Classical Et Cetera

What makes a picture book worth keeping, and how do you spot the difference between a great one and a forgettable one? In this _Classical Et Cetera_ we discuss the picture books that have earned a permanent place on the shelf, from _Ferdinand_ to _Blueberries for Sal_. We talk about what separates a book with “the magic” from one that isn’t worth your time, why these stories still reach grown readers, and how good picture books gently open the door to a lifetime of reading. See our Read-Aloud Collection here: https://www.memoriapress.com/read-aloud-programs/241 *What We're Reading* from This Episode: "The Trumpet of the Swan" E. B. White (Paul) "The Magician's Nephew" C.S. Lewis (Paul) Robin Hobb Series (Ian)

Is classical education "light" on STEM? A listener asked, so we answered! The short answer is "no." Classical schools run math and science straight through calculus and physics. The deeper answer: if school is just job training, you're preparing kids for an economy that won't exist when they graduate. We're after something higher. We discuss what an education is really for, why the most durable skills come from Latin and math, and why the best preparation for STEM isn't STEM. *What We're Reading* from This Episode: "The Feast" Margaret Kennedy (Tanya) "The Merchant of Venice" William Shakespeare (Mandy)

Classical Et Cetera continues our best-books-by-century series, this time spanning 1500 to 1799 — from Gutenberg's press to the eve of the Romantics. Returning guest Kyle Janke joins Jessica, Paul, and Tanya to build a reading list from Don Quixote, Shakespeare, Paradise Lost, and more. Along the way: is Dracula secretly a Christian classic, why this era gave us more thinkers than storytellers, and how to read difficult old books without giving up. Don Quixote – CervantesRobinson Crusoe – Daniel DefoeMoll Flanders – Daniel DefoeThe Vicar of Wakefield – Oliver GoldsmithTom Jones – Henry FieldingParadise Lost – John MiltonPilgrim's Progress – John BunyanGulliver's Travels – Jonathan SwiftCandide – VoltaireThe Faerie Queene – Edmund SpenserLyrical Ballads – Wordsworth & ColeridgeShakespeareJohn DonneGeorge HerbertSamuel JohnsonThe King James BibleDecline and Fall of the Roman Empire – Edward GibbonDescartes, Locke, Rousseau, Kant, Adam Smith, Machiavelli, Thomas MoreNewton, Galileo, CopernicusCommon Sense – Thomas PaineThe U.S. ConstitutionThe Federalist PapersBenjamin Franklin's autobiographyJonathan Edwards, Cotton Mather *Best Books by Era* Greece: https://youtu.be/dijEqf0kcAM?si=9kVIpElDUhPlexqW Rome: https://youtu.be/gMcuWkz6XQ4?si=HzXnHEfm6wQBlzhz Middle Ages: https://youtu.be/rDB05FAPP0U?si=YuKH062Kr6uBrRak

Why do we spend so much time on William Shakespeare, and is he still worth it? This _Classical Et Cetera_ talks about why Shakespeare remains everywhere, even in a culture that rarely reads him. From his mastery of human nature to Harold Bloom's idea that Shakespeare "invented the human," this conversation makes the case for reading him well. Start where it works for you, and remember that reading just one play is a real accomplishment! Browse our Shakespeare Collection: https://www.memoriapress.com/shakespeare/?utm_source=PodBean&utm_medium=CETC&utm_campaign=237 *What We're Reading* from This Episode: "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" Alexander McCall Smith (Martin) "Wisdom and Innocence" Joseph Pearce (Martin) "Christy" Catherine Marshall (Tanya) "But For The Grace" Peter Grainger (Tanya) "Girl With a Pearl Earring" Tracy Chevalier (Tanya) "Growth of the Soil" Knut Hamsun (Paul) "The Trumpet of the Swan" E. B. White (Paul) "Winnie-the-Pooh" A. A. Milne (Jeremy) "The Abolition of Man" C. S. Lewis (Jeremy)

Why teach handwriting when everyone types? This Classical Et Cetera makes the case for penmanship in a classical education—and the reasons run deeper than nostalgia. Veteran first-grade teacher Julia Lasoi joins us to explain what handwriting forms in a child that a keyboard never will: from the Norwegian brain research on writing by hand, to the discipline and beauty of forming each letter, to the surprising return of mandated cursive in America. Browse our penmanship curriculum right here! https://www.memoriapress.com/penmanship/?utm_source=PodBean&utm_medium=CETC&utm_campaign=235 *What We're Reading* from This Episode: "Between Shades of Gray" Ruta Sepetys (Tanya) "A Natural History of Dragons" Marie Brennan (Tanya) "The Glassmaker" Tracy Chevalier (Tanya) "A History of Philosophy: Volume I" Frederick Copleston (Martin) "The Screwtape Letters" C.S. Lewis (Julia) "Battling Unbelief" John Piper (Julia)