“We want a wider range of knowledge than the life about us affords, and books are our best teachers.” Charlotte Mason, Ourselves

When I was first introduced to Charlotte Mason, one of the things that attracted me to her method was the concept of using Living Books in history. Especially since it was living books that got me interested in the subject…even though I didn’t know it.

So what is a “living book”?

A Living Book has a short but impactful criteria:

1. Books that make an impact in our life: these are books that makes us think, dream, and imagine. They take us beyond the world we live in.

2. Books that are page-turners: these are books that are written with language that gets us excited to keep reading.

3. Books that start a conversation: Living books get us to talk about the subject. They help form connections and dream. These books make us want to learn about the subject.

4. Books that are re-readable: The best living books make you want to re-read them over and over again.

Beware of twaddle:

Twaddle is basically books that are dull in writing, don’t expand our mind, and don’t captivate. This reminds me why I had such a hard time in school with English Language Arts.

That said, “twaddle” can be subjective. For example, Dr. Suess may be twaddle to some and to others not so much.

So as the mother-teacher, you can decide what living books you bring into the home. But beware and try to have a prepotent attitude on books. There will be times when our children like a particular genre of books that is not our cup of tea.

How do you choose your children’s books?