The Once and Future King

Sunday, January 7, 2007

The Once and Future King

Author: T. H. White

First line: On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays it was Court Hand and Summulae Logicales, while the rest of the week it was the Organon, Repetition and Astrology.

Why you should read it: This is the definitive modern treatment of the King Arthur Legend, replete with magic, war, adultery, incest, and betrayal. The first chapter inspired Disney's The Sword in the Stone, but the novel's true statement takes the form of White's discussion of justice. Although there is a great deal of humor in the retelling, the subject is serious and relevant, with deep introspection into the ideas of mercy and forgiveness as well as tragedy and predestination. A challenging novel full of archaic vocabulary words, colorful exposition, and timeless questions.

Why you shouldn't read it: You think Mallory's Arthur is the only Arthur. You prefer blow-by-blow recounts of every battle ever fought to accesibility, plot, and character development.

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Studies show that children who regularly hear books read and see adults reading books have an easier time learning to read. If your children do not realize that books are fun and contain interesting ideas, they will be less motivated to learn how to read and write. Children who do not learn to read and write have difficulty succeeding in school and at life.

Even infants can enjoy books. You can check baby board books out of the library. Your baby will enjoy sitting on your lap as you read the words and point to the brightly colored pictures. If your baby wants to chew on the book, that's OK too.

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You can learn more about children's books at the American Library Association website. Your public library is a great place to introduce your children to books. They will have special programs and incentives for kids of all ages to love reading. In most systems children are entitled to their own library cards from the time they are old enough to write their own names. It's a great way to teach responsibility as well as foster a lifelong love of learning and books.

If you can't get to the library, but you have an Internet connection, you can find many full-text books on-line. For adults, Project Gutenberg offers thousands of full-text books you can download for free.

Dragon's Library

Sunday, January 7, 2007