The Lumen Curriculum

The Whole Year in Books

Reading List

Six books per unit, with discussion questions in the Read-Aloud Revival style

Each unit offers six books to choose from — a mix of historical fiction set in the very period you are studying, Catholic classics, and the standard works of literature usually assigned to high-school freshmen. You are not expected to read all six; pick one (or more) per unit and read it alongside the lessons. The aim is not a book report but a good conversation. Every title here has been chosen because it appears on respected Catholic or Christian reading lists (such as the Cardinal Newman Society Model K-12 Reading List, Memoria Press, Seton, and Read-Aloud Revival) and contains nothing anti-Catholic or morally objectionable. A few of the longer classics are best read in selections or a good abridgment, and a handful carry mature themes worth a parent's note; these are flagged in the book's description.

Discussion follows the Read-Aloud Revival approach: questions are meant to open conversation and connection, never to quiz whether you were paying attention. There are no wrong answers. Talk about what a character wanted and feared, what you would have done, what the story reminded you of, and what you are still wondering. Use the eight universal questions for any book, plus the few questions written for each title.

Eight Questions You Can Ask About Any Book

Open-ended, Read-Aloud-Revival-style prompts. They are for conversation, not a quiz — there are no wrong answers.

  1. 1What part of the story has stayed with you most — and why do you think that part stuck?
  2. 2What did the main character want more than anything? Did they get it, and how did the wanting change them?
  3. 3What was the character most afraid of, and how did they face (or run from) that fear?
  4. 4Did this book remind you of anything — another book, a person you know, or something from your own life?
  5. 5Was there a moment when a character had to make a hard choice? What would you have done in their place?
  6. 6Where did you see a virtue at work — courage, honesty, mercy, faith, justice — or a moment it was missing?
  7. 7Did anything in the story point you toward God, or show you something true about people and the world?
  8. 8What is one thing you are still wondering about now that the book is finished?

Weeks 1-8

Ancient World

Mara, Daughter of the Nile

by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Historical fictionAncient Egypt, the New Kingdom

A clever enslaved girl in ancient Egypt becomes a double spy caught between two dangerous masters in a palace plot. A page-turner that brings the world of pharaohs, the Nile, and court intrigue vividly to life.

After You Read

  1. 1Mara lies and schemes to survive. When is she being merely clever, and when does she become truly brave?
  2. 2Both sides try to use Mara. What does she finally decide she is willing to risk everything for?
  3. 3How does the ancient Egypt of the novel match — or surprise — what you learned in the lessons?

The Bronze Bow

by Elizabeth George Speare

Catholic-friendly classicRoman-occupied Galilee, the time of Christ

A young Jewish man burning with hatred for Rome is slowly changed when he encounters Jesus of Nazareth. A Newbery Medal novel set in the Holy Land during the Gospels.

After You Read

  1. 1Daniel wants to drive out the Romans by the sword. What does he discover is stronger than hatred?
  2. 2How do the people in the story respond differently to Jesus? Which response surprised you?
  3. 3The title comes from a psalm about a bow of bronze. What do you think it means by the end of the book?

The Eagle of the Ninth

by Rosemary Sutcliff

Historical fictionRoman Britain, 2nd century AD

A young Roman officer journeys beyond Hadrian's Wall to recover the lost eagle standard of his father's vanished legion. The classic novel of Rome at the edge of its empire.

After You Read

  1. 1What does the lost Eagle mean to Marcus — and why does recovering it matter so much to him?
  2. 2Marcus and Esca begin as master and slave. How does their friendship change that?
  3. 3What did the story show you about what it felt like to live at the far frontier of Rome?

The Odyssey

by Homer (a good verse or prose translation for teens)

Classic epic (freshman canon)Ancient Greece and the wine-dark sea

The granddaddy of all adventure stories: the warrior Odysseus spends ten years fighting monsters, witches, and the sea itself to get home to his wife and son. A cornerstone of Western literature and a standard ninth-grade text, listed on the Cardinal Newman Society reading list.

After You Read

  1. 1Odysseus is famous for being 'crafty.' When does his cleverness save him, and when does it get him into trouble?
  2. 2Almost every character is trying to get home, or keep someone from getting home. Why is 'home' such a powerful idea in this story?
  3. 3The Greeks believed the gods meddled constantly in human life. How is that different from how you understand God working in the world?

Julius Caesar

by William Shakespeare

Classic drama (freshman canon)Ancient Rome, 44 BC

Shakespeare's gripping play about the assassination of Julius Caesar and the civil war that follows. Friendship, betrayal, mob politics, and one of the most famous speeches ever written. A staple of high-school reading lists (Seton, Memoria Press).

After You Read

  1. 1Brutus betrays his friend because he believes it will save Rome. Was he right? Can a good motive justify a terrible act?
  2. 2Watch how Antony turns the crowd with his 'Friends, Romans, countrymen' speech. How do words become a weapon?
  3. 3Several characters ignore warnings about the future. What does the play say about fate, free will, and the choices people make?

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

by Lew Wallace

Christian classicThe Roman Empire and the Holy Land, the time of Christ

Betrayed by a friend and sold into slavery, the young Jewish prince Judah Ben-Hur claws his way back to seek revenge — until his life crosses paths with Jesus. A thrilling tale of the famous chariot race, vengeance, and forgiveness; one of the most beloved Christian novels ever written.

After You Read

  1. 1Judah is consumed by his desire for revenge. What slowly begins to change his heart?
  2. 2The story runs alongside the life of Christ without ever putting Him at the center. Why do you think Wallace told it that way?
  3. 3By the end, what has Judah learned about the difference between revenge and justice — and between justice and mercy?

Weeks 9-12

Late Antiquity & the Early Church

Fabiola; or, The Church of the Catacombs

by Nicholas Cardinal Wiseman

Catholic classicRome during the persecutions, c. AD 300

A noble Roman girl is drawn toward the hidden Christian community as the last great persecution falls on the Church. A beloved nineteenth-century Catholic classic about the age of the martyrs and the catacombs.

After You Read

  1. 1What does Fabiola first think of the Christians, and what slowly changes her mind?
  2. 2Several characters face the choice to deny their faith or die. What gives the martyrs their courage?
  3. 3How is the Church 'of the catacombs' different from the Church you know today — and how is it the same?

The Lantern Bearers

by Rosemary Sutcliff

Historical fictionBritain as Rome withdraws, 5th century AD

When the last Roman troops sail from Britain, a young soldier chooses to stay and keep a flame of civilization alive amid the coming dark. A Carnegie Medal novel about holding onto light in a falling world.

After You Read

  1. 1Aquila chooses to stay when everyone else leaves. What is he trying to save?
  2. 2The title calls the characters 'lantern bearers.' What light do you think they carry?
  3. 3How does this story help you picture what the 'fall of Rome' actually felt like to ordinary people?

Son of Charlemagne

by Barbara Willard

Catholic-friendly historical fictionThe court of Charlemagne, c. AD 800

Told through the eyes of Charlemagne's young son, this warm novel brings the great emperor, his court, and his Christian vision of Europe to life around the year he was crowned in Rome.

After You Read

  1. 1What kind of father — and what kind of ruler — is Charlemagne in the story?
  2. 2Carl struggles in his famous father's shadow. Where do you see him grow up?
  3. 3Why did Charlemagne care so much about learning and the faith, not just winning battles?

The Confessions of St. Augustine (selections)

by St. Augustine of Hippo

Catholic classic (spiritual autobiography)The Roman world of North Africa and Italy, 4th century AD

The most famous spiritual autobiography ever written: a brilliant, restless young man chases pleasure, ambition, and false philosophies before God finally captures his heart. Best read in selections (especially Books I–IX). Listed among the spiritual classics on the Cardinal Newman Society reading list.

After You Read

  1. 1Augustine writes, 'our heart is restless until it rests in You.' Where do you see that restlessness in his life — and in your own?
  2. 2He remembers small sins, like stealing pears, as seriously as big ones. Why does he take them so seriously?
  3. 3What finally moves Augustine to change? How is real conversion different from just deciding to be better?

Beowulf

by Anonymous (a readable translation, e.g. Burton Raffel or Seamus Heaney)

Classic epic (freshman canon)Scandinavia in the early Middle Ages (the 'Dark Ages')

The oldest great poem in English: the hero Beowulf battles the monster Grendel, Grendel's mother, and finally a dragon. A thrilling tale of courage and loyalty written by a Christian poet looking back on a pagan past. A standard ninth-grade text (Memoria Press) and on the Cardinal Newman Society list.

After You Read

  1. 1Beowulf fights three monsters at three stages of life. How does the hero — and what he's fighting for — change each time?
  2. 2The Christian poet is telling a story about pagan heroes. Where do you notice the Christian view of good and evil peeking through?
  3. 3What did this world value most in a person? How is that like or unlike what we admire today?

The Song of Roland

by Anonymous (medieval French epic, in translation)

Classic epicThe age of Charlemagne, the Battle of Roncevaux (AD 778)

The great epic of Charlemagne's knights: the brave, headstrong Roland makes a fateful choice at a mountain pass and fights to the last against overwhelming odds. The founding poem of French literature and a window into the ideals of Christian knighthood. On the Cardinal Newman Society reading list.

After You Read

  1. 1Roland refuses to blow his horn for help until it is too late. Is that courage, or pride? Where is the line?
  2. 2The poem holds up loyalty — to king, to friends, to God — as the highest virtue. Which loyalty matters most when they conflict?
  3. 3How does this story imagine the ideal knight? What would that ideal ask of you?

Weeks 13-16

The Middle Ages

The Door in the Wall

by Marguerite de Angeli

Catholic-friendly historical fictionMedieval England, 14th century

A boy bound for knighthood loses the use of his legs and must find a different kind of courage with the help of a kindly monk. A Newbery Medal story of patience, perseverance, and finding the 'door in the wall.'

After You Read

  1. 1Brother Luke tells Robin, 'always there is a door in the wall.' What does that mean for Robin's life?
  2. 2Robin expected to become a knight. What kind of strength does he find instead?
  3. 3How do the monastery and the monks shape Robin? What did they show you about medieval faith?

Adam of the Road

by Elizabeth Janet Gray

Historical fictionMedieval England, 13th century

A minstrel's son travels the roads of medieval England searching for his lost father and stolen dog. A Newbery Medal novel that opens up the whole bustling world of the road — fairs, pilgrims, and song.

After You Read

  1. 1Adam says a road is 'a kind of holy thing.' What does the road give him on his journey?
  2. 2What did the story show you about everyday medieval life that the lessons did not?
  3. 3When does Adam have to choose between giving up and pressing on? What keeps him going?

Saint Francis of Assisi

by G. K. Chesterton

Catholic classicItaly, c. 1200 (the age of the friars)

Chesterton's short, brilliant portrait of the saint who gave up everything to follow Christ in poverty and joy. A Catholic classic that helps you understand why Francis still fascinates the world.

After You Read

  1. 1Chesterton says Francis saw the world 'upside down.' What does he mean, and was Francis right?
  2. 2Why would a wealthy young man give away everything to be poor? Did that make him sad or free?
  3. 3What is one thing about Francis that Chesterton helped you see in a new way?

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

by Anonymous (the Pearl Poet), in a verse translation

Classic poem (freshman canon)Arthurian Britain, the High Middle Ages

A mysterious green knight rides into Camelot and offers a deadly game; young Sir Gawain takes up the challenge and learns hard truths about honesty, courage, and his own weakness. One of the finest medieval poems and a standard ninth-grade text (Memoria Press; Cardinal Newman Society list).

After You Read

  1. 1Gawain is tested when no one is watching. Why is that the hardest kind of test?
  2. 2He keeps the green girdle to save his life and is ashamed afterward. Was his failure large or small? How do the others treat it?
  3. 3The poem prizes honesty above almost everything. Why might a knight's word matter so much in this world?

The Canterbury Tales (selections)

by Geoffrey Chaucer (a modern rendering or selected tales)

Classic literature (freshman canon)Medieval England, a pilgrimage to Canterbury

A band of pilgrims swaps stories on the road to a saint's shrine, and Chaucer paints all of medieval society — knight and miller, prioress and pardoner — with wit and warmth. Best read in selections (the General Prologue and tales such as the Knight's, the Pardoner's, and the Nun's Priest's). On the Cardinal Newman Society list and the Memoria Press ninth-grade course. (A few tales are bawdy; selections keep it age-appropriate.)

After You Read

  1. 1Chaucer describes each pilgrim in just a few lines. Which portrait felt most alive — and how does he show character so quickly?
  2. 2Many pilgrims are on a religious journey but are far from holy. What is Chaucer gently teaching about people and the Church of his day?
  3. 3Pick one tale: what is its lesson, and does the teller actually live by it?

The Divine Comedy: Inferno (selections)

by Dante Alighieri (a readable translation with notes)

Catholic classic (epic poem)The afterlife, imagined from medieval Italy

Guided by the poet Virgil, Dante journeys down through the circles of Hell and sees where every kind of sin finally leads. The supreme poem of the Catholic Middle Ages — demanding but unforgettable. Best read in selected cantos with a good guide. On the Cardinal Newman Society reading list.

After You Read

  1. 1Each punishment fits its sin exactly. Pick one — how does the penalty reveal what the sin really is?
  2. 2Dante puts real people, even popes, in Hell. What is he saying about sin and accountability?
  3. 3Virgil leads Dante downward before he can climb up. Why must Dante look squarely at sin before he can grow?

Weeks 17-24

Renaissance, Exploration & Reformation

The Second Mrs. Giaconda

by E. L. Konigsburg

Historical fictionRenaissance Italy, the world of Leonardo

A witty, surprising novel that imagines the friendship between Leonardo da Vinci, his mischievous servant boy Salai, and the duchess Beatrice — and the mystery behind the Mona Lisa's smile.

After You Read

  1. 1Why might Leonardo, a genius, keep a thieving rascal like Salai close to him?
  2. 2The book offers a theory about who the Mona Lisa really was. Did it convince you? Why?
  3. 3What did the story reveal about how Renaissance artists actually lived and worked?

A Man for All Seasons

by Robert Bolt

Catholic classic (drama)Reformation England, Henry VIII's court

The acclaimed play about St. Thomas More, who would not betray his conscience even when the king demanded it — and paid with his life. A gripping portrait of integrity in the storm of the Reformation.

After You Read

  1. 1More could have saved his life with a single oath. Why won't he take it?
  2. 2What does the play mean by a person's 'conscience'? Is it worth dying for?
  3. 3Compare More with the men around him who give the king what he wants. What do they gain and lose?

Set All Afire

by Louis de Wohl

Catholic classic16th-century Europe and Asia (the Catholic missions)

A sweeping novel of St. Francis Xavier, the friend of St. Ignatius who carried the Gospel across the seas to India and Japan during the Catholic Reformation. Adventure and holiness on a global stage.

After You Read

  1. 1What makes Francis Xavier leave everything familiar to sail to the other side of the world?
  2. 2How does the friendship between Ignatius and Francis change the course of both their lives?
  3. 3What did this story show you about the Catholic renewal happening at the same time as the Reformation?

Romeo and Juliet

by William Shakespeare

Classic drama (freshman canon)Renaissance Verona, Italy

Shakespeare's most famous play: two teenagers from feuding families fall headlong in love, with tragic results. The classic introduction to Shakespeare for ninth graders, full of dazzling language about love, family, and rash choices. (Mature themes — young love and the lovers' suicides — make for rich discussion with a parent.)

After You Read

  1. 1The lovers move incredibly fast. Where is their love beautiful, and where is it reckless?
  2. 2The feud between the families poisons everything. How do small hatreds grow into tragedy?
  3. 3Several adults could have stepped in to help. Who fails Romeo and Juliet, and how?

Don Quixote (abridged)

by Miguel de Cervantes

Classic literature (Catholic author)Golden Age Spain, early 1600s

An old gentleman reads so many tales of chivalry that he sets off to be a knight himself — tilting at windmills with his loyal squire Sancho Panza. The first modern novel: hilarious, tender, and wise. Best met in a good abridgment at this age. On the Cardinal Newman Society reading list.

After You Read

  1. 1Is Don Quixote a fool, a madman, or a kind of saint? Can he be more than one at once?
  2. 2Quixote sees a better world than the one in front of him. When is that noble, and when is it dangerous?
  3. 3How do Quixote and the down-to-earth Sancho change each other over their travels?

I, Juan de Pareja

by Elizabeth Borton de Treviño

Catholic-friendly historical fiction (Newbery Medal)Golden Age Spain, the studio of the painter Velázquez

The true-life story of Juan de Pareja, an enslaved man in the household of the great Spanish painter Velázquez, who secretly learns to paint and eventually wins his freedom and friendship. A quiet, beautiful novel about art, dignity, and faith. Listed on the Cardinal Newman Society reading list.

After You Read

  1. 1Juan is forbidden to paint, yet he cannot stop. What does his hidden art say about the kind of man he is?
  2. 2How does the friendship between Juan and Velázquez grow across the line of slave and master?
  3. 3Where do you see Juan's faith giving him patience and hope through long years of waiting?

Weeks 25-30

Revolutions & the Modern Age

The Scarlet Pimpernel

by Baroness Orczy

Historical fictionThe French Revolution, the Reign of Terror

A masked Englishman risks everything to rescue innocent aristocrats from the guillotine while playing the fool in society. The original 'secret identity' adventure, set in the Terror of revolutionary France.

After You Read

  1. 1Why does Sir Percy hide his courage behind the mask of a silly fop?
  2. 2The Revolution began with high ideals. How does the novel show those ideals going wrong?
  3. 3Marguerite is torn between two loyalties. What would you have done in her place?

Little House on the Prairie

by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Historical fictionThe American frontier, 1870s

The Ingalls family loads the wagon and heads west to build a new home on the open prairie. A beloved classic of homesteading, family, and the hard, hopeful work of the American frontier.

After You Read

  1. 1What does the family have to make, do, or go without that you simply buy at a store?
  2. 2The book shows the frontier from the settlers' side. Whose story is also part of this land?
  3. 3What holds the Ingalls family together through hardship? Where do you see that in your own family?

Death Comes for the Archbishop

by Willa Cather

Catholic classicNew Mexico, mid-19th century

Two French missionary priests build the Church across the vast deserts of the American Southwest, among Native and Hispanic peoples. A luminous Catholic classic about faith, friendship, and a lifetime of quiet service.

After You Read

  1. 1Father Latour and Father Vaillant are very different men. How does each serve God in his own way?
  2. 2What role do the land and the people of the Southwest play in the story — almost like characters?
  3. 3The book is full of small, ordinary acts of faith rather than big drama. Why do you think Cather wrote it that way?

A Tale of Two Cities

by Charles Dickens

Classic literature (freshman canon)London and Paris during the French Revolution

Dickens's masterpiece of the Revolution, moving from the Reign of Terror to one of the greatest acts of self-sacrifice in all of literature. A natural companion to The Scarlet Pimpernel and a standard high-school classic on the Cardinal Newman Society list.

After You Read

  1. 1Sydney Carton begins as a wasted, hopeless man. What gives his life meaning by the end?
  2. 2Carton's final act echoes Christ's words about laying down one's life. How is his sacrifice like a kind of resurrection?
  3. 3The Revolution's victims become its avengers. What does Dickens show about how violence and vengeance feed each other?

The Red Badge of Courage

by Stephen Crane

Classic literature (freshman canon)The American Civil War

A young Union soldier marches off dreaming of glory, then flees in terror from his first battle — and must wrestle with shame, fear, and what courage really means. A short, vivid American classic on the Cardinal Newman Society reading list.

After You Read

  1. 1Henry runs away, then longs for a wound — a 'red badge' — to prove himself. Why does he want to look brave more than to be safe?
  2. 2How does Henry's idea of courage change from the start of the book to the end?
  3. 3Is true courage the absence of fear, or something you do in spite of it? What does the story suggest?

Pride and Prejudice

by Jane Austen

Classic literature (freshman canon)Regency England, early 1800s

Sharp, funny, and wise, Austen's beloved novel follows quick-witted Elizabeth Bennet and the proud Mr. Darcy as they misjudge each other and slowly learn better. A perennial high-school classic on the Cardinal Newman Society list.

After You Read

  1. 1Both Elizabeth and Darcy have to overcome a fault named in the title. Which is 'pride,' which is 'prejudice,' and how does each one grow?
  2. 2Austen pokes fun at people who marry for money or status. What does she suggest a good marriage should be built on?
  3. 3When does first-impression judging steer a character wrong? Where have you seen that happen in real life?

Weeks 31-32

The Contemporary World

The Hiding Place

by Corrie ten Boom (with Elizabeth and John Sherrill)

Christian memoirThe Netherlands, World War II

The true story of a Dutch Christian family who hid Jews from the Nazis and paid for it in the concentration camps — and of the faith and forgiveness that carried Corrie through. A modern classic of witness.

After You Read

  1. 1Corrie's family risked death to hide their Jewish neighbors. What gave them the courage to do it?
  2. 2What is Corrie most afraid of — and how does her faith meet that fear in the camp?
  3. 3After the war, Corrie speaks of forgiving her enemies. Could you do it? What makes it possible?

Number the Stars

by Lois Lowry

Historical fictionNazi-occupied Denmark, 1943

Ten-year-old Annemarie helps her family smuggle her best friend to safety as the Nazis come for Denmark's Jews. A Newbery Medal novel about ordinary courage in a dark time.

After You Read

  1. 1Annemarie is just a child, yet she does something very brave. Where does her courage come from?
  2. 2What does the book show about how ordinary people can choose good — or look away — in a crisis?
  3. 3Why do you think the author told this enormous history through the eyes of one young girl?

Maximilian Kolbe: Saint of Auschwitz

by Elaine Murray Stone

Catholic biographyPoland and Auschwitz, 20th century

The life of the Franciscan priest who offered his own life in place of a stranger's in a Nazi death camp. A short, powerful biography of a saint of the modern age and the love that is 'stronger than death.'

After You Read

  1. 1Father Kolbe steps forward to die in another man's place. What would make someone do that?
  2. 2How did Kolbe spend his life before the war — and how do those years prepare him for that moment?
  3. 3Kolbe is called a 'martyr of charity.' What does his story teach about love in the darkest places?

The Diary of a Young Girl

by Anne Frank

Classic memoir (freshman canon)Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, World War II

The real diary of a Jewish teenager hiding with her family from the Nazis — funny, hopeful, and heartbreaking, written by a girl about the same age as its readers. A companion to The Hiding Place and Number the Stars; reviewed and recommended by Catholic diocesan resources. (The Definitive Edition includes a few candid passages about growing up; parents may prefer to preview.)

After You Read

  1. 1Anne keeps her humor and hope while trapped in hiding. Where does that strength come from?
  2. 2She writes, 'in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart.' Do you think she's right? What in her life makes that line so striking?
  3. 3Anne is an ordinary girl in an extraordinary time. What about her thoughts and worries felt familiar to you?

Animal Farm

by George Orwell

Classic literature (freshman canon)An English farm — a fable of the modern age

The animals overthrow their farmer to build a fair society, only to watch the pigs become tyrants worse than the man they replaced. A short, brilliant fable exposing how revolutions and propaganda betray ordinary people. On the Cardinal Newman Society reading list.

After You Read

  1. 1'All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.' How do the pigs twist words to seize power?
  2. 2The revolution starts with real hopes for justice. Where does it begin to go wrong, and why?
  3. 3Orwell wrote this against the lies of totalitarian regimes. Why does he warn that controlling language is a way of controlling people?

To Kill a Mockingbird

by Harper Lee

Classic literature (freshman canon)The American South, the 1930s

Through the eyes of young Scout, a small-town lawyer defends an innocent black man and tries to teach his children courage, justice, and mercy. One of the most-assigned American novels and a moving study of conscience. On the Cardinal Newman Society reading list. (Deals seriously with racism and a rape trial — mature subject matter suited to thoughtful discussion.)

After You Read

  1. 1Atticus defends Tom Robinson knowing he will probably lose. What does he teach his children about doing right when it costs you?
  2. 2Scout is told it's a sin to 'kill a mockingbird.' Who are the mockingbirds in the story, and what does the image mean?
  3. 3Where do you see real courage in the book — and how is it different from what Scout first thought courage was?

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