Beautiful Girlhood books from Vision Forum?

[jeaninpa]

Has anyone read these?  Opinions?  Reading level? I’m looking for gifts for girls who are 8-9 years old.  One of them is my dd.  She likes Little House on the Prairie and Betsy and Tacy books.  Any input or suggestions are appreciated!

[MissusLeata]

I’ve not read Beautiful Girlhood, but my concern, based on what I’ve read about it, would be that it could paint as “godly” a lot of things that are just culture from a certain time period. And at those ages, it might be hard to differentiate between old fashion culture and Christian values. I think if I had read it that young, it would have brought me a lot of bondage.

[CindyS]

We have a few of them and I don’t see what MissusLeata sees; though I’m always willing to admit that I may be missing something. You are talking about the picture books, right? Nothing Can Separate Us, Land Beyond the Setting Sun, etc? My daughters are 7 and 10 and they have enjoyed them for a number of years. I would say the reading level is anywhere from 8-12.

Blessings,

Cindy

[JenniferM]

I no longer purchase anything by VF after reading some of the articles posted here:

http://rethinkingvisionforum.wordpress.com/  

I’m sure they carry some good books, but I no longer choose to support their company.

[2flowerboys]

Haven’t read what the website says about VF…just lead me to their topic about the homeschool convention I attended in the spring in South Carolina. It was a wonderful conference! yet this site is against not only VF but Voddie Baucham, Ken Ham, Kirk Cameron, and Stephen Kendrick producer of Fireproof and Facing the Giants. They baulk at taking the Bible literally as well as a literal 6 day creation.

I know nothing of VF values per se, but want to caution you to read the site thoroughly if you follow any of the aboves values or teaching!

Just a thought!

[MissusLeata]

Like jennifermason, I don’t like to support VF, either. Their “vision” isn’t something I can get on board with and I get that from reading things on their site. Like the article about about needing to be women “worthy” of men dying for us (something about the Titanic.) It’s things like that that I wouldn’t want my daughters to read. 

[jeaninpa]

Oh dear…..much food for thought here.  Thanks for your replies.

[eawerner]

I would also be careful with anything from VF. I’ve read enough to know that I won’t be purchasing any materials from them. 

[Jennifer WI]

I, too, would be careful with VF products, but I would ALSO be careful with that above mentioned website. I read some things on there I agree with, and some that were extremely one sided and prejudice against Christians in general. So, like with anything, you have to go back to the Bible, not a group with some non-Scriptural philosophies, and not a website that clearly has some anti-Christian leanings.

[Kristen]

I don’t know about the books that Cindy mentioned, but the book “Beautiful Girlhood” by Karen Andreola, I bought to go through with my daughters but at 9 almost 10 years old I didn’t feel she was ready for it yet. As for VF and any other sites and their beliefs, I always use caution when teaching bible things. We come from a very conservative Lutheran church and while I do use other denominations products, I’m always careful to direct it to what we believe. Sometimes it can be a good lesson in what others think/believe the bible says.

[NJcountrygal]

Jeaninpa,

I do not know all there is to know about vision forum, nor do I know or have the time to research the personal lives and beliefs of each blogger who has posted articles online against vision forum.  I can tell you that we have several items that were put out by this company.  I have never found anything that I would think of as harmful.  Maybe you could try a few and find out whether it is something that your family would enjoy.  Our general rule for media of all forms coming into our house is that if it is openly contrary to God’s Word we toss it.  Of course, I’m still working on knowing more of God’s Word so it might take us forever to figure out what is good and not good.  I’m glad He is patient with us!!!

[FrenchCountryHomeschool]

Hi Jeaninpa,

Beautiful Girlhood is in the public domain and you can find it online through various sources if you google the name (i.e. Gutenberg, etc.).  I believe VF simply publishes it but I could be wrong.  So, you don’t even have to buy it, just download it.  You can also buy it through Amazon.  Karen Andreola put out a revised version that is updated for our time and I think also put out a study guide to go along for Mother/daughter to do together.  I plan on using it with my oldest daughter (12).  I will just add that we are currently reading through Personal Help for Girls published by Pearables and I love it.  A very gentle intoduction into the wobbly years!  We plan on reading through several books of this type for reinforcement and different perspectives.  HTH!

[pslively]

Hi,  I’ve really tried to avoid responding to this because I don’t want to start any problems.  And I’m probably making a mistake now that I’ll have to apologize and repent for later.  But here goes… The attacks on VF really bother me.  Do you really believe that they are so harmful that you can’t support their company?  More harmful than, oh, say… Amazon?  Should we choose to give our money to a company like amazon rather than VF because we don’t appreciate their view on girlhood?  Why can’t we just be discerning enough to take what is good and leave what is bad?  While I don’t agree with every single thing espoused by VF, I can guarantee that I have much more in common with them than with 95% of booksellers out there.  They are our brothers and sisters in Christ.  I guess the harshness in the responses is what I find so upsetting.  (And if I am reading harshness where none was intended, I apologize. )  

For the record, we buy many toys/tools from VF because my son loves them and they are of good quality.  We love the movies that have come out of the Christian film festival they hold each year.  My kids love the Jonathan Park audio stories, and my husband and I have been greatly challenged and encouraged by many of their parenting-focused messages.  We have never bought any books from them and we don’t plan to, not because we’re afraid of what they’d say, but because there appears to be many better choices out there.  

I have one daughter who absolutely LOVES the old Elsie Dinsmore series that VF sells.  (but we downloaded it for free)  I have one daughter who despises anything like that.  And I’m okay with both of those viewpoints.   I know these particular books have been attacked in the past.  Since we have experience with them, those are the only ones I can address.  If you read alongside your kids, you can find many opportunities to discuss things like “virtuous womanhood” as VF calls it.  I just wonder if the people who attack these kinds of things have actually read the books.  I wonder what is wrong with encouraging a girl to be virtuous.  I wonder what is wrong with encouraging a girl to be worthy of having a man die for her on the Titanic.  I’m not sure why this is a bad thing, unless you are not teaching your daughters that these things are only possible through Christ and that we are not made holy and righteous by working hard to be good.  

And lest you think I am just a VF fangirl who believes that woman have to wear long dresses, have long hair, and can do nothing other than live with mom and dad until the day when they can be a wife and mother… my oldest is in her second year of AmeriCorps service in a state that couldn’t be any farther away from us.  She is going to college and plans to be a surgeon.  Her dream is to serve in Doctors without Borders.  She is a strong, opinionated Christian living in a house with 3 roommates who are liberal, non-Christians to the core.  She told me this is good for her as it allows her to exercise her brain and really cement what she believes through talking to them.  My second daughter has said that she doesn’t want to go to college, and just wants to live with us and play piano and knit all day until she gets married.  🙂  And I support both of them in these choices.  

Please don’t be angry with me.  I am not angry and am not trying to argue… just wanted to give some thoughts to reflect upon.  I’m not attacking any one post or any one person, so please don’t read that into this post.  I’d just like to see us all being discerning enough to take what is helpful and leave what is not helpful from this company’s offerings rather than jumping on the VF-bashing bandwagon.   Balance is good.  

 

[missceegee]

pslively, thank you for your well-said, well-reasoned response. I whole-heartedly agree with what you’ve said.

[houseofchaos]

I second that!