Reading the Classics

You could say that NorthShore Classical Academy is proudly “Back to the Books.” Like all classical schools, we believe deeply in the formative power of books. Content matters—what children read shapes how they think, what they value, and who they become. That is why our reading selections are not chosen casually or according to individual preferences. Instead, our curriculum features works that have stood the test of time and are proven to cultivate the moral imagination.

In literature, this means diving into the great classics: the plays of Sophocles and Shakespeare, epics such as The Odyssey and The Aeneid, short stories by masters like Nathaniel Hawthorne and Flannery O’Connor, and unforgettable novels by Austen, Dickens, Twain, Melville, Dostoevsky, Orwell, Kafka, and Solzhenitsyn.

In history, it means reading books that tell meaningful stories about real people and real events—works such as the autobiographies of Benjamin Franklin, Anne Frank, and Frederick Douglass, along with influential texts like Machiavelli’s The Prince, de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America, and Booker T. Washington’s Up From Slavery.

When we say content matters, this is precisely what we mean: the books students read truly make a difference.

And no—these works are not dry or outdated. They capture the imagination, spark curiosity, and bring students face-to-face with the richness of the human experience. They help young people understand themselves and others, explore what it means to be human, and discover joy in learning. These books genuinely shape students’ imaginations as they learn to feel deeply, wonder freely, and grow into thoughtful young adults who are prepared to live well.