Name: Spreading the Feast Gathering
Start: 2025-07-11T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-07-12T23:59:59-05:00
Location: LaGrange, KY

Tagged: BUlfinch, Mythology, The Age of Fable

This topic has 9 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 10 months ago by greenebalts.

Viewing 10 posts - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)

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August 9, 2014 at 8:31 pm
greenebalts
Participant
Our group finished watching Learning and Living DVD #3, “Learning with Books” last night and I was intrigued by Sonya’s comments on Shakespeare. I’m wondering what Sonya’s opinion is of The Age of Fable by Thomas Bulfinch? Have you read it or used it with your girls? I recently found a copy at a library discard sale for 50-cents, but I’ve never been fond of mythology and looking through it makes me feel a bit ill 🙁 Our kiddos will be in 4th and 5th grade this year and it’s scheduled in Ambleside and Charlotte Mason Help, just wondering what the SCM team thinks of it. I value your opinion 🙂

Anyone else can feel free to chime in too 🙂

Thanks,
Melissa
August 9, 2014 at 8:33 pm
missceegee
Participant
I loathe Bullfinch. We much prefer Nathaniel Hawthone’s books of mythology.
August 9, 2014 at 9:14 pm
Bookworm
Participant
I have to agree with Christie here. We do have a volume, we have kept it to use as a reference. Sometimes, when we run into an allusion in literature or poetry, I look it up there and we read the story. But my boys detested this book. My writing-hating son once wrote me a 5 page persuasive essay on why we should ditch it. (We did.) We love the Hawthorne books, though, and happily read them at even younger ages, or whenever.
August 9, 2014 at 10:12 pm
RobinP
Participant
I have both in my library but personally much prefer Hawthorne.
August 9, 2014 at 11:45 pm
sheraz
Participant
We have both, too. Hawthorne’s versions are excellent and are my preference as well.
August 9, 2014 at 11:58 pm
Sonya Shafer
Moderator
I have not used Bullfinch’s Age of Fables, so I’m grateful (again) for the helpful counsel of others given here!
August 10, 2014 at 5:12 am
Mysterious Lady in Pink
Participant
OK well I’ll go ahead and be the dissenting voice here and just say that two of my kids started on Bulfinch’s Age of Fable when they were 3rd/4th grade and it was one of their all-time favorite books! I think they read it over 1-2 school years? I can’t recall exactly, but I know it was one book that was savored and never in the “maybe we’re too busy for this” category for them. It ignited their imaginations and the had wonderful narrations from it, fond memories (even 10+ years later), and sometimes even created Sculpey retellings of them in their afternoons back then. Good times.
Now I’ll step off my box to allow the crickets to chirp in reply. 😉
August 10, 2014 at 7:31 pm
greenebalts
Participant
Thank you everyone for your response. You are a source of inspiration 🙂

For the ladies who preferred Hawthorne, which book(s) in particular? Can you shoot me some titles or particular editions if they’re edited?

Also, at what age/grade did you use Hawthorne?

Thank you kindly,
Melissa
August 10, 2014 at 7:38 pm
missceegee
Participant
Tanglewood Tales
A Wonder Book for Boys and Girls
We have both in the Yesterday’s Classics collection, though I’d love to replace with good hardbacks. We’ve read to 2nd-3rd and up, but you may be uncomfortable with mythology that young. Dd13 reread in 5/6th.
August 12, 2014 at 11:37 am
greenebalts
Participant
Thank you!