I have a clear memory of my grandmother at a Fourth of July picnic commenting to the family that summer was half over when we celebrated that holiday. My young heart rejected this idea. Summer was just getting rolling. Hadn’t I just gotten used to school being out and weren’t there many, many weeks till Labor Day turned us… Read More Dog Days of Summer
I know you’ve been gone from this earth nearly forty years and some will think it silly of me to write to you now, but I am pretty sure that you would not. I am writing to share how much your stories have meant to me, and will continue to, and also to disagree with your self-mocking remark: “I… Read More Dear Kate,
When asked to tell his life story, Meindert DeJong wrestled to find something interesting enough to record. To most of us, the events of his life are far from ordinary. He basically described his life as divided between the writing part and the non-writing part. I contend that the non-writing part made the writing part remarkable. His simple storytelling is… Read More Hungry for a Good Story?
One of the workshops I attended at the just concluded Childlight USA Conference in Boiling Springs, North Carolina was on writing. The presenter discussed how children learn to write and why they write, which gives us insight into guiding them in their writing education. The main contributing ingredient to those who excel in the craft is a rich background and… Read More The Girl Who Loved Storytelling
Concern with character building is a recurrent theme in homeschool circles. Just recently I read a mother’s request for suggestions of books that would help her teach character. I’m personally doubtful that any workbook will provide material that can convey the virtues and strength of character parents desire their children to exhibit, let alone produce… Read More He’s the Man
When you begin digging for treasure from the “Golden Age of Children’s Literature” you might miss this author, but when her books are unearthed and opened, there is gold. In fact, a friend once confessed that in sorting through piles of old books she had acquired, she gave away a whole batch of Hilda van Stockum’s books and later… Read More Discovering Hilda
Boys are commonly viewed as having trouble in school. It is true that they often are slower to read. I have half boys and half girls and I would say the generalizations are not unfounded, but my years with this library have shown me an interesting phenomenon. Boys overwhelmingly are the most enthusiastic investigators and most… Read More Thank You, Mr. Bulla
One day as I was putting away the vacuum cleaner I had an overwhelming longing for Lucinda. I knew Emily was the only one who would not think I was crazy for admitting this out loud, so I told her. Imagine my pleasure when she announced triumphantly a few minutes later, “Mom! There’s a sequel.… Read More The Story Behind Lucinda, or Is It Ruth?