History

We love Geography Songs! My girls have been able to memorize quite a bit by these songs and they can easily apply these to maps at a very young age. They love to sing so they are very interested in doing geography.

A small illustrated children's book about two children who visit a number of their neighbors of different ethnic backgrounds and discover that each of their cultures uses rice in their cooking. Includes recipes in the back. A good way to introduce children to our country's ethnic diversity without getting "politically correct." (Warning: We get hungry every time we read this book.)

• Count Your Way Through Japan
• Count Your Way Through Mexico, etc.

This new two-book set on United States Geography provides everything you need for a homeschool Geography Bee or an interesting U.S. Geography supplement for a wide age range.

These playing card-sized history supplements portray 24 important figures in Catholic history (the remaining card is a cover card with instructions for games that can be played with the set). There is one card for each of the following people: Alfred the Great, St. Joan of Arc, Prince Henry the Navigator, Christopher Columbus, Mary Queen of Scots, Marco Polo, John Henry Cardinal Newman, Fr. Jacques Marquette, King St. Louis IX, Queen Isabel of Castile, Charlemagne, St. Francis Xavier, Dante Aleghieri, Emperor Constantine the Great, St. Thomas More, G.K. Chesterton, Junipero Serra, St.

A memory game showing 36 pictures of outstanding sites worldwide.

While looking for something fun to add to this year's curriculum purchases, I discovered this memory game in the Montessori Services catalog. I can't tell you how much fun we've had with it. The whole family down to the 2 1/2 year old have enjoyed rowsing games of memory while learning about important historical, cultural and religious sites from around the world.

The cards are approximately 2 inches square with full color pictures of famous sites. There are a high percentage of Catholic sites:

This is a fascinating and very readable history of Ancient Egypt - suitable for family reading or independent reading from mid-grade school and up. The first chapter describes the rediscovery of Ancient Egypt in the late 18th and early 19th century. This is a particularly fascinating account because it describes the amazement of the first Europeans (at the time of Napoleon) to view the great monoliths. The author briefly relates the history of the deciphering of Egyptian Hieroglyphics which, of course, have provided the text of the history of Egypt which comprises the rest of this book.

Black and white illustrations and readable text take you through the building of a fictional pyramid in Ancient Egypt (but so close to reality that you'll hardly know the difference) from the beginning plans of a Pharaoh for his final resting place, thorugh years of construction, and finally, the Pharaoh's death, mummification and entombment. Fortunately, the emphasis is on the design and construction of the pyramid rather than mummification. The many detailed pictures illustrate tools, techniques, materials used, etc. This is a very nice book and comes highly recommended.

This sequel to Cheaper by the Dozen is, if anything, even more hilarious. Both share a realism that only a true story can acquire. After Frank B. Gilbreth's death, his wife Lillian takes over his business as an efficiency engineer, traveling to conferences and teaching students in her home. The 11 Gilbreth children are growing up, and manage to find a hilarious situation in each new experiences. As usual, the Gilbreth family faces cigarettes, garden fertilizer, one piece bathing suits, and meetings with the president with equal aplomb and humor.

It's the Jazz Age, roadsters are the rage, and an engineer in Massachusetts is raising a vibrant family of 12 children. Welcome to the world of the Gilbreths, where everything comes 'cheaper by the dozen'.