Books on the Caribbean for Arrabella?

[Jennifer Unsell]

I am wanting to focus on the Caribbean islands when we row Arrabella. Does anyone have any book titles that you can recommend that would help us learn more about the Caribbean? I am looking for crafts, recipes, and picture books that would help us learn more.

I will not have access to a library when we row this book so I am looking for recommendations of books that I can buy off of Amazon. I am seeing titles but have no idea if they are worthy ones. ;)

[Candace C]

Jen,

I am not 100% sure on the caribbean, but, one of my favorite blogs to read has some island books listed on her sidebar for summer reading.

http://dawnathome.typepad.com/by_sun_and_candlelight/

If you scroll down a bit and look on the right, she has pictures and titles of quite a few island books. I have checked out several cause we are doing Arabella right now.

Ok - just checked - My Little Island ( by Frane Lessac) that she recommends is a caribbean island. That one and The Little Island (Golden MacDonald) are my 2 favorites that I got off of Dawn's blog. :)

ETA - the My Little Island (Lessac) is also a Reading Rainbow book!

[Candace C]

Jen, an interesting tidbit that I just this minute realized!

I saw on Dawn's blog, that I posted above, that The Little Island book was written by Margaret Wise Brown, which I thought was cool - as we love her books!

Then, the one I got from the library - which looked exactly like the picture on Dawn's blog - said by "Golden MacDonald." Hmmmm.

I just read on the back of the book that Margaret Wise Brown used a pseudonym for a lot of books apparently! But she did write this book!

Learn something new everyday! :lol:

[Candace C]

Ok, I'm sorry to keep bugging ya! One more thing...

We just read The Little Island as our bedtime story and it is really good. I would recommend both of these books! The Little Island is also a caldecott winner! And there is even a small discussion (between animals) of the word "faith." :)

[Wende]

Cocoa Ice takes place in Santo Domingo. I believe Jane recommended this book in one of her "Think on these things". Yep, here it is: http://www.fiveinarow.com/tott/110101.html
We read this and Abel's Island by William Steig (chapter book) when we rowed Arabella.

[chiguirre]

might work for you.

Julianna

[Wende]

Also, your girls may like the Ruby Slipper School book, Adventure in the Caribbean by Stacy Towle Morgan. It is a short easy read chapter book about two homeschooled girls, I think 6 and 8 yo.