“Excited and delighted by her first success [a play called “Duke Roderigo”], Louisa worked away in the little room, writing more and more dramas of the same sort. So many plots came crowding to her brain that from plays she overflowed into stories of the same grandiloquent sort. They were cut out, as the boots … Continue reading Invincible Louisa
101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith
Monday Morning School was the perfect excuse to read 101 Dalmatians again. Though the story-line was fuzzy in my memory, not so the nostalgia for the days home alone, missing school because of a cold; couch, blanket, box of Kleenex, reading and rereading this sweet tale. Because the feeling of reading this one stuck with … Continue reading 101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith
Princess Cora and the Crocodile
Laura Amy Schlitz I recently came across Princess Cora and the Crocodile by Laura Amy Schlitz in my search for easy chapter books for my daughter. She is in first grade and loves reading, but is rather picky about content. I needed something that would appeal to a girl, but something with a sense of … Continue reading Princess Cora and the Crocodile
Ox, House, Stick: The History of our Alphabet
By Don Robb Illustrated by AnneSmith I have plenty of books in my library on the history of the English language, most of which include bits of history about the alphabet. But, when I wanted to use a different approach with my spelling students, I decided to take them as far back as possible into … Continue reading Ox, House, Stick: The History of our Alphabet
Marguerite Makes a Book
by Bruce Robertson Once again I get to teach a group of children something of the history of ancient manuscripts and the art of illumination. In my review of The Ink Garden of Brother Theophane, I noted that my favorite resource for the subject is Marguerite Makes a Book. Robertson’s story outlines the process of … Continue reading Marguerite Makes a Book
Left by Themselves by Charles Paul May
Charles Paul May seems to have written a dozen or so informational books for children in the 1960s and 70s, but not even Wikipedia knows anything about him now. Left by Themselves was originally titled Stranger in the Storm. In this book, May is still teaching, but by means of a short work of fiction. … Continue reading Left by Themselves by Charles Paul May
Hobbit Club Recipes & Links
These links and resources are a support to our "Building A Hobbit Club" series. July & August: The Hobbit Lake Town Cram: check out this interesting discussion Beorn's Honey Cakes Bilbo's Tea Cake September – Bilbo’s Journey by Joseph Pearce I have a review of Bilbo's Journey - coming soon October – The Fellowship of the Ring, … Continue reading Hobbit Club Recipes & Links
Hobbit Club Discussion Questions
Hobbit Club Discussion Questions (July & August) The Hobbit Tolkien, a master of words, uses the word ‘burglar’ to describe Bilbo. What does that mean? How are Bilbo and Gollum alike? How is Beorn like Lewis’s Aslan? Isn’t it interesting that after their stay with Beorn, Gandalf tells the party that he will be leaving … Continue reading Hobbit Club Discussion Questions
Building A Hobbit Club
In the Spring of 2018, almost 2 dozen hobbits from a variety of parishes and walks of life came together to begin a monthly book club adventure into Middle Earth. We continue to meet and each month we discuss the literature as well as the Catholic themes we see. At our gatherings, we pray, laugh, … Continue reading Building A Hobbit Club
Mustang, Wild Spirit of the West By Marguerite Henry
By the time the Marguerite Henry craze visited my grade school classmates in the early 70s, Henry had already published around 50 books about dogs and horses. Given my love of animal stories at the time, I’ve pondered my reasons for never joining my friends on the “Henry-Reading Train.” In fact, I didn’t read Misty … Continue reading Mustang, Wild Spirit of the West By Marguerite Henry