November and December 2021 Book Reports

Calvary Hero: Casimir Pulaski by Dorothy Adams (American Background Series) - I picked this book up used at a big sale because my grandmother was Polish. I remembered stories she would tell about celebrating Casmir Polaski Day at her Polish school (in Illinois) when she was a little girl. This book is from an older series, well-written and enjoyable, though his life story has many tough times. It's a good supplemental book for a Revolutionary War study, if you happen to be particularly interested in Polish war heroes. (purchased used)

Anthony Burns: The Defeat and Triumph of a Fugitive Slave by Virginia Hamilton - I'm not sure where I heard about this book, but I wanted to add it to Second Son's history reading for the year (Level 2 Year 2, when he was still reading This Country of Ours, because I rearrange our history). It provides an interesting perspective of a slave's life in the years before the Civil War, when the patchwork of laws in different states were confusing to everyone, especially to the enslaved. (purchased used)

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison - This book is on the Mater Amabilis high school schedule for English in Level 6 Year 2 (twelfth grade). First Son was starting his senior year, but because he started high school on the beta plans and was taking a college writing course in the spring, I adjusted his English assignments. I pre-read this book, planning to assign it to him. It's a tough read, because the language is sometimes fluid and fast, the action is alternatively slow and shocking, and the subject matter is difficult to absorb. It's a masterpiece, but in the end I decided not to overwhelm First Son's schedule by adding it. (He did a semester of English with me in the fall in addition to a whole credit's worth of writing in the spring at a local college.) I feel like most high school students would be overwhelmed by this book without a wise teacher to walk through it with them, and I am probably not that teacher. If First Son continues in the seminary, he will read it in college, and that's probably a good plan. (Kansas Dad's course copy)

Lights in a Dark Town: A Story about John Henry Newman by Meriol Trevor - link to my review (purchased copy)

30 Poems to Memorize (Before it's too Late) edited by David Kern - link to my review (purchased copy)

Rainbow Valley by L.M. Montgomery - I've read this book many times, of course, but it's been decades. I think I enjoyed this book more now that I'm a mother; I found it easier to keep the children separate in my head. I encouraged Second Son to read it, even though he hadn't read the books between this one and Anne of Green Gables. He's always on the search for relaxing bedtime reads. He laughed at all the words they considered bad. There are a number of funny stories. If you're reading aloud to younger kids, this is a good book to follow Anne of Green Gables. (gifted copy)

Home by Marilynne Robinson - This is a slow gentle book I found a bit more depressing than Gilead by the same author, but still beautifully written. (library copy)

Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad by Ann Petry - I can't remember where I first found this book, either, but it was a good fit for Second Daughter's American History study in seventh grade (Level 3 year 2). I wanted something on the Underground Railroad. This is a well-written biography for middle grade readers that covers Harriet Tubman's life in slavery and freedom. (purchased copy)

Woman and the New Race by Margaret Sanger - link to my review (available free online)

My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse - I wanted something funny and light-hearted to listen to while riding in the van with First Son. Neither of us had read or heard any Wodehouse. This had some truly hilarious moments, and we both enjoyed it in our little thirty minute increments. (purchased audiobook)

King Lear by William Shakespeare - This was First Son's final Shakespeare play. He read all three of his senior year plays in the first semester (to finish them before his college writing class in the spring), so it was a quicker read than we usually do. King Lear is an excellent choice for twelfth grade; it's one of the more referenced Shakespeare plays, and therefore a good one to read before going to college, but it's also grim and depressing. So, read it, but save it for your older high school students. (purchased copy)

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon, Bookshop.org, and PaperBackSwap are affiliate links.

Helpful and Informative: A Priest in the Family

A Priest in the Family: A Guide for Parents Whose Sons Are Considering Priesthood

by Fr. Brett A. Brannen

We received this book as a gift from our diocese near the end of the discernment process for First Son, who is planning to attend the seminary in the fall. It's an easy read in question and answer format that's absolutely full of useful information and thoughtful responses. 

Despite my openness to a vocation to the priesthood for him, I was surprised at how uncertain I felt when First Son said he wanted to apply to the seminary. It took a little time and a lot of prayer to feel confident he was following God's call. 

We were relatively well-informed about the seminary and the discernment process, because Kansas Dad teaches at the university our seminarians attend. Even so, I almost wish our diocesan vocations director sent this book home with the young men interested in seminary after their first visit with him, rather than later in the process. Though we knew a lot about the seminary, this book addressed almost every question and concern we had, but by the time I read it, I'd already worked through many of the issues. It would have been nice to have it earlier.

There's a lovely prayer for a seminarian son at the back. There is also a substantial recommended reading lists on discernment, priesthood, celibacy, and biographies and autobiographies of priests.

If you have a son who you think may be considering a vocation to the priesthood, you might find this book helpful, even before you begin the process. I think it could definitely be beneficial if you have family members who are concerned or confused about the process, but open to reading a book about it.

As an additional note, if you have a son that you suspect may be considering the priesthood at all, I encourage you to encourage him to start the application process in the fall of senior year. The process itself can be quite illuminating, even if you don't continue, so there's little down-side. Starting that process in February was much more difficult. There are lots of meetings and appointments. Sometimes it was hard to get them scheduled in a timely manner so our son could make college decisions for the fall.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. We received this book as a gift. Though there aren't any affiliate links in this post, my blog posts often contain links to Amazon and Bookshop, which generally are affiliate links.

What they Mean: The Federalist Papers

Books that Matter: The Federalist Papers
by Joseph L. Hoffmann

First Son used the Mater Amabilis beta government plans, which included lots of primary source reading like some of the Federalist Papers. Sometimes he seemed to struggle to understand the context of the essays, especially ones in response to other essays. He would have benefitted from a lot more structure and support around them. He was reading other books, but they were more things read side-by-side with the primary sources rather than anything to hold them all together. At some point, I bought this audiobook (probably during a sale), thinking it would be just the thing.

This series of twelve lectures of about thirty minutes discusses many of the Federalist papers, the reason they were written, clearly explains what some of the more complicated language meant, and applies the arguments to the ongoing conversations of modern government.

The current Mater Amabilis government and civics plans have been revised, but now that I have this audiobook and The Birth of the Republic, I think I'm going to make a course focusing on the Constitution for a semester of government credit for First Daughter. I'm not sure she needs it, because she has already read extensively on the Constitution, but she'll love it. If she has time later one, I'll follow it up with a modern government course focused on current issues.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. I purchased this audiobook. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links.

Difficult Primary Source Reading: Woman and the New Race

Woman and the New Race

by Margaret Sanger

This book is included in the primary source reading in the Mater Amabilis high school history plans for Level 6 year 1. It should be clear that the faithful Catholics who collected the list of resources for our history plans do not agree with Margaret Sanger's views, but they did feel it important for students to read her actual words and grapple with them. 

I printed this short book for our history binder from the Bartleby website. It came to about 80 pages, single spaced, which is too long for a single day's history assignment. I did not read it ahead of my son, so I just asked him to read for thirty minutes, then narrate what he'd read. After reading it myself, I decided on some chapters to assign for my future students.

I'm going to assign (for a single day's reading) chapters I-VI, XIV, and XVIII. The other chapters will be optional. (My second child might read them, though I'm not sure any of the others will be interested enough.) These chapters are:

I. Woman's Error and Her Debt, pp. 3-5

II. Woman's Struggle for Freedom, pp. 6-12

III. The Materials of the New Race, pp. 13-17

IV. Two Classes of Women, pp. 18-20

XIV. Woman and the New Morality, pp. 59-64

XVIII. The Goal, pp. 79-81 

Chapter XIV (Woman and the New Morality) includes references to the Catholic Church's view of marital intimacy. Though her description of the baptismal rite is not strictly correct, the idea that the marital act itself was somehow tainted, even within marriage, was indeed widely believed within the church. Pope St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body was a turning point in our understanding. It is essential for students to be introduced to these ideas before encountering arguments like Sanger's in college and the wider world. Though they may not be able to convince their friends, they should be armed with such knowledge for their own soul's protection.

I also made a note at the beginning of the reading reminding my student medical knowledge has grown since 1920, when Margaret Sanger wrote this book. A familiarity with the reproductive system is recommended and should be addressed before a student graduates from high school, at the very least.

Most of Sanger's proponents today would explicitly disavow her eugenic arguments, but there are real struggles in the world she was attempting to address. I think it's important to recognize and acknowledge those. These sorts of primary readings are therefore essential.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. This text of this book is in the public domain.

Falling Short of Expectations: 30 Poems to Memorize

30 Poems to Memorize (Before it's too Late)
edited by David Kern

I wanted to love this book. It seemed perfect for a poetry read-aloud with my high school students. They listen to a lot of poetry aimed more at the younger kids, so this seemed a good book for my oldest son's final years or homeschooling.

Each chapter includes a woodcut illustration of the poet (some poets have more than one poem), a short biography, a poem (or two), each followed by a reflection essay. There's a great guide for reading poetry at the beginning of the book (written by my friend and wonderful poet, Sally Thomas). There are also boxes here and there throughout the book with helpful notes on terms, rhyme schemes, and other more formally presented information.

I would read the poem, read the essay, then read the poem again. We read about one chapter a week, but took breaks for busy weeks and the seasons of Advent and Christmas, so it took more than a year to get through the book.

The reflections are written by different people, though a few wrote more than one. Some of the reflections were wonderful, and some were full of typographical errors and less organized thoughts. I was disappointed in the uneven quality.

There are also a few egregious errors in the biographies and poems. John Donne's brother died in 1893 (p. 35). "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evenings" has an extra word in the fourth line: "To watch his woods will [sic] fill up with snow" (p. 75). In a book designed to lead people to memorize poetry, I think the poems should be so thoroughly proofed for such a mistake to be impossible.

The selection of poems was a good mix of more well-known poems, like "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," and ones I might otherwise have never encountered, like "Listening to Peter and the Wolf with Jason, Aged Three" by A.E. Stallings (one of my favorites in the book). Not all of them are particularly suited to memorization, however. You could argue that there are poems worth memorizing that fall outside a regular meter or rhythm, but it's not clear they would be amongst the first thirty you'd want to memorize.

Most of the reflections provided insights into the poem that led my children to consider their poems more favorably on the second reading, despite the need for additional editing in some of them.

If you are reading to younger children, you may want to skip John Donne's "Holy Sonnet XIV." The poem and the reflection contain references to more mature topics, though nothing I thought inappropriate to read to my high school students. (I didn't pre-read, so I just adjusted my language a little as I read it aloud.)

Overall, I expected more of the CiRCE Institute and the editor, David Kern. I hope they are able to fix the mistakes in future printings. I also hope they will take greater care in choosing authors for reflections and editing those reflections if they attempt another poetry book.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. I purchased this book. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links.

Truth for a Modern World: Lights in a Dark Town

Lights in a Dark Town: A Story about John Henry Newman
by Meriol Trevor

This is a delightful novel of mid-1800s Birmingham, England, where Emmeline and her mother become friends with Father John Henry Newman. Through conversations and experiences shared with Father, Emmeline and her friends encounter the theological arguments and actions Newman recognized as the response to the modern world.

"The present critics of Christianity are not stupid, and what clever men argue today, ordinary men accept the day after. Especially as people increasingly judge everything by what they think is scientific reasoning. They look at the world and find no evidence for a loving Creator. Indeed, they have some justification, for the world as we see it can be interpreted in various ways."

"But doesn't that mean the atheists are right?" Emmeline said, puzzled. 

Father Newman smiled. "No, why should it? Christianity is not a deduction from the world we see. It's a history--almost a drama--about a person. We accept, we obey Him. And we find He is true." (pp. 225-226)

He concludes: 

"There are many other important things to do and say, but this seems to me the most fundamental, for in the end it is the idea people have of the world and their place in it which affects everything they do." (p. 226)

Second Daughter (Level 3 Year 2, seventh grade) read this book near the end of her world history for the year. I think it's written at a level good for a fifth to eighth grade student to read independently, but it would be appropriate for all ages as a read-aloud. I love St. John Henry Newman and am very pleased I had a reason to buy this book for our home library.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. I purchased this book new. Links to Bookshop and Amazon are affiliate links.

October 2021 Book Reports

Henry IV Parts One and Two by William Shakespeare - Kansas Dad helped choose these two plays for First Son's senior year of high school (along with King Lear). He reads them with his college students and thought they'd be a good complement to what First Son had already read. I love that our kids read so many Shakespeare plays. First Son read eleven plays in high school and three plays in earlier years. There are some great themes in Henry IV, though I wouldn't read it younger than high school and maybe not with all ninth graders (as First Daughter was this year). Falstaff is a bit...mature in his humor. I like the No Fear Shakespeare series for older kids. Use with caution with younger ones because they do make the mature jokes quite clear. (purchased copy)

How to Become a SuperStar Student by Michael Geisen (Great Courses) - I listened to this just a little ahead of First Son. I'd heard it recommended for homeschooled students as a way to prepare them for classroom work. It has some useful parts, some information and advice for working in teams and with teachers, that may be helpful for First Son, but the course probably works best for younger students. I think it would be perfect for a late elementary or middle school student preparing to go to a brick-and-mortar school for middle school or high school. In fact, I put it on First Daughter's list for the year, though I don't think she had time for it. There are a few lectures where the teacher mentions some more mature topics, so you would definitely want to pre-listen for a younger student. The course was recorded as a visual course, so there are some parts that might be slightly confusing if you only have the audio version. I think the main point was generally clear, though.  (purchased audiobook)

John Henry Newman: Snapdragon in the Wall by Joyce Sugg - link to my post (purchased copy)

The Anglo-Saxon World by Michael D. C. Drout (from the Modern Scholar series) - link to my post (purchased copy)

Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry - This is not my favorite Wendell Berry book. I always find Jayber's relationship with Mattie Chatham weird and possibly not really acceptable. And it's all a little bit sad. But this was my second time reading it, and I appreciated it more this time around. (library copy)

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links.

Playing at Math: Multiplication and Fractions

Multiplication and Fractions: Math Games for Tough Topics

(Math You Can Play)

by Denise Gaskins

I have to interrupt my little written narrations of reading over the past year or so to tell you about this great book of math games. I've written about a few of Denise Gaskins's books before: Let's Play Math and the combo book Counting and Number Bonds and Addition and Subtraction. This is another games book, but for older students.

My kids almost all struggled more with math as soon as we encountered multiplication and fractions. For the most part, they understood the concepts, but remembering all the multiplication facts was difficult. For fractions, it was recognizing the ones that were the same when they were simplified or had different denominators.

For my younger kids, I scheduled a games day when we'd just play the next game in this book. Some games were more fun than others, but with a loop (going back to the beginning when we finished the book), we got lots of practice with different facts and they knew their favorite games would come around again. I appreciated how the games depended almost entirely on things we had at home (like regular decks of playing cards) or free materials Denise Gaskins offers on her site if you purchase the book. There are also variations for most of the games to make them easier or more difficult.

The information she provides before the games and when introducing each one is really helpful for parents who are trying to understand how their children are thinking and guide the children to consider how all the multiplication problems and fractions are inter-related. The games give lots of practice with the facts themselves, which helps kids remember them, but they are designed to also encourage kids to explore how numbers are related to each other.

Some kids really thrive with games, and many children simply need a solid dose of math facts practice every day. This book was one tool in our homeschool to ensure we were getting some practice in.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Bookshop and Amazon are affiliate links.