The Tempest

Arielle's last literature assignment was to read Shakespeare's The Tempest. Her teacher advised her to get a side-by-side version with the original text next to the modern English. I don't know that Arielle tried reading the original at all. She is a voracious reader but likes ideas more than poetic words.

Her writing assignment was to choose a scene and set it in modern times and re-write the story. What a struggle this has been for her! Arielle is a good writer. Last year our evaluator told us that one of her papers would fulfill a high school requirement, and she was only 12 then. She is good at research papers or any task that requires logical thinking. She is one who likes worksheets and writing that is concrete and well-defined. This assignment has been a challenge. She doesn't like to create characters or stories.

Liana is on the other end of the spectrum. She hates worksheets and any assignment that confines her to a set parameter. She had one lesson that required her to write a story from three pictures. She did not like this at all. It was boring and pointless to her. But an open-ended writing lesson that gives her the liberty to create exhilarates her. Right now she is working on a novel about two friends during Civil War times. This was not an assignment, just something she wanted to do.

We all think differently and learn differently. I can't wait to see how God will use my two daughters' unique gifts as they grow to be women.

Another Great Book

The girls and I love audio books for the car. I used to think we don't really travel enough to hear a whole book, but that's not true. We spend more time on the road than we think. We just finished Newberry Medal winner Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech. This version was read by Hope Davis and her rendering was delightful.

This is not a Christian book, but it is well-written with a multi-layered plot. It is funny, tender and heart-breaking all at the same time. Serious life issues arise in the story and they gave opportunity for some discussion. The vividly portrayed characters are unforgettable.

It is not for early elementary ages. Liana is eleven and I wouldn't recommend this for a child younger than she is.