Grammar-dude: To Infinitives -- And Beyond!

Beowulf

2011-08-12T01:33:00.000-07:00

A discussion thread for my eleventh and twelfth grade English students:
What makes Beowulf a heroic character? Are there certain qualities that were considered heroic by Anglo-Saxon standards but not by today's standards?

Good Morning, Miss Dove

2011-08-12T01:19:00.000-07:00

A discussion thread for those of you in my ninth and tenth grade English class:
Do you think Miss Dove is a good teacher? Why or why not

Ted Dekker

2010-10-17T21:06:00.000-07:00

I have to say that Ted Dekker is a great find. I finished his Circle Trilogy (and discovered the existence of a fourth novel in the series) this last summer. I had received it as a Christmas gift (thank you, Gould family!) and finally got a chance to read it during my summer vacation. The series is so engaging, I had a hard time stopping for the day. I am thankful that I waited until vacation to begin it. I am definitely looking forward to beginning Green, the fourth novel in the series. I hope you get a chance to pick it up and enjoy it as much as I have.

The Prydain Chronicles

2010-06-07T22:39:00.000-07:00

One of the series I really enjoyed as a child -- and I still re-read as an adult -- is the Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander. The series includes The Book Of Three, The Black Cauldron, The Castle Of Llyr, Taran Wanderer, and The High King. I don't know if Lloyd Alexander was a Christian but his version of Gwydion (who bears no resemblance to the Gwydion of Welsh mythology) is pretty Christlike in his dealings with other characters. He resists evil and forgives those who at one time were his enemies. If you haven't read them before, you're in for a treat.

Authors whose work I can read

2010-05-19T19:24:00.000-07:00

Some of the titles I thoroughly enjoyed are the books in the Dragon King Trilogy by Stephen Lawhead. I haven't read anything else by Stephen Lawhead but from what I've heard, his Pendragon Cycle is quite worth the time and effort. The Dragon King Trilogy is overtly Christian and I enjoyed that immensely. Another work I've enjoyed was the science fiction novel The Deadman Switch by Timothy Zahn. While nothing about the author's biography clearly indicates any Christian belief, his main character uses Scripture quite often in contextually appropriate situations.

Speculative Fiction and the Christian Reader

2010-05-18T21:17:00.000-07:00

I was thinking the other day about how difficult it can sometimes be for an avid reader of speculative fiction to find books which don't contain inappropriate physical contact. I'll find a promising novel and pick it up. I'll get a few chapters into it and -- SURPRISE! -- I'll find the author describing things I don't want to read. The old saying is that you are what you eat. I believe it is even more true to say that you are molded by that to which you open your mind. If I were choosing a movie, I could follow the rating system. As far as I know, however, no rating system exists for books. Thus, we are left to word of mouth to help us find new authors whose work we can read safely. In addition to help from our friends, we rely on the reputation of the author, trusting that he or she will continue to write the type of stories the author has been writing until now. Therefore, I'd like to throw out a few authors whose work I enjoy as a Christian reader of both Fantasy and Science Fiction.
Next time I log on, I'll have a few suggestions

2010-05-13T21:25:00.000-07:00

Years ago, when I was in high school, my computer science class took a field trip to Mare Island Naval Base. While we were there, my computer science teacher, who also taught math, asked every engineer he met what classes from high school those engineers wished they had paid more attention in. Thinking, of course, that the engineers would all say math or science, he was surprised when they all responded that they wished they had devoted more time to their English classes. They went on to explain that they are often given huge manuals or textbooks which they needed to read quickly. Furthermore, they needed to glean as much information in that short amount of time as they could. Needless to say, I have never quite forgotten that story my teacher related to us and I have seen it confirmed in all the college courses I have taken since then.

What does that story have to do with this picture? Simply this: the skills you learn from your English teacher are like the harness and other equipment needed to navigate the ropes course. Just as without that equipment I would not have been able to negotiate the course, you will not be able to negotiate the courses you take in college without the skills taught in reading and writing. Get all you can out of those classes, folks. They're worth more than you can imagine.

Metaphors be with you!

Welcome

2010-05-13T17:02:00.000-07:00

Greetings, friends! This is my first attempt at creating a blog, let alone exploring a blog. I appreciate your patience as I enter the 21st century, albeit a decade late!