From: brewcheese
Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 09:43:42 -0600

First, let me say that The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare is a personal favorite. I enjoy rereading it frequently, have read it aloud to fourth graders, and a coworker taught at a school where it was required reading for their eighth graders. I have come across few other resources that more accurately portray the conflict between those who truly hated the Romans and the message of love that Jesus taught. And as a Christian, I was pleasantly surprised to read a novel about Jesus that doesn't end up where you'd expect.

I teach at a Lutheran school, and my class uses a great and wide variety of selections, both as parts of the curriculum and (what I'm most proud of) student independent reading selections. No students select books that are specifically religious, that is, published by our church's publishing company or containing some forced message of "See? That's what good little boys and girls do." What is great to see, however, is when kids openly apply the messages of books to their beliefs or put themselves into certain situations.
"If I was that character, or if that character had the same beliefs as me, I/he/she would do such and such because..."

While there are few children's books written to promote Christian beliefs or doctrine (not that religious beliefs don't show up in characters), there are also very few books to which we cannot apply our beliefs, whether it be individual students, teachers or as a class. This is where the most education takes place concerning religion in books. Not in reading the books themselves, but in what we do with them - how we draw them into our religious discussions.

Brian
Received on Sun 28 Nov 2004 09:43:42 AM CST