Summer Countdown

Description

This book has stories and activities for two weeks before Independence Day and there are shorter countdowns for four other summer holidays. The countdown to Independence Day has so many exciting stories about the American Revolution (including stories about how they tried to capture the traitor Benedict Arnold, the midnight ride of Paul Revere, Emily Geiger’s ride, the adventures of John Paul Jones on the high seas, and a trilling tale of the sister of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, just to mention a few.)

This book contains stories that will help you celebrate all the summer holidays, although Mother’s Day is not technically in the summer it’s pretty close and I couldn’t include Father’s Day and neglect Mother’s Day.

Here are the holiday’s included that have three day countdowns:

Mother’s Day (the second Sunday in May)
Memorial Day (the last Monday in May)
Father’s Day (the third Sunday in June)
Flag Day (June 14)

For Mother’s Day and Father’s Day the countdown is Friday, Saturday, and the Sunday of the holiday. Memorial Day has a countdown on Saturday, Sunday, and Memorial Day. Flag Day has a countdown for June 12, 13, and 14.

Then for Independence Day there is a two week countdown starting on June 21. One of the most fascinating parts of the book are short historical biographies of the fifty-six men who signed the Declaration of Independence. As you read the daily stories leading to Independence Day the biographies are sidebars that can be read before or after the story. It’s so inspiring to read about the real men who pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor for freedom and how many of them gave their lives and their fortunes for that cause. If you are looking for a book that celebrates virtue and character this would be a great book to include in your summer reading.

Create Special Memories this Summer!
Do the summer holidays slip by before you have a chance to really celebrate them? Are the summer months so full you don’t have time to sit back and relax? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then this wonderful book will brighten your family’s summer.

Imagine your family reading a heart-warming holiday story and then participating in a fun activity together during the summer months. This will be made simple for you with Summer Countdown! The book is broken up into daily sections. Each day has a story and an activity that will take about 30 to 45 minutes.

Some of the stories included are:

• “Earning the Flag” by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey
• “Emily Geiger’s Ride” by Benson John Lossing
• “An Escape from a Prison Ship” by Everett Titsworth Tomlinson
• “John Paul Jones” by Albert Blaisdell
• “Letter to His Son” by Theodore Roosevelt
• “The Only Son of His Mother” by Florence Morse Kingsley
• “The Parshley Celebration” by Sarah Orne Jewett
• “The Prodigal Son” retold by Jesse Lyman Hurlbut

Most of the stories in this book were written in the 1800s and early 1900s. Some of the language may seem old fashioned, but this only adds to their charm! Many of these stories have not been reprinted since their first publication, and are just waiting to be rediscovered by a whole new generation. Summer Countdown will appeal to any age group, but children ages 6-14 will enjoy it the most. Each story can be used to teach important lessons to your children. Reading aloud as a family will open up wonderful opportunities for discussions and conversations.

The activities include:

• Games
• Crafts
• Cooking
• Quizzes
• Patriotic Songs
• Short biographies of the Signers of the Declaration

Countdown to Summer is one book in the Countdown Series. See all four!

 

Free Bonus Material
The Declaration of Independence
$1.50 Free
The unabridged reading of the Declaration from Listen to Some U.S. History that is a companion to Heroes and Heroines of the Past: American History Curriculum.
8 minutes, MP3 download

Freedom Founded
$1.50 Free
Learn about the signers of the Declaration of Independence. This chapter from Uncover Exciting History by Amy Puetz Fox and read by Jim Hodges has short biographies about five of the signers.
9 minutes, MP3 download

Summer Countdown Bonus Ebook
$1.50 Free
Ebook copy of the countdown to Mother’s Day, printable pages from the book, and quotes and poems for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.