Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines it as:

Commonplace-book, a book in which are registered such facts, opinions or observations as are deemed worthy of notice or remembrance, so disposed that any one may be easily found. Hence common-place as used as an epithet to denote what is common or often repeated, or trite; as a commonplace observation.

It’s taking a topic, such as sewing, literature, a branch of science or cooking and creating your own special book about it. It may include tables or charts, definitions, clippings, quotes, measurements or your observations. Some well known commonplacers included Thomas Jefferson, John Locke and Ben Franklin.  Jonathan Edwards also kept a commonplace book. 

Read more here here and here.

Some modern uses for commonplacing may be for remodeling your home, landscaping or gardening, scrapbooking, reading an important literary work, fiction writing or Bible study. They can be invaluable resources for a life full of learning. And they can become treasures that your kids can fight over after your funeral!

 And of course, I will endeavor to make some commonplace books that are uncommon. If you are interested in a unique commonplace book customized to your special topic, please contact me for details and I’ll make a one of a kind commonplace book you will treasure for years to come. anna at annahawthorne dot com

Anna Hawthorne Studios

Ms. Rosalie Slater referred to certain literature as “soil softeners,” or material that softens the soil of the heart for instruction in righteousness and planting seeds of Biblical principles. Here are just a few of the many soil softeners we enjoy in our home.

Mary Jones and Her Bible is a beautiful story of a girl who worked and saved for years and walked 20 miles to buy it. It is such an inspiring story. The story teaches character such as diligence and parental respect and a love for God’s Word.

My Kingdom by L. M. Alcott is a 4-stanza poem about self-government that children can memorize. It softens the heart and opens the door to discussion about Christian self-government. By the way, she wrote it when she was 13 years old.

Little Pillows and Morning Bells by F.R. Havergal are one of my all-time favorites. I adore her and these simple children’s books are precious and full of ideas about God that children can understand. They are to be read before bed and upon waking. Plant the seeds of placing God first and last in your day.

One Morning in Maine by Robert McClosky is a lovely story about God’s creation and the power of nature. It will encourage stories of childhood summers and weather. You can see the majesty of God’s creation, His creativity and the power of childhood memories.

Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder shows the character of the pioneers and the strength of a godly family. It will insipre boys and girls alike to obey their parents, appreciate nature and enjoy the blessings they have.

The Autobiography of George Mueller is wonderfully inspiring. His character and conduct is something we should all aspire to.

Music by Isaac Watts. His Divine and Moral Songs  for Children will teach your children about godly character in  a way kids love, set to music.

This book is a lovely poem about Christ’s birth from the perspective of Mary and Joseph. They cannot contain their joy of the birth of their first-born.

“People were sleeping. We didn’t care.

Good news, we sang, our baby is here!

Our baby has come, our darling one,

Oh, the day that you were born.”

The illustrations are also wonderful. I enjoyed them at least as much as the text. I wish I could paint with that warmth and realism (with some whimsy to make it fun).

Anyone who is a mother will relate to this book. I feel connected to Mary, excited about the impending birth, wondering what He would be like, cuddling and kissing His little face.  And I also think of Mary and the sacrifice she made as a mother. It could not have been easy to let go of the man she once rocked to sleep as a babe. And then to think that we were all waiting for Him to come.

(cue music) Emmanuel, our God is with us. Prince of Peace, mighty One, the ever living God…

Child’s Bible Reader (c) 1898  Great little book covering the whole of the Bible in 52 weeks . Written for Sunday School classes, it is still a great read here at home.

One Morning in Maine We get this from the library over and over again. McClosky is my favorite children’s writer (at this time) and we never get tired of the story about Sal. She loses a tooth and has many adventures in Maine with her family.

Time of Wonder Another terrific book by Robert McClosky. I really enjoy his take on a summer in Maine. His writing is powerful and exciting and so beautifullly descriptive I feel like we are there.

We Help Daddy is a book from my childhood. I remembered loving this Little Golden book so I bought it on eBay and I still remember how happy that little story made me.

I hope you are making time to read to your children, whatever age they are. I know that when we make smoothies before bed, even my husband enjoys a story about Pooh and the adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood (A.A. Milne is probably my all-time favorite children’s author. His writing is so clever that adults enjoy it as much as the children!).

The little book I picked up for two dollars was a well-worn copy of Havergal’s Kept for the Master’s Use. (I have since discovered that she wrote several books for children, which I am now eagerly seeking!) The unassuming tome is thoughful application of Scripture in a personal way, using our lives and bodies to illustrate her points, using her hymn “Take My Life and Let it Be.” Chapters include: “Our Hands Kept for Jesus,” “Our Voices Kept for Jesus,” “Our Silver and Gold Kept for Jesus,” “Our Lips Kept For Jesus,” and so forth. Here is a sample from her chapter entitled “Our Feet Kept for Jesus:”

The figurative keeping of the feet of His saints, with the promise that when they run they shall not stumble, is a most beautiful and helpful subject. But it is quite distinct from the literal keeping for Jesus our literal feet.

There is a certain homeliness about the idea which helps to make it very real. These very feet of ours are purchased for Christ’s service  by the preciious drops which fell from His own torn and pierced feet upon the cross. They are to be His errand-runners. How can we let the world, the flesh and the devil have the use of what has been purchased with such a payment? (p. 60)

And she has this to say about Jesus’ hands in the final chapter entitled “Christ for Us:”

3. His Hands “for thee.” Literal hands, literally pierced, when the whole weight of His quivering frame hung from the torn muscles and bared nerves; literally uplifted in parting blessing. Consecrated, priestly hands; “filled” hands (Ex. xxviii. 41, xxix. 9, etc., margin)– filled once with His great offering, and now with His gifts and blessings “for thee.” Tender hands, touching and healing, lifting and leading with the gentlest of care. Strong hands, upholding and defending. Open hands, filling with good and satisfying desire (Ps. civ. 28 and cxlv. 16). Faithful hands, restraining and sustaining. “His left hand is under my head and His right hand doth embrace me.”

Ms. Havergal’s poetic prose and call to consecration are inspiring. I know I will pore over her book for years to come, allowing my new friend to challenge and inspire me, beckoning me higher and higher in Him. So I’m off to put on a pot of tea and sit with my new friend and listen to her thoughts on the Saviour I so dearly love.

Links to her biography, music and writings:

My King: or Daily Thoughts for the King’s Children

Poetry Selections from The Ministry of Song

Hymns by Ms. Havergal

The Works of Miss Havergal (Online reading)

Morning Bells; Or, Waking Thoughts for Little Ones

The Havergal Trust

Surfing with the Bard
Mr. William Shakespeare and the internet
The seven stages of Shakespeare’s life
Shakespeare Resource Center
Shakespeare Illustrated has many works of art using his writing as the subject.
In Search of Shakespeare is the PBS special. They have stuff for elementary ages.
Internet Public Library has all of his works available online.
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has interesting photos of the museum.
Shakespeare Online
Shakespeare Virtual Field Trip is interesting for the peek into Elizabethan life.
All ages can appreciate Shakespeare’s works. The younger ones can listen to selections from Charles and Mary Lamb’s Tales from Shakespeare. (The kids won’t know they “can’t do Shakespeare yet” if you don’t tell them!) His many references to scripture and his sayings that have found their way into our modern vocabulary make for interesting study.

The older ones can delve into the nuances of his work. He is worth much study over time. We will touch on his life and work many times over the remaining years.

THE WORD of God to Leyden came,
Dutch town by Zuyder-Zee;
Rise up, my children of no name,
My kings and priests to be.
There is an empire in the West,
Which I will soon unfold;
A thousand harvests in her breast,
Rocks ribbed with iron and gold.

Rise up, my children, time is ripe!
Old things are passed away.
Bishops and kings from earth I wipe:
Too long they’ve had their day.
A little ship have I prepared
To bear you o’er the seas;
And in your souls, my will declared,
Shall grow by slow degrees.

Beneath my throne the martyrs cry:
I hear their voice, How long?
It mingles with their praises high,
And with their victor song.
The thing they longed and waited for,
But died without the sight;
So, this shall be! I wrong abhor,
The world I ’ll now set right.

Leave, then, the hammer and the loom,
You’ve other work to do;
For Freedom’s commonwealth there ’s room,
And you shall build it too.
I ’m tired of bishops and their pride,
I ’m tired of kings as well;
Henceforth I take the people’s side,
And with the people dwell.

Tear off the mitre from the priest,
And from the king, his crown;
Let all my captives be released;
Lift up, whom men cast down.
Their pastors let the people choose,
And choose their rulers too;
Whom they select, I ’ll not refuse,
But bless the work they do.

The Pilgrims rose, at this God’s word,
And sailed the wintry seas:
With their own flesh nor blood conferred,
Nor thought of wealth or ease.
They left the towers of Leyden town,
They left the Zuyder-Zee;
And where they cast their anchor down,
Rose Freedom’s realm to be.

By Jeremiah Eames Rankin

God the Artist by Angela Morgan

God, when you thought of a pine tree,
How did you think of a star?
How did you dream of the Milky Way
To guide us from afar.
How did you think of a clean brown pool
Where flecks of shadows are?

God, when you thought of a cobweb,
How did you think of dew?
How did you know a spider’s house
Had shingles bright and new?
How did you know the human folk
Would love them like they do?

God, when you patterned a bird song,
Flung on a silver string,
How did you know the ecstasy
That crystal call would bring?
How did you think of a bubbling throat
And a darling speckled wing?

God, when you chiseled a raindrop,
How did you think of a stem,
Bearing a lovely satin leaf
To hold the tiny gem?
How did you know a million drops
Would deck the morning’s hem?

Why did you mate the moonlit night
With the honeysuckle vines?
How did you know Madeira bloom
Distilled ecstatic wines?
How did you weave the velvet disk
Where tangled perfumes are?
God, when you thought of a pine tree,
How did you think of a star?

Interactive online stories from the Grimm brothers here.
Long list of their stories with their original endings (which are not always kid-friendly) here.
Coloring page of the Grimm brothers here.
Chronology available here.
Biographies with a picture here.
If you have a girl into Cinderella you can see this page for info on Cinderella stories from around the world.

I used God’s Principle of Individuality for our foundational principle here. Authors so easily demonstrate this principle that I use it often in literature.

Princess G enjoyed their stories a lot and we had fun reading them together.

One of the things I thought was most interesting about their lives was when they were young men making plans to follow in their father’s footsteps and become lawyers. God’s Providence worked in their lives and they took jobs at a library to support the family and the rest is “His Story.” They were around books all the time and saw the need to preserve their folk stories as a way of preserving their German heritage. They took on the task and became honored scholars who devoted their lives to preserving their country’s literary individuality. Today their stories are known the world over and copies can be found in almost every language. What a terrific example of God’s Providence!

What I like about this book is that it starts with her childhood (in the first person) and Princess G can really relate to her. She has enjoyed learning about life as a colonial child (see the hornbook picture below). And of course we enjoy hearing about her family’s faith.

Abigail had a dilemma that we can all relate to–keeping a promise that she should not have made. It created a teachable moment to discuss what Princess G would do and what God’s Word says about that. And G really enjoys predicting what will happen next. As we go through the book we make notes on character, setting, plot, theme and style. We also color pages and other things to add to our notebook.

In arithmetic I introduced Roman numerals with the principle that math reveals the nature of God. It is universal and unchangeable. And all people everywhere have mathematics. It is a dependable link to our past. The principles that govern math have been the same since time began. So it doesn’t matter what character you use to represent the concept of five; it is always the same. We played with numbers and had fun discovering the answers.

This week we will continue Abigail and continue our review of multiplication tables. We have a cassette tape with the facts 1×1 to 10×10 set to music. The repetitive raps are driving me CRAZY in the car but she’s learning them, so we listen (and listen, and listen…).