Here is another bookish article by my bookish friend . I am terrifically busy preparing for camping trips, weddings, and speaking engagements and I haven't had much time to write. So for now, enjoy the piece by Jeannette where she expands on this post from my blog.
Little Known Book Treasures
When I started to write this, I thought I could make this
into a nice little article but not surprisingly as I wrote this, it morphed
into a very long piece. That often happens when I start talking about books!
I love it when someone I admire posts a book list and I
already own most or all of the books they list. But I also like it when I find
lists of worthy books and included amongst the offerings are books I am not
familiar with.
I must admit that I sometimes enjoy reading about books even
more than I do actually reading the books. That is why I collect book lists and
books on books and books on authors of books, especially children’s books.
One of my recent finds at this past library book sale was a
book I have checked out and pored over in the past. The name of it is A Reader's Delight by Noel Perrin
. In
this book, the author introduces the reader to many unknown titles which have
something in common with more familiar titles. Sort of the idea of if you
enjoyed this, you may want to consider this.
. In
this book, the author introduces the reader to many unknown titles which have
something in common with more familiar titles. Sort of the idea of if you
enjoyed this, you may want to consider this.
There is also a similar book for children’s books titled A Child's Delight
, also by Mr. Perrin. I
loved both of these books and took extensive notes and found many new book
friends both for my children and myself.
, also by Mr. Perrin. I
loved both of these books and took extensive notes and found many new book
friends both for my children and myself.
Recently a dear friend of mine, Nancy from the Minnesota
Prairie posted a booklist on her blog that Jerram Barrs (formerly of the
English L’Abri , but now a professor at Covenant seminary) shared at a recent
conference.
Many of the books listed on Mr. Barr’s list are ones I own,
have read aloud to my children and love. However he listed quite a few that I
have never heard of or at least am not at all familiar with. Because his list
included so many favorites and because I have heard him speak and have read his
books, I trust his recommendations. So in the spirit of A Reader’s Delight, I have listed here the ones I am not familiar
with along with descriptions I have dug up from the web. I offer these believing
the titles to be unknown book treasures. Hopefully you can mine many of these at
a local library or bookstore, or (if you must) e-book editions.
1. Shardik by Richard Adams
: Mr. Adams is the author of the beloved book Watership Down 
, one of those books I read aloud to a son and found
myself reading ahead because the story was so compelling. My sons always chide
me for this! From the description on Amazon, Shardik may be for older readers. I read Watership Down aloud to a
15 yo son.
: Mr. Adams is the author of the beloved book Watership Down
, one of those books I read aloud to a son and found
myself reading ahead because the story was so compelling. My sons always chide
me for this! From the description on Amazon, Shardik may be for older readers. I read Watership Down aloud to a
15 yo son.
A reissue of a classic fantasy work by acclaimed author
Richard Adams, Shardik is a fantasy of tragic character, centred on the
long-awaited reincarnation of the gigantic bear Shardik and his appearance
among the half-barbaric Ortelgan people. A gripping tale of war, adventure,
horror and romance, Shardik, on a deeper level, is a remarkable exploration of
mankind's universal desire for divine incarnation.
2. The Wizard of
Bolland by B.B.
A goose girl and an incompetent and unpleasant wizard get
lost in the forest, and gnome miners disturb something that has been asleep
under the ground for hundreds of years.
B.B. is the pen name for Denys J. Watkins-Pitchford who
supplied all the illustrations for his lovely books. Another of his books, The Little
Gray Men won the prestigious Carnegie
Award. It too appears to be one for my
wish list just after reading this description:
Baldmoney, Sneezewort, Dodder, and Cloudberry are the last
four gnomes existing in Britain. Until recently, the brothers have lived
together in their oak tree home on the banks of the Folly brook. But several
months ago, Cloudberry disappeared, and the others eventually decide they must
try to find him.
They build a little boat to take them upstream -- and thus
begins a magical and captivating adventure filled with surprises. The
enchanting gnomes are forced to use all their courage and skill, and their
bonds of love for each other are tested right up until the book's dramatic
conclusion.
Sadly, most of B.B.’s books appear to be very difficult to find and
expensive this side of the pond. I may have to try an interlibrary loan for
these.
I have to admit, I have heard of this author but do not own
nor remember reading anything by him.
The Coral Island tells the story of three sailor lads,
Ralph, Jack, and Peterkin. When the threesome are are cast ashore after the
storm, their first task is to find out whether The Coral Island is inhabited.
Their next task is to find a way of staying alive. They go hunting and learn to
fish, explore underwater caves and build boats - but then their island paradise
is rudely disturbed by the arrival of pirates.
Mr. Ballantyne wrote over 100 books but Coral Island is the most well known and inspired Robert Louis
Stevenson among others. Here is a quote from Mr. Ballentyne on encouraging
boys.
"Boys [should be] inured from childhood to trifling
risks and slight dangers of every possible description, such as tumbling into
ponds and off of trees, etc., in order to strengthen their nervous system....
They ought to practise leaping off heights into deep water. They ought never to
hesitate to cross a stream over a narrow unsafe plank for fear of a ducking.
They ought never to decline to climb up a tree, to pull fruit merely because
there is a possibility of their falling off and breaking their necks. I firmly
believe that boys were intended to encounter all kinds of risks, in order to
prepare them to meet and grapple with risks and dangers incident to man's
career with cool, cautious self-possession... -R.M. Ballantyne, The Gorilla
Hunters
After reading that, this book goes to the top of my list to
read aloud to my son, even though it does make a mom’s heart tremble! Just
found out the kindle edition is free.
This book and author is a complete unknown but it appears to
be a girl book more than a boy one.
Princess Violetta and Princess Gambetta were so alike in
every way that no one can tell them apart until the arrival of Prince Courtesy,
whose silver trumpet reveals their true differences.
Sadly, this is very hard to find and expensive if you do.
First published in 1925 and re-issued in 1989, it was read and admired by the
Inklings.
Another complete unknown to me but not apparently to those
down under.
One of Australia's most loved children's books. Brought up
in the solitary environment of exclusive boarding schools, Ryl has learned to
be independent, but when her mysterious father dies, her whole world changes.
Part of her inheritance is a half-share in a dilapidated farm which she shares
with a scruffy grandfather she meets for the first time.
Okay, I will stop for now. I must confess while writing
this, I ordered a few of these books for myself! Hope you find some treasures.
-Jeannette Tulis
.
Most recently, he read 
.
.
p. 249
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. When I received
the book, all I could remember from my scant education on explorers was that
Balboa discovered the Pacific Ocean. I actually read it, not for any interest
in Balboa, but for a pre-read for my students. I could not put it down! I had
to pull out a map to track his exploration of Central America, whose geography
I knew nothing about. It explained so much to me about Spanish culture, Columbus’s
role in exploration and decline in popularity, and also the role of the
Spaniards in the annihilation of the Native American populations. I knew that
the Spanish brought disease to the Indians, what I did not realize was that it
was the mass genocide that wiped them out. I was grieved by the horrors they
inflicted. Iris helped me to understand the Spanish attitude about natives;
they were not considered people, not human. They were not even treated as well
as black slaves. Balboa was the only explorer who saw the Indians as people,
taking and loving a native wife as well as making excellent policies with them.
At the end, I gobbled that book up in a few hours—I just had to know what was
going to happen to him, and it was a sad ending. 
)and a fictional story
based on Fort Ross, CA (
that would be a great state history read. I already love
history, but as a good writer she makes it come to life in my imagination and
more importantly in the imagination of my young students. And that is the
definition of a living book. 
as an illustration of how our Reason can justify whatever it is we would like to do, however wrong. How deeply and richly do they now understand that Reason is not an infallible guide yet must be exercised from a correct starting point. Mason gives us this possible exam question from the book that can now be answered from her writings and illustrated by their familarity with The Tempest:
. I make a reading of a retelling prior to our class optional. While everyone knows about the venerable Lambs' and Nesbit's retellings, I find the youngers and myself occasionally enjoying a well-done picture book. 
. For video, I ended up showing clips from 
.
- a favorite of my girls about Edith's childhood in China (contains the famed Pilgrim's Progress story on the stairs)
.I have pulled that off my shelf to read now. I bought this copy at a thrift store Here is the inscription: