Challenging yet rewarding are the words that come when I look at the Reading Latin Series by Keith Jones and Peter Sidwell. Challenging because, as we'll see below, it can be a rather steep climb. Rewarding, at least potentially, because in the hands of the right students it can provide a powerful pathway to a reading knowledge of the Lingua Antiqua.
Spring Sale 2026 – 10% off all Latin Books
"Spring Sale" sounds kind of mercenary, doesn't it? Well, okay, this post is kind of mercenary. But I thought some of you would be interested. Our Spring Sale 2026 on Latin books extends from April 28th through May 31st. There is a 10% discount on all Latin book sales during that time.
Vatican Latin Academy and Starfleet Academy
All the great works of classical literature that we can enjoy today survive only because throughout the middle ages Christian monks laboriously copied them out in their scriptoria. The Latin language itself is likewise an ancestral treasure. It's a gift from our distant ancestors that the Church has kept safe for us over two millennia.
O Bone Deus: Adventures with the Vocative
Who knows, they may be right. Maybe Scribonius Largus was not an inept Latin stylist, but a champion of Writing For The Common Man. Either way, his work does cast some light on our discussion of the vocative singular of deus.
Something is Always Lost in Translation
The choices, preferences, experiences, and particular strengths and weaknesses of a given book's creators will unavoidably shape its presentation of the Latin language. Any and every introductory text will have a bias of some sort or other.
What’s the Best Kind of Book for Reading Latin?
The good news is that there's something for everyone. There are books for folks who want or need lots of help, there are versions for those who just want to engage the plain Latin text. If you're somewhere in between, well, you're covered too.
Words are a Window: Symbol and Mystery in the Creed
Words are our windows to the mind of our predecessors, and what we find there might surprise us. And, quite possibly, enlighten us.
A Poetic Shock Absorber: Phaedrus’s Fabulae
Phaedrus, it seems, had high expectations for children's literary understanding. Or maybe, as A.A. Milne does in his Winnie the Pooh stories, he wanted to throw in a little something for the benefit of the adults who do the actual reading.
A Go-To Text for Latin III: Jenney’s 2nd Year Latin
And what, you may wonder, are the strongest features? Glad you asked. As is the case with the first book in this series, clarity and thoroughness are the strengths of Jenney's Second Year Latin.
Caesar as Teacher
With Caesar as teacher, we can be his co-teachers. We can help our students see and feel the drama in his narrative.