[This post is the first in a series, reviewing and recommending books every Catholic family should have in their home. We welcome our parish children's literary expert, Kathy Swegart, to the blog!]
Welcome to the inspiring world of children’s books!
Parish Catechetical Leader, Daja Gombojav has asked me to write about children’s books. “What books do you think should be on the bookshelf of every Catholic family?” she asked. I am delighted to share my enthusiasm for children’s literature. As you will discover, I will not always recommend books about the Bible or saints or the sacraments. Sometimes I will write about books that I consider classics from the broader world of children’s literature. Let me explain.
I believe there are objective and unchanging standards of goodness, truth, and beauty. By surrounding our children with inspiring books, young readers ultimately come to know Our Lord who is Truth. In these short reflections, I hope to help parents cultivate in their children a sense of beauty as depicted in literature. Some books give shining examples of virtue; others have villains creeping through the pages, stirring up trouble. After all, exciting books need bad guys and tons of trouble.
My first selection is Charlotte’s Web by E.B.White, considered the best-selling children’s paperback of all time. One reviewer stated, “As a piece of work, it just about perfect, and just about magical in the way it is done.” It truly is a masterpiece. We have Fern, a heroine who saves the life of a piglet doomed to die simply because he was runt of the litter. Fern stands up for justice by adopting Wilbur, sparing him from the ax. We have a self-serving rat that steals goose eggs. Of course, we come to know and love Charlotte, a spider who ultimately saves Wilbur’s life and dies in the process. Here is an example of self-sacrificing love as written in the Gospels and the lives of many saints, men like Maximilian Kolbe who died at Auschwitz, taking the place of another prisoner who had been condemn to death.
Besides book recommendations, I will write about a topic dear to my heart- read aloud to you children. I cannot over-emphasize the importance of this activity. Many families have discovered the enjoyment of reading to their children – and not just the young ones. I will share with you the amazing benefits of this simple act of sharing a good book with your child.
I look forward to sharing with you a delightful journey through children’s literature!
Peace and all good!
Kathy Swegart is a best-selling author of award-winning children's books with a Masters in Education from Boston College. She is the mother of three and the grandmother of many book-loving children. You can catch up with her on her website: http://kathrynswegart.com/
Kathy--Thank you so much for this blog! Now I am going to have to re-read Charlotte's Web.