Spend three weeks reading Perelandra by C.S. Lewis.

It should take you about 30-45 minutes a day to read aloud or listen to the book to finish in three weeks.

Each student should have a composition notebook to take notes while listening. If it helps them, they might prefer to have a copy of the book to read along while listening. If so, they may want to put sticky notes on pages they want to come back for because it will help them answer one of the discussion questions.

Each book will have different discussion questions, and the discussion will take place the day you finish (or day after you finish) each book. Include food (a recipe related to the story) for more fun!

(Scroll down for a pdf download of the schedule. A blank one is included if you'd like to adjust it for your own needs.)

Perelandra book overview:

Perelandra is a science fiction novel written by C.S. Lewis, published in 1943. It is the second book in Lewis's Space Trilogy, following Out of the Silent Planet and preceding That Hideous Strength.

We are reading this book because it tells a story of creation.

The story follows the protagonist, Dr. Elwin Ransom, an English philologist and former astronaut. Ransom is summoned by a celestial being called Malacandra, or Mars, to travel to another planet called Perelandra (also known as Venus) to prevent an evil force from corrupting its inhabitants.

On Perelandra, Ransom encounters a new world of floating islands and a vast ocean. He discovers that the planet is in a state of innocence, with only two inhabitants, a Green Lady and her husband, the King. The Green Lady is Eve-like and innocent, while her husband remains absent throughout most of the story.

Ransom soon realizes that he has been brought to Perelandra to defend the Green Lady against the temptation of the "Un-man" (a demonic figure representing evil). The Un-man tries to persuade the Green Lady to disobey the command of Maleldil, the ruler of the planet, and introduce sin into Perelandra.

As Ransom engages in a battle of words and ideas with the Un-man, he must find a way to protect the innocence and integrity of the Green Lady. The story explores themes of temptation, the nature of evil, and the importance of free will.

Perelandra discussion questions:

(Scroll down for a pdf download of the discussion questions.)

Week 1:

• If you could have a chance to ask the author (C.S. Lewis) of this book one question, what would it be?
• Which character in the book would you most like to meet and why?
• Would you want to visit the setting of the book? Why or why not?

Week 2:

• Did the characters seem believable to you? Did they remind you of anyone?
• Did the book’s pace seem too fast, too slow, or just right?
• Which recurring themes do you notice throughout the story?

Week 3:

• How well do you think the author built the world in the book? What would you do differently?
• What do you think the author’s purpose was in writing this book? What ideas is he trying to get across?
• This book is the second of a series: C.S. Lewis's Space Trilogy. Are you interested in reading books 1 and 3? Why or why not?

Schedule for the Week:

• Monday: Writing (each student reads their paper of the week and is assigned the next one). Week one is to choose a character and write a paragraph or essay about them. Week two is to choose a different character and write a paragraph or essay about them. Week three is to decide on the theme of the book and write a paragraph or essay about it.

• Tuesday: Art (share their work and assign the next one; they'll do the project independently or if you allow it, during read-aloud time.) See art videos below. (One art project every 1.5 weeks.)

• Wednesday: Music (listen to the music of the week). See videos of music to listen to below. (One video per week.)

• Friday: Tea Time or Celebration recipes with the final day Literature Discussion. See links to recipes below.

Art Projects:

Work on these for 1.5 weeks each.

Paint a Galaxy:

Pencil drawing of Saturn:

Music to Listen to Each Week:

Week 1: Gustav Holst's Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity.

Week 2: Gustav Holst's Mars: The Bringer of War.

Week 3: Gustav Holst's Mercury: The Winged Messenger.

Recipes for Tea Time Celebration on Literature Discussion Day for Perelandra:

Here are three options for Perelandra's book discussion foods/recipes.

• Exotic Fruit Platter: Create a platter of various tropical and exotic fruits to symbolize the strange and unfamiliar environment of Perelandra. Include fruits like dragon fruit, star fruit, passion fruit, papaya, and pineapple.

• Floating Island Dessert: Prepare a classic French dessert known as "Île flottante" or floating island. This dessert consists of poached meringue islands floating on a sea of custard. It can represent the floating islands and the vast ocean of Perelandra. Here is Ina Garten's recipe.

• Green Smoothie: Blend together a refreshing green smoothie using ingredients like spinach, kale, green apples, and lime. This vibrant drink can symbolize the lush greenery and vegetation found on the floating islands of Perelandra.

Green Smoothie recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh spinach leaves
• 1 cup chopped kale leaves
• 2 green apples, cored and chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 cup cold water or coconut water
• Optional: 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup for sweetness

Instructions:

1. Wash the spinach and kale leaves thoroughly.
2. In a blender, combine the spinach, kale, chopped green apples, lime juice, and water (or coconut water).
3. Blend on high speed until all the ingredients are well combined and the smoothie is smooth and creamy. If desired, add sweetener like honey or maple syrup and blend again.
4. Taste the smoothie and adjust the sweetness or tanginess by adding more lime juice or sweetener, if needed.
5. Pour the green smoothie into glasses and serve chilled.

You can also customize this recipe by adding additional ingredients such as a banana for added creaminess, a handful of fresh mint leaves for extra freshness, or a scoop of protein powder for a boost of protein.