Don't miss out on great books!

A mother reading to her children

There are so many benefits to staying home and educating one's own children that there just isn't enough space or time to list them all.


But know this, if I didn't homeschool my children, I would have missed out on one of the greatest blessings of my life; enjoying classic literature. If you are like me, reading time gets squeezed out by all of the other challenges and responsibilities that come in this journey called life, such as sending out bills, switching laundry, appointments, shopping, etc. But reading aloud to my children gives me an excuse to enjoy an exceptional novel or two and to benefit from some special time with them together!


When I was in school, I honestly don't remember the classics ever being mentioned. As I became older we were forced to read textbooks which contained some of the classics, but these were only snippets, and therefore, I never associated them with anything enjoyable—and the books they chose for these collections were by that time the dark, godless drivel that we have come to expect in our contemporary experience.


But I have since rediscovered so many good reads as I have perused them aloud to my children. I have enjoyed many of them two or three times over, since I keep having different age groups coming up!


It is one of the most wonderful things in the world to take the time to experience an uplifting or thoughtful narrative together. It has been the "glue" of our days for many years. The children beg me to read to them, and when we finish one volume they are longing and looking for the next.


In recent years I have learned that the classics that have survived and are in popular circulation are not the best ones at all—they are simply the ones we in our present thinking have been able to tolerate; the ones that can still be mass-marketed to a population that is askew to God's view of things.


I believe God has allowed us in this dark age to reap the benefits of wisdom and artistry of days gone by through the use of the Internet, specifically through the myriads of digitized books that are currently out of copyright.


Here are a few of the authors that we have recently unearthed in our searching:


Charlotte Yonge—a definitely Christian woman (homeschooled) who was a prolific writer, even some historical fiction and adventure. I understand her writing did not survive because she portrayed a sacrificial sort of Christianity in her books, with values that are out of vogue even in our churches, unfortunately.


Elizabeth Prentiss—one of her books is still in modern print, although I believe this is mainly due to the influence of Elizabeth Elliot. She wrote a number of others. She also writes of sacrificial living, and her fiction makes you reassess your reality!


Harriet Beecher Stowe—I know my dear Southern readers may take exception to her, but she was a fantastic writer—her characters are developed so well, and her sense of humor is quite entertaining! Besides her most famous novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, she also wrote another title we plan on reading this winter, "The Mayflower".


Then there are G.A. Henty and Ballantyne—these authors are available in reprints thanks to publishers such as Preston Speed and distributors such as Vision Forum. Our second son bought the whole set of Ballantyne, and many of our children are reading through them all. Christian virtues and the Gospel are replete throughout, while not seeming "preachy" or awkward as modern Christian novels often can be. Henty and Ballantyne are both available for free download on the Net.

Dad reading the Holy Bible

Since many of these books are no longer available for purchase, it is worth the effort to print, bind and produce them yourself, or even to purchase a Kindle or other such reading device so that they may be accessed while away from the computer. The treasures they yield will far surpass the money or effort expended (and if we have physical books lying about, our children will be able to read and discover the rewards for themselves).


Children need food for thought—they are going to glean it from whatever is available to them. Why not offer the best—why not give them real meat from times when living the Christian life was more about giving of oneself to glorify God than getting everything from God to glorify oneself?


And why not take advantage of homeschooling and enjoy these books right along with them?!