In the PNEU programmes, there were often books scheduled for Sunday Reading, many times “optional”, that didn’t fit elsewhere in the curriculum. Mostly these were non-fiction books, and their subject matter ranged from ancient beginnings of man, to biographies, to A Child’s History of Rhodesia. In addition to the bible readings and books that would illuminate them, she usually recommended two, or if they were short three, books about inspirational people or events each term.
Here we list mostly non-fiction books that we loved but could not fit into the curriculum for various reasons. Use these for free reading, or skip them altogether. There is no obligation to read them. Wildwood Curriculum is based on the PNEU programmes, which are based on a 6-day school week. Since most families will do 5 days per week, there may not be room for more books in your life. No guilt.
Some of these books are listed on the individual Form pages as Optional, but we’ve added them here as an easy reference area. We also have a Family Reading page with plenty of fictional suggestions.
History and Geography
- Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans, by Kadir Nelson (AMZ)
- Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess by Richard Platt (AMZ)
- Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz (AMZ)
- Around the World in a Hundred Years: From Henry the Navigator to Magellan by Jean Fritz (AMZ)
- Of Courage Undaunted: Across the Continent with Lewis & Clark by James Daugherty (AMZ)
- Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham (AMZ)
- Irena’s Children: Young Readers Edition; A True Story of Courage by Mary Cronk Farrell (AMZ)
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt by Russell Freedman (AMZ)
- Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery by Russell Freedman (AMZ)
Science and Math
- George’s Secret Key to the Universe and others in the series by Stephen and Lucy Hawking (AMZ)
- Something Out of Nothing: Marie Curie and Radium by Carla Killough McClafferty (AMZ)
- Shanleya’s Quest: A Botany Adventure for Kids Ages 9-99 by Thomas J. Eppel (AMZ)
- The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure by Hans Magnus Enzensberger (AMZ)
- The Adventures of Penrose the Mathematical Cat by Theoni Pappas (AMZ)
- Number Stories of Long Ago
Inspirational Biographies
- I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition) by Malala Yousafzai (AMZ)
- The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Young Reader’s Edition by William Kamkwamba (AMZ)
- Rad Women Worldwide: Artists and Athletes, Pirates and Punks, and Other Revolutionaries Who Shaped History by Kate Schatz (AMZ
One possible way to schedule some of these:
Form IIB
- Term 1: Heart and Soul
- Term 2: Number Stories of Long Ago
- Term 3: I Am Malala
Form IIA (lower)
- Term 1: Shanleya’s Quest & Penrose
- Term 2: Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
- Term 3: Irena’s Children
Form IIA (upper)
- Term 1: George’s Secret Key to the Universe
- Term 2: Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
- Term 3: The Number Devil
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