TOB in Literature

I first fell in love with the Theology of the Body through great works of literature. Five years ago I distilled the situation I was facing into two truths: 1. The culture is a confusing mess for children, and 2. My young kids learn best from stories, especially books with beautiful illustrations and strong themes. This started my search for ‘kids’ books about TOB’, which led me to the TOB curriculum from Ruah Woods Institute. What immediately drew me into this particular curriculum was its use of widely known and celebrated youth literature. In each age group there were dozens of recommended titles that taught the themes of that particular standard of the Theology of the Body.

From these teachings, one can draw such literary themes as: gift, individuality, identity, human nature, Divine nature, love, friendship, and more.

What’s particularly interesting about the finely curated collection of recommended literature from Ruah Woods is that it is all secular material; none of it is overtly Catholic*. Catholic books are invaluable in many educational endeavors, but there is something uniquely universal about stories that speak to people of all religions and walks of life. When we can draw the same truth as someone who belongs to a different faith or political party, we inch closer to speaking a universal language about the gift and purpose of life. When immersed in great literature with holy themes, we draw lessons that unite us in truth. In a divided world, literature can unite. In a hurting world, literature can heal. In a weary world, literature can give hope. In a confused world, literature can share truth. 

Magnificently, this can all be accomplished through stories about seeds, plants, eggs, butterflies, fish, roosters, birds, the life cycle in science, snowflakes, photography, hedge art, prairie life, blueberry picking, and more. The books recommended by Ruah Woods use all of the above subjects to share stories about the beauty, purpose, and dignity of God’s great designs.

I encourage you to take inventory of the books that currently fill the shelves in your home, your classroom, and your school. 

First, dump the ones that are tattered and torn, outdated (i.e. old books that were never good in the first place — not the classics), overtly anti-Catholic, and subtly anti-Catholic. You would be surprised what can show up on book shelves. Then analyze what’s left. Maybe there are books that repeat a common theme more than necessary. You can weed some of those out too. This will make room for new and engaging books that bring the themes of TOB fully alive for youth. If finances are a challenge, host a book drive and ask for donations from families. People love to buy and give beautiful books.

One of my favorite themes of TOB to explore through quality literature is vocation. We often talk to youth about their future job or career, but fail to address the dignity of their future work at a deeper level of vocational calling. 

One can read about the rooster who was reminded that he was the only creature in the coop who could announce sun-up in The Rooster’s Gift, or about a boy who people teased for taking thousands of photos of the snow only to become the first person to capture the individuality of the snowflake in Snowflake Bentley, or how three brothers are called to vastly different careers to support the family homestead in The Animal Hedge. Instead of asking ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’, these stories lead us to a much richer question: ‘what unique gifts and talents might God call you to use in your life, and how?’

Life is too short to read bad books and classroom time is to precious to waste on mediocre literature. Let the books you choose fill your home or classroom with truth, beauty, and goodness. For more information on great literature please see the Resource of the Month (below). 

Resource of the Month: K-8 Recommended Library Book List with TOB Themes

*Ruah Woods curriculum is rooted in Scripture and the Catholic faith; it is their supplementary recommended book list that contains secular titles. 

Guest Post by Lindsay Caron,
founder of TOB Parent School and
creator of TOB Monthly for the Archdiocese of Portland, Oregon.
(This post was originally written for her TOB Monthly blog post for February 2025).