August 10, 2003
A book for every Catholic parent
It’s not often a run across a book that’s so compelling that every parent should read it, but A Landscape with Dragons by Michael O’Brien is one of these. In fact, I now give it to new parents in the hopes that they will read it and apply it to their lives.
Essentially O’Brien makes the argument that what your child reads and watches affects them profoundly, especially in their formative years. The book details some of the problems with popular literature and movies and goes on to explain exactly why each is a problem. Then he goes a step further and shows which books are positive and reinforce the Catholic worldview in your child’s mind.
I think the key is understanding why a book or movie might be detrimental. O’Brien does a great job of proving the effects that come about by allowing your children to watch anything. However, he doesn’t simply condemn all of popular society; for example, many are quick to say all Disney movies are bad, but this simply isn’t the case. O’Brien shows you which ones are bad and explains why, so you can judge future Disney movies for yourself. O’Brien also offers a recommended reading list that contains everything from C.S. Lewis to Mark Twain and breaks them up by reading levels.
This book is highly recommended as a primer and a future resource for parents (and grandparents). Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Jay
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