A Home in the Woods - Summer Book Club

Welcome to Our Final Week of Summer Book Club!

For our last book, we chose a book from another one of our favorite illustrators, Eliza Wheeler (Miss Maple's Seeds) , who wrote Home in the Woods based on her grandmother, Marvel. From the gorgeously detailed illustrations, to the spare and straightforward text, we follow Marvel and her seven siblings through the seasons as they turn an abandoned tar paper shack in the woods into a home filled with love and hope.

This tar-paper shack deep in the Wisconsin woods, at first glance, doesn't look like much of a home. However, Marvel and her mom and siblings soon begin to see its potential. Their first year is filled with challenges, as they work hard to maintain the shack and ensure they have enough to eat. Despite the hardships, each season brings its own joys and blessings, and the children always find ways to have fun. Most importantly, the family experiences immense joy in being together, surrounded by nature. Gradually, their humble shack transforms into a true home—warm, bright, and filled with love.

Book set up

Day 1: Read & Discuss

The initial day of our book club focuses on savoring the story and engaging in a close read with your children. As you turn each page slowly, look at all of the amazing details in Eliza Wheeler's illustrations; from the map on the end papers to the labeled pictures of the shack and the general store.

Once you've finished reading, encourage your children to ask questions about the story. There are some very deep issues happening in this story and this book covers a period of time very different from today. Ask if any parts of the story resonate with them or if they recognize elements from their own experiences, have they ever played store, for example? Sharing these observations helps the story make a lasting impression on your children's hearts and minds.

Here are a few discussion questions we came up to use as a jumping off point:

1. Even though these characters lived a long time ago, are there things they do that are similar to what you do? What are some of the similarities that you have with these children?

2. Look closely at the furniture in the tar paper shack. Compare what the furniture looks like in this house with what you have in your house. Do you have a wood stove? An iron bed? A basement with a pump for water? What modern conveniences that you might have in your house are missing from this farmhouse?

3. Are there any chores that you do that are shown in this book? Helping with meals? Setting the table? Picking apples or gathering food from a garden?

4. Have you ever made jam or pickles to save away for winter? Why was it so important for Marvel and her family to preserve their harvest and jellies and "stack them in the the cellar like buried treasure?"

Day 2: Drawing & Writing Prompt

On the second day of Summer Book Club, we partake in a step that follows Waldorf tradition where we encourage you to reengage with the story using a fresh perspective and some creativity to revision the story. This process deepens children’s connection to stories through art and writing.

We've included a couple of prompts to spark your child’s imagination and help them explore the story’s themes. Children love to retell and revisit stories through imaginative play and performances. Setting up a theater with a playsilk curtain allows them to bring the story to life as they narrate. For those who enjoy drawing and writing, you can create a dedicated space with plenty of pencils, crayons, and paper. Keep the book handy in this area so they can reference it for inspiration.

Have you ever gone treasure hunting? Write a story about finding an amazing treasure.

Draw your own general store and the things you’d like sell in it.

Day 3: Craft Your Reversible Patchwork Tote

A Home in the Woods shares so many details about filling a house with love. We learn how scraps of fabric put together become a lovely quilt that keeps the family warm through the cold Wisconsin winter. This simple patchwork tote bag is inspired by the resourcefulness of Marvel and her family and is a great introduction to sewing and making patchwork designs.