Whatever is Noble: Hero Stories

This post is part 2 in my Home Library Builders series. As I noted in the first post of the series, Whatever is True: Biographies, it is critical that we make the most of time spent reading by choosing the best reading material for ourselves and for our kids, especially when it comes to reluctant readers.

I have a reluctant emerging reader myself, so I know well the temptation to give these kids silly books (which appeal to nothing high or noble-minded) in the hopes that they will desire to read more. For example, a couple of my younger boys love the Time Warp Trio, which I feel falls into this category of “twaddle” (a term coined by Charlotte Mason which refers to something that is dumbed-down, or as Karen Andreola defines it, “candy for the mind”.)

I’ll admit that I occasionally allow my younger boys to read books from that series, just as I allow them to watch television in moderation. Both have their purpose, when used appropriately. But just as a diet of too much TV is bad for them, so, too, is a diet which overindulges in “twaddlish” books.

A reluctant reader typically spends far less time reading than a zealous reader does, so it is all the more important to maximize the time they do spend. For more ideas on helping young readers, and the four types of reading they should be practicing, see my post on Emerging Readers.

The Hero Story can be a wonderful tool in encouraging young readers to push themselves just a little bit harder, in order to find out what happens. At the same time, excellent hero stories awaken a desire for noble character in all of us.

Remember as you are choosing books, the goal is not merely to encourage reading as an end in and of itself. If that were our only goal, any twaddle would do. We are trying to kill two birds with one stone, and see that time is spent reading and that the mind and spirit are simultaneously fed with something worthwhile, excellent and praiseworthy.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

Here are some of my favorite Hero Stories. Many of them are for boys, as I have all boys. There are a few titles for girls included, too, as I like a good hero story, myself!

I’ve read two excellent hero stories this season, both of which are already on my all-time favorites list. I am currently reading The Princess Adelina, an Esther-like tale based on the true story of an 8th century Christian girl in the German Culdee church.

Adelina is forced to marry a heathen King and uses her position to gain protection for the Scottish and Irish missionaries and the young church in her land. She shows bravery in the face of persecution, a willingness to humbly lay down her own life for her friends, and a commitment to honor her Lord as she serves her heathen husband in the fashion of 1 Peter 3, which says:

Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.

My other personal favorite hero story for 2008 is To Have and to Hold, from Vision Forum. To Have and to Hold is historical fiction, portraying the lives of the first settlers at Jamestown.

This book is full of exciting twists and turns, and the language is so well-rendered that it is truly a pleasure to read. There were many times I found myself repeating certain phrases which seemed almost musical to my ear.

More than that, however, the book gives us heroes and heroines, as well as villains to consider. To Have and to Hold, as its title would suggest, gives us a beautiful picture of the sanctity of marriage and of the nobility of a wife who embraces her husband’s vision, as well as a husband who cherishes his wife, even as he valiantly fights for her against all odds. You’ll gain a greater understanding of–and appreciation for–what the forefathers of our nation went through to forge the heritage we now enjoy.

When it comes to hero stories, our two favorite authors are G.A. Henty and R. M. Ballantyne. We’ve been reading and listening to Henty for years. My oldest son prefers reading these books silently to himself, while my emerging readers need to hear them as read-alouds with me or as recordings. Several titles are available on My Audio School .  The cheapest place I’ve found to purchase hardback Henty titles is through Library and Educational Services, a wholesale book seller available to libraries, homeschoolers and educators. You’ll have to join in order to search their site, but it is well worth it for these and other titles.

R. M Ballantyne is a new favorite of ours. Many of his books have been reprinted by Vision Forum. The new Ballantyne the Brave website has many book reviews and articles about Ballantyne.   My Audio School has some Ballantyne titles, as well.

What makes Ballantyne and Henty stand head and shoulders above the rest is that they had an amazing ability to write stories which teach a great deal of history while portraying noble heroic boys which inspire my children to attain to greater heights. Both authors wrote with a Christian worldview, as well, and this comes through clearly in their books. I cannot speak highly enough about the importance of including books from both of these authors in your library, particularly if you are raising boys. As I am planning our school year I look ahead to see which Henty and Ballantyne titles would fit with our time period, and work to include as many as possible in our history curriculum.

Perhaps my readers could suggest some other heroine stories for girls? I am familiar with Elsie Dinsmore, as I know several young Christian girls who love that series. I believe Library and Ed has a great price on this series, too.

The next post in this series will be Whatever is Right: Books that build character.