2 minute read
Book Notes by Michelle Swope
Myself & Others: Lessons for Social Understanding, Habits, and Manners
by Cheryl Swope Ages 4-13 Guide Books $19.95 ea. Book One Core Set $52 Book One Read-Aloud Set $100 Book Two Core Set $22 Book Two Read-Aloud Set $95
Book Three Core Set $55
Book Four Core Set $48
These 14-week sets provide simple, standalone lessons in common courtesy, character, and compassion that often seem neglected today. With easy-to-teach instructions, each book provides 4-day lessons that can be taught in as little as 30-60 minutes per day over a single semester or summer. Myself & Others provides lessons with five components: 1) Rules – basic social rules for daily life 2) Health – essentials for hygiene, physical and mental health, and forming good habits 3) Safety – guidelines and cautions for staying safe in various circumstances 4) Manners – instruction and practice with good manners to serve others well 5) Listening – daily readings with inspiring stories for delight, moral imagination, character, and virtue
To view guide samples and full book set lists, visit SimplyClassical.com.
BOOK NOTES
A Book Review by Michelle Swope
The Door in the Wall
by Marguerite de Angeli
The Door in the Wall is a fictional story about Robin, the son of a lord, during the Middle or "Dark" Ages. The story begins with death and frustration. Robin has lost the use of his legs due to a recent illness. With his mother gone to attend to the queen and his father gone to war, and with the servants taken by plague or too timid to stay, Brother Luke, a monk, takes Robin under his wing and teaches the lad patience. Eventually, in God's good time, Robin is able to go and serve the liege lord to whom he has been pledged. And lo, when the castle falls under attack it is Robin who saves the castle and its inhabitants and he is reunited with family amid the joy of serving lord, city, and king. Through it all Robin learns the proverb: "When the Lord shuts a door, you'll find the wall within, and if you look about hard enough there is sure to be a window open and ready; ready and waiting." How fitting for our times today.
Happy tales!
*This book will be included in Simply Classical Levels 9 & 10.
Michelle Swope was born in 1995 with her twin brother, Michael. She enjoys reading, listening to music, and playing with her cat Silky. Despite having schizophrenia, autism, and learning disabilities, Michelle graduated from her classical homeschool in 2013 and has since written two books of fireside poetry, Through Time's Looking Glass and her most recent release, God's Harvest.
