The characters in classic stories “replace ephemeral movie characters or glitzy pop idols as points of reference,” asserted Fahey. “The child’s and the adult’s moral imagination can only be colored if reading is an individual habit and part of the culture of the family.”
For example, Staudt said that, with Aesop’s Fables, youngsters like to guess what the moral of each story is and then talk about that moral.
He suggests beginning with Aesop, fairy tales, J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis before a transition into Greek myths, Homer and dramas by Sophocles as the foundation of Western literature …
Good literature opens children up to a sense of wonder. “The wonder opens up the mind, and they are inspired and excited to want to learn more,” Staudt said …
Faith-based classics are a must-read. “Don’t forget,” Crawford emphasized, “to include great Bible stories and the lives of the saints for children of all ages.”
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Excerpts from Joseph Pronechen’s, Why Families Should Promote Classics, N. C. Register; edited with emphasis in italics by Ellopos Blog
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