Review: Give Your Child the World
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Homeschoolers and books. They go together like bread and jam. Peanut butter and jelly. Sweet and tea. Hands down, there is no better way to study history or learn about the world that’s beyond our means to travel than through books.
My kids and I have learned more from the stories of people and the places they live than from any textbook. That’s why I’m excited to introduce you to Give Your Child the World, a brand-new book by Jamie Martin of Simple Homeschool.
What is Give Your Child the World?
Give Your Child the World is a collection of over 600 children’s books set around the world. Jamie spent over 5 years researching and curating the best multicultural children’s books, choosing those that offer a global perspective, strengthen values, and build character.
It’s a reference book that you’ll want to have on your bookshelf to refer to again and again – one that I believe will become as timeless and valuable to parents as The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease.
LaVar Burton of Reading Rainbow called Give Your Child the World:
An invaluable resource for any and everyone who has children in their lives! Jamie Martin has scoured the best in children’s literature from around the globe and compiled in one volume, book recommendations sure to appeal to the reader in your life.
Give Your Child the World sorts the 600+ book recommendations into seven lists of countries or regions:
- Africa
- Europe
- Asia
- The Middle East
- North America
- Latin America
- Australia, Oceania, and the Polar Regions
Within those lists, the recommendations are sorted by suggested age-range (4-12 years) and include a brief synopsis of each. There are also four indexes that sort the books by:
- Author
- Historical period
- Country/Region
- Title
Who is Give Your Child the World for?
Give Your Child the World introduces Jamie’s family and the birth of her passion for raising globally-minded children. The early chapters include references to the faith that is a huge part of Jamie’s life (and mine). However, the majority of the children’s books included are primarily secular ones that will appeal to families of any faith.
Books containing religious content (any religion, not just Christianity) are noted so that all parents can make informed choices in selecting books for their families.
While Give Your Child the World is already a best-seller in the Christian Families category on Amazon, it is not just a book for Christian or homeschooling families. If you avoid all religious content, you probably won’t enjoy this one, but I feel confident in saying that most secular families will enjoy it as much as Christian families.
How to use Give Your Child the World
Chapter 4 of Give Your Child the World explains how best to use the resource in your home. The book also includes simple and practical suggestions for becoming a more globally-minded family.
In my home, if my kids were younger, I know I’d primarily use the book to select titles to supplement our history and geography studies. Just because my kids are older doesn’t mean that we can’t – and won’t – enjoy the book ourselves. As C.S. Lewis said:
A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.
Get started using Give Your Child the World immediately by participating in the Read the World Summer Book Club hosted by Jamie Martin and Sarah Mackenzie.
The summer book club is very low-key (perfect for summer!) and there are downloads and prizes – like over $1000 worth of prizes! Click the link to find out all the details. All you need to participate is a copy of Give Your Child the World and access to a library or your favorite book seller.
So, head over the Simple Homeschool to get the details on the reading club. Then, head to Amazon to pick up your copy of Give Your Child the World, and prepare your family for a summer spent traveling the world from the comfort of your own home.
Happy travels!
Kris Bales is a newly-retired homeschool mom and the quirky, Christ-following, painfully honest founder (and former owner) of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. She has a pretty serious addiction to sweet tea and Words with Friends. Kris and her husband of over 30 years are parents to three amazing homeschool grads. They share their home with three dogs, two cats, a ball python, a bearded dragon, and seven birds.
My copy should be here today or tomorrow. I’m so excited! I love your new profile pic. You look beautiful, and your hair looks great. Did your daughter do it? 🙂
Thank you! No, a friend of my dad’s made the photos. I really love this one.