Name: Spreading the Feast Gathering
Start: 2025-07-11T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-07-12T23:59:59-05:00
Location: LaGrange, KY

Tagged: animals, living books for zoology, living books on animals, Zoology

This topic has 9 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 8 years ago by 2Corin57.

Viewing 10 posts - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)

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May 25, 2017 at 11:23 am
2Corin57
Participant
So my son (almost 10) is absolutely in love with animals, especially birds, and wants to study zoology. He devours animal and bird encyclopedia, and is a very literal child that loves to study facts – and he devours them. He’s a walking encyclopedia of what he reads.
So, I thought that we would do the 3 Apologia Zoology guides this year – I showed him the samples and he loved the looks of them. He is a child that does not do as well with living books – he struggles to pick out the facts. But, I would still like him to have some living books, too.
So, recommendation for good living books on zoology/biology, focusing on animals/insects/birds/marine life etc? Suitable for am upper elementary to middle school level.
May 25, 2017 at 2:07 pm
HollyS
Participant
Arabella Buckley’s Eyes and No Eyes series is great. They aren’t as story-like as Burgess, but still living.
May 25, 2017 at 2:09 pm
Amanda
Participant
I would definitely recommend the Apologia zoology books. My animal loving boys have really enjoyed them!

May 30, 2017 at 1:31 pm
Jamie
Participant
I had a friend use Sassafras Zoology and they loved it! It’s like a story I think and then they have a journal that goes along with it. It is on the Elemental Science website.
We are going to use the Biology for the Grammar Stage also on their website – each lesson has experiments or activities, excepts to read from encyclopedias (my daughter is one that loves that too!) and they also have suggestions for further reading, list of books for each topic! I don’t follow it exactly but it is a great source for book ideas and activities. They have samples of both on their website.
Other suggestions might be books by James Herriot, Minn of the Mississippi or Pagoo by Holling C Holling, or The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon. Oh and Trumpet of the Swan – we are reading that right now 🙂
May 31, 2017 at 5:22 pm
totheskydear
Participant
I originally planned on using the Apologia Zoology books this year but decided to wait another year. But I put together some little “guides”, inspired by the Companion guides for Pond and Stream and Outdoor Secrets, with poetry, hymns, copywork verses, books, and a few DVDs thrown in (mostly Magic Schoolbus). Here are the links…
Zoology 1: http://momdadpeas.blogspot.com/2016/11/apologia-exploring-creation-with.html
Zoology 2: http://momdadpeas.blogspot.com/2016/11/apologia-exploring-creation-with_26.html
Zoology 3: http://momdadpeas.blogspot.com/2016/11/apologia-exploring-creation-with_30.html
I didn’t have the “Among the … People” books or books by Arabella Buckley when I wrote these up, but now that I have them and have taken a peek at them, I’d definitely include them; they’re certainly more “CM-ish” than some of the books I picked. But hey, I went with what i could find at the time. 🙂
June 1, 2017 at 5:50 am
psreitmom
Participant
happykratzers-Thanks for sharing your guides for the zoology books. We are using the one on flying creatures this fall and your suggestions have been helpful.
I didn’t begin this thread, but thanks to the others who also gave suggestions. I appreciate all who share recommended resources here. It has been a struggle for me, trying to find things that will not go over my daughter’s head. She will be in 8th grade, with a learning disability and working a few grades behind. She enjoys and has learned so much from watching Wild Kratts, so books need to be exciting, but I want to challenge her with these zoology books, and at the same time, I want her to enjoy learning. So, I need a variety.
June 1, 2017 at 6:07 am
psreitmom
Participant
Just wanted to mention that episodes of Wild Kratts can be found on YouTube, if you don’t have the channel on television. They occasionally make comments that are evolutionary, but they are not frequent. I guess the one they use most is ‘creature power’. We just remind our daughter that the ‘creature power’ or instinct comes from God, who created them. They show some real life stuff and an animated story, usually a villain trying to hurt the animals, and the Kratts brothers rescue them.
June 1, 2017 at 6:23 pm
Brookledge
Participant
I absolutely loved One Day at Beetle Rock by Sally Carrighar when I was growing up. I also enjoy reading Gerald Durrell books, but he does include “adult” material from time to time so his books would probably need to be previewed.
June 1, 2017 at 7:36 pm
totheskydear
Participant
Thank you! I’m glad you got some use out of them. 🙂
Jessica
June 1, 2017 at 8:26 pm
2Corin57
Participant
Wow! Thanks! I’m off to check out those links now!