Great kids deserve to read great literature

When our kids were in school they read some great books. What I mean by that is books that brightened their imagination, increased their vocabulary and thus increased their writing ability. Books that built strong character and helped them get a grasp on the entire world and the great things men and women did along with the failings of some.

They read books full of history that included real people without the agenda-driven focus that seems to permeate some currently used curriculum.

We wanted to keep education of truly evil happenings at a minimum in the early grades, especially anything too graphic. We chose to teach this way because we wanted to help our kids be problem solvers and avoid the trappings of dwelling on negative happenings too early in their education.

Some positive aspects of great literature includes:

• vocabulary building
• context building
• cultural understanding
• positive character qualities such as honesty, hard work, problem solving, redemption, forgiveness, effective communication skills, victory over temptation, justice, courage, wisdom

While reading great literature, or having great literature read to a child, these skills are absorbed by them. Learning becomes not a chore, but an enjoyable act.

Off the top of my head I would like to list some great books our kids read as we felt age appropriate:

• Adam of the Road
• The Door in the Wall
• Myra, Daughter of the Nile
• The Golden Goblet
• The Bronze Bow
• The Chronicles of Narnia Series
• The Little House Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• Across Five Aprils
• Uncle Tom's Cabin
• The Children's Homer
• Alexander the Great
• The Scarlet Pimpernel
• Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death
• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
• A Tale of Two Cities
• Shakespeare
• The Bible
• Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl
• The Hiding Place
• Peace Child
• Eric Liddell
• Sign of the Beaver
• Witch of Blackbird Pond
• Island of the Blue Dolphins
• Tom Sawyer
• Swiss Family Robinson
• The Miracle Worker
• Little Women
• Pride and Prejudice
• Pilgrims Progress
• Of Plymouth Plantation
• Animal Farm
• George Washington Carver
• Johnny Tremain
• Ink on His Fingers
• Marguerite Makes a Book
• Beorn the Proud

The richness of books.
I cannot find such richness in the current curriculum in the WBSD. I hope to be a part of bringing it there.  ~Mary