Carry On, Mr. Bowditch is from MODG’s Fifth Grade Social Studies booklist. 

Nathaniel Bowditch was born the son of a sailor and lived in Salem, Massachusetts. This book is based on the true story of Bowditch, who was self-taught in Latin, navigation, astronomy and more. Born into a large family that struggled to make ends meet, Bowditch was apprenticed at a young age as a bookkeeper, dashing his hopes to one day follow in his father’s footsteps and become a sailor. A bright young man, he caught on quickly to bookkeeping and spent time in the evenings learning anything he could. Although he never went to college, he was eventually awarded an honorary Master of Science degree from Harvard University. This book is inspiring to read because it shows how to make the best of a difficult situation and how to devote one’s time to virtuous pursuits, but also because Nathaniel Bowditch is an admirable person from history. It is an ideal book as a family read-aloud or for independent, avid readers.

Recommended by Sandra Sebastian, MODG Consultant and homeschooling mother for 20 years

Buy Carry On, Mr. Bowditch from the MODG Bookstore.