4 Books for Homeschool Libraries

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I’m a book junkie. Most homeschool moms that I know are too. So, when I was given an opportunity to join the DK Books Blog team I was super thrilled! It means I get to review, great DK Books and share my own thoughts and opinions with you, tell you about books which I think you might find to be valuable benefit to your homeschool or family, and expand my homeschool library at the same time.

This post contains affiliate ad links to external sites where products may be purchased. I received review copies of each of the books for the sole purposes of reviewing the material. All opinions expressed are my own and I was not told what to write.

Today, I want to tell you about 4 books which I think would make excellent resources for your homeschool library. Each for a different age group.

A book for Elementary through Middle School
(or anyone who loves LEGO Bricks)

The LEGO® Ideas Book

You know how much my son loves LEGO® Bricks. Truth be told, I don’t know if any boy between the ages of 7 and 16 doesn’t love LEGO® Bricks. In fact, I know many girls who love them too. Around here we use LEGO Bricks for more than just toys, we use them for learning.

So, the first book from DK Books, I wanted to review was The LEGO® Ideas Book. That’s exactly what it is. A marvelous book filled with marvelous ideas about what to do with those bazillion LEGO® Bricks we have stashed in our home.

The full color vibrant images offer inspiration for all kinds of building projects. Whether your child is passionate about automotive, architectural, aeronautical, nautical or useful things, this book is chock full of ideas. The book doesn’t show step by step building instructions because it’s an ideas book. That means you can see an image of a build then be inspired to build something similar, or like it, but using your own pieces and imagination.

LEGO® Brick play can inspire creative writing, math and science learning, or enhance history through model building. One section of the book is dedicated to Medieval history, so if you are studying history, your child can use this section to be inspired to build a castle with a draw bridge, or a knight on his steed, a battering ram, a catapult or even a cannon. Studying early American history? Use the book as an inspiration for studying the pirates of the Caribbean, Spanish or Viking explorers,or maybe even the realm of the Aztecs.

Got Robot? Do you have a child who thinks robots are awesome? There is a section dedicated to robotic learning, one for engineering architectural structures one for automotive, nautical and aeronautical. Whatever your child is fascinated by, chances are they will find inspiration within the pages of The LEGO® Ideas Book.

My personal favorite section is the Make & Keep section with is filled with ideas for useful things like pencil holders, chess boards and pieces, desk caddies, boxes, mini-fig displays, picture frames and more. Love Art? How about a LEGO® mosaic or animal sculpture? The possibilities are abundant in this ideas book.

A Book for Upper Elementary to Middle School Science

Utterly Amazing Science

As always this DK book is extremely kid friendly. With vibrant colors, hands on maneuverable options, like pop ups, lift-a-flap and pull tabs this book is filled with loads of scientific facts in small bite sized chunks. This book and books like it, offer children a chance to explore an area of science without overwhelming them with too much all at once.

The reason I like books like this for my gifted learner is that I’ve often found that when he discovers a new area of science in such a bite size way, his mind begins to think about what he is learning. Then he wants to explore the thought or idea even more. It isn’t long before he hops online and begins researching bits of facts, or grabbing an encyclopedia and looking up a the word force, or piston. These kinds of books are simply a step toward further inspiration and discovery.

Inside Utterly Amazing Science your child will discover the world of Atoms, States of Matter, Combinations of Mixtures, Chemical Reaction, Earth Materials, Force, Gravity, Magnetism, Machines, Friction, Energy, Light, Heat Energy, and both static and current Electricity. Each page in the book covers one of the different area of scientific learning. The book includes scientific terminology in easy to understand kid friendly language.

Throughout the book you’ll discover Do Try This at Home, hands on science experiments for kids to explore just a bit more about these amazing science ideas in safe, yet fun ways. There are a few other suggestions for experiments too, but those are given with the warning to do so under adult supervision. Either way, your kids will learn, have fun, and be utterly amazed while learning about science at the same time.

A Book for Upper Junior through High School Literature

The Shakespeare Book, Big Ideas Simply Explained

Teaching Shakespeare, one of the best authors of all time, can either thrill a homeschool teacher with ideas of teaching the great romantic comedies, poetry and tragic plays, or it can be a terrifying prospect. Even though he lived more than 400 years ago, we learn much from Shakespeare. Many things we say today come directly from this great author. We also learn a great deal about the era in which he wrote, and the eras that he wrote about, not to mention the multi-faceted faces of the human psyche which he so eloquently reveals in his works.

With two narrative dramas, 40 plays, and 154 sonnets Shakespeare certainly has left his mark on all of human society given that his works have been translated into languages around the globe. So where does that leave a homeschool parent/teacher who isn’t confident in teaching about the man the great works he has left for us to study? New to the DK Books line up is The Shakespeare Book, Big Ideas Simply Explained.

In this book you will find a section for each of his plays consisting of detailed information about each of the characters, how the plays are structured, the major theme of each piece, and a run down of the each plot. But, this book is much more than a glorified book report. It shares information about how each of the plays have been received in society, the impact they have had on history and detailed information about the life and chronology of William Shakespeare and his work.

If you are a homeschool parent looking to teach the great works of Mr. Shakespeare the master poet and playwrite, or if you have a homeschool student studying his works, then this is a must-have book for your homeschool library.

Available begining March of 2015.

A Book for High School through Adulthood

Careers, The Graphic Guide to Finding the Perfect Job For You

Are you a homeschool parent with a high school student who is starting to think about their future? Maybe they are anticipating college and what degree they want to earn. Or, perhaps trade school is ahead and they are considering which field of work they want to begin. Then again, maybe you or your spouse are considering or in need of a career change and aren’t sure what direction to take.

From DK Books, Careers, is the guide you need to help you or your child get started on the career path that is just right. With over 30 career fields explained with precise information on the types of jobs available in each it won’t take long before you see that this book offers more than just a listing of types of employment.

The book is set up sort of like an info-graph but with a lot of information and detail. Skillfully put together in an easy to follow structure, with modern career opportunities, Careers, offers more than just job descriptions, it details a career path, skills needed, and related careers. It also includes bite-sized information on how such a career will impact your life. The book helps you weed out careers that you might not be suited to and helps you narrow in to what kind of work you will thrive in.

The guide covers more than 400 careers and was written in conjuntion with experts from each of the respective fields. Each page includes a two page spread and details important information about salary, hours, required training and skills, and an industry profile.

Additionally, the book offers a guide to understanding yourself, narrowing in to interests and motivations to help you determine what kind of career might fit you best.

If you are a parent to a highschool, trade school, or college student, this is a book you will want to have on hand to help them move forward into their adult life. You might even find it to be of great benefit to yourself.

Available March 3, 2015.

You can see that each of these four books will be great additions to your homeschool library. They are available direct from DK Books webpage or you can order any of them from Amazon (After the date of release mentioned above). I’m excited to be able to join the DK Books Blog team so that I can continue to tell you even more about the fantastic books that they publish. Be sure to watch for the next round of book reviews or subscribe to Great Peace Academy, so you don’t miss anything.