High School Reading List Round-Up

Homeschooling through the High School years is a wonderful time of exploration and delving into deeper level thinking. Over the years the crew have enjoyed reading some wonderful titles and would like to encourage you to add these to your summer reading lists.

Mother, Should I Trust the Government? explores the history of the American government. Dr. Jacobs challenges students to consider the establishment of our nation through our Founding Fathers’ world views, and how understanding their perspective and intent is crucial for interpreting both the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and Articles of Confederation, and further Constitutional Amendments. He also prepares students to be active citizens, stating, “Unlike anarchists, America’s Founders realistically concluded that since men were not angels, government comprised of men must be: LIMITED, checked, balanced, separated; a federal republic and watched like a hawk forever.” – Read our Reviews

King Alfred’s English: A History of the Language We Speak and Why We Should Be Glad We Do was written by Laurie J. White as a way to bring the history of our language to students in grades 7 through 12 in a fun and engaging manner. As the book marches through history, the reader learns that many of the words with the SK sound come from the Old Norse, ph comes from Greek, how the advent of printing solidified spelling, why the Great Vowel Shift changed pronunciation and the lasting effect of Greek and Latin on the “roots” of English. Answers to why we spell knight with a kn and other mysteries of spelling are illuminated. So that’s why our spelling is so strange! – Read our Reviews

Mr. Pipes This first book in the series by Douglas Bond tells the story of two teens who, while on vacation in England, are befriended by an elderly English gentlemen called Mr. Pipes. Through this relationship they learn about famous British hymn writers. They also learn about the value of traditional worship and praise. – Read our Reviews

I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist: The authors, Norman Geisler and Frank Turek, guide readers through arguments in support of a creator God, offering both scientific support, and stories of their personal experiences. The book moves from discussion about truth and morality, to how life began, miracles, and the teachings of Jesus. Along the way, they encourage their readers to think about their beliefs and challenge them to articulate the reasons for those beliefs. – Read our Reviews

Journeys of Faithfulness: Through a series of stories about biblical women such as Mary, Ruth, and Esther, the author challenges young women to explore and deepen their relationship with Christ. The 232 pages of the paperback include devotionals and journaling spots. Each story gives a historical fiction account of one of these women, using the details we know from the Biblical story and adding the author’s insight into what the characters could have felt and how they may have been affected by the events – Read our Reviews