Kimberly Hatch Harrison (co-founder of Socratica) hosts this podcast that is a home for people who love reading and want to revel in how good it makes you feel when you find a great book, or revisit a much-loved classic. In this last episode of the year, Kim returns to the “Dark Is Rising” series by Susan Cooper. Last year at this time, we discussed “The Dark Is Rising,” the second book in the series, set on the longest night of the year. This time we’ll look at the first book of the series, Over Sea, Under Stone. This book series is masterful in the way it helps children understand the scope of time, and how stories can last for generations. It’s a lesson that is helpful for adults to be reminded about as well. 

If you would like your own copy of this book, it is available here:

Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper

https://amzn.to/3Tzyo7c

The Dark Is Rising (5 book boxed set)

https://amzn.to/3WeMeuv

Kim’s book: How to Be a Great Student

ebook: https://amzn.to/2Lh3XSP

Paperback: https://amzn.to/3t5jeH3

Kindle Unlimited: https://amzn.to/3atr8TJ

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Transcript:

Welcome Everybody! To Socratica Reads. My name is Kimberly Hatch Harrison, and I’m the co-founder of Socratica. You know, Socratica, the company that makes educational videos on YouTube. It’s true, we make beautiful STEM videos that help you Learn More. But I hope you will also think of us as a group of people who simply love learning. 

I wrote a book called “How to Be a Great Student,” and it’s not so much about getting better grades in school as it is about making room in your life for the joy of discovery. Understanding how to do right by yourself, so you’re not getting in the way of doing your best work. When you help yourself become a great student, you take ownership of your own learning, and no one can take that from you. We are all born natural scientists, making observations about the world. Or—detectives if you prefer. 

I think that explains why it’s so delightful to read mystery stories. It taps into this great pleasure we get from exercising our brains.  

Now, I’m not going to pretend to be ignorant about this sad fact: there’s a lot of anti-intellectual sentiment out there, a kind of sneering at book-learning. But I believe that’s the dark side, and we are on the side of the light. There might be a battle we will win today, like, keeping one of your favourite childhood books in the library, but somewhere else in the world someone is trying to prevent a girl from going to school. We can’t assume that all of human society has come to the universal agreement that learning is good and that’s settled. You’re going to have to keep up your end of the struggle. Even if all you do is post on Twitter how much you love your local library. That helps. Wearing a Socratica sweatshirt. That helps. Um…you could buy a copy of my book and send it to your little cousin. Just a...