B.B.’s “The Little Grey Men”: Delight in Nature and in Story
Years ago, I read in a clipping from a magazine that Julie Andrews’ favorite book in childhood was B.B.’s “The Little Grey […]
Sentimentalizing Mothers and Mothers Who Are Not Overly Sentimental
Used book sales are a treasure trove of cast-off volumes, unwanted and unlooked for by most. Gorgeous old tomes sell for a […]
Patricia Polacco’s “The Butterfly”: A Story of Hope in Cruel Times
Patricia Polacco’s picture book “The Butterfly” strikes a rare balance: grim and gritty and yet hopeful. The story is based on real-life […]
Plenty of Life Left to Live: Accomplishment in Adulthood
It’s remarkable how quickly men can settle into a mid-life crisis. Like Julius Caesar weeping at the foot of the statue of […]
A Resource for Curating Books that are True, Good, and Beautiful
As “classical education” becomes more of a buzzword, there is yet more discussion of “the good, the true, and the beautiful.” As […]
Ken Guidroz’s “Letters for my Son in Prison”: A Father’s Love Shared Through Stories
We tend to think of reading to children in utilitarian terms: better SAT scores and verbal skills, improved abstract thinking and reading […]
George MacDonald’s “At the Back of the North Wind” and the Paradox of Happiness
But to try to make others comfortable is the only way to get right comfortable ourselves, and that comes partly of not […]
What to Read to Children: Finding Book Recommendations in Unlikely Places
What you read as a child (whether read aloud to you or read to yourself) says a lot about who you are. […]
“A Dog Who Follows Gladly”: Children’s Fable and a Fine Introduction to Stoicism
What a happy discovery to find Stoic Simple, the work of Phil Van Treuren. I have written before about my love of […]
Elizabeth Goudge’s “Linnets and Valerians”: Children at Their Most Magical
“Free to go where you like and do what you like.” Such a thing had never been said to them before. If […]