How to Read Aloud: Tips, Tricks, and Techniques

This is the “how to do it” part of Maureen Wittmann’s three-part series on reading aloud. The other two parts can be read here: The Joy of Reading Aloud and The Why of Reading Aloud. Also see The Ultimate Read List of Read Aloud Books. Note: Some hyperlinks in this article contain affiliate links.

THE ART OF READING ALOUD

by Maureen Wittmann

It sounds so easy: Spend ten to fifteen minutes a day reading to your children and change their lives drastically for the better. But, how do we go about it exactly? What if I’m a terrible reader? Or I’m busy with my nursing baby and toddlers underfoot? How do I pick the right books? Do audiobooks count? The answers to these questions and more …

The Basics
The first step in reading aloud to your children is to make sure you have good lighting. There’s nothing like strained eyes to ruin reading time. Good lighting may make the difference in whether or not reading is a success in your home. The experts say that you should at least have a 100-watt light (or equivalent) bulb in your reading lamp.

What Age Do I Start … Or Quit?
Start as early as you can and don’t stop when they get to be teens.

Babies are easy. Toddlers may want to grab the book. In that case, read while they eat in the high chair. Two of the greatest pleasures in life are eating and reading, right? So, why not combine the two? Give them chunky and plastic books that they can hold on to, that they can manhandle and taste with no worries about the books being destroyed.

You’ll be asked to read picture books over and over again, so make sure you choose books you like. Reading the same Barney book 5 times a day may make you little crazy.

Start with rhymes, comic books, and simple series (Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Boxcar Children). Move up from there.

Gather the Kids
Recognize that all children learn differently. I have a son who, when he was a little guy, would play LEGOs while I read. At first, I tried to put a stop to it and make him focus on me. However, I soon realized he retained the story better when his hands were busy. This is called kinesthetic learning. I have a friend with a daughter who knits during read-aloud time. If works, don't hesitate to encourage it.

Make sure you and the children are comfortable. This may mean the baby is in the high chair and the toddler is playing LEGOs. But it may also mean that children are cuddled up next to you in a big comfy chair or on the sofa.

It may also mean reading at the kitchen table during lunch. I have a girlfriend who shared the sweetest picture. It was her kitchen table after she asked her children to set the table for lunch. They all had plates and utensils at their places and at her place there was a book. It was clear what they expected from her!

If it’s naptime or bedtime, it may mean the bedroom. And, once littles are asleep you can tend to the older children’s reading needs. Or, perhaps your own reading. Find what works for your family.

Most importantly, remember that reading time is not goof-off time. It is quality, education time.

Setting the Stage
Turn off the phone, TV, and other distractions. Put away the tablet, the computer, and all electronics. And anything else that might provide a distraction.

Take good care of your voice. Have a glass of water close by. I have acid reflux, which so damaged my voice at one point that I couldn’t read aloud to my children for several months. Take good care of yourself.

When you sit down to read, make sure to start with the author’s name and the illustrator’s name if applicable. This little exercise will help you and your children discern good and bad authors over time.

Stop as you read and ask open-ended questions.

Was that character’s action good or evil?
What do you think will happen next?
Why did he do that?
Has anything like that happened to you before?

In the same vein, allow questions from your children. Stop and answer.

How to Read Aloud
Now, what about the HOW? Let's talk about technique and how to go from mundane to animated. Again, your child will likely enjoy Read Aloud Time, no matter your skill level. However, why not step up your game. Homeschool Bonus Points if you teach these skills to your children and get them reading aloud to you!

Start by using expressive language. When my older children were little children, we used to visit our local bookstore for “story hour” each week. The young man who read to the children was full of life. He didn’t just read, he brought the stories to life. He used voices, he waved his hands, he danced, he sang, he made faces. It was so FUN!

The bookstore storyteller inspired me to step outside of my comfort zone. I know it feels silly to act out stories like that, but your children will love it! They’ll love silly.

Have fun with voices. Imagine how a character sounds and give it a try. For example, I imagine Cinderella with a high-pitched, sweet, loving voice and the evil witch would have a scratchy, low, evil voice. Don't be afraid to try different voices. If you blow it, you and the kids will have a great laugh. Either way, it's all about the fun of trying.

Don’t worry about mistakes. Your children don’t care if you’re the most mundane reader in the world. They love being with you and cuddling with you. But why not make it fun?! Plus you’ll get better as time goes on. In due time, you’ll get into a natural rhythm.

Find poetry to read. Poetry is best read aloud, not read silently. It is like verbal music to children's ears. Start with nursery rhymes when they’re little and move to Robert Lewis Stevenson when they’re bigger. And when they’re really big, read Southwell and Chesterton.

Look for onomatopoeia words. These are words that sound like their meaning. A few obvious ones are: Roar, Meow, Chirp, Hiccup, Burp, Beep, Bang, Moo, Cuckoo. You see them a lot in comic books (think Batman): Wham! Pow! Bam!

Read words to accentuate their meaning:

That was a Loooong road.
The firecrackers were LOUD.
She was quiet as a mouse

As you read, accentuate the verbs (action words). For example:

He RAN up the stairs.
She JUMPED the fence.
He HOPPED into the rail car.

Make sure to check your pace as you read. This sets the tone for your story. It can create calm or excitement. Laura and Mary roaming in the wildflowers requires a slow pace. The Hardy Boys chasing criminals requires a fast pace.

Use pauses to bring home a point. Stop and take a breath when something significant has happened in the story, as to ponder the event. And, repeat important sentences. If it’s the heart of the story, if the line needs to be sold, say it again. Say it again.

Use a soft voice to grab their attention. If you start to lose their attention or just want to change things up, soften your voice. As the saying goes, “If you want someone’s attention, whisper.”

Articulate all the way to the period. Too often, we swallow our sentences. Don't mumble and don't hurry through a sentence. Take your time. Oftentimes, the meat of the sentence is at the end.

If time is running short, instead of hurrying through the story, stop and put the book aside. You can pick it up again the next day. Better to create some excitement and have something to look forward to the next day, than to rush through it.

Some books are made to be read aloud ... some are not. As I read Narnia the first time, I imagined C. S. Lewis reading aloud as he typed. It flowed easily off my tongue and was a joy to read. A Connecticut Yankee in King’s Arthur’s Court was the opposite experience. The Olde English was difficult for me to read. It was difficult for the children to understand. We could only get through two or three pages at each sitting. It was so painful, I finally put A Connecticut Yankee down and told the children that this was one they could read on their own when they got older.

Audio Books
Think Car Schooling. If you are the typical homeschooler, it is likely you are continually driving and to and from events. Listen to audiobooks as you drive. Once, on vacation, my family ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere in Canada. We were so engrossed in Little House On the Prairie that we forgot to stop and get gas! So, make sure your tank is full before you set off on an adventure.

Audiobooks can also help out Mom. When I struggled with the pronunciation of the characters in the d’Aulaire’s Greek Myths, I found a great audio of it at the library. Maybe your voice just needs a break or you're under the weather. It's okay to take advantage of technology now and then.

I've had parents ask if audiobooks are "cheating." No, there is nothing wrong with giving audiobooks to your children. In fact, I have a couple of sons who are more listeners than readers. They will listen to books on tape all day long but are not nearly as thrilled to read the written page. One of those sons is now a grown man. He listens to books each day during his long drive to work. So, don't discount audiobooks.

I am a huge Audible fan. I save books to my phone and then plug my phone into the car radio. You can also find free audiobooks at your public library.

*Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com Inc. or its affiliates.

Teen Readers
As I've said all through this three-part series, do not stop reading aloud once your children learn to read themselves. And, especially don't stop once they get to be teenagers. However, that doesn't mean you can't pass the baton to them.

You can have older children read to littles while you make lunch. They can take turns with you reading aloud when a story is particularly exciting and no one wants to stop.

You can flip things upside down now and then by letting your little children read picture books to you just for fun.

Finally, think about volunteer opportunities. Whether you visit a retirement home or a children's hospital, everyone loves a good story. Read aloud outside your family too.

Conclusion
Story is important. Sharing stories with your children is important. I hope that I’ve not only inspired you to read to your children, young and old, but also shared a tip or two to help enhance the experience.

Finally, I encourage you to turn off the TV, turn on life, and open a book!

Addendum:
A few reading lists to get you started on choosing books:
48 Picture Books for the Well-Rounded Catholic Child
Read Alouds for 6- to 12-Year-Old Boys
Read Alouds for 8- to 10-Year-Old Girls
100+ Books for the Well-Rounded Teen
And, for the ultimate list ... Read Alouds for the Whole Family.

Video: Catholic Saints (History in a Minute)

History in a Minute Video Series

Catholic Saints

History is the accounting of everything mankind has accomplished throughout time. It is central to all of the other academic pursuits as it ties them together, including the subject of religion. Without God there is no history. He is, after all, the Creator.

In history studies, you can discuss the religious beliefs of specific eras and places. How are those beliefs similar or different from the culture we live in today? What impact do religious beliefs play in historical events (or today's events)?

Most importantly, as homeschoolers we can talk about how our children, as individuals, can impact history as children of God. A study of the saints shows us how even the most simple of human beings can change the course of history.

Saint stories are not mere stories to entertain. They are not mere myths to teach lessons to. The saints were real, historical persons who affected world events.

Therefore, Homeschool Connections video project, History in a Minute, often includes Catholic saints as topics. They are blended within other videos on such topics as man-made disasters, politics, and archeology.

Videos are posted every Tuesday. To keep up to date on future videos on the saints and many other historical topics, Subscribe Now.

St. Francis Assisi

St. Aubert

St. Arnold, Patron Saint of Beer

St. Drogo, Patron Saint of Coffee

St. Triduana of Scotland

St. Charles Borromeo

We hope you enjoyed these videos and that they are useful to your family and your homeschool. Let us know in the comments if you have suggestions for future History in a Minute topics.

Middle East Reading List for Catholic Students

The Middle East is not only an interesting study, it's an important study. We've put together a reading list for you that includes fiction and nonfiction for students of multiple ages.

Who is this list for?

• Homeschool moms putting together a unit study of the Middle East for multiple grade levels, or
• Students of Mr. Campbell's new course, Fracturing of the Middle East: From the Ottoman Empire to Isis, who want to explore the subject more deeply on their own, or
• Anyone who wants to expand their learning.

Books are listed in order of difficulty, from upper-grade school to middle school to high school to adult. One idea for preschool and early grade school is to look for picture books at the library with fun facts or books that focus on the geography of the region. At the end of this reading list are some additional ideas for supplemental lessons.

As with any book list, parent discretion is advised. Not all books are appropriate for all ages or all students.

Click on the book title for reviews or purchasing information (May contain affiliate links). Another resource to read book reviews is Goodreads. And to find used books for the best price, try Book Finder ... 

The White Horse by Elizabeth Coatsworth (1942) [Bethlehem Books]

Part of the Sally Series, the story takes Sally to the Mediterranean Sea where she encounters Barbary Coast pirates, is taken captive, ends up in the Sultan's palace, and so much more. Sally is exposed to Islam and a way of life unknown to her before this adventure. Charming series that could be read aloud with younger children. 

The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis (Chronicles of Narnia)
Not about the Middle East, however, "it is reminiscent of classic stories set in the Middle East (such as the Arabian Nights)." Terrific read aloud for the family. You can never go wrong with Narnia.

The Man Who Counted: A Collection of Mathematical Adventures by Malba Tahan

Takes place in 13th-century Baghdad. A well-written novel introducing the reader to complex math puzzles in an interesting and fun way. Presents an opportunity to discuss Islam. Read this disclaimer first. (Can be downloaded free HERE.)

One Thousand and One Arabian Nights 
The mythical back story to this wide collection of stories (from Aladin to Ali Baba) begins with Shahryār, a Sasanian king. He discovers his brother's wife and also his own wife are both unfaithful. In his grief, he concludes all women are the same. Shahryār begins to marry a succession of women only to execute each one the next morning before she has a chance to dishonor her vows. That is until Scheherazade offers herself as a bride. On the night of their marriage, Scheherazade begins to tell the king a tale but does not end it. The king, enthralled in the story, postpones her execution in order to hear the conclusion. The next night, as soon as she finishes the tale, she begins (and only begins) a new one, and the king, eager to hear the conclusion of this tale, postpones her execution again. So it goes on for 1,001 nights. 

Suleiman the Magnificent: Sultan of the East by Harold Lamb (1951) [OOP]
Harold Lamb's fictionalized histories are usually very gripping and enjoyable stories. We are including three of his titles here. Suleiman the Magnificent is the story of the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1520 to his death in 1566. 

Tamerlane: Conqueror of the Earth by Harold Lamb (1955) [OOP]

Temur the Lame, who referred to himself as the "Sword of Islam" is a fascinating individual in 14th-century history. He was a blood thirsty world conqueror, perhaps second only to Genghis Kahn.

In addition to an intriguing story, the back of the book contains a wealth of material to help you continue your study into the subject. (Also available as an audio book.)

Swords from the Desert by Harold Lamb

Made up of four novellas originally published in Adventure magazine in the late 1920s, and three short stories published in Collier's magazine in the early 1930's. All immerse you into the culture of the Middle East. 

Angels in Iron by Nicholas Prata [Arx Publishing]

A favorite book, this is an engaging historical fiction that deals with numerous figures from the early Ottoman times, including Suleiman the Magnificent, Piali Pasha, and Dragut the Corsair. It's a well-researched story that also demonstrates all the character traits we'd like to see in ourselves and our children: courage, honor, selflessness, and more. (Rumor has it there may be a movie based on this novel in the distant future. I'm at least hoping for an audio book.)

Defenders of Christendom by James Fitzhenry 

A good book from the same perspective as Angels in Iron. It deals with the Christian heroes who resisted the Turks in an attempt to check their advances, including John Hunyadi the White Knight of Wallachia, Skanderbeg of Albania, Jean La Valette of the Knights of St. John, and others. 

The Breadwinner Trilogy by Deborah Ellis 
These three fictional books take place in Afghanistan during the rule of Taliban in the 1990's and told through the eyes of a young girl who disguises herself as a boy to survive the refugee camps. Hits on serious realities: War, starvation, refugee camps, maimed children (from land mines), and despair.

111 Questions on Islam by Samir Khalil Samir S.J. [Ignatius Press]

It is important in today's world for Americans to understand the history and culture of Islam. This book is in an easy-to-read, question and answer format.

All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror by Stephen Kinzer
A detailed factual account of the 1953 CIA coup in Iran that ousted the elected prime minister and the aftermath. A study into what brought about Islamic fundamentalism and anti-Americanism in the Middle East.

Monks of Tibhirine: Faith, Love, and Terror in Algeria by John Kizer 

This is the story of seven Trappist monks in Algeria who were kidnapped, imprisoned for two months, and beheaded by Islamic radicals in the 1990's. The book is a history of the Algerian monks and chronicles the relationship of the monks with their Muslim neighbors. The movie Of Gods and Men is based loosely on this story. Monks of Tibhirine is upper high school or adult level reading.

Lawrence in Arabia: War, Deceit, Imperial Folly, and the Making of the Modern Middle East by Scott Anderson (2014)
A look at the Middle East arena during World War I. A fairly readable popular account of T. E. Lawrence, of his role in shaping the Middle East, and of missed opportunities that we are still paying for today. Parental discretion advised as it contains information about Turkish captors who sexually assaulted Lawrence. 

The Ottoman Centuries by Lord Kinross (1979)
Excellent resource on the history of the Ottoman Empire, especially the circumstances surrounding its decline and disappearance after World War I. For the parent or advanced student who wants to go really deep. The author painstakingly researched this book, looking at all of the big issues: Economic, political, and social. 

The Romance of the Last Crusade: With Allenby to Jerusalem by Major Vivian Gilbert (1923)

British General Edwin Allenby was the first Christian general to capture Jerusalem since the Crusades. This book, written by an eyewitness of Allenby's exploits, gives a detailed account of the British Palestine campaign in World War I. Advanced readers only.

To watch ...

Lawrence of Arabia with Peter O'Toole (1962)

Epic historical drama film based on the life of T. E. Lawrence, a British archaeologist who lived an extraordinary life. He was best known for his legendary war activities in the Middle East during World War I and for his book The Seven Pillars of Wisdom (1926).

Other resources:
Middle East: Map & Geography Information

Al Jazeera: Online English language version of the popular Middle Eastern TV station.

Visit a Mediterranean restaurant or create Middle East recipes at home.

Thank you Tony Schiavo of Arx Publishing, Phillip Campbell, Danielle Goodnight, and Susan Donovan for your suggestions for this list. This was not an easy book list to compile. There are so few non-Western works available. Please share any suggestions you have in the comments below.

12 Classics to Read Before College

12 CLASSIC BOOKS EVERY CATHOLIC STUDENT SHOULD READ BEFORE COLLEGE

By Christopher Martin

            A couple of notes about this list: This is an extremely subjective topic. There are literally hundreds (perhaps even thousands) of classics for which a good argument can be made for their inclusion here. If you read through this list and disagree with some of the inclusions or absences, chances are good that I agree, at least partially, with your judgment as well. As a homage to this subjectivity, I have included one or several related books to each spot on this list.

            My recommendations are largely based on the four-year cycle of the "Great Books" courses I have taught (one year each of Ancient Greek, Ancient Roman, Medieval & Renaissance, and Modernity). In these courses (and therefore also in the list below), I chose the books I feel are most likely to help my students understand how the world has developed. Click on the book title for reviews or ordering information.

THE ANCIENT GREEKS

1. Homer: The Iliad
            Homer gives us, among other things, some idea of the notion of sovereignty for the Ancient Greeks. Part of it is the gods' blessing, part of it is the fealty of subordinates, but mostly it's a tribal type of organization. Students enjoy the analogy of Achilles and Agamemnon acting like enraged gorillas, pounding their chests to compete for the title of King of the Banana Pile. It is easy to dismiss the characters of the Iliad as obnoxiously petty, but Homer's world is far different than the one we experience today, and discovering how that world and its actors operate stands as one of the enduring attractions of the text.  
            One could easily place Homer's Odyssey, or Sophocles' Oedipus Rex in this spot as well.

2. Plato: Republic
            I love pointing back to Anne Carroll's Christ the King Lord of History as providing signposts to a Catholic interpretation of history. To her, the Ancient Greeks made, primarily, two significant contributions to the development of Western Civilization: the expansion of the West via Alexander's conquests, and the invention of philosophy. Plato's Republic provides an excellent introduction to this latter contribution, as it's one of the best articulations of the Greek's philosophical achievements, outlining how best to order citizens and the city-state.

            While a number of texts by Aristotle could easily fit here as well, the dialogue format of the Republic makes it much more approachable than many philosophical texts.

THE ANCIENT ROMANS

3. Virgil: Aeneid

            Virgil's text immerses us into the world of the ancients as only a poet can do. Just in terms of the notion of sovereignty, the Aeneid, in many ways, builds directly off of the themes present in Homer. Whereas in Homer, the gods often interfere with human events as a matter of course, Virgil's text suggests a retreat from this position. The hero vocally expresses his frustration with his goddess mother, and Jupiter/Zeus himself states that human beings should make their own way. Virgil therefore lays the groundwork for the modern man's independence from fate.

            Lucan's "The Crossing of the Rubicon" (in his Pharsalia) suggests very similar themes, and in no less epic tones for its comparative brevity.

4. Tacitus: The Annals

            Tacitus serves the twofold purpose of giving us a very approachable history of Rome, while also telling us exactly what one Roman thought of its characters. Tacitus made no effort to hide his biases, and especially his disdain for Nero: "Though his heart never knew remorse for the worst of his crimes, his ear, unaccustomed to the voice of truth, shrunk from the sound of freedom, and startled at reproach."
            Livy, Pliny, Plutarch and Sallust all give us worthy histories as well (Livy, in particular, gives a lovely history of Rome's early era), but Tacitus stands out for his candid and engaging appraisal of Rome's heroes and villains, victims, and tyrants.

5. Marcus Aurelius: Meditations

            Marcus Aurelius' text shows just how far pagan natural law philosophy could go. It is a remarkable achievement on many levels, indicative of impressive understandings of social ethics, metaphysics, and even political theory. To highlight the philosophical compatibilities with Christianity, one might read the Meditations alongside the Gospel of Mathew, where Marcus Aurelius' stoicism almost seems to pave the way for the notion of an omniscient, intelligent God.

     Seneca's Morals of a Happy Life also includes much of the same natural philosophy, but with more emphasis on proscriptive ethics.

MEDIEVAL AND RENNAISSANCE

6. Augustine of Hippo: Confessions
            Augustine's Confessions stands as one of the most famous stories of conversion, and arguably the best and most important among Christian literature. Augustine literally bares his soul to the reader, and in doing so expresses the beauty and magnetism of pure Christianity to an intelligent man struggling with self-discipline and self-honesty. His story is one to which everyone can relate, and, as it emerges from the early centuries of Christianity, set a precedent of how we "come to Jesus."
            Selections from Aquinas' Summa Theologica might also have been in this spot as a wonderful example of the development of Christian philosophy and theology, but it isn't nearly as approachable as Augustine.

7. Dante: Divine Comedy: Inferno
            Dante's text evinces just how inherent Christianity had become in Western Civilization, that entertainment, theology, and romance can all be bound up in the same poem. While the entire three-part epic is probably too much for a high-school student, the Inferno by itself paints a compelling and vivid image of the fate of the damned. Students of history will be delighted (and sometimes amused) to identify all of the names who Dante places in hell, as well as the reason(s) why he does so.

            De Villehardouin's Memoirs of the Crusades might also take this spot, though is more medieval than renaissance, and more historical than literary.

8. Shakespeare: Henry V
            Shakespeare has to be on this list, but as I'm not really a fan of Shakespeare, I include the text which I appreciate most. Henry V gives us laughs, action, and (of course) rousing monologues of a martial tone. Beyond its readability, the text's influence (and therefore Shakespeare's) on modernity can clearly be seen when encountering such passages as "we band of brothers" and "once more unto the breach."
            A number of Shakespeare's works might fit into this spot instead, and certainly a close runner-up is Hamlet.

MODERNITY

9. Stowe: Uncle Tom's Cabin

            It's difficult to pass on a lot of texts ranging from Voltaire and Locke to Defoe and de Tocqueville, but Stowe absolutely has to be on this list. Slavery is unequivocally wrong, and yet abolitionists in America struggled mightily for generations to attract more members to their movement. In many ways, it was Stowe's text which finally provided the movement with the momentum necessary to translate into political power, eventually leading to a split of the Union and the start of the American Civil War. Stowe's text methodically destroys every defense of slavery, then in vogue, but does so with an engaging narrative both emotionally and ideologically compelling.

            For a further understanding of the ideas and context to which Stowe was responding, one might also read Calhoun's Disquisition on Government and/or Fitzhugh's Cannibals All!

10. Chesterton: The Ball and the Cross
            Much like Shakespeare, Chesterton has to be on this list. His importance to the Catholic literary revival, and to Catholics in modernity, is far beyond dispute, and this text, in particular, is a masterpiece resulting from Chesterton's attempt to  marry a novel with a criticism of modern social norms of "tolerance." Chesterton's conclusion leaves few without guilt, ranging from the overzealous Christian conservative to the aggressive hyper-liberal atheist, arguing instead that true Christian virtue is a type of moderation and sensibility we ought to have noticed the whole time. 
            For those who prefer a more straightforward, and less narrative presentation of Chesterton's social criticism and theological expositions, Orthodoxy could be read instead.

11. Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird

            In many ways, Harper Lee has updated Uncle Tom's Cabin, but done so in a manner that tells a common story through the uncommon eyes of a child. In so doing, we are forced into a sort of innocence which heightens our awareness of the injustices of the world, the cruelty of adults, and the goodness of which everyone is capable. The importance of this text lies in its ability to communicate in a manner which few other texts have achieved, evoking emotional, as well as ideological responses in its readers.
            No less emotionally evocative, and demonstrative of the importance of loyalty and friendship is Rawls' Where the Red Fern Grows, though this text noticeably lacks much of the social criticism present in Lee's masterpiece.

12. Carnegie: How to Win Friends and Influence People / Sheen: Finding True Happiness
            In the last 400 years, Western Civilization has endured an immense democratic revolution greatly changing the manner in which people interact with the world. Carnegie understood the dynamics of this new form of communication very well, even giving his text a deceptive title. Really, the text is about teaching people to be sensitive to each other's selfishness and high sense of self-importance as the key to being an effective communicator and leader.             

          Sheen's text is very short and serves as a Catholic addendum to Carnegie's treatise. Whereas Carnegie focuses on handling others, Sheen focuses on handling oneself. In the modern world, there can be so much noise and distractions that it's easy to lose sight of the simplicity inherent to our Catholic pursuit of happiness. As the pre-eminent Catholic communicator of modernity, Sheen well understood and reminds us that happiness needs to be actively sought every day, but inwardly, not outwardly.

Let us know in the comments what books you would add or delete.

NOTE on translations and editions:. The quality of translations of some of these texts can vary greatly. We have linked to the best translations known to the author. For used copies, we recommend checking www.bookfinder.com for the best prices. Some of the hyperlinks are affiliate links and provide a small referral fee to the author.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Christopher Martin teaches history and theology for Homeschool Connections. He holds a BA in Theology from Christendom College, 2007; an MA in History from National University, 2012; and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in History. He has taught History and Ideologies in Literature for House of Gold Academy and Our Lady of Joy Academy in Oceanside, California, since 2013. Mr. Martin's research interests include the Lost Cause, the Federalists & Anti-Federalists, and the Impact of Wars and Depressions Upon the American Social Mind. He presents at conferences and currently lives in Alpine, California, with his wife and three sons.

* Indicates there is a Homeschool Connections course available for the book.
** Indicates there is a Homeschool Connections course that uses a portion of the book in one or more of its courses.