We’ve Made Some Changes To Parts of Years 7-12!

[Cameron]

There are no comments in this thread that are disrespectful, but there are other areas where disrespect has been thrown, and that has some of us on edge, at least that is how I view this.

This is why I brought my questions to the forum. This has always been a more respectful place for honest dialog. I also want to be sure and restate that I wasn't asking about the new book choices, most of which we already own and have read as free reads. I also wasn't asking about the citizenship piece which, understandably, will change more with the times and may benefit from culturally relevant examples. I was simply wanting to understand the devotional books that were dropped altogether.  AO has never shied away from hard books. These books are timeless and I was wanting to understand why they are no longer listed, even as an alternate option. No one owes me an explanation, but I don't mind asking respectfully, so that I can better understand. I love AO and have graduated 2 AO students with 5 more coming along. I am both thankful and curious. Thank you for your thoughts,  CrazyMama

[LeslieNoelani]

As I've examined the new changes, I see many free reads moved to a scheduled book, many books moved up or down a year, others that were read in their entirety and are now read in part, some new missionary stories (yay!), and some formerly scheduled books that are now in the optional category. My question is about the devotional books that seem to be dropped altogether. I no longer see the following books in any form (ie as a free read, scheduled or moved)

* The Pursuit of God (Tozer)
*A Ready Defense (McDowell)
*Desiring God (Piper)
*Evidence That Demands a Verdict ( McDowell)
*The God Who is There (Schaeffer)
*Knowing God (Packer)
*The Attributes of God (Pink)
*The Holiness of God (Sproul)
*The Mind of the Maker (Sayers)
* The Pleasures of God ( Piper)

I would love to understand a bit more of why all these books, which are considered classics, are no longer being scheduled or offered even as options? 

A lot of students weren't connecting with them. The God Who is There and Mind of the Maker can be challenging for a lot of adults, and this is an area where it's important for the student to be inspired and reflective.

The books themselves are fine, but we wanted to slow down the pace so students would have time to think about them, and since that meant we needed to use fewer books, we tried to pack as much punch as possible in the books we did choose. It was merely an issue of having to make hard choices, not that we found fault with any of those books.

[JoyH]

Has someone compiled a list of all the new books in one place?

I am curious about them and wondering if I just need to search each year. Even though we have graduated a few, I fear might miss noticing a new title.

[LeslieNoelani]

Has someone compiled a list of all the new books in one place?

Here's a list -- those who have done AO for awhile will not have seen these in our list:

Spiritual Formation

Year 7
And The Word Came With Power by Joanne Shetler or Bright Valley of Love by Edna Hong

Year 8
Jungle Pilot by Russel T. Hitt or To A Different Drum by Pauline Hamilton

Year 9
Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot or The Legacy of William Carey by Vishal Mangalwadi

Year 10
The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew or The Little Woman by Gladys Aylward

Year 11
Holier Than Thou by Jackie Hill Perry
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas or Mrs. Oswald Chambers by Michelle Ule



Citizenship

Year 9
The Universe Next Door by James Sire
The Great Debate: Edmund Burke, Thomas Paine, and the Birth of the Left and Right by Yuval Levin (video interview)

Year 10
One Race One Blood by Ken Ham and A. Charles Ware (Revised and Updated Edition)
(This is a very different book from the One Blood book we used to list)

Year 11
Post-Christian by Gene Edward Veith
or Saving Leonardo by Nancy Pearcey
Basic Economics, first half, by Thomas Sowell (as an option to the Hazlitt book)

[LeslieNoelani]

Actually, Jungle Pilot and God's Smuggler used to be in free reading in an earlier year, so some may have read them.

[Sammie2]

I'm so excited to see God's Smuggler on this list! That was the most impactful book I read in high school, and I still think of it. We're still years away, but I am already excited about these updates!

P.S. I was thinking about how some books were taken off because they weren't as accessible. Has anyone ever compiled a post-AO book list for books to read as adults? I might have to start compiling.

[LeslieNoelani]

P.S. I was thinking about how some books were taken off because they weren't as accessible. Has anyone ever compiled a post-AO book list for books to read as adults? I might have to start compiling.

We once talked about an "AO Year 13" -- a continuing booklist for moms and graduates to read as adults. Maybe these books could go on that list.

[COMama]

That Bonhoeffer biography is brilliant and heart-wrenching. I can’t wait to pick it up with my kiddos.

[Abbie_normal]

We once talked about an "AO Year 13" -- a continuing booklist for moms and graduates to read as adults. Maybe these books could go on that list.

Ooh, I would adore this! In all your "free" time, lol.

Thanks for all you do! I'm excited about the changes,  and I'm looking forward to hitting them at the "right" time with my firstborn entering Y7 this fall.

[HannahA]

I am so excited to see And the Word Came with Power on the new list!!! Not that I am excited to see any of the old books go....