This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Our favorite literature study guides.

Our Favorite Literature Study Guides

This episode, we thought it would be fun to look through the many a la carte literature guides that we have created over the years at 7Sisters and talk about some of our favorites.

Remember, there’s not ONE right way to homeschool so sometimes you just want an a la carte study guide! Sometimes teens want a no-busywork, don’t-kill-the-book study guide. That’s what 7Sisters Literature Study Guides are all about.

Of course 7Sisters has literature study guide bundles such as:

• 
  
• American Literature
  
• British Literature
  
• World and Ancient Literature
  
• Cinema Studies for Literature Learning
  
• Great Christian Writers Literature
  
• or mixed genres Literature
  

However, because there’s not ONE right way to homeschool, some people prefer to pick and choose their own literature study guides. So, we thought we would share some of our favorite literature guides.

A Raisin in the Sun

Sabrina: Oh, I love A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. It’s a play. That’s one of the things that I love about it. I think that a lot of times we overlook the value of studying plays as literature and that there are teens who really respond well to that. The story gives some thought-provoking ideas for teenagers, such as: What happens when a stranger comes into your life and has an entirely different take on trust and priorities. Plus it’s a great look at Black American experience in the 1960s.

The Literature Study Guide for A Raisin in the Sun covers just a couple of literature analysis, themes, or ideas. This helps teens develop those skills over time without killing the book. Also the questions tend to lean toward the inferential skills, rather than comprehension-style, because in high school you want teens to start wrestling with ideas and doing some thinking.

Chronicles of Narnia

Vicki: My favorite study guides are the ones from the Chronicles of Narnia. How can you go wrong with Narnia? These are really meaty books for literary analysis in high school. Teens jump right in at Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, learning symbolism, theology, and philosophy.

For instance, in Prince Caspian. sometimes you see a field with blue flowers. Teens learn in classic literature, blue flowers are a symbol for longing for something beyond here on earth. We have a longing for heaven.

Fahrenheit 451

Sabrina: I love Fahrenheit 451 because it’s dystopian, but it’s dystopian with so much wisdom in it. Fahrenheit 451 encourages teens to understand just how messed up things can get when we lose our good priorities such as knowledge, wisdom, communication, honesty, and humility. Teens also find the hope in our ability to connect with one another.

God’s Smuggler

Vicki: My next one is a God’s Smuggler. My teens loved God’s Smuggler! This is a true story of Brother Andrew who smuggled Bibles behind the Iron Curtain back in the days of the Cold War. He took his life into his hands to deliver Bibles to Christians who did not have access to Scripture.

Cinema studies for Literature Learning: Lilies of the Field

Sabrina: This is one of my favorite movies of all time! Lilies of the Field stars Sydney Poitier. It’s a story of him and a group of nuns out in the boonies of Arizona. Teens learn character analysis skills and also get good glimpse of a time period in history.

Cinema studies for Literature Learning: The Incredibles

Sabrina: The Incredibles has all the superheroes like Elastigirl, who as far as I’m concerned, is the quintessential homeschool mom, just stretched in all directions to make it happen. I love the study guide because it helps students take a good look at the power that comes in simple stories.

Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats

Vicki: My next favorite is Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. One of my favorite poetry books of all time! Sometimes teens just need a fun book of poems that is light with no existential dread going on. This is just a book about ridiculous cats doing ridiculous things. It’s like the poetry version watching silly cat videos on YouTube.

Something Beautiful for God

Sabrina: With Something Beautiful for God I’m going to go away from the fun and into the inspiring and the deeply challenging. This book is a look at the work of Mother Teresa and her work with Mysteries of Calcutta. It is incredible.

Right Ho, Jeeves

Vicki: Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Woodhouse is one of a series of about thirty silly books. They take place back in the 1920s and feature English gentleman named Bertie Worcester and his gentleman’s gentleman or valet, Jeeves.They are just ridiculous stories about ridiculous people and they are hilarious. However, embedded in each story are are references to great poetry, great literature, and theology- like “Easter eggs”, you look for them!

Uncle Vanya

Sabrina: Uncle Vanya is a play by Anton Chekhov. Teens have a really interesting experience with the class system in Russia: a world very different from what we have experienced in most of our homeschools. In the story are some deep questions about  meaning in life.

These are a few of our favorites, although we could go on and on!

Hey, if there are things about that that you would like to share with others, just remember that we all benefit from learning about each other’s homeschooling experiences. So hop onto the 7SistersHomeschool Facebook group. It is busy with lots of encouragement from all our 7th Sisters (Who is the 7th Sister? YOU are!)

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