Category: Books and Reading

NAIWE Summer Challenge 2011

NAIWE’s Summer Challenge: Here is What I’m Doing

Every year, the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (NAIWE) sponsors a Summer Challenge to help writers, editors, and other entrepreneurs get a bit extra done during the slower months of summer. It’s not meant to ruin the summer...

Great Books Week 2010 - sponsored by NAIWE.com.

Great Books Week 2010 Day 2: What Makes a Book Great?

What makes a book great? That’s a question I thought about a lot while writing the Excellence in Literature curriculum. Why do some books stick with you, while others, just as highly reviewed or recommended, vanish from memory like smoke?...

Excellence in Literature Complete Curriculum - all five years in a binder.

Excellence in Literature Worldview

Why choose worldview over specific content? Here’s why I did so for Excellence in Literature.

Read for Fun; Learning Happens Along the Way

As parents, we can’t begin to teach our children everything they need to know, but we can teach them to read, and make sure they have plenty of good books. Truths carried to the heart through the power of story wil linger far longer than anything that comes through a lecture or a worksheet. As you begin the new school year, make time for reading, and I promise, learning will happen.

Our Summer Poem: The Summer Rain by Henry David Thoreau

Here’s our annual poem pick for summer: “The Summer Rain” by Henry David Thoreau. Enjoy cool thoughts as you read it!

Carnival of Homeschooling: The Beach Reading Edition

The Beach Reading Edition of Carnival of Homeschooling is up, and there are great posts on why to homeschool through high school, how to motivate your children, how to teach boys, and much, much more. Enjoy!

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.

Why Christians Should Read Fiction

I recently met someone who had been raised without fiction. No Little Golden Books, no Dr. Seuss, no Little House on the Prairie, no Chronicles of Narnia…nothing. I can’t begin to imagine, but the thought makes me feel a bit...

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 King James Can Boost Reading Skills

As your students move toward high school and college, reading skills become increasingly important. A student who grows up hearing and reading a wide variety of literature, both old and new, tends to be well prepared to be a strong...

Summer Reading Lists: What’s On Yours?

We’re back from the last convention of the season, and life is slowing down. It’s a good thing, because I came home with a pinched nerve, and am not supposed to be on the computer for more than 10 minutes...

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...