True Grit...

"There is no knowing what is in a man's heart.", Mattie Ross - True Grit.    

One day, I was doing some research on the Close Reads podcast and mentioned to the kids that True Grit was initially a book written by Charles Portis. Riley and Ruben had seen parts of each True Grit movie. They are John Wayne fans and asked to watch the 1969 movie in it's entirety. I proposed a book study first and they were both intrigued. We decided to include their dad and grandpa, so I ordered multiple copies of Portis' novel from the library and we each set off in our own direction to read.

A month later, we gathered to discuss. True Grit is the story of 14-year old Mattie Ross, who's father was killed by his ranch hand, Tom Chaney. Mattie sets out to avenge her father's death. First, Mattie goes to town to identify her father's body and settle the family's financial affairs. Then, she hires Reuben J. Cogburn, also-known-as Rooster, a rough and tough, hard-drinking, one-eyed U.S. Marshall, to bring in her father's killer. However, there is one condition, that Mattie must travel with Rooster in order to see that justice is served.

In the meantime, a young Texas Ranger named La Boeuf shows up also looking for Tom Chaney. He decides to team with Cogburn in his quest, but doesn't want Mattie tagging along. In the end. La Boeuf looses the battle and the three of them set off for their fugitive, who's hiding deep in Indian Territory. Their journey proves to be quite an adventure! Mattie Ross, a proud Presbyterian, is a wonderful protagonist that I would liken to Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn.

After reading and discussing Portis' novel, we watched John Wayne's 1969 Academy Award winning performance as Rooster Cogburn. With a G-rating, I would say it was an excellent family film! Then, we watched Jeff Bridges' 2010 portrayal of Rooster, which was equally good. Both Bridges and Wayne bring Cogburn's rough and tumble, but highly lovable character full circle on the big screen. The 2010 film is more true to Portis' book, but John Wayne certainly can't be beat in his display of true grit. Interestingly, the 2010 version is rated PG-13. It's funny to see how ratings have changed over the years. Both True Grit movie versions have some minor language and violence in them, but so does the book.

Whether it be True Grit or not, I highly recommend book studies with your older children. Sometimes while parenting teenagers, we get lost in the day to day grind of them trying to assert their independence. It is so wonderful to build family culture around books and movies. It creates a bond that surpasses the most difficult days. I can't tell you enough how much I love reading along with my older kids!                                                                                                                                                                                                    

How I Started a High School Community

When I think back on the social life and times of my two high school graduates, one through public school and one through homeschool, I see pros and cons of each. As I look ahead to high school again, I want to attempt to remedy one major con we experienced. The con of public school affording too loose of structure with peers and not enough constructive adult interaction. And, on the other hand, homeschool affording too much parent only structure and not enough constructive peer interaction. It is my experience that both situations can lead to unbalanced adults. With my rising high schoolers, I endeavored to find a happy medium.

There are many opportunities in my area for home educated high school socialization from co-op courses to sports. There are also a few clubs and organizations one could get involved with. However, everything has a price and because we live rural, it usually involves quite a bit of travel, which makes those opportunities cost prohibitive. After much thought, I realized that I personally have always loved book clubs and got a great deal of socialization from them. Having a book to discuss gives the group something in common right from the start and usually opens up a whole gamut of other conversations. Some of which, have developed into great friendships and relationships. And, usually book clubs are of little or no cost once you obtain the book. Hence, I decided to put together a free high school community for home educated students to come together to discuss great books and ideas, which to my knowledge, is not something that exists in my community.

It's a project I've been working on since last spring. Initially, I put a post out on our local homeschool forum gauging interest in a high school community. I immediately received over a dozen responses. From there, parents gathered to brainstorm what the community might look like. I did research ahead of time and presented a couple models to draw ideas from. I also shared some of my potential concerns and expectations of what a community of this nature should and should not be.

I wanted the community to be parent led, meaning each family with a student participant must have an adult participant. I like this idea for a few reasons. Namely, to keep cost down and save time. As home educators, we are all busy and often living on one income. If one person has to coordinate and teach all subjects, it gets to be a lot of time and energy for that one person and they should be compensated. However, if each family has an adult willing to organize one subject of study, we will all be working together for the greater good of the community. It's a divide and conquer mentality. We split up the tasks to lighten everyone's load. 

I also love the idea of parents reading and learning with their children, even and especially at the high school level. Often times, busy moms will hand over the books to their high schoolers so they have more time to work with younger children or do other things. I'm all for students gaining independence in their upper level studies. However, completely handing off everything withholds a great opportunity from parents to connect with their teens. If you've ever had a cranky child, there's nothing like putting distractions aside and snuggling up together with a good book. It is no different at the high school level. Reading together quite often builds relationships. It gives you a different focus rather than stewing over bad attitudes. Then once you have your child's heart, it's much easier to develop positive character that offsets the negative. Reading alongside your kids helps you stay connected while fostering independence. 

Another bonus of parents participating in the high school community is "schole" and "mother culture". Mystie Winckler defines schole in this post and links to some wonderful video lectures of Dr. Christopher Perrin explaining schole. Mother culture, a phrase linked to Charlotte Mason, is the habit of reading for mothers. LindaFay has an excellent post here explaining the origin of mother culture and why it's so important. 

We must value education enough to pursue it ourselves. If we want our kids to be life long learners than we must model this attitude. In time, the attitude we portray in the atmosphere of our home and the knowledge we acquire in this pursuit will greatly benefit our children and others around us in their aspirations of truth, beauty, and goodness. I liken the aim for schole and mother culture reading to filling a cup. One cannot pour from that which is empty. We must refill in order to pour out. It is important for us to value education enough to desire to continue striving for it ourselves. Not only will we personally reap the benefits, but so will all those around us.

We do not plan to grade high school community work within the community. However, since we are doing academic related work, parents are free to grade individually and use time spent toward high school credit. I did not want this group to be added on to what people were already doing at home, but rather a compliment to it. It shouldn't be a dreadful burden, but an aid to their existing high school plan.  

After our initial meeting, I created a survey of the ideas presented there and sent it to all interested parties. The survey included questions regarding subjects to be taught, volunteers to teach those subjects, frequency of meeting, and dates/times/locations of meeting. It also included questions about younger siblings and who was willing to entertain them while the high school community met. There were ten families that took the survey. I then sorted the survey responses and shared results with all interested parties, highlighting majority responses and offering suggestions on how to proceed. We hashed out a few details by e-mail and I asked for a more formal commitment. Unfortunately, a few families were not able to make it work due to scheduling conflicts and a few were not ready to make a regular bi-weekly commitment. However, there were a handful of families still interested. 

Those interested parents met last night to finalize the details. We currently have a group of four families with five students, 3 boys, 2 girls committed to joining, and the possibility of three additional students from three more families (2 boys, 1 girl) still considering it. I did create a deadline for them to decide so we can advance with ordering our materials. Subjects, leaders, and meeting dates have been set!

We will meet bi-weekly on Fridays for twelve weeks from September to November. We will take a break in December and resume in January, meeting bi-weekly over the course of twelve more weeks through the end of March. We are anticipating approx. 2 to 2 1/2 hours of time will be needed for each meeting, with possibly up to 3 hours the first meeting so we can include introductions. Together we will study Literature and Composition, Shakespeare, Recitation, and Current Events. 

Literature with a Composition component 

I will facilitate student learning through the five titles pictured above using the Teaching the Classics/Socratic method of discussion. The students will be expected to read on their own and also research assigned online sources. With each book, we will look at an author bio and historical context, as well as related music, art, and poetry from the time period. I will also assign writing projects to be worked on independently at home based on the Excellence in Literature - American Literature modules by Janice Campbell. In addition, each student will keep a commonplace book to copy passages that interest them as they read.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Rip Van Winkle & The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Shakespeare

Another mom will lead the students through the study of Oxford School Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night's Dream. They will read/discuss a retelling such as Lamb's Tales in order to understand the play/plot for the first class. After which, they will read the original work together, breaking up parts and reading subsequently one act per class. We will pick a second play at a later date for the second term. 

Recitation 

Each student will pick a passage/poem of at least six stanzas to memorize throughout the first 12 weeks of class. The lead mom is drawing from The Harp and Laurel Wreath by Laura Berquist, but the students are free to use poetry resources they have at home or can find online. The goal is to memorize and recite at least one new stanza at each class so by the end of the term, each student can recite a full poem at least six stanzas in length. The students are welcome to recite longer poems if they'd like, but they can be no shorter than six stanzas.

Current Events

We are basing this subject off the Ambleside Online suggestion for current events. Each student will keep a journal/notebook of current events that interest them, listing 1-2 per week or 2-4 per class. For example, they would write, "This Week in History, September 7, 2018" and then give a short synopsis/summary (narration) in their own words in the notebook of the event to share in class. They should also cite their source. Maybe they want to track a major development over the course of several weeks or maybe they want to choose different events each week. It is at the family's discretion. AO has provided a list of possible current event sources that students can draw from or they are welcome to use personal family favorite sources if they have them.

Originally, the survey indicated the subject of Debate as a favorite, but as time went on no one stepped up to lead it, so it has since been dropped. That's not to say we can't add it in the future, but for now it feels like we have a solid start on this community with the four planned subjects.

My dream of a low or no cost high school community with parent participation is now becoming a reality. I am very excited! I think this high school community will be an excellent opportunity for our students to socialize in a constructive and fun atmosphere while learning alongside parent mentors. It will also be a great occasion for parents home educating through high school to connect and support one another. I pray that it's a win/win for everyone involved. 

Julius Caesar

We read Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare for our fifth and final Middle School Socratic Book Club, back in March. It was our first attempt at a real Shakespeare play. We've done Lamb's Tales re-tellings, but not an original work. Unfortunately, our club never got to meet for discussion for a variety of scheduling reasons. However, Riley, Ruben, and I did an in depth study at home.

I chose the Oxford School Shakespeare version for our study because it has the complete unabridged text and I love the layout. Each play in this series has marginal notes to aid in overall understanding of difficult passages as well as vocabulary. There are also plot summaries on individual scenes, a list of leading characters, background information, photos, maps, and other helpful illustrations. Julius Caesar even held a few pages in the back with references from Shakespeare's Plutarch, based on a translation by Sir Thomas North.

Initially, I created character index cards for the first Act, which Riley, Ruben, and I divided up, each taking different parts. Then we read our assigned character's lines aloud. However, given some of the vocabulary, we decided to move to an audio version, following along with the book. The dramatization was extremely helpful in aiding understanding.

After listening/reading the entire play, we watched two different movie versions of Julius Caesar that I obtained through our local public library. The first starred Marlon Brando and the second Charlton Heston. We liked the second version better. It followed the play word for word until the end of the final Act, which was unfortunate.

Overall, I really enjoyed Julius Caesar and look forward to trying another Shakespeare play in the future. Riley thought the characters were pathetic because they were, in her words, whiny and cowardly men. Ruben preferred listening to the audio over reading or watching the films. Given the history of Caesar's time period that we studied this year, it was interesting to see their reactions.

Some of my commonplace entries are as follows....

Brutus: No, Cassius, for the eye sees not itself
But by reflection, by some other things. (Act 1, Scene 2, Lines 52-53)

Caesar: Cowards die many times before their deaths,
The valiant never taste of death but once. (Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 32-33)

Decius: Most mighty Caesar, let me know some cause,
Lest I be laugh'd at when I tell them so.
Caesar: The cause is in my will. I will not come:
That is enough to satisfy the Senate. (Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 69-72)

Brutus: Be patient till the last.
Romans, countrymen, and lovers, hear me for my
cause, and be silent that you may hear. Believe me for
mine honour, and have respect to mine honour that you
may believe. Censure me in your wisdom, and awake
your senses that you may the better judge. If there be
any in this assembly, any dear friends of Caesar's, to him
I say that Brutus' love to Caesar was no less than his. If
then that friend demand why Brutus rose against
Caesar, this is my answer: not that I loved Caesar less,
but that I loved Rome more.... (Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 12-22)

The Call of the Wild...

The Call of the Wild by Jack London was our February Middle School Socratic Book Club read. A couple of quotes from my commonplace are as follows...

But Buck possessed a quality that made for greatness - imagination. (Ch. 3)

For the last time in his life he allowed passion to usurp cunning and reason, and it was because of his great love for John Thornton that he lost his head. (Ch. 7) 

I found it interesting that the author equated having love with giving up reason, as if one could not have both. However, upon investigation and learning of Jack London's worldview, it was not surprising. London was a prominent socialist and atheist, who wrote from a point of realism and naturalism. He was also interested in Marxism, Nietzschean philosophy, and Darwinism.

The Call of the Wild is one of London's most famous works. It was originally serialized in The Saturday Evening Post in 1903. It is the story of dog named Buck, half St. Bernard and half sheepdog, living a comfortable life on Judge Miller's estate in California until one day, when Buck is stolen and sold to dog traders, who teach Buck obedience by beating him.

The Call of the Wild is set in the late 1890's and the Klondike Gold Rush is on. Throughout the story, we see Buck being sold from one cruel master to the other, until eventually, he is rescued by John Thornton, a veteran gold prospector. From there, a relationship is built between man and beast. However, when Thornton is killed, Buck decides to leave civilization for good and return to the wild. Theorists say, the theme in The Call of the Wild is based on Darwin's idea of survival of the fittest. I agree and could definitely see evolutionary ideas at work.

He was beaten (he knew that); but he was not broken. He saw, once for all, that he stood no chance against a man with a club. He had learned the lesson, and in all his after life he never forgot it. That club was a revelation. It was his introduction to the reign of primitive law, and he met the introduction halfway. The facts of life took on a fiercer aspect and, while he faced that aspect uncowed, he faced it with all the latent cunning of his nature aroused. (Ch. 1)

He swiftly lost the fastidiousness which had characterized his old life. A dainty eater, he found that his mates, finishing first, robbed him of his unfinished ration. There was no defending it. While he was fighting off two or three, it was disappearing down the throats of the others. To remedy this, he ate as fast as they; and, so greatly did hunger compel him., he was not above taking what did not belong to him. He watched and learned...

...This first theft marked Buck as fit to survive in the hostile Northland environment....

...His development (or retrogression) was rapid. His muscles became hard as iron and he grew callous to all ordinary pain. He achieved an internal as well as external economy. He could eat anything, no matter how loathsome or indigestible; and, once eaten, the juices of this stomach extracted the last least particle of nutriment; and his blood carried it to the farthest reaches of his body, building it into the toughest and stoutest tissues. Sight and scent became remarkably keen, while his hearing developed such acuteness that in his sleep he heard the faintest sound and knew whether it heralded peace or peril. He learned to bite the ice out with his teeth when it collected between his toes; and when he was thirsty and there was a thick scum of ice over the water hole, he would break it by rearing and striking it with stiff forelegs. His most conspicuous trait was an inability to scent the wind and forecast it a night in advance. No matter how breathless the air when he dug his nest by tree or bank, the wind that later blew inevitably found him to leeward, sheltered and snug. 

And not only did he learn by experience, but instincts long dead became alive again. The domesticated generations fell from him. In vague ways he remembered back to the youth of the breed, to the time the wild dogs ranged in packs through the primeval forest and killed their meat as they ran it down. It was no task for him to learn to fight with cut and slash and the quick wolf snap. In this manner had fought forgotten ancestors. They quickened the old life within him, and the old tricks which they had stamped into the heredity of the breed were his tricks. They came to him without effort or discovery, as though they had been his always. And when, on the still, cold nights, he pointed his nose at a star and howled long and wolflike, it was his ancestors, dead and dust, pointing nose at star and howling down through the centuries and through him. And his cadences were their cadences, the cadences which voiced their woe and what to them was the meaning of the stillness and the cold and dark. 

Thus, as token of what a puppet thing life is, the ancient song surged through him and he came into his own again. And he came because men had found a yellow metal in the North, and because Manuel was a gardener's helper whose wages did not lap over the needs of his wife and divers small copies of himself. (Ch. 2) 

Despite, London's worldview, or maybe because of it, The Call of the Wild is a worthy read. It lent a great opportunity for worldview discussion. It would make a fitting piece for older students discovering rhetorical thinking.

Aside from London's worldview, The Call of the Wild is action packed and has been a favorite of many outdoorsmen over the years. The boys in our group enjoyed it much more than the girls.

Oliver Twist....

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens was our January Middle School Socratic Book Club read.  Last year we studied A Christmas Carol so this was my second Dickens' novel. Riley, Ruben and I actually started Oliver Twist last January 2016, but got about half way and failed to finish.  So this year, I purposely chose it for our book club knowing it would force us to push on.  We each started back at the beginning and this time were able to complete the book.

Oliver Twist was orphaned at birth when his mother died shortly after delivery. Chapter One starts out very grim and the book doesn't get a whole lot brighter until the very end.  Dickens' tale is dark and deep, yet gratifying when good overcomes evil. Several times throughout, I asked myself why I picked such a depressing book. It felt like heavy sledding. I believe this was Dickens intention, to show the dark side of London and its workhouses in the Victorian Era.

After reading each chapter, I wrote a short one paragraph narration...yes, after all 53 chapters!...to aid my memory and recollection as there are numerous characters in Oliver Twist.  Actually, I also pulled from this list and created a three page typed reference sheet so I could initially keep everyone straight. In the end, Dickens masterfully weaves them all together. I can't think of anyone who was left hanging and this novel writing detail is satisfying to me. I like closure in my reading.

This month in our club, we talked about foreshadowing since Dickens gives numerous examples in Oliver Twist. The three examples I cited in class, which I will withhold here due to being a spoiler, all point to finding out Oliver's family history.

Overall, I loved Oliver Twist and am contemplating which will be my next Dickens' novel. Initially, it seemed impossible to find commonplace entries and then I found three beautiful passages toward the end. Below is an example of RileyAnn's commonplace entry and also Ruben's narration...

'I am chained to my old life. I loathe and hate it now, but I cannot leave it. I must have gone too far to turn back, - and yet I don't know, for if you had spoken to me so, sometime again, I should have laughed it off. But,' she said, looking hastily round, 'this fear comes over me again. I must go home.'

'Home!' repeated the young lady, with great stress upon the word.

'Home, lady,' rejoined the girl. 'To such a home as I have raised for myself with the work of my whole life. Let us part. I shall be watched or seen. Go, go. If I have done you any service, all I ask is, that you leave me and let me go my way alone.' Oliver Twist Ch 46

Oliver Twist narrated by Ruben

Oliver Twist was an orphan who, when he was 9-years old, got sent to the workhouse. He was apprenticed to the Sowerberry's, but he did not like it there so he ran away to London. There he met up with Fagin and his team of robbers, but he did not like robbing people. One day when he was out robbing, he got caught and went to court.  He was then taken in by Mr. Brownlow.  He liked it there, but one day he was out running an errand and he got captured again by Fagin and his men. Then he was forced to rob one night and Oliver got shot in the robbery. He then was left in a ditch to die.  He crawled back to the house he had attempted to rob. The people took pity on him and took care of him until he got older. He then met back up with Mr. Brownlow. He was adopted by Mr. Brownlow.  He lived happily ever after with Mr. Brownlow. The end. 

2016 Back to the Classics Challenge Wrap-Up....

I finished the 2016 Back to the Classics Challenge, reading books in six of the twelve categories. The books in each category that I read were...

A classic in translation - Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

An adventure classic - Robinson Crusoe by Daniel DeFoe

A fantasy, science fiction, or dystopian classic - The Hobbit by J.R R. Tolkien

A classic which includes the name of a place in the title - Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

A classic which has been banned or censored - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Re-read a classic you read for school (high school or college) - The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

The 2017 Challenge is just around the corner. I see there are a few new categories this time.  I'm still on the fence as to whether or not I'll participate.  Last year, I was able to read nine of the twelve categories.  I didn't do quite as well this year. I find myself reading so much to the kids that I don't always have time for my own reading...ahem!

Did you complete the challenge?  I'd love to hear about it.  Please free free to comment below.

Anne of Green Gables...

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery was our November 2016 Middle School Socratic Book Club read.  It is a fabulous read that draws on the life of the author, L. M. Montgomery.  Shortly after its publication in 1908, Montgomery received praise from Mark Twain, which was a bit ironic since Twain authored The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, our first book of this Middle School Socratic Book Club season.

Anne Shirley is an 11-year old orphan girl adopted by siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, owners of Green Gables. The Cuthberts originally write for a male orphan to stay with them to help with farm chores.  Therefore, Matthew is quite shocked when he arrives at the train station to pick up his orphan and it's a girl. Eventually, Anne Shirley wins the heart of Matthew and Marilla and it's decided she will stay at Green Gables rather than being sent back in exchange for a boy.

Anne is a lively character with a big imagination.  Her exuberance for life and strong opinions push the story forward.  Her childish antics keep the reader entertained and longing for more.  Of course, Anne's imagination and romanticized ideas of what life should be like versus the real life world is a major conflict in the story.  Some folks, including Marilla, found Anne strange and wanted her to stop imagining in order to conform to their world and the expectations of their community Avonlea. In the end, Anne shows real maturity and responsibility in the sacrifice of her life's dream.  She gives up the Avery scholarship she worked so hard to achieve in order to stay at Green Gables and care for Marilla and the farm after tragedy strikes. Her decision leads to that man vs. society conflict resolution.

The major theme of Anne of Green Gables is belonging.  Anne longs to find a place to belong. She wants to be loved in spite of her idealistic dreams, thin frame and red hair. She eventually strikes a balance between her imagination and social respectability giving her a home and family at Green Gables.

Riley, Ruben and I thoroughly enjoyed Anne of Green Gables.  Ruben initially asked for more and now both he and Riley want to continue with L. M. Montgomery's classic series.  Ironically, on Thanksgiving evening, the Anne of Green Gables movie played on our local PBS station.  It was a wonderful and warm way to end our day of giving thanks, but in no way a suitable replacement for Montgomery's original work.  I am using Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery as my 2016 Back to the Classics Name of Place in Title book.  Whether young or old, I highly encourage you to consider reading it!

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn...

We kicked off our Middle School Socratic Book Club in October with The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.  After reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer last October 2015, I thought it would be a good place to begin, sort of as a follow-up.  Twain did not disappoint.  As a matter of fact, the opening paragraph of Huck Finn begins....

You don't know about me, without you have read a book by the name of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," but that ain't no matter.  That book was made by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly.  There was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth.  That is nothing.  I never seen anybody but lied, one time or another, without it was Aunt Polly - Tom's Aunt Polly, she is - and Mary, and the Widow Douglas, is all told about in that book - which is mostly a true book; with some stretchers, as I said before. 

Twain published The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in 1884, post Civil War.  However, his story is set pre-Civil War.  Twain drew much criticism for his novel.  It was actually banned in 1885 for the first time, less than a year after publication, for being “trash and suitable only for the slums.”   Huck Finn has seen many bans since and continues to be one of the most challenged books of all time.  I did not realize this when I chose this book for our club, but at the same time, I'm glad we read it and would not shy away from it based on these controversies.  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a very important piece of American literature.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is just that, an adventure novel about a boy.  If you've read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, you may remember in the end that Tom and Huck acquired a large sum of money.  The Widow Douglas then took Huck Finn in for her son and tried to 'sivilize' him.  However, Huck does not want to be civilized. He eventually fakes his death, meets up with Jim, Miss Watson's runaway slave, and together they float down the Mississippi River, jumping from one adventure to another. The river is a symbol of freedom that not only runs through the middle of our country, but also the middle of the story. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn holds themes of loyalty and brotherhood.  In addition, Twain uses irony to drive home a point about equality for all men. 

I used A Socratic Discussion with The Classics Club DVD by Adam Andrews to aid in prep for our first class.  I love the way Andrews discusses a book in order to better understand the author's point.  In the DVD, he shows us things like Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Denouement, Conflict, Plot, etc.  Ruben loved Huck Finn!  He watched the DVD with me and really enjoyed Andrews' jovial personality and apparent love of literature.  It really brought the book alive for him.

I am using The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain as my Banned or Censored Book in the 2016 Back to the Classics Challenge.

Middle School Socratic Book Club....

The book club is back!  Last year, I facilitated a Socratic Book Club for homeschooled 5th and 6th graders.  We studied seven great works of literature based on the method presented in Teaching the Classics by Adam and Missy Andrews.  This year, because my kids are older, we'll be continuing the club with 6th through 8th graders.  I learned a great deal last year and have made a few changes.

This year, our group will study only five books total, rather than seven, four novels and a Shakespeare play.  Given the breadth and depth of the works studied, seven was just a few too many.  Also, I've condensed the study into a shorter time period, beginning in October, a month later, and ending in March, a month earlier.  These are not only less busy times for my family, but six of the most unfavorable months to be out of doors in WI.  There is nothing like snuggling in with a cup of hot chocolate and a great classic novel during those pesky winter months.

Another change this year is the addition of a Shakespeare play.  I've never studied Shakespeare with a group before, but thought it was a fabulous idea.  I've read several posts written by Nancy Kelly and Mystie Winckler regarding their Shakespeare teaching experience and this year decided to take the plunge.  My current plan is to meet five consecutive weeks in March, studying one Act of Julius Caesar per week.   I'm looking forward to group discussion and possibly acting out the scenes each week within the group.

Lastly, I'm adding a writing component to the group.  I'm requiring each student to write a narration either of the entire story or of a particular chapter/scene of interest.  We currently have seven participants and if time permits, I will ask each student to share their narration with the group.  The students will also be required to keep a Commonplace Book. I'm asking them to choose at least two passages from each book to commonplace. Again, they will be asked to share their passage choices with the group.  I will not be critiquing any of the writing or assigning grades, but rather encouraging the students to deeper engage with the story.

The books we will study are scheduled as follows...

October 2016 – The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

November 2016 – Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

January 2017 – Oliver Twist by CharlesDickens

February 2017 – The Call of the Wild by Jack London

March 2017 – Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

In addition to narration and commonplacing, throughout the club study, we will discuss the five elements of fiction including, conflict, plot, setting, character, and theme using the Socratic method of discussion, again based on Teaching the Classics as mentioned above.  Overall, I think it's going to be a great year. Ruben is already blowing through Huck Finn.  I'm pleased with the number of participants and look forward to each of the prospective books being studied.  I intend to write a follow-up post after each meeting with a book review.

The Secret Garden....

Our final Socratic Book Club read was The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  It is a lovely story of overcoming one's negative thoughts.  The Secret Garden also shows how a child's love can heal the emotional scars of the adults around them.  It was a fabulous book to end the club with!

The Secret Garden is set primarily in Yorkshire, England shortly after the turn of the 20th century.  Mary Lennox, a spoiled and selfish girl, is orphaned at age 10 after a cholera epidemic in India.  She is then sent to England to live with her uncle, Archibald Craven, whom she has never met.  Upon her arrival at the Craven's one hundred room manor, she expects staff to wait on her much like in India.  However, Mary is confined to two rooms and told to amuse herself.  She is befriended by lowly good-natured maid Martha, who tells her about the late Mrs. Craven and the gardens.

Eventually, Mary's childlike curiosity gets the best of her and she wanders outside.  In Archibald Craven's grief ten years prior, after his young wife died suddenly, he abandoned her garden, to which no one was allowed to enter.  Mary has heard tell of Mrs. Craven's special rose garden, but it is walled off and no one seems to remember where to find the entrance.

Then one day, Mary finds the buried key and a robin leads her to the door, which is in an overgrown tangle.  She secretly begins to breathe life back into the garden with the help of Martha's brother Dickon.  Along the way, Mary also discovers the source of the crying sounds in the night, but I must not give away the rest of the story, as it's a book that should be read by everyone young and old.

Robinson Crusoe...

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe or Foe, as was his birth name before he changed it to sound more aristocratic, was our March Socratic Book Club read.  Though nearly 300 years old, this great adventure tale still appeals to modern readers.  It is the story of shipwreck and survival, man against nature and man against self.  

In opposition of his father, Robinson Crusoe leaves home to find adventure at sea.  He is shipwrecked, captured by pirates, sold into slavery, eventually escaping, and becomes a prosperous land owner in Brazil. However, his success is not enough, for he sets sail from Brazil to Africa to participate in the slave trade.  While enroute, he is again shipwrecked.  Being the lone survivor, he makes his way to an uninhabited island.  It is here, he spends the next 28 years of his life.   

Weaving between first and third person narrative, Defoe keeps the reader's attention during those initial years of Crusoe being marooned. Like any masterful storyteller, Defore also uses a variety of literary devices, including vivid description, metaphors, similes, contrast, foreshadowing, and flashback. to make his story more interesting.  I was totally pulled into Crusoe's struggle.  The author writes,

I had a dismal prospect of my condition; for as I was not cast away upon that island without being driven, as is said, by a violent storm. quite out of the course of our intended voyage, and a great way, some hundreds of leagues out of the ordinary course of the trade of mankind, I had great reason to consider it as a determination of Heaven, that in this desolate place, and in this desolate manner, I should end my life.  The tears would run plentifully down my face when I made these reflections, and sometimes I would expostulate with myself, why Providence should thus completely ruin its creatures, and render them so absolutely miserable, so without help abandoned, so entirely depressed, that it could hardly be rational to be thankful for such a life.  

But something always returned swift upon me to check these thoughts, and to reprove me; and particularly one day, walking with my gun in my hand by the seaside, I was very pensive upon the subject of my present condition, when Reason, as it were, expostulated with me t'other way, thus: "Well, you are in a desolate condition, it is true, but pray remember, where are the rest of you?  Did you come eleven of you into the boat?  Where are the ten?  Why were they not saved, and you lost? Why were you singled out?  Is it better to be here, or there?"  And then I pointed to the sea.  All evils are to be considered with the good that is in them, and with that worse attends them.  

Then it occurred to me again, how I was furnished for my subsistence, and what would have been my case if it had not happened, which was an hundred thousand to one, that the ship floated from the place where she first struck and was driven so near to the shore that I had time to get all these things out of her; what would have been my case, if I had been to have lived in the condition in which I at first came on shore, without necessaries of life, or necessaries to supply and procure them?

Here, we see Crusoe attempting to rationalize and tame his thoughts.  For the first few years of his abandonment, he continues to wrestle with his fate. At one point, he makes a list of the good and evil of his circumstances, "And as my reason began now to master my despondency, I began to comfort myself as well as I could, and to set the good against the evil, that I might have something to distinguish my case from worse; and I stated it very impartially, like a debtor and creditor, the comforts I enjoyed against the miseries I suffered..."  

Over time he takes up the Bible and begins reading it on a regular basis trying to find purpose and meaning in his condition.  Finally, after multiple fits of "ague", Crusoe accepts Christ and his lot.

Thus I lived mighty comfortably, my mind being entirely composed by resigning to the will of God, and throwing myself wholly upon the disposal of His providence.  

From that point on, he not only tames his inner self, but also conquers the physical realms of nature.  He depends on God's provisions and learns to work the land instead of against it, making a comfortable home and life for himself.  Eventually, Crusoe even embraces the simplicity and solitude of life on the island.

Then one day, Crusoe sees a lone footprint in the sand on the shore.  He is both happy and afraid as he realizes the island has been visited by cannibals.  However, many years pass before he actually sees them.  I will not give away the second half of the story, but encourage you to read Robinson Crusoe for yourself, which by the way was originally titled, The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, Of York, Mariner: Who lived Eight and Twenty Years, all alone in an un-inhabited Island on the Coast of America, near the Mouth of the Great River of Oroonoque; Having been cast on Shore by Shipwreck, wherein all the Men perished but himself. With An Account how he was at last as strangely deliver'd by Pyrates.

If you are fortunate enough to come across a Charles Scribner copy of Robinson Crusoe, pictured above, illustrated by N.C. Wyeth, I would recommend it as the illustrations are fabulous and add to the antiquity of the story...

My only caution is that the illustrated copy does not include the full ending, so I did finish the book reading from my Watermill Classic paperback, which included approx. 40 more pages.

This review of Robinson Crusoe will be included as part of my 2016 Back to the Classics Challenge in the Adventure category.

Miracles on Maple Hill....

We read Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen for the February 5th/6th Grade Socractic Book Club discussion.  It was a much easier read than some of our other choices, but a delightful story just the same.

When her father returns from the war, a POW suffering from what appears to be PTSD, Marly's family retreats to Maple Hill.  Her grandmother's old house in the country and her mother's childhood haven, look to be the perfect place for father's recovery.  Upon arrival, they are met by Mr. Chris, an old neighboring farmer who believes the first miracle of the year is sap rising and maple syrup making.  Over the course of the year as the seasons change, miracles do happen on Maple Hill.

This delightful coming of age story will warm your heart.  It's set in rural Pennsylvania, post WWII.  The flora and fauna of Maple Hill aid in father's recovery.  Miracles on Maple Hill is a reminder of hope and the importance of family and friends in times of adversity.  The making of maple syrup is also a perfect fit for a great spring read!

The Hobbit...

I have always detested fantasy, whether it be books or movies, it just isn't my genre.  I struggle to get into something that can't really happen.  To some, it may seem narrow minded.  Although, once you're over forty, you care less about what others think...ha!  On the other hand, I didn't want my disdain to sour our children's taste for fantastical literature.  So, I chose The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien for our January Socratic Book Club discussion.

Because I've heard many sing praises of Tolkien and it was on the Ambleside Online Year 6 Literature list, I figured The Hobbit was as good a choice as any.  And, I must say, I was not disappointed.  Actually, I was utterly surprised and quite pleased.  Tolkien did not disappoint.

The Hobbit was originally published in 1937, while J. R. R. Tolkien was a professor at Oxford University.  In late 1932 when he finished the manuscript, he lent it to friends, including his co-worker, C. S. Lewis, who encouraged him to publish his work.  Both Tolkien and Lewis studied and taught the literature of medieval romance.  According to an article at Christianity Today...

The two friends were interested in the literature of the romantic period because many of the poems and stories attempted to convey the supernatural, the "otherworldly"—and thus provided a window into spiritual things. Lewis explored romantic themes like joy and longing, and Tolkien emphasized the nature of people as storytelling beings who by telling stories reflect the creative powers of God. But they both rejected an "instinctive" approach to the imagination. Many romantic writers were interested in a kind of nature mysticism. They looked within themselves and at the world around them and sought flashes of insight into "the nature of things"—illuminations of truth that could not be explained, reasoned, or systematized. But Lewis and Tolkien insisted that the reason and the imagination must be integrated. In any understanding of truth, the whole person must be involved.

Early in the story, I fell in love with Bilbo Baggins.   His quest for courage and character made him a sympathetic "Everyman" protagonist.  Despite his reluctance to entertain the dwarves and go along on their adventure, he remained hospitable and warmhearted.  I found the loyalty of his character very appealing.  He was honest and steadfast in doing what was right even in difficult situations.

The Hobbit made for wonderful conversation with the kids since we all read it together.  Actually, we listened to the majority of it on audio.  I must confess the narrator, Rob Inglis, was what first drew me into the story.  His voice and ability to dramatize the characters was absolutely fabulous!!  Just take a listen here to see what I mean.

In addition, if you'd like to hear a bit of Socratic discussion, hop on over the Center for Lit and listen to their Junior High Lit class discussion.  It is about two hours long so be sure you set aside some time.  The first hour is a bit slow, but the second hour is much better and hopefully will give you food for thought.

SPOILER ALERT!

RileyAnn was very disappointed when Thorin Oakenshield died.  I personally didn't really feel that bad.. This led to a great conversation about his character and good versus evil.  I believe Thorin had to die given his greed.  This gave the treasure and Lonely Mountain to Dain and the dwarves of the Iron Hills.  After all the years of oppression, they were finally able to overcome.  She totally understood.  We were both heart warmed with Thorin's farewell to Bilbo on his deathbed.  In the end, there was forgiveness for an honored friendship.

Since finishing the book, we are working through The Hobbit DVD's.  I had no idea it was going to be a 9 hour venture.  We just finished The Desolation of Smaug and so far have not been disappointed.  Peter Jackson's tale has held fairly true to Tolkien's treasure.  Of course, it's made for Hollywood so the special effects can be a bit much, but the story itself is good.  However, I would definitely read Tolkien's original work before watching the movies!!  There is something very special about developing images in your own mind's eye.

The Hobbit is a Sonlight recommendation in addition to AO.  Since reading the book, I can finally understand the fascination.  Tolkien's fantasy novel is definitely not to be missed.

By the way, I'll be linking this post to the 2016 Back to the Classics Challenge as my Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Dystopian Classic.

A Christmas Carol....

Our November Socratic Book Club read was A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.  I had seen several renditions of the movie over the years, but never read Dickens' actual novel.  Truth be told, this was the first Dickens novel I actually read.

A Christmas Carol is the story of Ebeneezer Scrooge finding the true meaning of Christmas.  Scrooge is cantankerous, crabby, cold hearted, and a down right miserable man.  Then one Christmas Eve, after being visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future in a series of dreams, Scrooge awakens to become a changed man.

Once again, I used SparkNotes as advance preparation for our discussion.  I introduced the term allegory and conflicts such as man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. God; man vs. self, and man vs. society.  I also reviewed protagonist/antagonist and The Five Elements of Fiction: Story Chart.  The discussion was great!  Most of the students were engaged and a couple even had a thoughtful debate in response to a question posed.

A Christmas Carol is an important piece of literature that should be required reading.  Many words and phrases from this Dickens classic have become common language in our society.  "Scrooge" is used  in reference to a miserly person.  We say "Bah humbug" when referring to nonsense.  In spite of the archaic 19th Century British writing, A Christmas Carol has a Lexile Measure of 1080 and should be easily readable by most middle and high school students.

When choosing a copy of A Christmas Carol, I recommend an unabridged edition.  Ours was an old hardback illustrated by Arthur Rackham.   Unfortunately, the spine fell apart while I was reading, but I love the illustrations so much that I plan to keep it and hopefully, someday, repair it.

Also, Adam Andrews from Center for Lit is currently offering a free audio of A Christmas Carol for live streaming.

Overall, we loved A Christmas Carol!  SPOILER ALERT: I will leave you with the final paragraph....

He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived upon the Total-Abstinence Principle ever afterwards; and it was always said of him that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge.  May that be truly said of us, and all of us!  And so as Tiny Tim observed God bless Us, Every One!

BTW, I'm using A Christmas Carol as my Classic Novella in the 2015 Back to the Classics Challenge.  

Socratic Book Club: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer...

We held our second Socratic Book Club discussion in mid-October based on The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.  This is a wonderful read for students of this age or higher!  I personally enjoyed the book immensely.  If you have a male reluctant reader, ...Tom Sawyer is the perfect perennial classic to spark a new love.

If you have not read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, it is the story of a young boy growing up along the Mississippi River, a sort of coming of age story.  It is set in a fictional town with fictional characters, both of which are drawn on the real life of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, a.k.a., Mark Twain.  Twain's novel is packed full of adventure including a murder, love, and buried treasure.

At book club, we continued discussing setting, characters, plot, conflict, and theme.  I also introduced the terms, protagonist and antagonist.  Prior to meeting, I referenced both Reading Roadmaps and Teaching the Classics by Adam and Missy Andrews, as well as Spark Notes for leadership ideas.  Once again, the kids amazed me with their ability to dig in and produce great discussion.

We're currently reading A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens for our November club meeting.  I'm in the process of trying to figure out which elements to introduce and add to the discussion.  I will follow-up and let you know how it goes.

Since The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was originally published in 1876, I'm using it as my 19th Century read in the 2015 Back to the Classics Challenge.

Starting a Socratic Book Club: Wind in the Willows...

I mentioned in a couple of previous posts starting a Socratic Book Club for 5th & 6th graders.  We've joined book clubs before, but usually it ends being more social than thought provoking or academic.  There was often times a snack or lunch, brief book discussion, possibly a craft, and then time to play.  The discussion usually centered around comprehension sorts of questions and trying to pull from each child what they thought about the book and whether they liked it or not.  I wanted something different, something more so I started researching.

A few years back, I found Teaching the Classics by Adam and Missy Andrews.  After skimming the syllabus and watching the DVD's, I knew I was on to something.  From there, I started networking.  I listened to podcasts including interviews with Adam Andrews and Lawrence Goldstone.  I put out feelers among our local homeschool groups as to whether or not there was other interest in this sort of book group.  This past summer, I also read Deconstructing Penguins by Goldstone and felt convicted that now was the time to act. 

Because Riley and Ruben are 5th and 6th grade, I thought this was a good age group to start with.  After a little behind the scenes planning, our group was formed.  From there, the rest was history as they say.  We have nine students with a mix of boys and girls.  Actually to my surprise, the boys outnumber the girls 2 to 1.  I guess I had some weird stereotype in mind that girls were more likely readers.

Anyway, we met last week for the first time and it was great!  We studied Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.  Each student is assigned to read the entire book before our group meets.  Being our first meeting, it started a little slow, but gained momentum as we went along.  We met for one hour, discussing literary elements such as setting, characters, conflict, plot, and theme.  Many of these ideas were new to the students, but they seemed to grasp them quickly.

Wind in the Willows was a good book to start with.  The language is very rich.  The characters have depth.  Their human like qualities make for great discussion, yet because they're animals, they appeal to children.   I was also fortunate enough to borrow Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the Willows, A Socratic Discussion with the Classics Club, a DVD course by Adam and Missy Andrews, in which Adam Andrews leads a group of young people in a Socratic discussion of the book.  This was very helpful to glean from a model in action prior to leading the group.  The DVD is actually nearly two hours and Andrews' discussion gets quite in depth as obviously his students have met and held Socratic discussions before.  However, because our group only meets for one hour and because it was our first meeting, I tweaked and shortened the content to start with basics.

By the way, if you ever read Wind in the Willows, I highly recommend the edition illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard.  The illustrations are fabulous and really compliment the book.

Our book club will meet monthly from September through April, with the exception of December.  I have the following books scheduled...

September – Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

October – The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

November – A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

No December meeting

January – The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

February – Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen

March – Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

April – The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

In starting this club, my goal was to get kids reading classic literature from a variety of genres.  I chose most of the books from Ambleside Online's Free Reading lists for Years 3-6.  These books as well as the club discussion is what makes up our reading curricula this 2015-2016 school year.  

Although, I don't have The Classics Club DVD to lead me through upcoming discussions, a friend borrowed me Reading Roadmaps, A Literary Scope & Sequence for K-12, also by Adam and Missy Andrews.  This handy resource lists over 200 titles, which are "summarized and cross-referenced with elements of fiction common to all stories".   There are different chapters/sections broke down by frequency of study.  For example, there's a Daily/Weekly Model, Monthly Model, Six Week Model, Quarterly Model, and Seasonal Model.  Each model contains a chart with book titles, plot summary, conflict, theme, aids/devices, and an alternate title.  Hopefully, this book, along with the list of Socratic questions provided in Teaching the Classics, will give me enough of an outline to lead the group. 

I'm linking this post in the Children's Classic section of the 2015 Back to the Classics Challenge.