Challenge
Join our October Short Story Contest
The Beauty of Short Stories: Announcing Our October Writing Contest Short stories have a way of catching us off guard. They don’t take hundreds of pages to build a world or introduce a character—you’re invited in quickly, swept into a moment, and left changed by the end. They’re like windows that suddenly open and let…
Read MoreHeart Before Horizon: The Emotional Journey of Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
There’s something profound about returning to the books that shaped your childhood education. As a homeschool graduate, I recently picked up Jean Lee Latham’s Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, and found myself moved to tears in ways my younger self could never have understood. The Weight of Loss Reading about Nat’s losses – his mother, siblings,…
Read MoreLearning Virtue Through Story In the World Called Narnia
A new episode on The Rooted Minds Podcast just released! My name is Audrey, and I will be the host of today’s podcast as we dive into how learning virtue through story can transform young hearts and minds. Stories have an incredible power to shape our understanding of virtue and character. Through the enchanted world…
Read MoreSpeaking Life & Death in The Magician’s Nephew
Welcome to Rooted Minds, where our family’s love for literature becomes your invitation to discover the transformative power of great books. I’m Betsy Strauss, and along with my family, we’re excited to share our journey through the pages that have shaped our hearts and minds. In our home, books aren’t just stories on shelves—they’re treasured…
Read MoreImagination and Reading as Regeneration
There’s something magical about losing yourself in a good story. When I open the pages of a novel, I’m not just reading words on a page – I’m stepping into a portal that awakens my heart to deeper truths. Fiction has this unique ability to bypass my analytical defenses and speak directly to my soul,…
Read More