"The Foods
We Eat" Series:
Butter,
by Linda Illsley. Carolrhoda Books, 1991
Other titles
in "The Foods We Eat" Series include:
Apples, Beans and Peas, Bread, Cheese,
Chocolate, Citrus Fruits, Eggs, Fish,
Meat, Milk, Pasta, Potatoes, Rice,
Sugar, Vegetables.
Outstanding
color photography and simple text give young readers a good understanding
of where the foods they eat originate and how they are prepared
for market.
The Laura Ingalls
Wilder Songbook: Favorite Songs from the 'Little House' Books Compiled
and Edited by Eugenia Garson. Harper Collins, 1992.
This book includes
words and music to all the songs Charles Ingalls played on the fiddle
and the family sang in the during their years as pioneers.
The Little
House Cookbook: Frontier Foods from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Classic
Stories, by Barbara M. Walker, illustrations by Garth Williams.
Harper Collins, 1979.
All the basics
for butter churning are in this cookbook, as well as dozens of other
foods Ma Ingalls prepared for the Ingalls family.
The One-Room
School at Squabble Hollow, by Rosemarie Hausherr. Four Winds Press,
1988.
This is a fascinating
look at how the old-fashioned one-room schoolhouse still survives
today.
To Grandfather's
House We Go: A Roadside Tour of American Homes by Harry Devlin.
Four Winds Press, 1967.
After looking
at the photos of American architectural classics, your students will
be more attuned to the historical architectural details right in their
own communities.
Where Does
Food Come From? by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent, photos by William Muoz.
Holiday House, 1991.
This is a good
companion volume to the Foods We Eat series described above.
Fiction
Charlie Needs
A Cloak by Tomie dePaola. Simon & Schuster, Inc. 1973.
This subtly humorous
story shows the process of making a coat from shearing the sheep to
the final construction of the coat. A wonderful book to encourage
retelling and oral sequencing. A must if you plan on including dyeing,
spinning or weaving activities in your Olden Days unit!
Daniel's Duck, by Clyde Robert Bulla. Harper and Row, 1979.
Why does everyone
seem to be laughing at the hand-carved duck Daniel has made for his
village's festival? Daniel learns to look past the obvious and appreciate
the joy and satisfaction of crafting something by hand, imperfections
and all.
Ida and the
Wool Smugglers by Sue Ann Alderson & Ann Blades. Margaret
K. McElderry Books, Macmillan Publishing.
This story works
well for setting up the theme of what life was like 100 years ago.
"Little
House" Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Harper, 1932.
Despite recent
criticism that Native Americans are portrayed insensitively, this
series still has a great deal to offer for young children, especially
if selected passages are used as a read-aloud. Wilder's language is
simple, yet rich with images of pioneer life, and Garth Williams'
illustrations beautifully complement the text. Several publishers
have begun offering series about the Ingalls family specifically designed
for beginning readers. Check your local library and/or bookseller.
Marianna May
and Nursey, by Tomie DePaola. Holiday House, 1983.
A young girl
from an affluent family feels stifled because she is expected to wear
frilly white dresses and stay clean all day long. The household staff,
led by her nanny "Nursey" find a creative way to give Marianna
May some freedom. Great depiction of a turn-of the-century household...and
the expectations of children of that era!
McCrephy's
Field, by Christopher A. Myers and Lynne Born Myers. Houghton
Mifflin, 1991.
This is a wonderful
story about the changes that happen to a farm when Farmer McCrephy
moved away for several years. Great for showing how nature will change
an ecosystem the when humans are not involved.
The Missing
Maple Syrup Sap Mystery, by Gail Gibbons. A. Hoen, 1979.
A delightful
story about the process of making maple syrup.
Ox-Cart Man,
by Donald Hall. Puffin, 1983.
Hall's simple
text, complemented by Barbara Cooney's striking illustrations, depict
a year in the life of a family long ago. Each member of the family
contributes items they've made for Father to sell on his yearly trip
to the market in the big city. We see the cycle of seasons lending
order and structure to the family's life.
Pancakes for
Breakfast, by Tomie De Paola. Harcourt, Brace Jovanovich, 1978.
When a woman
awakes one morning desperately craving a delicious breakfast of pancakes,
her attempts to assemble the raw ingredients are roadblocked by a
series of mishaps. This wordless book gives today's microwave-savvy
children a glimpse of what "cooking from scratch" is all
about!
Pancakes,
Pancakes! by Eric Carle. Picture Book Studio 1990.
This popular
Eric Carle story shows the complexity involved in preparing even the
simplest foods in the olden days. Fun to read as a companion to Pancakes
for Breakfast, by DePaola.
When I was
Young in the Mountains, by Cynthia Rylant. Clarke, Irwin &
Company, 1982.
The quiet, repetitive,
lyrical quality of Rylant's narrative speaks volumes about what has
been lost in our modern culture.
Videos
Many of the videos
described below were originally films which were converted to video
as technology changed. (The dates shown indicate when the original
film was produced.) Still, we have found the quality to be quite good.
The addresses and phone numbers of the distributors appear at the
end of the list, for your convenience.
Children of
the Colonial Frontier, McGraw Hill Films, 1962.
This video shows
pioneer life on the very edge of America's colonial frontier and the
many day-to-day chores that had to be performed to ensure survival.
Children of
the Wagon Train, McGraw Hill Films, 1960.
Following the
path of the Oregon Trail in 1849, you are able to see some of the
motivating forces behind the westward movement.
Colonial Children,
Encyclopedia Britannica Educational Films, (undated).
An interesting
look at self-sufficient home life, clothing, customs and events in
a colonial family's life.
Fiddles and
Whimmy Diddles, Journal Films, 1977.
This outstanding
film shows a day in the life of two pioneer children, highlighting
their simple, but captivating toys and a typical evening of entertainment.
Pioneer Living:
The Home, Coronet Films, 1971.
This video follows
members of a pioneer family of the early 1800's as they select a site,
build a log cabin, and eventually move in the few necessities they
brought with them. Cooking over the open fireplace, candle and soap
making, and other household chores are shown.
Video Distributors:
Coronet/Phoenix
Learning Group 2349 Chaffee Dr., St. Louis, MO 63146, (800) 777-8100
Encyclopedia
Britannica 310 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60604, (800) 554-9862
Journal Films/Altschul
Group 1560 Shermon Ave., Suite 100, Evanston, IL, 60201, (847) 328-6700
McGraw Hill Educational/Professional
Publications 1221 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020, 212-512-2000
