Windows to the World?

[stacywatkins34]

I was looking for a literary reference book for highschoolers. Windows to the World is the only thing I saw that came close. I'm not interested in a lot of comprehension questions or even necessarily prescribed texts to read. I'm more interested in something that will give a highschooler the tools they need to read, analyze, and write about literature. Is Windows to the World what I'm looking for or do you recommend something else?

[Lori D.]

I was looking for a literary reference book for high schoolers.

 

 

Hmmm... this part of your question sounds like you are actually asking for several different things.

 

The "literary reference book" portion of your question might be referring to something like The Reader's Companion to World Literature, which is a type of encyclopedia reference book on Literature, with information on: authors, specific works, literary movements, historical periods, technical terms and phrases.

 

Or, by "literary reference book" you might mean you'd like a reference resource that explains what the various literary terms/devices/techniques are, and how they are used in Literature. An example would be this free online glossary of literary terms; a book with explanations of various literary terms with examples from classic literature plus exercises to practice looking for/using these terms would be Figuratively Speaking.

 

 

 

Windows to the World is the only thing I saw that came close. I'm not interested in a lot of comprehension questions or even necessarily prescribed texts to read. I'm more interested in something that will give a highschooler the tools they need to read, analyze, and write about literature.

 

However, this portion of your question leads me to think you are looking for a Literature program that teaches literary analysis through use of literary devices. (How to read, think about, analyze, discuss, and write about Literature.) If so, yes, Windows to the World does do this. Another resource you may find helpful to do together with your high schoolers is Teaching the Classics. It does not cover specific works, but rather, teaches YOU the teacher how to lead discussion and analysis of a work. In fact, there is a syllabus (e-book for a fee) by Jill Pike that you can download that coordinates using both of these programs together.

 

In this past post, I give a brief pro/con list to review Windows to the World but also link a number of other threads with great discussion and reviews on Windows to the World to give you more help in understanding the program, and whether or not it is what you are looking for.

 

 

Hope that is of help. BEST of luck finding what you're looking for! Warmest regards, Lori D.