Struggling Upward by Horatio Alger, Jr.

Disinclined to give us an allowance, my dad chose instead to offer his children an incentive to read: a penny per page. I remember a short phase in which finances primarily dictated my interest in reading, but I also remember the point at which inspiration took over as the motivation. It coincided with my discovery of the authors Horatio Alger Jr. and Oliver Optic. The first book I discovered, written by the former, was “Struggling Upward.” It told the story of Luke Larkin, a boy of 16 with modest means but great character. Wrongfully fired from his job and arrested under false accusations, he is redeemed by the appearance of a mysterious stranger and his own hard work and dependability. Luke Larkin inspired me, as he did thousands of young men in the mid-nineteenth century, to work hard and let honesty characterize my actions. In an age dominated by Harry Potter, I believe your young men will be inspired by the real heroes portrayed in the Alger and Optic books.
--Lukas
Note: The Oliver Optic and Horatio Alger books were re-printed and published by Mantle Ministries. Target Audience are young men, ages 10-16. We have currently one copy of Struggling Upward (paperback) from Dover in stock. Otherwise, that book is out of print (I wonder who will read this blog and get the last copy for $6.95) We still have some hardcover books by Oliver Optic in stock. We also have a paper back edition of "Hope and Have" published by Applewood Books. Hope and Have introduces us to a young orphan who undergoes a miraculous transformation. Ther first part of the story tells how Fanny, through trials, triumphs, and her faith in God, has a change of heart. The second part of the story follows Fanny's adventures during the terrible Indian massacre of 1862. The gripping story of how Fanny and a young man named Ethan French escape makes this a captivating book.

The Librarian Who Measured the Earth

I love reading children's books to my children and, I have to confess, I enjoy them myself. Oftentimes they explain difficult concepts in an understandable way that more scholarly books just can't. A great read aloud for your 5 - 10 year-old. It is well illustrated and explains how Eratosthenes calculated the circumference of the earth over 2000 years ago. It also takes care of a very persistent myth which is that the people of the ancient times even up through the Middle Ages believed that the earth was flat. That simply is not true and before you know it, this book will lead you into an interesting discussion and further studies with your children when Mrs. Lasky closes with this intriguing thought in the Afterword: "When Columbus finally did set sail west from Spain to the Indies, he should have paid more attention to Eratosthenes' calculations. Instead he looked at maps done by Greek geographers after Eratosthenes. These geographers made some serious mistakes and showed an earth that was not so big around. Columbus thought it would be a quick trip to the Indies. He was wrong. But perhaps if he had believed Eratosthenes' measurements, in which the oceans of the world looked so huge and the distances between land so far, he would have never even tried!"
--Hanno
The Librarian Who Measured the Earth, hardcover, $17.99

Coffin's Story of Liberty

A great history book written for younger children with many exciting illustrations. Our son Oliver (10) read the book this year. Now, he is reading the second book in the series called "Sweet Land of Liberty". The Story of Liberty covers medieval history in Europe through the Reformation right up to 1620 when the Pilgrims journeyed to the New Land. I personally read the book and found it fascinating. However, it is not an easy book to read and though liberty prevails, the Story of Liberty is a hard-hitting account of what it cost men, women and children to achieved and finally establish liberty on this American continent. The book is definitely not a "politically correct" account. For that reason, however, I think it's all the more worth your and your students time. Our children not only need to understand true liberty but also know what the enemies of liberty look like and act like. I highly recommend the book for a student with good reading abilities and an interest in history. I also think any parent will profit from the book in preparation for teaching this time period to your children.
--Hanno
The Story of Liberty, large paperback, $14.95. A study guide is available for $9.95
This is the first book in a series of three published by Maranatha Publications. The second book is called "Sweet Land of Liberty" and the third is called "The Boys of '76"

Astronomy by Jeannie Fulbright

In science I am introducing Oliver (10) and Jenny (7) to astronomy. We are using Jeannie Fulbright’s book “Astronomy” published by Apologia Ministries. The book covers our solar system with the sun, the planets, moons, comets, asteroids, meteoroids and the like. The last two chapters are covering stars and galaxies and space travel, which we haven’t covered yet. Physical realities like light, matter, space, time and the like are well explained for the younger children. Simple experiments and writing assignments are easy to follow and can be done by any parent. We enjoyed the simple experiments about rotation and revolutions, the making of craters, and the “Earth For Sale” writing assignment. They were fun. The book is well illustrated with full color pictures, graphs and diagrams.

I have to make a confession here: I love children’s books and the simple way they explain things. I enjoy these books and learn a lot myself. To be honest, I can really get excited about the things I study with my children. I have picked up another little book by Werner Gitt called “Stars and Their Purpose” and find it fascinating. Since we are approaching Christmas, let me mention that Werner Gitt covers the “Star of Bethlehem” and what it may have been. He discusses several interpretations and let’s you know what he thinks is the most plausible one. Otherwise, the book is very readable and shot full of fascinating facts about heavenly bodies and physical parameters. I have never paid much attention to appendixes but in this book it is definitely a part you don’t want to skip. A strong gospel message is included for free.
--Hanno

"Exploring Creation with Astronomy" Retail $35.00 our in-store price $29.65
“Stars and Their Purpose” only $4.99

Is our civil government going to take our free speech away?

New looming legislation has as its goal to thought police us and take away our right of free speech. Albert Einstein left Germany for America in 1933 when Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany and free speech became a thing of the past in the Third Reich. Read for yourself what he had to say about those who seek tyranny rather than freedom and see if you can't see the parallels to what's going on in America's congress today:

Einstein’s love for free speech and free thoughts:

When he [Einstein] first arrived in Princeton [1933], Einstein had been impressed that America was, or could be, a land free of the rigid class hierarchies and servility in Europe. But what grew to impress him more—and what made him fundamentally such a good American but also a controversial one—was the country’s tolerance of free thought, free speech, and nonconformist beliefs. That had been a touchstone of his science, any now it was a touchstone of his citizenship. He had forsaken Nazi Germany with the pubic pronouncement that he would not live in a country where people were denied the freedom to hold and express their own thoughts. ”At that time, I did not understand how right I was in my choice of America as such a place,” he wrote in an unpublished essay just after becoming a citizen. “On every side I hear men and women expressing their opinion on candidates for office and the issues of the day without fear of consequences.” The beauty of America, he said, was that this tolerance of each person’s ideas existed without the “brute force and fear” that had arisen in Europe. “From what I have seen of Americans, I think that life would not be worth living to them without this freedom of self expression.” The depth of his appreciation for America’s core value would help explain Einstein’s cold public anger and dissent when, during the McCarthy era a few years later, the nation lapsed into a period marked by the intimidation of those with unpopular views.
Pg. 479-480

Despite his criticisms of untrammeled capitalism, what repelled him more—and had repelled him his entire life—was repression of free thought and individuality. “Any government is evil if it carries within it the tendency to deteriorate into tyranny,” he warned the Russian scientists. “The danger of such deterioration is more acute in a country in which the government has authority not only over the armed forces but also over every channel of education and information as well as over the existence of every single citizen.”
Pg. 497

Excerpts taken from: Isaacson, Walter. Einstein: His Life and Universe. Simon & Schuster, New York, NY. C 2007 by Walter Isaacson. Hardcover. ISBN 0743264738

R.M. Ballantyne Christian Adventure Library (10 Vols.)

R.M. Ballantyne's books are exciting, knee-knocking, complete thrillers for those boys hankering for adventure stories! Those who need inspiration,too? Give them Ballantyne! Their noses will be so busy finding excitement among those wonderful pages, you'll need not worry about what mischief they might be getting into otherwise.;)
My younger brother started out reading them and after hearing him rave about them non-stop (while trying to imitate the adventures he was trying to tell me about), I myself got interested in them and decided I'd at least read one...(I picked the shortest, naturally)...Pretty soon I found myself in the same place he was and couldn't wait to get back to reading about those travels and adventures, spanning from Africa to India, Canada to the US.
Ballantye himself "was perhaps the most influential writer of boys’ literature of his generation. He was also a devout Christian of the Scottish Covenanter kind and the only outspoken advocate for Christian boyhood to have a monument paid for and dedicated in his honor by grateful children...he changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of boys for the better with his globe-trekking adventure stories that emphasized Christian character in the face of adversity." (Doug Philips, President of Vision Forum)
In his own words, he wrote to inspire boys and also to build them up to become real men - "Boys [should be] inured from childhood to trifling risks and slight dangers of every possible description, such as tumbling into ponds and off of trees, etc., in order to strengthen their nervous system.... They ought to practice leaping off heights into deep water. They ought never to hesitate to cross a stream over a narrow unsafe plank for fear of a ducking. They ought never to decline to climb up a tree, to pull fruit merely because there is a possibility of their falling off and breaking their necks. I firmly believe that boys were intended to encounter all kinds of risks, in order to prepare them to meet and grapple with risks and dangers incident to man’s career with cool, cautious self-possession.... —R.M. Ballantyne, The Gorilla Hunters

In other words, these books are treasures!
--Lydia
Hardcover, $22.00 a piece, collectors additions

Do Hard Things

Doesn’t that sound like fun? “No, not to me,” will be the answer most young adults will give you and, for that fact, most adults. Who wants to do hard things? Answer: The man or woman who has surrendered his or her life to Christ! The man or woman who has heard God’s call on his or her life! Sometimes, we are reluctant to follow and answer the call, sometime we are enthusiastic, sometimes seemingly small things become big challenges and sometimes big things get accomplished when we collaborate with others. When God starts working in you, through you and with you, things start happening and your life starts counting for something. Isn’t that something we all want? Few young people today realize, as the Harris brothers have, that it takes hard work, concentration, and real, serious effort, sometimes to the point of exhaustion, to make things happen. But that’s where the real life is to be found and Christ is in the midst of it. “Do hard Things” is a must read for young and old. It’s never too late to get started, or is it? I have looked for, but not found, the commandment in the Bible “And when you are 65 thou shalt retire!” It’s just not there. The Harris brothers are a remarkable team, their entire family included. Catch the fire! I don’t care if you are 15 or 65. Just get moving, read the book, and do hard things.
Do Hard Things by Brett & Alex Harris, available in hardback for a limited time only at $14.99 ($16.99 retail), or audio version on 3 CDs for only $16.95 ($19.95 retail)