Homeschooling with Remaindered Books (Volume 2)

Last year I did a post about picking homeschool-friendly books out of the discount/overstock/remaindered book catalogue we get each month or so from Hampstead House Books in Thornhill, Ontario (near Toronto). I got their new catalogue today and thought there were enough good school-type books in there to do another post on finding non-traditional stuff to teach with. The inventory at HH Books changes all the time, and by the time I get this typed, some of the books may already be sold out; the point of the post is more just to show what kinds of things you could look for if you get catalogues from places like HH. It might also give you ideas for books to look for at the library.

Since HH isn't a homeschool catalogue and its books aren't marked by grade level, I'll do what I did last year and roughly divide things between littlest kids, grades 3-6, and grades 7+. The same warnings apply as always: I'm just looking at the catalogue, I'm not necessarily familiar with all these books, and if there's something inappropriate in one of them, it's not my fault. It's sometimes hard to tell, even if I can find better descriptions somewhere online.

Littlest Ones

The Klondike Cat, by Julie Lawson. Little Ballerina (about dancing in The Nutcracker). Whale. A Child's Treasury of Best-Loved Prayers.


Grades 3-6

Language skills: Winnie the Pooh: The Pooh Dictionary. Berlitz Kids Adventures with Nicholas: A Visit to Grandma (bilingual French/English story and CD).

Literature: Hiawatha and Megissogwon. Out of the Everywhere: Tales for a New World. Ramona the Brave. Boys and Girls of Bookland. Narnia Classic Editions of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian. The Complete Chronicles of Narnia (all in one volume). Pleasant Fieldmouse (strangely enough, that was in the catalogue I searched through last year). Dick Whittington and His Cat. 4-CD set of Prince Caspian, read by Lynn Redgrave.

Nature Study: The Young Birder's Guide to Birds of Eastern North America.

Geography: Idaa Trail: In the Steps of Our Ancestors. The Kingfisher Student Atlas of North America.

Sports History: The Kid Line (a hockey story).

Canadian History: Catherine Parr Traill: Backwoods Pioneer (preteen biography). Alexander Mackenzie (same bio series).

World History: CAstle: Medieval Days and Knights (pop-up and pull-out book by Robert Sabuda).

History of Technology: Oars, Sails and Steam, by Edwin Tunis. (That's a homeschool classic!)

Family History: The Art of the Family Tree Kit.

Art History: see the older level.

Art and Crafts: You Can Draw.

Music: see the older level.

Just for Fun: Puzzellations Magical Gardens. The Amazing Family Game Board Book.


Grades 7 and up


Language: Maximum French (CDs and CD-Rom). The Dictionary of Disagreeable English. Why do We Say It?

Literature: The Mouse Woman Trilogy (Haida legends retold by Christie Harris). The Complete James Herriot boxed set. The Dog in British Poetry. Boxed set of Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Phantom of the Opera. The Lakeland Poets.

Nature: Timeless Wonders: A Fantastic Journey Through the World's Natural Beauties. Peterson Field Guide to Hummingbirds of North America.

History of Technology: The Encyclopedia of Ships.

History of Science: Milestones of Science: The History of Humankind's Greatest Ideas.

Science Biography: Beyond the Outer Shores: The Untold Story of Ed Ricketts, the Pioneering Ecologist.

Geography: Maps of North America: The Unveiling of our Continent. Exploring Canada's National Parks. Spirit of the Polar Regions. Philip's Quick Reference World Atlas. Satellite World. Geographica: The Complete Illustrated Atlas of the World.

Canadian History: Haidi Gwaii: Journeys Through the Queen Charlotte Islands. Native Universe: Voices of Indian America. The Acadians.

Sports History: As the Puck Turns: A Personal Journey Through the World of Hockey.

World History: Historica, 1000 Years of Our lives and Times (this is huge, 576 pages). Atlas of World War II. (Lots more war books too.) Battles of the Medieval World. Simon Schama's A History of Brtain at the Edge of the World. William and Mary (biography). Ancient Rome: Voyages Through Time, by Peter Ackroyd. (That one might be suitable for younger readers as well.)

Art History: Inside the Vatican. Michelangelo: The Complete Sculpture, Painting & Architecture. El Greco. Art Master Series: Durer, Raphael, Van Der Weyden.

Home Skills: First Aid Companion for Dogs and Cats. Joey Green's Fix-it Magic. Joey Green's Gardening Magic. Make It Last: Over 1,000 Ingenious Ways to Extend the Life of Everything You Own. How to Zest A Lemon: Basic Cooking Techniques.

Physical Education: 6 Minute Morning Workout.

Art and Crafts: Decorating Eggs: 15 projects. Beautiful Crochet for Head, Hands and Feet. (Lots of other adult-level craft books.) Pop-up and 3-D Cards. Fleecie Dolls. Fleecie Pets. Painting Nature's Treasures. (Lots of books on painting and drawing.)

Music: Who's Afraid of Opera? Who's Afraid of Classical Music? The Complete Gilbert and Sullivan. Mozart: Letters & Manuscripts.

Are we going to order anything this month? Still thinking about it.