The books Living Books Curriculum uses are considered “living” according to Charlotte Mason.
That is, the books “warm the imagination,” nurture thinking, and communicate knowledge
mind-to-mind. Children require books that are living in order to develop to their fullest capacity.
The high quality of thought expressed in great literature breeds like thought in the child. When
the books are many, varied, and living, the child is able to adopt the ideas in them just as a
plant takes nutrients from the soil.

What is a living book?

Charlotte Mason said a living book is one that is "well put" and "well told" )
Parents and Children, p. 263). In other words, in a living book:

1) The language used powerfully and beautifully expresses the ideas of its author

2) The narrative-whether fiction or non-fiction-holds together in a compelling and memorable way.


Here's an example:

Typically in elementary school today, the study of germs is given a few pages in a science
text. Louis Pasteur and the story of his work with cows and vaccines is given a passing
reference. Instead, read Louis Pasteur: Founder of Modern Medicine to learn ofPasteur's
early research into why vats of fermented beer were turning sour (answer: microorganism
had contaminated the batch), and later how three of Pasteur's daughters died from typhoid
and then, in 1865, a cholera epidemic hit Marseilles, France. It was then that Pasteur carried
out a number of experiments in a hospital in the hope of finding the germ that caused this
feared disease and to save the town of Marseilles.  Interested? So will your children be.
That's a living book.

Another way to think of living books:

When children grow up hearing the best ideas put forth in the best possible language,
they model their thinking and their writing after these. Charlotte Mason felt that a
parent or teacher's chief duty was to provide living ideas as food for the child's mind.
If we give our children "dumbed down" books or books in which the information if in
bits and pieces across the page, then the ideas are no longer living but dry-as-dust
facts. Living ideas are primarily found in living books, books that are "well put and well told. "


“For this reason we owe it to every child to put him (or her) in communication with great minds
that he may get at great thoughts…and the only vital method of education appears to be that
children should read worthy books, many worthy books.” Charlotte Mason, A Philosophy of
Education, p. 12.




Sheila's Top Seven Sources for Living Books

1. Visit the LBC website; we have over 300 living books listed and available for shipment.
2. Newberry Medal winners  The Newbery Medal is awarded annually to the author of the most
distinguished contribution to American literature for children. Many of LBC's books are Newberry
winners. A note of caution, Newberry's written after 1970 need to be previewed, as some
content may not be appropriate for your child.
3. Landmark Books are a series of non-fiction books published by Random House.
This series is one of the best collections of American and world history around. Often the
author of one of the books is well-known. Some examples are Ralph Moody (Little Britches)
Dorothy Canfield (Understood Betsy) and Sterling North (Rascal).
4. I highly recommend this list: 1000 Best Books for Children . Organized by age and
reading level.
5. All Through the Ages: History through literature. This marvelous resource is a little
pricey to buy but worth every penny.
6. Books Children Love, Honey for a Child's Heart and A Literary Education are all good
sources for living books with helpful notes on each book. They can be purchased from
Amazon.com.
7. Who Should We Then Read by Jan Bloom is another must have resource. She lists
books and book series by author and by genre (history, biography, fiction).

There are many more "books about books" but this list of seven will take you a long way
towards a living books education. Where to start? Choose a list and work your way through
start to finish or choose a history or nature topic and scour the booklists for a few that sound
like ones you would enjoy.