The golden days of summer are upon us! It’s the perfect time for educators to rest, reflect, and renew their love for learning. Whether you’re looking to revisit timeless stories, deepen your understanding of the faith, or engage with today’s cultural questions, the ICLE Faculty has curated a list of summer reading recommendations to enrich both heart and mind. Enjoy!
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
Promulgated by Pope John Paul II
(Full text | Catechism in a Year podcast)
Our faith is a gift, an endless treasure trove of beauty, grace, and love. How can we truly acknowledge or appreciate this gift without continuing to learn more about it? There is so much beauty and depth in the Catechism of the Catholic Church for us to discover, and I hope you enjoy diving into our faith as much as I have.
“In reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we can perceive the wonderful unity of the mystery of God…” — Pope St. John Paul II
— Marie Kelly
The Chronicles of Narnia
C.S. Lewis
Read The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis (yes, you must start with The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe), even if you have read them before. Few series of books have the power to bring us back to child-like recognition of what it means to be human, with all of the joy, and danger, and pitfalls, and hope that go with it. They are childish enough to be perfect for any adult. It is the story of some children who go on a grand adventure, quite by accident. And there’s a lion.
— Tyler Storey
The Anxious Generation
Jonathan Haidt
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt investigates the nature of childhood, including why children need play and independent exploration to mature into competent, thriving adults, while detailing the serious risks and implications of screen/technology misuse for children and adolescents, especially within the context of today’s society. I hope that both teachers and parents enjoy reading this book and considering how we allow our children to spend their time. Especially as a soon-to-be parent, this book really opened my eyes to the gift of time for children and its proper use, as highlighted through the grave misuse of technology in our society. Haidt provides reasonable suggestions (free play, limited screen use, no social media before a particular age, etc.) parents and teachers can take to help raise our children in a (mostly) screen-free environment and speaks to the many benefits and risks of technology, especially for children and adolescents.
— Marie Kelly
The Dangerous Book for Boys
Conn and Hal Iggulden
I wholeheartedly agree with Marie’s recommendation of The Anxious Generation. But before you read that, try to get your hands on a copy of The Dangerous Book for Boys, by Conn and Hal Iggulden. That way when you’re done with The Anxious Generation, you can thumb through the Iggulden book and remind yourself of the antidotes. It is a guide to all the practical and real-life activities that every child will want to learn and do: games, building things, puzzles, projects, interesting facts, etc.
— Tyler Storey
Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers
Ralph Moody
This is an autobiography of 10-year-old Ralph who moves with his family to Littleton, CO to start afresh. Ralph eventually grew up to be, among other things, a stunt rider for western films. While it is certainly a fascinating story of growing up on the American Frontier, it is as much a beautiful meditation on growing up, work, fatherhood, and friendship.
— Elizabeth Black
Searching for and Maintaining Peace: A Small Treatise on Peace of Heart
Father Jacques Philippe
In this short work of spiritual guidance, Fr. Jacques Philippe helps the soul be reoriented toward peace, seeing that the Lord Himself wants this peace for us in all things. Father gently addresses the many objections and obstacles we would typically have, leading us into the Shepherd’s care and teaching us how to stay there.
— Colleen Richards
Teaching the Quadrivium
Peter Ulrickson
Not for mathematics teachers only! This is the teacher’s manual to Ulrickson’s textbook A Brief Quadrivium, but don’t think about that. The brief essays that accompany each chapter are a gold mine of beautifully presented teacher wisdom and encouragement, studded with fascinating facts and ideas. Whatever your subject, you will love teaching more simply by reading these — and will learn something about the quadrivium along the way.
— Tyler Storey