When thinking back to my own experiences in reading books while I was in school, I remember my teachers having a different perspective. With all of the assignments given, I was focused on remembering details, describing settings and characters, and filling out quizzes designed to see if I had actually done the reading.

These are all ways that ultimately kill the joy of reading a good, living book. Instead of taking pleasure and joy in a good story, well told, I was instructed to dissect a book and find information inside the book to pass a test. The result was that I took no joy or delight in some of the best books ever written. Instead, I would complete the assignments, pass the test, and remember little about the book I read.

In a Charlotte Mason education, we take a different approach. We believe that a good, living book is worth reading, not to find factoids or to remember specific plot points, but instead, for enjoyment of a good story and for better understanding what the author has to tell us about the human experience and the human condition.

Stories have a strong ability to shape who we become, so it is of great importance that we read books that are full of what is good, true, and beautiful. Charlotte Mason called these types of books “living books.”

“One more thing is of vital importance; children must have books, living books; the best are not too good for them; anything less than the best is not good enough; and if it is needful to exercise economy, let go everything that belongs to soft and luxurious living before letting go the duty of supplying the books, and the frequent changes of books, which are necessary for the constant stimulation of the child’s intellectual life.”
– Charlotte M. Mason

At Calvary Schools, through our partnership with Ambleside Schools International, we are very intentional and careful about what books we put in front of our students. There are a few different aspects that make a book a living book and worthy of reading.