Books- The Must Haves

Glancing through catalogs at the book offerings, I wonder what is REALLY worth having or what is just a vanity buy. I consider a vanity buy things that you think you want, you think you'll use or a good buy just because everyone else is buying it. Honestly I considered these books just that- a vanity buy due to the fact everyone else has them. I found out that in the case of the books I'm about to mention, this is the furthest thing from the truth. These are the Must Haves for Christian, Classical and Charlotte Mason homeschoolers.

Christian Liberty Nature Readers
Why are they a must have?
The books are focused on nature stories that actually teach about life science and God's glory. Children are naturally curious about their world when they are young and these books give a wonderful foundation to build from. Why read Amelia Bedelia when your child can be reading about the inner workings of a beehive and love it just as much? These books can also be used as an elementary science but I have them for reading purposes. The price is right too, anywhere from $4.75 to $6.95 per book. I bought mine as a set but I can't remember from where.

The Millers Series by Mildred A. Martin
Why are they a must have?
These are the perfect read-alouds for budding Christians! I can't tell you how many times I read those very words on others' blogs and websites but it is TRUE! Character education, exposure to world missions, adventure, family and all for the glory of God. You've heard that it is best to teach Proverbs to your children, why not read Wisdom and the Millers? You want a little adventure in your read-alouds? Read Missionary Stories with the Millers. Want to give your children examples of what disobedience can lead to and provide a good example of how to behave? Read Storytime with the Millers. These books can be found for about $5.50 each. There are other titles as well.

The Burgess Books
Why are they a must have?
These wouldn't be a good purchase for children who dislike nature/animal stories. However, there is a reason that these are as old as they are and still touted! Wonderful read alouds, any of Thornton W. Burgess' books would be a great addition to your home library. The best way to teach a subject is to make it engaging, entertaining and full of information- in The Burgess Bird Book for Children, children are exposed to what birds look like, their behavior, habits and songs.

I wish I hadn't ignored these books when we first started out. I read all about them and still didn't buy them. These books are what I consider foundational books for children, just as fables and fairy tales are.