’s literature with a global perspective. More than that, Jamie marvelously provides numerous ways for families to bring the world into their homes — ideas like creating a prayer jar, learning about ethical spending, using Google earth, traveling vicariously through a flat paper doll and sponsoring a child in another country.
Jamie lives out what she writes in Give Your Child the World with four countries represented in her own family. She’s done the hard work of reading through hundreds of books to provide this list of the best. My only wish is that it included selections for high schoolers — I’m hoping perhaps as Jamie’s own children grow, she’ll share in the next edition titles she’s culled for the oldest kids at home.
I’m delighted not just to tell you about this great book, but to give away a brand new copy to one of you. This is a book you’ll want to keep on your shelves as a resource for books to pull from the library, used sales or to gift on special days. This book will give us the special spark and unique theme I so wanted for our school year as we travel the globe through the best of children’s literature!
To enter to win a new copy of Give Your Child the World: Raising Globally minded Kids One Book at a Time, please leave a comment below. This giveaway will stay open until Sunday, August 28 at midnight and I’ll announce the winner on Monday.
Happy weekend, friends!
P.S. I’ve been working this week on the personal spiritual retreat materials that are almost ready….you can get a sneak peek here!
This looks like a good books for homeschool. Thanks for a chance to win.
I have been eyeing this book..it is on my cart at Amazon, even.The pages I have read (free sample for Kindle) are amazing.
I love your weekly posts. I homeschooled my children as well and I completely agree that the Bible study time and the reading aloud time were the best. I would not change those homeschooling days at all – it is a wonderful lifestyle.
We live in a global world and need to expose our children to the good news of being global There are so many advantages to doing this and this book is seems to be a great first step. Don’t rely on the media to shape the perceptions that our children have on this subject. Be a leader in this movement!
My daughter-in-law is just beginning to homeschool my first grandchild! This would be an awesome book for them! So kind of you to offer it.
Oh! This would be a fantastic anchor for my 2 boys’ curriculum! I’m struggling to “get it together” this year and have been looking for the right launch pad for them. It looks fabulous!
Thank you for the opportunity to win!
We are entering our 11th year of homeschool and with 2 teens still at home, I would love this resource.
God bless,
Jennifer
My daughter has just begun homeschooling my granddaughter this year. What a valuable resource this seems to be!
I too am trying to find ways to teach my kids to be more globally minded. This would be a fantastic place to start.
This would go great with our geography unit we’re doing. Thanks for the offer. We can use all the help we can get in our autism classroom. We homeschool for this reason.
Sweet! Would love to win a copy. =)
This looks so interesting & fun!
This looks like a great book!
I will begin my first year as a homeschooling mom next year. I am excited, yet nervous. I was a 1st and 2nd grade teacher for 12 years, but homeschooling feels like a whole new world. I have been working for the past year gathering resources, saving pins on Pinterest, bookmarking websites and talking to other home school moms. I would love to check out this book.
Thank you for the opportunity to enter your drawing.
Have a blessed weekend!
Amazing! Thx for the opportunity. We’re in our first year of homeschooling!! Go kinder!!
My daughter homeschools her three littles (7, 5, and 3 yrs). She is always looking for new materials to incorporate. Will have to let her know about this book. Thanks for sharing.
Lisa, this looks like an amazing book for our globally minded family as we begin our first year of homeschooling!
This looks like a wonderful book!
Thankful for a chance to win this wonderful book. Blessings!
Starting our fourth year homeschooling. Our youngest DD is studying the Eastern Hemisphere. I’m sure this would enrich her curriculum greatly!
This sounds like a wonderful book to have. We have family Bible/reading time before our HS days begin, and my 2, 4, 9, 12, 12, and 14-year-olds would enjoy these stories! Thanks for the info. 😊
I have heard about this book through several delightful web sources. This sure does sound like a great way to encourage our children to think more globally. What a great opportunity, Lisa. Thank you.
Love that you share things like this, perfect for our homeschool family.
Thanks for the chance to win a copy!
God Bless,
Thanks for sharing this book. I’ve just discovered the love I have for read alouds over the summer. My older boys are 5 & 6. We have a new little guy who is 9 mo. When he takes his afternoon nap we snuggle up together and read, read, read. I am so thankful for this time.
I teach Language Arts in a Christian School and would like to incorporate various genres from a global perspective.