Art & Music Education

In her book The Hidden Art of Homemaking, Edith Schaeffer argues that everyone has a talent or skill ready to be discovered and put to use for the glory of God. Often, that talent lies dormant, and the individual is frustrated by the empty spot in their life it should fill. Finding your talent should be a priority, though it's no drudgery—discovering what God has made you good at is a joyful and exciting process.

Similarly, Olympic gold medalist Eric Liddell never put his running before his duty to Christ; instead, he used his talent as a sprinter to glorify God. As he expresses in the brilliant film Chariots of Fire, "I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure." God gives us talents to use in His name, and our joy in them is really our joy in Him.

Eric Liddell's talent led him to compete internationally; the "hidden art" Schaeffer describes is a little more modest, though no less glorifying to God when pursued humbly and gratefully. For Schaeffer, one's hidden art can be something as simple as arranging flowers on the kitchen table, or as elaborate as writing a story or painting a landscape. Everyone has different strengths, and each should learn to cultivate their own.

Our goal in teaching our children art and music isn't to raise a bunch of Van Goghs and Mozarts. If your child is a creative genius that's wonderful, but even if she can barely stay in the lines when coloring, her gifts are just as valuable to the Lord, and her discovery of them is just as important for her growth and personal happiness.

There are a few books in this section designed to help kids appreciate great art of the past, to learn about composers, or to identify the work of different painters and architects. However, most of what we offer is intended to help students across the whole range of ages to acquire and develop whatever skills they may have in sketching, painting, composing, instrument-playing, sculpting, acting, etc.

It's important to remember that no one will ever do anything perfectly, and first attempts are generally met with complete or near-total failure. Failure is often seen as an enemy, or simply as a hurdle to be overcome. Real failure, however, is integral to eventual success and (more importantly) to learning and character development. If a child managed to get everything right the first time, there would be no room for improvement, no reason to work hard.

Exercising one's creativity is essential. Humans were created in God's image, which means in part that we are creative beings, and whenever we're creative in ways that honor God, we're imitating Him. To the extent we can train our kids to do this, we should. Encourage them to do the best they can, because in the end they're doing it for God, and He expects nothing less.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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284 Items found Print
Active Filters: 7th grade (Ages 12-13), In-Stock Books & Materials
101 Hymn Stories
by Kenneth Osbeck
from Kregel Publications
for 6th-12th grade
in History of Hymns (Location: XCH-HYMN)
$16.99
101 Hymn Stories
by Kenneth Osbeck
40th Anniversary from Kregel Publications
for 6th-12th grade
in History of Hymns (Location: XCH-HYMN)
$18.99
101 Hymn Stories - audio book on CD
by Kenneth Osbeck, read by Wayne Shepherd
from Oasis Audio
for 6th-12th grade
in Audio Books & Dramas (Location: CD-AUDIO)
$15.00 (1 in stock)
101 More Hymn Stories
by Kenneth Osbeck
from Kregel Publications
for 6th-12th grade
in History of Hymns (Location: XCH-HYMN)
$18.99
102 Favorite Paintings By Norman Rockwell
by Norman Rockwell
from Crown Publishers
for 7th-Adult
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
159 Celtic Designs
by Amy Lusebrink
from Dover Publications
for 5th-Adult
in Abstract & Mosaic Coloring Books (Location: COL-ABS)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
20 Exciting Plays for Medieval History Classes
by Dean Bowman
from Walch Publishing
for 7th-9th grade
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$25.00
20 Ways to Draw a Mustache and 44 Other Funny Faces and Features
by Cara Bean
from Quarry Books
for 3rd-Adult
in 20 Ways to Draw (Location: ELE-ARTDR20)
$14.00
20 Ways to Draw A Shoe and 44 Other Sneakers, Slippers, Stilettos, and Slingbacks
by Julia Kuo
Csm from Quarry Books
for 3rd-Adult
in 20 Ways to Draw (Location: ELE-ARTDR20)
$14.00
20 Ways to Draw a Strawberry and 44 Other Elegant Edibles
by Zoe Ingram
from Quarry Books
for 3rd-Adult
in 20 Ways to Draw (Location: ELE-ARTDR20)
$14.00
3-D Designs - Coloring Book
by Wil Steganga
from Dover Publications
for 4th-Adult
in Abstract & Mosaic Coloring Books (Location: COL-ABS)
$3.99
365 Promises From God's Word In Color: Scripture and Coloring Pages
from Christian Art Publishers
for 6th-Adult
in Adult Coloring Books (Location: COL-ADULT)
$9.99
Accidental Voyage
Mr. Pipes Series #4
by Doug Bond
from P&R Publishing
for 5th-8th grade
in History of Hymns (Location: XCH-HYMN)
$15.99 $8.00 (1 in stock)
Advent Coloring Calendar
Clr Csm from Paraclete Press
for 3rd-Adult
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
$11.99
African-American Arts: Music
by written by Angela Shelf Medearis and Michael R. Medearis
from Millbrook Press
for 6th-Adult
in Music Appreciation (Location: ELE-MUSAP)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Alexander Hamilton - Coloring Book
by Steven James Petruccio
Clr Csm from Dover Publications
for 2nd-Adult
in History of America Coloring Books (Location: COL-HISA)
$5.99
Amazing Buildings
by Philip Wilkinson
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-7th grade
in Architecture and Sculpture (Location: ELE-ARC)
$10.00 (2 in stock)
American Art Bingo Volume I
by Kristin Draeger
from ArtK12
for 3rd-10th grade
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$16.96
American Art History I - Bundle
by Kristin Draeger
from ArtK12
for 3rd-10th grade
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
American Art History II - Bundle
by Kristin Draeger
from ArtK12
for 3rd-10th grade
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
American Art History Volume I
by Kristin Draeger
from ArtK12
for 3rd-10th grade
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$33.96
American Art History Volume II
by Kristin Draeger
from ArtK12
for 3rd-10th grade
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$33.96 $27.00 (1 in stock)
Ancient Near East - Coloring Book
from Bellerophon Books
for 4th-9th grade
in Ancient History (Location: HISW-ANC)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Animal Sketches
from Current, Inc.
for 6th-12th grade
in Advanced Drawing Instruction (Location: ELE-ARTDRAD)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Annotated Mona Lisa
by Carol Strickland
2nd edition from Andrews McMeel
for 5th-12th grade
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$16.00
Annotated Mona Lisa
by Carol Strickland
3rd edition from Andrews McMeel
for 5th-12th grade
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$29.99
Architecture
Perspectives on History Series
by Pat Perrin
from History Compass
for 6th-9th grade
in Architecture and Sculpture (Location: ELE-ARC)
$7.95
Art Masterpieces to Color
by Marty Noble
from Dover Publications
for 5th-9th grade
in Fine Art Coloring Books (Location: COL-ART)
$10.95
Art of Construction
by Mario Salvadori
from Chicago Review Press
for 5th-8th grade
in Architecture and Sculpture (Location: ELE-ARC)
$16.95 $10.00 (2 in stock)
Art of Drawing People
from Walter Foster
for 7th-Adult
in Advanced Drawing Instruction (Location: ELE-ARTDRAD)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Art Smart: Spot the Details and Find Out the Facts
Act from Dover Publications
for 1st-7th grade
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$9.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Artist of the Reformation
by Joyce McPherson
from Greenleaf Press
Biography for 5th-9th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$12.95
ARTistic Pursuits Middle School Book 2
by Brenda Ellis
3rd Edition Classic Series from Artistic Pursuits
for 6th-8th grade
in ARTistic Pursuits (Location: ELE-ARTPUR)
$47.95
Artists Activity-Pak
Hands-On History
by Amy Pak
from Home School in the Woods
for 3rd-8th grade
in Hands-On History Activity-Paks (Location: HISRF-HOH)
$12.00
At Play: Teaching Teenagers Theater
by Elizabeth Swados
from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
for 7th-Adult
in Theater, Drama & Film (Location: ELE-THEAT)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Baby Blessing
by Welleran Poltarnees
from Laughing Elephant
for Kindergarten-Adult
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Beethoven Lives Upstairs
by Barbara Nichol
for 3rd-8th grade
in Music History (Location: ELE-MUSHIS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Beethoven's Wig 2 - CD
from Rounder Records
for 3rd-8th grade
in Music CDs (Location: CD)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Beethoven's Wig 3 - CD
from Rounder Records
for 3rd-8th grade
in Music CDs (Location: CD)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Beethoven's Wig 4 - CD
from Rounder Records
for 3rd-8th grade
in Music CDs (Location: CD)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Beginning Painting DVD - Mini Course
for 1st-Adult
in How Great Thou Art (Location: ELE-ARTHGTA)
$28.00 (1 in stock)
Big Book of Geometric Designs and Illusions to Color
by Koichi Sato, Spyros Horemis
illustrated edition from Dover Publications
for 2nd-Adult
in Abstract & Mosaic Coloring Books (Location: COL-ABS)
$7.95
Bill Peet
by Bill Peet
from Houghton Mifflin
Biography for 4th-8th grade
1990 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Billy Yank - Coloring Book
by Alan Archambault
from Bellerophon Books
Coloring Book for 4th-8th grade
in American Civil War (1860-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$4.95 $3.50 (2 in stock)
Bless the Lord, O My Soul - Coloring Devotional
by Christian Art Publishers (Compilation)
from Christian Art Publishers
for 7th-Adult
in Adult Coloring Books (Location: COL-ADULT)
$14.99
Book of Many Colors - DVD
by Barry Stebbing
from How Great Thou Art
for 5th-10th grade
in How Great Thou Art (Location: ELE-ARTHGTA)
$32.95
Bravo! Brava!
by Anne Siberell
from Oxford University
for 3rd-8th grade
in Opera & Choral Music (Location: ELE-MUSOP)
$24.00 $12.00 (1 in stock)
Buildings of Ancient Greece
by Helen & Richard Leacroft
from William R. Scott Inc.
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Carl Larsson's A Home
by Carl Larsson and Lennart Rudstrom
from G.P. Putnam's Sons
for 3rd-Adult
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Carmenda Music History
by Carla Courtney
from Logos School
for 4th-7th grade
in Music History (Location: ELE-MUSHIS)
$15.00 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Cartooning For Kids
First Paperback Edition from Sterling Publishing Co.
in Cartooning (Location: ELE-ARTCART)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Cartooning the Head & Figures
by Jack Hamm
for 3rd-8th grade
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Castle
by David Macaulay
from Graphia
Architecture for 4th-8th grade
1978 Caldecott Honor Book
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$16.99
Cathedral
by David Macaulay
from Houghton Mifflin
Architecture for 4th-8th grade
1974 Caldecott Honor Book
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$12.99
Celebration Series - Piano Repertoire 2
from Frederick Harris Music Co
Piano literature for ages 10-15
in Clearance: Art & Music (Location: ZCLE-ART)
$9.00
Celebration Series - Piano Repertoire 3
from Frederick Harris Music Co
Piano literature for ages 11-16
in Clearance: Art & Music (Location: ZCLE-ART)
$10.00
Celebration Series Perspectives - Piano level 3 Repertoire
from Frederick Harris Music Co
Piano literature for ages 11-16
in Clearance: Art & Music (Location: ZCLE-ART)
$11.00
Celebration Series Perspectives - Piano Repertoire 4
Piano literature for ages 12-18
in Piano Literature (Location: ELE-MUSPI)
$8.00
Celebration Series Perspectives - Piano Repertoire 5
from Frederick Harris Music Co
Piano literature for ages 13-18
in Piano Literature (Location: ELE-MUSPI)
$9.00
Celtic Blessings
from Paraclete Press
for 6th-Adult
in Adult Coloring Books (Location: COL-ADULT)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Child Star
by Lydia Weaver
from Viking Press
for 4th-7th grade
in Great Depression (1929-1939) (Location: HISA-20GD)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Child's Introduction to the Orchestra
by Robert Levine
First Revised Edition from Black Dog & Leventhal
in Music Appreciation (Location: ELE-MUSAP)
$19.99
Christmas Carols
by Karl Schulte (selected and arranged by), illustrated by F. D. Lohman
from Whitman Publishing Company
for 3rd-Adult
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Chronicles of Narnia Official Coloring Book
by C. S. Lewis, Pauline D. Baynes
Clr Csm from HarperCollins
for 6th-Adult
in Literary & Fantasy Coloring Books (Location: COL-LIT)
$18.99
Cities Then and Now
by Jim Antoniou
from Macmillan
for 4th-8th grade
in Ancient History (Location: HISW-ANC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
City
by David Macaulay
from Houghton Mifflin
for 4th-8th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$14.99 $7.50 (2 in stock)
Classical Music for Dummies
by David Pogue, Scott Speck
from For Dummies
for 3rd-7th grade
in Music Appreciation (Location: ELE-MUSAP)
$14.00 (1 in stock)
Classical Music for Dummies
by David Pogue, Scott Speck
2nd edition from For Dummies
for 3rd-7th grade
in Music Appreciation (Location: ELE-MUSAP)
$17.50 (2 in stock)
Classical Music for Dummies
by David Pogue, Scott Speck
3rd edition from For Dummies
for 3rd-7th grade
in Music Appreciation (Location: ELE-MUSAP)
$24.99
Color the Classics: Beauty and the Beast
Color the Classics
by Jae-Eun Lee
Clr Csm from Waves of Color
for 7th-Adult
in Literary & Fantasy Coloring Books (Location: COL-LIT)
$13.95
Color the Pacific Northwest
by Zoe Keller
Clr Csm from Timber Press, Inc.
for 5th-Adult
in Adult Coloring Books (Location: COL-ADULT)
$12.95
Color Yourself Smart: Human Anatomy
by Wendy L. Leonard, illustrations by Philip Ferguson Jones
from Thunder Bay Press
for 6th-12th grade
in Anatomy Coloring Books (Location: SCI-ANACOL)
$9.00 (2 in stock)
Complete Color-Coded Music Flash Cards
for 7th-12th grade
in Music Theory (Location: ELE-MUSTHE)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Complete-A-Sketch 123
by Mel Peterman
from Insight Technical Education
for 6th-12th grade
in Complete-A-Sketch Technical Art (Location: ELE-ARTCAS)
$19.00 (1 in stock)
Complete-A-Sketch Volume 1
by Melvin Peterman
from Insight Technical Education
for 3rd-8th grade
in Complete-A-Sketch Technical Art (Location: ELE-ARTCAS)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Composers Activity-Pak
by Amy Pak
from Home School in the Woods
for 3rd-8th grade
in Hands-On History Activity-Paks (Location: HISRF-HOH)
$12.00
Concepts of Piano Theory - Level 2
from ReSa Publications
Piano theory book for ages 10 and up
in Clearance: Art & Music (Location: ZCLE-ART)
$4.50 (2 in stock)
Concepts of Piano Theory - Level 5
by Ron Sadler
from ReSa Publications
Piano theory book for ages 10 and up
in Clearance: Art & Music (Location: ZCLE-ART)
$5.60
Concepts of Piano Theory - Level 6
by Ron Sadler
from ReSa Publications
Piano theory book for ages 10 and up
in Clearance: Art & Music (Location: ZCLE-ART)
$5.60
Concepts of Piano Theory - Older Beginner
by Ron Sadler
from ReSa Publications
Piano theory book for ages 10 and up
in Clearance: Art & Music (Location: ZCLE-ART)
$4.90
Creative Haven Abstract Designs - Coloring Book
Creative Haven
by Brian Johnson
Csm from Dover Publications
for 7th-Adult
in Adult Coloring Books (Location: COL-ADULT)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Creative Haven Arabesque Designs - Coloring Book
by Nick Crossling
First Edition, Fir from Dover Publications
for 7th-Adult
in Adult Coloring Books (Location: COL-ADULT)
$6.99
Creative Haven Beautiful Birds - Coloring Book
Creative Haven
by Dot Barlowe
First Edition, Fir from Dover Publications
for 7th-Adult
in Adult Coloring Books (Location: COL-ADULT)
$6.99
Creative Haven Fabulous Fashions of the 1950's
Creative Haven
by Ming-Ju Sun
from Dover Publications
for 5th-Adult
in Adult Coloring Books (Location: COL-ADULT)
$7.99
Cry from the Earth
by John Bierhorst
from Four Winds Press
for 6th-Adult
in Native Americans (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Cut and Assemble a Crusader Castle in Full Color
by A. G. Smith
from Dover Publications
History Reference/Art Project for 7th-Adult
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Dance Me a Story
by Jane Rosenberg
from Thames and Hudson
for 3rd-8th grade
in Dance (Location: ELE-DANCE)
$12.00 (3 in stock)
Dancing for Fun - Book 1
by Mark Greathouse
from Great House of Music
in Dance (Location: ELE-DANCE)
$16.95
Dancing for Fun - Book 2
by Mark Greathouse
from Great House of Music
in Dance (Location: ELE-DANCE)
$22.95
Dazzling Designs - Coloring Book
by Koichi Sato
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-Adult
in Abstract & Mosaic Coloring Books (Location: COL-ABS)
$3.99
Decorative Tile Designs Coloring Book
by Marty Noble
Clr from Dover Publications
for 4th-Adult
in Abstract & Mosaic Coloring Books (Location: COL-ABS)
$3.99
DK Annotated Guide: Architecture
DK Annotated Guides
by Neil Stevenson
from DK Publishing
Architecture for 4th-10th grade
in Architecture and Sculpture (Location: ELE-ARC)
$14.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Dance
DK Eyewitness Series
by Michael Tambini
1st edition from DK Publishing
history reference for 4th-8th grade
in Dance (Location: ELE-DANCE)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Film
DK Eyewitness Series
by Richard Platt
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Theater, Drama & Film (Location: ELE-THEAT)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
DK Story of Architecture
by Jonathan Glancey, Sir Norman Foster
1st edition from DK Publishing
for 4th-10th grade
in Architecture and Sculpture (Location: ELE-ARC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Draw & Write Through History Book 6
by Carylee Gressman
from C.P.R. Publishing
for 3rd-8th grade
in Draw & Write Through History (Location: ELE-ARTDWTH)
$12.95 $7.50 (1 in stock)
Draw 50 Animals
by Lee J. Ames
from Watson-Guptill Publications
for 3rd-8th grade
in Draw 50 (Location: ELE-ARTD50)
$9.99
Draw 50 Athletes
by Lee Ames
Act from Watson-Guptill Publications
for 3rd-8th grade
in Draw 50 (Location: ELE-ARTD50)
$9.99
Draw 50 Baby Animals
by Lee J. Ames, Murray Zak
from Watson-Guptill Publications
for 3rd-8th grade
in Draw 50 (Location: ELE-ARTD50)
$9.99
Draw 50 Birds
by Lee Ames & Tony D'Adamo
from Watson-Guptill Publications
for 3rd-8th grade
in Draw 50 (Location: ELE-ARTD50)
$9.99
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