# Great Books for Boys



## Scott (Jun 15, 2005)

Can anyone tell me if Great Books for Boys is useful? I think it was recommended by Dobson in his Bringing Up Boys but when I looked at the Library Journal review, I was a bit skeptical of its value. Anyway, I would be interested to know people's thoughts on this.


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## Ex Nihilo (Jun 15, 2005)

Surely there was someone more qualified to write this book than a female librarian...


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## Rich Barcellos (Jun 15, 2005)

Don't know about that book. I have used Ryle's Thoughts for Young Men with profit. Also, jsut recently, I read My Brother's Keeper: Letters to a Younger Brother on the Virtues and Vices, Duties and Dangers of Youth, James W. Alexander, during family worship. It was excellent, though a bit dated - still excellent, though!


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## LadyFlynt (Jun 15, 2005)

To be honest, I don't know what her reccomendations are, but....

here's my opinion....

there are so many other places that will give you reccomendations for free...and will avoid what Charlotte Mason considered "twaddle" (junk reading).

Start with G.A. Henty. Fiction, historical setting and accurate, meant for adventuresome boys, and a kid can get a complete English history education out of them.


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## RamistThomist (Jun 15, 2005)

Whatever the books they must meet these qualifications:

1) Dragon-killing
2) Heroic battles
3) Death or glory charges
4) Last stands
5) Eucatastrophic endings


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## Rich Barcellos (Jun 15, 2005)

Chivalry would be good, too.


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## RamistThomist (Jun 15, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Rich Barcellos_
> Chivalry would be good, too.



Chivalry would be the unifying theme


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jun 15, 2005)

> _Originally posted by LadyFlynt_
> Start with G.A. Henty. Fiction, historical setting and accurate, meant for adventuresome boys, and a kid can get a complete English history education out of them.


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## LadyFlynt (Jun 15, 2005)

Jacob and Richard,

I believe all of those things are in the GA Henty books...they were written over a hundred years ago and are on par with Braveheart and Last of the Mohicans, I think. (my son just read the children's version of LOTM...yeah! Indians!)


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jun 16, 2005)

I also highly recommend that every boy's bookshelf include Daniel Defoe's _Robinson Crusoe_ and Johann David Wyss' _The Swiss Family Robinson_ as discussed in this thread.


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## Scott (Jun 16, 2005)

> Whatever the books they must meet these qualifications:
> 
> 1) Dragon-killing
> 2) Heroic battles
> ...



Yeah!


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## Scott (Jun 16, 2005)

Colleen: Henty is awesome - without peer. Rosemary Sutcliff is good too. My kids are a bit young for them now.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jun 16, 2005)

I also recommend the Huguenot Inheritance Series.


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## Scott (Jun 16, 2005)

What age are they for (including for read-alouds)?


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## LadyFlynt (Jun 16, 2005)

> _Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot_
> I also recommend the Huguenot Inheritance Series.



I found one book out of that series in a box of free books. Haven't read it yet...maybe I can do it for read aloud time this summer. Thanks for reminding me.

BTW, my oldest boy is 8...almost nine...so he will be ready for GAHenty soon. I don't own any yet, but was able to download a few for free.


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