literature-language




			The World of Books


When I was about eight years old, I discovered that books and language could expand my horizons of space and time. My grandmother had an anthology � ten volumes entitled �Journeys Through Bookland.� These volumes contained classic literature from countries around the world. I went to ancient Greece, Rome, and Scandinavia, reading the mythologies of each. I traveled to the Middle East reading the tales of the Arabian Nights. I explored Asian islands reading Japanese folk tales, and took a walking tour of the Black Forest while perusing Grimm�s Fairy Tales. Ivanhoe, Robin Hood, King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, all became close friends of mine; I cried for the Lady of Shalott when Lancelot passed her by. Much later, I realized that these books gave me a rich reference of general knowledge, cultural context, and literacy. A variety of classic stories, poems, plays, and biographies educated me painlessly while entertaining me thoroughly. Geography, history, cultural norms, and moral standards embedded themselves into my mind, and my knowledge of words and where they come from was greatly enriched. If children are to be truly and thoroughly educated, we must provide a wide variety of literature from different places and times. Reading contemporary stories which represent our own cultural images is valuable; the exploration of other cultures and times, through the virtual spaceship and time machine that is literature, yields a vast treasure that transcends value.

	*Unit & Lesson Plans* 8th Grade-Unit Plan-A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court K/1 Lesson Plan-Word Pictures

		*Literature Papers* *The Laughter and Tears of Her People: Irish Myths, Folk Lore, and Fairy Tales* *Locks and Keys: Imprisonment and Salvation in Fairy Tales* *Disguise and Revelation: The "Taming" of Kate*

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