Category Archives: Uncategorized

Feasting on Poetry: Lessons Learned on Reading, from C.S. Lewis’s The Last Battle

Posted on by
Reply

matthewamoser's avatarChrist & University

71299-_1Today, readers, we are very pleased to bring you a special guest post by Megan Von Bergen. Professor Von Bergen brings up some very interesting issues about teaching students how to read poetically. Take and read!

*

I teach writing and literature at a small Bible college in the Midwest. Because my students all profess a faith in Christ, I usually select course readings based on what I feel will encourage and challenge them in that faith.

Every spring, I ask my students in Introduction to Literature to read C.S. Lewis’s The Great Divorce. Every spring, my students ask me whether they should take Lewis’s depiction of Heaven and Hell at face value. I want them to know what Lewis says about how we approach God in this life. All they want to know are the specifics of his eschatology.

View original post 1,234 more words

Surprised by Oxford

Posted on by
Reply

2013-10-02 16.21.26“So faced with a thousand-year old institution, I learned to pick my battles. Rather than resist, for instance, the archaic book-ordering system in the Bodleian Library with technological mortification, I discovered the treasure in embracing its seeming quirkiness. Often, when the wrong book came up from the annals after my order, I found it to be right in some way after Oxford often works such.

After one particulary serendipitous day of research, I asked Robert, the usual morning porter on duty at the Bodleian Library, about the lack of any kind of sophisticated security system, especially in one of the world’s most famous libraries. The Bodleian was not a loaning library, though you were allowed to work freely amid priceless artifacts. Individual college libraries entrusted you to simply sign a book out and then return it when you were done.

‘It’s funny; Americans ask me about that all the time,’ Roberty said as he stirred his tea. ‘But then again, they’re not used to having u in honour,’ he said with a shrug.”

Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber

Oxford 016

Top 10 Historical Fiction for Youth, by Ilene Cooper | Booklist Online

Posted on by
2

Top 10 Historical Fiction for Youth, by Ilene Cooper | Booklist Online.

Historical fiction is a favorite genre at our house. Here are some new ones for young adults; and for those of you are young at heart.

jump into the skyThe link above will give you a short synopsis of each book. There are books from many different time periods, including: Victorian England, WWII, N.C. shortly after WWII, New York City in the 1920’s, and British occupied NY City in 1776.

I haven’t read any of these yet, but will be looking for them. Let me know if you find a new favorite!
keeping the castleDodgersophia's war

The Sweetest Thing by Elizabeth Musser

Posted on by
Reply

thesweetestthingThe Sweetest Thing is the story of two girls who attend an exclusive all girls school in Atlanta during the Great Depression. Perri has led a charmed life until her father loses his fortune & takes his life. Perri feels the responsibility of helping her family; not only to overcome their grief, but also to help them keep their social status.

Dobbs moves down from Chicago to live with her aunt and to attend the school her parents could never afford on their own. Her family is one of faith, and she is eager to share with the girls in her new school about the miracles of God and how He can be trusted to help them through everything.

Despite the skepticism from their other classmates who really don’t feel that Dobbs can fit in with their social group, and even their own differences, the two girls feel an immediate bond and become friends. But, friendship, as much as any other part of life, is not easy. Secrets, jealousy, and betrayal have to be overcome if their friendship is to endure.

Elizabeth Musser is a missionary in France who has written several novels, one of which I reviewed back in July. From her website: “When we moved my dear grandmother, Allene Massey Goldsmith, Washington Seminary, ’32, from her apartment to a full-care floor at Canterbury Court, my parents found Grandmom’s diaries from 1928-1932. I was, of course, eager to take a look. The diaries sealed the fate of my next novel: I’d write about 1930’s Atlanta and specifically the life of two girls attending Washington Seminary.” www.elizabethmusser.com

I enjoyed reading The Sweetest Thing. Reading about  the lives of Perri and Dobbs and their friendship and what life was like in Atlanta during the 1930’s was enjoyable on its own, but knowing Musser was also writing of her grandmother made the book all the more special and, yes, sweeter.

C.S. Lewis Space Trilogy–ebook sale

Posted on by
Reply

“There are a dozen views about everything until you know the answer. Then there is never more than one.”  from: That Hideous Strength

space trilogyI have read C.S. Lewis’s space trilogy several times and am always amazed at the wisdom and insight he was able to put into these books. I wrote about the first–Out of the Silent Planet–about a year ago. I am getting ready to read it again with my 17 year old son as part of his assignment for literature. I had checked the price several weeks ago for an ebook, but didn’t want to pay what the cost was at that time. Happy to report that Harper One is having a holiday sale where each of the three books can be had for $1.99. If you have not read these books, this is a good time to get them on your ereader.

Perelandra, the second book in the series, has Ransom being sent on a mission to the planet, Perelandra. He does not know what his mission is until he gets there. He soon finds that this is a new world which has not yet fallen to the sin of mankind and earth, but that the Tempter is there already making plans. Ransom understands these plans, knowing the history  of his own world, but how can he convince the first lady of Perelandra that he wants to help and that Weston (remember the scientist in Out of the Silent Planet?) is bent for evil?  bbc7perelandra500

That Hideous Strength was published in 1945. Most futuristic books published so long ago would seem to be out of date, but this book fits in nicely with today’s popular dystopian books. It is much longer than the first two books and very different. The first time I read it, back in my college days, I felt a bit confused for the first 100 pages or so. Then things began to click and I was mesmerized and, as usual with any book by Lewis, amazed at his insight into man and into spiritual warfare.

Even if you don’t normally read science fiction, take a chance on any of these books and you will not be disappointed. I’m not sure exactly when this sale will end, but probably in less than a week, so pass on the news to any of your reading friends; especially those who may have gotten a new ereader for Christmas.

“Those who are enjoying something, or suffering something, together, are companions. Those who enjoy or suffer one another, are not.” That Hideous Strength

Learning to be a Librarian

Posted on by
1

I have learned a lot about being a librarian while going to school for  my masters. Really. All kinds of technical stuff like classification, collection development, that special code librarians have called MARC, and all about who in the world was Melville Dewey. But some of the most useful information I’ve picked up has been about people skills; how to be approachable & personable. Maybe you’re surprised that I have learned some of this from a textbook & maybe you’re wondering if some of the librarians you’ve known took (& passed) this class, but I promise you, it is there.

In my textbook Reference & Information Services in the 21st Century is a list of “Behaviors to Avoid” for all librarians, but, specifically for those who have been asked for help with finding some answers. I have reworded these a bit and I hope to have them someday taped up in my future office; just like the rules I can see from my car (yes, fast food managers, we can see those) when I’m ordering my milk shakes, etc. You know, those rules from managers about smiling & asking if they want fries with that.

Behaviors to Avoid:

1) Do not provide an unmonitored referral. In other words, don’t just give the user a call number, wave your hand in the general area & send them off. Make sure they know exactly where to look.

2) Do not suggest that the user should have done some independent work before asking for help.

3) Do not try to get the user to accept information just because it is more easily available than what they really need.

4) Do not suggest, or even imply, that the information they are looking for cannot be found because it is just too hard, too obscure, or elusive. Do not say that not only can this information not be found at your library, but that it cannot be found at any library in the whole world.

5) Do not try to convince the user not to pursue the question. (see #4)

And here’s my personal favorite:

6) Do not leave the desk, never to return.

I’m glad I have these rules to refer to because I have a feeling there will be days when I will be tempted to break all of these rules; especially #6.

eBooks at Union County Public Library, NC

Posted on by
Reply

Union County now has ebooks available for their patrons. If you are already familiar with using ebooks, you will find this a welcome new service. If you are new to reading in this way, it is very simple to start and you will find that you can read on several different devices.

For those who are new to ebooks and downloading, there will be an introductory class on Saturday at the Monroe branch. However, as of this writing, there was only one opening left.

Ebooks have been available at different public libraries for quite some time, but it was not until this past September, that Kindle books became available. Since that time, there have been many controversies between publishers and libraries. Expense and privacy issues have been the main concerns. Different publishers have put certain restrictions on their books and some have gone so far as to ‘take their books’ back. Penguin, for a time, withdrew all of their Kindle titles from libraries. Harper Collins put a restriction that their ebooks could only be checked out a total of 26 times. With their restriction of only being able to check out books for 2 weeks at a time, this would mean their titles would expire in about a year’s time. 

Still, with all the controversies and issues to be worked out, this will be a convenience that many can enjoy. In my library science classes at ECU, the question of ‘will ebooks ever totally replace paper ones?’ is constantly discussed. I don’t see ebooks totally replacing paper books for some time, if ever, but they are here to stay, so it is good for them to be available at our public libraries.

For more information about using ebooks and what devices you can use to read on, check out the library website: www.union.lib.nc.us

Teaching the Next Generation

Posted on by
Reply

Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come. Psalm 71:17-18

 

I will be posting ideas, helps, and available sites for homeschoolers–specifically in Union County, NC. I will be focusing on the literary and history side of teaching. I will also be checking out local support groups. Feel free to tell me about your group and how they have helped you to be a better homeschooler.