The Children S Classics Popular Books
The Children S Classics Biography & Facts
Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics also includes Greco-Roman philosophy, history, archaeology, anthropology, art, mythology and society as secondary subjects. In Western civilization, the study of the Greek and Roman classics was traditionally considered to be the foundation of the humanities and has traditionally been the cornerstone of a typical elite European education. Etymology The word classics is derived from the Latin adjective classicus, meaning "belonging to the highest class of citizens." The word was originally used to describe the members of the Patricians, the highest class in ancient Rome. By the 2nd century AD the word was used in literary criticism to describe writers of the highest quality. For example, Aulus Gellius, in his Attic Nights, contrasts "classicus" and "proletarius" writers. By the 6th century AD, the word had acquired a second meaning, referring to pupils at a school. Thus, the two modern meanings of the word, referring both to literature considered to be of the highest quality and the standard texts used as part of a curriculum, were both derived from Roman use. History Middle Ages In the Middle Ages, classics and education were tightly intertwined; according to Jan Ziolkowski, there is no era in history in which the link was tighter. Medieval education taught students to imitate earlier classical models, and Latin continued to be the language of scholarship and culture, despite the increasing difference between literary Latin and the vernacular languages of Europe during the period. While Latin was hugely influential, according to thirteenth-century English philosopher Roger Bacon, "there are not four men in Latin Christendom who are acquainted with the Greek, Hebrew, and Arabic grammars." Greek was rarely studied in the West, and Greek literature was known almost solely in Latin translation. The works of even major Greek authors such as Hesiod, whose names continued to be known by educated Europeans, along with most of Plato, were unavailable in Christian Europe. Some were rediscovered through Arabic translations; a School of Translators was set up in the border city of Toledo, Spain, to translate from Arabic into Latin. Along with the unavailability of Greek authors, there were other differences between the classical canon known today and the works valued in the Middle Ages. Catullus, for instance, was almost entirely unknown in the medieval period. The popularity of different authors also waxed and waned throughout the period: Lucretius, popular during the Carolingian Renaissance, was barely read in the twelfth century, while for Quintilian the reverse is true. Renaissance The Renaissance led to the increasing study of both ancient literature and ancient history, as well as a revival of classical styles of Latin. From the 14th century, first in Italy and then increasingly across Europe, Renaissance Humanism, an intellectual movement that "advocated the study and imitation of classical antiquity", developed. Humanism saw a reform in education in Europe, introducing a wider range of Latin authors as well as bringing back the study of Greek language and literature to Western Europe. This reintroduction was initiated by Petrarch (1304–1374) and Boccaccio (1313–1375) who commissioned a Calabrian scholar to translate the Homeric poems. This humanist educational reform spread from Italy, in Catholic countries as it was adopted by the Jesuits, and in countries that became Protestant such as England, Germany, and the Low Countries, in order to ensure that future clerics were able to study the New Testament in the original language. Neoclassicism The late 17th and 18th centuries are the period in Western European literary history which is most associated with the classical tradition, as writers consciously adapted classical models. Classical models were so highly prized that the plays of William Shakespeare were rewritten along neoclassical lines, and these "improved" versions were performed throughout the 18th century. In the United States, the nation's Founders were strongly influenced by the classics, and they looked in particular to the Roman Republic for their form of government. From the beginning of the 18th century, the study of Greek became increasingly important relative to that of Latin. In this period Johann Winckelmann's claims for the superiority of the Greek visual arts influenced a shift in aesthetic judgements, while in the literary sphere, G.E. Lessing "returned Homer to the centre of artistic achievement". In the United Kingdom, the study of Greek in schools began in the late 18th century. The poet Walter Savage Landor claimed to have been one of the first English schoolboys to write in Greek during his time at Rugby School. In the United States, philhellenism began to emerge in the 1830s, with a turn "from a love of Rome and a focus on classical grammar to a new focus on Greece and the totality of its society, art, and culture.". 19th century The 19th century saw the influence of the classical world, and the value of a classical education, decline, especially in the United States, where the subject was often criticised for its elitism. By the 19th century, little new literature was still being written in Latin – a practice which had continued as late as the 18th century – and a command of Latin declined in importance. Correspondingly, classical education from the 19th century onwards began to increasingly de-emphasise the importance of the ability to write and speak Latin. In the United Kingdom this process took longer than elsewhere. Composition continued to be the dominant classical skill in England until the 1870s, when new areas within the discipline began to increase in popularity. In the same decade came the first challenges to the requirement of Greek at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, though it would not be finally abolished for another 50 years. Though the influence of classics as the dominant mode of education in Europe and North America was in decline in the 19th century, the discipline was rapidly evolving in the same period. Classical scholarship was becoming more systematic and scientific, especially with the "new philology" created at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century. Its scope was also broadening: it was during the 19th century that ancient history and classical archaeology began to be seen as part of classics, rather than separate disciplines. 20th century to present During the 20th century, the study of classics became less common. In England, for instance, Oxford and Cambridge universities stopped requiring students to have qualifications in Greek in 1920, and in Latin at the end of the 1950s. When the National Curriculum was introduced in England, Wales, .... Discover the The Children S Classics popular books. Find the top 100 most popular The Children S Classics books.
Best Seller The Children S Classics Books of 2024
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Biscuit in the Garden
Alyssa Satin CapucilliFor fans of Clifford and Spot, welcome everybody’s favorite little yellow puppy, Biscuit, in an I Can Read adventure!Biscuit is excited to explore the garden. From the prettiest fl...
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The Giving Tree
Shel SilversteinAs The Giving Tree turns fifty, this timeless classic is available for the first time ever in ebook format. This digital edition allows young readers and lifelong fans to continue ...
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Where the Red Fern Grows
Wilson RawlsA beloved classic that captures the powerful bond between man and man’s best friend. Billy has long dreamt of owning not one, but two, dogs. So when he’s finally able to save ...
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Walk Two Moons
Sharon CreechIn her own singularly beautiful style, Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech intricately weaves together two tales, one funny, one bittersweet, to create a heartwarming, compelling, a...
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The Horse and His Boy
C. S. LewisIllustrations in this ebook appear in vibrant full color on a fullcolor ebook device and in rich black and white on all other devices.Narnia . . . where horses talk . . . where tre...
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Digger the Dinosaur
Rebecca DotlichDigger the Dinosaur may be huge, but he has the heart of a preschooler. He loves to help but gets mixed up a lot. In Digger the Dinosaur, Digger wants to play baseball wi...
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The Phantom Tollbooth
Norton Juster & Jules Feiffer“Comes up bright and new every time I read it . . . it will continue to charm and delight for a very long time yet.” Phillip Pullman, New York Times bestselling author of His Dark ...
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Watership Down
Richard Adams & Madeline MillerNow with a new introduction by Madeline Miller, the New York Times bestselling author of The Song of Achilles and Circe.The 50th anniversary edition of Richard Adam’s timeless clas...
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Winnie the Pooh
A. A. Milne & Ernest H. ShepardHappy 90th birthday, to one of the world's most beloved icons of children's literature, WinniethePooh! The adventures of Pooh and Piglet, Kanga and tiny Roo, Owl, Rabbit, and ...
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One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish
Dr. SeussCount and rhyme while exploring the zany world and words of Dr. Seuss in this classic picture book. From counting to opposites to Dr. Seuss’s signature silly rhymes, this book...
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Warrior of the Light
Paulo CoelhoRise to Your DestinyWarrior of the Light is a timeless and inspirational companion to The Alchemistan international bestseller that has beguiled millions of readers around the worl...
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Stone Fox
John Reynolds GardinerJohn Reynolds Gardiner's classic actionpacked adventure story about a thrilling dogsled race has captivated readers for more than thirty years. Based on a Rocky Mountain legen...
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The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse
Beatrix PotterThis book features the original text and fullcolor original Beatrix Potter art. Mrs. Tittlemouse is a wood mouse. She is always sweeping her burrow, polishing and tidying to keep h...
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The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
C. S. LewisIllustrations in this ebook appear in vibrant full color on a fullcolor ebook device and in rich black and white on all other devices.Narnia . . . where a dragon awakens . . . wher...
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Green Eggs and Ham
Dr. SeussJoin in the fun with SamIAm in this iconic Dr. Seuss classic about the joy of trying new things. And don’t miss the Netflix series adaptation! ...
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Beezus and Ramona
Beverly ClearyNewbery Award winner Beverly Cleary delivers a humorous portrayal of the ups and downs of sisterhood. Both the younger and older siblings of the family will enjoy this book. Having...
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Prince Caspian
C. S. LewisIllustrations in this ebook appear in vibrant full color on a fullcolor ebook device and in rich black and white on all other devices.Narnia . . . where animals talk . . . where tr...
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To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper LeeHarper Lee's Pulitzer Prizewinning masterwork of honor and injustice in the deep Southand the heroism of one man in the face of blind and violent hatred.One of the most cheris...
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Frog and Toad Are Friends
Arnold LobelCelebrate the power of friendship in these five adventurous stories starring Frog and Toada Caldecott Honor Book! From writing letters to going swimming, telling stories to fi...
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The Mouse and the Motorcycle
Beverly ClearyIn this imaginative adventure from Newbery Medal–winning author Beverly Cleary, a young mouse named Ralph is thrown into a world of excitement when a boy and his shiny toy motorcyc...
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Old Yeller
Fred GipsonA timeless American classic and one of the most beloved children’s books ever written, Old Yeller is a Newbery Honor Book that explores the poignant and unforgettable bond between ...
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A Wind in the Door
Madeleine L'EngleIt is November. When Meg comes home from school, Charles Wallace tells her he saw dragons in the twin’s vegetable garden. That night Meg, Calvin and C.W. go to the vegetable ...
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The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies
Beatrix PotterThis book features the original text and fullcolor original Beatrix Potter art. Benjamin Bunny and his cousin Peter Rabbit and Flopsy are adult rabbits. Benjamin and Flopsy are mar...
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From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
E.L. KonigsburgNow available in a deluxe keepsake edition!A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021)Run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art with E. L. Konigsburg’s beloved classic and Newbery Meda...
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I Know This Much Is True
Wally Lamb#1 New York Times Bestseller and Oprah Book Club selection"Thoughtful . . . heartwrenching . . . . An exercise in soulbaring storytellingwith the soul belonging to 20thce...
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A Tree Grows In Brooklyn
Betty SmithThe American classic about a young girl's comingofage at the turn of the century.This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews...
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The Tale of Tom Kitten and Other Stories
Beatrix PotterThis book features the original text and fullcolor original Beatrix Potter art. The stories inside are "The Tale of Tom Kitten", "The Story of Miss Moppet", "The Tale of Samuel Whi...
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Huff and Puff
Tish RabeHuff pulls the train. Puff pushes the train. Day in and day out, the train clicks and clacks down the tracks. But one day, Huff and Puff decide to trade places. Will the train come...
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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
C. S. LewisThe Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the second book in C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia, a series that has become part of the canon of classic literature, drawing readers...
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Sounder
William H. ArmstrongThis powerful Newberywinning classic tells the story of the great coon dog Sounder and his family. An African American boy and his family rarely have enough to eat. Each night...