Pacifica Stories

The first time I read Frankenstein, I was an adult tasked with teaching it the following year. I was…not excited.

If you have never read the novel, perhaps you share the same misconceptions I once did: that it is simply a cheesy Universal Studios monster story. I am happy to report that it is not. Since that first reading many years ago, I have come to love this beautiful book. Its depth and compassion ring through every page, and students enjoy it year after year.

Frankenstein invites us to consider the nature of God, the boundaries we should—or should not—place on scientific exploration, how we treat the outcast, and what we sacrifice on the altar of ambition and ego. During our time together, we will engage in many of the same conversations I have with your children in class. Through activities, poetry, and articles, we will explore what Mary Shelley was seeking to communicate—and consider how today’s pop-culture versions of the big green monster align, or fail to align, with the creature she created.

I hope you will join us this spooky season! Learn more.

More Great Books Are Ahead

The Pacifica Parent Book Club continues throughout the year with three additional five-week gatherings:

Winter Book Club | January 6 - February 3
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding by David Hume
Led by Stephen Roberson, Director of the Pacifica Center for Philosophy & Theology

Spring Book Club | April 14 - May 12
The Odyssey, translated by Emily Wilson
Led by Hilary Miller, Director of Faculty and Academics

Summer Book Club | June 16 - July 14
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
Led by Jim Knight, Head of School

Whether you join us for one book or all four, the Parent Book Club offers a meaningful opportunity to read deeply, ask important questions, and experience some of the rich conversations taking place in Pacifica classrooms.