Welcome to our global link-up! We’re so glad you’re here – think of this as a free trip around the world, right from the comfort of your dining room table!
Take as long as you want to globally “hop” from one post to another and travel the world, meeting fellow families from around the planet!
Thank you for traveling the world with us. It’s been unforgettable, and we hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as we have!
Have fun exploring the world with each of these posts:
Lucy
Can each child enter to win the prizes if we read the books? or just one per family? We read enough that each child can have a different book list, but I don’t know if that is allowed or not.
Jamie Martin
Yep, each child can have one entry, Lucy, if they’ve completed the challenge.
Kaylie Hodges
Hi Jamie! I have loved all of this series and having Give Your Child the World.
I can’t get the download link for Tales of Cultures Near and Far to Work. Help?!
Thanks so much!
Kaylie Hodges’s latest post: Delight: Little Things Making a Big Difference May 2016
Jamie Martin
It is working, Kaylie, because many people have downloaded it so far. It’s a zip file and perhaps your computer has to be enabled to download them–or it might be a security issue that you have a setting to prevent you from downloading such files and you might need to change that first? Do you have a techie friend who can take a look for you?
Shelly
Thanks for hosting this linkup, Jamie. It’s been a lot of fun!
Shelly’s latest post: Growing Up Around the World: Homeschooling 10 in Eastern Pennsylvania
Melanie
Hi Jamie! I just submitted entries for my two boys, Cade Samples (5) and Ezra Samples (2) but I realized after submitting the first I realized that it was possible I put the wrong name, and could, consequently, have submitted two forms with the same name but different ages. I tried to clarify on the last form. I hope there isn’t any confusion, but if there is just shoot me an email! I’m so sorry…I haven’t had my coffee yet!!!
Jamie Martin
No worries, Melanie! Thanks for letting me know.
Missouri Ozarks, USA
Our family lives in the SW corner of Missouri, beautiful Ozarks country, that joins right up with the NWA region where Sam Walton is from, making this a growing metropolis area. My name is Jennifer & I was born & raised here & have watched this area explode with people and culture. My husband Ben is from the Missouri portion where his grandparents helped settle in the early 1900’s. We’ve been married 12 years and God surprised us with Bo first, who is now 7, and most recently Allie who is 12 months old. We both work in healthcare, so we spend half of our week at home in the ‘holler’ deep in the country, and the other half in town at my parent’s home while we work. This saves gas, time, money and provides opportunity for the best of both worlds-country & city. This area is primarily English speaking but there is a large community of Latinos as well as having one of the two US communities of Marshallese peoples. Unique foods for our area would be those of the South-BBQ meat, fried chicken, fried okra, baked beans. Yummy! We have 4 seasons, with summer being humid & bug ridden; winters are mild but icy when it is cold. School for the general populace is actually a decent mix of public school, private/Montessori, and a large homeschool community. School for us is rather eclectic at times due to our travel needs–we have 4 days of seatwork, the 3 R’s if you will, wherever we happen to be. We also do an elective of sorts, in the spring it was soccer, this fall it will be archery. We’ll be doing trumpet lessons this fall, and the Little Passports program. We also get to participate in the Awana program. Festivals in this area are still small town America with county fairs, with livestock showings, handwork, and foodstuff judgings. There is a large Cinco de Mayo festival as well. If we ever had to leave we would miss the strong Christian community around us. The books from this area that we love include Shepherd of the Hills by Harold Bell Wright, and the Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder (we live just an hour from where she wrote them!)
Valerie Cook
Aiden and Kyler Cook
My family has four people in it. We live very close to Baton Rouge, Louisiana in the USA. we have lived here for 5 years. The swamps and alligators are unique to where we live. English is the main language here, some people speak french and Spanish. Crawfish, Jambalaya, gumbo ,and beingets are traditional foods here. it is very humid hot in the summer but mild in the winter. The majority of kids in Louisiana go to public school. Right now we are unschooling, but plan to more structured homeschooling at the beginning of next year, and we do a lot of reading. The Strawberry festival and Jambalaya festival are two famous festival we celebrate in Louisiana. If i had to move I would miss my friends and family most. Ten little Rabbits and Baseball Saved Us were our favorite picks from our region. Right now in Louisiana we are experiencing devastating flooding, half of the people we know here have been flooded out of their homes. please pray for our area.
Laos, SE Asia
– Tell us about your family. Our family lives in Laos. We’ve got mom outnumbered. 2 boys (5 and 3 years old) + Dad = mom is well cared for!
– Tell us about where you live and how long you’ve lived there. We’ve been in Laos since the youngest was a baby (so, that makes 3 years almost)
– What do you think is unique and special about living where you do?The boys like that there are yummy fruits here like rambutan and dragon fruit. The mountains are beautiful and the people are so friendly, inviting, and generous!
– What languages are spoken there? If it’s different from English, can you help us learn a few common phrases? The national language is Lao, but there are many minority groups that speak their own languages as well. In the market we shop at there are many different groups represented, so sometimes communicating there can be a little tricky. Sabai-di is the greeting here. Another phrase we use daily is Seap lai – “Really yummy!”
– What are some traditional foods there? Sticky rice, spicy jeaw, grilled meats (all eaten with your hands) and pho (noodle soup) is a delicious staple.
– Tell us about the climate where you live. Humid & hot in the hot season then lots of rain during rainy season (5 months of the year) and chilly winter (lows in the 40s)- which feels quite cold because there is no heating in the homes. Everyone just bundles up.
– What does school look like for the majority of kids where you live? Kids start going to school (nursery) when they are about 2 years old. Most go to public school. Everyone has to wear uniforms and the girls even wear different colored bows depending on what grade they are in. Summer break is during rainy season so that the kids can all help their families in the rice fields.
– What does school look like for your family? We just started homeschooling last week (kindergarten & preschool), but I’d say most of what we learn right now comes from what we get to see and experience first hand in this big world!
– Are there any special festivals or traditions you’d like to tell us about related to where you live? We just celebrated the fish eating party where our friends caught all their fish from their rice field and grilled it up. It was pretty yummy. They do it every year and invite everyone they know to join in on the fun. We didn’t eat the “dancing fish” though as those one really were still dancing. A new kind of sushi? 🙂 The other yearly festival is during the Lao new year when the businesses all shut down and everyone gets in on city-wide water fights. The adults are just as into it as the kids!
– If you ever had to move away from where you live, what do you think you’d miss most? The boys say: Our pet bird; our friends; Paw Tao; and we’ll miss our market. I would say I’d miss the slow-paced friendly, stop what you’re doing and visit type lifestyle.
– Do you have a favorite book that takes place in your region/country? Big Brother Mouse is a neat project started to give Lao kids a chance to enjoy books! Their website has some free downloadable books about kids and life here in Laos that have great pictures of everyday life. The majority of the Lao books in our library are put out by Big Brother Mouse! http://www.bigbrothermouse.com/download/yulisstory.pdf
Tracy K
-Tell us about your family.
My family lives in York, Pennsylvania. My family is made up of my Daddy, Mommy, my baby brother (almost one year old), and me (I’m 2.5 years old).
– Tell us about where you live and how long you’ve lived there.
We live in York which is in south-central Pennsylvania. It gets much colder here and the roads are really twisty and curvy! There’s lots of fun markets and farm stands here. There’s also a lot of Amish people so we see horses and buggies all the time! We’ve only lived here a year. Most of our friends and family are back in Oklahoma.
– What do you think is unique and special about living where you do?
There’s tons of history here. Everywhere we go, there are historical markers for battlefields, famous historical figures, old mills, etc. You almost can’t help but learn new things all the time!
– What languages are spoken there? If it’s different from English, can you help us learn a few common phrases?
Most people here speak English. The Amish speak Pennsylvania German but I don’t understand any of it, yet.
– What are some traditional foods there?
Two big foods here are Stromboli (kind of a pizza roll up where the sauce comes on the side) and Scrapple. Scrapple seams to be the Pennsylvania version of Spam where all the unused parts of the animal get pressed into a kind of loaf of meat. I have not tried it.
– Tell us about the climate where you live.
It’s much more humid here than where we used to live. Winters are colder and we get much more rain/snow each year. Last winter, we broke the record for the amount of snow to fall in a 24 hour period! We couldn’t leave the house for days!
– What does school look like for the majority of kids where you live?
Most kids here go to public school and are sorted into classes by grade level.
– What does school look like for your family?
My family does homeschool. This is my first year and I love it! We learn new things every day, even when we weren’t planning for it!
– Are there any special festivals or traditions you’d like to tell us about related to where you live?
We are still learning about the area but there are lots of reenactments of famous battles from the Civil War and there’s a man who plays Christmas carols using a factory whistle just after midnight on Christmas Day every year for over 60 years!
– If you ever had to move away from where you live, what do you think you’d miss most?
I think I’d miss the local dairy that brings us our milk every week and all the pretty farms and farm stands.
– Do you have a favorite book that takes place in your region/country?
I don’t really have a favorite book. I love to read anything and everything I can get my hands on (with Mommy’s help, of course!)
Laura
Tell us about your family –
I have a younger sister, a mom, dad, dog, and cat, and me and my boo-boo, who use to be called blue dog.
Tell us about where you live and how long you’ve lived there –
We live in Asheville, NC. We have lived here for almost 1.5 years. Before we moved here we lived in Colorado for 6 years (that is where I was born).
What do you think is unique and special about living where you do –
There is a lot of water and trees here, we can go kayaking in town and we like to visit Biltmore. My favorite thing about Biltmore is getting ice cream.
What languages are spoken there? If it’s different from English, can you help us learn a few common phrases?
We speak English.
What are some traditional foods there?
We live in an area with a lot of Southern food. I really like chicken and waffles.
Tell us about the climate where you live. –
It rains a lot here, too much. It is hot in the summer, I stay inside where it is air conditioned. In the winter it is warm but can get cold. (Mom thinks it gets plenty cold.)
What does school look like for the majority of kids where you live?/What does school look like for your family?
Most kids go to school, but I am not sure because I am home schooled.
Are there any special festivals or traditions you’d like to tell us about related to where you live?
There is the LEAF festival. I swam in the lake and someone juggled fire and we can climb on jungle ropes, and eat hot dogs. There is also a fall festival with a haunted house.
If you ever had to move away from where you live, what do you think you’d miss most?
I would miss my house the most and the LEAF festival and my friends the most too.
Do you have a favorite book that takes place in your region/country?
No, most books take place in NYC, but I wrote a book, that took place here about my day to day life.
Katie
-There are five of us: Dad, Mom, two girls, and a boy.
-We live in in San Francisco Bay Area, California, and have for about four years.
-There are lots of opportunities to get outside, both because of the landscape (mountains, hills, Redwoods, and the Pacific Ocean) and the mild climate. There are lots of flowers here year round, which is just lovely.
-Mostly English, but there’s a large Hispanic population, so a lot of Spanish, too. Most of the letters that come home from school are printed in English on the front and Spanish on the back. A couple schools in our district teach dual-immersion, i.e. instruction in both English and Spanish.
-We have excellent produce–so many fresh fruits and veggies! We never ate so much fruit as we do now that we live here. “Fresh” is how I’d best describe the local cuisine. Avocados, almonds, and grapes are big crops around here. If you go into San Francisco, you get a large variety of ethnic food.
-Summer runs from June-Sept and is hot and dry, with highs between 85F and 100F. It cools down at night. Winter is the “rainy” season, but it’s not actually that wet, and we’re still in a drought (though last year was better). It doesn’t snow in the winter, which is a bummer. It never really gets below 27F, and often not that low. Winter highs are typically in the 40s and 50s.
-Public school is pretty common. I also know lots of families who do private school or homeschool. There are some interesting hybrid opportunities.
-We do public school, at least for now.
-Big local events include the county fair, the rodeo, and a couple wine festivals.
-The long growing season for veggies, having fruit trees in the yard, flowers, and the convenience of a non-winter.
-We love Capyboppy (though it takes place in Southern California – c lose enough?).
Sarah Tien
Very Generous offer from Jim Weiss too! What a great surprise at the end here!! Everyone wins a cool prize with that free download!! What a fun summer we had reading across the globe with your awesome book.
Jamie Martin
Yay, glad you’ve enjoyed it Sarah.
Brynn Moe
-We are the Moes, Jake (Dad), Brynn (Mom), Samantha (3), Axel (1), and Madelynn (1). A few of things you might find our family doing together is running, biking, camping, reading, and traveling. We enjoy the beauty and adventure of the Creation surrounding us.
-We live in Alaska. All of us born and raised here.
-Though we live in a Alaska’s largest city, nature and adventure are just out the door. We often have moose and bear in our neighborhood. Winter gives us ample opportunity to enjoy skiing. Our summers offer endless daylight to fit in lots of hiking, running, fishing, and camping.
-English is the main language here, but we have a very diverse culture. It is not uncommon to hear languages spoken from Alaska Native dialects, Asia countries, the Pacific Islands, various parts of Europe, and from many other parts of the world.
-Salmon and berries are the one of the most traditional foods you will find here.
-Across our state the climate can vary greatly, but in South central Alaska our winters can typically range from negative 20 degrees Fahrenheit to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Summers often range from 50 degrees Fahrenheit to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. We have lots of forest, mountains, lakes, and rivers as well as glaciers.
-Most kids in Alaska attend a public school but home school is also widely used as well especially for those living in remote communities.
-We are beginning some preschool at home but we enjoy spending a lot of time outside exploring and playing.
-We have a Fur Rendezvous Winter Festival every February to celebrate the city of Anchorage’s history and tradition. This festival is followed by the start of the Iditarod, commemorating the trek a musher and his dogs took from Seward to Nome, Alaska to bring medicine to help the community fight against diphtheria.
-If we ever moved away from Alaska, we would miss the mountains most and much our family who lives here.
-Baby Beluga- Raffe, Alaska’s Train Story by Shannon Cartwright, Listen to Alaska’s Animals by Bernd and Susan Ritcher, Balto by Natalie Standiford
Aurora, Eleanor, Ezra, August
Tell us about your family.
We are a family of 6 plus one naughty Boston Terrier named Oreo. Dad, Mom, Aurora (9), Eleanor (7), Ezra (4), and August (4 months).
– Tell us about where you live and how long you’ve lived there.
We live in Lakeland, Florida. Mom and Dad met here about 14 years ago and lived here ever since.
– What do you think is unique and special about living where you do?
Lakeland is a very welcoming place with a lot of support for small businesses. There are also a lot of homeschool families here so that is cool.
– What languages are spoken there? If it’s different from English, can you help us learn a few common phrases? English
– What are some traditional foods there? Traditional american food but one of our favorites is the pizza place downtown.
– Tell us about the climate where you live. It is very hot here year around.
– What does school look like for the majority of kids where you live? I would say the majority of kids here go to a public school with classes divided by grades.
– What does school look like for your family? We homeschool. We do most of our work at home but something that is really cool is that my mom owns a store and we also have a school room in her store.
– Are there any special festivals or traditions you’d like to tell us about related to where you live? We always go to the Christmas parade every year.
– If you ever had to move away from where you live, what do you think you’d miss most?II would miss my friends the most. We have a lot of friends here that we love.
– Do you have a favorite book that takes place in your region/country?I like the little house books a lot.
Minnesota, USA
We have a Mommy and Daddy and 3 kids (4 and 2 years and 4months).
We live in Minnesota, USA. Mommy and Daddy have lived here a long time.
Unique to our area: lots of trees and lakes.
We speak English.
Our favorite foods are hamburgers and hot dogs (but we don’t get them that often).
We have 4 seasons. Our winters get really cold, sometimes up to -20F and our summers can get hot up to 90F.
School here is done at a separate building where teachers and kids spend up to 8 hours a day.
Schooling for our family….well, we are just starting preschool this year. But mommy is teaching at home.
Favorite holidays: 4th of July: independence day for the USA. We have lots of fireworks.
If we had to move away, we would miss the parks.
Lisa Doherty
Maine, USA
We don’t have a blog, but enjoyed thinking about where we live, what we love and what makes central Maine unique! Trenton is 9 years old and has a Pug named Doug. He was born on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, we are from New England, and have lived in Maine for four years. Trenton is part of a small homeschooling community, plays town sports and loves Cub Scouts. We live in The Lake District and enjoy the wildlife, mountains, outdoors and fishing. Late October to early May is usually cold and snowy, but summers are warm and beautiful for fishing and berry picking. Fall is vibrant with color and sweet apples are milled into cider and applesauce and pies! Even though we’re so far north, did you know there is still a desert in Freeport, Maine!? It’s pretty cool to see what the earth can do. The Appalachian Trail ends up in Maine, and there is an Audubon Wildlife Reserve on a mountain that we can see from Our house. We like to go to the County Fair every June and the Whoopie Pie Festival every summer (it’s our State Treat!). Maine is known for farming, fishing and logging. Local foods include blueberries, potatoes, fiddleheads, maple sugar (syrup, cotton candy, hard candy, fudge), buckwheat pancakes, Moxie soda, lobsters, chowders and meat stews. Since we’re not originally from here Mainers call us “flatlanders”, they call their snowmobiles “sleds”, elastics are rubber bands, dungarees are jeans, cunnin’ means cute, they’ll tell you to leave your muddy boots in the dooryard (front yard), and complain about it being laury all week (overcast). “Ayuh” (yup, sure, okay). And lots of other ways to say things when you’re up north in Maine! Trenton has two favorite books from this area: “Lost On a Mountain in Maine” by Donn Fendler, and Robert McCloskey’s “One Morning in Maine”. We have loved participating in the Read the World Summer Book Club! It’s been so much fun reading famiy stories from around the world. Can’t wait to visit more Link Ups!
Jocelyn O'Leary
Evanston, IL. We’re the O’Leary’s ~ Mom, Dad, Jack (9), Charlie (7), Eamon (5) and Thomas (3). We live in a collar city of Chicago and have been here for 7 years. Evanston is one of the most walk-able cities in America, which we love. It is a very diverse community both socially and economically, but English is the main language. All thing Chicago are big here as well, including pizza and hot dogs. But we do have an amazing Farmer’s Market and wonderful farm-to-table restaurants. Our winters are long and cold, but our Spring, Summer and Fall seasons are heavenly. Evanston sits right on Lake Michigan which is a stunningly beautiful lake. Most kids in our neighborhood go to the local public school three blocks away. We homeschool. 🙂 Evanston has lovely art and food festivals all summer long. And wonderful, wonderful concerts. Outdoors, indoors, from blues to classical to folk. I do not know of any famous books that take place here. So we just travel to other places where our favorite books take place ~ like WV! (The Green Ember, SD Smith ~ fantastic!!)
B. Hart Rizer
– Tell us about your family.
Our family is made up of Mama, Dada, Judah (7), Asah (5), & Mina (cat).
– Tell us about where you live and how long you’ve lived there.
We live just outside of Gainesville, FL, USA. We moved just outside of town last year after being in Gainesville before that.
– What do you think is unique and special about living where you do?
Gainesville is a small town with a large, state university. So, it has the feel of a small town but a much larger & more diverse community 9 months out of the year due to the university. There is a major focus on nature & preserving the natural wildlife around us. We have previously been voted “Tree City USA” for the extensive tree canopies & historic live oak trees throughout town.
– What languages are spoken there? If it’s different from English, can you help us learn a few common phrases?
English is the main language spoken here, although there are many other languages spoken due to the large international community brought here by the university.
– What are some traditional foods there?
The most traditional genre of food here is southern/soul food. Lots of bbq, fried chicken, fresh fried fish, macncheese, biscuits/cornbread, & iced (sweet) tea by the gallon.
– Tell us about the climate where you live.
Our climate is very hot & very humid for most of the year. We have a very brief fall & a relatively mild winter. There will usually be one or two hard freezes per year. There is little to no spring. We usually go straight into hot summer heat.
– What does school look like for the majority of kids where you live?
Most kids here are in public school, but we have a strong homeschool community as well. Our public schools do not have uniforms. They are mostly concrete institutional type buildings though we have several beautiful, older brick schools.
– What does school look like for your family?
Our family homeschools. Judah is in 2nd grade & Asah is in Kindergarten. We use Charlotte Mason methods, so there is a lot of reading. We focus on reading “living books” much more than textbooks or worksheets. We have a heavy focus on nature & spending time outdoors to explore & play.
– Are there any special festivals or traditions you’d like to tell us about related to where you live?
We have a large parade during the university’s “Homecoming” week along with a lot of community activities that week. Football season is a major event here. Much of the town closes down for game days & there are tailgating parties covering the entire campus. It is very festive with tents of bbqs & cookouts everywhere. Many of the local restaurants play the games on tvs for those who prefer watching on tv.
– If you ever had to move away from where you live, what do you think you’d miss most?
I would miss the loads of nature activities & trails as well as the strong community surrounding here. There are so many events for our family throughout the year I really can’t imagine being somewhere less connected.
– Do you have a favorite book that takes place in your region/country?
We do not have a favorite book from our region yet. We are avid readers though & are on the hunt for a local favorite.
Jennifer
Our family (Mommy, Daddy, 10-yr-old boy, 6-yr-old girl, and 2 young cats) lives in the state of New Hampshire in the USA.
What’s special about NH? Beautiful fall colors, snowy winters, maple syrup, state motto: “Live free or die.” If we moved away, we would definitely miss the fall leaves and winter snow.
English is spoken here by almost everyone; regional foods include maple syrup and lobster. Most kids around us go to public school each day on a bus from about 8-2. Many also attend private schools. We homeschool, so our day is pretty flexible, but we do have a core set of school activities we do each day.
Make Way for Ducklings, Blueberries for Sal, and other McCloskey books are favorites set in our region (New England).
Elizabeth B
Thank you for this great experience! Here is some about our Family, since we don’t have a blog:
There are 6 of us: Mom, Dad, 3 girls, one baby boy. We are living in Canton, OH. We’ve been here for a few years, and while it is a typical American city, we have a few special and unique things, like the NFL Hall of Fame, McKinley Monument, and lots of diversity for such a medium-sized city, with festivals all summer long for different cultures. Most people here speak English, but occasionally we come across Italians, Greeks, Mexicans, etc who immigrated here and do not speak much, if any, English.
Foods are fairly typical American, I think, but some interesting ones we enjoy are “elephant ears” and “funnel cakes” that are offered at local fairs and festivals.
Our weather is NOT temperate. We have cold winters and hot, humid summers. Spring is often a very short, wet season, but Autumn can be quite enjoyable as things cool down.
Most children here attend public school, but interestingly enough, the greater NE Ohio area has many homeschoolers. Our family is just beginning to homeschool this year and we are looking forward to it!
Because we live in the National Football Hall of Fame city (no, not soccer), ☺ there is always a month-long event at the end of summer with festivities celebrating the Enshrinees for the Hall of Fame. There is a hot-air balloon fest, huge parade, football game, concerts, etc.
If we moved, we would miss the different festivals and the sense of community we have in our neighborhood. We also aren’t too far from extended family, so we would also miss them.
We do not know of a book that takes place in Canton, OH, but the kids do enjoy hearing about Johnny Appleseed, since he originally planted many apple trees in Ohio.
Karen Webb
Cleveland, Ohio
Hi, We are the Webb’s. We have four children: a nine year old boy; twins who are boy/girl and almost 6; and a 4 year old girl. We LOVED this summer reading program and enjoyed participation. We added the Usborne World Atlas Sticker Book and it added a lot to the program. We had picked it up at the Indianapolis Children’s Museum before we heard of this program. Thank you So much for your addition to our summer!!
All the children were born in Cleveland, Ohio and have always lived in the same house.
We get to enjoy all the seasons. With winter we get lots of snow and sled and ski; with summer we get to playoutside and swim. We have a large back yard and see lots of animals: deer, frogs, fish, and different types of birds.
Hamburgers, pizza and fruit are our favorite foods.
We attend the local Catholic school.
In the summer, many of the local parishes have fun festivals. Some have amusement park rides and others have games and pony rides.
We would miss our tree house that our Daddy built for us.
Chicago, IL USA
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS // USA
– Tell us about your family.
we are a family of four, living in the city. I am a stay-at-home-mama to Sophie (3), and Adelyn (8 months)
– Tell us about where you live and how long you’ve lived there.
I lived in what’s called “Chicagoland” (the city and nearby suburbs) for 3 years, and actually in Chicago for 10 years.
– What do you think is unique and special about living where you do?
Chicago is an absolutely beautiful city. Something that’s unique about us is that nearly all of the lakefront (and Lake Michigan is big enough to actually have tides!) is public land. There are parks all along the lake, with walking/biking trails. Chicagoans are so eager to get out in the sunshine after our winters, that you’ll see people in shorts in 50* weather hopping over remaining snowdrifts!
Additionally, we are a very diverse city. We live in an area that is largely Hispanic, with most of the kids at our neighborhood park speaking Spanish. 2 blocks west of us is a large Hasidic Jewish area, and 2 blocks south of us is a large Indian and Pakistani area with Indian markets, restaurants, and Sari shops. 5 blocks south of us is a large settlement of Swedes in a neighborhood called “Andersonville”. Many Swedish carpenters helped to rebuild Chicago after the Great Chicago Fire.
Chicago also has the largest population of Polish peoples outside of Warsaw!
– What languages are spoken there? If it’s different from English, can you help us learn a few common phrases?
There are many languages spoken in Chicago, although English is the official language. The most common around us are Spanish, Hindi (maybe Urdu?), and Polish.
– What are some traditional foods there?
When people come to Chicago if they want to get the true Chicago food experience, they should get a “Chicago Dog” – a hotdog with mustard, relish (dyed a CRAZY green), chopped onions, a dill pickle spear, tomato slices, sport peppers, and celery salt. A true chicagoan NEVER puts ketchup on his hotdog. On news coverage of a political protest of a politician, I saw someone with a sign that said, “X Politician Puts Ketchup On His Hotdog”. Hot dogs can also be called “Red Hots” here!
The other things you’d want to get are Deep Dish Pizza and an Italian Beef Sandwich (a kind of roast beef sandwich with broth on an Italian roll. It can have giardiniera (spicy pickled peppers and veggies), or peppers on it.
– Tell us about the climate where you live.
Chicago is cold in the winter, with sometimes frigid winds, and hot and humid in the summer. In the wintertime, it can get dark here starting at 4 pm.
– What does school look like for the majority of kids where you live?
Chicago school system is very complicated in my opinion! Many people do not want to go to their local school, and so you apply and enter a lottery to get a chance to go to a different school. Chicago has a both very good public schools and pretty bad schools. A large amount of people pay to send their kids to school – even more than i think would happen in other places with better school systems that are easier to navigate. It is not just wealthy or even just upper middle class children who are in private schools.
– What does school look like for your family?
Although my oldest could have gone to school this year, we have kept her home. I’m not sure about school in the future, but it likely won’t be at a Chicago Public School.
– Are there any special festivals or traditions you’d like to tell us about related to where you live?
Probably the biggest festival in Chicago is for Saint Patrick’s Day. The city dyes the river that goes through Chicago a super bright green! Restaurants dye their beverages green too! People dress up in silly costumes or all green and go to a giant parade. It can be a pretty wild time.
Another popular festival is “Taste of Chicago” where lots of restaurants and food trucks all come together for a weekend and people come and listen to bands and eat tons and tons of food!
– If you ever had to move away from where you live, what do you think you’d miss most?
The lake and parks makes Chicago a really beautiful city. Also, we have amazing museums, especially the Art Institute.
– Do you have a favorite book that takes place in your region/country?
There are a few children books set in Chicago. Two are W is for Windy City, by Steven and Debbie Layne, and Journey Around Chicago from A to Z, by Martha Day Zschock. (For adults, Devil in the White City is set in Chicago.)
Maryland Suburb of D.C. (USA)
-Tell us about your family.
Mom, Dad, boys ages 11, 9, 6, and 4, and toddler girl
– Tell us about where you live and how long you’ve lived there.
We’ve lived in Gaithersburg, MD, for just a year, which is about 50 minutes from our nation’s capitol (non-rush hour driving).
– What do you think is unique and special about living where you do?
Our particular town is extremely racially diverse, which is enriching and fascinating for us especially since we have moved here from a small Midwestern town that wasn’t so diverse. Our neighborhood friends come from around the world (Somalia, Cameroon, Pakistan, Uruguay, Iran, and El Salvador). We have enjoyed Somalian cuisine numerous times thanks to our generous neighbors. Additionally, living here is amazing because our nation’s early history comes alive here as we travel to DC, nearby plantations, and look forward to trips to Mount Vernon and Gettysburg this year.
– What languages are spoken there? If it’s different from English, can you help us learn a few common phrases?
Our family only speaks English, though our children are interested in learning Spanish.
– What are some traditional foods there?
We still eat Midwestern “meat and potatoes” and occasionally a “hotdish!” since that’s how I was raised. However, we are having fun exploring foods from other cultures with our access to great Indian and Greek restaurants (our favorites). We like crab cakes, too, a Baltimore favorite.
– Tell us about the climate where you live.
We have four seasons, with a mild-ish winter that includes occasional snow, and humidity in the summer. We love the temperate weather of fall!
– What does school look like for the majority of kids where you live?
School starts the end of August and goes through mid-June with many breaks sprinkled in. School is in session from 9 am – 3:30 p.m. Children are in class with peers of their own age, learning from a classroom teacher or specialized teachers about reading, writing, spelling, science, social studies, health, physical education, music, and more.
– What does school look like for your family?
One of our children attends public school for special education, and the rest are home schooled. We follow the school year schedule. We cover the subjects above by doing lots of reading good books, science experiments, choir involvement, cross country running with a group, and fun field trips.
– Are there any special festivals or traditions you’d like to tell us about related to where you live?
We are still learning what is available in this region. We’d like to attend fireworks in Washington, DC, someday!
– If you ever had to move away from where you live, what do you think you’d miss most?
We’d miss the opportunity for exploring our nation’s history so close-by, as well as the close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean (three hours or less). We probably wouldn’t miss all the traffic, though. 😉
– Do you have a favorite book that takes place in your region/country?
Though there are many, I can’t pinpoint one. We look forward to reading more about the Underground Railroad this year.
Michelle VanGurp
– Tell us about your family.
We are an off grid family of four. We live primarily in the White Mountains of Arizona, but spend as much time as possible in our home away from home in Baja California Sur, Mexico.
– Tell us about where you live and how long you’ve lived there.
We’ve lived in the White Mountains as a family for over 11 years. Prior to that, Mom lived in Phoenix, and in Florida. Dad lived in Greer, and in California and Mexico.
– What do you think is unique and special about living where you do?
We live in Arizona, but it’s not the desert like you might imagine. We’re in the cool junipers of the mountains, and enjoy snowy winters and cool summers. In our Baja spot, it’s right on the ocean, so it’s cool, windy and wet!
– What languages are spoken there? If it’s different from English, can you help us learn a few common phrases?
In Arizona, we’re right next to The Navajo Nation and many other Native American lands. We get to hear a lot of Native languages spoken. In Baja, Spanish is spoken most often, and we are all still learning the proper way to speak!
– What are some traditional foods there?
In AZ, we love traditional Navajo foods such as Indian Fry Bread….delicious sweet and savory! In Baja, we are spoiled by the riches from the sea, like abalone, lobster and languado (halibut), as well as local delicacies like lechon and burro!
– Tell us about the climate where you live.
In AZ, we enjoy mild summers and snowy winters. In Baja, we’re right on the ocean, so it’s always wet. Summer’s can be super hot, but we dip in the sea to cool off.
– What does school look like for the majority of kids where you live?
In AZ, we homeschool, and have a large homeschooling community. In Our Baja town, there is one main school for most of the children. Little kids go to school during the day, and high schoolers go to school at night. There is a separate school for kindergarten.
– What does school look like for your family?
We homeschool in both locations, so school travels with us wherever we go.
– Are there any special festivals or traditions you’d like to tell us about related to where you live?
In AZ, we enjoy a Blugrass & Acoustic Music gathering every summer, as well as rodeos and Native American celebrations. In Baja, the town holds traditional fiestas and surf competitions in the summer time.
– If you ever had to move away from where you live, what do you think you’d miss most?
In AZ, I’d miss the snow, and our off grid farm. In Baja, I’d miss the ocean and the sand!
– Do you have a favorite book that takes place in your region/country?
We love books about Mexico and it’s rich culture.
We also enjoy books about Arizona, the Grand Canyon and the Wild West.
There are really too many to count!
Michelle VanGurp
Meant to add a link to my blog post about the book and challenge!
Michelle VanGurp’s latest post: Enjoyed the Global Tour with “Give Your Child the World”
Leah Bean
Priest River, ID, USA
Hi! We’re the Beans, a family of three. Will is seven years old. We live in Priest River, Idaho, USA and have lived in our house since 2008. Priest River is a great place to live because we have so many options for outdoor fun. The Pend O’reille River runs through town and we have two big lakes within a half hour drive. Camping, hiking, boating, and skiing are all available nearby. Priest River is a small town of 1,751 and when the snow is right, we have been known to go cross-country skiing out our door and down the streets of town. Priest River is an English speaking town and not very diverse at all, so it has been wonderful to increase our multicultural education using books from Give Your Child the World this summer. William told me, “I’m so glad you got this book because it has such good stories in it!” Our area is known for its huckleberries and we love to have huckleberry pie and ice cream in the summer. We experience all four seasons here, with high temperatures rarely reaching above 100 degrees F in the summer or below -10 degrees F in the winter. We generally receive a good snowfall of 1-2 feet that stays around for several months in the winter. Most kids in Priest River go to public school, although we have a few private schools in the area and a significant minority of families who homeschool as well. I am a part-time teacher at our public school and Will homeschools with our friends in the morning while I’m at work, then they come to our house to finish the school day in the afternoon. Priest River was a traditional logging town and celebrates Timber Days each summer with a parade, logging competitions, and lawnmower races. If we moved from home, I’d most miss the easy access to water in the summer time and our wonderful neighborhood. We have a quiet street where everyone knows Will and he is right across the street from great friends. We are fans of the Mighty Mike series of books written by local author Kelly Lynch. They capture the can-do spirit of so many in this beautiful part of the world.
El Paso, Texas, USA
Hello everyone. I am a stay at home homeschooling mom to twin 11 yr old boys. My husband currently serves in the US Military. We currently just moved to El Paso about 1.5 months ago. Before here we were stationed in Kentucky for about a year and half. Since we have always been stationed on the east coast this was my first experience out “west”. Some laugh at me when I call Texas, west. But when all you have lived is KY, TN, NC, GA…Texas is west..LOL. I think what surprised my family the most about Texas was we thought it would be very dessert like but to our surprise there are huge mountains. Yes, there is barely any grass so most of the landscape colors are browns and tans. Another unique thing is we are only 7 miles to “border gates” to Mexico..so we are as far Southwest as you can go. It’s so weird to go shopping at Wal-Mart and look across the highway and see Juarez, Mexico businesses and houses. Of course since Texas is a State, English is mostly spoken here however since we are so close to Mexico and so many of them can cross back and forth Spanish is also spoken here. Maybe even more than English. I only have learned Banos’ (bathroom)..LOL.. Mexican food is everywhere and its more authentic than Mexican food in KY of course. Their salsa here is more of a hot sauce type taste versus in KY it was more of chopped tomatoes, onions and cilantro. When we arrived here in Texas in early July we were greeted with 107 degrees and clear skies. Now we have entered August and they call this the Monsoon season. So far it’s only rained 3 times but when it does it storms. Lightening, thunder and heavy rains flooding the area quick. Unfortunately schools do not have great ratings here. Kids go to school Monday thru Friday from elementary starting at 7:45-3:15 and middle school 8:45-4:15. Our house we currently are in our 4th year of homeschooling. Due to moving so often it worked out better to homeschool. We start around 8-8:30 a.m. We sit outside at our patio table and have a beautiful view of the Mountains. Then as temps warm up around 10:30-11 a.m. we move inside to our kitchen table. That’s about the time we take a snack break and relax for about 20-30 mins and watch a little television. Then back to school to finish up the last 2 subjects. We are usually done about 1-2 pm. I am still exploring the area but it has a ton of hiking trails, National Parks and is well known for the history of Mexico and US fighting for this area. Festivals usually seem to be “taco” related..LOL. I think I would miss the weather the most. I love the warm weather, sun is usually always shining. While at the library getting our Story of the World books we found the cutest book about our area. It is called Spencer Goes to El Paso by Spencer and Mom, Melanie Brooks. It tells all about the history, Mission Trail, plants, and animals of the area.
Chambers family
– Tell us about your family.
My family a mom and a dad and a boy and a girl. We have a cat, 2 dogs, 2 guinea pigs, 1 chicken.
– Tell us about where you live and how long you’ve lived there.
We live in the desert of Arizona. We have lived here 6 years.
– What do you think is unique and special about living where you do?
It is very hot. It can get 120 degrees in the summer. We get monsoon storms in the summer. We can play outside a lot in the winter, spring, and fall and only a little teeny bit in the summer.
– What languages are spoken there? If it’s different from English, can you help us learn a few common phrases? English and some Spanish
– What are some traditional foods there?
We recently made jelly and popsicles with prickly pear juice. There is lots of good Mexican food here. The Native Americans ate lots of the desert plants.
– Tell us about the climate where you live.
It is hot and rainy in the summer. It is a desert. It is dusty. Cactus grow here. We also have fields of cotton, corn and alfalfa in our town. We have a vegetable garden in our backyard.
– What does school look like for the majority of kids where you live?
They go to school 4 or 5 days of the week except in the summer. There are a lot of people that homeschool though too.
– What does school look like for your family?
We do chores, take care of our animals, study a lot of subjects, go on field trips, and do classes with other kids sometimes.
– Are there any special festivals or traditions you’d like to tell us about related to where you live?
We have a rodeo in the spring that starts with a cattle drive down Main Street. At Christmas there is a parade down main street with many floats and music from local companies, schools, and organizations.
– If you ever had to move away from where you live, what do you think you’d miss most?
All of our friends and our house.
– Do you have a favorite book that takes place in your region/country?
We love Roxaboxen!
Jennifer
Eastern Sierra, California, USA
– Tell us about your family.
We are a family of four: Dad is a carpenter and loves working with wood. Mom used to be a school teacher, and now teaches at home. Eldest son is 8, and daughter is 6.
— Tell us about where you live and how long you’ve lived there.
We live in the Eastern Sierra, the east side of the Sierra Nevada mountains, in California. We’ve been here as a family for 10 years. The children were both born here.
— What do you think is unique and special about living where you do?
Our home is 8,000 feet above sea level, and the ski resort near our town reaches 11,053 feet. Not far from us is the highest peak in the contiguous U.S., Mount Whitney, 14,505 feet. We are the eastern gateway to Yosemite National Park. We live surrounded by Jeffery pine trees, and occasionally, a black bear will wander through our yard. We average 300 days of sunshine, but upwards of 4 feet of snow can pile up and stay all winter. This is an active volcanic area, and living on the edge of a caldera (a large volcanic crater), we experience small earthquakes daily, but only occasionally are they strong enough to notice.
— What languages are spoken there? If it’s different from English, can you help us learn a few common phrases?
English is spoken by the majority, but our area has a high Spanish-speaking population. California is known for it’s unusual slang. Words like “bro” and “dude” reflect the influence of the abundant surfers, skaters, and snowboarders.
— What are some traditional foods there?
California is known for its almonds, raisins, avocados, and happy cows. We’re proud to claim In-N-Out Burger, and many of us love fish tacos, or any kind of taco on “Taco Tuesday.” In our local, high-adventure area, “power bars” and tubes of “energy gel” are popular for biking and trail running!
–Tell us about the climate where you live.
California is sunny, dry, and temperate. The Eastside is especially dry, and the weather is more extreme at high elevation. Our summer is mild; highs reach the low 90s (F). But winter lows can drop below 0 (F).
— What does school look like for the majority of kids where you live?
We have a small (transient), isolated population, so our one public school district is also small. There is only one Christian private school, and though there are a handful of home school families, there are no organized groups. Young athletes who ski race are often on a home study program.
— What does school look like for your family?
We have school at home. It has been going well for three years, and for a year we’ve been a part of a co-op in the nearest town, 40 minutes away.
— Are there any special festivals or traditions you’d like to tell us about related to where you live?
Because we are a resort town, we host music festivals all through the summer. The ski resort hosts ski/snowboard events and races all winter, and mountain bike events and races all summer.
— If you ever had to move away from where you live, what do you think you’d miss most?
I’d miss the mountain trails, the alpine meadows, the wildflowers, and the granite cliffs. This is a town where the rich and famous come to play, but it it doesn’t cost a thing to wander in the mountains. The Jeffery pines have a sweet, vanilla smell that is unforgettable.
— Do you have a favorite book that takes place in your region/country?
The book, The Other Side of the Mountain, is the story of Jill Kinmont, a young ski racer and Olympic hopeful that became a paraplegic after a racing crash. Despite all, she graduated university and became a respected local teacher, affecting the lives of many local children, especially the local Paiute tribe members. Farewell to Manzinar tells the story of a Japanese internment camp, located on the east side of the Sierra.
April
–Tell us about where you live and how long you’ve lived there:
We live in Northern Virginia, and we’ve been here just over 1 year.
–What do you think is unique and special about living where you do?
There is a lot of Civil War history here, and being so close to D.C., we can visit the museums and stay connected to the past, but also current U.S. History.
–What languages are spoken there? If it’s different from English, can you help us learn a few common phrases?
English, but we live in a city that has a strong Korean population.
–What are some traditional foods there?
You can get anything in NoVA. It’s definitely a melting pot here.
–Tell us about the climate where you live.
It’s quite humid. Hot, sticky summers, and cold, wet winters with record breaking snowstorms (but not consistent snowfall). We also get hurricanes occasionally.
–What does school look like for the majority of kids where you live?
Fairly typical public school scenario.
–What does school look like for your family?
We are currently homeschooling 8 year old twin boys.
–Are there any special festivals or traditions you’d like to tell us about related to where you live?
Fall Festivals at local farms are a big thing here, as well as the Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival every April in D.C.
–If you ever had to move away from where you live, what do you think you’d miss most?
The fall/autumn time. It’s so beautiful here when the leaves change colors.
–Do you have a favorite book that takes place in your region/country?
Bridge to Terabithia, takes place in Virginia. Such a lovely story, makes me cry every time. I haven’t read it to my kids yet, I’m sure I’ll sob the whole way through.
Charissa Deuser
– Tell us about your family.
My name is Kaely and I am 12 years old; the youngest of five children. My only brother Justin is 24 years old. I have three sisters. The oldest is Nichole, 22 yrs. and Chrysten , 19 yrs. All these have already graduated. Aubrey is 17 yrs and then there’s me.
My mom and dad are Ron and Charissa. They met in college and have been married 30 years.
We have 2 gerbils named Oolong and Chai and 27 chickens. I won’t bother listing their names. The newest member of our family is Yui a 4 month old black and white kitten.
The men in our family are into computers. Although my dad can do just about anything he puts his mind to and originally was a mechanic they are both computer programmers now. My mom enjoys hand crafts of all kinds, learning new things, and reading books to her children.
My oldest sister loves plants, indoor and outdoor, so our house and yard are full. My other sisters run a house-sitting/ pet care business.
– Tell us about where you live and how long you’ve lived there.
Our stomping ground is Southwest Michigan. We call our state “The Mitten” because of its shape. Michigan has two parts, the upper and lower peninsulas. Recently, I learned that the Yoopers (folks in the Upper Peninsula) call us the trolls because we live under the bridge, (the Mackinac Bridge). I didn’t like it at first but I guess it is pretty funny.
My family built our house 10 years ago. Even though I was only 2 yrs. old my dad let me help out too.
– What do you think is unique and special about living where you do?
Michigan is one of the easiest places to spot on a map of the United States because of its unique position and shape. We have all kinds of weather. There is a joke around here that if you don’t like the weather wait 15 minutes because it shifts a great deal. It can change drastically throughout a 24 hour period. Michigan is bordered by four fresh water lakes. We are only a short drive to Lake Michigan and the beach. We are able to walk out to the lighthouses on the peer when the weather is fair and watch the boats glide into the bay.
– What languages are spoken there? If it’s different from English, can you help us learn a few common phrases?
English is the language spoken here but there are many folks that speak Spanish too.
– What are some traditional foods there?
Mackinac Island fudge is special to Michigan although I can’t eat it. Apples, cherries, and blueberries are plentiful and made into pies are especially tasty! My mom makes gluten and dairy free pies for me. There are a lot of vineyards too.
– Tell us about the climate where you live.
If you like variety then you would enjoy southwest Michigan. The winters are cold and there are usually piles of snow to build forts, snowmen, and ice slides. We build an ice rink in the back yard and my dad hopes it will get cold enough since it’s a big job to put up the frames and liner. A couple years it did not get cold enough and that is discouraging for him. People in our area do a lot of skiing and snowmobiling too.
Spring is wonderful! As the snow begins to melt and we watch the crocus flowers poke up through the white crystals you feel like morning. The world is just waking up! Mom and I walk around watching the trees, plants, and bushes for buds and new growth. All the snow piles shrink and the snowmen get mighty thin then topple over before they melt completely. One year we had three feet of snow in October and we did not see the grass again until April.
Summer is green, sunny, and warm. It is pleasant today but the last few weeks it was hot and humid. We usually swim in our pool throughout the day to cool off. It’s much easier to weed or hoe when you are wet and cooled. Moms’ plan is to have us work to the end of each row in the garden then jump in the pool to cool off. Some days I get distracted and dig giant holes between the rows. My dad just rolls his eyes.
Fall is fun too. The leaves turn beautiful colors as they cap off for their winter rest. As they fall we rake them into piles. The air is warm and less humid and the evenings are cooler.
– What does school look like for the majority of kids where you live?
Most kids around here attend public or private schools but there is a huge number of homeschoolers like me too.
– What does school look like for your family?
My family chose homeschooling for many reasons. Mom enjoys the individualized attention she can give us and we are encouraged to explore what interests us. Learning is just part of our every day natural flow: cooking, gardening, etc. We even built our house as a family. Mom loves to read aloud. She finds great books! Our “classroom” includes a hammock, trampoline, swings, pool, picnic table, fort, porch, 8 foot bean bag. Of course we have a table and a couch too.
After we read something we add the best information to our notebooks. We have science, geography, and century notebooks. Most of the math we do is to keep track of the our family budget but I have a math book too.
Nature journaling is a big deal too. Drawing, painting, paper, etc. make the journals fun to look back though. We are learning the names of the plants and animals. There are so many exciting things to see.
– Are there any special festivals or traditions you’d like to tell us about related to where you live?
Our family has been involved in the Kalamazoo Nature Center for ten years now. We took care of the Delano Homestead kitchen/herb garden until this year. Every year mom and I dress in our pioneer clothes and pretend we live in the 1800s for the Maple Sugar Festival. Although I can’t eat much maple sugar without getting a sick tummy it has been fun to make candles, walk on stilts, write Spenserian cursive, use a slate pencil, grind corn by hand, and other activities with the guests.
– If you ever had to move away from where you live, what do you think you’d miss most?
Mom lived in the south and she missed the snow and variety in the weather. I think I would miss snow too, depending on how far away we moved. Most of us agree that we would miss the people most. Even moving from our old house to here we don’t run in the same circles and have to make plans to see the folks we knew where just thirty minutes away.
– Do you have a favorite book that takes place in your region/country?
Secret of Brigham Mansion, Boy From Shacktown, Monkey Tales, Misguided Missiles, Devil in the Wilson’s Woods Dinosaur Detectives, a series by Kent Wray
Tommy and the Indians by Genevieve Cross
Other girls in the family’s favorite: Freckles by Gene Stratton Porter
Mom’s most interesting find: Tall Trees Tall People by Rex Southwell
Sarah Houser
This link up was a lot of fun…really enjoyed “reading around the globe” with some of these links…Great idea! Overall, we had a blast with this whole summer…..what a hit! Thank you!
Sarah Houser’s latest post: Reading to Love the Nations
Beaverton, Oregon
– Tell us about your family. My husband Ryan and I (Maren) live with our two kids, Quin 7 1/2 and Claire 5 in a suburb of Portland, OR.
– Tell us about where you live and how long you’ve lived there. We live in the suburbs of Portland in a great neighborhood with a nearby park and lots of kid friendly activities put on by the Tualatin Hills Park and Rec. We have lived in Beaverton for 11 years.
– What do you think is unique and special about living where you do? The Rec center puts on a lot of concerts, cultural events, movies in the park and other activities for kids all summer. We also have a great library system with storytimes, homeschooling activities, etc to keep us entertained.
– What languages are spoken there? If it’s different from English, can you help us learn a few common phrases? The majority of people speak English but we have a large Latino population as well as Russian immigrants so both Spanish and Russian are heard frequently.
– What are some traditional foods there? We have a lot of salmon in the NW and there are many ‘foodies’ in our area that like to be creative with their meals.
– Tell us about the climate where you live. We get a lot of rain. The winter is rainy and cloudy with it warming up to sunny in the summer but only a few ‘hot’ days. Autumn is beautiful with the changing colors of the leaves and crisp clear mornings.
– What does school look like for the majority of kids where you live? Most kids start public school when they turn 5 and the quality of the school really depends on where you are located.
– What does school look like for your family? We have been homeschooling using Classical Conversations for three years. I take a Classical approach to my kids education and we enjoy being a part of our local community.
– Are there any special festivals or traditions you’d like to tell us about related to where you live? We like to attend our local county or state fair every summer and each September we go to beach to go camping.
– Do you have a favorite book that takes place in your region/country? We like to read a lot of books about the Oregon Trail.
Sacramento, California
-Tell us about your family.
We have 3 kids, ages 3, 6, and 9. We love to swim at our grandparents house and we love to be outside as much as possible, hiking, running, and exploring.
-Tell us about where you live and how long you’ve lived there.
We live in Northern California, near Sacramento. We have lived here for about 14 years.
-What do you think is unique and special about living where you do?
Because it doesn’t get too cold in the winter, we an be outside year round. Folsom Lake, Lake Natoma, and the American River are nearby. We love to play in the water, kayak, and climb the rocks in the water at Lake Natoma. We also love Auburn State Recreation Area, which has hiking trails and beautiful view of the American River. There are also a lot of Gold Rush historical sites around here.
-What languages are spoken there?
Mostly English
-What are some traditional foods there?
We love to eat salad, tomatoes, chicken, sushi, Chinese food
-Tell us about the climate where you live.
In summer, it is very hot and dry(sometimes 110 degrees), but it is not humid. In the winter, it can be cold and rainy. It doesn’t snow here. Fall and spring are beautiful and mild.
-What does school look like for the majority of kids where you live?
Most kids go to a public or private school, and there are many charter school options in our area.
-What does school look like for your family?
We homeschool and love the flexibility that gives us, especially when Daddy travels. We enjoy nature days and field trips!
-Are there any special festivals or traditions you’d like to tell us about related to where you live?
Gold Rush Days happens in Old Town Sacramento every Labor Day weekend. We love to pan for gold and watch the Pony Express reenacting. They shoot off a cannon, and have an old schoolhouse you can tour.
-If you ever had to move away from where you live, what do you think you’d miss most?
We would miss our house, the climate, and living close to our family. We would miss the lakes, river, and mountains nearby.
-Do you have a favorite book that takes place in your region/country?
We love The Little House on the Prairie and Ramona books, which take place in our country, but not in our region. For our region, we love Snowshoe Thompson, which is set in the Placerville area near us and in the time of the Gold Rush. Boom Town is also set in the Gold Rush era. Locomotive is about the transcontinental railroad which started/ended in our area.
Tucson, Arizona
We are a family with 4 kids – ages 8, 5, 2 and a 3 month old baby. We live in Tucson, Arizona which is in the Sonoran Desert. All of us kids were born here! There are lots of saguaro cacti, cool rocks, scorpions, rattlesnakes and quail here. English is the main language spoken here, but many people also speak Spanish. You say “Hola” to say hello in Spanish! A lot of Mexican food is eaten here – Tacos, rice & beans and our favorite, Sonoran Dogs (hot dogs wrapped in bacon – YUM!) It is VERY HOT here in the summer. It gets up to 115 degrees or more. Our winters are very mild – we rarely see snow in the winter. There are several charter and public schools and many homeschoolers in the area. We go to a charter school but we do lots of learning at home as well. We love to read, read, read and to be creative in our free time. If we ever moved away we would miss the awesome winters, saguaro cacti and the quails. One of our favorite books is a 3 little pigs story set in the Sonoran Desert (where we live!) called The Three Little Javelinas by Susan Lowell, Illustrated by Jim Harris.
Tania
There’s 5 of us: my husband and I, and our three girls ages (almost) 6, 3, and 1.
– We live in Palm Bay, Florida.
– We have the ocean just a few minutes’ drive away. We live on a stretch of land called the space coast near Kennedy Space Center, so we get to see rocket launches literally outside our front door. I don’t take that for granted! If we go closer to the launch site up in Cape Canaveral, it’s even more amazing. I still vividly remember the space shuttle Challenger exploding, I was in 3rd grade at the time and the entire school was watching on the playground.
And I have to mention Disney World–ha! It’s just a short drive away and definitely doable as a day trip. Lots of families here have annual passes–my kids wish we were one of those families!
– What languages are spoken there? If it’s different from English, can you help us learn a few common phrases? English, but a lot of Spanish too.
– What are some traditional foods there? Lots of seafood. And key lime pie!
– Tell us about the climate where you live. In the summertime, it can feel insufferably hot. Humid. Buggy. Basically we try to keep to the ocean or poolside if we’re going to be outside in the summer. We don’t really get a fall 🙁 but it does cool down in the 60s (F) in winter. That and early spring are when we love to head outdoors. We definitely get our share of rain but it’s usually short-lived and hurricane season always looms this time of year.
– What does school look like for the majority of kids where you live? There’s lots of options from public to private to charter schools. Many public schools are “magnet” schools, specializing in a certain track or focus like STEM or the arts.
– What does school look like for your family? Our oldest is in public school (1st grade) for now.
– Are there any special festivals or traditions you’d like to tell us about related to where you live? We like our small-town Christmas parade, a Christmas light festival at a city park with a campground so we walk/bike enjoying the nighttime lights, a local fairy festival where participants make fairy boats to set sail in the creek. And every year we try to go on a turtle walk on the beach at nighttime…trying to (quietly) look for loggerhead turtles who have come ashore to lay their eggs on the beach. It’s best to do this under a full moon since you can’t have any flashlights etc. as that would disorient the turtles. If you’re really lucky you’ll see baby sea turtles hatching and heading back into the water!
– If you ever had to move away from where you live, what do you think you’d miss most? Besides our extended family? The ocean, no question.
– Do you have a favorite book that takes place in your region/country? Turtle Summer by Mary Alice Monroe.
Fiona Clarke
Hi, we are a family of 5, Mum & Dad, 3 sons aged 11 (twins) and 8. We have a dog and a cat and live in Wellington, New Zealand. Our city is the capital of NZ. It is known as Windy Wellington, especially in the spring. We have lived in our home for 11 years. Wellington is a city by the sea, our downtown area is by the harbour and it is a hilly city. Wellington is at the bottom of the North Island. The South Island (where I grew up), is also known as the Mainland which North Islanders don’t like! I can say that as I am still mostly a Mainlander but I am living in the North Island and my children are born here. I do love Wellington though.
-NZ has two official languages: English which is mostly spoken and also Maori which is our native language of the Maori culture.
Hello in Maori is Kia Ora. Family is Whanau.
-Traditional foods: Our food has traditionally been influenced by our English and Scottish Heritage. Roast Lamb with veggies and gravy is a favourite, bacon & egg pie is a picnic favourite, shepherds pie. Kiwis are big meat eaters and growing up it was meat and 3 veg. Traditional desserts are Pavlova ( the Aussies will say this dessert is theirs!!) It is a large white meringue dessert topped with whipped cream and kiwifruit or berries. I would say that traditionally Kiwis are big desserts lovers too, well at least in my family they are anyway! At Christmas English traditional desserts such a Plum pudding are still favourites. Ice cream is quite popular too, Hokey Pokey being the favourite.
Celebrations/ Festivals: We celebrate Christmas and Easter like everyone. As Christians this is a big deal for us as a family. As a nation we have ANZAC Day which we share with Australia. It is to commemorate the Soldiers who fought and died in WW1 and WW2 and to honour all other Soldiers that have also fought since then including Peace Keepers. This year my boys and I made poppies which were flowers that were growing in Flanders Fields in the war. Anzac Day starts with a Dawn Parade with Soldiers, the Police, local community groups such as Scouts, and there is always a Brass band or Scottish bagpipes. We make Anzac biscuits and read lots of books about the Anzac Soldiers.
We also have Waitangi Day which is a day to celebrate the signing of The Treaty of Waitangi, which took place between the British Crown and Maori tribes.
-Climate: NZ is a real mix, from hot in the far north to really cold way down south with snow in the cities. Wellington is a mix, cold wet winters, windy springs and sometimes nice warm summers.
-Schooling: Most children attend public or private schools. We start at the age of 5 and have 6 years of Primary School, then 2 years of Intermediate, (this is sometimes a part of the primary school or a separate school). High School is 5 years.
As a family we now homeschool but we only started this year after 6/3 years being in Public school for my boys. We are pretty electic in our approach with some NZ curriculum and Apologia from the States for World Studies and Science. We are part of the homeschool community here and enjoy swimming and sports groups with them. We enjoy the outdoors and try to go for a bush walk as often as we can to hear all the beautiful native birds that we have. We love arts and crafts, baking and books-lots of books.
-NZ is a really pretty country with a mix of beautiful beaches, lots of lush green farmland, mountains and glaciers, natural geysers and mud pools , forests and native bush. It is a great place to raise a family and a traditional holiday is to go camping in the summer holidays after Christmas. If you ever plan on coming here and doing the same thing, a word of warning: you may still need winter pjs and thick socks at bedtime even in the summer!!
My boys and I have really enjoyed this Summer book club with you all, it has been fun to learn about so many cultures and how people live and what we are all eating and reading.
Thank you Jamie for this wonderful experience.
Fiona
Jenny Boyd
Hello! My name is Jenny Boyd and we have THOROUGHLY enjoyed the Give Your Child the World book club this summer! What a wonderful experience this has been! As a fun little extra bonus, I’ve asked friends and missionaries that we know and pray for from all over the world to send our family a post card. The kids have LOVED it! I’m still working on Australia. I was wondering if anyone had a contact that would be willing to help us out. We could totally send a post card and/or note to them for sure! Please respond if you’re able to help us out. Thanks so much!!!
Shannon
Thank you so much for hosting this Book CLub! We had fun and it gave us a timeline to stay on course 🙂 We enjoyed many of the titles you reccomended!!
I had a small glitch when submitting the entry forms, I think I put my son’s name on both his and one of his sister’s forms. There should be 4 total for our family. I couldn’t find a way to back track and correct what I think I did. ANway, thank you for this!!
Jamie Martin
No worries, Shannon!
Amanda Gregg
Jamie – I totally goofed on the form. I submitted one for both of my girls, and then read we could do one per child. I did a second one in just my youngest’s name. Sorry for the mix up!
Jamie Martin
That should be fine, Amanda, I’ll keep it in mind!
Mia White
Far and away the best link-up I’ve ever seen, let alone participated in. I’m over the moon with all of these incredible posts highlighting family life around the world. Thank you for your work in curating such a worthwhile collection!
Jamie Martin
That means so much, Mia, thank you!
Camille Osterkamp
Muleshoe, Texas, USA
– Tell us about your family.
Our family is a lot of women! We have 4 girls ages 7, 5, 3 and 1! Plus 6,000 cows! My husband is a 4th generation dairy farmer. His family moved their dairy from California 11 years ago and his great grandparents moved to California from Holland around 1914.
— Tell us about where you live and how long you’ve lived there.
We live in a small town in West Texas in the Panhandle. We’ve been here just over 10 years. It is very flat here and lots of farm land and not many trees. It’s cool in the mornings and evenings but gets nice and hot during the day!
— What do you think is unique and special about living where you do?
There are no big buildings out here. At night you can see all the stars and where we live you can easily watch the sun rise and set on the horizon.
— What languages are spoken there? If it’s different from English, can you help us learn a few common phrases?
Mostly English however there is a large population of migrant workers in our area so a lot of Spanish too.
— What are some traditional foods there?
Being in South I’d say BBQ but Mexican food is also popular in our area! For our family a traditional meal would be Pulled Pork, Beans, Coleslaw and Pecan Pie, but our favorite place to eat out is a local Mexican restaurant and we love Chile Rellenos and enchiladas!
–Tell us about the climate where you live.
Mostly sunny, hot and dry. We do have regular seasons and in the Spring it can be very windy. We don’t normally have snow, but once or twice in the winter.
— What does school look like for the majority of kids where you live?
Most children go to public school. There are a few homeschool families but mostly everyone attends local public schools.
— What does school look like for your family?
We attend a nearby public school.
— Are there any special festivals or traditions you’d like to tell us about related to where you live?
We are pretty remote, and there is nothing unique as far as activities go for our area.
— If you ever had to move away from where you live, what do you think you’d miss most?
There is no traffic at all! I grew up in a big city but I’ve definitely become accustomed to the slower pace of life out here. Also there is an amazing community that is very supportive of its members!
— Do you have a favorite book that takes place in your region/country?
My girls enjoy L is for Lonestar, a Texas Alphabet! It’s helped them learn all about our state!
Louisville, KY, USA
– We are a family of 4 living in the Germantown/Schnitzelburg area of Louisville, KY with extended family nearby. Our immediate family has been here for 10 years.
– Louisville is not truly representative of Kentucky as a whole. It is a wonderful city with lots to do and see. It can feel like a southern city, and yet not. We are the home of Kentucky Refugee Ministries, an organization that works with local churches to bring refugee families here and set them up with an apartment/home, work if possible, furnishings, and some small comforts. We have resettled about 6000 families since the mid-eighties!
– English is the primary language spoken here, although with so many refugees resettled in our city, there are a lot of other languages spoken too.
– Louisville can claim the “Hot Brown” as an original dish created at the Brown Hotel. We also have Mint Juleps as an original.
– Our climate gives us 4 seasons with beautiful springs and autumns, and varying winters and summers. We usually get some amount of snow, and the summers can be very hot and dry, or full of thunderstorms.
– Most kids attend public or private schools, although numbers are growing for homeschooling.
– We homeschool.
– Lousville is known for the Kentucky Derby Festival. It now begins 2 weeks before the actual race with Thunder Over Louisville, a massive fireworks display. The week leading up to the Derby includes the Pegasus Parade, Great Steamboat Race, and hot air balloon race. Kids get out of school for Oaks Day the Friday before Derby, and the Derby itself is run on the first Saturday in May every year.
-If we had to move we would definitely miss friends and family, church and all of our wonderful parks.
– We do not have a favorite book that takes place here.
Malaya and Rainah Smith
We live in Western Pennsylvania (45 minutes east of Pittsburgh).
We are a family of six (four children). The children’s ages range from 9-16. Dad has lived here for 26 years, Mommy, 19 years, and the rest of us have always lived here.
It is a nice small quiet country town where the librarians know us by name, and the local restaurant waitress remembers us and our family.
English is spoken here.
The foods here are the typical American foods.
Our summers are humid/sticky, our falls, mild and beautiful (usually), our winters can be mild to really cold and snowy, and our springs are pretty wet.
Most of the children attend public schools, although many do attend parochial ones, too.
We have always been a homeschool family.
There is a yearly festival held every Labor Day Weekend in Somerset county; it’s called The Mountain Craft Festival, and it celebrates our nation’s heritage. It is a very interesting festival. It’s like Colonial Williamsburg but not as big. We learn something every time we go.
If we ever had to move away, we would miss the small “towness” of our home.
We do not have a favorite book about our region.
Natalie
What an exciting idea! Kids so enjoy learning about other kids and how they live in our travel destinations. Once, while visiting Morocco, the local school let out for lunch and throngs of elementary school aged kids ran through the streets. It was a sweet moment to see that kids are alike in that way all over the world – RECESS!!!! 🙂 We will enjoy looking over the places you have listed! We have moved a lot and have spent time in Tulsa, Denver, Dallas, Houston, and now Austin if you’d like a bit of info from any of those places to add to your list! I see you have Austin already.
Natalie’s latest post: Choose the best travel shoe
Michelle Salerno
I love this — I’m even using it with my older girls – soon to be 8th & 10th graders!