HEROES.
Why do we love heroes so much?
We all love heroes because we are created to admire goodness. We want to emulate those who share our ideals – things like courage, honor and justice. Heroes who make the hard, but right choices give us hope in the future. We choose heroes who symbolize the person we would like to be and ambitions we would like to satisfy. My husband loves William Wallace in Braveheart, Andy in Shawshank Redemption and Edmund in the Count of Monte Cristo. I love Anne in Anne of Green Gables, Dorcus Lane in the Larkrise to Candleford or Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice. Each of them speak to my heart. I can hear their stories again and again. Tell me who your heroes or heroines are and it can tell me a lot about you.
A couple of weeks ago, we celebrated the end of school with a history feast. The kids and I reflected on their year studying the end of the Roman Empire to the Revolutionary War. Part of the year was spent reading 16 historical fiction books. This form of literature brought history to life for my kids AND gave them heroes to inspire them. Many of the books were “old-fashioned” with tried-and-true wisdom. These heroes made right choices, had virtuous character and inspiring actions. I find this is one of my favorite parts of schooling.
Who are your kids’ heroes?
As we move into summer, my kids continue to read. I want them to read. With older children now, I find the library to be a bit challenging. Somehow vampires and witchcraft have become commonplace among teen literature content. We have to search and search for good books. My elementary children find examples of bad attitudes and poor choices among the “favorites” of their peers. I keep asking, “Where have the true heroes gone?”
The Princess Parables were created for this very reason. Not only did we want to have inspiring princesses any girl would want to be like, we also wanted to teach God’s word and wisdom. While the Princess Parables is an outstanding summer reading option, there needs to be more in the book baskets for our kids this summer.
Children just don’t stubble upon excellent reading options, but they are created for them. I have to have a plan this summer for all of my kids. Join me as we engage in the pages of literature recommendations from Read for the Heart by Sarah Clarkson and Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt. Both of these books are wonderful guides to life changing literature for our kids. Giving our kids heroes to build their character, their adventurous hearts and their imagination.
What does your summer reading list look like?
Will you introduce your kids to their next heroes?
