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State-by-State Reading List

This list covers a wide variety of ages and genres. All were recommended by Catholic homeschoolers, but parents should be aware that there are different opinions regarding the choosing of books within the Catholic homeschool world. Please help us fill in the gaps in the list by e-mailing us with additional suggestions. Following the state-by-state list is a province-by-province reading list for stories that take place in Canada. We will be happy to place it on its own page when it is more extensive.

Alabama

  • To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
  • The Waxtons go to Birmingham by Christopher Curtis (also Michigan - recommended with caution)

Alaska

  • Balto, the Bravest Dog Ever
  • The Call of the Wild by Jack London (also Canada)
  • This Old House by Joanne Wild
  • Water Sky by Jean Craighead George

Arizona

  • Brighty of the Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry
  • We Live in the Southwest by Lois Lenski

Arkansas

  • Cotton in My Sack by Lois Lenski

California

  • By the Great Horn Spoon
  • The Red Pony by John Steinbeck
  • Mama's Bank Account by Kathryn Forbes
  • Vallejo and the Four Flags by Esther J. Comstock
  • Blue Willow by Doris Gates
  • Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say (picture book) also covers Japan
  • The Journal of Ben Uchida: Citizen 13559, Mirror Lake Internment Camp by Barry Denenberg
  • The Song of the Swallows by Leo Politi
  • Wait for Me, Life of Father Junipero Serra Sister Mary Helen Wallace, FSP
  • Westward the Bells (biography of Junipero Serra) Marion F. Sullivan
  • California Missions edited by Ralph B. Wright
  • The Decoration of the California Missions Norman Neuerburg
  • Saints of the California Missions by Norman Neuerburg
  • San Francisco Boy by Lois Lenski
  • Patty Reed's Doll by Rachel Laurgaard
  • Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
  • The Story of The Pony Express by R. Conrad Stein
  • The Miner Was a Bishop :The Pioneer Years of Patrick Manogue William Breault S.J.
  • Winter of Entrapment A New Look at the Donner Party Joseph A. King

Colorado

  • Beany Malone series by Lenora Mattingly Weber
  • Little Britches by Ralph Moody
  • The Home Ranch by Ralph Moody
  • Mother Cabrini: Missionary to the World by Frances Parkinson Keyes (Vision)

Connecticut

  • 26 Fairmount Avenue Series by Tomie de Paola
  • The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh
  • Flight into Spring by Bianca Bradbury
  • Flood Friday by Lois Lenski
  • Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson
  • The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

Delaware

 

Florida

  • The Cross in the Sand by Michael Gannon
  • Secret Agents Four by Donald Sobol
  • Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski
  • The Yearling by Marjorie Rawlings

Georgia

  • The Hundred Penny Box by Sharon Bell Mathis
  • Turn Homeward, Hannalee by Patricia Beatty (also Indiana)

Hawaii

  • Father Damien and the Bells by Arthur and Elizabeth Sheehan
  • The Quiet Light: Mother Marianne of Molokai by Eva K. Betz (Catholic Treasury Series)

Idaho

  • Bonanza Girl by Patricia Beatty
  • Louly by Carol Ryrie Brink
  • Year Walk by Ann Nolan Clark

Illinois

  • From Slave to Priest: A Biography of Reverend Augustine Tolton, First Black American Priest of the U.S. by Sister Caroline Hemesath
  • Molly American Girl Stories

Indiana

  • Turn Homeward, Hannalee by Patricia Beatty (also Georgia)
  • Floating House by Scott Sanders (also Ohio)
  • Laddie by Gene Stratton Porter
  • Freckles by Gene Stratton Porter
  • Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter

Iowa

 

Kansas

Kentucky

  • Becky Landers, Frontier Warrior by Constance Lindsay Skinner
  • The Happy Little Family and the rest of the Fairchild Family Series by Rebecca Caudill

Louisiana

  • Bayou Suzette by Lois Lenski
  • The Louisiana Purchase (Landmark)
  • Mother Cabrini: Missionary to the World by Frances Parkinson Keyes (Vision)

Maine

  • Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
  • Calico Bush by Rachel Field
  • One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey
  • The Secret of Pooduck Island by Alfred Noyes
  • The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
  • Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey
  • The Sea Chest by Toni Buzzeo
  • L is for Lobster by Cynthia Furlong Reynolds
  • Keep the Lights Burning Abbie by Peter Roop and Connie Roop
  • Birdie's Lighthouse by Deborah Hopkinson
  • Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
  • Island Boy by Barbara Cooney
  • A Penny for a Hundred by Ethel Pochocki

Maryland

  • Charles Carroll and the American Revolution by Milton Lomask
  • Mother Seton and the Sisters of Charity (Vision)
  • The Story of the Star Spangled Banner, (Cornerstones of Freedom) by Natalie Miller
  • Kat Finds A Friend, a Mother Seton Story by Joan Stromberg
  • Captain Kate by Carolyn Reeder

Massachusetts

  • Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates (also New Hampshire)
  • And then What Happened, Paul Revere? by Jean Fritz
  • Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
  • Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
  • Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
  • The Wild Horses of Sweetbriar by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock
  • Invincible Louisa by Cornelia Meigs
  • Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
  • Puritan Adventure by Lois Lenski
  • Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham
  • Downright Dency by Caroline Dale Snedeker
  • The Charlotte Years (Little House Series) by Melissa Wiley

Michigan

  • Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Curtis (recommended with caution)
  • The Legend of Mackinac Island by Kathy-jo Wargin
  • The Legend of the Sleeping Bear by Kathy-jo Wargin
  • The Legend of the Loon by Kathy-jo Wargin
  • M is for Mitten: A Michigan Alphabet by Annie Appleford
  • Paddle to the Sea by Holling Clancy Hollings
  • Thomas Edison: Young Inventor by Sue Guthridge (CFA)
  • The Waxtons go to Birmingham by Christopher Curtis (also Alabama - recommended with caution)
  • We Live in the North by Lois Lenski

Minnesota

  • Betsy-Tacy Series by Maud Hart Lovelace
  • Kirsten American Girl Stories
  • On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Mississippi

  • The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain 

Missouri

  • Katie John Series by Mary Calhoun
  • Little House on Rocky Ridge by Roger Lea MacBride
  • Little Farm in the Ozarks by Roger Lea MacBride
  • In the Land of the Big Red Apple by Roger Lea MacBride

Montana

  • San Domingo: the Medicine Hat Stallion by Marguerite Henry
  • To Yellowstone: A Journey Home by Robert McKinnon

Nebraska

  • A Lantern in Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich
  • My Antonia by Willa Cather (high school / adult)

Nevada

  • Mustang, Wild Spirit of the West by Marguerite Henry

New Hampshire

  • The Devil and Daniel Webster by Stephen Vincent Benet
  • George the Drummer Boy by Nathaniel Benchley
  • The Great Stone Face by Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates (also Massachusetts)

New Jersey

  • Cheaper by the Dozen by Gilbreth
  • The Edison Mystery by Dan Gutman
  • Time Enough for Drums by Ann Rinaldi
  • The Story of Baseball by Lawrence A. Ritter
  • Abigail Takes the Wheel by Avi
  • The First Air Voyage in the United States: the story of Jean Pierre Blauchard by Alexandra Wallner
  • New Jersey Timeline: a chronology by Marsh
  • Priest on Horseback by Eva K Betz
  • Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the U.S. by Collen
  • The Village: Life in Colonial Times by Knight

New Mexico

  • Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather (high school)
  • Josefina American Girl Stories
  • Tree in the Trail by Holling Clancy Holling
  • We Live in the Southwest by Lois Lenski

New York

  • Bully for You, Teddy Roosevelt by Jean Fritz
  • The Deerslayer by James Fenimore Cooper
  • Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  • High-Rise Secret by Lois Lenski
  • Karen by Marie Killilea
  • The Matchlock Gun by Walter Edmonds
  • My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
  • St. Isaac and the Indians
  • The Moffats by Eleanor Estes
  • Kateri Tekakwitha by Evelyn Brown (Vision)
  • Mother Cabrini: Missionary to the World by Frances Parkinson Keyes (Vision)

New York City

  • The Chosen by Chaim Potok
  • The Copper Lady by Alice Rosee and Kent Ross
  • Lou Gehrig: One of Baseball's Greatest by Guernsey Van Riper
  • The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright
  • In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord
  • All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor
  • From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
  • The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge by Hildegard H. Swift and Lynd Ward (picture book)
  • Samantha American Girl Stories
  • Shadow of the Bear and Black as Night by Regina Doman
  • The Story of the Statue of Liberty (Cornerstones of Freedom Series)
  • They Loved to Laugh by Kathryn Worth
  • Thomas Finds a Treasure by Joan Stromberg
  • Lily and Miss Liberty
  • The Orphans Find a Home: A St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Story by Joan Stromberg
  • A Cricket in Times' Square

North Carolina

  • Blue Ridge Billy by Lois Lenski

North Dakota

 

Ohio

  • Homer Price and Centerberg Tales by Robert McCloskey
  • Kit American Girl Stories
  • Lentil by Robert McCloskey (picture book)
  • Floating House by Scott Sanders (also Indiana)

Oklahoma

  • Boom Town Boy by Lois Lenski
  • Where the Red Fern Growns by Wilson Rawls

Oregon

  • Emily's Runaway Imagination by Beverly Cleary
  • Henry Huggins series by Beverly Cleary
  • To Be a Logger by Lois Lenski
  • The Year of the Black Pony by Walter Morey

Pennsylvania

  • Addy American Girl Stories
  • The Amazing Life of Benjamin Franklin by James Cross Giblin
  • The Battle of Gettysburg by Bruce Catton
  • Ben Franklin of Old Philadelphia (Landmark)
  • Brady by Jean Fritz
  • The Cabin Faced West by Jean Fritz
  • Gettysburg by MacKinlay Kantor
  • The Iron Spy by Joan Stromberg
  • Katie: The Young Life of St. Katherine Drexel by Claire Mohan Jordan
  • St. Katharine Drexel by Ellen Tarry (Vision)
  • Killer Angels by Michael Shaara (Gettysburg - older teen or adult)
  • The Many Lives of Benjamin Franklin by Mary Pope Osborne
  • Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorenson
  • A Picture Book of Benjamin Franklin by David A. Adler
  • The Riddle of Penncroft Farm by Dorothea Jensen
  • Shh! We're Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz
  • Shoo-fly Girl by Lois Lenski
  • Silver for General Washington by Enid Lamonte Meadowcroft
  • The Skippack School by Marguerite de Angeli
  • The Story of the Declaration of Independence by N. Richards
  • The Story of William Penn by Aliki
  • Thee Hannah! by Marguerite de Angeli
  • Thunder at Gettysburg by Patricia Gauch
  • What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin? by Jean Fritz
  • The Winter at Valley Forge by VanWyck Mason

Rhode Island

 

South Carolina

  • The Swamp Fox of the Revolution by Stewart H. Holbrook (Landmark)

South Dakota

  • Prairie School by Lois Lenski
  • Little Sioux Girl by Lois Lenski
  • By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  • The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  • Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  • Old Sam: Dakota Trotter by Don Alonzo Taylor
  • These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  • The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Tennessee

  • Daniel's Duck by Clyde Robert Bulla (easy reader)
  • The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills
  • White Bird by Clyde Robert Bulla

Texas

  • Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
  • Savage Sam by Fred Gipson
  • Texas Tomboy by Lois Lenski
  • Wilderness Pioneer by Carol Hoff
  • The Wind Blows Free by Loula Grace Erdman

Utah

  • The Great Brain by John Fitzgerald

Vermont

  • Justin Morgan Had a Horse by Marguerite Henry
  • The Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp
  • Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher

Virginia

  • Felicity American Girl Stories
  • George Washington by Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire
  • The Story of George Washington
  • Misty by Marguerite Henry
  • Sea Star, Orphan of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
  • Willy Finds a Victory by Joan Stromberg

Washington

  • Young Mac of Fort Vancouver by Mary Jane Carr
  • Mother Cabrini: Missionary to the World by Frances Parkinson Keyes (Vision)

Washington D.C.

  • The Mitchell's: Five for Victory by Hilda Van Stockum

West Virginia

  • The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills (picture book)
  • Coal Camp Girl by Lois Lenski
  • When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant (picture book)

Wisconsin

  • First Farm in the Valley: Anna's Story by Anne Pellowski and others in the Polish American Girls Series
  • Caddie Woodlawn and Magical Melons by Carol Ryrie Brink
  • Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  • Rascal by Sterling North
  • Father Marquette and the Great Rivers by August Derleth (also Illinois, Michigan et al.)

Wyoming

  • My Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara 

 

CANADA:

British Columbia

  • Mary of Mile 18 by Ann Blades
  • I Heard the Owl Call my Name by Margaret Craven

Alberta

  • Mrs. Mike by Benedict and Nancy Freedman

Saskatchewan

  • Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat

Manitoba

 

Ontario

  • Paddle to the Sea by Holling Clancy Holling
  • Underground to Canada by Barbara Smucker
  • Olden Day Coat, Lawrence
  • One Hundred Shining Candles by Janet Lunn

Quebec

  • Blessed Marie of New France: The Story of the First Missionary Sisters in Canada by Mary Fabyan Windeatt
  • Canadian Summer by Hilda Van Stockum
  • Friendly Gables by Hilda Van Stockum
  • The Hockey Sweater by Roch Carrier
  • The King's Daughter by Suzanne Martel
  • Madeline Takes Command
  • Maria Chapedelaine by Louis Hemon
  • Kateri Tekakwitha (Vision) (also New York State)
  • With Pipe, Paddle and Song by Elizabeth Yates
  • Shadows on the Rock by Willa Cather (high school)

Newfoundland

 

New Brunswick

  • Charlotte by Janet Lunn

Nova Scotia

 

Prince Edward Island

  • Anne of Green Gables Series by L.M. Montgomery
  • Evangeline

Yukon Territory

 

Northwest Territory

  • Dangerous River by R. Patterson

Nunavut

 

Stories from the Bible

I consider familiarity with the Bible a high priority in my children's education. I've been frustrated with many of the children's Bibles (although they certainly have their place and are useful) because they don't contain all the stories I like, they contain too much "additional information", etc. For this reason, I've decided to make a list of the major stories of the Bible and where they can be found in a real Bible to make it easier for me to read these stories to my children. I recommend the Douay Rheims or the Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition. This page will be under construction for some time.

The Old Testament

The Story of Creation - Genesis 1
God rested on the seventh day - Genesis 2:1-3
God created man and woman - Genesis 2:4-25
The serpent tempts the woman, the fall - Genesis 3:1-7
Punishment - Genesis 3:8-24
Cain and Abel - Genesis 4:1-16
Noah's Ark - Genesis 6, 7, 8, 9:1-19
The Tower of Babel - Genesis 11:1-9

The New Testament

The Life of Christ

Conception of John the Baptist - Luke 1:5-25
The Annunciation (The Angel Gabriel appears to Mary) - Luke 1:26-38
The Visitation (Mary Visits her Cousin Elizabeth) - Luke 1:39-56
The Birth of John the Baptist - Luke 1:57-80
The Nativity (The Birth of Jesus) - Luke 2:1-20, Matt. 1:18-25
The Visit of the Wise Men - Matt. 2:1-12
The Slaughter of the Holy Innocents - Matt. 2:16-18

Study Questions for [em]Brave New World[/em] by Aldous Huxley

Click for our Review of Brave New World.

Discussion/Essay Questions with Vocabulary

Note: We are unable to supply an answer key to these study questions. Original thought is looked for in answering many of these questions for which there is no "one right answer". We hope these questions will assist parents in discussing the book with their children. Those who haven't read the book themselves could still discuss these questions and ideas in a general way with their children, have their children discuss it with others who have read the book, or seek summaries of the book online to better understand it.

Foreward, Chapters I-II

utopia
heredity
viviparous

1. If Huxley had rewritten the book at the time he wrote the Foreword, what would he have changed?

2. How do human beings come into the world in the brave new world? Why?

3. When the Director is speaking to the students he gives them a little history lesson and they are embarassed; what is considered obscene in this society?

4. What was discovered about the uses of hypnopaedia? How is this useful in this society?

Chapters III-IV

consumption
promiscuously
morphia

1. How are people kept happy in the new society?

2. What evils does the Controller say the brave new world has eliminated that used to exist in the past?

3. Why does Bernard feel different from the others? What do people attribute this to? Why does he feel a certain kinship to Watson?

Chapters V-VI

Unatoned
consolingly
cajolery

1. What is a Solidarity Service? What is it supposed to accomplish?

2. What kind of attitudes does Bernard exhibit which distress Lenina? Why do they bother her?

3. What experience did the Director have while visiting the New Mexican Reservation years ago?

Chapters VII-VIII

precipitous
intimate
patronizingly

1. What distressed Lenina about her visit to the reservation?

2. They discover Linda on the reservation. What had happened to her? How did she adjust to the new society?

3. What kind of childhood did John have? What book greatly influenced him?

Chapters IX-X

pensive
heinous
impropriety

1. What does Lenina do to escape her discomfort?

2. How does Bernard get his revenge on the Director?

Chaptres XI-XII

rejuvenate
intoxicant
grievance

1. Why is John distressed about Dr. Shaw's treatment of Linda upon her return to society?

2. What laws does John feel he is bound by? How does this affect his relationship with Lenina?

Chapters XIII-XIV

sententiously
incoherently
ignoble

1. What misunderstanding occurs as a result of the different laws that John and Lenina obey?

2. What upsets John about the way his mother died?

Chapters XV-XVI

derisively
impunity
sedulously

1. What does the Savage do to upset Park Lane Hospital? How do the police bring the situation under control?

2. How does the Controller justify the abolition of freedom, literature, science, etc. in the brave new world?

3. What is the fate of those who cannot adjust to this society?

Chapters XVII-XVIII

tempest
compulsory
incongruous

1. The Savage is given the choice of staying in the new society or returning to his solitude. What does he decide? What does he recognize are the consequences of his choice?

2. What happens to the Savage in his solitude?

Questions courtesy of Sharon Mollerus

 

Free Resources
Study aids

Study Questions for [em]Cry the Beloved Country[/em] by Alan Paton

Essay/Discussion Questions:

We are unable to supply an answer key to these study questions. Original thought is looked for in answering many of these questions for which there is no "one right answer". We hope these questions will assist parents in discussing the book with their children. Those who haven't read the book themselves could still discuss these questions and ideas in a general way with their children, have their children discuss it with others who have read the book, or seek summaries of the book online to better understand it.

Chapter One

1. What are the contrasting images presented by Alan Paton?

Chapter Two

1. Why does Pastor Stephen Kumalo not want to open his letter?
2. How do we know the delivery girl is very poor?
3. Which family members (of Kumalo) live in Johannesburg?
4. What is the "St. Chad's money" and how much money is involved?
5. What is the post office book?

Chapter Three

1. What is the speed of the train (give evidence)?
2. What is Kumalo's greatest worry at this point?
3. Who travels by train in Africa at this point?
4. What are Kumalo's fears?
5. Of what is Kumalo certain?
6. Describe Kumalo in a single adjective.

Chapter Four

1. Why does Paton refer to the train as a 'toy train'?
2. Why do the people on the train chuckle at Kumalo?
3. For the second time, Paton writes: "through hills lovely beyond any singing of it". What does he mean?
4. What's Kumalo's first reaction to the big city?
5. How is Kumalo cheated?

Chapter Five

1. What is the sickness of the land that Kumalo describes?
2. Who is afraid in Johannesburg?
3. Why was Gertrude in Johannesburg?
4. What has become of Kumalo's brother?
5. "Everywhere it is so. The peace of God escapes us". (Page 24) What is your reaction?

Chapter Six

1. What's Gertrude's first reaction when she sees her brother? Why?
2. How does Kumalo feel?
3. Who knows where Absalom is?
4. Describe Gertrude's child.
5. Kumalo says "one day in Johannesburg and already the tribe was being rebuilt, the house and soul restored". What is meant by this statement?

Chapter Seven

1. Describe Kumalo's brother.
2. How many streets are there in Johannesburg? What is meant by this saying?
3. Why did John stop writing home?
4. John says that the tribal society in Africa is breaking down. In his opinion, what else is, too?
5. What is mined in the mines outside Johannesburg?
6. Who did the work in the mines and who made the profits?
7. What language did John ask to converse in? Why?
8. Why did the landlady and her husband not like Absalom?

Chapter Eight

1. "Every bus is the right bus". What is the joke here?
2. Why does the protester not want Kumalo and Msimangu to get on the bus?
3. "That man has a silver tongue". What does this saying mean?
4. Why was the landlady trembling?
5. What does Msimangu do to convince the landlady to confide in him?
6. What does the landlady reveal?
7. What does the taxi driver tell Msimangu?
8. At the end of this chapter, what most impresses Kumalo?

Chapter Nine

1. What caused Shantytown to develop?
2. What is the housing situation before Shantytown?
3. What happens after the white men come to Shantytown?

Chapter Ten

1. How much education did Gertrude get?
2. What gift did Kumalo buy for his nephew?
3. What did his nephew bring to mind for Kumalo?
4. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, if Thou art with me". Explain this reference, and it's context.
5. Were blacks welcomed as nurses and doctors?
6. What tragic news does Kumalo receive about his son?
7. What did Absalom tell the authorities about his family? Why?
8."The real question is whether he will care for them, and lead a decent life". Explain this reference.
9. How was Absalom's behaviour in the reformatory?
10. What happens at Absalom's house?

Chapter Eleven

1. What are the headlines in the newspaper saying about Arthur Jarvis?
2. Who is Arthur Jarvis, and what kind of work is he involved in?
3. What is Kumalo feeling at this point?
4. Why can't Kumalo pray?
5. "There are times, not doubt, when God seems no more to be about the world". Explain.

Chapter Twelve

1. The white people are concerned about lack of police protection. What are the blacks concerned with?
2. Out of ten black children, how many are in school? Only one in ten children will reach which grade?
3. Annually, how many natives are sent to prison?
4. What reforms do white churches cry out for? And, what do Afrikaaner churches want?
5. Who are the police searching for?

Chapter Thirteen

1. Why does Kumalo say 'the tribe is broken and can be mended no more?"
2. What impressed Kumalo with the blind school?
3. How is the sermon so applicable to Kumalo's present circumstances?

Chapter Fourteen

1. Who brings the news about Absalom?
2. Who else was involved with the crime?
3. What's Absalom's two excuses for what happened?
4. What cruelty does John do to his brother?
5. In his despair, who does Kumalo turn to?

Chapter Fifteen

1. What counsel does the reformatory worker give Kumalo?
2. Father Vincent says that 'fear is a journey, a terrible journey, but sorrow is at least an arriving". Make an attempt to translate what these words mean.
3. Describe Arthur Jarvis' family. What work did Jarvis do for the blacks?
4. What does Father Vincent tell Kumalo to go and do?

Chapter Sixteen

1. Why did Kumalo take the train?
2. Why did Kumalo choose this time, specifically, to travel?
3. Why does Kumalo repeatedly ask the girl if she wants to marry Absalom?
4. Where does Kumalo propose to take the girl?
5. How old is the girl?
6. What has taken away Kumalo's pain?

Chapter Seventeen

1. What favour does Kumalo ask of Mrs. Lithebe?
2. How much of Kumalo's money is left?
3. What is Absalom's mental state now?
4. What have Absalom's friends done?
5. Just as his father is leaving, who is Absalom's next visitor?
6. Who is Mr. Carmichael?
7. How much will the legal fees be?

Chapter Eighteen

1. Why does Paton repeat the introductory sentences at this point?
2. Who lives at High Place?
3. What two problems are on Jarvis' mind?
4. Jarvis wrestles with questions- if a black has more education, then what will result? And, if the blacks were allowed to farm more land, then what would be the result?
5. "This was a view a man could look at without tiring"(pg. 131). How does Jarvis feel about the land?
6. What had Jarvis wanted his son to do for a living?
7. What was the opinion of Jarvis' father towards inter-marriages?
8. Why didn't the police give the bad news to Mrs. Jarvis first?

Chapter Nineteen

1. Who is John Harrison?
2. What was Arthur working on before he was killed?
3. Did father and son agree on race relations questions?
4. Whose house does James Jarvis and his wife stay in?
5. Who sent letters of condolence, and how many were sent?
6. Which was more important to Arthur- making money, or speaking the truth?
7. Jarvis is touched by a comparison that Harrison makes between his son and a _____________?
8. How does Arthur's mom feel after she learns more about her son's life?

Chapter Twenty

1. What is Arthur's home filled with?
2. Arthur's writing talks about the plight of the blacks in South Africa. He writes that -
the whites are keeping the blacks unskilled so that they can be used to work in the ______
the whites have kept the blacks ________, in order to have a ready supply of cheap labour
the whites believe that they can preserve the tribal system by enforcing the policy of ________
3. Which American politician had a great influence on Arthur?
4. What does James take from his son's house?

Chapter Twenty-One

1. Who, and how many, came to the funeral?
2.Who was the only witness to the murder?
3. After the funeral, Harrison goes off on a diatribe. He says that South Africa wouldn't exist without the __________?
4. Where does Jarvis ask John to take him?
5. The murder witness is now conscious. What does he reveal?
6. What does Jarvis, and his wife, read?
7. Which book does Jarvis turn to, to help explain his son's reasoning?

Chapter Twenty Two

1. The chapter opens with Paton setting the scene for ________?
2. How does Absalom plead?
3. How does his cousin plead?
4. Why was the crime committed on that day, and time?
5. Who hit the servant with the iron bar?
6. What was special about the iron bar?
7. How did the police find the murder weapon (gun)?
8. How is Absalom captured?
9. Who is also in court that day?

Chapter Twenty Three

1. What excitement puts the trial on the back burner?

Chapter Twenty Four

1. What's Jarvis' first reaction when he reads his son's manuscript?

Chapter Twenty Five

1. Who does Jarvis and his wife go to visit on their day off from court?
2. Who knocks at the door when Jarvis is alone at the house?
3. How does the visitor seem?
4. How does Kumalo describe Arthur?"___________________"

Chapter Twenty Six

1. Who is speaking in the square?
2. What is he asking for in this speech?
3. What is the opinion of the Afrikaneer police about the speaker?
4. What is the opinion of the native police about the speaker?
5. John Kumalo does not want to go to jail because there is "no ____in prison".
6. Why does Msimangu thank God that John Kumalo is corrupt?
7. Who else is in the crowd?
8. Where did the strikes occur?

Chapter Twenty Seven

1. What is the shocking newspaper headline?
2. What was hidden from Stephen Kumalo that night?
3. What revelation does Gertrude make to Mrs. Lithebe?
4. Who agrees to raise Gertrude's son?

Chapter Twenty Eight

1. What sentence does the judge pass on Absalom?
2. What sentence does the judge pass on the other two accused men?
3. What long-standing custom is broken at the end of this chapter?

Chapter Twenty Nine

1. Why was Absalom so hopeful when he saw his father enter the prison?
2. What present, and name, does Absalom give to his unborn child?
3. Why does John Kumalo offer his visitor tea?
4. Why is John so angry with his brother?
5. How does Harrison feel about the sentence the judge imposed on Absalom?
6. What does Jarvis give to Harrison? What's the significance of it?
7. What announcement does Msimangu make at the party?
8. What parting gift does Msimangu give to Kumalo?
9. Why surprise does Kumalo get on his last morning in Johannesburg?

Chapter Thirty

1. Who meets Kumalo at the train station?
2. What is the reaction of the village people to Kumalo's arrival?
3. What is the first stop that Kumalo makes upon arriving at his village?
4. Why does Kumalo feel compelled to resign as pastor and leave his village?
5. How does Kumalo's wife plan to spend the Post Office money?

Chapter Thirty-One

1. What was Kumalo's prayer for his village?
2. What idea does Kumalo present to the village chief?
3. Who does Kumalo next visit?
4. Who is the little boy that comes galloping into the story? Why does Kumalo laugh at him?
5. What is deposited at Kumalo's doorstep that night?

Chapter Thirty Two

1. Who were the four letters from?
2. What does the lawyer's letter say?
3. What does Absalom's letter say?
4. What does Msimangu's letter say?
5. What is happening with the weather at this point?
6. Who is sitting on the horse in the distance?
7. What do the men do with the sticks and flags?
8. Where does Jarvis and Kumalo go to escape the rain?
9. Why does Jarvis keep shifting in his pew?

Chapter Thirty Three

1. Where has Jarvis gone?
2. Who does Kumalo think will save the village?
3. Why does Jarvis's grandson visit Kumalo again?
4. Kumalo says that when the boy leaves the village, something "___________________".
5.Who is Napoleon Letsitsi, and why is he an "angel from God"?
6. Who is the 'small angel of God"?

The last three chapters

1.What news mars confirmation day?
2. Why does Kumalo wrestle with sending a letter of condolence?
3. What sad news does the bishop bring to Kumalo?
4. What incident changes the bishop's mind?
5. What improvements does the agricultural demonstrator make in the village?
6. Who does Napoleon say that he really works for?
7. Where does Kumalo go the day before his son is to be executed? Who does he meet?
8. Dawn comes for Kumalo on the mountain. Dawn also comes for ________________?

Questions courtesy of Kathie McGann

 

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Study questions for [em]Perelandra[/em] by C.S. Lewis

Click here for our Review of Perelandra.

Discussion/Essay Questions with Vocabulary

We are unable to supply an answer key to these study questions. Original thought is looked for in answering many of these questions for which there is no "one right answer". We hope these questions will assist parents in discussing the book with their children. Those who haven't read the book themselves could still discuss these questions and ideas in a general way with their children, have their children discuss it with others who have read the book, or seek summaries of the book online to better understand it.

Chapter 1

malaise
siege
inanimate

  1. Why is Lewis afraid to go to Ransom's house? In what sense is he afraid of "the good"? What is Lewis' problem with meeting eldila?

Chapter 2

interminable
inimitable
summons

  1. How does Ransom assure Lewis that he is on the right side?
  2. What is the history of the Malacandrian language? Why was it lost on our planet?
  3. Why don't eldila experience the passage of time in the same way that men do?

Chapter 3

extravagant
vulgarity
profusion

  1. What is Ransom's new experience of sensual (of the senses) pleasure on Venus? What does he feel he must do to appreciate it?
     

Chapter 4

air (in opera)
encore
despair

  1. What is Ransom's observation about the human desire to repeat pleasures at will?
  2. Describe Ransom's first meeting with the lady.

Chapter 5

unnerved
disengaged
precariousness

  1. What does Ransom perceive about the peace and purity of the Lady?
  2. What was Ransom's little lie, and how did it affect him?

Chapter 6

medium
inhabitable
spherical

  1. What is the law the Lady must obey? Why does confusion arise about this law?
  2. What is Weston's interplanetary plan? What fear does it reveal? What kinds of evil things will his plan justify, if necessary?

Chapter 7

egoism
magnanimity
monomaniac

  1. Weston thinks that Ransom's theological views and his own are very similar. Ransom obviously doesn't agree. Why not?
  2. What happens to morality in Ransom's plan?

Chapter 8

imperialism
aphrodisiac
pompous

  1. In this chapter, what does Ransom see as his main duty?
  2. What arguments and strategy does Weston use to tempt the Lady?
     

Chapter 9

spasm
obscenity
calamity

  1. What happens to the Perelandrian frogs at the hands of Weston? What is Ransom's reaction? What does this tell you about what is happening on Perelandra?
  2. What does "Weston" tell the lady about death?
  3. What does he try to tell her about obedience to the command? What is Ransom's answer?


Note: On page 121 (depending on the edition) there is a Latin phrase Felix peccatum Adae. It is from one of the ancient hymns of the Church and it means, "O happy sin of Adam." After the redemption, the Church dares to even rejoice in Adam's sin because God was able to make something even better come out of the first disobedience. This theme will be seen throughout this book.

Chapter 10

imbecile
abyss
rebuke

  1. In this chapter the "Un-man" begins to tell the Lady stories. What are the points of the stories? How does he think this will help his cause in making her fall?
  2. What are some of the effects of the Un-man's persistence is having on the Lady in the eyes of Ransom? What are some of the signs that she is wearing down?

Chapter 11

  1. Ransom comes to realize that but for a miracle, the Lady's resistance will wear down. He realizes that it will take more than argument to combat the temptor. What does he come to understand that Maleldil is asking of him? What does he perceive his chances of surviving are? Does it matter and why or why not? What is at stake?
  2. Go back and read one of the gospel accounts of the agony in the garden. Compare this with Ransom's agony.

Chapter 12

desolation
delirium
congruity

  1. What happens to the creatures of Perelandra during the fight with the Un-man?
  2. What does Ransom now realize about his chances to win the battle?
  3. What is Ransom's experience of hatred?

Chapter 13

parallelism
awe
articulate

  1. Ransom apparently meets the soul of Weston again, or perhaps another manifestation of the devil. What is the temptation he is offering to Ransom? What is Ransom's answer, and why does he finally just tell him to shut up?
  2. Ransom experiences a feeling of the horror of death, which "Weston" has been feeding. How does Ransom attempt to comfort Weston, as he believes they are dying?

Chapter 14

caution
presumably
delusion

  1. Ransom experiences doubt again on page 180. What does he realize is the source of these doubts? What is his reaction?
  2. How did Ransom finally "kill" the Un-man?

Chapter 15

subterranean
prudent
convalescence

  1. Describe Ransom's period of convalescence.
  2. What is his mental state during this time?

Chapter 16

mingled
impregnated
destined

  1. What is the role of the eldila in this new planet?


Ransom describes the look of charity on the angels' faces. How is it different from the human manifestation of charity?

Chapter 17

involuntarily
corruption
superfluous

  1. The King has to explain to Ransom about justice. What is different about God's justice and merely human justice?
  2. Describe what the Great Dance will be.

Questions courtesy of Sharon Mollerus

 

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Study Questions for [em]Red Hugh, Prince of Donegal[/em] by Robert T. Reilly

Discussion/Essay Questions:

We are unable to supply an answer key to these study questions. Original thought is looked for in answering many of these questions for which there is no "one right answer". We hope these questions will assist parents in discussing the book with their children. Those who haven't read the book themselves could still discuss these questions and ideas in a general way with their children, have their children discuss it with others who have read the book, or seek summaries of the book online to better understand it.

1. Who was Ineen Duive O'Donnell? Where did she come from before she married? Why were she and the judges discussing her son? (in the first chapter)

2. Martin of Cloghan is a shanachie. What is a shanachie and what role does Martin play in Red Hugh's upbringing and adventures?

3. In the first chapters, what does Red Hugh think of his future as a king? Do his attitudes change by the end of the story?

4. How do the English capture Red Hugh? Why do they want to keep him so isolated?

5. Why did Sir John Perrot refuse Red Hugh's request to see a priest?

6. What happened when Red Hugh made his first attempt to escape?

7. Who showed up at Red Hugh's window with a special message? How did this messenger assist in the defense of Donegal Castle? What role did Red Hugh himself play in this effort?

 

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Study Questions for [em]That Hideous Strength[/em] by C.S. Lewis

Click here for our Review of C.S. Lewis's That Hideous Strength.

Discussion/Essay Questions with Vocabulary

We are unable to supply an answer key to these study questions. Original thought is looked for in answering many of these questions for which there is no "one right answer". We hope these questions will assist parents in discussing the book with their children. Those who haven't read the book themselves could still discuss these questions and ideas in a general way with their children, have their children discuss it with others who have read the book, or seek summaries of the book online to better understand it.

Chapter 1

preliminary
urns
discordant

  1. Describe Jane based on your knowledge of her from the first chapter? How does she view herself, others, her marriage?
  2. What is Mark's position in the college and how did he get there?
  3. What is the special attraction of Bragdon Wood?
  4. How was the sale of Bragdon Wood pushed through the college?

Chapter 2

obscurantism
aesthetic
remorse

  1. What character trait of Mark's does Feverstone exploit to get him to join N.I.C.E.?
  2. What are the three main problems Feverstone sees are the objectives for N.I.C.E. to meet its goals of using science to order society?
  3. What is the personal reason Feverstone gives Mark as to why they both should be on the side of N.I.C.E.?

Chapter 3

effusiveness
physiologist
uncongenial

  1. Why is Mark so uncomfortable with the position N.I.C.E. is offering him?
  2. What is the Fairy like? What are her views as to the role of police in ordering society?
  3. Miss Ironwood believes that Jane has a gift of vision. What are the three things she says can be done with that gift? What does Jane decide to do about it?
  4. Hingest decides to get out of N.I.C.E. What are the reasons he gives to Mark?

Chapter 4

anachronism
recalcitrant
buoyant

  1. What is the Reverent Straik's peculiar brand of theology?
  2. What is Mark's impression of Cosser after they do the project on Cure Hardy? How does Cosser feel about nature? How did each one feel about their day at Cure Hardy?
  3. How does Feverstone make sure that Mark will stay with N.I.C.E.?

Chapter 5

elasticity
reconditioning
fellowship

  1. In your opinion, why is Mark's position with N.I.C.E. so flexible? Is this an advantage for the organization; and if so, how?
  2. The Fairy explains some of the methods of N.I.C.E. in educating the populace. What are some of these methods? Which social group are they most interested in convincing? Which group do they feel is easier to convince?
  3. In inviting Jane to join their side, what is the Head's concern about her married state? What is Jane's attitude on this matter?

Chapter 6

harbour
nominal
compensation

  1. How does Mark work to secure his position in N.I.C.E.? How successful is he at this point?
  2. What is the real cause of the disturbances at Edgestow? What is the purpose of the engineered riot? What part does Mark play? Why does he decide to participate?
  3. Why does Jane go back to St. Anne's?
     

Chapter 7

countenance
erotic
jocund

  1. What happens to Jane on her encounter with the Director of St. Anne's? What does the Director tell her about marriage? about equality? about obedience?
  2. What decision does Jane come to as a result of her arrest? What convinces her?

Chapter 8

accessible
veridical
admonished

  1. How is the housework arranged at St. Anne's?
  2. What is Mark asked to do by the Director? Why does he resist this idea?
  3. How does Professor Filostrato intend to improve on (or abolish) nature? How does sex fit into this scheme? What are the things that he feels offends the dignity of man?

Chapter 9

Saracen
evidential
neutralised

  1. What is N.I.C.E.'s big secret? What is Mark's reaction to this new revelation?
  2. How do his feelings for Jane change after his newest experiences at Belbury?
  3. On what basis are the people of St. Anne's gathered there? Why does the Director say he cannot give them permission to leave?

Chapter 10

materialist
fugitive
occupied

  1. What is the next method used by Belburuy to get Mark to bring Jane there? What does he decide to do?
  2. When Mark goes to find Jane, Dimble refuses to tell him where she is. What does Dimble offer Mark? What is Mark's answer and what happens to Mark subsequently?
  3. What does the search party go to find in Bragdon Wood? What is Jane's protection, since she does not yet put herself under the protection of Maleldil? What does the Director say about her answer?

Chapter 11

phantasmal
aphrodisiac
clairvoyance

  1. What do Wither and Frost decide to do to get Mark to bring his wife? Why do they decide against torture to find out where she is? Besides Jane's clairvoyance, why are they so interested in the couple?
  2. What does Mark discover about himself while imprisoned?

Chapter 12

inflicting
inquisitiveness
anthropoid

  1. What are Frost's beliefs about emotions such as fear and friendship?
  2. What is the last circle of initiation open to Mark? What is his struggle?

Chapter 13

sagacity
bestial
faltered

  1. What questions does Merlin ask of Ransom? What are his answers? What does he learn about who Ransom is?
  2. Why does Merlin believe Jane should be killed? How can you justify his point of view?
  3. What did Merlin involve himself with when he lived in the sixth century that is now forbidden? What are some of the problems Ransom and the organization anticipate they will have with him? What is Merlin's mission?
  4. What barrier have the followers of the evil one opened up? What will result because of this new situation?

Chapter 14

irrevocably
systematic
insipid

  1. What are some of the motives Frost uses to "educate" Mark? What results do they produce? Explain his new understanding of the "Straight" and "Normal".
  2. What does Jane come to understand from her dream and her talk with the Director that leads to her conversion?

Chapter 15

descent
metaphor
allusion

  1. How does the descent of the "gods" affect the household?
  2. What final request of Frost's pushes Mark into a final confrontation and refusal of what Frost asks? How does Mark come to this decision--knowing it means death for him?

Chapter 16

deprive
convulsions
slandered

  1. How do the "gods" use Merlin to destroy Belbury?

Chapter 17

reluctance
inconspicuous
calculating

  1. What final gift does Venus leave on the household before she returns to the heavens?

Questions courtesy of Sharon Mollerus

 

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