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Literature

Literature CurriculumLiterature Resources

Plenty of people claim they like to read, they just don't like to read assigned books. That's like saying pizza is your favorite food, except when your mom serves it for dinner. Books are assigned because no one's born with a sense of good or bad literature, or knowing what works influenced the history of thought and which ones didn't.

If you loved Huckleberry Finn when you read it on your own, why did you hate it when you had to read it for class?

The sad fact is simply that most people haven't been given the tools for appreciating literature because they haven't been taught to understand it. Anyone who loves their job, or hobby, or sport only does so because they "get it." Understanding is a much overlooked and undervalued asset in today's data-infatuated culture. The goal isn't to interpret anything, only to accumulate as many statistics as possible. No wonder so few people thoroughly enjoy reading.

It's easy to like a book that requires nothing of you; it's the entertainment version of data-acquisition. You simply read the facts about the characters, the facts about the events, the facts the facts the facts, and maybe there are some action-packed facts or some titillating ones, and those are the source of any enjoyment you get from reading. You tell people you like to read, but you don't like books you've been told to read.

A lot of this conflict goes away when one learns how to read. Simply decoding words isn't the extent of reading; a good reader is one who can identify the meaning in a text, appreciate the beauty and complexity of the language as used by the author, and connect their knowledge of various texts to produce a viable body of understanding and increase their powers of critical thinking.

There are those who think this is a waste of time, that any time spent studying literature would be better spent studying the Bible....forgetting (or ignoring) the fact that the Bible is literature. Not in the sense that it's fictional, of course, but the Word of God doesn't come to us pre-interpreted or devoid of traditional literary form—for our delight as much as our instruction, the Bible is poetry, drama, adventure story, philosophy, theology and even romance all rolled into one.

While it's true that we should devote time to studying the Bible (lots of time, even), it's also true that studying literature is a valuable exercise in its own right. For one thing, it can help us better understand how to approach the Bible and its various genres, and provide excellent practice making inter- and intratextual connections and comparisons. Beyond that, it helps us understand other people, the events of history, the ideas of past generations, gives us an increased appreciation of true beauty, and helps us understand ourselves. Also, it's often really fun.

That sense of fun, however, is not without context. For many, it represents an Enlightenment ideal that has crept almost wholly unnoticed into modern thought. The Enlightenment humanists asserted that man was best in his "natural" state, and that culture and society overall had a diminishing effect on him that robbed him of his true potential. Thus, enjoying a book unfettered by any notion of understanding it, or of self-improvement, will yield better and more pleasurable results than the alternative.

This flies in the face of everything the Bible says about man and society. Society, though it can corrupt its members, is also the civilizer of men. Man requires structure and law to keep him from complete chaos, and society is the instrument of such organization. Each societal structure comes with its own rules, and an understanding of these is necessary for an understanding of any product of that culture.

More than that, the deepest understanding of Scripture requires a knowledge of its cultural and religious origins, the nature of the languages in which it was written, its coherence as a unified document, etc. How can we assume the path to interpretation of any other text is any different?

If your only expectation from any book is that it provide a measure of diversion, any book will do. But if you want to read in order to grow and truly enjoy the beauty that still shines in this often murky world, you'll need to choose the right books, and you'll need to devote yourself to understanding them. Inculcating those desires in our children and equipping them with the tools to do so is one of our foremost goals, and that is why we carry such a variety of products to help you do the same.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes 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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Across Five Aprils - Progeny Press Study Guide
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Carol Clark
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 5th-9th grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$24.99 $14.00 (1 in stock)
Adam of the Road - TLP Guide
Total Language Plus Literature Guides
from Total Language Plus
for 6th-8th Grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Adventures of Robin Hood - Memoria Press Package
from Memoria Press
for 5th-9th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Memoria Press Package
by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
from Memoria Press
for 8th grade
$32.22
Adventures of Tom Sawyer - MP Student Guide
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 8th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$13.95
Adventures of Tom Sawyer - MP Teacher Guide
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 8th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$13.95
Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Progeny Press Study Guide
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Alisa Thomas
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 6th-8th grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$24.99
Amos Fortune, Free Man
by Elizabeth Yates, illustrated by Nora S. Unwin
from Puffin Books
Realistic Fiction for 4th-8th grade
1951 Newbery Medal winner
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$7.99
Analogies for All of Us
by Marc Hays
from Classical Conversations
for 7th-9th grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$29.30
Anne of Green Gables
Anne #1
by L. M. Montgomery
from Bantam Books
Orphan Stories for 5th-9th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$7.99
Anne of Green Gables
Anne #1
by L. M. Montgomery
from Tundra Books (NY)
Orphan Stories for 5th-9th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$19.99
Anne of Green Gables
Anne #1
by L. M. Montgomery
from Tundra Books (NY)
Orphan Stories for 5th-9th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$9.99
Anne of Green Gables - Comprehension Guide
Veritas Press Literature Comprehension Guides
by Ned Bustard
from Veritas Press
for 5th-8th grade
in Veritas Press Literature Guides (Location: LITSG-VP)
$19.00
Anne of Green Gables - Memoria Press Student Guide
from Memoria Press
for 6th-8th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$13.95
Anne of Green Gables - Memoria Press Teacher Guide
from Memoria Press
for 6th-8th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$13.95
Anne of Green Gables - Progeny Press Study Guide
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Alisa Thomas
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 5th-8th grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$24.99 $15.00 (1 in stock)
Anne of Green Gables - TLP Guide
Total Language Plus Literature Guides
by Barbara Blakey
from Total Language Plus
for 7th-9th Grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Anne's Anthology
by Margie Gray
from Cadron Creek Christian Curriculum
Poetry for 7th-10th grade
in Cadron Creek Literature Guides (Location: LITCUR-CAD)
Around the World in Eighty Days
by Jules Verne, George M. Towle (Translator)
from Bantam Books
for 7th-Adult
in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
$5.95
Around the World in Eighty Days - Comprehension Guide
Veritas Press Literature Comprehension Guides
by Jonathan Daughtrey & Ned Bustard
from Veritas Press
for 6th-9th grade
in Veritas Press Literature Guides (Location: LITSG-VP)
$19.00
Art of Poetry
by Christine Perrin
from Classical Academic Press
for 7th-12th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
$29.95 $15.00 (1 in stock)
Art of Poetry - DVD
by Christine Perrin
from Classical Academic Press
for 7th-12th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
$103.95 $60.00 (1 in stock)
Art of Poetry - DVD Bundle
by Christine Perrin
from Classical Academic Press
for 7th-12th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
$145.22
Art of Poetry - Teacher's Edition
by Christine Perrin
from Classical Academic Press
for 7th-12th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
$34.95
As You Like It - Memoria Press Literature Set
from Memoria Press
for 8th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$34.08
As You Like It - MP Student Guide
from Memoria Press
for 8th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$13.95 $9.00 (2 in stock)
As You Like It - MP Teacher Guide
from Memoria Press
for 8th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$13.95 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Authoress of the Odyssey
by Samuel Butler, introduction by David Grene
from University of Chicago
for 8th-10th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Beowulf the Warrior - MP Curriculum Package
by David M. Wright, Ian Serraillier
from Memoria Press
for 8th-9th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$35.88
Beowulf the Warrior - Student Guide
by David M. Wright
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 8th-9th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$13.95 $8.50 (1 in stock)
Beowulf the Warrior - Teacher Guide
by David M. Wright
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 8th-9th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$13.95
Blackthorn Winter - Comprehension Guide
by Marlin & Laurie Detweiler
from Veritas Press
for 5th-8th grade
in Veritas Press Literature Guides (Location: LITSG-VP)
$19.00 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Blue Fairy Book - Selections
by Andrew Lang
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 3rd-8th grade
$11.55
Bridge to Terabithia - Progeny Press Study Guide
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Rebecca Gilleland
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 6th-8th grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$24.99 $14.00 (1 in stock)
Bridge to Terabithia - Study Guide CD
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Rebecca Gilleland
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 6th-8th grade
in Progeny Press Interactive CDs (Location: LITSG-PPCD)
$13.00
British Literature - Teacher Guide
from Perfection Learning
for 8th-12th grade
in Miscellaneous Literature Curriculum (Location: LITCUR-MISC)
British Tradition I - Anthology
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 8th-12th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
$20.95
British Tradition I - Student Guide
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 8th-12th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
$18.35 $12.50 (1 in stock)
British Tradition I - Teacher Book
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 8th-12th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
$20.50
British Tradition II - Anthology
3rd edition from Memoria Press
for 8th-12th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
$20.95
British Tradition II - Student Guide
3rd edition from Memoria Press
for 8th-12th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
$18.35
British Tradition II - Teacher Book
3rd edition from Memoria Press
for 8th-12th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
$20.50
British Tradition III - Anthology
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 8th-12th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
$20.95
British Tradition III - Student Guide
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 8th-12th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
$18.35
British Tradition III - Teacher Book
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 8th-12th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
$20.50
Bronze Bow
by Elizabeth George Speare
from Houghton Mifflin
Historical Fiction for 5th-9th grade
1962 Newbery Medal winner
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$9.99
Bronze Bow - Progeny Press Study Guide
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Carole Pelttari
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 6th-8th grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$24.99
Bronze Bow - TLP Guide
Total Language Plus Literature Guides
from Total Language Plus
for 7th-9th Grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Brush Up Your Shakespeare!
by Michael Macrone, illustrated by Tom Lulevitch
from Harper & Row
for 6th-Adult
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
Call of the Wild
Puffin Classics
by Jack London
2008th edition from Puffin Books
Action/Adventure for 7th-10th grade
in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF)
$7.99
Call of the Wild & White Fang - Comprehension Guide
by Ned Bustard
from Veritas Press
for 6th-9th grade
in Veritas Press Literature Guides (Location: LITSG-VP)
$19.00
Call of the Wild - Progeny Press Study Guide
by Lisa Tiffin
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 8th-12th grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$27.99
Call of the Wild - TLP Guide
Total Language Plus Literature Guides
from Total Language Plus
for 7th-9th Grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Canterbury Tales - Memoria Press Set
by Geoffrey Chaucer & Michael Murphy
for 8th-12th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$35.66
Canterbury Tales - Student Guide
by Geoffrey Chaucer
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 8th-12th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$13.95 $8.00 (1 in stock)
Canterbury Tales - Teacher Guide
by Geoffrey Chaucer
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 8th-12th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$13.95 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
by Jean Lee Latham
from Houghton Mifflin
Biography for 5th-9th grade
1956 Newbery Medal winner
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$15.99
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch - TLP Guide
Total Language Plus Literature Guides
from Total Language Plus
for 6th-8th Grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Cay - Progeny Press Study Guide
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Lisa Tiffin
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 5th-8th grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$24.99
Christmas Carol - Progeny Press Study Guide
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Rebecca Gilleland
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 8th-12th grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$27.99 $17.00 (1 in stock)
Christmas Carol - TLP Guide
Total Language Plus Literature Guides
from Total Language Plus
for 6th-9th grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Classical Mythology & More
by Marianthe Colakis and Mary Joan Masello
from Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
for 6th-10th grade
in Classical Literature Guides (Location: LIR-CLA)
$15.00 (1 in stock)
Classics to Read Aloud to Your Children
by William Russell
from Three Rivers Press
for Kindergarten-8th grade
in Reading Aloud & Story-telling (Location: LIR-RAST)
Crispin: The Cross of Lead
by Avi
from Hyperion/Madison Press
for 4th-8th grade
2003 Newbery Medal winner
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$8.99
Crispin: The Cross of Lead - Progeny Press Study Guide
by Janice DeLong, Robert DeLong
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 6th-8th grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$24.99
Critical Conditioning
by Kathryn Stout
from Design-A-Study
for All grades
in Design-A-Study (Location: HSR-DAS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Drawn into the Heart of Reading - Teacher's Guide
by Carrie Austin
from Heart of Dakota
for 2nd-8th grade
in Drawn into the Heart of Reading (Location: LITCUR-DHR)
$30.00 (2 in stock)
Drawn Into the Heart of Reading Level 6-7-8 - Student Book
by Carrie Austin
from Heart of Dakota
for 6th-8th grade
in Drawn into the Heart of Reading (Location: LITCUR-DHR)
Eagle of the Ninth - Progeny Press Study Guide
by Rebecca Gilleland
from Progeny Press
for 7th-9th grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
Early American Literature
from Perfection Learning
for 8th-12th grade
in American Literature Curriculum (Location: LITCUR-AM)
$12.00 (2 in stock)
Early American Literature - Teacher Guide
from Perfection Learning
for 8th-12th grade
in American Literature Curriculum (Location: LITCUR-AM)
Enjoy the Poems: Alfred, Lord Tennyson
by Emily Dickinson, Sonya Shafer
from Simply Charlotte Mason
for 1st-12th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
Enjoy the Poems: Emily Dickinson
by Emily Dickinson, Sonya Shafer
from Simply Charlotte Mason
for 1st-12th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
Enjoy the Poems: Robert Louis Stevenson
by Robert Louis Stevenson and Sonya Shafer, Compiled by Ruth Smith
from Simply Charlotte Mason
for 1st-12th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
$8.50 (1 in stock)
Enrichment Studies Volume 1: Lesson Plans for Grades 1-12
by Sonya Schafer
from Simply Charlotte Mason
for 1st-12th grade
in Simply Charlotte Mason (Location: CUR-SCM)
$14.00 (1 in stock)
Eternal Argument
by R. Robin Finley, read by the author
from Analytical Grammar
for 6th-9th grade
in Literary Analysis & Reference (Location: LIR-LAR)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Eternal Argument - CD Audio Book
by R. Robin Finley, read by the author
from Analytical Grammar
for 6th-9th grade
in Audio Books & Dramas (Location: CD-AUDIO)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Faerie Gold
Classics for Young Readers
by Kathryn Lindskoog & Ranelda Mack Hunsicker
from P&R Publishing
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Folklore for 4th-8th grade
in Morality Tales (Location: FIC-WH05)
$17.99
Faerie Gold - A Guide for Teachers and Students
by Ranelda Mack Hunsicker
from P&R Publishing
for 4th-8th grade
in Clearance: English & Language Arts (Location: ZCLE-LAN)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Fahrenheit 451 - Comprehension Guide
by Ned Bustard
from Veritas Press
for 6th-9th grade
in Veritas Press Literature Guides (Location: LITSG-VP)
$19.00
Fellowship of the Ring - Student Guide
by Hannah Eagleson
from Classical Academic Press
for 7th-12th grade
in Walking to Wisdom Literature Guides (Location: LITSG-WW)
$13.95
Fellowship of the Ring - Teacher Guide
by Hannah Eagleson
from Classical Academic Press
for 7th-12th grade
in Walking to Wisdom Literature Guides (Location: LITSG-WW)
$21.95 $10.50 (1 in stock)
Fresh Takes on Teaching Literary Elements
by Jeffrey Wilhelm, Michael Smith
from Scholastic Reference
for 6th-12th grade
in Literary Analysis & Reference (Location: LIR-LAR)
$14.00 (1 in stock)
Further Up and Further In
by Diane Pendergraft
from Cadron Creek Christian Curriculum
for 4th-8th grade
in Exploring Narnia (Location: LIR-NAR)
Give Me Liberty - Progeny Press Study Guide
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$24.99
Giver
by Lois Lowry
from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 7th-10th grade
1994 Newbery Medal winner
in Science Fiction (Location: FIC-SCI)
$11.99 $6.00 (14 in stock)
Giver
by Lois Lowry
from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 7th-10th grade
1994 Newbery Medal winner
in Science Fiction (Location: FIC-SCI)
Giver - Progeny Press Study Guide
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Andrew Clausen
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 7th-9th grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$24.99
Giver - Study Guide CD
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Andrew Clausen
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 7th-9th grade
in Progeny Press Interactive CDs (Location: LITSG-PPCD)
$12.00
Giver - TLP Guide
from Total Language Plus
for 7th-9th Grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Golden Goblet - Study Guide CD
by Carol Clark
from Progeny Press
for 7th-9th grade
in Progeny Press Interactive CDs (Location: LITSG-PPCD)
$12.00
Grammar of Poetry
Imitation in Writing Series
by Matt Whitling
from Canon Press
Writing Curriculum for 5th-12th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
$23.99
Grammar of Poetry (old)
Imitation in Writing Series
by Matt Whitling
from Logos School
Writing Curriculum for 5th-12th grade
in Clearance: English & Language Arts (Location: ZCLE-LAN)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Grammar of Poetry - DVD
Imitation in Writing Series
by Matt Whitling
from Roman Roads Media
Writing Curriculum for 5th-12th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
Grammar of Poetry - DVD Bundle
by Matt Whitling
from Canon Press
for 6th-9th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
Grammar of Poetry - Teacher Edition
Imitation in Writing Series
by Matt Whitling
2nd edition from Canon Press
Writing Curriculum for 5th-12th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
$25.99
Hans Brinker - Guide
by Ranelda Mack Hunsicker
from P&R Publishing
for 4th-9th grade
in Clearance: English & Language Arts (Location: ZCLE-LAN)
Heidi - Comprehension Guide
Veritas Press Literature Comprehension Guides
by Ginny Walls
from Veritas Press
for 5th-8th grade
in Veritas Press Literature Guides (Location: LITSG-VP)
$19.00
Hiding Place
by Corrie Ten Boom
from Bantam Books
Biography for 6th-10th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Hiding Place - Progeny Press Study Guide
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Carol Diehn
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 6th-8th grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$24.99
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