For me, reading a “living book’ such as Parables from Nature can be like hiking up a rugged mountain. Confusion of direction sets in, yet I move forward. My mind strains under rich vocabulary, yet I move forward. I move forward through a vocabulary of complexity, of words expressed prior to our now shortcut-abbreviation-text it-video world.
It takes patience and perseverance for my mind to accommodate itself to the flow of these words. Once grasped, I pause, look behind and behold beauty. Only by standing on the peak of the mountain at the end of the story can the fullness of the message be comprehended. Awe. Wonder. Amazement. It all comes together, my mind finally understands.
Stories linger as characters become alive. Such as the experience with living books.
Education is the Science of Relations; that is, that a child has natural relations with a vast number of things and thoughts: so we must train him upon physical exercises, nature, handicrafts, science and art, and upon many living books; for we know that our business is, not to teach him all about anything, but to help him make valid, as many as may be of
‘Those first born affinities,
‘That fit our new existence to existing things.’-Charlotte Mason
Old books have become a passion in our household. We are starting to crave more than polished words on over-colorized paper. Parables From Nature is now one of our current favorites. Mrs. Margaret Gatty, with the gift of teaching fundamental truths, illuminates the beauty of nature around us. We have learned about bees, birds and caterpillars along with mysteries in a marsh. As we are learning about nature, we pause and realize-much more is embedded in the tales…much much more. Thus, the beauty of a living book.
Our journey of becoming accustomed to a rich language has not been easy, but very well worth the effort. Slowly we are laying aside words of confectionery emptiness to fill our minds with rich living books.
If your journey with living books seems steep, hang in there-grab a new pair of books, construct a fresh map. The final destination is well worth the effort. Word by word you will arrive.
Join us in the magic of living books-let’s unravel the world one experience at a time.
Parables From Nature-Book Resources
The Baldwin Project: Parables from Nature by Mrs. Alfred Gatty
Google ebooks-click images below
Parables From Nature-Audio Resource