A great book to read to your kids is "They Were Strong and Good" by Robert Lawson. The boys and I always get a kick out of the names of the dogs in the story: Sextus Hostilius and Numa Pompilius.
I never knew that those dogs were named after real life famous Romans.
For several months now I have felt the need to go ahead and begin reading Plutarch, and all Shakespeare that I haven't read. I have already begun reading more Shakespeare with the help of Librivox. Even I can see how and why Shakespeare is so important. I suppose whatever happened to Plutarch's Lives is what is slowly but surely happening with Shakespeare. It is becoming obsolete. Will Shakespeare ever be obsolete? No, not really. Just like Plutarch isn't obsolete. But fewer and fewer people know his works, fewer and fewer people understand even their own language in his writings, and it's simply not valued by a huge majority in our society. So yes, I personally can see the same thing happening with Shakespeare as has happened with Plutarch.
I have a few friends whose children are older than mine, and so have already begun working through Plutarch's Lives. It's not easy. But I really believe that if I become familiar with it, it will make the way much easier.
I read Edith Nesbit's Macbeth (Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare) last fall, and I was reading for the first time in addition to reading it aloud to Joel. Can I just recommend that if you plan to read Shakespeare to your kids, you read it yourself, first? Some of the plays are just downright hard to follow. It can be a huge help to familiarize yourself with the story beforehand. I have been learning the stories right alongside Joel, but I can see how it's much easier to read these stories with James just because I know them now. And I think I could've done a better job with Joel had I prepared myself better.
(As a side note, this week we read in Genesis about the death of Sarah, and Abraham asks the children of Heth for a burying place for Sarah. In his narration, Joel called them the children of Macbeth.)
So I've got Plutarch on my reading list for this year.
BTW, the reading list from last year is in the works, as is the plan-to-read-this-year list.
I'm so glad you are paving the way. I should probably tackle some of that over the summer to be prerared for yr 1 with Elaina next year. I have never read any Shakespeare. I'm a little nervous.
ReplyDeleteDon't be nervous. Shakespeare is GREAT! Don't expect your kids to "get" the stories. You're teaching to love beauty by reading Shakespeare to them. Also we always act them out with lego guys and clothespin people, etc. They are plays, and are meant to be acted out and eventually I hope the boys and Josie will act them out - like one play per term. I could talk about this forever because I really love Shakespeare. :) I think you will too!
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