Who, in the homeschooling or education world has never heard of Charlotte Mason, the late 19th/early 20th century British education philosopher? Her writings, which helped to change the face of schools in England, had been long-neglected until the penning of books like Susan Schaefer Macaulay’s For the Children’s Sake or Karen Andreola’s A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning.
This should not be the first book you read about St. Francis. It is a book for those who are already familiar with the saint. It is a novelization, or fictionalization of the adult life of St. Francis, as told through the eyes of a fictional Brother Leo.
The story is well woven by Kazantzakis, a prolific writer who spent most of his life (1883-1957) in Greece, but who gave up his Greek Orthodox faith at some point in his life (and did not embrace any other faith), who was introduced to St. Francis when he visited the city of Assisi.
This book is a wonderful companion to the Narnia books and/or movie. C. S. Lewis' stepson, Douglas Gresham, wrote the foreword and the commentary that accompanies each recipe. He explains the origins of the recipes as well as how they fit into the world of Narnia. Quotes from the books also accompany the recipes.
I was surprised to find that this book is currently out of print. With the release of the new movie, you would think that Harpers Collins would have re-released it. Used copies are selling for $150 to $200, so borrow it from the library.
Maud Hart Lovelace is famous for her Betsy-Tacy series of chapter books. The Trees Kneel At Christmas is a delightful story of two Lebanese-American children in 1951 Brooklyn. Their grandmother tells them how the trees kneel on Christmas in their homeland of Lebanon, but in their new home of Brooklyn the people do not have enough faith for the trees to kneel.
At first glance, Edge of Sadness by Edwin O’Connor is a walk down memory lane. A memory of the American Catholic church before Vatican II, before the priest scandals. A lovely, nostalgic read.
But the thing that makes this book worthy of the Pulitzer Prize it won in 1962 is the fact that O’Connor’s story is truly ageless. The characters are drawn from humanity, painted with the author’s word-brush so lovingly and carefully that by the end of the book you know each of these folks intimately. And, you like them, in spite of their less-than-virtuous actions.
Thomas Woods, Jr. wrote a book to amend the erroneous attitude prevalent in society today – the Catholic Church has had only a negative impact on Western Civilization. Titled, How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization, Dr. Woods, a history professor at a community college in New York, details the many contributions of the Catholic Church throughout history, primarily during the “Dark Ages” and “Middle Ages”.
The back of the book introduces this title quite well: "After Al Parisi's battle with brain cancer left him unable to run the company he founded and took public, he created a better job: CEO of the Parisi family. One of his first initiatives was to write inspirational advice to his children on their lunch bags each day. In this companion book to the original Lunch Bag Notes, Al has written a year's worth of notes to his son, Anthony, and to all teenage boys."
I frequently avoid reading book introductions because they have all-too-often caused me to "stall" in the book. This one shouldn't be missed - it makes you more eager to read the "meat" of the book and makes it more meaningful at the same time. We are introduced to the Parisi family (a little background can be a wonderful thing) and the origin of the inspirational notes that dad, Al, wrote on his daughter's lunch bags during high school.
Can you believe there is another reading program that promises proficiency? Well, Right Track Reading Lessons, by Miscese R. Gagen looks pretty good as an option. At $25.00 a book, it’s not necessarily a cheap option, but I like the way Ms. Gagen keeps it simple. It’s all text with no colored pictures or glitzy-ness – what you see is what you get. She recommends home-made or inexpensive manipulatives to teach the sounds – the 44 smallest unit sounds that must be mastered for reading proficiency.
I am always very receptive to this kind of book -- suggestions for activities kids will enjoy completing, factual data presented in a pleasing way, and an author who obviously loves the subject matter. The book recommends the book for children aged nine and up. Sounds like it would be a great resource for homeschoolers, yes?