Tagged: great books

Middle school reading lists: What a difference 100 years makes!

Middle School Reading Lists: What a difference 100 years makes!

I recently came across an interesting comparison of two middle school reading lists. The author, Annie Holmquist, compared a list from 1908 with a current list from the same state on the basis of time period, thematic elements, and reading...

Choosing books for boys isn't hard: avoid twaddle and give them the good stuff.

Choosing Books for Boys

Choosing books for boys isn’t all that hard. Give them adventure — the kind with blood and courage, dirt and ingenuity — and watch their imaginations soar, assuming they haven’t been “Eustaced”* by the sort of twaddle mentioned in Martin...

A poem, truth, and the month of May illustrated by "Interesting Story" by Laura MuntzLyall, 1898.

A poem, truth, and the month of May

Under the Willows by James Russell Lowell, 1819 – 1891 May is a pious fraud of the almanac, A ghastly parody of real Spring Shaped out of snow and breathed with eastern wind; Or if, o’er-confident, she trust the date, And, with her...

Imaginative Authors Foresee the Future

In Gulliver’s Travels, Jonathan Swift wrote of the two moons of Mars. Of course, it was 1735, and the two moons weren’t discovered until 1877.  In 1870, in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Jules Verne described an electric submarine,...

Teach classic literature in context with Excellence in Literature

Teach Classic Literature in Context

Reading and teaching literature in context is a bit like studying a map before you set out for a walk in a strange city. Context helps you find significant intersections, decipher archaic language, and find a path through old-fashioned rhetoric. Here’s how to do it.

Excellence in Literature teaches classic literature in context for grades 8-12.

Why Context? What You Know Changes How You Read

Most modern readers have little context for the mindset, manners, and morals, or even many of the conflicts that consumed the characters in the novels of the late 19th and early 20th century. This lack of context can affect understanding and appreciation of the tales.

Summer reading!

Summer Reading: It’s Time to Break Out the Good Books!

Summer reading is essential. Here’s why, and a partial list of what I’m reading.

Here's our booth at the Great Homeschool Convention in Greenville, SC.

Homeschool Conventions Made Easy

A veteran homeschooler, conference speaker, and vendor shares tips and strategies to make the home-school convention a highlight of your homeschool year.

Cultural literacy, great books, classical education, and Charlotte Mason — what do they have in common?

What is Cultural Literacy?

Cultural literacy can help you decide what to teach and how to teach it. Here’s what cultural literacy is, and how it can help you focus.

How I chose the books for the Excellence in Literature curriculum for grades 8-12.

How I Chose Great Books for Excellence in Literature

My goal in writing Excellence in Literature is to pass along my love for some of the most beautiful, thought-provoking literature in the world, and to help students learn to think critically and analytically while growing mentally and spiritually. Here’s how I chose which books to include.

Great Literature is Great Because It’s Sticky

Classic literature sticks in my mind because the questions it raises are about some of the most important issues we face.

Reading for Fun Can Help You Learn

Age appropriate reading is foundational Several years ago I came across a book review of the Truth Seekers Mystery Series by Christine and Felice Gerwitz that clearly articulated the natural progression of learning. The review was much more than a simple review — it...

How Many Classics Should Students Read in a Year?

I got the following question about reading classics and high school literature from a reader, and after answering it, asked her if I could share it. I think this is something that many people wonder, so this seems a good time...

English 1: Excellence in Literature is Now Available!

As most of you know, I’ve been working non-stop to get the first level of the Excellence in Literature: Reading and Writing Through the Classics series out in time for the new school year. Due to the pinched nerve in...

The core curriculum teaches connections.

The Core Curriculum Teaches Connections

  Whenever the weather permits, I eat lunch outside on the patio in the edge of the woodland. At this time of year, there are spiderwebs everywhere. It doesn’t matter that I come out every day and sit in the...

Why read classic literature? Why the great books are important.

Why Read Classic Literature?

“Literature in its most comprehensive sense is the autobiography of humanity.” Bernard Berenson “This is old stuff — how can it be relevant to my life?” I’ve heard this objection from both students and adults, as I’ve spoken through the years on...

30 books you won't forget.

Thirty Books You Won’t Forget

I love to read, and on the back of my first business card I share some unforgettable books. Of course, this aren’t all my favorites — remember, the qualification is “unforgettable” —  but I was constrained by the size of...