When you come, bring… the books…
– The Apostle Paul to Timothy, a request from prison
“He who walks with the wise grows wise,” and one way of so walking is by reading books – living books that ennoble, delight, challenge the head or heart (or both), and are worthy of reading again and again. C.S. Lewis pointed out that it is through the literary experience that we can live the lives of a thousand others and yet remain ourselves. Through story, our children learn to navigate a world of temptation, pain, evil, joy, wonder, and beauty. Great poetry awakens us to the vitality of language, and great poets helps us to see the world again for the first time. Read aloud with your child, over the summer and in the evenings. Set aside a time (start with bedtime) and find a good book. If you’re looking for suggestions…
Check out the Classical Reader for a list of worthwhile reads from JK through to grade 12.
While we develop our own reading lists, also check out the many classical Christian and Charlotte Mason reading lists out there, here are two others (from Westminster in Toronto and Geneva in Florida) in the meantime to get you started. If you’re really keen, take a look at The Good and The Beautiful Booklist, fully annotated.