literature for the heart

I am so thankful!  I came across some wonderful resources to help Christian parents--or any parent--select high-quality children's literature that specifically teaches values and morals to children, without being preachy. Two books to help in this endeavor are featured below, with links to Amazon's selling page.  I also included an especially helpful Amazon review for each book--giving credit to the reviewers by linking to their profile page.

Books That Build Character: A Guide to Teaching Your Child Moral Values Through Stories. by William Kilpatrick, Gregory Wolfe, Suzanne Wolfe (1994)

More than 300 literature titles are listed in this book.


Here is a review excerpt about the book from Amazon reviewer by Paul Dubuc:

This book is valuable not only for the lists and summaries of good books for children (grouped by age level and category) that take up most of its pages. The first 60 pages contain five short chapters on the importance of reading for children and of selecting the sort of books that will build their character and intellect. It explains why it does matter what your child reads (not just that they read). Don't skip this reading. No matter how convinced you are of the importance of good literature for a child's development, your conviction and understanding will deepen by reading what the authors have to say in this introductory material.

The fifth chapter has some especially useful guidelines on selecting and sharing good books. Distinguish between issues and virtues: "Having enlightened opinions is no substitute for having character". "Good books are people centered, not problem centered." Context of behavior portrayed in a book is crucial. "Character building books are not simply about good people doing good things. ... The question is not whether unethical behavior is present, but how it is presented". Look for stories that "open up new possibilities and stretch the imagination. ... be wary of stories that focus exclusively on narrow teen or preteen preoccupations, or those that offer nothing more than the therapeutic reassurance that everything is okay". "Look for books in which the main character grows". There is an education here to help you discern for yourself the quality of children's literature. There is also some good advice on how to read to your children; a good list of "do's and don't's" that make reading aloud more productive an fun. It won't be long before your kids are turning off the TV and asking you to read to them. You will have plenty of good material to draw from with this book as your guide.

Another gem is Honey for a Child's Heart, by Gladys Hunt (1969, fourth edition published 2002).  This linked edition, the fourth, contains 85 pages of book lists. The books are grouped by three age ranges, then by type, such as picture book or series. Next, the books are arranged by complexity of content.  There is also an alphabetized list by author. Most entries contain a one-sentence description, and some contain 2 or 3 sentences. 

Here are a few paragraphs about the book from Amazon reviewer Godly Gadfly: 

The subtitle of this book says it all: "The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life". Gladys Hunt will promote the imaginative use of books in your family in two ways, corresponding to the two halves of this book. In the first half of this book, Hunt shares her insights and ideas about the value of reading, the usefulness of different genres, her notions about what makes a good book, and useful guidelines on how to select good books. She passes on many valuable insights about reading, such as the value of fantasy and poetry, and the positive contribution books can make in a child's life in contrast to the negative influence of the media. What I really treasured, however, were the multitude of practical hints about making books come alive in the home. Hunt offers terrific suggestions about reading stories out loud together as a family, and even shares worthwhile ideas to make family Bible reading more profitable. The first half of this book alone makes this book worth purchasing, because if you apply some of these ideas they are sure to make books come alive in your home.

But what really makes this book a treasure is the second half, which is an extensive annotated bibliography of books worth reading, arranged by their suitability for various ages. One might be tempted to quibble about a few favorite titles which have not been included, but you can't overlook the fact that this is a very comprehensive list that includes most children's classics and many more. Parents who truly enjoy literature often are faced with the challenge of finding good literature. Hunt makes this challenge a piece of cake, because here is a ready-to-use list of titles worth reading, an almost never-ending supply of books to keep your family busy nearly life-long. She has done the hard work for us - mined through the endless number of books on library shelves, and passed on to us what is truly the honey that is worth reading. As a Christian, Hunt is also very discerning and has a taste for what is truly good. Yet her Christian filtering is not so narrow minded that it excludes all secular classics or great works of literature. She has an appreciation for all literature that is quality literature, and so anyone who enjoys good literature will find her annotated bibliography most valuable.

Both of these books are available at used prices on Amazon!  Praise the Lord!  I linked the title of both books to Amazon's selling page. 


Thank goodness for these wonderful resources!