Braille

How would it feel to not be able to see the glimmer of a star in the dark sky?  Would not being able to see a rainbow be a loss?  Would not being able to see the words on the page of the book in your hand be devastating?  To many people this is a part of everyday life.  The blind cannot enjoy the thrill of a book, or can they?

For hundreds of years, the blind could only enjoy a book by having someone read to them.  This continued until a young boy by the name of Louis Braille discovered a way to let the blind enjoy the thrill of a pirate’s adventure or hear the poetic words of love.  The Braille system was developed.

Louis developed a system where six raised dots created the alphabet, contractions, and symbols.  These are the dots you see on the elevator next to the floor number.  The blind are not limited anymore.  There are Braille menus at restaurants.  The written word is not open to all people.

Literacy is rising in the blind community as more and more books are becoming available to them.  Attending public schools is no longer a problem.  Graduating from college is easier with the ability to read books for themselves.

Yes, audio books are available, but the ability to read for yourself is something that has to be experienced.  The Braille system has opened whole new worlds for those that have lost all or part of their sight.

Learn more about the wonderful application of Braille and how it changes lives.  Visit the National Braille Press for more information and even order your own Braille alphabet card.  

Books can be enjoyed by all no matter what their limitations are.  With creativity all limitations can be overcome.  Braille was a wonderful invention that made books more assessable than ever.

Classical Reading Program

What exactly is a classical reading program? Is it just reading what someone has called a classic? Is it reading works from hundreds of years? A classical reading program is not what most people imagine. It is a program that stimulates the mind.

A classical education is one that makes the mind think deeper. Instead of just remembering names and dates about events, classical learning prompts the student to ask “why?” and “how?” A classical reading program is one that has a child reading and thinking beyond the story.

Classical reading programs expose your child to works of literature that are contemporary and “classical”. The programs are designed to get children thinking and pondering what they read. Enjoying the story is important, but understanding the story is just as important. “Why did the character act that way?” “What would make someone do these things?” Reading between the lines, exploring characters, and understanding scenarios is asked of the child.

There are various classical reading programs available for your children. They will have your children reading Shakespeare and Plato in grades six through eight as they read books written in the last ten years and connecting them. Exposure to classical literature will have your child’s mind expanding and growing.

What advantages does your child have by having a classical reading program? They are exposed to great writers, prompted to think deeper, begin to understand and complete logic problems, master rhetoric, and learn to use their minds that will take them far in life. Classical reading programs are wonderful tools in your child’s education.

Till We Have Faces Book Review

Greek mythology has always had a place in my heart. I love to read the stories of the gods and goddesses and their interactions with the humans. I knew the story of Cupid and Psyche well. Or.... at least I thought I did until I read C.S. Lewis' Till We Have Faces.

I am a big fan of Lewis and have read many of his works. This one took me by surprise. In fact, this does not follow the tradition of most of his writing, or does it?

This is not just a story of Cupid and Psyche that many of us know so well. It is barely a story about them. It is more a story of those around the lovers. It is a soul-searching book of Psyche's jealous sister, Orual. Through her eyes and through her heart, we see the struggles of a woman who tries to find her own place in this world while feeling that all is given to her sister on a silver platter and she received a few crumbs. Her actions are so reflective of those that any man, woman, or child might do in a similar situation.

Orual loves her sister with all her heart while hating the blessings that fall upon her at every turn. She longs to taste a little of that blessed life but realizes that it might be easier for Psyche to taste a little of hers. Realizing that Cupid is madly in love with Psyche pushes Orual over the edge. She gives Psyche that taste of her life and watches as her perfect world falls apart.

Surprisingly, Orual finds herself not satisfied as she thought she would feel. Instead she battles with a guilt that leads her down a life-journey of the soul. Only then does she discover the truth.

A wonderful read. It's  not a light read for a lazy summer day. This is a read that will have you hooked and looking into your own soul before you finish the first chapter.

Books - Post Printing Press

Once the printing press opened a whole new world to the masses, books changed.  Instead of being found only in the monasteries or in government buildings, books could be found virtually everywhere.  One invention caused an intellectual, political, and religious tidal wave.

Most of the books first printed after the printing press were political pamphlets, which were longer than what we think of as pamphlets today, and religious books.  As time marched on, man realized that their poetry could be read far and wide in a portable book.  Novels began to be developed.  Oral traditions were placed on paper for future generations to enjoy.

Along with the development of what was found on the pages, the pages themselves and the bindings also changed.  The improvement allowed books to last longer and easier maintenance.  Covers began to be lasting and artistic leather pieces.  Eventually, lower cost covers were developed that allowed even more people to have access to books.

To protect books even further, dust covers were created that allowed impressive graphics that advanced with technology.  To lower the cost of books even more, they began to be printed in paperback.  The world was changing completely.  Books could be found in a purse while grocery shopping.  They could be found in a physician’s waiting room.  Libraries could be found in every large city and small town.  Used book stores made them even more available.

Technology did not allow books to stop there.  Computers were just as influential as the printing press.  Now, books could be found online.  Down loading books to read or listen to become common.  Devices were created that allowed you to carry small electronic pieces that housed entire novels.  Books that became public domain could be accessed without having to purchase them.  More and more became available.

Do not take the books we have today for granted.  They have struggled to become easy to use and enjoyable for to use.  They bring us new worlds to explore, ideas to chew on, discoveries that have been made, and people to meet.  Books are wondrous creations that have stood the test of time.

Judging a Book by Its Cover

You probably have heard the phrase, “Do not judge a book by its cover.” That is very true. Just because a book looks boring does not mean that adventure does not wait between the covers, but sometimes the cover can be very telling.

Marketing with book covers varies from publisher to publisher and author to author. Many like to have their covers tell you exactly what kind of book it is and what it might contain. This can be great. You do not want books with racy scenes given to you middle schooler or younger child. A book that has a picture on the cover that tells you that this book might be inappropriate can be appreciated. Book covers can be very revealing about the type of book you or your child is reading. But what do you do when the cover is cryptic?

The book you pick up might just have a flower on the front. It could have an eye. Maybe a tree is the only thing gracing the cover of the book. How can you tell what it is about? Maybe the flower represents the horticultural club, or it might signify a romance novel. An eye could be the eye of a cat who witnessed a crime or an eye of a dragon. Cryptic covers can be very confusing. Do not judge these too quickly. You need to investigate further so you do not miss out a gem.

If the cover just does not satisfy your curiosity about a book, look to the back and read the synopsis. This usually tells you if the book contains material that you consider inappropriate or not. Read what the book is about. If you cannot find a summary on the back, open the front cover. You might find it there. Even reviews can give you an insight into the contents. There are times when the publisher is just not cutting you a break. If you still cannot figure it out, thumb through the book. If you still cannot, do not get it and check for reviews online. Better safe than sorry.

Books are wonderful, yet we want to make sure that what we read is what we like and is appropriate for the reader. Do not judge a book by its cover. Use the cover to help understand the book.

How to Use the Library

Libraries have come a long way since I first used them as a child.  On the one hand, they are still comforting quiet places where you can find a book about anything you may have an interest in.  On the other, they are now high tech and searchable by computer catalogs, something that today’s children are no doubt more comfortable with them over the card catalogs of yesteryear. 

The first thing a child must understand is that the library is usually divided into sections.  There are fiction, non-fiction and periodicals and sometimes more sections, too. Explain to them that fiction is made up stories that someone imagined.  They are not true facts about real people, places or things like non-fiction books are.  Periodicals are newspapers and magazines that are new every week or month. 

The second thing a child needs to know is that every book has its own special place in the library.  Just like you have a place you live in your town and on your street, books have a place they live in the library and on the shelf.  And just like you have an address called a number and street, books have an address known as a call number, which you find on the spine of the book.

The call number on fiction books starts with the first letters of the author’s last name.  The shelves fiction books live on are in alphabetical order by those letters.  When you get to the right section on the shelf, you look at the numbers underneath the letters to find just the right book.

The non-fiction books have number addresses instead of letter addresses like the fiction books.  Non-fiction books live on the shelf in a number order instead of alphabetical order like fiction books do.  The number order we use is called the Dewey Decimal System and it has 10 subject categories that divide up non-fiction books by subject.  That means all the science books are in together in one section and all the car books are together in another section.

The library catalog is where you can find a certain book’s call number (address).  You can search the catalog in lots of different ways:  by the author who wrote the book, the category of the book, the title (name) of the book or even just what the book is about (the subject).  Today the library catalogs are on computers.  They are usually easy to use, but if you have any questions, nice librarians are always there to help you find the book you need.

The library is a wonderful place all children should discover.  Explaining call numbers, the Dewey Decimal System and catalogs may seem confusing, but like so many things, the best way to teach them is to take a day and go to the library and show them.  Who knows, you may get lost among the tomes and neither one of you will want to leave.