My husband and I are starting our 17th year of homeschooling this year and reading has been a big part of our schooling. It is something we have all enjoyed. My book for this month is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This is a very entertaining read that inspires your imagination to go wild. It was written by British author Roald Dahl in 1964. It is set in a candy factory and involves 4 children and their parent/grandparents. It shows gluttony, greed, deceit and dishonesty but it also shows love, honesty and true kindness.
Mr. Dahl wrote a sequel Charlie and Chocolate Factory titled Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. He also wrote James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr. Fox and Matilda.
I recommend you first read any book you are going to have your children read. I did and sometimes would underline words to start a vocabulary list. When they came to a word I had underlined, they would write the word down in a notebook, look up the word and write the meaning down.
Activities for a book club or for a small group or even a single child:
Make Homemade Tootsie Rolls (recipe below)
Have a Bubble Gum blowing contest
Have each child write a report, making up their own candy or candy making invention
Make and serve cabbage soup
Make a house similar to a gingerbread house but using Hershey candy bars
Watch one or both of the Willy Wonka movies.
Projects can be done with one child or with several. Being set in a candy factory Homemade Tootsie Rolls was the perfect activity. The dough can be made ahead of time, the students can roll it out themselves. They can make any shape.
Ingredients
3 cups powered sugar
3/4 cup powered milk
1/2 cup corn syrup
2 squares melted chocolate
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix ingredients, stir well.
Knead well
Form into rolls and cut in to sections for Tootsie Rolls
I will be posting this to Foodie Friday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday and Gold Star Wednesdays.
I love that book! I also love the idea of making homemade tootsie rolls! What fun!
ReplyDeleteWow. I can't believe there is actually a recipe for those.
ReplyDeleteI kinda prefer these homemade tootsie rolls to the store ones :) Great book, great activities, and yummy treat!
ReplyDeleteI loved Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - both when I was a kid and then again when I read it with my little boy (who is now not so little anymore!!). You've got some great ideas here, and I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to find a recipe for homemade Tootsie Rolls. They are hard to come by here in England (and when you can get them you would not believe the price), so a big thank you for sharing the recipe!
ReplyDeleteThese are great! I can't wait to try this with my son - he's going to love them! Thanks for sharing this one!
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting to Gold Star Wednesday - hope to see you again next week :)
ReplyDeleteHow fun! I never was a fan of store-bought tootsie rolls...wonder if I would like homemade ones?
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea. I will have to make these with my grandchildren the next time they come to see me. It was nice to meet you at Gold Star Wednesday. Hope to see you again.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing.
i am so happy there is a recipe for tootsie rolls! my aunt is ADDICTED to the things, i'll have to pass this along! thanks for posting, your blog is super fun and creative!!
ReplyDelete-m
http://clutzycooking.blogspot.com/