I just finished reading The Blue Sapphire
by D.E. Stevenson the other night after I found sleep eluding me. I found a couple of quotes that I really enjoyed. This first quote is about books. If you saw my house you would know that books are a BIG thing here. I also work with books that are donated to the library and I am always amazed at the books that I see that have never been read.
"...To tell you the truth it always grieves me when I see a book that's never read. There's something a bit pathetic about its crisp leaves and immaculate binding. Poor thing! What's a book for if it's not to be read and enjoyed.?..." p. 150
These two quotes are about history and I think really resonated with Charlotte Mason's idea of Living Books. I think I'm a little strange because I found most history interesting when I was in school, but I was always disappointed that it didn't tell me enough. I wish someone would have taught me that I could go to the library and find a living book on the topic to satisfy my curiosity. And yes, reading living books for history works. My kids' favorite subject is--history!
"I'm interested in that sort of history--I mean history about places I know--but I never could remember dates," said Julia frankly. "Battle of Hastings, ten sixty-six, and all that," said Uncle Randal, laughing. "There's not much glamour about it, is there? history books for schools are too condensed. If they gave you a rousing account of the battle you'd remember it...but there's not time, Julia, no time for anything except names and dates and battles and pacts." p. 157
Julia had been listening enthralled to the saga. She had never heard it before. History books seldom concern themselves with the romantic details of events, but merely with hard facts and dates which are liable to go in at one ear and out of the other. p. 274
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