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Before Austen Comes Aesop: The Children’s Great Books and How to Experience Them
This unique work presents an in-depth examination of the stories and poetry that have made the most profound impact on the lives of children throughout Western history—the “Children’s Great Books.” This is a research based list of the crème de la crème of children’s literature.
In this rare, multi-level resource, parents learn how to help their children experience these timeless classics through three “adventures.” Parents seeking a relaxed but meaningful approach to the Children’s Great Books can choose between the leisurely adventure and book club(ish) adventure. They are designed to promote a love of reading and an appreciation of good books through cozy hours of solitude or lively discussion. The scholarly adventure is designed for home-school parents and other literature educators. It offers a sequential method for studying literature using fundamental principles common to most literature programs.
Parents can choose from both an elementary method and a secondary method, and use it in place of structured, guided programs year after year. A variety of appendices can be used as supplemental aids.
In this rare, multi-level resource, parents learn how to help their children experience these timeless classics through three “adventures.” Parents seeking a relaxed but meaningful approach to the Children’s Great Books can choose between the leisurely adventure and book club(ish) adventure. They are designed to promote a love of reading and an appreciation of good books through cozy hours of solitude or lively discussion. The scholarly adventure is designed for home-school parents and other literature educators. It offers a sequential method for studying literature using fundamental principles common to most literature programs.
Parents can choose from both an elementary method and a secondary method, and use it in place of structured, guided programs year after year. A variety of appendices can be used as supplemental aids.
272 pages, Paperback
First published March 15, 2021
30 people are currently reading
512 people want to read
About the author
Cheri Blomquist
4 books8 followersCheri Blomquist is a freelance teacher and author, as well as the mother of four daughters and one son. She earned her English education degree in 1994, and she has been part of the homeschool community since 2005 as both a homeschool parent and a teacher for various tutorial programs. One of those programs led to the development of her online course, The Denim Beret Writing Program.
In addition to her work in education, she has written fiction, poetry, and other materials for various programs and publications, such as The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and SchoolhouseTeachers.com.
Currently she lives near Chattanooga, Tennessee, where she continues to homeschool, write, and teach. You can learn more about her and her work on her website, Once Upon a Pen. She also maintains a YA book review website, What’s In It?: The Concerned Parent’s Guide to Young Adult Literature at http://www.wiilitguide.com/.
In addition to her work in education, she has written fiction, poetry, and other materials for various programs and publications, such as The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and SchoolhouseTeachers.com.
Currently she lives near Chattanooga, Tennessee, where she continues to homeschool, write, and teach. You can learn more about her and her work on her website, Once Upon a Pen. She also maintains a YA book review website, What’s In It?: The Concerned Parent’s Guide to Young Adult Literature at http://www.wiilitguide.com/.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
May 2, 2021
I enjoyed this book. It’s similar to other books for recommended reading lists for children/young adults. But it also includes how to incorporate the books with reading notebook journals and how to structure your own “reading curriculum”. I appreciate having a layout to follow and new ideas for incorporating the books into not just my children’s life but my own.
May 8, 2021
”Far too many children grow up without reading the great classics of children’s literature” Probably most of us fall into this category. Cheri Blomquist contributed a most valuable resource for all those who want to catch up on good children’s literature, though we are not the main focus of her book, lovely as the thought is. She also ponders the question if we rush too fast into adult classics before children and teenagers are ready for them. A very valid question! I have often wondered why we had to read tediously boring books in school when far more engaging literature could have been chosen without any loss of quality. It imparts on the student the false premise that classics are boring, when in fact the very opposite is true. A great story is a great story – what difference does it make whether it was written for children or adults?
Part of the premise of the book is that over the centuries great children’s literature has been written, it should be honored in its own right, and Blomquist proposes a “Children’s Great Books” catalog. In the first part of the book she covers the historical development of children’s literature within Western civilization over the centuries until the year 2,000 subdivided into different time periods. Blomquist highlights the most influential titles of each time period into “fundamental” and “important,” as these often birthed a new genre, such as Robinson Crusoe and the beginning of many adventure stories featuring islands or being stranded on a distant shore somewhere, or had some other major impact. Blomquist also gives each of these titles a short treatment on their themes and virtues. In addition, each time period has about 30 – 40 additional titles of note listed. As we get closer to the present, especially after 1965, there are more and more titles that are given a parental caution. These books have content that may be offensive or mature. I really like this feature. It gives parents especially a heads-up and the ability to discern if a given title is age-appropriate, should only be read with parental supervision, or simply ditched.
The second part of the book offers suggestions for students, parents, home educators, and teachers, various implementing strategies. These are not applicable in my case, so I pretty much skipped that part. There is a comprehensive appendix where all the titles are in list form for easy reference and further resources given.
To me the history of children’s literature and the impact of certain titles over time is the most fascinating part of this reference work. The titles were chosen not on the basis of personal preference of the author, but due to their importance to the genre, and she does note when she struggled including a title here and there. I like the honesty. Some titles are not my cup of tea either. Many years ago John Senior introduced the concept of reading a thousand good books in preparation for the greatest one hundred, and the “worksheet” (his word) of titles he prepared starts with age two. Blomquist’s book not only dovetails beautifully but fleshes out why the titles she suggests have merit and, most importantly, deserve our time.
Part of the premise of the book is that over the centuries great children’s literature has been written, it should be honored in its own right, and Blomquist proposes a “Children’s Great Books” catalog. In the first part of the book she covers the historical development of children’s literature within Western civilization over the centuries until the year 2,000 subdivided into different time periods. Blomquist highlights the most influential titles of each time period into “fundamental” and “important,” as these often birthed a new genre, such as Robinson Crusoe and the beginning of many adventure stories featuring islands or being stranded on a distant shore somewhere, or had some other major impact. Blomquist also gives each of these titles a short treatment on their themes and virtues. In addition, each time period has about 30 – 40 additional titles of note listed. As we get closer to the present, especially after 1965, there are more and more titles that are given a parental caution. These books have content that may be offensive or mature. I really like this feature. It gives parents especially a heads-up and the ability to discern if a given title is age-appropriate, should only be read with parental supervision, or simply ditched.
The second part of the book offers suggestions for students, parents, home educators, and teachers, various implementing strategies. These are not applicable in my case, so I pretty much skipped that part. There is a comprehensive appendix where all the titles are in list form for easy reference and further resources given.
To me the history of children’s literature and the impact of certain titles over time is the most fascinating part of this reference work. The titles were chosen not on the basis of personal preference of the author, but due to their importance to the genre, and she does note when she struggled including a title here and there. I like the honesty. Some titles are not my cup of tea either. Many years ago John Senior introduced the concept of reading a thousand good books in preparation for the greatest one hundred, and the “worksheet” (his word) of titles he prepared starts with age two. Blomquist’s book not only dovetails beautifully but fleshes out why the titles she suggests have merit and, most importantly, deserve our time.
September 23, 2022
A great homeschool resource. Ms. Blomquist has created annotated lists of the best literature for children, organized by date of publication from the earliest literature to the most recent. Each selection also includes a suggested reading level and a suggested interest level. She also has a section on how to use literature in the home school or other educational endeavors.
I used it to make a list of good books for the homeschool, organized by grade level (which I found more useful than date of publication) and made a notation of which ones were available from my local library. There is no doubt that being surrounded by good books, and having them read aloud to you, or reading them yourself is one of the foundations of a good education. As a former teacher, I've watched with concern as reading material in the schools becomes dumbed down, not only by readability, but also by morality. This is a great guide to books that will help build character and give our children a good education.
I used it to make a list of good books for the homeschool, organized by grade level (which I found more useful than date of publication) and made a notation of which ones were available from my local library. There is no doubt that being surrounded by good books, and having them read aloud to you, or reading them yourself is one of the foundations of a good education. As a former teacher, I've watched with concern as reading material in the schools becomes dumbed down, not only by readability, but also by morality. This is a great guide to books that will help build character and give our children a good education.
November 17, 2021
I enjoy books about books and this is a solid, if not groundbreaking, entry in that line. Could also be used for creating a book club or literature class for elementary or secondary students. I'm still not entirely sure what the criteria for choosing the books was. (There seemed to be several the author chose herself and then there were a few she said she "didn't" want to include but had to.)
Primarily liked this for backing me up in the idea that we (read: educators in general) are assigning the wrong books at the wrong time. Kids need a solid footing in foundational literature before we assign Great Expectations or The Great Gatsby, is all I'm arguing. So, yeah. Make sure you've read Aesop before you read Austen. [/rant]
Primarily liked this for backing me up in the idea that we (read: educators in general) are assigning the wrong books at the wrong time. Kids need a solid footing in foundational literature before we assign Great Expectations or The Great Gatsby, is all I'm arguing. So, yeah. Make sure you've read Aesop before you read Austen. [/rant]
August 16, 2021
Useful book lists, for sure, but I expected more from this. Some odd scoffing at modern concerns about race/class/etc content in some of the books.
Purporting to create a book that could be used as a literature curriculum, she made an odd choice not to include an appendix that listed the books by her recommended reading/interest level. In order to actually plan to use this curriculum (and it's important to note her suggested methods are neither classical or standard) you'd need to go through the entire book and make your own list from her chronological lists.
Purporting to create a book that could be used as a literature curriculum, she made an odd choice not to include an appendix that listed the books by her recommended reading/interest level. In order to actually plan to use this curriculum (and it's important to note her suggested methods are neither classical or standard) you'd need to go through the entire book and make your own list from her chronological lists.
January 14, 2022
I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to learn about the history of children’s literature. Blomquist does an excellent job tracing the most important works for children over the course of Western Civilization. The lists would be be great for creating your own literature program for your child. The other half of the book covers a variety of ways to study literature with your child.
Read
May 13, 2022Great try at an objective list of the most important children's books.
Docking a half star because the books are only listed chronologically, never by reading level or child-interest level. Now, I like chronological ordering: it's simple and logical. But the neo-classical homeschool community has gone overboard.
Y'all.
Read great books that your children are ready for and don't worry that they got The Wind in the Willows before Alice in Wonderland. Strictly chronological reading is untenable and unnecessary.
3.5 stars
Docking a half star because the books are only listed chronologically, never by reading level or child-interest level. Now, I like chronological ordering: it's simple and logical. But the neo-classical homeschool community has gone overboard.
Y'all.
Read great books that your children are ready for and don't worry that they got The Wind in the Willows before Alice in Wonderland. Strictly chronological reading is untenable and unnecessary.
3.5 stars
October 14, 2021
My husband bought a copy of this for me because I was excited about it, but it wound up falling kind of flat. The book lists are interesting, but I'm not sold on the whole reading program the author sets up. I think I was hoping for more discussion of the importance of reading great books and how exactly those books prepare kids to read classics later on.
March 12, 2022
I got this book from the library, but immediately knew I should buy my own copy as it demands margin notes, comments, highlights, and check marks.
Blomquist assembled an exhaustive list of foundational Western literature that all ages should familiarize themselves with before moving on to the classics written for adults. How many times have I read Dickens' allusions to "The Tales of the Arabian Nights" without really understanding the reference? How many hundreds of times have I read passages in novels that alluded to Bible stories? Without this foundational literary knowledge, our reading experiences can't possibly be as full and satisfying. Literary understanding aside, these books are the history of our culture.
Blomquist breaks down her lists by era, reading level (preschool through high school, and beyond) interest level (by age), and parental cautions (really helpful!). She then discusses virtues and themes, and what makes each selection important. She includes resources, such as different translations and adaptations for various reading levels.
The later sections of the book are geared more towards educators, with thoughts on how to select books, how to approach them, identifying literary elements, study questions, and even capstone projects. This would be a Godsend to homeschooling parents, particularly. An appendix has the books categorized in a variety of lists, without commentary for easy reference.
Even those who don't use second part of the book will find the list of children's Great Books invaluable.
Blomquist assembled an exhaustive list of foundational Western literature that all ages should familiarize themselves with before moving on to the classics written for adults. How many times have I read Dickens' allusions to "The Tales of the Arabian Nights" without really understanding the reference? How many hundreds of times have I read passages in novels that alluded to Bible stories? Without this foundational literary knowledge, our reading experiences can't possibly be as full and satisfying. Literary understanding aside, these books are the history of our culture.
Blomquist breaks down her lists by era, reading level (preschool through high school, and beyond) interest level (by age), and parental cautions (really helpful!). She then discusses virtues and themes, and what makes each selection important. She includes resources, such as different translations and adaptations for various reading levels.
The later sections of the book are geared more towards educators, with thoughts on how to select books, how to approach them, identifying literary elements, study questions, and even capstone projects. This would be a Godsend to homeschooling parents, particularly. An appendix has the books categorized in a variety of lists, without commentary for easy reference.
Even those who don't use second part of the book will find the list of children's Great Books invaluable.
August 19, 2021
4.5 rounded up
This was a wonderful resource on selecting classic children's literature. It is divided into several sections.
Part one reviews over classical works sorted based on when they were written. Blomquist reviewed multiple lists to compile an objective list of key children's classics throughout the ages. I appreciated how for many of the works she provided a short summary, and for some works provided disclosures for content that not all ages or children at a set age are ready for.
Part two includes several "reading adventures." These adventures details how to have a leisurely reading adventure, a book club style adventure, or a scholarly adventure, and breaks up each of these into older and younger age group suggestions. Blomquist provides a lot of details in this section and the appendices to help you form a formal literature program.
This book is a great reference for all parents who want to ensure they raise well read children, and particularly would be a beneficial read for homeschooling parents. The information in this book could be used alongside a formal literature program, or used to assist in the development of your own family literature program.
This was a wonderful resource on selecting classic children's literature. It is divided into several sections.
Part one reviews over classical works sorted based on when they were written. Blomquist reviewed multiple lists to compile an objective list of key children's classics throughout the ages. I appreciated how for many of the works she provided a short summary, and for some works provided disclosures for content that not all ages or children at a set age are ready for.
Part two includes several "reading adventures." These adventures details how to have a leisurely reading adventure, a book club style adventure, or a scholarly adventure, and breaks up each of these into older and younger age group suggestions. Blomquist provides a lot of details in this section and the appendices to help you form a formal literature program.
This book is a great reference for all parents who want to ensure they raise well read children, and particularly would be a beneficial read for homeschooling parents. The information in this book could be used alongside a formal literature program, or used to assist in the development of your own family literature program.
August 8, 2021
3.5/5 (?)
Before Austen Comes Aesop steps readers through the Great Books of Children's literature. While not writing from a Catholic perspective per se, the writer does focus on Western canon and the influence of said works in Western civilization as a whole (at least as regards children), and the book is published by Ignatius Press. The first half of the book contains bite-sized blurbs on foundational and recommended readings, begining with Scripture and ending with modern works. While the authoress does state inclusions are based on influence and not personal preference, some of the modern inclusions and exclusions are puzzling (she herself admits that time has not proven all the selections). In another instance, she refuses to address the controversy surrounding the Harry Potter series, stating that such a discussion is not the point of the book, while having just noted the controversy surrounding the Golden Compass series and why the motivating principles of that work are problematic from a traditional Western worldview.
The second portion for the book is a guide for parents to use in educating their children by the Great Books. This is a pretty dull portion, but made exciting by the thought of reading and discussing such books with your children or loved ones. It would be fun to use to guide with friends - working through the works with others for mutual enrichment. But teaching your own children, selecting the books for them to read, seeing them (hopefully) enraptured by the writing - what a joy!
Books contains appendixes, which are useful in simplifying the material. A secularly-minded person would get as much from this book as a homeschooling, Catholic parent.
Ending Gripe: Why wasn't Thomas the Tank Engine included? Baffles the mind.
Before Austen Comes Aesop steps readers through the Great Books of Children's literature. While not writing from a Catholic perspective per se, the writer does focus on Western canon and the influence of said works in Western civilization as a whole (at least as regards children), and the book is published by Ignatius Press. The first half of the book contains bite-sized blurbs on foundational and recommended readings, begining with Scripture and ending with modern works. While the authoress does state inclusions are based on influence and not personal preference, some of the modern inclusions and exclusions are puzzling (she herself admits that time has not proven all the selections). In another instance, she refuses to address the controversy surrounding the Harry Potter series, stating that such a discussion is not the point of the book, while having just noted the controversy surrounding the Golden Compass series and why the motivating principles of that work are problematic from a traditional Western worldview.
The second portion for the book is a guide for parents to use in educating their children by the Great Books. This is a pretty dull portion, but made exciting by the thought of reading and discussing such books with your children or loved ones. It would be fun to use to guide with friends - working through the works with others for mutual enrichment. But teaching your own children, selecting the books for them to read, seeing them (hopefully) enraptured by the writing - what a joy!
Books contains appendixes, which are useful in simplifying the material. A secularly-minded person would get as much from this book as a homeschooling, Catholic parent.
Ending Gripe: Why wasn't Thomas the Tank Engine included? Baffles the mind.
January 16, 2024
This was a good read and will be a great resource for our homeschool journey. I've read several books about books (specifically containing book lists for children) and this one had a different approach from others I've read. The author discussed the importance of exposing children to literature throughout childhood before expecting them to engage meaningfully with adult works (or even with the classics often assigned in high school).
The book is broken into sections that move through history, and the list of books contain a summary, reading level, virtues and themes, and any applicable content cautions. There are several appendices that have just booklists instead of all the additional info, and ideas/instructions for how to turn the lists into a course for students of all ages (with varying levels of difficulty).
Also, Goodnight Moon is in here. The entire list isn't just composed of books like The Iliad :)
The book is broken into sections that move through history, and the list of books contain a summary, reading level, virtues and themes, and any applicable content cautions. There are several appendices that have just booklists instead of all the additional info, and ideas/instructions for how to turn the lists into a course for students of all ages (with varying levels of difficulty).
Also, Goodnight Moon is in here. The entire list isn't just composed of books like The Iliad :)
April 10, 2024
4.5 stars ⭐️
Fascinating resource. Very well written. The focus on literature within the context of history is so interesting. The notes she gave on each book are excellent. The setup of the book is excellent as well.
Fascinating resource. Very well written. The focus on literature within the context of history is so interesting. The notes she gave on each book are excellent. The setup of the book is excellent as well.
June 22, 2023
This is an excellent resource for children's literature in the style of the Western Canon (i.e. literature for children which has been influential and loved across generations focusing on those in the Western civilization). It would be especially helpful for homeschool studies.
June 27, 2023
A fantastic resource for teachers, parents, and individuals who want to be well read .
June 13, 2022
A super-helpful resource.
February 5, 2023
This book is written to help parents and educators build kids foundational knowledge through reading. So much of our culture has been built from a framework of common knowledge/experience found in these books. By making sure your student is familiar with these key works, you can help them build skill and be ready for more difficult classics.
The second part of the book gives suggestions on reading literature, either as a casual endeavor, in a group setting, or as a scholarly endeavor.
This booklist book is better than most I’ve read because it gives content considerations for the books listed.
The second part of the book gives suggestions on reading literature, either as a casual endeavor, in a group setting, or as a scholarly endeavor.
This booklist book is better than most I’ve read because it gives content considerations for the books listed.
April 29, 2024
This book is a must have for families that lean toward classical education and those that prefer to design their own reading curriculum. (Or also families that aim to teach history through great literature, which I believe Charlotte Mason coined as "Living Books".) A lot of what the author writes in this book pairs well with the philosophy of The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home because it emphasizes the importance of starting from the beginning (ancient history for older kids or Aesop's fables and nursery rhymes for younger ones) and chronologically building your way through literature.
To me this makes a lot of sense because books and movies sometimes reference stories from a preceding time period, and to appreciate it, you must have some knowledge of it. The classic movie, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" is a great example. I grew up watching that movie but didn't know that the movie is based on the Roman myth of the Sabine Women called "Sobbin' Women" in the movie. Further, my daughter is always delighted when she's reading a book that makes reference to other books she has already read - and in that way, she feels more connected to the story mentioning it.
But anyway, what I particularly loved about this book aside from the very helpful reading lists were the curriculum ideas for all ages and for varying approaches (from leisure to formal). For us, we're going with the leisurely approach for elementary years and will progress to formal study as they get older.
The book is divided into three main sections: a chronological reading list, reading adventure guides (design ideas for creating your own reading curriculum), and appendices.
Part One: The Children's Great Books
Ancient Time through the Early Middle Ages
The Middle Ages through the Protestant Reformation
The Colonization of New England through the Mid-nineteenth Century
The First Golden Age of Children's Literature
The Great Depression through World War II
The Second Golden Age
Noteworthy Books of the Late-Twentieth Century
Part Two: Your Passport to Three Reading Adventures
Choosing Your Own Reading Adventure
The Leisurely Adventure (all ages)
The Book Club(ish) Adventure (all ages)
The Scholarly Adventure (elementary and secondary levels)
Appendices
Simplified Reading Lists
Study Method Cheat Sheets
A Secondary Scholarly Adventure Study Guide
The Scholarly Adventure Grading Rubrics
Four Short-Term Study Plans
The Children's Great Books Project
Major Awards for Children's Literature
Useful Questions for Literature Study
To me this makes a lot of sense because books and movies sometimes reference stories from a preceding time period, and to appreciate it, you must have some knowledge of it. The classic movie, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" is a great example. I grew up watching that movie but didn't know that the movie is based on the Roman myth of the Sabine Women called "Sobbin' Women" in the movie. Further, my daughter is always delighted when she's reading a book that makes reference to other books she has already read - and in that way, she feels more connected to the story mentioning it.
But anyway, what I particularly loved about this book aside from the very helpful reading lists were the curriculum ideas for all ages and for varying approaches (from leisure to formal). For us, we're going with the leisurely approach for elementary years and will progress to formal study as they get older.
The book is divided into three main sections: a chronological reading list, reading adventure guides (design ideas for creating your own reading curriculum), and appendices.
Part One: The Children's Great Books
Ancient Time through the Early Middle Ages
The Middle Ages through the Protestant Reformation
The Colonization of New England through the Mid-nineteenth Century
The First Golden Age of Children's Literature
The Great Depression through World War II
The Second Golden Age
Noteworthy Books of the Late-Twentieth Century
Part Two: Your Passport to Three Reading Adventures
Choosing Your Own Reading Adventure
The Leisurely Adventure (all ages)
The Book Club(ish) Adventure (all ages)
The Scholarly Adventure (elementary and secondary levels)
Appendices
Simplified Reading Lists
Study Method Cheat Sheets
A Secondary Scholarly Adventure Study Guide
The Scholarly Adventure Grading Rubrics
Four Short-Term Study Plans
The Children's Great Books Project
Major Awards for Children's Literature
Useful Questions for Literature Study
July 9, 2021
Excellent reading lists for children's literature class.
January 5, 2024
I was drawn in by the title and I think the book will come in handy later down the road for my young family. It’s got great descriptions of the foundational readings and is a more consolidated list approach based in chronological order and gives great works of literature in each era. I think that’s the most unique way to have listed, and great if you’re working through any sort of timeline in your schooling. But for now, it’s a book that I will use to make sure I’m checking off some of those for our family library (many are tried and true classics) and come back to when my preschool kiddos are older. I’d say it’s great for grade school parents/educators to reference and liked the book adventure ideas, but again, my littles are just a bit small for these now, but will use it as a guide to work on our family library to ensure some classics I may not have thought about yet and snag them as I see them.
July 2, 2021
Very thought out reading lists throughout literature history.
Want to read
January 20, 2023"If you are reading this review, then you should probably own this book. This is especially true if you know or care about any children or teenagers. Every parent is aware of the innumerable guides that explain how to raise children, to feed and clothe them, to protect them from the evils of screen time, pornography, and much else. But not many books offer both parents and children something like a treasure map or the possibility of an adventure. This one does."
Elizabeth Corey, https://www.firstthings.com/article/2...
Elizabeth Corey, https://www.firstthings.com/article/2...
June 23, 2023
This was not what I expected and I'm disappointed that I bought it. In short, it's more a history of children's literature that was popular during that time. Whether it was popular because the children liked it or because the parents bought it for moral reasons.
I love books! I have a massive home library of living books. I love books about books. I thought, of course this book is for me. I thought this would include the best of the best. The classics that have stood the test of time and we should read today before reading the adult classics. After all, that's what the book is supposed to be about. Instead, in the introduction she says that this book includes the literature that made the biggest impact on kids of that time. A lot of it I've never even heard about. She said, that by using that criteria she included a lot of things that wouldn't be on her recommended reading list and couldn't include many that would. So, there are some good books on here, but so many are missing. Not only that, but many are books that have not stood the test of time. I guess I have a different interpretation of what a classic is. I wouldn't consider captain underpants a classic a hundred years from now just because a lot of kids read it now.
The book review sounded like she would be recommending what Angelina Stanford does about the Bible, fables, fairy tales, legends and myths being the building blocks of literature, but nope. In fact she lumps Perrault in with the Grimms. Save yourself some money and go print out the Ambleside Online booklist for great books to read. Go listen to Angelina Stanford's podcasts about Bible stories, fables, fairy tales, legends and myths being the building blocks of the great books. Check out Reshelving Alexandria group and the Biblioguides website for lists of great books. Also checkout Jan Blooms books, Truth quest history guides a the book Honey for a child's heart. Here's another good one. https://biblicalhomeschooling.org/cla...
I love books! I have a massive home library of living books. I love books about books. I thought, of course this book is for me. I thought this would include the best of the best. The classics that have stood the test of time and we should read today before reading the adult classics. After all, that's what the book is supposed to be about. Instead, in the introduction she says that this book includes the literature that made the biggest impact on kids of that time. A lot of it I've never even heard about. She said, that by using that criteria she included a lot of things that wouldn't be on her recommended reading list and couldn't include many that would. So, there are some good books on here, but so many are missing. Not only that, but many are books that have not stood the test of time. I guess I have a different interpretation of what a classic is. I wouldn't consider captain underpants a classic a hundred years from now just because a lot of kids read it now.
The book review sounded like she would be recommending what Angelina Stanford does about the Bible, fables, fairy tales, legends and myths being the building blocks of literature, but nope. In fact she lumps Perrault in with the Grimms. Save yourself some money and go print out the Ambleside Online booklist for great books to read. Go listen to Angelina Stanford's podcasts about Bible stories, fables, fairy tales, legends and myths being the building blocks of the great books. Check out Reshelving Alexandria group and the Biblioguides website for lists of great books. Also checkout Jan Blooms books, Truth quest history guides a the book Honey for a child's heart. Here's another good one. https://biblicalhomeschooling.org/cla...
January 26, 2022
If you are going to purchase this book, I advise a hardcopy. It is going to be a book you refer to often. There is a strong chance you will underline and leave markings in the book. There is a strong chance you will place many post-it notes for future reference.
This book is written about books for children and young adult readers. It is about great books for children to read, but it is a splendid reference book for adults to read because it holds organized sections of reading lists on classic works. For example, The Iliad and The Odyssey. Beowulf and The Pilgrim’s Progress. The Yearling and Watership Down, and many more. It is a book for a reader of any age!
Before Austen Comes Aesop is organized in sections by time periods. Each book entry has a short summary followed by “Virtues and Themes.” Each of the books will show a “Reading Level” and “Interest Level.”
In the Part Two section, the reading challenges begin, also known as “Reading Adventure.”
This book holds reading lists, but it also holds information about how to read better-how to inspect what you read-how to take notes on what you are reading-how to make annotations-how to understand narrative literature.
This book is a goldmine. I love it. I am not going to place it on a bookshelf but leave it out for reference. I feel it is beneficial for me in elevating my own reading habits and in writing reviews.
Source: Self-purchase.
Audience: The book has been written with a primary audience of homeschooling parents. I feel another audience for this book is readers who want to increase their reading experience. This book fits in the area of Christian nonfiction.
Rating: Excellent.
This book is written about books for children and young adult readers. It is about great books for children to read, but it is a splendid reference book for adults to read because it holds organized sections of reading lists on classic works. For example, The Iliad and The Odyssey. Beowulf and The Pilgrim’s Progress. The Yearling and Watership Down, and many more. It is a book for a reader of any age!
Before Austen Comes Aesop is organized in sections by time periods. Each book entry has a short summary followed by “Virtues and Themes.” Each of the books will show a “Reading Level” and “Interest Level.”
In the Part Two section, the reading challenges begin, also known as “Reading Adventure.”
This book holds reading lists, but it also holds information about how to read better-how to inspect what you read-how to take notes on what you are reading-how to make annotations-how to understand narrative literature.
This book is a goldmine. I love it. I am not going to place it on a bookshelf but leave it out for reference. I feel it is beneficial for me in elevating my own reading habits and in writing reviews.
Source: Self-purchase.
Audience: The book has been written with a primary audience of homeschooling parents. I feel another audience for this book is readers who want to increase their reading experience. This book fits in the area of Christian nonfiction.
Rating: Excellent.
September 12, 2021
This is a tremendous work on the literature of children and young people that is a great guide for educators, as well as for parents and others who want their children to be well founded in the cultural heritage of the western world. It identifies (without reflection on ideologies) those works of literature, going back thousands of years, to the present, which have had a major impact on the literature of western society.
Works are identified as foundational, for the indelible imprint they have left on thinking and perspectives over time. Others are noted as important when they have had left their mark, but may not have been originators of a perspective or idea.
This book is thoughtfully put together to help instructors assemble a meaningful reading list or to plot a course through literature so that children will be able to appreciate the progression of literature and philosophy and cultural and literary references. It is presented with alternative formats for formal learning or self-guided forays into the field, as well as book club reviews.
No matter your interest level, this book should not be read without paper and pencil at hand to recreate your reading list in case there are some works which you may have missed on your own. This is a fun and highly informative exploration of the world of children's literature from Ancient Greece to the present day.
Works are identified as foundational, for the indelible imprint they have left on thinking and perspectives over time. Others are noted as important when they have had left their mark, but may not have been originators of a perspective or idea.
This book is thoughtfully put together to help instructors assemble a meaningful reading list or to plot a course through literature so that children will be able to appreciate the progression of literature and philosophy and cultural and literary references. It is presented with alternative formats for formal learning or self-guided forays into the field, as well as book club reviews.
No matter your interest level, this book should not be read without paper and pencil at hand to recreate your reading list in case there are some works which you may have missed on your own. This is a fun and highly informative exploration of the world of children's literature from Ancient Greece to the present day.
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July 8, 2024I love a good book about books, and I appreciated this one primarily for the history of children's literature over time, both books children read and books written for children in each of the time periods discussed, from ancient to modern, as well as the information about each of the books. The author attempted to compile an objective list of the children's great books, so it's not the same as a RECOMMENDED list of great books, as many other books of this general type are, and I appreciated that. She did include some opinions about some of the books, mostly in the form of parental cautions about the content and what may not be appropriate for younger children. Among the books listed as "Important" I even discovered one title that was completely new to me and several titles that are perhaps worthy of more consideration than I had previously given them. The application part of the book mostly doesn't apply to me, since I'm not a teacher and don't homeschool, but I found it interesting nonetheless, and I appreciated the review of Adler's principles from How to Read a Book applied to a younger audience. I always find books like this helpful in inspiring me to fill in the gaps in my own reading and education.
August 23, 2024
This book is an excellent resource. I really enjoyed reading through the individual books, as to why they were included. She gave some history and impact of the book. The section after all of the wonderful book information is all about how to teach with these great books and she goes into detail about different learning methods and assignments. My child is a toddler so I only skimmed this part, especially the high school level portion. The back section of the book is full of appendices. It will be a great resource to have on hand when we are ready! Right now I’m happy to have it for some picture book recommendations, and will definitely be going back to it over the years to see what titles I want to integrate into our home learning.
October 2, 2023
As a English Literature major (read lover of good books!) and homeschool mama, I not only thoroughly enjoyed this book, but I am sure I will be revisiting it. It’s well written and well organized, and Blomquist makes a compelling case for the value of children’s literature and the place it deserves in a person’s education. I especially appreciated the reasoning given behind inclusions of books in the list, reading level listings, and the parental cautions. It’s also fun to see the books broken down into their eras and explanations of each era of literature! I’m a bit of a nerd, so this was a fun read and will be a useful resource for our literature-based home school!
January 17, 2023
This is a good overview of children's literature from the time of the Iliad to the present. Divided into eras, she provides recommendations of books to read with a summary and any potential cautions. She also includes examples of literary analysis and activities for various ages.
This is a book to use as a reference more than reading from beginning to end. The appendices offer book lists, rubrics, and book project study ideas. It is definitely a consideration for my homeschool shelf.
This is a book to use as a reference more than reading from beginning to end. The appendices offer book lists, rubrics, and book project study ideas. It is definitely a consideration for my homeschool shelf.
June 3, 2022
Wonderful list of books that are currently available and easily found (I get annoyed with lists that have many obscure or rare books). I like that the author didn't shy away from recommending books that may be considered controversial in favor of their lasting impact. The literature study guides in the back are helpful for planning student work.
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