Rudolf Steiner spoke about the importance of both saints and heroes in the education of the 8 year-old child. Though many Waldorf schools have a Saints block, heroes sometimes get forgotten - but not by the children, who will seek them out in other sources! Here is a collection of saints and heroes from many cultures of the world.

Guidance is given to the parent to help her choose which stories to tell; how to prepare for the block and how to put it together (see a sample page); whether to do a several week block or to use Saints and Heroes as a theme for the whole of Second Grade; what to expect from a Second Grader in terms of writing; how to draw the pictures and more.

The 12 heroes and saints included are:

There is a story for each character with suggested activities. Six sample Main Lesson book pages with pictures and suggested writing are also included (see sample page), as well as guidance for how to create the Main Lesson book. Information on other saints and heroes, including book reviews and suggested reviews, is also provided.

Lastly, the book finishes with a discussion of other Language  Arts blocks for Second Grade and how one might create them.

Though this book is aimed primarily for homeschoolers with Second Graders, those with older children may also find it useful. The stories and activities in this book are also suitable for mixed age groups (aged 7 - 10 or thereabouts) and can be used by homeschool co-ops, Scouts and those involved with religious instruction of children.

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"I have been using Donna's newest book "Saints and Heroes" for a few weeks now. I was watching for a post from another user, hoping to tack on my praise for it, but thought I would go ahead and start it myself.

"First off this is not a large volume (thank goodness). It is organized well and very "doable". I so appreciate the layout and how easy it is to just dig right into. Of course there are the helpful chapters on Second Grade and materials etc, and they are very concise and necessary. However I am thrilled with how this is all about the meat and potatoes. You can open it up, choose a Saint or Hero, and just go with it.

"My eight year old son is simply loving it. I have never seen him take so much care and joy in creating his "good book" entry. It has been some of his best work to date. I can see the glimmer in his eye when we are sharing the stories and it has proven to me that this is the right unit at the right time for him. My six year old sits in with us and enjoys the tales, but doesn't do an entry for them. He likes them, but not as much as he loves the fairy tales, or even the animal tales at his age.

"Thank you Donna for creating this book, it has saved me time and given me confidence. I am not a practicing Christian and was honestly a bit intimidated by this unit. I know it isn't about religion, but none-the-less, I was a bit harbored by my lack of knowledge. I am enjoying the tales just as much as my son. I have to admit though, I am most enjoying the organization and brevity. I have many of wonderful books that I enjoy, but I find myself having to meander my way through all the reiteration of what and why. I get it, I just want the lessons. This is perfect for someone like me.

"Just my thoughts, and gratitude!

"Kari in New Mexico"

(You can see some pages from Kari's son's main lesson book here.)