AmblesideOnline Year 7 Lite Booklist

Based on AO's Year 7

As students mature, their reading material will present more challenging content, and may include strong language and more mature themes. We have placed footnotes linked in red beside those books that most parents will consider an issue. However, we cannot anticipate which content might be an issue for every family. We encourage parents to pre-screen material to determine its appropriateness for their child and family.

Note: These booklists and curriculum suggestions are incomplete without a thorough understanding of Charlotte Mason's ideas and methods. We cannot emphasize enough that you take time to familiarize yourself with her philosophy by reading her books.

If you're planning to use AmblesideOnline, your first stop should be the the FAQ for some information about the curriculum and basic instructions. Our FAQ answers all the questions that people routinely ask: AO's history scope and sequence, how to schedule your school days, how to do narration, and more.

Key: (What do all those symbols mean?)

Book titles are linked to Project Gutenberg (which offers free etexts in a variety of formats) or other online text when no Project Gutenberg text is available.

Asterisks refer to which term the book is used: * Term 1 ** Term 2 *** Term 3

β - manybooks.net, another free ebook site.
α - free etext at archive.org; newer books can be borrowed for one hour at a time.
(ChrBk) - purchase from Christianbook.com using AO's affiliate link.
K - free Kindle text from amazon.com.
(£amzn) - Living Books Press purchase using AO's amazon.com affiliate link.
($amzn) - book purchase using AO's amazon.com affiliate link.
(K) - Kindle purchase using AO's amazon.com affiliate link.
(£) - Purchase directly from Living Books Press with an affiliate link; save 10% with discount code: AOBooks
Λ - free audiobook at Lit2Go
Ω - free audiobook at Librivox [2]
- other free audiobook source
[0] - Click the bracketed numeral to view any notes about the book near the bottom of the page.
[0] - red footnotes indicate a heads-up for parents about the title. We cannot foresee every incident that might potentially be an issue to every family, but we have red-flagged those that are commonly a concern.

AO is an affiliate of Living Book Press, which means that when you purchase from our (£) links, we receive a commission which allows us to keep offering AO for free.

AO is an affiliate of Christianbook.com, which means that when you purchase from our (ChrBk) links, we receive a commission that helps with our costs.

AmblesideOnline is part of Amazon.com's Affiliate program. If you use the Amazon links, we receive a small commission which enables us to cover the costs of keeping the website and curriculum. Amazon links are identified like this: ($amzn) or (£amzn) or (K).

AmblesideOnline Year 7 Lite Curriculum

As a help for scheduling Year 7 Lite of AmblesideOnline's curriculum, we are pleased to offer printable charts, the weekly assignments in list form below, or families may choose to use a modification of either for their own personal use. However, please see Our Fair Use Policy before sharing any part of the curriculum.

Click for Year Schedule

Choose a format:     PDF     DOC     ODT

Printable schedules include details for all three terms.

b7

Daily Work:

Weekly Work:

Weekly Readings

The following weekly readings should be broken up into daily readings in whatever way works best for your family.

The previous version of this page can be accessed until June 2024 here.

Bible

Genesis 1- 50, Job 1-42, Exodus 1-40, Leviticus 1-27
Luke 1-24
Psalms 1-55, Proverbs 1-16

Bible Gateway has many versions of the Bible online. [4]

Spiritual Formation

And The Word Came With Power by Joanne Shetler α α ($amzn) [5]
or Bright Valley of Love by Edna Hong α ($amzn) (K) [5]
More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell α (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K)

Saints and Heroes, Vol 1 by George Hodges α ($amzn) (K) Ω [8]

History: Middle Ages, 800-1485

Term 1: 800-1066, Term 2: 1066-1333, Term 3: 1327-1485

Make a century chart of the period studied. [10]

The Birth of Britain by Winston Churchill α ($amzn) (K)
OR A History of England by Arnold-Forster α ($amzn; Lulu.com) [12]

* Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People (ChrBk) Ω [14]
* William of Malmesbury's account of the Battle of Hastings (week 11)
The Magna Carta (modern paraphrase) (week 18)

** In Freedom's Cause by G.A. Henty β α (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) Ω [15]
*** The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey ($amzn) (K) (starts in week 4) (The King Richard picture the Tey book is based on at the National Portrait Gallery in London)

Biography

*The Life of King Alfred by Asser, selected passages α [16] (starts in week 3)
*** (Personal Recollections of) Joan of Arc by Mark Twain; online: Vol 1 and Vol 2 (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) Ω
OR The Story of Joan of Arc, the Maid of Orleans by Andrew Lang α ($amzn) K Ω [18]

Literature

The History of English Literature for Girls and Boys by H.E. Marshall ch 1-31 β α ($amzn) (K) Ω [28]
* The Once and Future King Books I and II, by T. H. White (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) [32]
* The Age of Chivalry by Thomas Bulfinch, Part 1 β α ($amzn) (K) Ω [33]
* ** Beowulf - Burton Raffel's is our first choice (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K); Seamus Heaney's (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) () is also fine if you already have it. [30]
Watership Down by Richard Adams (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) [31]
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott β α ($amzn) (K) Ω [33a]

*** Chaucer for Children: A Golden Key by Mrs. H. R. Haweis α (£) (K); starts in week 25)
Or, The Chaucer Story Book by Eva March Tappan α ($amzn) (K) [34]

Shakespeare for the 2023-2024 School Year:
* Twelfth Night
** King Lear
*** Measure for Measure

Poetry [35]

The Oxford Book of English Verse [36]
OR Idylls of the King by Tennyson β α (ChrBk) Ω

Copywork

Include selections from Shakespeare, the Bible, poetry and other sources. These selections may be the same ones used for recitation. Consider beginning a personal quote book.
Also, do dictation regularly.

Grammar and Composition

Easy Grammar Plus by Wanda Phillips
OR Jensen's Grammar by Frode Jensen
or Our Mother Tongue: An Introductory Guide to English Grammar by Nancy Wilson ($amzn) Answer Key: ($amzn) [38]

Recitation

Psalm 45, Psalm 46, and Psalm 51
Shakespeare passages
A poem per term from the term's poetry selections (For Term 1, 8 Praise of Women * and 32 The True Knight)

Foreign Language

Begin Latin if you've not started already, or continue with any previous foreign language studies

Geography

The Brendan Voyage by Tim Severin ($amzn) (K)
OR How the Heather Looks by Joan Bodger ($amzn) (K) (£)

Citizenship

Ourselves by Charlotte Mason (£) (£amzn) [22]

Plutarch for the 2023-2024 School Year:
Term 1: Alcibiades (Study Guide with text; Text Only)
Term 2: Coriolanus (Study Guide with text; Text Only)
Term 3: Cato the Younger (Study Guide with text; Text Only)
(Purchase this year's study guides, Vol 9, in one book: ($amzn) (K)
AO's full Plutarch rotation

Government and Economics

Whatever Happened to Penny Candy by Richard Maybury α (ChrBk) ($amzn) (starts in week 3) [19]

Current Events

Students should have a plan for keeping up with current events. [26]

Nature Study and Science [40]

The Handbook of Nature Study α by Anna Botsford Comstock (as a reference) (ChrBk) ($amzn)
Eric Sloane's Weather Book by Eric Sloane ($amzn) (K)

The Life of the Spider by Jean Henri Fabre, selections β ($amzn) Ω Fabre texts with photos
OR Social Life in the Insect World by J. Henri Fabre, selections [41]

Secrets of the Universe: Discovering the Universal Laws of Science by Paul Fleisher, a five-book series: [42]
Liquids and Gases: Principles of Fluid Mechanics (£) (£amzn)
Objects in Motion: Principles of Classical Mechanics (£) (£amzn)
Waves: Principles of Light, Electricity, and Magnetism (£) (£amzn)
Matter and Energy: Principles of Matter and Thermodynamics (£) (£amzn)
Relativity and Quantum Mechanics: Principles of Modern Physics (£) (£amzn)
Purchase the 5-volume set (£)
The Wonder Book of Chemistry by Jean Henri Fabre α (£) ($amzn) (K) [43]
First Studies of Plant Life by George Francis Atkinson α [Google Books] ($amzn) [44]
Adventures with a Microscope by Richard Headstrom, ($amzn) (K) with study guide
Signs and Seasons: Understanding the Elements of Classical Astronomy by Jay Ryan (ChrBk) ($amzn) [45]
Great Astronomers by R.S. Ball β α (£) (£amzn) [46]

Nature Study Topics for the 2023-2024 School Year:
summer/fall: Trees/shrubs/vines
winter: Stars/sky
spring: Amphibians
AO's full Nature Study rotation

Mathematics

Continue your math program; for some options, see this page.

Logic

The Fallacy Detective by Nathaniel and Hans Bluedorn (ChrBk) ($amzn) (K) [47]

Art

The Story of Painting by H. W. Janson - chapters 1-3 ($amzn) [48]
Work on drawing skills. Illustrate a scene from one of this week's readings.

Artists (Picture Study) for the 2023-2024 School Year:

2023-2024 TERM 1 Tintoretto (1518-1594; Renaissance)
(This term's music: Renaissance)
Self portrait
1. Crucifixion, 1565, Scuola Grande di San Rocco, Venice; study
2. Christ Before Pilate, 1567, also here Scuola Grande di San Rocco, Venice
3. The Adoration of the Magi, 1582, Scuola Grande di San Rocco, Venice; study
4. Portrait of a Man, 1586-1589, State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia
5. Paradise, 1588, Doge's Palace, Venice
6. The Last Supper, 1592-1594, San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice
Download a pdf file of this term's six prints here [NOTE]

2023-2024 TERM 2 Claude Monet (1840-1926; French Impressionist)
(This term's composer: Ravel)
Biography
1. Terrace at St. Adresse, 1866, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
2. Women in the Garden, 1866, Musee d'Orsay, Paris
3. Jean Monet on His Hobby Horse, 1872, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
4. Woman with a Parasol: Madame Monet and Her Son, 1875, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. (see also here)
5. Tulip Fields in Holland, 1886, Musee d'Orsay, Paris
6. The Waterlily Pond, 1899, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey (Similar image here)
Download a pdf file of this term's six prints here [NOTE]

2023-2024 TERM 3 Georges Seurat (1859-1891; French Post-impressionist)
(This term's music: Opera Overtures)
1. Rock-Breakers, Le Raincy, 1882, also here Norton Simon Art Foundation, Pasadena, CA, USA
2. Man Cleaning His Boat, 1883, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, UK
3. Bathers at Asnieres, 1883-84, National Gallery, London, UK
4. Sunday on La Grande Jatte 1884, Art Institute of Chicago, USA
5. The Eiffel Tower, 1889, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, USA (also here)
6. The Circus, 1891, Musée d'Orsay, Paris
Download a pdf file of this term's six prints here [NOTE]

AO's full Artist rotation

Note: PDF files for AO's picture study are being made available for you to download and print yourself from "A Humble Place"; you can access the PDF files of pictures by clicking the "Individual Artworks Only" link by each artist's name. The "Picture Study aid" link is an additional optional resource and may require you to submit your email address or make a purchase, but the "Artworks Only" link is provided with no strings attached.

Music

Composers for the 2023-2024 School Year:

2023-2024 TERM 1 Renaissance Music (This term's artist: Tintoretto)
1. Songs * * * * *
2. Guillaume Dufay * *   Ave Maris Stella ("Hail, star of the sea") * *
3. Dance Music * * * * *
4. Josquin des Prez * * * *
5. Vocal Music of William Byrd * * * * *
6. Claudio Monteverdi * * * *   Monteverdi wrote the earliest opera still regularly performed: "L'Orfeo" *
     CD and mp3 Options:
     -- The Hillard Ensemble: Music for Tudor Kings seems to offer a nice variety of music from the era. ($amzn) ($mp3); also English and Italian Renaissance Madrigals. ($mp3) The Hilliard Ensemble has multiple CD's featuring Renaissance era composers.
     -- Gloriae Dei Cantores: Masters of the Renaissance (choral sacred music) ($amzn) ($mp3)
     -- Oxford Camerata: Renaissance Masterpieces (vocal) ($amzn) ($mp3)
     -- Dances of the Renaissance ($amzn) ($mp3)
     -- Catherine King: Elizabethan Songs and Consort Music (solo voice, instrumental) ($amzn) ($mp3)

2023-2024 TERM 2 Maurice Ravel (1875-1937; Impressionist) (This term's artist: Claude Monet)
1. Daphne et Chloe - selections * *   complete *
2. Bolero * *
3. Mother Goose Suite * *
4. Pavane pour une infante dufunte (no, there really is no dead princess) * *
5. Piano Concerto in D for the Left Hand (composed for a pianist who lost his right arm in WWI) * *
6. Rhapsody Espagnole * *

2023-2024 TERM 3 Opera Selections (This term's artist: Georges Seurat)
1. Giuseppi Verdi: "Triumphal March" from Aida * * and "Vedi! le fosche" (Anvil Chorus) * * from Il Trovatore
2. Giuseppi Verdi "Libiamo Ne'lieti Calici" (Brindisi; drinking song - parents, preview!) from La Traviata * * and "La Donne Il Mobile," from Rigoletto * *
3. Giacomo Puccini: "O Soave Fancuilla" * * and "Quando M'en Vo" * * from La Boheme, and "E Lucevan Le Stelle" * * from Tosca.
4. Giacamo Puccini: "Un Bel Di Vedremo" * * from Madama Butterfly, and "Nessun Dorma" * * from Turandot.
5. Gioacchino Rossini: overture * * and "Largo al factotum" (Figaro Figaro Figaro. . .) from Il Barbiere Di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) * *
6. Gioacchino Rossini: William Tell overture * *
We suggest using a selection of Opera favorites that contains most of these, such as Best Opera Album In The World . . . Ever! ($amzn) and filling in any missing pieces with whatever else is on the CD. Puccini's "O mio babbino caro" from Gianni Schicchi, Bizet's "Au fond du temple saint" from The Pearl Fishers, Verdi's "Celeste Aida" from Aida would be worthy substitutes.
One possibility: 25 Opera Favorites CD ($amzn)
1 - track 7. Giuseppi Verdi: "Triumphal March" from Aida; track 17. Gypsies' Chorus from Il Trovatore
2 - track 3. Giuseppi Verdi: "Libiamo Ne'lieti Calici" (Brindisi) from La Traviata; track 9. "La Donne Il Mobile," from Rigoletto
3 - track 21. Giacomo Puccini: "Che Gelida Manina" from La Boheme; track 23. "Quando M'en Vo" from La Boheme; track 18. "Vissi d'Arte" from Tosca
4 - track 6. Giacamo Puccini: "Un Bel Di" from Madama Butterfly, track 5. "Nessun Dorma" from Turandot
5 - track 4. Georges Bizet: "Au Fond du Temple Saint" from the Pearl Fishers; track 2. Gioacchino Rossini: "Largo al factotum" from The Barber of Seville
6 - track 1. Gioacchino Rossini: William Tell overture
     Free Ebook for younger students Verdi: The Little Boy who Loved the Hand Organ by Thomas Tapper
     Classics for Kids Past Shows: Verdi; Puccini; Bizet; Rossini

AO's full Composer rotation

Hymns for the 2023-2024 School Year:

August: The Rock That Is Higher Than I *
September: For All the Saints who from their Labours Rest *
October: For the Beauty of the Earth * * *
November: Anywhere with Jesus * *
December: Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow * *
January: My Song is Love Unknown * *
February: This is My Father's World * *
March: Ah, Holy Jesus * *
April: Count Your Blessings * *
May: All Creatures of Our God and King * * *
June: Lo! He Comes With Clouds Descending *
July: Holy, Holy, Holy * * *

AO's full Hymn rotation

Folksongs for the 2023-2024 School Year:

AO's Intro to 2023-2024's Folksongs
August (Bonus): God Bless America
September: Aiken Drum * *   Scottish version: * *
October: The Ash Grove * * * *
November: The Lion Sleeps Tonight * *
Over Christmas break, try learning a less familiar carol: Sleep, Sleep, Sleep My Little Child and/or O Little Town Of Bethlehem
January: The Water is Wide (Oh Waly, Waly) * * * *
February: Now is the Hour * * *
March: Log Driver's Waltz * * *
April: A Man's A Man for A'That ("Should'a been Scotland's national anthem...") * * *
May: Simple Gifts * * *
June: Click Go the Shears * *

AO's full Folksong rotation

Folk Songs:
Term 1: The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood; The Three Ravens; and The Outlandish Knight. (lyrics and midi files here)
Term 2: When The King Enjoys His Own Again; Farewell to Lochaber; Battle of Otterburn (try this site)
Term 3: Go No More a Rushing; Greensleeves; Scarborough (lyrics and midi files here)

Health and Physical Education

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made by Paul Brand (ChrBk) ($amzn) (or save for a later Year; see notes)

Physical Education: Learn and play a game (kick ball, tennis, croquet, ping-pong, softball, etc.) or folk-dance, or pursue other physical activity of your choice. One option is Swedish Drill Revisited by Dawn Duran purchase

Life and Work Skills

Work on useful skills such as budgeting, gardening, cooking, car maintenance, carpentry, etc.

Free Reading

Try to use books that were not included from Year 7, in addition to the Year 7 Free reading List

Footnotes

2. Note on Audiobooks: While links to audio books are added as a courtesy, Miss Mason's approach to grammar and composition is heavily dependent upon the children receiving an immense amount of visual exposure to the written word over many years, so parents should exercise extreme caution in how many audiobooks they use each year. Our brains just work differently when we see the words.

For children who have difficulty reading, one solution is to have them follow the audio version along in a written text.
Librivox free audio is done by volunteers, and some are better than others. Heidi Nash has a list of some favorite Librivox readers. Be aware that apps, including Librivox, that have clickable ads can open a browser and allow children unfiltered access to the internet, even when browsers have been disabled by the parent. There are options: either download mp3 files from Librivox and listen without the app, or only install the app on a parent-controlled device. Librivox has a pay option to turn off ads.

Cindy Rollins did a Circe Mason Jar podcast that included the role of audiobooks with difficult books. There's an archived copy here.
(Back)

4. AO's Bible plan goes through the Bible semi-chronologically over 6 years in Years 7-12. This year's Bible readings would be as follows:
Genesis 1- 50, Job 1-42, Exodus 1-40, Leviticus 1-27
Luke 1-50
Psalms 1-55, Proverbs 1-16 (Back)

05. And the Word Came with Power: How God Met and Changed a People Forever - Joanne Shetler's experience as a missionary/Bible translator to a remote tribe caught in spiritual oppression in the Philippines.
Bright Valley of Love is a true story about a Christian community for the physically and mentally impaired threatened by the Nazi regime in WWII. (Back)

7. The Pursuit of God: This book is not long, but it is dense. You may wish to spread readings over the week. A 12-week schedule that divides the book into four shorter readings each week. (Back)

8. Saints and Heroes: for church history, if you didn't use Trial and Triumph in Years 1-6; all of book 1 is covered in Year 7. Ω (Back)

10. Timeline: At this age, students should be keeping a Century Chart and Book of Centuries. Instructions for making your own timelines and charts are included in these Parents' Review articles: Book of the Centuries; Teaching Chronology; The Correlation of Lessons. For more details about the why, when, how of keeping CM timelines (and other notebooks), we recommend Laurie Bestvater's book, The Living Page ($amzn). Two Book of Centuries options: (£) (£)(Back)

12. The Birth of Britain is Volume 1 of Winston Churchill's 4 volume set, "A History of the English Speaking Peoples." The next three volumes will be used in Years 8, 9 and 10. Don't get the one edited by Henry Steele Commager, as it's abridged. For planning purposes, there is a Table of Contents with dates for all 4 volumes of A History of the English Speaking Peoples, and a schedule to break down the week's chapter into 4 short daily readings.
(Maps of medieval England)
Term 1: Chapter 1-9
Term 2: Chapter 10-20
Term 3: Chapter 21-30
Or, use A History of England by Arnold-Forster, online at archive.org, Google Books Purchase Whole Book: ($amzn; Lulu.com; Options) Just Yr 7: ($amzn; Lulu.com); a schedule is here. You can also see a list that correlates chapters of Churchill, Arnold-Forster, and An Island Story for Years 7 and 8. There's also a schedule that breaks these down into two or three daily readings per week. (Back)

14. Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People: We've provided a link to the selections that are scheduled in AO for weeks 1-7. The entire thing is here. (Back)

15. In Freedom's Cause: Although "In Freedom's Cause" is a work of fiction, it is a more accurate account of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce in Scottish history than is available in many other similar books. There is a dramatic audio abridgment for this book. We don't recommend doing an audio drama in place of a book, but if this book is such a stretch that even the audiobook is challenging and you're considering dropping it altogether, you might consider this option. The quality seems to match Focus on the Family's Radio Theater projects, and they have some big name celebrities, including Joanne Froggert (Lady Mary Crawley's maid Anna from Downton Abbey), Billy Boyd (Pippin in LOTR movies), Skandar Keynes (Edmund Pevensie in the Narnia movies), and James Cosmo (from Braveheart). More information here. (Back)

16. The Life of King Alfred: the text with weeks for this Basic lighter schedule marked for Weeks 3-12. Another copy scheduled in Weeks 8-15 for Year 7 Detailed. (Back)

18. Joan of Arc: Andrew Lang's Joan of Arc is the one used in the 36-week schedule for length. However, if your student can manage it, Mark Twain's is recommended -- it's not difficult reading, but it is much longer. Mark Twain wrote, "I like Joan of Arc best of all my books, and it is the best; I know it perfectly well. And besides, it furnished me seven times the pleasure afforded me by any of the others; twelve years of preparation, and two years of writing." (Back)

19. Whatever Happened to Penny Candy: There are currently seven editions of this book; if you have a later edition, you may need to make some minor adjustments in its scheduling. Canadians: there is a Canadian supplement to this book. (Back)

22. Ourselves, the 4th volume of Mason's 6 Volume Series: approximately 22 pages per term. This book will continue through all the remaining years of AO's high school curriculum. If your student is graduating before Year 12, you may wish to speed up in order to complete the book before graduation.
There is a modern English paraphrase that can be read online or purchased. (K) The paraphrase of Book I, Self-Knowledge, the first half of Volume 4, can be purchased as a separate paperback book. (Back)

Plutarch: Charlotte Mason recommended Thomas North's "inimitable translation." We recommend Anne White's Study Guides, which use North's translation. (Back)

26. Current Events: Charlotte Mason had students at this level read the daily news and keep a calendar of events. We suggest students choose the most important 2 or 3 stories of the week and re-write them in their own words as a chronicle of the year, making the heading of each page something like "This Week in History, September 1st, 2003." Parents: pre-read and filter current events materials (on the web, or in print) as necessary, due to the potential for coverage and topics of an explicit nature, even from conservative sources. We've listed some possible options.
Blogs as a media form have rapidly overtaken hard-copy publications. News is being reported there, in some cases, faster and more accurately than other, older media forms. Students should learn about them, find one they trust, and check it regularly. However, we recommend that parents first become familiar with blogs and visit the one(s) their children will frequent. We suggest several poliblogs, but parents should know that not every message on these blogs will be 'child-friendly' and often have ads that include scantily clad women. Also, most blogs link to a multitude of other blogs and sites that may not be child-friendly.
Comments posted on blogs can be considered a new media equivalent of a letter to the editor, and students should learn how to communicate well on blogs. (Back)

28. The History of English Literature for Girls and Boys:
Term 1: ch 1 (The Listening Time) - ch 12 (Father of English Song)
Term 2: ch 13 (How Caedmon Sang) - ch 24 (Chaucer)
Term 3: ch 25 (First English Guide-book) - ch 31 (Sign of the Red Pale)
AO schedules this book in conjunction with Invitation to the Classics; more material is covered in Marshall's History of English Literature from Year 7 to the middle of Year 10, and more is covered in Invitation to the Classics from the middle of Year 10, and through Year 11. If you prefer to use only Invitation to the Classics by Louise Cowan and Os Guinness ($amzn), Year 7 students would read pg 77-112 Early Christian Writers to Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales. A Table of Contents to help with planning. (Back)

30. Beowulf: Burton Raffel's is our first choice ($amzn) (K); Seamus Heaney's ($amzn) (K) () is also fine if you already have it. Seamus Heaney's translation is available with graphics that illuminate the setting and objects mentioned in the text. Another option: an updated verse translation by Frederick Rebsamen ($amzn) (K), or use this free-verse version. Another option: Online Translation by Francis B. Gummere.
Ω Λ
Beowulf: A New Telling by Robert Nye ($amzn) (K) is a prose version that's not exact, but could be used as an introduction if your students is struggling.
Since there are so many variations, we've put schedules for the different books on their own page, here. We suggest you paste the schedule for your book to a doc and print it to use as a bookmarker during the term. (Back)

31. Watership Down: An allegorical story that includes "community, connection, relationships, government systems and consequences, what makes a civilization, what makes it humane or inhumane, quests, and more." Read what Advisory member Wendi Capehart said about why this book is scheduled. (Back)

32. The Once and Future King, hereafter referred to as TOAFK, Book One ("The Sword in the Stone") and Book Two ("The Queen of Air and Darkness") will be divided over three terms. This book is not in the curriculum to give the students another version of a King Arthur story, and it should not be the student's only exposure to the King Arthur mythos. Rather, this book is contains living lessons in government, including self-government, self-discipline, consequences of bad decisions (even when made in ignorance), leadership, and so much more. It cannot easily be replaced by any other book. NOTE: This is a read aloud and discuss book. **Please preview.** The themes in this book, although controversial, are too important to dismiss. For more information, read discussion about this book. [If you need to cut back, Book 2 could have only selected chapters read. The chapters in Book 2 that are about Arthur and Merlyn are 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12. Chapters in Book 2 that more squeamish students might want to skip are 1, 5, and 7. All of Book 1 should be read. Spark Notes gives a brief summary of each chapter in Book 2 to help you decide whether doing selected chapters is right for your student.] (Back)

33. The Age of Chivalry: Part 1, which is about King Arthur, is scheduled over Term 1. Part 2, The Mabinogeon, would make excellent free reading. This assumes your student read King Arthur in Year 5; if this isn't the case, consider using one of the Year 5 King Arthur options instead of Age of Chivalry. (Back)

33a. Ivanhoe: Katie Barr has provided study notes to go along with this book. (Back)

34. Chaucer for Children: A Golden Key by Mrs. H. R. Haweis is preferred over the prose Chaucer Storybook, as it actually includes Chaucer's poetry. An AO mom has reprinted this book at Lulu.com in color $ or black and white $. If you use Tappan's Chaucer Storybook ($amzn) (K), do one chapter per week in Term 3 (weeks 25-35). AO originally scheduled the now out-of-print A Taste of Chaucer by Anne Malcolmson ($amzn); be sure to use a version of Canterbury Tales specifically edited for students (Chaucer needs editing!)
If you are lucky enough to have a copy of Malcolmson's Taste of Chaucer, here is a weekly schedule for it:
week 25 A Taste of Chaucer Introduction
week 26 A Taste of Chaucer The Prologue
week 27 A Taste of Chaucer The Fortunes of the Great: The Monk's Tale
week 28 A Taste of Chaucer Chanticleer and the Fox: The Nun's Priest's Tale
week 29 A Taste of Chaucer Patient Griselda: The Tale of the Clerk of Oxford
week 30 A Taste of Chaucer Phoebus and the Crow: The Manciple's Tale
week 31 A Taste of Chaucer The Rocks of Brittany: The Franklin's Tale
week 32 A Taste of Chaucer The Ballad of Sir Thopas: Chaucer's Tale
week 33 A Taste of Chaucer The Story of Constance: The Tale of the Man of Law
week 35 A Taste of Chaucer The Wily Alchemist: The Canon Yeoman's Tale
week 36 A Taste of Chaucer Three Men in Search of Death: The Pardoner's Tale
(Back)

35. Poetry: How do you "do" poetry? Simply read it and enjoy it, re-read it, read it again and listen to the sound of the phrases, let them paint a word picture in your mind. Do you feel like you need more direction? How to Read a Poem: Based on the Billy Collins Poem "Introduction to Poetry" by Tania Runyan is "less as an instructional book and more of an invitation." This is a suggested optional parent resource that encourages you read poetry for enjoyment. (Back)

36. The Oxford Book of English Verse, 1919, edited by Arthur Quiller-Couch, is a poetry anthology Charlotte Mason used; it's very good, and it's online with a chronological index at Bartleby.com, though we suggest using an ad-blocker if you use the website. (Poems 1-24, 29, 31-33) The same text, but with a different title, is also at Project Gutenberg β The best way to tackle these is to have your student rewrite them in their own words. Some tips for reading Middle English. As a parent resource, this site offers modern translations of the assigned poems. Click the first line, then click the word "translation" at the top. AO offers some rough and general modern translations, but be aware that allowing your child to use paraphrases as a crutch will not help them acclimate to Middle English. Check online sites such as Librivox for free audio readings of poems. (Back)

38. Grammar: In terms of difficulty (easiest to most challenging), Easy Grammar Plus is probably the easiest, followed by Jensen's, and then Our Mother Tongue.
Jensen's Grammar goes slowly and step-by-step; their answer key is thorough (Our Mother Tongue doesn't always have answers). There are 75 lessons, so plan to take two years, or else do two lessons per week. Expect to pay about $30 for the Jensen's text and answer key. The DVD's are not necessary. You will probably find it cheaper at New Leaf Publishing, or other homeschool sellers such as Lamppost Homeschool.
If you are not confident about teaching grammar, you might prefer Easy Grammar Plus by Wanda Phillips. It's less intense than Jensen's, but still doesn't assume a lot of previous knowledge from the teacher. It's easier than Jensen with just a couple suggested alterations (for example, don't insist on memorizing the prepositions at the start, just write a list of them and explain an easy way to remember most of them: any way a worm can go in relation to two apples, or ways a bird can fly in relation to two mountains). A parent using this with one child could get by with only the Teacher's Edition (ChrBk) since the student workbook is included in it, but multiple students would need their own workbooks (ChrBk). You can also purchase from their website. Easy Grammar Grade 8 Student 180 Daily Teaching Lessons by Wanda Phillips is just as good; it also has the student workbook included in the teacher's edition.

Those who are more familiar with grammar may prefer Our Mother Tongue. It's more interesting as it uses classic literature for exercises and includes snippets of history about language. The Answer Key ($amzn) is sold separately. Our Mother Tongue has 49 chapters. One suggestion is to spread the book over two years, doing about 9 chapters per term. Start week 26 with Unit 1, Lessons 1-9, and continue the book next year. (Back)

40. Science: If your child wants to pursue a scientific major and needs to prepare for special exams, you may want to contact your college of choice to find out what the requirements are. We have not undertaken to prepare our students for specialty exams, but to give them a foundation of knowledge about science which will make it a matter of interest to them for life. (Back)

41. Choose one of Jean Henri Fabre's books. Selections were chosen for length (30-50 pgs per term), but feel free to read more if your student is interested.

Life of the Spider: these selections are scheduled:
Term 1: ch 2 The Banded Epeira
-- ch 3 Narbonne Lycosa
-- ch 4 Narbonne Lycosa: Burrow
Term 2: ch 5 Narbonne Lycosa Family
-- ch 6 Narbonne Lycosa: Climbing-Instinct
-- ch 7 The Spiders' Exodus
-- ch 9 Garden Spiders: Building the Web
Term 3: ch 10 Garden Spiders: my Neighbour
-- ch 11 Garden Spiders: Lime-Snare
-- ch 12 Garden Spiders: Telegraph-Wire,
-- ch 13 Garden Spiders: Pairing and Hunting
-- ch 14 Garden Spiders: Question of Property

The Social Life of Insects: these selections are scheduled:
Term 1: ch 3 Song of the Cigale (Cicada)
-- ch 4 Cigale Their Eggs and Their Hatching
-- ch 5 The Mantis: The Chase
Term 2: ch 10 The Field Cricket
-- ch 11 The Italian Cricket
-- ch 14 Great Peacock
-- ch 15 Oak Eggar or Banded Monk
Term 3: ch 17 Elephant-Beetle
-- ch 20 The Grey Locust (Back)

42. Secrets of the Universe was republished by Living Books Press as five separate books:
Liquids and Gases: Principles of Fluid Mechanics (£) (£amzn)
Objects in Motion: Principles of Classical Mechanics (£) (£amzn)
Waves: Principles of Light, Electricity, and Magnetism (£) (£amzn)
Matter and Energy: Principles of Matter and Thermodynamics (£) (£amzn)
Relativity and Quantum Mechanics: Principles of Modern Physics (£) (£amzn)
Purchase the 5-volume set (£); see help in corresponding the books.

These books have been republished by Living Book Press and and can be ordered individually directly from their website. They may also in print through Lerner Publishing Group at Book Depository. Some of the American references may have been converted to British references.
The book goes in and out of print and can sometimes be difficult to find, although it does pop up; public libraries would be the obvious first place to look since the book isn't really that old. Please don't feel that the Advisory is asking anyone to go on a major quest for the only excellent book out there. That's not what was intended by leaving the book on the list, only that if you CAN get a copy, it's still our first choice for this year. If you are unable to access it, another solid option is The Boy Scientist by John Bryan Lewellen, out of print, but more readily available at used book sources than Secrets of the Universe (not the recent "The Boy Scientist: 160 Extraordinary Experiments and Adventures;" look for the 1955 one by John Llewellen). Another option is The Sciences by Edward Holden, out of print, but online. Charlotte Mason herself recommended Holden's book, so even simply taking a look at it will give an idea of the kind of science text she would have used. We don't usually recommend out of print books, or very expensive books. All of these books are good, and if you can obtain them, we suggest you use them. However, we continue to seek an alternative that fits our guidelines of excellence, availability, and affordability.
The Boy Scientist by John Lewellen covers similar topics and is a very worthwhile alternative. Try this link: ($amzn) Be sure to get the 1955 red book by John Llewellen. There's a 2009 book (it's blue) called "The Boy Scientist: 160 Experiments, A Popular mechanics Book" by C. J. Peterson; it is not the same book. A weekly breakdown could look like this:
Term 1
     Boy Scientist: week 1 ch 1, first half (pg 1-9)
     Boy Scientist: week 2 ch 1, second half (pg 9-18)
     Boy Scientist: week 3 ch 2, first third (pg 20-26)
     Boy Scientist: week 4 ch 2, second third (pg 26-33)
     Boy Scientist: week 5 ch 2, last third (pg 33-40)
     Boy Scientist: week 6 ch 3, first half (pg 42-49)
     Boy Scientist: week 7 ch 3, second half (pg 49-58)
     Boy Scientist: week 8 ch 4, first half (pg 60-65)
     Boy Scientist: week 9 ch 4, second half (pg 65-70)
     Boy Scientist: week 10 ch 5, first third (pg 72-78)
     Boy Scientist: week 11 ch 5, second third (pg 78-85)
     Boy Scientist: week 12 ch 5, last third (pg 85-92)
Term 2
     Boy Scientist: week 13 ch 6, first half (pg 94-99)
     Boy Scientist: week 14 ch 6, second half (pg 99-106)
     Boy Scientist: week 15 ch 7, first quarter (pg 108-114)
     Boy Scientist: week 16 ch 7, second quarter (pg 114-121)
     Boy Scientist: week 17 ch 7, third quarter (pg 121-128)
     Boy Scientist: week 18 ch 7, last quarter (pg 128-136)
     Boy Scientist: week 19 ch 8, first quarter (pg 138-144)
     Boy Scientist: week 20 ch 8, second quarter (pg 144-150)
     Boy Scientist: week 21 ch 8, third quarter (pg 150-157)
     Boy Scientist: week 22 ch 8, last quarter (pg 157-164)
     Boy Scientist: week 23 ch 9, first third (pg 166-173)
     Boy Scientist: week 24 ch 9, second third (pg 173-180)
Term 3
     Boy Scientist: week 25 ch 9, last third (pg 180-188)
     Boy Scientist: week 26 ch 10, first quarter (pg 190-195)
     Boy Scientist: week 27 ch 10, second quarter (pg 195-200)
     Boy Scientist: week 28 ch 10, third quarter (pg 200-206)
     Boy Scientist: week 29 ch 10, last quarter (pg 206-214)
     Boy Scientist: week 30 ch 11, first half (pg 216-224)
     Boy Scientist: week 31 ch 11, second half (pg 224-232)
     Boy Scientist: week 32 ch 12, first third (pg 234-240)
     Boy Scientist: week 33 ch 12, second third (pg 240-246)
     Boy Scientist: week 34 ch 12, last third (pg 246-254)
     Boy Scientist: week 35 ch 13, first half (pg 256-260)
     Boy Scientist: week 36 ch 13, second half (pg 260-264) (Back)

43. Wonder Book of Chemistry: Many of the experiments are not safe; in some cases, the explanations of what happens are sufficient to benefit from this book. (Back)

44. First Studies of Plant Life: this book will be continued next year. Planting, growing and observing germinating seeds and plants is necessary to benefit from this book. If you prefer, you may substitute Exploring Creation with Botany by Jeanne Fulbright ($amzn) over Years 7 and 8, with selected activities from the book. (Back)

45. Signs and Seasons - read Prologue-Chapter 2 this year, including note on how to use properly. The book is cheaper from CBD. Field work is an integral part of this book. Field activities are included in the back of the book, so the field guide is not necessary.
If you prefer, A Walk through the Heavens: A Guide to Stars and Constellations by Milton Heifetz may be used. ($amzn) (K) (Back)

46. Great Astronomers is spread across Years 7-10. This year: Term 1: Introduction, Ptolemy. Term 2: Copernicus. Term 3: Brahe. If your student is struggling with Great Astronomers, the individual chapters have been paraphrased here. However, be mindful that your student will only grow into challenging books by reading challenging books. Use paraphrases sparingly if at all. Or, there are briefer biographies online at MacTutor History of mathematics archives at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. They can be searched alphabetically. (Back)

47. Fallacy Detective: There's a newer edition of this book that has 38 chapters. The two new chapters are chapter 6 "Special Pleading" and chapter 17, "Slippery Slope." If you want to add these extra chapters, one suggestion is to schedule chapters 1-13 in term 1 (scheduling ch 5 and 6 together), 14-25 in term 2 and 26-38 in term 3 (scheduling ch 33-34 together). (Back)

48. If you already have Janson's Picture History of Painting, Janson's History of Art for Young People or Janson's History of Art, those books are broken down into their appropriate terms for Years 7-11. Note that Janson's History of Art and History of Art for Young People are huge books with much more text than the Painting books, and may be too much for most students on top of their other reading. (Back)

Last updated March 31, 2023 (to update Bible)

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