The Jumping-Off Place Marian Hurd McNeely I recently happened upon two Newbery Honor Books that caught my attention; The Jumping-Off Place, which won the Honor in 1930, and Doris Gates’ Blue Willow, a 1941 winner. I picked up The Jumping-Off Place because I assumed, from the title, that it must have something to do with … Continue reading The Jumping Off Place
Blue Willow
Blue Willow by Doris Gates was a 1941 Newbery Honor Book. Between 1930 and 1940, Gates worked as a children’s librarian in Fresno, California, where she became familiar with many children of migrant workers during the Great Depression. One notable aspect of this book is that it is considered to be, if not the first, … Continue reading Blue Willow
Outlaws of Time III: The Last of the Lost Boys
“A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest.” - C. S. Lewis Reflecting on that C.S. Lewis quote, I cannot think of any exceptions to that rule. In Death By Living, N. D. Wilson writes: “...I write for children because I have read more … Continue reading Outlaws of Time III: The Last of the Lost Boys
Know and Tell: The Art of Narration
My homeschooling style can best be described as “relaxed classical” or “love of learning through living books.” In ordinary words, I am homeschooling for heaven not Harvard. That said, if God’s plan for my children includes Harvard, I want them to be adequately prepared to meet the challenge. In our homeschool, we are focused on … Continue reading Know and Tell: The Art of Narration
Keeper of the Bees
The Keeper of the Bees has to be one of my all-time favorite books. When we talk about the love of things Good, True, and Beautiful, this book comes to mind. It is the last book written by Gene Stratton Porter before her death in 1924. Our hero, James Lewis MacFarlane, a stalwart Scotsman, … Continue reading Keeper of the Bees
The Hobbit Club
Last year at about this time, I had a lively chat with the director of my local Christian bookstore. We are friends, our husbands are in a men’s group together, and I wanted to try to do something fun for her store: I wanted to host a summer book club at Cathedral Book and Gift … Continue reading The Hobbit Club