A New Feature: Monthly Book Club

I love to read, and I know that I want my children to learn this love of reading for many reasons. Firstly, it is one of the most wholesome and extensive activities for children. In a day where computer games and tv shows dominate the entertainment world, there is nothing like a good book to sit down and read. It requires no internet access, it can be carefully curated for morals, ethics, and faith, and above all, it is silent and independent. Secondly, you can learn anything you want to just from reading about it. This comes in handy when homeschooling, because there is no way that a parent can know everything needed to prepare their children for a career, but there is every way that the parent can help that child learn about what interests them.

However, how do you choose good books for yourselves and your children (for if you want to encourage the reading habit, you have to read yourself)? How do you decide whether this secular or non-Catholic author is someone good for your children. How can you even decide between Catholic authors, which ones teach the false lessons of Modernism and which ones don't? Hopefully, my recommendations will allow you to learn the standards of literature for Catholics, as that is how I was taught in grade school and especially high school.

Some guidelines: I'm going to discuss a book every month or two, depending on how long it is. As a Catholic mother myself, I realize the dearth of time we have to read, when there are so many other things to be doing; however, I think that 2 months is probably the longest one can discuss any particular book for. I'd like to do a mixture of both Catholic parenting books, Catholic novels, Catholic children's books, and books written for both adults and children by authors who aren't necessarily Catholic, but who convey good morals and lessons. I've been looking for sources for free or cheap books, because that way most people will be able to afford this great pleasure. I know that my parish has a pretty good library of Catholic books, but don't hesitate to borrow from fellow parishioners, or even tell them about this proposed group. When possible, support your parish bookstore by purchasing these books, because I do believe that when possible, a good Catholic library should form part of a household. My mom gave me some of the mothering books I'm going to discuss, and I look forward to passing them down to my daughter.