Booklists

This book list has its genesis in the August 12, 2007 Pigeon Post "You See, But You Do Not Observe"

The attempt is to create a list of books that help children learn to observe carefully, both illustrations as well as narrative flow. We are trying to steer clear of books that are teaching facts, or focusing on how to interpret information: those are different lists. Sometimes it is hard to separate the steps but here we are trying to get at the essence of observing data and spotting some sort of pattern or trend. It is a skill that is undervalued and yet does come naturally to children whose innate ability to absorb massive amounts of new informaiton far out-strips that of adults.

Click below to see the updated book list Teaching Children to Observe.

This booklist is focused on recounting the tales of those that set out to connect the world through discovery, the Herodotus's, the Magellans, the Marco Polo's, the Ibn Batusta's, the Cortez's of the world. These were people that set out with a purpose to bring back or accomplish something (knowledge, gold, religious converts, power, etc.). So not mere travellers but discoverers and interpreters. We will address scientific discovery in a separate booklist.

Are there others you would suggest. Please use the comments section to nominate other cadidates for this list.

This book list is divided into three sections:
(1) Picture Books
(2) Books for Independent Readers
(3) Books for Young Adults

The list begins below with Picture Books, but you can use one of the following links to skip directly to either of the other two sections.
Go to books for Independent Readers
Go to books for Young Adults


Picture Books

	Aesop's Fables by Aesop and illustrated by Michael Hague Recommended
	Aesop's Fables by Aesop and illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger Recommended
	King Midas and the Golden Touch by Charlotte Craft and illustrated by Kinuko Craft Recommended
	The Classic Treasury of Aesop's Fables by Aesop and illustrated by Don Daily Suggested
	Aesops Fables by Aesop and illustrated by Charles Santore Suggested

Independent Reader

	The Children's Homer by Padraic Colum amd illustrated by Willy Pogany Highly Recommended
	Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths by Ingri D'Aulaire & Edgar Parin D'Aulaire Highly Recommended
	The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan Highly Recommended
	Black Ships Before Troy by Rosemary Sutcliff and illustrated by Alan Lee Highly Recommended
	The Wanderings Of Odysseus by Rosemary Sutcliff and illustrated by Alan Lee Highly Recommended
	Bulfinch's Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch and illustrated by Sabra Moore and Richard P. Martin Recommended
	The Golden Fleece by Padraic Colum and illustrated by Willy Pogany Recommended
	Cupid and Psyche by M. Charlotte Craft and illustrated by Kinuko Craft Recommended
	The Echo of Greece by Edith Hamilton Recommended
	The Greek Way by Edith Hamilton Recommended
	Mythology by Edith Hamilton Recommended
	Perseus by Geraldine McCaughrean Recommended
	Theseus by Geraldine McCaughrean Recommended
	Favorite Greek Myths by Mary Pope Osborne and illustrated by Troy Howell Recommended
	The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan Recommended
	The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan Recommended
	The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan Recommended
	The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan Recommended
	Goddess of Yesterday by Caroline B. Cooney Suggested
	The Fire Thief by Terry Deary Suggested
	Greek Gods and Heroes by Robert Graves Suggested
	The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes Suggested
	Odysseus by Geraldine McCaughrean Suggested
	The Odyssey by Homer and Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Victor G. Ambrus Suggested
	The One-eyed Giant by Mary Pope Osborne Suggested
	The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner Suggested
	Men and Gods by Rex Warner and illustrated by Edward Gorey Suggested

Young Adult

	Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae by Steven Pressfield Highly Recommended
	The Landmark Thucydides edited by Robert B. Strassler Highly Recommended
	The Landmark Herodotus edited by Robert B. Strassler Highly Recommended
	The Sand-Reckoner by Gillian Bradshaw Recommended
	Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea by Thomas Cahill Recommended
	The Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan Recommended
	The Isle of Stone by Nicholas Nicastro Recommended
	The Afghan Campaign by Steven Pressfield Recommended
	Last of the Amazons by Steven Pressfield Recommended
	Tides of War by Steven Pressfield Recommended
	The Virtues Of War by Steven Pressfield Recommended
	Fire from Heaven by Mary Renault Recommended
	The Last of the Wine by Mary Renault Recommended
	The Praise Singer by Mary Renault Recommended
	The Mask of Apollo by Mary Renault Recommended
	Ilium by Dan Simmons Recommended
	Archimedes and the Door to Science by Jeanne Bendick Suggested
	Achilles by Elizabeth Cook Suggested
	The Ten Thousand by Michael Curtis Ford Suggested
	Troy by David Gemmell Recommended