July 29, 1954

Although I was a huge J.R.R. Tolkien fan in my youth, neither of my kids has read his books. Maybe the “Lord of the Rings” movies will inspire them (and countless others) to explore the magical world of Middle Earth found in his books. Whether you’re a fan of the books, the movies or both, I found the following sites worthwhile.

National Geographic Beyond the Movie: Lord of the Rings
This edition of National Geographic’s Beyond the Movie is my pick of the day (for middle school students and older) because it includes the author, the book, and the film in its scope. Although the topics (such as the historical, cultural and mythological influences on Tolkien) sound very academic, National Geographic excels at making it very approachable. So is the evil ring a reference to the atomic bomb of World War II? “‘An author cannot of course remain wholly unaffected by his experience,’ Tolkien acknowledged, but he strongly denied that his story was an allegory for World War I or II.”

[Continue reading Lord of the Rings]

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