Scheduling Childhood Away: In Defense of Summer, an Image of Eternity
In a country that graduates illiterate students from high school, some people question the value of summer vacation. It was made for […]
When To Start Reading Long Stories to Young Children
The question of when to begin reading long stories with no or few pictures to children is a surprisingly nuanced one. In […]
The Benefits of Rereading and Creating a Living Family Library
In the quest to become child-like, one might discover that rereading can be a richer and more satisfying exercise than previously considered. […]
The Joys of the Impractical and the Rube Goldberg Machine
The Rube Goldberg Machine delights. Named after the Reuben Lucius “Rube” Goldberg, a twentieth-century cartoonist, the machines are imaginative chain reaction devices […]
Extravagance: an Essential Ingredient for Life
Betty Smith includes many memorable details of the life Francie Nolan growing up in poverty and instability in “A Tree Grows in […]
Travelogue: The Great Salt Lake
Some places leave an indellible impression and come often to mind after even but a brief experience. Here is one such destination. […]
Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller: Education Is Always Individual
Annie Sullivan is remembered as the “Miracle Worker” who brought communication to Helen Keller who was deaf and blind. Sullivan displayed commitment […]
“Tell Me a Story”: Persistent Children and the Serious Fun of Storytelling
Children often possess a vivacity that is bewildering to the adult. In the humdrum of the everyday, this vivacity can be mistaken […]
The Two Worst Things That Can Happen to a Child
Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Gardenis now considered a children’s story, but the work originally appeared as a serial for adult readers. […]
Books Worth Reading: An Introduction to Stoicism with Arnold Lobel’s “Grasshopper on the Road”
Arnold Lobel gave the world many beloved illustrated stories, including the “Frog and Toad” series, “Fables,” and the side-splitting hilarious “Mouse Tales.” […]