Pre-reading my children's books
Some years ago, when my older children entered high school, I began pre-reading their assigned extracurricular books. This summer, my going-to-be-10th-grade-son has a summer read, Sophie's World, by Jostein Guarder.
Sophie's World is a novel about the history of Philosophy, written by a former high school philosophy teacher from Norway. I found this book to be brilliantly written, and agree with the Daily Telegraph review: Sophie's World is "a simply wonderful, irresistible book...a cross between Bertrand Russell's History of Western Philosophy and Alice in Wonderland."For anyone who would like a survey of Western Philosophy, written with a clever narrative structure to pique a page-turning interest.....this is the book for you! However, what doesn't work for me this morning, is how my impressionable teen-aged son will be respond to the 513 pages of discussion of the truth of God's existence and the role religion plays in the development of Western Philosophy. While this is an excellent book, it does challenge the reader to question rational thinking and faith.
I pre-read this book to see if I could discover the author's stance on Christianity and it's place in the search for knowledge. The book begins with some key questions; Sophie, the novel's 14 year old main character, receives a mysterious letter with only three words, "Who are you?"
An interesting way to begin a 513 page novel, still, if a young reader is not offered all the options, they could incorrectly define themselves by missing the Truth of the matter!
Once again, I am glad to have pre-read my child's book--it was a very interesting and compelling read, it will jump start some very interesting dinner conversations, and I have been forewarned. I can now arm my son with God's Truth, proclaimed by the Apostle Paul to the philosophers of the day in Athens, "For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring." As my son reads Sophie's World and asks the questions "Who am I?", I want him to be fully informed and influenced by the One who is the author of all knowledge and wisdom.
Pre-reading my children's books--Works for Me this Wednesday......
Pre-paring our children's hearts, preparing the way to the real Truth of the matter: Works for Me everyday!
3 comments:
That sounds like a very challenging book for a 10th grade boy! I am so glad you are so wise to read his books ahead of time. I might have to check that one out.
See ya soon!
What a great idea to do. I'm sure you have inspired many a mom to do the same thing. The book does sound very interesting. I love how it starts with that question. I hope you son enjoys it as much as you did.
I think that's an excellent thing to do. I have discovered some wonderful books I somehow missed by doing that with my daughter. She is a voracious reader and always has been. I tried to be really careful when she was little about what I let her put into her bright little mind.
Great job Diane.
Post a Comment