Eclectic Bibliophile - Homeschool Blogger

Celebrate Great Books Week!

Tue, 6 Oct 2009 09:00:00 -0500

Monday: If I were stranded alone on a deserted island with only seven books to read over the next few years, I would like to have…

Tuesday: When I was a child, my favorite book was… because….

Wednesday: I’d write my autobiography, but I don’t need to, because my story has already been told in… [what classic book?]

Thursday: I hated … when I had to read it in high school, but when I read it on my own later, I loved it because….

Friday: When I want to give someone a special gift, I give them [name of book] because…

Books have a powerful influence on our lives. What books have affected you the most?

Why We Should Write in Our Books

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:20:00 -0500

Great thoughts from Steve Leveen (of Levenger) on why we should write in our books.

I find it nearly impossible to read without a pencil in hand.

I underline, star, or bracket important passages, write captions or keywords at the tops of pages, argue with the author in the margin, create my own index in the front, and more.

Naturally, it's extremely difficult for me to read a library book. If you MUST read a book which you do not own, use an index card as a bookmark and make a list of pages you want to come back to in order to take notes. (I find that actually taking notes as I'm reading slows me down too much.)

How do you like to write in your books?

My Top Ten Homeschooling Book Recommendations (websites too!)

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 22:53:00 -0500

In twelve years of homeschooling, I’ve read dozens of books about homeschooling. These ten are the cream of the crop—the ones I reread myself and recommend to friends.

The Homeschool Journey: Windows into the Heart of a Learning Family by Susan and Michael Card. A warm, unintimidating look into the life of a well-known family of homeschoolers. This is often the first book I share with folks who are considering homeschooling or just beginning.

Educating the WholeHearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson. How to use real books and real life to make your home a vibrant center of living and learning for you and your child.

For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay. The daughter of Francis Schaeffer explores the philosophy and methodology of 19^th-century British educator Charlotte Mason.

A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola. A practical guide to a Charlotte Mason education. Detailed explanation of narration, dictation, copywork, picture study, etc.

Teaching the Trivium: Christian Homeschooling in a Classical Style by Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn. A specifically Christian approach to classical education.

A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the Twenty-First Century by Oliver Van DeMille. Critiques modern “conveyor-belt” education and explains how to educate leaders through mentorship and studying the classics.

The Three Rs series by Ruth Beechick: An Easy Start in Arithmetic, A Home Start in Reading, and A Strong Start in Language - for grades K-3. These little booklets offer a simple, practical way to teach your children the basics.

You Can Teach Your Child Successfully by Ruth Beechick - for grades 4-8. Practical, detailed suggestions for teaching the 3 Rs plus history, science, health, music, art, Bible. Includes helpful spelling and math charts.

Who Should We Then Read? by Jan Bloom. One of the best books about books, with biographical information and book lists for over 140 authors, as well as lists of titles in series.

How to Grow a Young Reader by Kathryn Lindskoog and Ranelda Mack Hunsicker. Intersperses heavily annotated book recommendations and author biographies with thoughtful discussions on a variety of topics. Includes a substantial amount of literary history.

Websites and Yahoo Groups:

www.AmblesideOnline.org - Free online curriculum (complete with book lists and weekly lesson plans) based on the methods of Charlotte Mason. Even if you don't follow their curriculum, you can learn a lot from the articles on their website about picture study, nature study, composers, Shakespeare, Plutarch, and more. Yahoo groups: AmblesideOnline (through grade 6) and House-of-Education (grades 7-12).

http://valerieslivingbooks.info - Valerie Jacobsen has one of the best online resources for reviews and lists of living books. She also has an irresistible for-sale list http://www.valerieslivingbooks.com and a great Yahoo discussion group, Bookroom.

www.TruthQuestHistory.com - A deep, literature-based history curriculum that focuses not just on the people and places of history, but digs down to the heart of what each culture believes about God and about man. Yahoo group: HistoryQuesters.

www.Classical-Homeschooling.org - Resources for classical education, including a list of 1,000 Good Books.

Other Resources:

Home School Legal Defense Association - Membership entitles you to free professional legal representation related to homeschooling, product discounts, monthly Court Report magazine, and more. If you are a member of a local support group, your annual membership fee is discounted. To join, go to www.hslda.org/join/coupon.asp. Use referral number 4099227 to get a $10 gift certificate toward the purchase of any HSDLA publication.

Are you on Twitter and Facebook?

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 17:28:00 -0500

Join me on Facebook:

http://profile.to/maryjotate/

Follow me on Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/maryjotate

What books shape your intellect?

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 17:27:00 -0500

If we encounter a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Talk Like Shakespeare Day on April 23

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:09:00 -0500

In honor of the Bard's 445th birthday, tomorrow is Talk Like Shakespeare Day: http://www.talklikeshakespeare.org/

Wilt thou participate? Methinks ‘tis a rare opportunity!

Mary Jo

Make time to read more books!

Sat, 11 Apr 2009 19:21:00 -0500

Check out these great ideas from Steve Leveen, founder of Levenger (the ultimate catalog for booklovers):

http://tinyurl.com/ddf6g6

What do you plan to read this year?

"In the Library" perfume

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:13:00 -0500

Now I've seen everything! I love old books, bookstores, and even the aroma of old books . . . but a perfume that includes "perhaps a hint of mildew"?

In the Library

Fascinating!

Mary Jo

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Writing assignments for modern literature class

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 13:00:00 -0500

Tricia asked me to share the "interesting writing assignments" I mentioned in my earlier post about the literature class I taught in conjunction with Gileskirk Modernity.

Here are a few examples:

* Poet Laureate Robert Southey wrote to Charlotte Brontë in 1837 that “literature cannot be the business of a woman’s life, and it ought not to be. The more she is engaged in her proper duties, the less leisure she will have for it.” Read about Brontë’s working habits on pp. 463-465 of the Norton Critical Edition of Jane Eyre, then assess Southey’s comment in light of that information. This is a great opportunity to express your opinion!

* Read Elizabeth Rigby’s scathing review of Jane Eyre (Norton Critical Edition, pages 451-453). She asserts, “Altogether the auto-biography of Jane Eyre is pre-eminently an anti-Christian composition.” Do you agree or disagree with Rigby’s criticisms, and why? Be specific, with examples from the text of the novel.

* Write an alternate ending for Jane Eyre.

* Write an alternate ending for Great Expectations.

* Use the style of Ernest Hemingway to rewrite a scene from any other novel we’ve read this year.

* Read AND listen to William Faulkner’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech:
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1949/faulkner-speech.html
Writing assignment: Faulkner ends his speech with these words: “The poet’s, the writer’s, duty is to write about these things. It is his privilege to help man endure by lifting his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of his past. The poet’s voice need not merely be the record of man, it can be one of the props, the pillars to help him endure and prevail.” Do you agree or disagree with Faulkner’s view of the role of the writer/poet? Explain your position in a well-written essay.

* Rewrite a scene from Ernest Hemingway’s “Big Two-Hearted River” or The Old Man and the Sea (or other Hemingway stories or novels you may have read on your own) in the style of William Faulkner. This will be more challenging than imitating Hemingway’s style, but you can do it! Use your imagination and be creative.

* Fitzgerald wanted The Great Gatsby to be “intricately patterned” and a “consciously artistic achievement.” As you read, pay close attention to the structure of the novel. Keep a chart documenting Jay Gatsby’s life as you learn bits and pieces about him. Assess how the structure (the unfolding of plot and character) works.

* Explain Eudora Welty’s view of the role of place in fiction and use it to assess the role of place in one of the novels or stories we have read for literature class this year. (Major source for Welty’s view is “Place in Fiction,” but you may also refer to material from other Welty writings if you like.)

* Explain Eudora Welty’s view of the role of time in fiction and use it to assess the role of time in one of the novels or stories we have read for literature class this year. (Major source for Welty’s view is “Some Notes on Time in Fiction,” but you may also refer to material from other Welty writings if you like.)

The assignments to write alternate endings for novels we read and to rewrite one author's work in the style of another author produced some fascinating results!

Mary Jo Tate

My Favorite Books about Choosing Books for Children

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 08:08:00 -0600

Lately I've been hearing the same question from a lot of parents: "My children have read every book in the house and every book in the library that I know anything about. Could you recommend some good books for them?"

I always recommend a few specific titles or series (Little House, Narnia, Landmarks, etc.), but the most helpful advice I can give is to acquire some of these wonderful books about books—my own favorite guides to choosing books for children.

How to Grow a Young Reader: Books from Every Age for Readers of Every Age by Kathryn Lindskoog and Ranelda Mack Hunsicker (updated & expanded edition, Harold Shaw, 1989). Intersperses heavily annotated book recommendations (over 1,800 titles, divided by genre and topic) and author biographies with thoughtful discussions on topics such as enemies of reading; strategies for family reading; genres such as fantasy, realistic fiction, biography, mystery, humor, poetry, and nonfiction; picture books; religious books; multimedia; and preserving family stories. Includes a substantial amount of literary history. Appendixes include recommended reading for parents and teachers; major awards in children’s literature; great quotations about books for children; and children’s literature resources. Separate indexes of authors and titles.

This treasure appears to be out of print, but a few copies are currently available on Amazon Marketplace. I highly recommend acquiring one while they last!

Books Children Love: A Guide to the Best Children’s Literature by Elizabeth Wilson (Crossway, 1987; revised 2002). Extensively annotated book list based on the educational philosophy of Charlotte Mason, with an introduction by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay. Divided into 25 subject areas, arranged alphabetically by author (except for biographies, arranged alphabetically by subject), with suggested grade levels. Literature is divided by age level into three chapters, each subdivided into fables, folk tales, and fairy tales; myths and legends; fantasies; and realistic stories, both modern and historical. Index of titles and authors.

Who Should We Then Read? by Jan Bloom (revised & expanded edition, Books Bloom, 2001). Biographical information and lists of books by over 140 authors; complete lists of books in series such as American Heritage Junior Library, Cornerstones of Freedom, Horizon Caravel, Landmark, Messner biographies, North Star, Signature, We Were There, etc.; and lists of Newbery and Carnegie Award-winners. Also includes tips for book hunting; information on the care and repair of books; a guide to resources about authors; information on history, biography, and fiction, with recommendations for some of the best authors in each area; reading-level suggestions for all ages divided by author and by topic. Spiral-bound for easy use as a reference; tuck it into your purse when book hunting. Available from Books Bloom.

What Should We Then Know? *about constructing, furnishing, maintaining, and enjoying a home library by Jan Bloom (Books Bloom, 2003). Not a book list, but a resource for how and why to build a home library. Includes discussions of the importance of books; the influence of a home library; living books (both fiction and nonfiction); resources for book lovers; booking on the Internet and eBay; tips for book hunting at library sales, flea markets, yard sales, etc.; pricing; storing and displaying books, including detailed instructions for building bookcases; organizing your home library; suggested authors and titles for beginning to build a home library; and a bibliography. Available from Books Bloom.

All through the Ages: History through Literature Guide by Christine Miller (second edition; Nothing New Press, 2001). A compilation of recommended books from 26 sources such as award winners, popular homeschool curricula, and respected book catalogs. The history portion is divided into 25 chronological sections, each with a detailed timeline. Each section is subdivided by 4 reading levels, which are further divided into an overview of the era, specific events, biography, historical fiction, literature, and culture. Individual titles are briefly described; and essays discuss topics such as astronomy and the ancients, difficulties in Egyptian chronology, and the rise of various ancient civilizations. Other sections of the book, also divided by reading level, include geography (divided into 26 regions), history of science and mathematics, history of the arts, great books of Western civilization and the Christian tradition (including History of the Great Discussion, History of Literature, History of Poetry, and History of Drama), bibliography, and index of titles and authors. A tremendous supplementary resource for any history curriculum.

Happy reading!

Mary Jo Tate