‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (Clement Clarke Moore) The Elves and the Shoemaker (Brothers Grimm) The Ugly Duckling (Hans Christian Andersen) Jason and the Argonauts: the first great quest (Robert Byrd) The Princess and the Pea (Hans Christian Andersen) The Pied Piper of Hamelin (Robert Browning) The Little Engine That Could (Arnold Munk) Little Sambha and the Tiger (Indian tale told by Scott Gustafson) The Emperor’s New Clothes (Hans Christian Andersen) Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters (African tale told by J. Regardless of their medium, these stories have “made some light” for our family, even through the darkest days. Some my son has read on his own, and others he’s listened to on audiobook. Some of these books we’ve read together as a family. This is by no means an authoritative list rather, it is a work of joy. While these are all works of fiction, they shine light on what is true and pure and noble and just-the very things we want filling our children’s hearts and minds. And in Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes, a boy born into destitution discovers his true identity and courageously confronts evil forces. In The Rag Coat, a young girl overcomes the shame and ostracism of poverty by sharing stories that disarm her schoolmates. For example, in Night Journeys, an 11-year-old boy struggles between a secret, selfish desire fueled by resentment and a newly awakened desire to selflessly help two enslaved children. I searched for culturally diverse books (to give my son a global perspective) and historically rich books (to help him understand more than this blink-in-time).īecause every good story is a small reflection of The Greatest Story, good children’s books have the potential to enlarge our children’s hearts for eternal realities. I looked for books that are well written, speak honestly to the realities of life, and are hopeful, courageous, and redemptive. To curate a book list for my son’s first decade, I sifted through myriad resources, asked friends who are ahead of me in motherhood for their best recommendations, and drew on my own favorites from childhood and teaching days. For nine years now, I’ve surrounded him with stories-and whether or not he ends up being a storyteller himself, the ritual of reading and listening to and telling stories has become one of the sweetest, most meaningful rhythms of our family life. Years later, when I became a mother, I began praying that God would grant my son a love for good stories and a gift for storytelling. It provided us with a shared language and common context. No matter how hard the day had been (for myself or my students), those moments disarmed and enchanted us all. Make some light.”Īs an English and Literature teacher, I began many of my classes perched on a barstool, reading from a chapter book to spellbound teens. “Because you, mouse, can tell Gregory a story. ![]() “Why would you save me?” Despereaux asked. What is it about a good story? Kate DiCamillo said it best in The Tale of Despereaux:
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |