As “classical education” becomes more of a buzzword, there is yet more discussion of “the good, the true, and the beautiful.” As Charity Hill of Bright Wings: Children’s Books to Make the Heart Soar notes, there is limited to no ability to define what those transcendentals are. We desire them but cannot say exactly what they are.
Hill, who has an admirable ability to define with specificity, offers direction in her latest work at Bright Wings for discerning goodness, truth, and beauty in our reading selection for our children. In a podcast and blog post, Hill, a mother of four, writer, and educator, defines her terms, gives numerous examples, and offers food for thought. Ultimately, parents must define and implement standards for themselves and discernment is personal. Hill offers a helpful checklist for evaluating particular works and values for your family’s home library.
I like to take a broad sweep from the world of stories and, as Hill delightfully puts it, feel confident “spreading the feast” before my children. That approach is not for everyone and must be more strategically implemented as children age and venture into more complex literature without direct accompaniment. Reading aloud, pausing when needed, and discussing in real-time is one thing. Having a child or teen consume an entire, complex work and then follow up with discussion later is quite another.
I highly recommend spending time with Hill, who has given careful consideration to the matter and offers helpful insight.
Hill also offers a rebuttal to the claim that we are “censoring” our children’s books if we choose to exclude certain genres or material. We are not policing and banning books. Hill articulates aptly that it is a parent’s duty to curate for their children. Defaulting to what is mainstream is not neutral, and our reading choices reflect a worldview. Our job is to ensure that the world we offer to our children in books reflects what is good, true, and beautiful in the world as it really is.
