DISCLOSURE: I RECEIVED THIS COMPLIMENTARY PRODUCT THROUGH THE HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW
As overwhelming as determining a child’s educational content can be, getting to incorporate truly meaningful texts into my child’s curriculum is such a blessing! The Christian Heroes Then and Now series are popular books we have encountered in several homeschooling circles as supplemental materials or the focus of a unit study. Names like Corrie ten Boom, Elisabeth Elliot, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer are some of the books in this series. For today’s review, we are looking at C.S. Lewis: Master Storyteller from YWAM Publishing. As a family we have read The Chronicles of Narnia and watched the available movies, so convincing my 11 year old son to read a book about the author wasn’t hard at all. Who wouldn’t be curious about the man who created the world of Narnia and all its interesting characters?
What We Received:
We received a paperback book with a glossy cover, C.S. Lewis: Master Storyteller by Janet & Geoff, a digital copy of the C.S. Lewis Unit Study Curriculum Guide, and digitals copes of two slightly different Overview Guides.
How It Works:
The book C.S. Lewis: Master Storyteller is a biography from YWAM (Youth With a Mission) Publishing that is intended for readers approximately aged 10-15, whether individually or in small group/classroom settings. These chapter books fit easily into a family read aloud time as well, but depending on the book, there can be some themes (war, sickness, death, etc.) that parents might want to be prepared for. Overall, though, these biographies can stimulate great discussions about faith, geography, and lessons from history. The Unit Study Curriculum Guide is an optional supplement, but packs so many layers of educational content. The Guide lines out a variety of ways to learn with the chosen book at the center of it all including Key Bible Verses, a Display Corner, Chapter Questions, Social Studies, Student Exploration, Related Themes, etc. With C.S. Lewis being from Ireland and Britain, geography studies can focus on those areas, for example. Whether through the library or online searches, research about WWII, Cambridge, and even other authors like Tolkien can enhance students learning. Essay questions, hands-on projects, audio/video projects, a survey of all the books written by Lewis and so much more are at the students’ fingertips.
What We Thought:
I gave my 11 year old son the option of reading it on his own or reading it together as a family and he chose to read it on his own. After he finished it (because he couldn’t wait for me to go chapter by chapter) we sat down and discussed several questions from the study guide. Every time we sat down to discuss the book, I went away encouraged because of all the thoughts coming out of my son’s head. He had a ton of empathy for C.S. Lewis’s rough life and was fascinated that he was friends with Tolkien! We discussed God’s will in our lives specifically when He says no to our prayers, as was the case with Lewis’ mother.. We have read some of the other books from the Christian Heroes series as a part of our larger curriculum. When asked how this one compared to them, he felt this one was really interesting, where others had been a little less so. We determined that it was because he had a previous context for C.S. Lewis. He knew who he was BEFORE picking up the book. Whereas, the other biographies we read were about people he had never encountered before. From a parent/educator perspective, the books do not in any way require previous knowledge of the subject, but to captivate my 11 year old’s enthusiastic attention, previous knowledge certainly helped..
This book, as the rest of the series does as well, provides a strong jumping off point for so many educational discussions and projects. Regardless of your needs and circumstances, this book and complimentary resources are certainly something any family could utilize and benefit from.
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The Crew reviewed several books in the Christian Heroes Then and Now series. If you would like to hear more about some of them, check out all the other reviews through the link below:
