In the southern Netherlands many years ago, my father commuted to school on a little ferry. He experienced the terrible flood of 1953. Eventually his family moved to one of the modern polders which had just been reclaimed from the sea. His life, like that of many Dutch people, was defined by the sea. In […]
middle school
Review: The Girl Who Drew Butterflies by Joyce Sidman
In 17th century Europe, young Maria Merian was fascinated by butterflies. ‘Summer birds’, they were called, and no one really knew where they came from. Raised first in an engraver’s house and then an illustrator’s, Maria learned both the technical details of her craft and how to observe nature. She combined the two to become […]
Review: Henry Barrie: Vimy Ridge Survivor
Like many country boys in the early 1900s, Henry Barrie of Lanark was ready for adventure. His best friend Jimmie put it well, “Day after day, milking the cows, chopping wood, feeding the chickens, fetching the water and that is all I’m going to do the rest of my life. Eventually, I’ll get married and […]
Review: Darwin, The Voyage that Shook the World
Many of the papers and books I’ve been reading these days have been influenced by Darwin’s thought; most of our news items are as well; and our entire culture is driven by offshoots of his ideas. Science, politics, medicine, social sciences, law, literature, music, and even Christian thought have largely absorbed Darwinian concepts of survival […]