Favorite Reads of 2020

January 27, 2021 by Michele Cherie in Education, Learning Resources, French Resources

We're a month into 2021, but here in Oregon we’re still living amid the societal confinements that arrived last year, including schools that remain closed by our governor’s order since last March, ongoing Antifa-led violence in downtown Portland, and my friends’ small businesses struggling or shuttered. It’s quite likely the situation is similar where you are, though I hope it’s better. Frankly, I think the past year has paved the way for a concerning new normal, and it's not necessarily the future that I would wish for the world. I'm thinking particularly of the continuing travel restrictions, possible vaccine mandates, the French ban on homeschooling (now slated for 2022), and continued political fracturing. Nonetheless, I’m so grateful for the greatest blessing my family received at the end of 2020 when our fifth child (our fourth boy!) was born. I haven't been able to read as much with a newborn in my arms, bien sûr, but I'm happy to reminisce and recommend my favorite books that I read in 2020. Les voilà:

Keeping French in Our Homeschool: Our Bilingual Studies in 2020

October 23, 2020 by Michele Cherie in Education, French Resources

We had planned to be in France this fall, but due to COVID restrictions keeping us from entry there, we are continuing another year of homeschooling here in Oregon. While we miss our friends in France and we are sad about the lost opportunity to attend school there this fall, we are very much enjoying our continued homeschool journey. Much of our enjoyment is connected to our participation in an independent, weekly homeschool co-op that we joined last year. While that day's portion of our learning is all in English, I see how my children thrive on the social connections there. It feels ironic to me this year that the few dozen students in our co-op are among the minority of students nationwide who are allowed to meet and learn together on a regular basis this fall.

On our days at home this school year, here are some of the ways we are keeping French a primary part of our home learning:

Educational French Resources for Learning (including every school subject!)

June 25, 2019 by Michele Cherie in Education, French Resources, Learning Resources, Teaching French

One of the key reasons I began this blog, Intentional Mama, back in 2013 was to share French resources with families and teachers here in the United States and anywhere else that French materials might be difficult to find. Today, learning French remains incredibly important to my family and me—we've been homeschooling in French, or mainly in French, for roughly five years now. Here is my current list of my favorite educational French resources organized by school subject! (Nearly all of these resources are available here in the U.S.; others can be ordered online.) Profitez-bien!

New French Children's Magazines & Subscriptions from Milan Jeunesse

March 13, 2019 by Michele Cherie in Education, French Resources, Family fun

My children love retrieving our family's mail from the letter box. Their happiness at fetching the mail is connected to the joy they experience when sending or receiving letters from friends, but it's also largely due to their monthly French children's magazine issues. Years ago I balked at the price of a magazine subscription from France, but within a few months I concluded that the literacy benefit is worth the cost. There's nothing quite like a quality children's magazine, packed with age-appropriate activities, stories, and fresh vocabulary, for encouraging a young reader. A subscription to such a magazine is especially rewarding for parents when it fosters bi-literacy. French publisher Milan Jeunesse released three new magazine lines for children within the past year or so, so I'm happy to feature these new magazines here on Intentional Mama today. Below these features, I share our tried-and-true favorites from previous years and how we subscribe to them here in the U.S.

Bilingual Homeschooling: A Day in the Life (with 4 Kids)

February 22, 2019 by Michele Cherie in Education, French Resources, Reflections on Parenting

We have mostly homeschooled since my daughter was born (almost ten years ago), but this season marks a return to homeschooling after worldschooling in Lyon, France, last fall. The previous year was also quite a different experience as our children attended a private school three days a week while I taught French. It's refreshing to be homeschooling again after more than a year of formal schooling. Here's what bilingual homeschooling is like for us this year with my four children (from 11 months to almost ten years old):

My Reading List: Must-Read Books for 2019

February 05, 2019 by Michele Cherie in American Culture, Contentment, French Resources, Parenting Books

Bonjour! Did you make crêpes for la Chandeleur over the weekend? Much of the French population did! The Christian holiday of la Chandeleur (Candlemas) always falls on Groundhog Day here in the U.S., so it's easy for me to remember to make crêpes for dinner each February 2nd, even though crêpes have nothing to do with marmottes. I like the thought of so many people eating crêpes for dinner on the same night each year. It's a more heartwarming picture than everyone watching the Super Bowl together, don't you think? But to each (country) their own habits!

That said, the Super Bowl was a good excuse for us to invite family and friends over. Once the game was done and the kitchen was tidied, though, I continued reading Circe by Madeline Miller. Her first book, Song of Achilles, was the first book I finished this year, and it was riveting. Miller's gifted writing and her intimate knowledge of the flawed characters of Greek mythology make her novels utterly fascinating. These are not stories of moral virtue; instead, they show why we can still respect the broken heroes of the classical world.

I'll happily finish Circe soon since I have a number of fascinating titles waiting on my bookshelves, both in French and English. Here are the books on my list for 2019:

4 French-Related Reads from Summer 2018

September 11, 2018 by Michele Cherie in Cultural Reflections, Education, French Resources

It’s September 11th here in Lyon and I find myself reflecting on Franco-American relations, books, and the state of the world. When I’m teaching on September 11th, I often share a condolence letter I received from a French acquaintance just after the attacks of September 11, 2001. My French friend was so kind to offer support; his thoughtful letter still reminds me how individual actions of encouragement can cause ripple effects wider than we realize.

What we read and write can shape others in significant ways.

Four years ago on this blog I recommended a fairly obscure book on childhood anthropology because it was a thought-provoking reminder that there are many ways to parent well. My book recommendation, The Anthropology of Childhood, was spotted by journalist Michael Erard, who read the book and in turn wrote a very impactful piece about it in The New York Times. I wouldn’t have known the impact that my book suggestion had on him were it not for a fellow blogger who shared his article with me, not knowing that I had recommended the book in the first place. The world is a more beautiful place when we can learn from each other’s reading!

Likewise, had it not been for blogger Gabrielle Blair’s mention of reading Global Mom in late 2013, I would not have sought out Melissa Dalton Bradford’s book and gotten to interview her here on the blog a few months later. I’m grateful for authors like her who write honestly from their experience, especially when their words spring from a place of grief and growth and healing.

Summer reading, though, on the whole, leans towards the light and leisurely; in July and August I hope you had a chance to read a novel or two that you loved. Here are three French-related non-fiction reads that I enjoyed this summer:

Cité du Chocolat: A Family Day Trip from Lyon

August 24, 2018 by Michele Cherie in Education, Family fun, French Resources, French Culture

Our family arrived in Lyon just over a week ago, so with another ten days before school begins, I decided we'd make a day trip to Valrhona's Cité du Chocolat--an educational experience (much like a hands-on museum) focused on chocolate. Located in Tain l'Hermitage roughly 50 minutes south of Lyon by train, Cite du Chocolat opened just five years ago (in 2013). Having had a delectable first visit in 2015, I was excited on this visit to see what was new (and to taste the high quality samples)!