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Ladies,
just remember that if you are choosing not to use the Burgess books you MUST (in my opinion) follow the type of questions/activities that Carrie has carefully scripted for each day. The whole point of story time with LHFHG is to prepare them for narration later on. So whatever books you choose, take the time to follow the plan in the book.

I started out with different books and found that we were missing the richness of reading living books, short chapters and all around good literature. PLUS I would forget to spend the time to use Carrie's activities because I did not have time to read ahead and plan....

So we are now reading Burgess again and love it. But I can respect those who do not want talking animals.
JUST REMEMBER to do the activities!
Dorla

Good advice all around is being given here! While the purpose of this board is not supposed to be about discussing substitutions for books within the HOD curriculum, I have let this thread run in order to help the original poster customize the program to her family's philosophy.

However, at this point the topic has been discussed at length, and so as we close the thread out I do wish to mention that the Thornton Burgess books remain my top choice for addressing the transition from picture to chapter books for the following reasons:

1. They are truly living stories, written by a single author who was a passionate naturalist. His attention to detail and enthusiasm for the outdoor world allows us to learn much about God's creation as we read the stories.

2. The stories feature delightful animal characters who get themselves into the very scrapes and situations that children fall into with their natural sinful nature.

3. The animals have natural consequences for their behavior which children can learn from.

4. The children get to know the personality of a character and can begin to guess how that character will react.

5. Through the stories the kiddos are exposed to all types of characters from sly Granny fox (who uses trickery to accomplish her goals) to Chatterer the Red Squirrel (who doesn't think before he acts). The stories encourage children to apply this learning to real life by examining the character, motives, and actions of those who surround them.

6. By getting to know the characters, children are able to stay with the thread of a story longer. This helps transition them into higher level listening skillls which are required for lengthier chapter books.

Each book in the HOD guides is chosen for a specific purpose. While I realize that everyone will not agree on every literature choice we include, I'd encourage you to give each one a real try before substituting.

Blessings,
Carrie