"Living" books?

[tntgoodwin]

Could someone explain makes a book a living book? Thanks!

[EKS]

I believe it means that it is not a textbook. But I could be wrong.

 

But my experience is that just because a book is "living," doesn't mean it's good, and just because a book is "dead"...er...I mean, a textbook, doesn't mean it's bad.

[angela in ohio]

A living book is any book written by a person who knows and cares about the subject, as opposed to someone assigned a topic by a publishing house who then churns it out (either a textbook or not.) They are books like the old Landmark Books, each written by different authors who knew their subject, or the books by the D'Aulaire's or Jean Fritz for American history.

[stripe]

I thought it was the idea that the author was somehow knowledgeable and interested in the subject matter and his/her voice was in the book, explaining it.

 

It tends to be used for narrative type books instead of DK type books with lots of short bits of text and photos.

[Onceuponatime]

I believe it means that it is not a textbook. But I could be wrong.

 

But my experience is that just because a book is "living," doesn't mean it's good, and just because a book is "dead"...er...I mean, a textbook, doesn't mean it's bad.

 

Yes, that is right. It is a term that was used often at the beginning of the homeschool movement. There was a big push to use Charlotte Mason methods with unit studies and "living books." Living books are supposed to be any books written to delight children about certain subjects without the dryness and limited information of textbooks.

 

This has been taken by some to be a condemnation of textbooks, but that is not necessarily so. Textbooks have their place.

[Onceuponatime]

I thought it was the idea that the author was somehow knowledgeable and interested in the subject matter and his/her voice was in the book, explaining it.

 

It tends to be used for narrative type books instead of DK type books with lots of short bits of text and photos.

 

 

I've heard people call DK type books "living books" just because they are not text books. As though that gives them merit.

[Woodland Mist Academy]

But my experience is that just because a book is "living," doesn't mean it's good, and just because a book is "dead"...er...I mean, a textbook, doesn't mean it's bad.

 

LOL

 

I agree. It depends on the book.

[Mrs Mungo]

I thought it was the idea that the author was somehow knowledgeable and interested in the subject matter and his/her voice was in the book, explaining it.

 

It tends to be used for narrative type books instead of DK type books with lots of short bits of text and photos.

 

:iagree: It is usually used for narrative books.

[OrdinaryTime]

I've always understood it to refer to a book written by one author with a strong voice written in narrative.

[NotAVampireLvr]

I've heard people call DK type books "living books" just because they are not text books. As though that gives them merit.

 

lol I think DK has its place in education, but for us they are mostly spines and we take topics from them to study about.

 

:iagree: It is usually used for narrative books.

 

Yes - from a newbie perspective, this is what I've considered a "living book".

[Kathleen in VA]

The definition from the Simply Charlotte Mason website:

http://simplycharlottemason.com/basics/faq/livingbook/

[Blueridge]

And another lovely article that describes a living book is found here:

http://amblesideonline.org/LivingBks.shtml

[tntgoodwin]

Thanks!

[Julie Smith]

:) It's a book that is so full of life it can fly around the room

 

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