Which books do you remember reading in your youth: Little Women, Treasure Island, Little House on the Prairie, The Secret Garden, Charlotte’s Web? Which classics continue to resonate with readers today? This course will explore favorite novels for children aged 8 to 13.

Format: Every two weeks, we will read two books centered on a specific theme and engage in discussions regarding their authors, core messages, and contemporary relevance.

Resources/Expenses: All-of-a-Kind-Family by Sydney Taylor; Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson; Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White; Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder; Little Women by Louisa May Alcott; Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D Taylor; The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett; A Taste of Blackberries by Doris Buchanen Smith; Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stephenson; The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare may be found on Amazon, at a library, or on used book sites such as Thriftbooks at minimal cost.

Coordinators: Diana Grady taught English Language Arts for 40 years in the Swansea School System and Writing Enhancement in the Gomes Elementary School in New Bedford. She has participated in the Memoir Class for many semesters. She is the editor of The Lark and is a veteran class coordinator at LLC. Ruth Mills has taught English at the high school level and has participated in or co-coordinated the Memoir Class for many semesters.