Of books, there is no end...

Here's my theory and I'm sticking to it: the family that reads books together -- aloud -- as a part of their weekly fellowship, will always be 'on the same page.' I was read to often as a child and still love the sound of my mother's voice reading some favorite passage from a book, old or new. I am comforted and still inspired by the memory of my grandparent's voices as they read or quoted favorite stories, poems and passages from the Bible aloud. And visits home are never complete without my dear Papa's voice reading Scripture or Spurgeon's Morning and Eveningdevotional to the gathered family. Nothing makes me happier today than reading some of my favorite books and theirs to my grandchildren. But not just any book will do. I try to read stories to my grandchildren that are beautifully written with an underlying biblical theme, pleasing to the eye and ears. Books will influence us much like jumping into a strong stream that leads to an ocean: we will be carried along in one direction or another. Make sure you are aware of that as you read -- choose the 'ocean' towards which you want to be carried.

Reading aloud to someone is one of life's pleasures that brings blessings to both the reader and the recipient. And reading when you are alone is a treasured blessing like no other. Books can take you to places you may never visit except in your mind -- you can travel back in history or into the future; visit desert islands, medieval castles or lush forests in the Amazon valley or into hidden vallies in the Swiss Alps. Go wherever the skillful author takes you as you broaden your vocabulary, hone your writing skills and find opportunities to grow spiritually, socially and mentally as the Lord works noble thoughts and spiritual truths into your heart and mind through your reading.

My husband likes to say, "Those who read lead." And this is true. If you want to be a leader, you must be a reader. We are called as Christians, not only to follow our great Leader, the Lord Jesus, but to imitate Him in all our choices and even our preferences. Work on making wise choices in your reading preferences. Here are some lists of books I like and some that I love. They are far from complete, so check back occasionally for other recommendations.

First, I'd advise your purchasing two books that have done much of the work for us in sorting and choosing worthy books.  Honey for a Child's Heart, by Gladys Hunt was the first book I used to help in book selections when my children were small. Now in its fourth edition, you will find it spiritually uplifting as well as informative. I still have the first edition and cannot tell you about the more recent ones -- you are on your own here! A more recent one, written by friends of mine, The Book Tree: A Christian Reference for Children's Literature, by Elizabeth McCallum and her daughter Jane Scott, should be in every Christian home. Both of these books set out a Christian philosophy for choosing books as well as commentary on each selection.
I'll list a few books from my longer list in several blog posts. If your favorites aren't here, feel free to comment and ask me or inform me about them. I may not have gotten to your favorites yet, or I just may not know about them. Here goes:

Pre-school: (age 5 and under)

Winnie the Pooh and related titles, by A. A. Milne

Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle

Blueberries for Sal, by Robert McCloskey

The Child’s Story Bible, by Catherine F. Vos

Guess How Much I Love You, by Sam McBratney

Make Way for Ducklings, and other titles by Robert McCloskey

All the Places to Love, by Patricia MacLachlan

Little Bear, and other titles by Else H. Minarik

Owl Moon, by Jane Yolen

The Little Engine That Could, by Watty Piper

Peter and the Wolf (musical edition), Sergei Prokofiev

The Tale of Peter Rabbit, and other titles, by Beatrix Potter

Curious George, and other titles by Hans Rey

A Child’s Garden of Verses, by Robert Louis Stevenson

The Lord is My Shepherd, and other titles by illustrator Tasha Tudor


Elementary Fiction: (ages 6-12)

Aesop’s Fables, by Aesop

Treasury of Fairy Tales, by Hans Christian Anderson

The Mitten, by Jan Brett

Caddie Woodlawn, by Carol Ryrie Brink

The Pied Piper of Hamelin, by Robert Browning

Riding the Pony Express, by Clyde Robert Bulla

The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Incredible Journey, by Shelia Burnford

The Courage of Sarah Noble, and other titles by Alice Dalgliesh

Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates (DVD), Hans Brinker; Or, the Silver Skates, by Mary Maples Dodge

William Tell, by Margaret Early

The Matchlock Gun, by Walter D. Edmonds

Old Yeller, by Fred Gipson



Tanglewood Tales, by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Saint George and the Dragon, by Margaret Hodges

Huguenot Garden, and other titles by Douglas M. Jones, III

The Jungle Book, and other titles by Rudyard Kipling

Frog and Toad, and other titles by Arnold Lobel

Hiawatha, and other titles by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Lost Princess, and most other titles by George MacDonald

Iron Scouts of the Confederacy, by Lee McGiffin

Sarah, Plain and Tall, by Patricia MacLachlan

Anne of Green Gables, and other titles by L. M. Montgomery

The Railway Children, and other titles by E. Nesbit

Annie Henry and the Redcoats, and other titles by Susan Olasky

Two Little Confederates, by Thomas Nelson Page

Treasures in the Snow, by Patricia St. John

Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, and other titles by Margaret Sidney

The Bronze Bow, and other titles by Elizabeth Speare

Heidi, by Johanna Spyri

Little House in the Big Wood, and other titles by Laura Ingalls Wilder


Middle School Fiction: (ages 12 +)

Little Women, and other titles by Louisa May Alcott

Coral Island, http://www.visionforum.com/1137.html&url=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=51704 and other titles by R. M. Ballentyne

The Pilgrim’s Progress,http://www.visionforum.com/1137.html&url=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=51704 http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=29870
by John Bunyan

Canterbury Tales, adapted by Barbara Cohen, by Geoffrey Chaucer

The Moonstone, by Wilkie Collins


The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe
Any book by Charles Dickens except Great Expectations

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Count of Monte-Cristo, and other titles by Alexandre Dumas

Johnny Tremain, by Esther Forbes

Lieutenant Hornblower, and other titles by C. S. Forester

The Gift of the Magi, and other titles by O. Henry

The Dragon and the Raven, http://www.visionforum.com/1137.html&url=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=24297 and other titles by G. A. Henty

All Things Bright and Beautiful, and other titles by James Herriott

Hind’s Feet on High Places, by Hannah Hurnard

Tales From Shakespeare, by Charles and Mary Lamb

Brothers of the Sled, by John Leeper

The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Baroness Emmuska Orczy

The Girl of the Limberlost, and other titles by Gene Stratton Porter

A Lantern in Her Hand, and other titles by Bess Streeter Aldrich

Men of Iron, and other titles by Howard Pyle

Light in the ForestThe Light in the Forest, by Conrad Richter

Beowulf, the Warrior, and other titles by Ian Serraillier, translator

Kidnapped, and other titles by Robert Louis Stevenson

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, and other titles by Mark Twain

The Princess Adelina, by Julie Sutter http://www.visionforum.com/1137.html&url=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=24297http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=47832

Around the World in Eighty Days, and other titles by Jules Verne

Augustine Comes to Kent, and other titles by Barbara Willard

The Horn of Roland, and other titles by Jay Williams

The Swiss Family Robinson, by Johann R. Wyss



Elementary and Middle School Biography: (ages 12 +)

Augustine: The Farmer’s Boy of Tagaste, by P. de Zeeuw

The Talking Wire: The Story of Alexander Graham Bell, by O. J. Stevenson

Daniel Boone, by James Daugherty

Carry on, Mr. Bowditch, by Jean Lee Latham http://www.visionforum.com/1137.html&url=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=65830

Alone, Yet Not Alone, by Tracy Leininger http://www.visionforum.com/1137.html&url=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=65830http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=65987

John Bunyan, Author of Pilgrim’s Progress, by Sam Wellman

The Columbus Story, by Alice Dalgliesh

A Confederate Trilogy, by Mary L. Williamson

Robert Fulton, Boy Craftsman, and other titles by Marguerite Henry

George Fredric Handel: Composer of Messiah, by Charles Ludwig


Stonewall, by Jean Fritz

Johannes Kepler: Giant of Faith and Science, by John Judson Tiner

Robert E. Lee: Christian General and Gentleman, by Roddy Lee

Eric Liddell, by Catherine Swift

Queen of the Reformation, (Katherine Luther), by Charles Ludwig

Most of the books above are for high school age and above as well. I love some children's books as much as those targeted for adults. The simplicity of style is often refreshing and adult-aimed humor in children's books usually makes me smile. One such book, targeted perhaps for a children's audience but with a deep and abiding message is Matthew Wheelock's Wall - 1992 publication written by Frances Ward Weller and illustrated beautifully by Ted Lewin. You will want to purchase several of these for gifts. The message of the book always brings tears to my eyes -- building for future generations.

We'll stop there for now...this should give you plenty of reading materials to get you started for your long winter's reading by the fireside or under a cozy quilt. I pray that finding and reading good books will be an adventure for you that will never end!
Happy Reading!!

Honorable Mentions ... no small victory!

Well, some of you may have been disappointed that you didn't place 1st, 2nd or 3rd in our writing contest. Here are some considerations for you that should bring smiles to your faces. First, there were over 320 entries! Think of that! You were competing with some pretty sharp writers, my friend. Secondly, we offered the contest before our instruction was complete, so you had to write from 'old skills' rather than newly acquired ones. And third, in our next webinar contest, you just may be the winning entry -- never give up. I would post some of my earliest writing for you to smile about, but it's too embarrassing. Many of your submissions far outshine my writing at your ages. I've kept at it and gradually improved, by God's grace. You will improve daily if you write daily with the important suggestions I've given you with more to come next time. Here are the criteria we used for judging (there were five judges, by the way, all qualified in more than one area of writing):

 grammatical accuracy


 strong, imaginative imagery that avoided using tired, trite phrases, jargon or slang

 good lead sentences and first paragraphs, where applicable

 clearly understood development of the theme or thesis, where applicable

 a strong concluding paragraph

 good sentence structure with strong nouns, verbs and properly used modifiers

 for rhyming poems, strict adherence to the chosen meter

 for unrhymed poems, strong, palpable imagery appropriate to the subject and additionally,

 skillful use of internal rhyme

 interesting themes for both poetry and prose --

 did the writing grab and keep our interest throughout, or was the piece

 too rhetorical (instructional with little to keep interest in a storyline)

 too artificial (either too silly and unbelievable or impossible situations)

 too boring

 too ‘wordy’?

 With articles and essays, did the writer make and prove a point well?

 If a song, was the meter adhered to throughout? Was the imagery strong? Did the words fit the tune and was the music appropriate to the message?

 In all types of writing, did the writer strike a chord with us so that we wanted to keep reading and felt satisfied when we finished reading it – either entertained, inspired, or in some other way glad we had read it? Or was the piece easy to put down, even before the end? Did we enjoy reading it?

This final point for each judge, was often the deciding factor. If your writing moved us in some way that kept us reading, kept our interest and left us wanting more, your submission had more winning potential perhaps than a piece that was written more correctly, following all the rules. but didn’t inspire or instruct our hearts or move us to a level of interest in the topic that would cause us to remember it. Learning to move the reader's emotions, not through soupy, affectatious writing, but striking a chord in the heart, is something often more given than learned. Ask God for this ability as you write.

How to win a place of notice next time:

All writing errors can be corrected. All writers can improve. Please don’t be discouraged if your name wasn’t in the list of honorable mentions or in the winner’s circle this time. Keep journaling as well as other writing exercises as you apply the suggestions we’ve mentioned in our sessions and others you can learn from the resources we've mentioned. Keep reading your poems, essays, articles and papers to your friends and parents and ask for suggestions for improvement. Keep reading great books and learn from these writers how to construct good sentences, find strong nouns and verbs as the building materials, how to use modifiers accurately, how to use discernment when describing a scene or depicting emotions or writing dialogue, how to create tangible, palpable imagery. Read great books and take notes on all these topics -- this is perhaps the best way to improve your own writing. Don’t be afraid of criticism. In fact, ask for it all the time. Ask anyone who will listen to your writing, “Does that make sense to you? What do I need to add? What do I need to take out? How could this be written to convey my point better? Do I need to re-write or just start over?” You will never improve as a runner if you don’t run or as a singer if you don’t sing. You will never become a better writer if you only practice writing skills occasionally. Write every day. Read every day. Ask the Lord to help you improve for His glory and He will.

Here are the names selected with care for honorable mention:

Stories (18 and above age group)


The Attic Treasure—submitted by the Compton siblings, Lauren, 18, Johanna 12 and Caitlin, 9
The Letter – Callan Seargent and Lourdes Torres
Beyond Recall – submitted by Laura Raborn
Ode to Preacher Joe or the Mississippi Days -- by Amy Frank
Keep Walking in His Steps -- Andrea Allan Fisher
Defending Home – by Koleesa Amundson
Alan’s Farewell – by Rebekah Morris
Samson – Olivia Cornwell
Yellow Bird – Teresa Nuckols

Articles and Essays (18 and above age group)

Resurrection Day Surprise – Faith Blum
What is Love? -- Michelle Payne
Hamlet: An Allegory - Tom Morris
Simple Blessings: Saturday Dinner - Jasmin Aprile
Of Pests and Priorities - Sarah Huslander
Upright - Debbie Hogan

Poems (18 and above)

The Mountains – Rachelle Jones
Twilight in America: A Visual Poem - Kendra Thomas
Yet Unformed - Sarah Willard
The Call of A Princess - Melinda Pound
The Appeal of a Damsel [once in distress] - Shelby Courtney
The Shepherd - Zach Strother
Bumble-Bee Words - Stephanie Perdue
Judas and the Door - Amanda Neely
Lonely Ascent - Marsha Ashabraner
Crazy - Abby Walker

Stories (13-17 age group)

Grandpa’s Story - Patti Childers
The Long Road Home - Amy Jo Underwood
Today I am Battling Restlessness… - Manus Churchill
Sir Valiant and the Will - Allison Hawbaker
Woven Secrets - Jocelyn & Gianna Stanush
The Life of Letters - Rachael Stahr
Christ Provides - Lauren Hall
Peppermint & Christmas Bread - Sarah Hall
The National Bible Bee -- Emily Brigham
My Special Place - Maria Fulton
He Has - Danielle Kent
A Walk in the Woods with God - Rebecca Wall
Chayel- Katelyn Zeiger
Henty de Valor and the Terrible Beastie- Sophia Smithe
Touching Noses - Mckynzie Neilsen
Just like Daddy Did - Hannah Monnington
The Promise - Ginelle Verhoog Tobias,
A True Knight - Rachel Cantrell

Articles and Essays (13-17 age group)

The Boston Tea Party - Hannah Scott
Rivers of Living Water - Alina Maira
Run for One - Justin Jantomaso
The Industrial Revolution - Coral Wood
A Reflection of Glory - Tiana Worthy

Poems (13-17 age group)

Remembering Him – Nicole Jones
Mommy - Rachel Hubbard
I Am God’s Poem - Anna Henderson
Wild Horses, haiku - Emma Rolf
Gen. Jackson - age 14 twins, James & Lauren Fletcher
America’s Hope - Christina Hommes
More Than Words - Jenna McKenzie
Of Warriors and Christendom - Laura Verret
In My Grandma’s Garden - Rebecca Knauss
Enter Spring - Hayley Fowler
Here I Stand - Schuyler McKonkey
Valiant, the Brave - Jaclyn Hall
The Wind - Dasha Reiss
The Calling - Faith Froemming
The Seedling - Jenna Kyler
A Thunderstorm - Rebekah Barfield

Stories: (age 12 and under)

Mercy - Paige Baker
Louisa Payne’s Story - Sierra Campbell
Sleep & Frazzled Me - Karis Churchill
Nurse at Heart - Laura Hubbard
The Mysterious Disappearance of Jon Dixon - Sophia Ellen Jantomaso
Robert E. Lee’s Character - Hannah Knight
Zachary Ward : The Coffee Machine - Angelo Ward
Cowboy Jim and the Horse Thieves - Samson Strother
The First Thanks Given - Charlotte Boyer
The Ride of Paul Revere - Aimee Pelletier
A Letter to God- Natalie Tederoff
Miracle at Premier Gorge - Joseph Anand

Poems: (age 12 and under)
Sunlight - Hannah Finck
The Wind - Rebecca Riggins
Fall is the Best Season of All - Hannah Walker
Gen. Robert E. Lee - Jacob Ward
Autumn Leaves - Gianna Lonneman
For His Pleasure - Hannah Speer
A War of Trepidation - Hannah Roethle
Dancing with Leaves - Katie Gullett
God’s Wrath- Sarah Carpenter Joy - Analaea Proffitt
The Life of William Tyndale - Matthew Presley
Keep on Christian Pilgrims - Mary Bethany Adams

And the winner is...

The moment we've all been waiting for has finally arrived--here is the list of winners for Mrs. Morecraft's First Writing Contest. Each winner is asked to e-mail his or her address to mmorecraft@gmail.com so that we can send your prize to you. We are thrilled with the response and hope you love your gift. Thanks to all who entered. You each possess amazing gifts. We were privileged and honored to be able to read your writing and look forward to even better entries during our next contest, hopefully, to be held early next year. A lonnnnggg list of honorable mentions should be posted at this site early next week.

Age 12 and Younger Division

Stories:

1st place: "Sunrise Mustangs," by Danielle Dodge, (age 12), also our GRAND PRIZE WINNER!!
2nd place: "The Rescue," by David Hubbard (age 7).
3rd place: It's a tie! "Bonnie's New Year," by Isabella Saffa (age 10), and Gloria Bringe (age 12);
and, "How Americans Fight," by Daniel Hubbard (age 9).

Poetry:

1st place: "Mrs. Morecraft's Musings on Grammar & Composition," by Mary Caroline Whims (age 12)
2nd place: "Stone Clad Domain," by Aurora Hacker (age 12)
3rd place: "God Sees Everything," by Brianna Bower (age 12)

Song:

1st place: "I Worship You," by Victoria C. Lipp (age 12)

Age 13-17 Division

Stories:

1st place: "Pain of Death," Jefferey French (age 17)
2nd place: "Titanic's Last Night," by Valerie Braymer (age 13)
3rd place: It's a tie! "Home," by Alexa Myers (age 16); and "The Survivor," by Laura Andrews (age 17).

Articles and Essays:

1st place: "Never Forget," by Hannah Estes (age 17)
2nd place: "We the People," by Sarah Dana (age 15)
3rd place: It's a tie! "Character," by Grace Macias (age 16); and, "Death is Life," by Leah Macias (age 14). Yes, they are sisters!!!

Poetry:

1st place: "Lady Liberty," by Josiah Ortega (age 16)
2nd place: "Harbor Storm," by Kristina Clark (age 13)
3rd place: It's a tie! "Of Authors Great and Gone," by John Horn (age 15); and, "Life is Like Sailing," by Cassidy Clark (age 15).

Song:

1st place: "A Sinner's Plea," by Andrea Noah (age 14)
2nd place: "Cleansing Flow," by Kailey Hogan (age 15)
3rd place: "Susanna's Song," by Caroline Beckman (age 13)

18 and Older Division

Stories:

1st place: "Shiny Coin," by Jane Anne Henderson
2nd place: "Homecoming," by Sarah Bryant
3rd place: "The Gentle Prisoner," by Kathryn Yen

Articles and Essays:

1st place: "Life on the Edge," by Donna Mauney
2nd place: "Who are You? You are Life," by Riannen Schlosser

Poetry:

1st place: "The Heroine of the Woods," by Tiffany Cadle
2nd place: "The Electrical Storm," by Jill Manteufel
3rd place: "But for a Moment," by Rachel Vogel

Songs:

1st place: "Woman of Honor," by Nicki O'Donovan
2nd place: "Dreams," by Joy Billigmeier
3rd place: "Streams of Mercy," by Rachel Petersen


I'd like to highlight one winning entry tonight -- thanks to Mary Caroline Whims, age 12, for paying attention to my writing classes and taking such good notes that she could turn them into a poem! Congratulations for winning first place in the poetry division for your age group, Mary Caroline!

Mrs. Morecraft's Musings on Grammar and Composition

by Mary Caroline Whims, age 12

Diagrams, participles,

Past and present tense,

Simple subject, predicate

For building a sentence.

Watch yourself for fragments,

Keep commas all in line.

Correct your punctuation

And you will do just fine!

Create a sense of quiet.

Think of our Lord each day.

Learn to use good research tools.

Read what the experts say.

Broaden your vocabulary,

Fix your spelling, then,

Read aloud and take advice

And write it all again.

One more piece of counsel

To help you as you write:

"Thinking God's thoughts after Him,"

Is pleasant in His sight.

Preferring simple elegance,

Choose carefully each word.

Write with a Christian mindset

As you glorify the Lord!

How to Write Right

I hope you love to write and receive personal letters like I do. Yes, I confess to being an e-mail addict -- so many messages to so many friends and so little time! But I receive a little thrill when I see a beautiful envelope addressed to me on the front of an envelope made of special paper in lovely, even script. *Sigh* I know the writer of this epistle, although it may be short and to the point, has spent several valuable minutes of time when they could have been doing something else much more important showing me that they care about me. And, I might add, showing me that they care about the kind of impression they are making on me. That sort of letter always leaves a very good impression, regardless of the length of the message.

We could all improve our handwriting skills. What better way to do this than in letter-writing. No, you are saying, my handwriting is terrible! I have a workable solution for you. Check out this writing handbook -- it's one of many that are available online.


Of course, the ultimate handwriting is calligraphy or italic handwriting. Once again, there are many courses available from online sources. I have several of these and have toyed with them. I hope to find time to actually sit down and take the course. Then you can be sure I'll write more letters so I can practice this skillful art.



Every beautifully written letter requires two other ingredients besides skillful writing techniques: a nice pen that will easily accomodate your new skills and lovely writing paper. The pen on the left is only one of scores of pens available online, this one from Amazon. I personally use the blackest ink I can find and cream colored paper. I have personalized writing paper which is embossed with my initials. They came with personalized gift card enclosures and note cards as well. I much prefer these to the generic variety that have 'thank you' printed on the front. Although I have received many notes written on generic cards that I treasure. The words, not the materials used always carry the most meaning to your recipient. However, the materials you use as well as the care you take in writing your letter or note reflect your values and care. Just as your choice of clothing, the way you care for your belongings, and many other habits reflect deeper character traits, even so the type of papers and style of writing you use to communicate your thoughts to someone will show something about who you are.

Next post, I'll talk more about writing papers.

Books That Help You Communicate Clearly

Noah Webster was an American lexicographer, textbook pioneer, spelling reformer, political writer, editor, and prolific author. In 1806 he published his first dictionary, A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language. In 1807 Webster began compiling an expanded and fully comprehensive dictionary, An American Dictionary of the English Language; it took twenty-seven years to complete. To evaluate the etymology of words, Webster learned twenty-six languages, including Old English (Anglo-Saxon), German, Greek, Latin, Italian, Spanish, French, Hebrew, Arabic, and Sanskrit. Webster hoped to standardize American speech, since Americans in different parts of the country used different languages. They also spelled, pronounced, and used English words differently.

Webster completed his dictionary during his year abroad in 1825 in Paris, France, and at the University of Cambridge. His book contained seventy thousand words, of which twelve thousand had never appeared in a published dictionary before. As a spelling reformer, Webster believed that English spelling rules were unnecessary, so his dictionary introduced American English spellings, replacing "colour" with "color", substituting "wagon" for "waggon", and printing "center" instead of "centre." He also added American words, like "skunk" and "squash," that did not appear in British dictionaries. At the age of seventy, Webster published his dictionary in 1828; it sold 2500 copies. In 1840, the second edition was published in two volumes. --source, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merriam-Webster





http://affiliates.visionforum.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=1137&URL=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/productlist/?search=websters+1828+dictionary Vision Forum sells a reproduction of this dictionary with all it's Christian connotations intact. Since that first publishing, many updates and revisions have taken place with the addition of thousands of newly adopted or created words.

A reward for sorting through a box of books I haven't missed for the six years I've lived in my current house was the discovery this week of a thrift store copy of The New International Webster's Pocket Grammar, Speech & Style Dictionary of the English Language. Although missing a few components such as accompanying examples in every area of instruction, nevertheless, every one of the 300+ pages is jam-packed with clear instruction in virtually every area of communication, spoken and written, even including a page of proofreaders' markings and how to interpret them on the last two pages.

A surprise was the chapter of almost 40 pages of foreign words and phrases common to English usage. Here's an excerpt from the forward to that chapter:

In a language like English, whose vocabulary is at least 80 percent borrowed from other language sources, it is not always easy to judge whether a word or expression should be considered as "foreign" or "naturalized." The chief sources of our foreign words and phrases are French and Latin. Other heavy contributors are Italian (particularly for musical terms), German, Greek, and Spanish. But English is a ready borrower and adapter, and we find in our list contributions from other European languages...from Semitic tongues, ... from languages of Asia, ...from the tongues of the American Indians; ... and even from the languages of the far pacific, notably Hawaiian. --p. 266

Following this excellent summation of the word-borrowing tendencies of our language is an easy-to-read explanation of the diacritical markings (pronunciation guides) of the words which follow. If you've ever been stumped at a restaurant featuring foreign words, this guide will be very helpful. Although there are many tools available in various languages that may fit the bill better than this one when travelling, here's a good place to start, especially if you are an "arm-chair" traveller.

Chapter IV provides helpful information for academic assignments such as research papers, book reports and reviews, science project reports and a section entitled, 'a precis.' If you are unfamiliar with this phrase, here is the description given:

A precis is a concise summary in your own words of the essential points of a longer piece of writing, usually one-fourth to one-third as long as the original. Learning how to do this provides excellent training in reading for comprehension and in mastering the technique of clear, concise, and accurate writing. It is a useful skill, if mastered, and will be a valuable tool both for schoolwork and in the business world. ... A precis, unlike a paraphrase, cuts wordage to the minimum, simplifying and getting to the essential meaning in very few words. It contains no details, examples or illustrations, and it does not allow any comment or interpretation on your part. The French meaning of the word, "exact," describes it accurately. --p. 225

Precise instructions for writing 'a precis,' follow this description. What a great idea! Are you rambling on with dependent clauses, semi-colons and wordiness that just won't find a conclusion? Stop and write 'a precis' before you find yourself lost in the maze of your words! What a great idea for students as well. Assign this as a daily or weekly exercise until concise writing, relying on nouns and verbs rather than modifiers, becomes easy.

Just as valuable if not more valuable are the sections on how to write letters of various types, how to write a resume, non-verbal and verbal communication, commonly misused and misspelled words and much more. I intend to purchase several copies of this valuable resource to keep on hand for gifts and may put one in every room of the house as well.


Roget's Thesaurus is an invaluable tool for any serious writer. Yes, we have availability to dictionaries and various other writing tools on our computers, but you need to learn to love to read your dictionary and thesaurus and become a word addict like me. Your writing skills will advance immeasurably. There are many different versions of the Thesaurus available now, as well as many different types of dictionaries -- dictionaries of synonyms (I think the thesaurus does about the same job here), rhyming dictionaries, Scrabble dictionaries, dictionaries for students ... on and on. Check it out.


I have a confession to make. When I was a child, I read the dictionary and encyclopedias for fun. We had Compton's Pictured Encyclopedia 12vol which my parents purchased from a traveling book salesman, I believe. I can still close my eyes and see the red bindings and the slick surface of the pages as my eyes slid over the mostly black and white images and words, gorging myself with information like a hungry child who fills his mouth too full. Now these encyclopedias are published by Britannica and are available on CD-Rom at a fraction of the price of the hardcover edition which you can still purchase for just under $1,000. I believe. I confess my delight in turning pages, rather than clicking on links. There is something wonderful about touching the paper and smelling the ink or the dusty emanations from old volumes that have been here longer and perhaps been held in the hands of other bibliophiles. 'Boring old books' can come alive if you love them long enough.

A word of caution, however, as you peruse the contents of the more modern dictionaries, thesaurus listings and encyclopedias. We live in a world that has lost its comprehension of a Christian mindset and world-view.

Believing that God is the Creator of all things and the Source of all knowledge and wisdom provides the foundation and backdrop for the Christian's belief system. "In Him [Christ] are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," Colossians 2:3. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge," Proverbs 1:7. But the humanists who largely dominate our educational systems today have stolen that heritage from us.

We read in the newer editions of dictionaries such as the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, definitions such as this one:

Christian:one who professes belief in Jesus Christ.

Compare that definition to the one given by Noah Webster in his 1828 dictionary:

Christian: 3.  A real disciple of Christ; one who believes in the truth of the Christian religion, and studies to follow the example, and obey the precepts, of Christ; a believer in Christ who is characterized by real piety.

May I encourage you to purchase the original Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary containing definitions of words from a Christian worldview. Vision Forum's link to purchase is: http://affiliates.visionforum.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=1137&URL=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/productlist/?search=websters+1828+dictionary 

http://affiliates.visionforum.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=1137&url=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/productlist/?search=websters+1828+dictionary

Truth is not negotiable! Choose your words and their definitions wisely.

Wonderful Words...

I'm so glad you could come to class tonight at my house...Mercy and I had a marvelous time hosting you here. Thanks for not parking on the wet grass. ;-)

Some of you wanted to order my little book of poems, "Roots & Vines." The books are $10. each, plus $2.00, shipping and handling, for a total of $12.00.
Send us an order with your check to: Becky Morecraft, 302 Pilgrim Mill Rd./ Cumming, GA 30040.

We've only just begun to consider poetry -- we'll continue to think about great poets, their poems, how to read and write poetry ourselves in the next two sessions. During one of them, I hope to have my sister, songwriter Judy Rogers, as a guest, helping us pursue the subject of writing poems as songs

Here's a link to some music and books I love. The "Little Lamb" song I sang tonight from William Blake's poem, was recorded by Carly Simon and one of her sisters in the '70's on a recording called, "Sing Songs for Children," which has recently been re-released. Judy and I sing it often to our grandchildren. You will love this recording! I think you'll enjoy all the children's songs on this recording, but I haven't heard the whole thing in a while, so 'disclaimer' if there's something objectionable -- I'm pretty sure It's all good.

Don't forget to go to my sister's website and listen to some samples from her recordings. The web address is http://www.judyrogers.com/  Judy's music is impeccably biblical and singable.  If you aren't already a fan, you will be after even one listen. You can also hear and download Judy's music at http://www.bluebehemoth.com/ I'm privileged to sing many songs with her on the recordings, the most on "Arise! Shine!" Our children, all grown with children now, (except for Mercy), sing on the earlier recordings. What a blessing to see our children's children now learning and loving Judy's God-honoring music!!


Two of the women who have most influenced my writing are Suzanne Rhodes and Luci Shaw. Their books are wonderful and easily available. Suzanne's books can be purchased from Canon Press. The link for her student poet's manual -- The Roar From the Other Side -- which I referenced many times tonight is:
http://www.canonpress.org/shop/search.asp?search=suzanne+rhodes&sortby=name&sfield=custom1


And her newly released book of poetic prose and wonderful poems about her life as a mother, wife and observer of God's grace is entitled, A Welcome Shore. The link: http://www.canonpress.org/shop/search.asp?search=a+welcome+shore&sortby=name&sfield=name



Luci Shaw is one of America's premiere Christian authors and poets. All of her writing reveals her God-owned heart. I first read, Listen to the Green, when it was given to me as a gift in the late '80's. My thoughts about poetry have been expanded and my writing of both poetry and prose, become more compact ever since. I know you will love this book especially, although I have many of her others as well. Explore and enjoy.






Here's a little poem I wrote, fresh from the inspiration of her writer's retreat in 1997:

(background: I had just been to South Africa with my husband for a mission trip and saw Zulu and other tribal women sitting outside the Pretoria zoo, making beaded jewelry, belts and trinkets...)

Bartering, Pretoria

(for Luci Shaw at Kanuga)

All day she beads her bright poems

onto belts and bands,

squat in the dirt,

her baby tethered to her

by a long, red rag.

Her nimble fingers fly,

sorting fragments,

chips of hope on thread,

strung together

and sold for silver.

Around my waist I'll wear her bartered skill

to art shows, conferences and concerts

when I choose denim and Africa;

while she in trade

will feed her child tonight.

RBM

6/1/'97

Tonight many of you asked for lists of poetry books I would recommend. Suzanne Rhodes and Luci Shaw have written many of the modern poems I enjoy. Most of their poetry is what is called 'blank verse,' or unrhymed poetry. They are both extremely skillful in this genre. But, I'm certain they could each write rhymed verse that is equally wonderful. In Listen to the Green, Mrs. Shaw's rhymed verse is breath-taking. I'll be reading a selection of some of her work next week, I hope. Rhymed poetry can become trite -- simplistic, soupy and wordy. Paring your words down to the 'exact' words needed to convey your message should be one of your goals as a poet, whether your poetry is rhymed and following exact patterns (we'll talk about those next week) or unrhymed, blank verse.

Who do I love to read? There are many, many poets I love and read as often as possible. I cut my teeth on poets such as Alfred Lord Tennyson, William Wordsworth, John Milton, Geoffrey Chaucer, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Frost, Shakespeare, Robert Service, Eugene Fields, Rudyard Kipling and many others. I came from a family of readers and writers, so I had early and frequent exposure to so many great writers in every genre. One of the greatest encouragements I ever gave my own children was to teach them to read using McGuffey readers. There are many wonderful poems in these readers! My son, John Calvin, recited, "The boy stood on the burning deck, whence all but him had fled...," at about nine years of age...there wasn't a dry eye in the house! Read great poems of every type aloud to your children -- it's important to learn HOW to read poetry, not in a sing-songy voice, but putting the emphasis on verbs and nouns and not at the end of each line. And then have your children read them aloud -- find poems that are appropriate to your children's stage and age and have them memorize portions of poems or whole poems. These lines will stay with them FOREVER! Especially poems that are put to music will stick in the brain...you know what I mean, don't you?

Purchase a great book -- "Best Loved Poems of the American People." (see link) When our older children were able to read, we would frequently have a poetry reading night, sit around the living room and choose favorite poems to read aloud. What great memories that made! Alongside a collection of poems, I recommend your children memorize poetry. A common practice that has been abandoned in modern times, perhaps because so many children watch television which has brief segments of action, broken up with commercials. Modern children haven't developed the skills required for memorization. I highly recommend a book that I have a link for on this page called, Linguistic Development Through Poetry Memorization, student workbook. Also, you can purchase a 3-cd set of poems,  read aloud by Andrew Pudewa, along with instructional book. Here's the link: Linguistic Development Through Poetry Memorization, a Mastery Learning Approach , Poems Selected and Read By Andrew Pudewa 3cd's and 1 Dvd in Case. This book will guide you and your student through the steps necessary for memorization of poetry and show the additional benefits that will accompany this endeavor. Thanks to the Tully family for telling me about this book.

In terms of curriculum,  I would highly recommend your listening to Victoria Botkin's cd, (available from Vision Forum, I believe ?), on how to choose curriculum. Those Botkins are bright folks and I highly respect their educational advice.

But in terms of teaching writing, my best advice is to do what I did and give your children lists of books to read, appropriate to their stage, and report to you about each one. As they write a short report, you will be able to ascertain if they actually read and understood the content, as well as teach important grammar lessons. Mind you, reading for reading's sake may be valuable on some levels, but it profiteth little. Grasping the content and precepts of books should be your ultimate goal. I am working on an updated list of recommended books for each level; but for now, check out Vision Forum's books -- particularly biographies and historical fiction. I hope this gets you started! I've already recommended some of my favorite books for teaching grammar and writing skills on earlier blog posts. Just go to my archived section and look back ...

Please thank Mercy some time -- she really worked hard this week and was rewarded with a successful slide presentation as well as great audio. She has to work from my PC instead of her Macbook because of the program we use to record each session. Bless her heart...what a daughter!!

 God bless you and I look forward to our next class...the man of fire...who was he?