Plumfield Moms
We are sisters in Christ who became friends over a shared love of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty, found especially in good and great books. Our primary vocation is that of marriage and motherhood, but we feel a secondary call, as educators and homeschool moms, to walk with families who are seeking to help form souls who are capable of responding to the vocation God has called them to. Our objective is to form our children and grandchildren to the best of our ability, and in so doing share what has been meaningful to us with others that it may encourage them and lighten their burden. As homeschoolers, classical educators and Christians, we have a passion for the ancient Greek paideia and the loving education of Louisa May Alcott‘s Plumfield (from her novel Little Men).
Listen on:
Episodes
Monday Aug 28, 2023
Monday Aug 28, 2023
"Of Schmidt’s three companion books, The Wednesday Wars, Okay for Now, and Just Like That, I think Okay for Now is the richest. The characters are full and believable and Doug’s growth over the school year is substantial. Doug finds himself surrounded by caring adults who see the best in him and mentor him through hard times."
Don't miss our book club on this compelling book:
https://plumfieldandpaideia.com/show-notes-okay-for-now-book-club/
Monday Aug 28, 2023
Monday Aug 28, 2023
The title characters of this story are Lizzie Bright, a black American girl who lives with her grandfather on Malaga island, and Turner Buckminster, the son of a New England minister. Their friendship causes scandal and an awakening throughout the town. But, it ends in so much tragedy. This story is not hard, until it is. And once it is, it never gets much better. And it is all the worse because it is true. But, it is told well and is an excellent story to have in our hearts. Full Review: https://plumfieldandpaideia.com/lizzie-bright-and-the-buckminister-boy/
Friday Aug 25, 2023
Friday Aug 25, 2023
Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt
The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
Just Like That by Gary D. Schmidt
The Biblioguides Online Community
Finding Langston Trilogy by Lesa Cline-Ransome
The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt
N. D. Wilson’s Books
The Door Before (Prequel to The 100 Cupboards Trilogy) by N. D. Wilson
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Interview with Gary D. Schmidt on Internet Archive
The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney
Ticki Ticki Tembo by Arlene Mosel
The Big Jump by Benjamin Elkin, available at Internet Archive
Babar by Jean De Brunhoff
Freddy the Pig books by Walter R. Brooks
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Straw into Gold by Gary D. Schmidt
Letters of a Woman Homesteader by Elinore Pruitt Stewart
Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley
Tuesday Aug 22, 2023
Tuesday Aug 22, 2023
Liz and Emily's podcast, A Delectable Education
Simply Charlotte Mason Video of Liz and Emily's Library
Jan Bloom's book, Who Should We Then Read
Michelle Howard interview
Five in a Row book list
Library Lady, Kathleen Seeger interview
Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis
Monday Aug 21, 2023
Saturday Aug 19, 2023
Saturday Aug 19, 2023
A reflection on the importance of staying awake to guard against sin.
Monday Aug 14, 2023
Monday Aug 14, 2023
“The dazzling mythology of ancient India has always delighted and fascinated me… India’s national epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, are profound, powerful masterpieces that rival the Iliadand the Arthurian legend. Admittedly, this mythology may seem alien, strange, even forbiddingly complex. As in any encounter with a different culture, what appears difficult or incomprehensible quickly grows familiar. The farther we journey through its rich landscape, the more we understand that what lies beneath the brilliant, exotic surface is, in essence, a world we recognize. The warrior’s code of honor, for example, is nearly identical with the knightly code of chivalry. Earth-shaking clashes between good and evil, courageous heroines and gallant heroes, steadfast love, daring rescues, loss and recovery, these are elements in our universal heritage of story” – from Lloyd Alexander’s Author’s Note in The Iron Ring
Monday Aug 07, 2023
Monday Aug 07, 2023
Perhaps because it is historical fiction (one of my favorite genres), this modern book doesn’t feel quite like a modern book. It does have a certain pacing and dialogue style that is more typical of some modern books, but I enjoyed it and felt that it had a timelessness to it. In fact, as I was reading, it reminded me of Alta Halverson Seymour’s Tangled Skein or maybe a little bit of Hilda van Stockum’s Borrowed House. Both authors told powerful stories about teens in wartime that edified while they entertained. This story is also a good one for our teens to chew on. I suspect that we will do this one as a book club. And I look forward to reading more of her wartime novels.Full review here: https://plumfieldandpaideia.com/words-on-fire/
Saturday Aug 05, 2023
Saturday Aug 05, 2023
A reflection on keeping step with fellow believers by keeping in step with Jesus.
Friday Aug 04, 2023
Friday Aug 04, 2023
"I suppose I was born to be a reader and a librarian. After I learned to read in first grade, I was insatiable when it came to books. And the public library, Tom Green County Library in San Angelo, Texas, was my source . . . The Children’s Librarians there, Ms. Karen, and later Ms. Lynn, helped me find the best books and inspired me to want to do the same for others someday."