New Year's Resolutions - Read the Classics

It is a new year. 2009. Time for resolutions. One homeschool web-site www.lovetolearn.net sent me an e-mail newsletter about resolutions. Their first resolution was to get organized. That is everybody's resolution. The second resolution was to read the classics. This confirmed to me the homeschoolers' need to read the classics. So I did purchase some classic unabridged literature. In 2004 Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. published a classic literature collection of unabridged children's books. Recently I purchased 10 of these books. These books are hardcover with a dust jacket. They also have a colored ribbon to help the reader keep track of their reading place. The titles purchased were: Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne, Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift, Heidi by Johanna Spyri, Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne, A Little Princess by Frances Burnett, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle, Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss, and Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery, already in the homeschool library, is one of my favorite classic novels. I remembering reading it to my oldest daughter, Sara. The Salina Public Library has the videos that go with the book. We saw the videos several times. We even purchased paper dolls of Anne and Diana. We did change their clothes frequently. Because I enjoyed that classic novel so much I wanted to make other classic novels available in the homeschool library.

Another beautiful girl novel is Heidi by Johanna Spyri. There are also two other Heidi books that are worth reading: Heidi Grows Up and Heidi's Children. Be sure to read these books, also. Heidi is a lively young orphan who is sent to live with her grumpy grandfather in the Swiss Alps. The other two Heidi books follow her life as she grows up, marries, and has children. They are very charming books.

Another story told from the Swiss Alps is Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John. I considered this a classical novel. The homeschool library, also, has the video that goes with the book. This is probably Patricia St. John's most-loved children's book. It presents and deals with the issues of bitterness, hatred, and unforgiveness in a way that children can understand and relate to.The story centers around Annette, who feels she can never forgive Lucien, a neighboring boy, for causing her young brother, Danny, to fall down a cliff and break his leg. Annette goes out of her way to make sure everyone else hates Lucien, too. But then some surprising things start to happen to both of them. In the end, hatred and bitterness give way to forgiveness and friendship.

As the weeks go by I will write more on children's classics from literature. Be sure to come back to read more

Continuation of Christian History

To go along with the Christian History theme a children’s three book set on the Reformation was added to the library. The titles are Stories of the Reformation in Germany and England, Stories of the Covenanters in Scotland, and Stories of the Huguenots in France and Italy. This year 2009 is the 500^th birthday of John Calvin. Vision Forum, Inc. has recognized him as the man of the past millennium. To honor the anniversary of John Calvin’s birth the book John Calvin, Man of the Millennium is placed in the homeschool library.

Also, from Vision Forum is a fiction book named, The Princess Adelina by Julie Sutter. It is an ancient Christian tale of beauty and bravery.We saw clips of the latest DVD of Pilgrim’s Progress at our church. We were impressed since it was not animation. Pilgrim’s Progress: Journey to Heaven is a modern adaption of John Bunyan’s beloved classic tale. You can check it out at the homeschool library, also.