Book List for May and looking forward to Vacation...

It's been awhile since I have done a book list for our book basket and in reorganizing things this afternoon I decided to pull books to post. The end of May brings a trip north to Virginia...one of our favorite places to vacation. I started visiting the 'Historic Triangle' when I was in elementary school and absolutely fell in love with the area. Shortly after we were married we took our first family vacation with Andy's family and we went to Virginia. Since then we've taken several trips back to the historic district but the last time we were there AG was 20 months old. After that trip we found out were pregnant with Avi-Kate. When I look back at the photos from that trip it amazes me what all has happened since we were last there. I can't believe it's been almost three years since we were there last. We are thrilled to be heading back for a week of good food, walking in the past, shopping at our favorite places, and visiting one of our favorite theme parks with lots of family time. Since I taught upper elementary school I have quite a large collection of books relating to Colonization and The American Revolution. 

Colonial Book Basket:

John, Paul, George, and Ben by Lane Smith

Those Rebels, John & Tom by Barbara Kerley

Katie's Trunk by Ann Turner

Samuel's Choice by Richard Berleth

The Lost Colony of Roanoke by Jean Fritz

Uncovering History at Colonial Williamsburg Archaeology for Young Explorers

D is for Drum A Colonial Williamsburg ABC by Kay Chorao

Imogene's Last Stand by Candace Fleming

Historic Communities A Colonial Town Williamsburg by Bobbie Kalman

Mary Geddy's Day A Colonial Girl in Williamsburg by Kate Waters

The Scarlet Stockings Spy by Trinka Hakes Noble

Let it Begin Here! Lexington and Concord by Dennis Brindell Fradin

George vs. George The American Revolution as Seen From Both Sides by Rosalyn Schanzer

Roanoke The Lost Colony by Jane Yolen and Heidi Elisabet Yolen Stemple

Redcoats and Petticoats by Katherine Kirkpatrick

The Folk Art Counting Book from the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Center Williamsburg, VA

If You Lived In Williamsburg in Colonial Days by Barbra Brenner

If You Lived At The Time Of The American Revolution by Kay Moore

Will You Sign Here, John Hancock? by Jean Fritz

Shh! We're Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz

Everyday Dress of the American Colonial Period Coloring Book by Peter F. Copeland

We The People Series of books:

The Boston Tea Party by Michael Burgan

Great Women of the American Revolution by Michael Burgan

Williamsburg by Judy Alter

African-Americans in the Colonies by Jean Kinney Williams

The Bill of Rights by Michael Burgan

The Declaration of Independence by Michael Burgan

The Battles of Lexington and Concord

Triangle Histories Revolutionary War Series

The Battle of Monmouth by Lewis K. Parker

The Battle of Harlem Heights by Mary Hertz Scarbrough

The Battle of Valcour Bay by Scott Ingram

I recognize that some of these are waaaaaaay over my kids' heads. BUT while the content might be over their heads the real photographs on the pages are great to look at and discuss. The Williamsburg We the People book is filled with photos of the historic district. This will be a list that I come back to as the kids age over the next few years. I am really excited about AG being older this time around. He'll actually be able to grasp some of the concepts that we'll experience and that makes this former history teacher's heart happy. Here's hoping this next month flies by because I can't wait to be back there after browsing through these photos earlier:

 Lunch with Elmo and Friends and lots of quality time at Busch Gardens is on tap next month. They've added several new rides since we were last there. Including a new roller coaster, Verbolten, that replaced one of our favorite coasters at any theme park, The Big Bad Wolf. 

 Our last few trips have come in the lates summer/ fall so I'm excited to see the late spring/early summer gardens. 

 AG has requested a new hat since this one now fits Avi-Kate, a colonial drum, and a wooden pistol like the one he is holding in this photo. We are going to buy Avi-Kate a mob cap but I have a feeling she'll be wearing AG's old tri-cornered hat everywhere she goes. 

 I'm elated about this...when we were there last they had started working on excavating and rebuilding the Public Armoury. Since we've been there they completed the project and we will actually get to walk inside this building that was a big hole in the ground last time we were there. 

 Afternoon hot chocolate at Charlton's Coffee House is a must do for me. Colonial hot chocolate is very different from today's hot chocolate. 

 Even in the rain Williamsburg is just beautiful to me.