The Beauty of Children's Literature with Charity Hill

Summary

In this conversation, Shannon Valenzuela interviews Charity Hill, an 11th grade integrated humanities instructor for Valor North Austin and host of the Bright Wings podcast on children's literature. They discuss the importance of discernment in selecting children's literature, the interconnectedness of truth, goodness, and beauty, and the transformative power of reading. Charity shares her experiences as a teacher and podcaster, emphasizing that children's literature is not just for children but holds profound significance for readers of all ages. The conversation highlights the role of literature in shaping values and understanding the human experience.

Resources & Links:

• Charity's Website and Podcast: https://www.brightwingschildrensbooks.com/
• Charity's Literature Discernment Worksheet

Topics Covered:

• Discernment in children's literature
• Children's literature as formation
• Truth, goodness, and beauty in literature 
• The benefits of reading aloud together
• Children's books that aren't just for children

Guest:

Charity Andrzejewski Hill is a 2002 University of Dallas graduate, where she majored in English. After graduating, Charity did youth and family ministry in Canada and Ireland and then earned a masters of theology at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage an Family. She is married to Conor Hill for almost 18 years and together they have four children. Charity started a podcast in 2020 on children's literature, and she authors the Family Supplement for Well-Read Mom, pairing children's literature with the material the women read each month. She also contributes yearly to the publication Magnificat. What currently dominates her time and her thoughts are her 11th grade students, to whom she teaches integrated humanities at the public charter school Valor North Austin.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

04:41 Evaluating Children's Literature

06:43 Truth, Goodness, and Beauty in Literature

08:36 Moral Clarity in Children's Books

10:57 The Significance of Children's Literature

12:25 Beauty in Literature and Its Impact

14:19 The Role of Beauty in Action

16:15 The Long Gaze: Discernment in Literature

22:06 Children's Literature Beyond Childhood

27:10 Literature and Formation

30:14 Transformative Books from Childhood

34:08 The Importance of Slowing Down in Reading

36:11 Teaching 11th Grade Literature

41:56 Conclusion

UD Links

• Classical Education Master’s Program at the University of Dallas: udallas.edu/classical-ed
• St. Ambrose Center Professional Development for Teachers and Administrators: https://k12classical.udallas.edu/

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