Friday 14 October 2016

Looking Back on the Week

This week I listened to an interesting Schole Sister's podcast on leading our children through encounters with viewpoints with which we don’t agree. This is definitely something I've had to grow into over time. When my children were little my concern was mostly about shielding them from  potentially harmful ideas and situations, but as the conversation on this podcast pointed out, there's a difference between innocence and naiveté, and it's important to prepare our children for these opposing viewpoints.

Moozle has been reading the Tom Swift Jr. books by Victor Appleton II. They're out of print but you can read about them here and they're available secondhand.  They're also online at Gutenberg.
A young person's introduction to science fiction, rather than being great literature, this series is interesting for children who have a science bent as Tom dreams up some very interesting inventions. In fact, one of the books, 'Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle,' inspired the physicist and inventor, Jack Cover:


The Independent, 2009 

A few months ago she lapped up G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown books so I decided that this one, by the creator of Winnie the Pooh, would be a good follow up now that she's caught the 'crime bug.'




The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne was published in 1922 and the author dedicated the book to his father: 


Like all really nice people, you have a weakness for detective
   stories, and feel that there are not enough of them. So, after
   all that you have done for me, the least that I can do for you
   is to write you one. Here it is: with more gratitude and
   affection than I can well put down here.


I stumbled upon it at the library about ten years ago and then found it online and downloaded it onto kindle for free but the only free version I've found when I had a look recently was at Gutenberg.
It's a good introduction to the genre for a young person who isn't ready for writers such as Agatha Christie but who enjoys a bit of mystery and detection.

A poetic narration on The Hobbit:




Benj is busy preparing for possibly his last piano exam which takes place next week. Between this and his two days a week at Augustine Academy, and one half day at his part-time job, he's only been joining us for Devotions, Shakespeare's King Lear and Plutarch's Life of Marcus Cato the Censor.


Aussie Folksongs - this is one we've been listening to. The song is based on the 1897 poem, 'The Lights of Cobb & Co' by Henry Lawson. The poem and some information about Cobb & Co are on this blog and also here.





This is one of a series of CD's that introduces the music and lives of some of the great composers. We've listened to the Classical Kids series (Beethoven Lives Upstairs etc) in the past, which are ok for younger children, but this series is better if older children are also listening in. The story is told in the third person, sticks to the facts, and contains a good selection of the artist's music.





Linking up with Weekly Wrap-up.


14 comments:

Unknown said...

Just love the poetic narration, Carol. <3

Brian Joseph said...

The issue of exposing children, and adults for that matter, to ideas that one does not agree with is both fascinating and important. Obviously critical thinking is a very important part of the equation. I will be touching on this issue in an upcoming blog.

That poetic narration of The Hobbit is really neat. I would love to read similar efforts relating to more classic stories.

LM said...

Good that your older son Benj is working yet still finds time to do homeschool work with the family.

Carol said...

Thanks, Amy.

Carol said...

Oooh...look forward to reading that!

Carol said...

It's really good to have him around. I've been used to a housefull of kids for so many years that it feels strange now that I only have two to teach!

Aflyonmyhomeschoolwall said...

Oh! I have such a weakness for mystery novels. :) Thanks for the reading suggestions.

Carol said...

Well, A.A. Milne says you must be a nice person!

Gently Mad said...

It was exciting to read your blog post. Educating children excites me and all the wonderful literature you're providing them with makes me wish I had kids to experience the books with. I haven't read Milne's mystery but I will.

I so agree with your take on teaching children how to intelligently think through ideas and discern true from false and good from evil. I know God has used the many arguments and discussions I've engaged in with people with opposing views to sharpen my own thinking.

Sometimes I have felt defeated when someone seems to win a point when I know their worldview is false. God has reassured me that he was strengthening me so I would think through why I believe the way I do and come out firmer in my faith.

Great post!

Carol said...

It's been a great pleasure for me to find literature that I never read when I was their ages. I'm also getting educated along with them :)

Deborah said...

Thank you for the book links. I shall avail myself to some of them. :o)

Carol said...

You're welcome, Deborah.

Sharon Wilfong said...

Hi, enjoyed the youtube video. Just wanted you to know that I referred to your blog in my post today. I hope you don't mind. Hopefully it will bring some visitors to your blog because it's worth visiting!

Carol said...

Thanks, Sharon. Much appreciated - I certainly don't mind at all!