RAR #63: Introducing Kids to Chesterton, Nancy Carpentier Brown
The first time Nancy Carpentier Brown read G.K. Chesterton’s work, she didn’t just hate it – she actually burned the book!
But things certainly changed. Nancy now not only works with the American Chesterton Society, she is a leading expert on Frances Chesterton, and a much-requested speaker on both Gilbert and Frances Chesterton.
She’s also the author of The Father Brown Reader I and II, The Chestertons and the Golden Key, and The Woman Who Was Chesterton.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- about introducing kids Chesterton and his work
- learning more about Chesterton yourself as a parent
- where to start when you’re overwhelmed!
Also: I may have possibly read aloud during this episode. And even whipped out my British accent to do it. Maybe. Possibly. ;)
Click the play button below:
Books from this episode:
(All links are affiliate links.)
Links from today’s show:
- Leave a question for our upcoming Q and A Episode!Go here and scroll to the bottom of the page to leave a message.
- Nancy’s blog
- Chesterton Press
- American Chesterton Society
- The Emancipation of Domesticity
- Tremendous Trifles on LibriVox
- Discover Chesterton (reading plans)
- The Ball and the Cross
- The Ballad of the White Horse
- Mystery! Mystery! – Jim Weiss
- Jim Weiss RAR Episodes: 04 and 05
- The Detective with Sir Alec Guiness
- Hillside Education
This podcast was such an encouragement as I had the same experience. As a great lover of Chesterton, I wished to share this with my children. My voracious reader who tackles many classics with ease was so stumped by the vocabulary, that we only made it through a page of The Innocence of Father Brown before putting it away. I bought the Reader and they were hooked. Three quarters of the way through a story, I had to stop and was unable to return to it for a few days. Desperate to know the ending, my daughter pulled up the original on the Kindle, using the dictionary to decipher the vocabulary so the she could finish the mystery. What a win! Thanks, again!
Thanks again for a great podcast! I am always excited to hear and learn. Do you have a teen booklist?
Thanks!
We don’t have a teen list, but Episode 23 of the podcast with Julie Bogart has some great suggestions and we love classicalreader.com!
Thank you for another great episode! I immediately went to the Chesterton Press site and bought 2 books for my kids. Thank you for all that you do and today I listened as I switched baby clothes out for my 7 month old. God Bless you and the entire Read-Aloud Revival team!
Loved being introduced to the work of Chesterton. I totally plan to start reading his work! Also, my kids have been asking, “Are we doing ‘Read Around the World’ again this summer!!?” They loved it! Do you have a new summer reading program to launch this year or should we do “Read Around the World” again? Thanks!
Trying to watch the episode on Chesterton and the usual button to press for the episode to play is missing. Have refreshed the page a couple of times and it doesn’t seem to make a difference.
Play button not appearing for this episode – help!
LOVED this inspiring episode! Thank you!
In the podcast some Chesterton Graphic novels were mentioned. Can you post a link or way to find them. Thanks! Very much enjoyed the podcast.
This isn’t a graphic novel, but rather an illustrated novel, but it is the one Sarah mentioned in the podcast. The Ball and the Cross is one of Chesterton’s novels, illustrated by Ben Hatke. http://www.chestertonpress.com/the-ball-and-the-cross-illustrated-by-ben-hatke/
Here’s a fun fact: Alec Guinness converted to Catholicism because of his role as Fr. Brown in “The Detective”. True story! You can read the whole thing here: https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=6679
Thanks Sarah and Nancy! We love the Fr. Brown Readers (as well as the original Fr. Brown and all things Chesterton) over here – I didn’t know you had a new Chesterton book for kids and I’m so excited about it!
Sarah, you mentioned something in this fabulous episode of your podcast that I really wanted to look into, but I wasn’t able to jot it down and I don’t see it in the show notes. Some books that you said were an all-time favorite for teens? Perhaps Fairy Tales Retold or something like that? Could you give us the name of that recommendation, please? Would love to find it for my 13-year-old! Thanks so much, and blessings to you! I’ve shared your site with many moms and am so thankful for this amazing resource your pour your heart and soul into. It’s making a difference.
Christine
Regina Domain
Is the author.. I’m not positive I have the spelling correct
But search fairy tales for teens in Amazon and she pops right up.
Oh, I see it now! The “A Fairy Tale Retold” series. Thanks!
Thanks, Valerie! You make my job so easy!
Love Nancy, love Gilbert, love RAR. Thank you for the podcast!
I’ve appreciated so many Chesterton quotes, but this has inspired me to dig deeper into Chesterton’s works! Also, listening to what was said about him being a hidden C.S. Lewis type gets me thinking of another author, still living, who has written countless novels, poems, and essays, yet is completely underrated in the mainstream reading community: Wendell Berry. If you’ve not read his works I highly recommend them, particularly the Port William series, for starters.
I am really excited for this podcast! We own the first F.B reader and I was just stalking the 2nd one on Amazon the other day. Have you seen the BBC Father Brown TV show yet?
Thank you, Sarah! This was so fun!
LOVED this episode. It comes at a great time for me, as I am LOVING the BBC version of “Father Brown” recently posted to Netflix. So charming. And as my husband noted in passing, “That’s Arthur Weasley as a crime-fighting priest!”
I especially love these episodes where there are golden nuggets and recommendations for moms and kids as well.
Father Weasley!!! !!! yes!!