Bright Wings: Children’s Books to Make the Heart Soar

Ready for more? Don't lose your nerve--keep reading the Aeneid with Charity! Take a closer look at Book 3 and Book 4. Let's wonder together: Why does Virgil have Aeneas sail around so much before meeting Dido? Before landing in Italy? Why is Aeneas lingering so long in Carthage? Is Aeneas a hero or an unfaithful lover? More than a year ago, Charity hoped to bring you along with her as she read and taught some of the great texts of the Western Tradition. Finally, you can. Read in community with Charity and discover what are some of the unique plot points, themes, characters, and quotations from Book 3 and Book 4 of Homer's Aeneid. Find quick book recommendations by following Charity on Instagram.Enjoy essays on the Bright Wings' blog OR find great book lists personally crafted with you in mind!

More than a year ago, Charity hoped to bring you along with her as she read and taught some of the great texts of the Western Tradition. Finally, you can. Get excited about reading the Aeneid, together with Charity! Ever wonder why has this text been read for millennia?! Can it really be that hard to read and understand? (Trust us: If teenagers can do it, you can too!) Read in community with Charity and discover what are some of the unique plot points, themes, characters, and quotations from Book 1 and Book 2 of Homer's Aeneid. Find quick book recommendations by following Charity on Instagram.Enjoy essays on the Bright Wings' blog OR find great book lists personally crafted with you in mind!

Who doesn't love a conspiracy theory...or two?! Join Charity as she interviews Devin Rose, discussing Chasing the Seeds, the Fiefdom Chronicles, Book 1. Explore how Bitcoiners, anarcho-capitalists, preppers, libertarians, the Virgin Mary and the FBI can all be crucial plot elements in a single adventure! Discover in Chasing the Seeds a YA book that has all the roaring story you want and nothing toxic you don't need.Find quick book recommendations by following Charity on Instagram.Enjoy essays on the Bright Wings' blog OR find great book lists personally crafted with you in mind!

What if some of the best best titles being published are not new, but OLD? Join Charity's conversation with Jill Morgan from Purple House Press. Charity shares her joy at discovering that her best childhood picture book is back in print! Jill shares stories from 20 years of rescuing books--stories about author relationships, the practicalities of bringing back favorites, and the community feeling built around the books we want appreciated for generations.  Browse Purple House Press!  *Please, try to buy direct from them!Books mentioned in this episode:The King With Six Friends by Jay Williams. aka Charity's favorite picture bookMr. Pine's Purple House by Leonard KesslerTwig by Elizabeth Orton JonesThe Arts Library (What I would do if I were still homeschooling!)Sabre Jet Ace by Charles CoombThe Living History Library, includes Jenny, John Bull, Alaska Bush PilotThe Nature Study Library, includes Buzztail and LeaperThe Christmas Cookie Sprinkle Snitcher, aka the book selling for $1,000...MISTMANTLE by M.I. McAllisterFind quick book recommendations by following Charity on Instagram.Enjoy essays on the Bright Wings' blog OR find great book lists personally crafted with you in mind!

Vivian Dudro, senior editor at Ignatius Press, joins Charity to talk about Catholic book publishing. Vivian discusses publishing works that allow children and teens to connect their lives to the deepest truths of Christ's presence. How can "wholesome" literature depict the Real? Is it necessary for Christian books to be well-written, or is it enough for them to be church-y? Join Charity and Vivian as they explore these questions. Enjoy Vivian's recommendations on the books currently exciting interest at Ignatius Press, works that are "coming soon," and her treasure trove of unique classic book recommendations.Vivian's Recommended Books:In The Shadow of Rome, series by Sophie de Mullenheim (includes The Phantom of the Colosseum)Sarah and Simon SEEK and FIND, series by Geert de Sutter. The Life of Jesus, Seek and FindFaelan and the Miracle Machines, series by Abigail PalmerThe Adventures of Loupio by Jean-Francois Kieffer.How to Handle My Emotions, (Joy, Fear, Sadness, Anger), series by Gaelle Tertrais, Violaine Moulière, Ségolène De NoüelThe Story of Rolf: A Viking Adventure by Allen FrenchHeidi by Joanna SpyriThe Children of Noisy Village by Astrid LindgrenThe Little House on the Prairie, series by Laura Ingalls WilderBooks by Hilda Van StockumFind quick book recommendations by following Charity on Instagram.Enjoy essays on the Bright Wings' blog OR find great book lists personally crafted with you in mind!

If you love historical fiction, Charity has found a rare gem for you! What was it like to live in a walled Medieval town? What was it like to live in the age of Gothic cathedral-building? How is family, work, worship, and community structured? What makes life meaningful and exciting? Meet Jean d'Orbais and his family whose life and work has been tied to the great cathedral of Reims for centuries!To purchase The Boy Knight of Reims by Eloise Lownsbery, see the niche publisher Angelus Press.Find quick book recommendations by following Charity on Instagram.Enjoy essays on the Bright Wings' blog OR find great book lists personally crafted with you in mind!

Do your kids read fantasy? What do you think of magic? Is magic good? Bad? Join Charity as she considers why fantasy is such an important category of fiction to read! Perhaps, like Aslan, fantasy is "not safe, but good."Discover great fantasy books for your child: The Great Fantasy Book List (pdf)Purchase The Great Fantasy Book List through Bright Wings' BookshopFind quick book recommendations by following Charity on Instagram.Enjoy essays on the Bright Wings' blog OR find great book lists personally crafted with you in mind!

Charity and her 11th grade students read Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl along with Robert Spaemann's address "Education as an Introduction to Reality" as part of Texas Holocaust remembrance week. Charity shares a speech she gave to the high school, generated from reading these texts together.Read Robert Spaemann's article "Education as an Introduction to Reality" You can print it as a pdf if you like. Underline and annotate it. ;)Purchase a copy of Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl.Find quick book recommendations by following Charity on Instagram.Enjoy essays on the Bright Wings' blog OR find great book lists personally crafted with you in mind!

We love the words truth, goodness, and beauty...but if someone asked us to explain what these are, maybe we'd be flummoxed? In this episode, Charity puts flesh into these concepts: Charity helps us see truth, identify beauty, and recognize goodness in children's books and gives us concrete examples of these concepts from books we know. After she walks us through her own book discernment process, Charity dispels two common myths that prevent us from being responsible literary guardians.You can print this amazing LITERATURE DISCERNMENT WORKSHEETFind quick book recommendations by following Charity on Instagram.Enjoy essays on the Bright Wings' blog OR find great book lists personally crafted with you in mind!

Why do we read? Two views predominate! Some want children to read (classic works of) fiction because fiction is a useful tool. Fiction illustrates or instructs  children in the moral life. Others want children to read because reading is pleasurable--and they resist any attempts to make fiction serve a purpose because reading fiction is not about utility. Yet, there is a third way! Charity leads us to Aristotle, Jesus, and Aquinas, to understand what integrated virtue is. We'll see HOW fiction works in the life of Ignatius of Loyola. And we'll dive into some aesthetics with Charity as she shows us how Beauty in fiction impacts desire and action. Charity shows us how Beauty is the cause of the greatest conversions--from the inside out. This podcast is based on a breakout session Charity gave at ICLE's National Conference in July 2023.Connect with Charity on Instagram for more quick book recommendations.Enjoy essays on the Bright Wings' blog OR find great book lists personally crafted with you in mind!

Charity updates us on how she spent her summer: Where she traveled with her family,  what work she's done for Well-Read Mom, and the two talks Charity presented at the national conference for the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education. Then, Charity shares some Big News that may impact Bright Wings: Children's Books.

What do you do when your life comes crashing down around you? Join Charity and author Katherin Nolte, author of Back to Bright Before, as they dig into this and other  beautiful questions posed by Katherin's first novel. In this chiaroscuro book, sweetness and tradgedy contend in the life of one young family. Katherin also shares about how to write a book as a homeschooling mother. What is it like to craft a realistic-mystical story that shows that hope is stronger than despair? Discover a new favorite book for your 8-12 year old in Back to the Bright Before! Happy summer reading!

Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen, has sold more than 2.5 million copies. What's not to love in this landmark survival story? Charity shares our pleasure for all the good parts of Hatchet and asks us to take a closer look at some of the larger claims the book makes--especially to our boys--about identity, competency, hope, and survival. Check out:The Young Man and the Sea by Rodman PhilbrickFor Further Reading:Torn Asunder: Children, the Myth of the Good Divorce, and the Recovery of Origins  edited by Margaret Harper McCarthy

Everyone is happy to promote "girl power," and we did our own version of that theme in Episode 18: Stories for Strong Girls. But what about our boys? Is there something distinctive about being a boy? What is good about being a boy? Dr. William Hamant joins Charity to discuss what is positive and distinctive about masculinity.  He reflects upon what masculinity reveals about what it means to be human. Dr. Hamant supports his insights with literature and poetry and wise experience.PRINTABLE LIST of Best Books for Boys Poetry quoted by Dr. William Hamant:"When Nature Wants a Man" by Angela Morgan"Man in the Arena" by Theodore Roosevelt OR a print-and-frame version!"Invictus" by William Ernest HenleyTo learn more about what is happening to boys and men:Honestly podcast, "Why We Must Save Our Boys" Youtube video, "Avoiding School Shootings and The Boy Crisis"Honestly podcast, "Why Men Seek Danger"

Wildwood, the first in a trilogy by Colin Meloy, is praised by Trenton Lee Stewart. It is also 541 pages! Could this book be the start of the next greatest series for your child?! It is long and has sequels...could this be just the thing for my voracious readers? Listen and discover along with Charity what this book is like--do it's characters have any character? Do they discover where they're from? Where they are going? 

 Can an author as prolific as Gordon Korman really generate books of value? After reading a dozen Gordon Korman books (sample size is 10% ladies and gentleman!) Charity delivers the answers and makes her recommendations.Check out the recommended book list!

Have you ever returned to a beloved children' book as an adult and found the content unnerving? Charity introduces the topic of cynicism as a perspective that shapes what we are able to see, a stance that conditions our vision, a judgement that conditions our choices. Charity introduces an excellent essay by Anna Kaladish Reynolds regarding cynicism, a critical reading of Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully. Reynold's essay proposes that the innocence available in picture books like Mirette On the High Wire may help us to learn a wisdom that is greater than any that cynicism can offer to us.Read Innocence: A Perspective of Intelligent Reading on the Bright Wings' blog.Follow Bright Wings: Children's Books on Instagram :)

Ready for a couple of the most satisfying stories you've heard in a while? Charity reviews Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley and Snow and Rose by Emily Winfield Martin. If you enjoy fairy tales--or if you simply enjoy a story with both action and reflection--join Charity as she explores the value of these two novel-length retellings.This post contains affiliate links. If you buy a book through them, you support Bright Wings at no additional cost to you. ;)

Do you know what discernment is? Can we examine what motivates our literary choices for our children? In this podcast Charity wonders what motivates our literary decision-making: Does a desire to protect motivate? Does fear of harm predominate in our decision-making? Is our end goal to equip our children? Are we convinced that the good is stronger and more pleasing than evil?

Were you ever obsessed with WWII fiction and stories as a child? Do you have a child who is really into stories from this era? Why the fascination?! Is there something weird about this interest? Charity unpacks what is vital to understanding the value of books about World War II. Children appreciate this time because good and evil are clear and there are high stakes and choices to make. Children like this era because hard moral choices and suffering are contexualized by singular and personal characters. Best of all, literature set in this era often affirms that "a light has shown in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it." Charity affirms the unusually high quality of WWII literature as a genre and prizes it for its ability to allow children opportunities for self-reflection.Enjoy this printable booklist! World War II: Best Picture Books and NovelsCheck out this book review of  Hilda Van Stockum's The Borrowed House by Sara Masarik.Follow Bright Wings on instagram

As part of an ongoing initiative Charity reviews books to save you time and teach you how to know a good book when you see it! Charity reviews the Masterminds series by Gordon Korman. (Masterminds; Masterminds: Criminal Destiny; Masterminds: Payback) She contrasts it to Keeper of the Lost Cities series and points out how keenly interesting (and desperately fun) it can be to allow a glaring ethical problem (cloning) drive the action of the plot and character development. Does Korman do this in an engaging way? Is it readable? Alternatively, is the problem dealt with in an ethically responsible way? Is his understanding of the Nature vs. Nurture question a reliable one? (*Spoilers included to save parents' time + increase conversation with children.)

Join Charity's conversation with Jennifer Kehoe as they discuss children's book illustrations. Why is it important that illustrations are beautiful? What are some of the features that help us recognize whether something is beautiful or not? What are ingredients of artisianship that make for to great illustrations? When it comes to children's books Charity and Jennifer wonder if "ugly" has to equal "funny"? They also discuss if every book must be beautiful. Best of all, Jennifer names many excellent illustrator/artists who can provide your children with a feast of beauty.Enjoy this sumptuous list of beautiful books! Print the list of illustrators + extra suggestions!Sir Roger Scruton on Why Beauty Mattersand What is Beauty and Why We Need It

Today, I talk with transparency about the finances of Bright Wings: Children's Books. I love producing this podcast and I consider myself blessed to think and read and have the desire to share ideas about children's literature with you. Being able to do this is incredibly rich. But, ironically right now, Bright Wings is an expensive hobby of mine and operates in the red. I wonder if you could donate $5-$10 today? Or, perhaps you'd rather help and support this mission by rating and reviewing Bright Wings on your listening platform? These are ways to help and encourage me. Thank you for donating through Bright Wings' Paypal link. If you cannot donate a small amount, perhaps you could donate a review on your preferred listening platform?

Dr. Grace Hamman from Old Books With Grace joins Charity to take a closer look at the Middle Ages.  Charity asks Grace what made her fall in love with this era. Charity also asks, "Did women write/illustrate books? What were some of the achievements of the Medieval period? How hard did peasants work? How are hospitals an especially Medieval achievement? Were manners invented in the Middle Ages?" They talk about how to see the era with "texture," to see the good and bad of this time, without imposing our own viewpoint. Do our children's books on the Middle Ages simply insert a modern person into a archaic situation--and it feels like a slap!? Or does our fiction help us enter the Medieval world and the medieval mind and body?Links:Our Fabulous Middle Ages Book ListIsenheim Altarpiece, from a thoughtful art touristIsenheim Altarpiece, from Liturgical Arts JournalHow to Inhabit Time: Understanding the Past, Facing the Future, Living Faithfully Now

Sam Smith, better known as S. D. Smith, the author of the beloved Green Ember Series tells us the Big News! He is collaborating with his son J.C Smith on a new series, beginning with Jack Zulu and the Waylander's Key. If you loved the strange mix of rabbits with swords, you will love the half-African, half-Appalachian Jack Zulu. S.D. Smith and Charity converse about the great questions of Who am I?, Where Have I Come From?, Where Am I Going?, and What Good Must I Do?  S.D. Smith tells us why Jack is from such different "worlds"? He explains why "place" is so crucial in this tale. Sam speaks about the two different types of greatness between which Jack must choose.  We discuss the urgent need to face the "glamour of evil" in an honest way with readers.Order: Jack Zulu and the Waylander's KeyFREE audiobook of The Green Ember

Have you ever wondered if fairy tales have a deeper meaning? Where in the world have they come from? From what countries? From what places in the human heart? Join the conversation with Dr. Marina Warner (author of Once Upon A Time: A Short History of Fairy Tale) and Charity Hill as they discuss these questions and also why fairy tales are, wonderfully, women's tales! Dr. Warner gives new insights regarding the tale "Donkey Skin" and "Rapunzel." They discuss fairy tales and the problem of evil, Tolkein's notion of euchatastrophe, and why fairy tales end happily.Please purchase Once Upon A Time: A Short History of Fairy TalePlease enjoy the fairy tale book list!

Do you have a dog? To paraphrase C. S. Lewis, if you love anything--even a dog--there is hope for you! If you love anything, even a dog, you are susceptible to encounters with others and to awareness of your human condition. Charity argues that you are more likely to live with joy, appreciate embodiment, and understand mortality. And, of course, Charity offers us books to celebrate these themes that dogs shed (light?...fur?) on.Enjoy the book list of fiction about dogs! Includes picture books and middle grade fiction. 10% of your purchase supports Bright Wings: Children's Books to Make the Heart SoarGive me books suggestions on Instagram!

In this quick episode, Charity notices that the start of  new school year is more full of possibility and opportunity for our children than New Year's is for adults. Charity suggests four books to celebrate the return to school, with a title especially for homeschooling families.When you buy a book through my links, 10% of your purchase supports Bright Wings.Thank you!School's First Day of School by Adam RexThis Is My Home, This Is My School by Jonathan BeanThe Day You Begin by Jacqueline WoodsonPunctuation Takes a Vacation by Robin Pulver

We are delighted to be reading these books with you and your family during the weeks of summer! These books are worth reading and reflecting on, giving us opportunities to have meaningful conversations with our children. All six of the selected books share two common themes. They all take place around water, either the sea or a river. And, in all six of the books, the characters develop a richer identity, a deeper character through adventure.Please join one…or all three…of the book discussions! If you'd like to attend all three, you'll need to register for each seminar separately. The conversation with the 5-10 year-olds will last between 15-20 minutes. The seminar with the children who are 10+ will last 45-50 minutes. These discussions will run consecutively, using the same link.  FAMILY SEMINAR DATES:June 7 at 1:30 PM CST: The Relationship Between Adventure and Identity·      Ages 5-10. Picture Book: Three Days on a River in a Red Canoe by Vera Williams·      Ages 10+. Middle Grade: Call It Courage by Armstrong SperryRegister in advance for this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. June 21 at 1:30 PM CST: The Adventure of Acceptance·      Ages 5-10. Picture Book: Grandma Summer by Harley Jessup·      Ages 10+. Middle Grade: Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren WolkRegister in advance for this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.July 12 at 1:30 PM CST: Family Capacitates for Adventure·      Ages 5-10. Picture Book: The Raft by Jim LaMarche·      Ages 10+. Middle Grade: The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee StewartRegister in advance for this meeting.After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.GUIDELINESSo that we can have the best discussion, Bright Wings requires participants to:·      Read the book. Try to have a copy in your hands during our conversation.·      Adults, you should attend with a child. Children, you must attend with an adult. (This is legally necessary for Bright Wings.) We also intend this to be a family event.·      Have an opinion about what you've read.·      Be curious·      Come appropriately dressed, as if going out to lunch with a grandparent.·      You must keep your camera on.·      Please use a family name (e.g. Johnson, Brown) to identify yourself on Zoom, so that I can address you by name.

Can you mix Shakespeare and kids? When was the last time you read or watched the Bard? Do you have a community of readers to read Shakepeare with? to read Shakespeare for? Can you create a community of Shakespeare appreciators with your children? Charity dives into quality retellings of William Shakespeare which are suitable for children, especially the

As part of an on-going initiative, Charity Hill reviews children's books. Here, she reviews The Giver by Lois Lowry, the Newbery Winner in 1994. Charity traces the plot from its utopian presentation through Jonas' discovery of his community's dystopianism, to Jonas' dramatic escape. Charity proposes that this story can instigate marvelous questions with our children where we wonder "What is justice?" "What good must I do?" "What is the best way to organize a just society?" and "How far must I go in order to resist evil?" P.S. Charity flags a couple of inappropriate/cautionary moments in the story.Purchase The Giver by Lois Lowry.

There is an ethical elephant in the room! There is a lot more to The Keeper series than waht usually gets talked about. Charity offers us Sydney Rosenberger's thoughtful and friendly critique of the Keeper of the Lost Cities series. Rosenberger, a children's librarian, contacted Charity after Charity reviewed the first book of the Keeper of the Lost Cities series and shows us that there is much more that we need to talk about. Listen and discover the ethical and bioethical issues which are raised and never answered in the series. Learn how to "unpack the ethics" of Sophie's cloned existence. This podcast/essay makes room for you and your child to discuss "Is it ever okay to treat a person as an object? What if its for a good reason? What if the person consents later to being used?" This essay/podcast gives you the inside scoop on the Keeper Series without having to read thousands(!) of pages.Click here to read Sydney Rosenberger's marvelous essay.Click here if  you'd like to try Masterminds by Gordon Korman...

As part of an ongoing initiative, Charity Hill reviews books. In this episode, Charity review's Peter Brown's The Wild Robot. Charity explains what makes this imaginative and creative book so fascinating. She asks us to think about and talk to our children about the larger questions framing the story: What is the difference between living and non-living things? What is the difference between thinking and computing? Do humans have more in common with robots or with nature?You can purchase The Wild Robot by Peter Brown HERE.

As part of an ongoing initiative, Charity Hill reviews children's books. In this episode, Charity reviews Shannon Messenger's Keeper of the Lost Cities, Book 1. Charity considers what makes this 500-page middle grade novel such a page turner. What drives such a long book forward, in the eyes of the 10-year olds who read it? Does it have valuable language, characterization, and action? Listen to discover and decide whether you think Keeper of the Lost Cities is a book worth reading.

Leprechauns are fun, but is there more to Irish literature?! Diving into our Irish inheritance, Charity Hill offers insight into Irish literature. She suggests that what makes Irish literature distinctive is the way it navigates paradoxes. Charity uses Thomas Cahill's How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role to identify characteristics of Irish literature. Because literature emerges from cultural context, Charity notices how the literature reflects the paradoxes of pagan and Christian Ireland: high/low, darkness/light.Don't miss the radio theatre production of The Trials of St. Patrick. View this trailer with John Rhys-Davies...Pretty heart-stopping.As promised, I am listing all the hard-to-find books!(*These links do not pay me any percentage; but better to have them than not!)The Prince of Ireland and the Three Magic Stallions by Bryce MilliganThe King of Ireland's Son by Brendan Behan (master oral storyteller!)Flying Feet: A Story of Irish Dance by Anna Marlis Burgard and Dees McCloskeyThe Names Upon the Harp: Irish Myths and Legends by Marie HeaneyThe one and only...Prince Boghole by Erik Christian Haugaard or these copiesThe Cottage at Bantry BayFrancie On the RunPegeenYou will find the rest of our suggested books HERE.(*This link gives me a 10% commission. Thank you.)

Charity Hill and Amanda Knapp share the joy of winter-themed picture books both classic and new. They wonder why "cosy" goes so well with "cold"? They explore the Danish concept of hygge (HOO-gah) --comfort and coziness, reflection and rest.  Charity and Amanda notice that book-reading in winter becomes a particular pleasure. They swap favorite stories that praise the delights of winter chill and winter comforts. See below for 32 titles of book list.Books for Discussion: Snow by Uri Schulevitz, The Big Snow by Berta and Elmer Hader, The Mitten by Jan Brett, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening illustrated by Susan Jeffers, The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, Winter Days in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Mice Skating by Annie Silvestro, Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner, Singing Away the Dark by Caroline Woodward, Sleep Tight Farm: A Farm Prepares for Winter by Eugenie Doyle.*Check out the book list! We have 32 titles for you to peruse!(Thank you for supporting Bright Wings by buying books through our links.)

As part of an ongoing initiative, Charity Hill reviews children's books. In this episode, Charity reviews two novels by Lesa Cline Ransome: Finding Langston and Leaving Lymon, which concern two different boys whose families move from South to North in the Great Migration. Charity appreciates Cline Ransom's handling of Langston's pivotal questions "Who am I?" and "Where have I come from?" Poetry and community reground and re-situate the lonesome Langston in his identity. Leaving Lymon concerns the fate of Langston's bully, Lymon. What forces are at work in forming Lymon's negativity? Can extended family, community fellowship, and music give Lymon the stability he needs to move forward?To purchase Finding Langston.To purchase Leaving Lymon.Please enjoy these links on the history of the Great Migration.General HistoryMap of Great MigrationBronzeville, Chicago IL

Join the conversation with Jenny Richeson, CCC/SLP (see @thespeechpoet) and discover what a speech-language pathologist does. What is Jenny's connection between her work as a SLP and the poetry she creates? What does reading ability have to do with self-regulation? Consider with us how education is more formation than information. And hear Charity's story of why speech therapy was more pivotal to her than being in the gifted program.Read more of Jenny Richeson's poetry at Bright Wings: Children's Books.AndFollow Jenny Richeson on Instagram.

Join the conversation with author Claire Swinarski as we discuss how it is possible to write realistic, contemporary middle grade fiction--with a mainstream publisher--and still have content that points readers to truth and goodness. Claire shares how important it is to tackle tough topics with middle schoolers in a hopeful, virtuous, and non-boring way. We discuss What Happens Next and The Kate In Between. We consider the advantages of parenting in a style to either protect or to equip our children with their reading. Here is a booklist of great contemporary middle grade fiction!

Is there any Season with more marvelous picture books?! Let's discover a few more together! Join the conversation with Amanda Knapp and Charity Hill as they swap Christmas picture book favorites. Do Charity and Amanda feel guilty about the Christmas + presents connection? What does Charity think about the gift-giving and "the true meaning of Christmas"? Find new and meaningful books to to engage your family this Christmas season.   Alert! First 8 minutes discusses a child's struggle regarding belief/disbelief in Santa.Please support Bright Wings by purchasing books through these links:Gorgeous, printable booklist pdf of Favorite Christmas Picture Books with links.Book list link to bookshop site, which lacks a few titles from ^this list.Enjoy this short video made for Well-Read Mom in 2020--I tell you about a few more heartfelt favorites! (You many want to watch it on 1.25 speed ;)

What kind of books are we looking for when our child first learns to read? First, Charity demystifies some of the lingo surrounding early readers. (What are early readers? WHY early readers? What are transitional books? ) Charity will tell you what she really thinks about Junie B. Jones, Ivy + Bean, and the Magic Tree House Series. She shares her recommendations on early chapter books. Charity will help you frame a solution for your precocious reader, your very young child with the very high reading level. Please enjoy the extensive book list for the best early readers and beginning chapter books!ANDPlease use this book list for your PRECOCIOUS READER!(Note: Charity receives a percentage of the book sales made through these links. Thank your for off-setting the costs of this podcast!)

Are you ready to have the biggest parent-teacher conference of your life? Listen as Jeremy Adams describes the pandemic of vacuity that is afflicting our young people. A decorated and most-beloved CA teacher, Jeremy Adams is the author of Hollowed Out: A Warning About America's Next Generation. He demonstrates the "uniquely perilous" position of our young people. What is he seeing in his classroom that is so different from 5-10 years ago? Why are teens "friendless and depressed...lost in a miasma of alienation and stupefaction"? Why are they uncurious, stunted, and uninformed? And most importantly what can we pour into them so they are no longer "hollow"?Purchase Jeremy Adams' Hollowed Out: A Warning About America's Next GenerationRead "The Death of Gratitude In the American Classroom," by Jeremy Adams, originally published in The Public Discourse.Also:The Rise of Zoombies: Lifeless, Detached Students Have Returned to My ClassroomMy Late Father Was A Great Teacher. He Wouldn't Last a Week In the Modern Classroom.Keeping Our Youngest Generation From Becoming the Lost GenerationThe Antidote! Links!1000 Hours OutsideThe Family Dinner Project. Check out their research and ideas.

At listener request, Charity answers some of your most practical and theoretical questions about going to the library.  Should you go to the library? What should you do about story time? Can going to the library with toddlers be fun? How do you navigate that situation? How do you choose what books to bring home? What are your parameters for decision-making? How do I find a book that isn't in the catalogue? What the dickens is the difference between Libby and Hoopla?! Answers to these questions--and stories shared by Charity Hill--await you.

As part of an ongoing initiative, Charity Hill reviews children's books. In this episode, Charity reviews two novels by Sara Pennypacker: Pax and Here In The Real World. In Pax, we find a deep relationship between a boy (Peter) and his partially domesticated fox (Pax), a search for a moral identity, and a quest to make peace. Finally, Charity wonders if the end is satisfying to a readership that craves an answer to Peter's search. Charity praises Here In the Real World  for its masterful ability to propose problems (character vs. parents, character vs. friends, hope vs. cynicism, chivalry vs. feminism) with rich and nuanced responses. In both novels, Charity notices how Pennypacker uses the titles and the characters names to alert us to deep meaning.Thank you for purchasing through the links. I receive 10% of sales.To purchase Here In the Real WorldTo purchase Pax

Marcie Stokman, founder and president of Well-Read Mom, joins Charity for a conversation. Marcie tells of the need she saw that motivated her to found Well-Read Mom. Marcie and Charity share how deep reading, in a community of women, has impacted them. They talk about the "moral imagination" and how fiction shapes a sense of truth and goodness. Charity and Marcie urge you to "take care of our heart" as ingredient to mothering.A book list that includes some favorites from Charity and Marcie's families.How does reading help us "navigate complex social relationships" and the "empathetic responses that maintain them"? ANDAre we rendering ourselves intellectually and physiologically incapable of deep literacy? What can we do to save our minds?

Stories of strong girls and women show us that there  is something distinctive about being a girl, about being a woman. Good literature, with strong female characters, has so much to offer! We wonder what is distinctive about being a girl? What is the feminine genius? Does my daughter have a heroic role to play? Where is the literature that supports my daughter in developing her identity as a particular feminine genius? Hear how stories of feminine strength display courage "as the form of every virtue at its testing point."Please enjoy this booklist, full of fearlessly positive books about being a girl!

Finish the conversation between Julian Peters, comic artist of Poems to See By  and Charity Hill.  We reflect on Julian's visual interpretation of "Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden  from Poems To See By, the role of beauty in comics, and the suitability or unsuitability of adapting certain works of literature to comics.Please refer to this link to see Julian Peters' images of  "Those Winter Sundays" on the blog.You can pursue all the rich content of Poems To See By  by purchasing it through my affiliate link.To learn more about Julian Peters, visit his website.

Join the first part of the conversation with Julian Peters, comic artist of Poems to See By as he teaches Charity the differences between comics and illustrations. They reflect on two of Julian's visually interpreted poems from Poems To See By and consider international comic traditions, and the role of beauty in comics.Please refer to this link to see Julian Peters' images of "Musee des Beaux Arts" on the blog.You can pursue all the rich content of Poems To See By  by purchasing it through my affiliate link.

As part of an ongoing initiative, Charity Hill reviews children's books. In this episode, Charity reviews Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's The War That Saved My Life. In the book review series, Charity offers praise, summary, and analysis of the text so that parents can decide which books are worth reading. Charity praises the quality writing and the powerful proposal within the narrative that evil can serve the purposes of good. Yet, Charity questions whether The War That Saved My Life  is really a book that is psychologically appropriate for children under 13,  given the abusive family relationships. Podcast includes brief references to violence.

Join Charity Hill's glee as she explores tall tales. She distinguishes what makes tall tales a distinct kind of story from fairy tales. Then, she explores why tall tales are fun--and funny! She wonders if its possible to love truth and still "play with it." She shows how delightful the disparity between reality and hyperbole can be. Then, Charity shares with us some of the best tall tales she has found--some old, some new! Book lists and book links below!Listen to Legend of Tall Talkin' Sam by The Okee Dokee Brothers!  They sing real good! ;)Episode 15: Tall Tales Or This World Is Larger Than Life BOOKLISTRattlebang Picnic by Margaret MahyMeanwhile, Back At the Ranch by Anne IsaacsEnjoy our websiteSee more featured books by following Bright Wings on Instagram

Poetry? Really? Do we have to?! This episode proposes that poetry will surprise you with joy. We discuss how poetry changes our experience of time, deepens our experience of meaning, and sparks joy. Charity discusses two Greek words used regarding time: chronos and kairos. Poetry is an instantiation of kairos time, time-as-meaningful. Discover new poetry and rediscover familiar poetry.Enjoy new poetry selections from our booklist!