Using the reading process approach that questions students before, during, and after reading, Fundamentals of Literature instead teaches students not just to comprehend what they’re reading but also to analyze and reflect on it. This anthology of literary works includes classics such as “The Most Dangerous Game” and modern works such as The Radium Girls. Students will compare texts, evaluate an author’s purposes, and compare what they read to a biblical worldview framework as they engage with these selections.
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BJU has been steadily revising their literature courses for the past six years. Starting with desperately needed updates of American & British literature for juniors and seniors, then jumping back to middle school and including 6th grade, they've now worked their way up to 9th. With every new edition, we have been more impressed.
With Fundamentals of Literature, we liked the 2nd edition, but when we set this new 3rd edition next to it, we were immediately struck by a number of differences. First, like the other books in the series that have been revised, it's a slightly larger format; and second, the art is distinctly more varied and visually engaging (kids who have grown up with graphic novels won't be immediately turned off!). As we dug deeper, we started seeing more things to appreciate.
The structure of the book is still very similar: both versions teach six units focusing on literature's foundational elements. But the table of contents is quite different. While about 2-4 stories have been retained from each unit and the final novel (Cyrano de Bergerac) is unchanged, there are many new stories, each with a "Before Reading" section that introduces the "Big Thought" and an "After Reading" section that encourages reflection and discussion. The book is nearly 200 pages longer and units like "Point of View" benefit from a much wider selection (14 stories vs. five). The Thinking Zones are gone, replaced with mid-chapter "Your Turn" projects (multimedia, blog posts, etc) and end-of-chapter "Writing Reflection" assignments, with helpful rubrics.
The units of the two editions are in the same order—covering Conflict, Character, Theme, Point of view, Structure, and Tone—but where the 2nd edition covers "Conflict," the 3rd also adds a unit theme of "Endurance." The book then introduces an "essential question," for example: "What motivates me to keep going when I want to quit?" This helps focus the student on both the theme of the unit and relevant worldview questions. Throughout, students are introduced to literary criticism and are encouraged to read and analyze literature in light of a Christian worldview. And to facilitate active reading, the book sprinkles brief thought questions throughout the text, (hopefully) keeping the student engaged.
As a freshman text, this is a hefty book, but it will set the student up well for the more intense reading assignments in future years! If BJU keeps revising according to their pattern, Elements of Literature will come out in 2026.
Review by Eli Evans
Formerly home educated and father of five, Eli loves discovering amazing books, new and old, and is an artistic curator at heart. The owner and manager of Exodus until 2025, his focus was on offering thoughtful and well-written books that inspire the imagination and promote creativity and diligence while living for God. Read more of his reviews
here.
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