How I Chose Great Books for Excellence in Literature
I often get questions on how I chose the books that are included in the Excellence in 
Literature curriculum, so I thought I’d address it today. It may help you decide whether or not this is the right curriculum for your family.
There were many factors that went into my choice of books, but I considered the following questions to be most important as I selected what to include.
- Is this work foundational to an understanding of western civilization and culture?
- Is it a classic work that is regularly alluded to in current conversation (including newspaper, radio, books, movies, etc.)?
- Does it tell the truth about life and consequences?
- Is there something compelling about this particular work that makes it, more than another, deserve a place in the curriculum? Read more
World Literature is Here!
World Literature (English 5)
It took longer than I thought, but World Literature– the English 5 level of the Excellence in Literature: Reading and Writing Through the Classics curriculum is finally here!
You can see it, read all about it, and order it on the World Literature page.
- Unit 1: The Odyssey by Homer
- Unit 2: Antigone by Sophocles
- Unit 3: The Aeneid by Virgil
- Unit 4: Inferno by Dante Alighieri
- Unit 5: Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
- Unit 6: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo 67
- Unit 7: 19th-Century Russian Reader: Selections by Pushkin, Dostoyevsky, et al.
- Unit 8: Faust by Johann Wolfgang Goethe
- Unit 9: Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen
$29
Literature and Composition, the English 2 level of Excellence in Literature is next. I hope to have it ready for you in just a couple of weeks if all goes well. The end is in sight!
Bayeaux Tapestry- An Animated Look at History
One of the highlights of our trip to Europe was seeing the Bayeux Tapestry– the story of the 1066 war. I’d just finished reading 1066: The Year of the Conquest
by David Haworth (highly recommended), so it was fresh in my mind, and it was interesting to see the differing perspective of this amazing piece of needlework. Although it’s called a tapestry, it’s simply a very long piece of linen– approximately 70 meters– embroidered with the story of the battle. You can learn more about it at its official site in Britain.
The animated version below brings it to life in a fresh way, and is guaranteed to make even small boys enjoy the Tapestry! Read more
Great Books Week- October 4-10, 2009
Join Excellence in Literature as we celebrate the beauty of great books with a blog tour!If you’d like to participate, write a post on your own blog on the appropriate topic each day, then visit the appropriate post on the NAIWE NewsWire blog to leave your post title and link in the comment section so that others can enjoy what you’ve written. Be sure to share your posts in Facebook, Twitter, and other social media!
What are great books? First and foremost, literary classics are the standard for great literature. Few people would make a great books list that left out William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, or Mark Twain, and most of us probably have a list of special books that have touched our lives. Great books are the books that stay with us long after we’ve put them down. Read more
Why Christians Should Read Fiction
I recently met someone who had been raised without fiction. No Little Golden Books, no Dr. Seuss, no Little House on the Prairie, no Chronicles of Narnia…nothing. I can’t begin to imagine, but the thought makes me feel a bit hollow inside. The reason? Fiction is “not true,” therefore it violates the admonition in Colossians 3:9– “Lie not one to another…”. What a horrifyingly incorrect notion to base an entire life upon.
The opposite of fiction is non-fiction, and the difference is not in whether they convey truth, but the method by which truth is told. Both can tell the truth, and both do (unless the writer’s goal is to do otherwise, and even then, truth usually shines through somewhere). Fiction shows the truth through story, one of the most powerful lenses available. Non-fiction relates fact, usually as a linear narrative.
Of the two methods of telling truth, story is the more powerful and memorable, because it engages the emotions. Remember King David’s reaction when the prophet Nathan related the story about the poor man’s lamb, then said, “Thou art the man!” Wow. Stories are told throughout scripture because we have been created with minds designed to receive teaching in that format.
There are so many reasons Christians need to be readers, and they’ve been ably addressed in a recent Breakpoint article, Why Should Christ-Followers Read Fiction? Defending Story by author Mary DeMuth. Please visit the link and read it, if you’ve wondered about the issue. She clearly addresses most of the major reasons we need to read.
This issue is important, so that another child won’t grow up in the impoverished environment that my recent acquaintence experienced. As an adult, she’s worked hard to make up for the lack of story in her childhood, but as she said, “I realize that I’m still missing areas of important emotional understanding that I believe I’d have developed if I’d been able to empathize with characters in a book.” When you consider that one of the characteristics many psychopaths have in common is the lack of ability to empathize, it reinforces the need for reading great literature, especially in those who are commanded to “love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
Great Literature is Great Because It’s Sticky
I’ve been thinking about Antigone all morning. She’s the heroine in the ancient Greek tragedy by Sophocles, and though the story was written over 1000 years ago, Antigone is a fresh, vibrant, unforgettable character. Her story raises more questions than it answers, and it sticks in my mind because those questions are about some of the most important issues that humankind can consider. A few of the questions raised in Antigone’s story are:
- To whom do we owe loyalty?
- Should the demands of the state supersede responsibility to family?
- Should loyalty to one’s faith come before loyalty to family or state?
It’s possible, even easy, to discuss these questions as abstract issues, then quickly forget them. However, when Sophocles paints them in the context of Antigone’s loyal desire to care for her brother’s body and Creon’s demand that he remain unburied, those questions become “sticky.” They’re clothed in intense emotions we can all understand, and they stay in our mind. We see them through the eyes and the pain of another human, and the questions become our own, and are joined by others:
- How would we react in a similar situation?
- What circumstances could lead to this sort of stalemate in the 21st century?
- What do we truly believe?
It can be fun to occasionally read “twinkies for the brain,” but our minds need more in order to grow. A steady diet of trivia will cause us to become more and more shallow, while a diet that contains generous helpings of great literature will help us grow both mentally and spiritually. We need to think about big issues so that we can absolutely know where we stand when confronted with difficult situations. Great literature should be part of every student’s preparation for life. It’s good, and good for you!
[If you haven't yet read Antigone, and you're using Excellence in Literature, you'll study it in the second unit of World Literature. That level isn't quite finished-- we're proofreading and laying it out, but if you need it, you can pre-order it and receive the body of the book and the first unit as an e-book so you can get started.]
New Video Review of Excellence In Literature
I just came across another informative review of Excellence in Literature! Kerry Beck of Curriculum Connection has written a great review, and posted a video that walks you through the entire book.
At the convention this past weekend, so many people seemed to already know about EIL, and walked straight into the booth and bought it without asking many questions at all. Maybe these recent helpful reviews are responsible!
Remember, that in addition to the American Literature and British Literature that Kerry talks about, there are three other levels in the series. Introduction to Literature is English I, and can be used in 8th or 9th grade (or before or after, depending on your student). Literature and Composition is English II, and World Literature is English V.
Intro is currently available, and the other two are scheduled to be available by the end of August. You can read more and order at www.ExcellenceInLiterature.com (there’ll soon be a spiffy new website for EIL as well!). Be sure you’re on the e-zine mailing list so you’ll know as soon as everything is complete!
New Excellence In Literature Review on TOS!
I’m always happy to get a good review of one or more of my books, and this morning I came across a very nice review on The Old Schoolhouse website. Kathy Gelzer has done a beautiful job of outlining the distinctive features of Excellence in Literature, and she offers good advice on the type of student who would be best suited for this curriclum.It’s sometimes hard for an author to step back and remember to describe something thoroughly enough for others. We’ve lived with our work for so long, it’s all perfectly clear! If you’ve had questions about EIL that weren’t answered on the Excellence in Literature website, Kathy’s review may be very helpful to you. Enjoy!
Andrew Pudewa’s Video on Excellence In Literature
I know that many of you still have a lot of questions about Excellence in Literature. Andrew Pudewa of the Institute for Excellence in Writing has just put together a little video (about two minutes long) to give you an overview of the EIL approach.
If you have enjoyed IEW’s materials, or if you have a teen who loves to read or write, I think you’ll find that Excellence in Literature is an ideal next step for your motivated teens. But I’ll let Andrew tell you all about it!
IEW co-published the American and British Literature levels with me, but there are three other levels (Introduction to Literature is a available now; Literature and Composition and World Literature will be available by late summer, Lord willing–if all goes as planned). All five levels have the same format and approach, and they don’t have to be used in order. You’ll find more about them at www.ExcellenceInLiterature.com.
One of our Convention Season Specials is Evaluate Writing the Easy Way for only $5 with the purchase of any level of Excellence in Literature. This offer is good through July 12, so don’t miss it!
Note: If the video doesn’t show up for you, try playing it at the original site.
American and British Literature are Here!
Excellence in Literature: American and British levels are here!
I opened the door this morning, and there on the front steps was a box from Andrew Pudewa’s IEW. The American and British Literature levels of Excellence in Literature have arrived and are ready for you!
Yesterday was my grandmother’s 96th birthday, so we’ll be taking her out to lunch today. When I get back, I’ll post everything on the website, but if you’ve been waiting a long time for these books, you may order them here.
American Literature
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About
Hi, I'm Janice Campbell, and I'm glad you're here! I invite you to join me in focusing on things that matter- family, literacy, creativity, growth, and service. It's so easy to be entangled by the mundane, but it doesn't have to happen.
Among other things, I'll write about home-schooling through high school, and some of the opportunities you can explore with your teens- entrepreneurship, travel, early college, college alternatives, and more. I'll also share favorite poems, classic literature, announcements of special events and reviews of good resources, as well as a dollop of opinion on mostly education-related topics. I welcome your comments!
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