All Things Monkish

The last few weeks of our history studies have had a focus around monks and monasteries.  Fascinating!  Our spine continues to be K12's Human Odyssey, but we have added so much to it.  Here are some oof the resources we have been enjoying thus far:

Learning through history magazine has been a wonderful source of focused history topics for us for a number of years now.  Recently Ben has read about the Venerable Bede and the Lindisfarne Gospels.

 St Francis was covered by Will and Charlie in these beautiful picture books:

Canticle of the Sun


Our current read aloud is The Hidden Treasure of Glaston, a book that I almost passed by because our library doesn't carry a copy, and it is  expensive at Amazon (10.00).  

  Since you don't see it on many book lists, I was hesitant to spend the money.  Luckily I found it for $1.00, like new, at a local home school book sale! Score!  I just have to say, knowing what I know now, I wouldn't hesitate to spend the $10.00 at Amazon.  It is such a well written book, with great mystery and suspense.  Secret passages, fabulous treasure, King Arthur!  Early in the book we are introduced to Henry II, and Thomas a Beckett, so we side-tracked and did a little research on them. We will also be exploring more about the real Glastonbury soon, as well.We all love it so far! 

Ben and Will are both reading Geraldine McCaughrean's retelling of the Canterbury Tales and enjoying it.  Before they started, I read to them the Prologue from a modern adult translation, and we then listened to this short reading of the first 17 lines or so in Middle English.

Currently we are coming to readings about the birth of Islam in our K12 book, and the boys will be reading stories from the Arabian Nights, as well as learning about the crusades before we delve into the world of Kings, Nobles, Knights and Serfs.