Are you really reading another book?

Enormously Fox Trot

2012-02-01T07:48:00.000-08:00

Author: Bill Amend

Plot: A family experiences bad times and annoyance.

Characters: Andy, Jason, Paige, Peter, Paige's dad, a pet lizard

PS It is a comic

My opinion: It is a good book, I like it a lot, and it's funny.

By Emlyn (9)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever

2012-01-27T07:36:00.000-08:00

This is part of a series of book reviews written by my 9 year old daughter Emlyn.

Author: Jeff Kinney
Summary: A boy's diary about the holiday season. Hiding from the police and being stuck inside with no electricity are included.

Characters: Gregory, Gregory's mom, Gregory's dad, Manny, Rodrick, the police, and Rowley.

Setting: School, his house, his neighborhood, his grandma's neighborhood, and other locations.

I like it.

The Proving Ground

2012-01-07T06:41:00.000-08:00

Weather forecasting and yacht racing have an unfortunate collide in this account of an Australian yacht race. I find these sorts of books to be fascinating.

As an outsider to the tragedy I thought the author did a good job of telling all sides of the story, conveying the information in a factual and non-confrontational manner. He managed to tell what happened without unjustly accusing anyone. I found this to be a good book.

I also enjoyed the section where he talked about the implications for future weather forecasting.

Secrets of the Magic Ring

2012-01-06T13:35:00.001-08:00

I enjoyed reading this story of a boy that finds a ring and what magical adventures happen with it.

My only concern which was a pretty big one was the amount of lying and hiding from his parents. The young boy is constantly telling the reader why he didn't share his adventure with his mom because he's afraid she'll take the ring away. And in fact in one chapter she does take it away rather than listening to his story. I would have preferred a more positive light for the parents to be in.

To get around that and let my daughter read it (she's 9), I told her why it wasn't the best book, and told her to notice how many times he lies or hides something from his parents. I told her that I always want her to think about things and let me know what's going on in her life.

She and I both enjoyed the adventure.

Note- because of the amount of lying, I recommend this book for ages 9 and up.

The Magic Garden

2011-11-07T07:55:00.000-08:00

by Gene Stretton-Porter

The more I read of this lady's work the more I wish she had written. This was the first book I found by her and it enchanted me. It is a young adult or adult tale of a little girl who is hungry for love. When she finds someone who loves her she and he both wait and prepare themselves for each other when they are ready to be together. I couldn't stop reading how they were loving and waiting for each other.

In a culture that doesn't think very far ahead, it was so nice to see a story of long-term love and addressing the idea of making sure that all you do is what's best for your future spouse.

Highly recommended for ages 13 and up.

The Color of Rain

2011-10-27T10:54:00.000-07:00

Michael and Gina Spehn

Autobiography

ISBN: 9700310331871

What would you do if your spouse died, leaving you with an empty heart and young children to take care of?

This true story relates the intersection of two families who, through their church, faith, and trust in each other, come together to make one family.

I really appreciated reading about this heart-wrenching life event. I cried a few times. It really made me think about how our lives work and how they can be changed in an instant. It made me appreciate my family so much more. Highly recommended.

The Sweetest Thing

2011-08-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

This was a charming book about the Depression and how a girl from a privileged family dealt with and learned about others and how they were affected by the Depression.

Many of the Christian Historical Fiction books I read are overly naive or sweet. This one had just the right amount of realism thrown in to make it a good read.

I would like to see more from this author.

I was provided this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not paid for this review or required to give a positive opinion.

Recommended for high school age or older.

Half a Life: A Memoir

2011-04-01T17:17:00.000-07:00

by Darin Strauss

As part of the Amazon Vine program I was given, free, this book to review. This review is my unbiased opinion on the book.

I found this book to be very intense. I couldn't read it at bedtime for it gave me nightmares.

The author relates how as a teenager he killed a cyclist while driving. As he moves through the grief process we see an intimate look into the guilt and grief someone in his situation experiences.

I appreciated his honesty in that he realized that he DID live, and that the family and friends of the girl who died are experiencing a completely different kind of grief than he is.

I also learned about "Complicated Grief Disorder".

The 12 Days of Giveaways Final Wrap-up

2010-12-21T14:59:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for playing along with my giveaway game. I had a lot of fun and I hope you did too. Here are the winners for the last few days:

Day 12: Timbra wins Blue Fairy Book. Timbra, tell me how to contact you.
Day 11: Caren won the "mouse" book and a variety of other books.
Day 10: Kim won the Pinocchio and Penderwicks.
Day 9: Carolyn wins the baby picture books, including "Cuddle".
Day 8: Susan won the Agatha Christie book.
EDIT: Day 7: Briana won the princess books!

Thanks again for having fun with me! I will put these all in my car and do my best to deliver them to you in the next few weeks...

And stay tuned for more giveaways. I won't be doing one a day, but I think more are in the works...

The 12 Days of Giveaways: Day 12

2010-12-17T04:56:00.000-08:00

Today is the last day of the 12 days of giveaways! Everyone has been having fun I hope, and I will announce the final winners of each of the last few days tomorrow. I had fun and hope that you all have a lovely Christmas season.

Today's book is the Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang.

I have many fond memories of reading all of the fairy books at my local library when I was growing up. I loved seeing all of the different fairy stories there were out there.

This giveaway ends tomorrow, Saturday. To enter, simply leave a comment.

The 12 Days of Giveaways: Day 11

2010-12-16T07:41:00.000-08:00

In honor of Christmas I am hosting a giveaway each day until December 20. Each giveaway will last until the next giveaway posts, about 1 day each. All you have to do to enter is comment on the post.

Today's giveaway is a set of picture books:
If you give a mouse a cookie
Spiderman comic book
Doctor Dan the Bandage Man
Strange Animals of Australia

These books are perfect for an older preschooler to read with you.

This giveaway ends Friday, December 17.

The 12 Days of Giveaways: Day 10

2010-12-15T07:37:00.000-08:00

In honor of Christmas I am hosting a giveaway each day until December 20. Each giveaway will last until the next giveaway posts, about 1 day each. All you have to do to enter is comment on the post.

Today's giveaway is a set of chapter books:
The Penderwicks (reviewed the second book here)
Pinocchio (full unedited version)

These books are perfect for an upper elementary age child to read.

This giveaway ends Thursday, December 16.

The 12 Days of Giveaways: Day 9

2010-12-14T07:17:00.000-08:00

In honor of Christmas I am hosting a giveaway each day until December 20. Each giveaway will last until the next giveaway posts, about 1 day each. All you have to do to enter is comment on the post.

Today's giveaway is a set of picture books:
If Big Can... I Can
Cuddle!
That's When I'm Happy
Happy Birth Day!

These books are perfect for a little toddler to read with you. They are very sweet.

This giveaway ends Wednesday, December 15.

The 12 Days of Giveaways: Day 8

2010-12-13T07:09:00.000-08:00

In honor of Christmas I am hosting a giveaway each day until December 20. Each giveaway will last until the next giveaway posts, about 1 day each. All you have to do to enter is comment on the post.

Today's giveaway is an Agatha Christie mystery:
Passenger to Frankfurt.

I have read many of her mysteries and I can't tell you how enjoyable they are. I love that the surprises are those that I cannot predict.

This giveaway ends Tuesday, December 14.

Winners of Hatteras Girl and Days 2-6

2010-12-12T18:41:00.000-08:00

Well you all are keeping me on my toes with all on all of your entries! And of course I'm too busy to keep up with you.

Anyway here we go!

Hatteras Girl goes to Caren. Congrats!
Day 2, VeggieTales books, goes to Briana. Yay!
Day 3, no one wanted. Guess we'll just donate that one.
Day 4, chapter books, to Kim P. Hooray!
Day 5, Orson Scott Card, to Becky. I don't know Becky but we'll figure out how to get it to her.
Day 6, learning to read books, to Alexandria. Good job everyone!

All of these books are in my car. I will try to deliver them or you can call me and meet up with me, or something. I will even mail them to you.
More giveaways are coming!

The 12 Days of Giveaways: Day 7

2010-12-12T07:59:00.000-08:00

In honor of Christmas I am hosting a giveaway each day until December 20. Each giveaway will last until the next giveaway posts, about 1 day each. All you have to do to enter is comment on the post.

Today's giveaway is a set of girly picture books:
Alice in Wonderland
Barbie Magic of the Rainbow
These are all very nice books for a nice little girl

This giveaway ends Monday, December 13.

The 12 Days of Giveaways: Day 6

2010-12-11T07:56:00.000-08:00

In honor of Christmas I am hosting a giveaway each day until December 20. Each giveaway will last until the next giveaway posts, about 1 day each. All you have to do to enter is comment on the post.

Today's giveaway is a set of I can read books (4th grade level):
My Parents Think I'm Sleeping (poetry)
Horse Heroes: True Stories of Amazing Horses

This giveaway ends Sunday, December 12.

The 12 Days of Giveaways: Day 5

2010-12-10T07:55:00.000-08:00

In honor of Christmas I am hosting a giveaway each day until December 20. Each giveaway will last until the next giveaway posts, about 1 day each. All you have to do to enter is comment on the post.

Today's giveaway is a set of Orson Scott Card books:
Women of Genesis: Sarah
Women of Genesis: Rebekah
Women of Genesis: Rachel and Leah
Monkey Sonatas

I really enjoy Orson Scott Card's books, and I enjoyed reading the Women of Genesis series. The only issue I had was that he did, as a Mormon fiction author, take liberties with the Bible stories with details that are not in the biblical account.

This giveaway ends Saturday, December 11.

The 12 Days of Giveaways: Day 4

2010-12-09T07:28:00.000-08:00

In honor of Christmas I am hosting a giveaway each day until December 20. Each giveaway will last until the next giveaway posts, about 1 day each. All you have to do to enter is comment on the post.

Today's giveaway is a set of chapter books:
Night of the Twisters (thrilling book about tornadoes)
Missing May (sweet book by Cynthia Rylant)
Skeezer (legend of an unusual dog)

This giveaway ends Friday, December 10.

The 12 Days of Giveaways: Day 3

2010-12-08T07:26:00.000-08:00

Day 1 Winner and Prophecy Winner

2010-12-07T07:45:00.000-08:00

The Day 1 giveaway winner was Susan! Congrats! The random number generator picked #1 out of 4.

And the Prophecy winner was also Susan, picking #2 out of 2.

Susan, guess we need to get together.

The 12 Days of Giveaways: Day 2

2010-12-07T07:24:00.000-08:00

In honor of Christmas I am hosting a giveaway each day until December 20. Each giveaway will last until the next giveaway posts, about 1 day each. All you have to do to enter is comment on the post.

Today's giveaway is a set of Veggietales books:
Junior's Colors
How Many Veggies
Bob and Larry's ABCs

This giveaway ends Wednesday, December 8.

The 12 Days of Giveaways: Day 1

2010-12-06T07:21:00.000-08:00

In honor of Christmas I am hosting a giveaway each day until December 20. Each giveaway will last until the next giveaway posts, about 1 day each. All you have to do to enter is comment on the post.

Today's giveaway is a set of books about Santa Mouse, an adorable little mouse who helps Santa every year. We have "Santa Mouse" and "Santa Mouse, Where Are You?"

This giveaway ends Tuesday, December 7.

Weekly Giveaway! Hatteras Girl

2010-12-05T06:13:00.000-08:00

This soul-searching book is a short, pleasant read that covers some serious topics in amongst the story.

You can read my review of it here.

This giveaway will end on December 12! You know you want this book!

For the Temple: A Tale of the Fall of Jerusalem

2010-12-04T07:34:00.000-08:00

by G. A. (George Alfred) Henty

G.A. Henty authored many historical novels in the 19th century, full of action and adventure.

I have read two or three of his novels on my new Kindle, and I am very impressed with the stories. Too often historical novels published nowadays are full of nonsense and romanticism. These books combine courage and valor with adventure and accuracy and I highly recommend them.

This particular one talks about the time around the Fall of Jerusalem to the Romans. From the perspective of a wholesome Jewish farmer-turned-soldier, we learn all about many historical characters.

One of the things I appreciate most is that Henty injects facts into his writing and makes sure the reader knows what is fiction. I am looking forward to reading many more books by him.

Hatteras Girl

2010-12-01T06:11:00.000-08:00

by Alice Wisler

ISBN 978 0 7642 07327

Jackie Donovan is in love with a closed bed and breakfast in her North Carolina town. She also would love to find her soul mate.

This soul-searching book is a little predictable in that I could totally call it from the beginning as to the plot, but it was still an enjoyable read. The characters were well-rounded and I appreciated some of the less-talked-about parts of being an adult (sometimes you don't like other people's kids, at all) and other interesting parts of the story.

I also thought the topic of "What to do when God doesn't answer your prayers when or how you think He should?" was a good one and I thought her answers were pretty good.

Recommended.

This book was provided to me by Bethany House Publishers for my honest review.

Weekly Giveaway! The Prophecy

2010-11-28T18:55:00.000-08:00

If horror/Christian is your genre, this is the book for you. Sorta like Stephen King meets Left Behind. Plus angels.

Leave a comment to enter to win, and the winner will be chosen December 5.

Here is my review of the book.

Winner for Kabul24 and Mistmantle and assorted chapter books

2010-11-28T15:47:00.000-08:00

Kabul24 goes to Caren, thanks to the random number generator.

The chapter books from the previous week go to Briana, the only entrant. I currently have about 30 books for Briana. Briana, I am home tomorrow morning before 11:00 am. Call me! My house is full of your books!

John, Paul, George and Ben

2010-11-23T19:29:00.000-08:00

by Lane Smith

I am very fond of the books Lane Smith has done in conjunction with Jon Scieszka like Squids will be Squids and The Stinky Cheese Man. I was hoping this one would be as hilarious. Unfortunately it was not. It does teach us just a few facts about our founding fathers in a silly way, but it's not funny enough to counteract the false facts and resulting confusion it creates.

Eh.

In the Shadow of the Ark

2010-11-22T19:17:00.000-08:00

As a Christian I have very strong beliefs about the truth and validity of the Bible. I believe in the historical accuracy of the Bible. If you do not agree, that's okay.

I was very dismayed at the portrayal of the account of Noah's Ark in this book. I often read books that take liberties with history as far as the unwritten parts go, but this book goes even farther and directly contradicts the Bible in at least two very major points.

If you know me personally you know that I am often fuzzy on the details of things that I have read. Not so with this book.

The two areas that the book directly contradicts the Bible are as follows.

A. The protagonists are not Jewish but come to the area where Noah is building the ark only to find that he's doing a pretty terrible job. Luckily the father of the protagonist is a shipbuilder and so he sets everyone straight. Sorry, but as a Christian I believe Noah was inspired by God to build the ark and that he knew how to do it correctly with God's help.

B. (Spoiler) At the end of the book we find that there was a human stowaway on the Ark and also in another ship. I firmly believe that the account in the Bible is true and that there were ONLY 8 humans saved in the flood: Noah and his wife, and his three sons and their wives.

Because of these major discrepancies I cannot recommend this book.

The Woman in the Wall

2010-11-21T19:13:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been so scared of people that you wished you were invisible and could live apart and separate from them? This intriguing story of a young girl in that situation is good for teenagers or adults.

Recommended for 13+.

Weekly Giveaway! Kabul24

2010-11-20T07:48:00.000-08:00

This heartbreaking story of humanitarian Christians taken hostage will give you a new insight into Afghanistan as it was in 2001, before and after 9/11.
Leave a comment to enter the giveaway. Winner will be chosen randomly on November 27.

Her Mother's Hope

2010-11-19T18:59:00.000-08:00

by Francine Rivers

This is the first part in a series of at least two books by Francine Rivers. It is historical fiction in that it is loosely related on her own mother and grandmother's lives.

Although I have a huge stack of books to read right now, when I picked this up at the bookstore it got moved to the top of the stack. I have loved Francine Rivers' books since I was in high school, and this one did not disappoint at all. Taking us from Switzerland to California, the book does a good job of showing why relationships can sometimes be very strained even when love is present.

I know someone who has book #2 and will be borrowing it from them ASAP.

Highly recommended.

Kabul24

2010-11-18T18:39:00.000-08:00

by Henry O Arnold and Ben Pearson
ISBN 978 15955 50224

Kabul24 tells the story of 8 humanitarian Christians who lived in Afghanistan around 9/11. They were taken hostage and lived for months in uncertainty as to whether they would ever get home to their families.

While this book was sad and hard to read at times because of the events depicted, it was also a good story and gave me insight into a historical event that I didn't know anything about.

Recommended

Homeschooling for the rest of us

2010-11-17T07:38:00.000-08:00

How your one-of-a-kind family can make homeschooling and real life work

by Sonya Haskins
978 0 7642 07396

I was really impressed with this book. The author spent a lot of time researching and writing chapters that are well-thought-out and well-balanced. If you have ever considered homeschooling (or are homeschooling) or would just like some more ideas for how to enrich the time you have with your children, this is a good book for you.

Some of the chapter topics include:
pressure, perfection, and progress
developing positive relationships
the socialization question
routines and schedules
extracurricular activities, support groups, and co-ops
the art of academics
nurturing your child's heart
living in a (very) messy house
dealing with relatives
homeschooling on a budget
the special needs child at home
following your own path

Basically every question one could ask about homeschooling is answered in a balanced, non-judgmental way, from a Christian perspective.

A lot of the things were pretty simple, commonsense ideas, but the fact that the author took the time to lay it all out in such a respectful reasonable manner was very nice.

I was also impressed with the attitude that she shares. Don't worry if you have a very laid back approach or if your approach is very structured. There is information here for everyone.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to BethanyHouse publishers for providing this book free to review.

Winner for beginning to read books

2010-11-16T07:38:00.001-08:00

Briana has won the beginning reader books! Briana, we really need to get together so I can give you these books.

Congrats!

Weekly Giveaway! Selected Chapter Books

2010-11-14T11:26:00.000-08:00

This week we have three picture books. One is an edited version of "The Secret Garden," and we also have "Urchin of the Riding Stars," a Mistmantle book. The last one is "The Day of the Pelican."

These would be good for a 5th grader or older. Hope you enjoy!

If you would like to be included in this giveaway simply comment here and we will randomly choose a winner on November 14.

Weekly Giveaway! Selected Picture Books Part 3

2010-11-07T11:22:00.000-08:00

This week is another set of very interesting little picture books. They are from our church library. We have included: "The baby born in a stable," "Noah and the Ark," "The rainy day adventure," and "Questions kids ask God." We hope you like them!

If you would like to be included in this giveaway simply comment here and we will randomly choose a winner on November 20.

Weekly Giveaway! Learning to Read Books

2010-10-31T11:18:00.000-07:00

This week we have three books sure to get your little one reading. They are very interesting and my son loved them. Included are "Nate the Great and the Boring Beach Bag," "Magic Treehouse Mummies in the Morning," and "Amelia Bedelia and the Baby."

If you would like to be included in this giveaway simply comment here and we will randomly choose a winner on November 7.

Giveaway Winners

2010-10-26T12:09:00.000-07:00

I have to apologize for not posting the winners for the last few weeks. Life has been a bit hectic.

Here are three winners! Congratulations!

Kim P won some picture books!

Mary Beth won What Your Second Grader Needs to Know!

Briana won Premiere on the Runway!

Let me know how you want to get your books!

Weekly Giveaway! Selected Picture Books Part 2

2010-10-24T11:14:00.000-07:00

These books are from the church library. They are a motley assortment of picture books. We don't need them anymore so now you could own them!

Included in this set are "The Story of Jonah," "Stanley the Stinkbug goes to camp," "My little book of Bible Promises," and "Noah saves the animals."

If you would like to be included in this giveaway simply comment here and we will randomly choose a winner on October 31.

Weekly Giveaway! Fault Line and Zeke

2010-10-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

These two books are not really related but my mood is weird today so let's go with it.

The first is a spy novel. The second is some sort of political commentary. It's funny? Maybe?

Anyway if you would like to be included in this giveaway simply comment here and we will randomly choose a winner on October 24.

Weekly Giveaway! Selected Picture Books

2010-10-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

This week we are doing a group of picture books which used to belong to the church library. There's nothing wrong with them except that we had to give up a few to make room for new ones. This group includes "Care Bears:Caring is What Counts," "Daniel and his very good friends," "Just be nice to your little friends," and "Papa Noah built an ark."

If you would like to be included in this giveaway simply comment here and we will randomly choose a winner on October 17.

Weekly Giveaway! What your second grader needs to know

2010-10-03T10:58:00.000-07:00

Perhaps your second grader doesn't know everything yet. Mine certainly does. :) That was a joke!

If you would like this book simply leave a comment here and we will randomly pick a winner on October 10.

Weekly Giveaway! The Magicians

2010-09-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

This is an adult fantasy/science fiction book. It was reviewed recently on our site. Leave a comment here on our blog and you are entered to win. We will choose a winner in one week, October 3.

Amy and the Sorrel Summer

2010-09-25T06:23:00.000-07:00

Amy And The Sorrel Summer
By Laura Fisher

This book was published in 1964 and is a really nice story about a girl who decides to save up $100 with her brother so they can buy a horse at the end of the summer.

If you have ever wanted a horse, or tried to save money for something as a child, this is the book for you.

And the best part is the kids learn a great lesson about being content and thankful for what they have.

Recommended for ages 9 and up

Magicians

2010-09-24T10:40:00.000-07:00

This book was very strange to read. I can’t tell if the author was trying to make fun of CS Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia (that would be sad) or making a tribute to them (that would be nice). It was extremely full of sad and hard things and drinking and drugs. It was not really uplifting at all. The basic premise is that some students are invited to a special university (hello Harry Potter) and learn lots more about their own world and other worlds. I didn’t enjoy it very much but was able to finish it. Won’t be buying any more of that author though.

100 Days of Monsters

2010-09-23T18:50:00.000-07:00

Stefan Bucher started a blog a few years ago that highlighted a new cartoon monster every day. He eventually has done lots of animations of him drawing the monsters and he published the first one hundred in a book. The monsters are silly and the stories that go along with are even sillier.

Emlyn's favorite monsters are 32, 37, 22, 84, and 100. And we may have written some of the stories :)

Roar! A Christian Family Guide to the Chronicles of Narnia

2010-09-22T17:42:00.000-07:00

by Heather Kopp

Regardless of the fact that CS Lewis insisted that he did not add as many allegorical references to his books as people see, I am happy to find a book that does draw parallels to Christianity.

This is a very well done comprehension guide. Every chapter has a few lessons and talking points from the chapter, with a few Scriptural references to tie in.

I wouldn't do this every night with our reading because part of the joy of reading to my kids is just soaking in the story, but when I have tried it I have had good results with discussing things with my kids. It's basically the same things I would discuss on my own with them if I weren't so lazy to come up with them.

Recommended.

Complete Book of Illustrated Reading and Writing Activities for the Primary Grades

2010-09-21T16:14:00.000-07:00

This book has lots of activities to be used in teaching or reviewing reading and writing. There is a wide variety of activities and my son seemed to really enjoy them. As far as I could tell, they are designed to be copied and used in your classroom or at home. I could not tell for sure if that is the case.

Recommended for teachers or parents who want a little extra to use in teaching.

Spindle's End

2010-09-20T15:44:00.000-07:00

by Robin McKinley

Robin McKinley is one of my personal favorite authors. She has a way of re-imagining fairy tales that takes something you thought you knew, thanks to Disney, and taking it to a whole new level of awesome.

Spindle's End is, at its bare bones, the story of Sleeping Beauty. A story which I am not very fond of when Disney does it. But Robin McKinley took this story and made it amazing.

I have re-read this book many times and each time I am glad I read it. The characters are very well-developed, and the end, which we all know, is even more mysterious and intriguing each time I pick the book up. In fact reviewing it is making me want to read it again.

Highly recommended for teens and up.

Weekly Giveaway! Starlighter

2010-09-19T10:45:00.000-07:00

This book was recently reviewed on our site. It is a dragon fantasy about God, so that’s cool, huh? Good for teenagers. Leave a comment here on our blog and you are entered to win. We will choose a winner in one week, September 26.

Guest post: Judy Moody Books

2010-09-18T15:08:00.000-07:00

Emlyn, my daughter, likes Judy Moody books the most of all. Her favorite is "Judy Moody Goes to College."

When asked why they were her favorite, she replied "because they're about a girl and her annoying brother." I wonder if that's an indicator of her life right now :)

Unlike Junie B Jones, I am fairly certain that Judy Moody books use proper grammar rather than slang and mistakes kids often make in speaking.

The good news is since these books are recently published, they are easy to find at your local bookstore, library, or Half Price Books.

Chapter Books Revisited

2010-09-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

A while ago I posted a list of excellent timeless chapter books for children. I would like to republish the link to it because I still find it to be important to find excellent books for our kids. I don't want my daughter to start reading fiction without my previewing it yet, and I find these books to be enjoyable and fun for the whole family.

Here's the link.

Go forth and read with your child today!

The Elderberry Bush

2010-09-16T12:36:00.000-07:00

by Doris Gates

The ELDERBERRY BUSH.

This is a lovely story about two daughters who live in the country. It is set in the early 1900s.

Some of the adventures the girls experience are: going to the beach for the first time, pretending to be Sacajawea, visiting old relatives, and being kind to other people.

I enjoyed reading about these girls' kind hearts and sweet adventures. A very timeless and innocent book.

Giveaway Winner: Premiere on the Runway

2010-09-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

Briana is our winner of Premiere on the Runway. Congratulations Briana!

Fault Line

2010-09-15T11:08:00.000-07:00

by Barry Eisler
I read this book because my husband told me to. He said he could relate to the brother in the book who is very good at being a spy type dude.

So I read it. It was okay although the characters were very one-dimensional. There were not many surprises but it was a fairly good action book.

I was a little disappointed at the amount of scenes involving s*x. There were too many for my tastes.

Recommended for its genre.

The Dollshop Downstairs

2010-09-14T10:47:00.000-07:00

by Yona Zeldis McDonough

Set in the early 1900s, this is a lovely little story about two girls who live above a dollshop. When the economy changes their family has to come up with a new way of making money. This book is innocent and perfect for an 8 year old. Or for her mommy who loves little innocent books. :)

The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs

2010-09-13T10:41:00.000-07:00

by Betty Birney

This is a lighthearted and optimistic read about a child who is unhappy with where she lives. She wants to go on adventures and see the Seven Wonders of the World.

She is challenged to find seven wonders of her own town. So she takes her friends on an adventure in her town and finds that Sassafras Springs is not actually as boring as she thought. A great book about being content where you are.

Weekly Giveaway! The Aedyn Chronicles: Chosen Ones

2010-09-12T10:42:00.000-07:00

The Prophecy

2010-09-11T18:53:00.000-07:00

Wow. If you ever wanted to be dropped right into the middle of a horror story then this is the book for you. I used to read a lot of horror in high school- started with Christopher Pike and moved on up to Stephen King before I was done with that genre.

I would definitely say that this book falls right in with that category of writing. The interesting thing is that this is also Christian, supposedly. At least they talk about God.

Earlier when writing about fashion I mentioned that sometimes it's hard to relate Christianity with secular topics. This seems to be another one that's hard for me. If it's so scary with not much redemption it seems counter-intuitive to call it Christian. I am not finished reading this though so we'll see if the next 100 pages make it a little better.

UPDATE: I just couldn't seem to get through this book. I could only ever read about 2 pages at a time before I was too scared, and was starting to have nightmares. I don't know if my brain just can't handle horror anymore, or if this book was a subset of the genre that I can't read, but for my own sanity I had to stop reading. I wish I had been able to finish it...

Thanks to Pam at Zondervan for providing a copy of this book for me to review.

The Rape of Nanking

2010-09-10T10:34:00.000-07:00

This was a very difficult book to read. Very few people want to read about the mass murder of 19 million people. I picked this up and read it, though, not because it was enjoyable but because someone needs to be a witness to this in the same manner as we are for the Jewish Holocaust.

During World War II the Japanese Army killed as many as 19 million Chinese. I did not know this until reading this book. It is a terrible and sad account of atrocities which were done.

Starlighter

2010-09-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

Bryan Davis
ISBN: 9780310718369
A dragon fantasy that is trying to teach us God’s timeless truths? Score! This book is the first (I assume) of a series which introduces two fallen worlds. Both of them have ancient legends about how to be saved and how to save the other world. This first book didn’t have a lot of resolution or hope but I am curious to see how the author connects all the pieces presented in this book. It would have been nice if some of the lines could have been connected for us in this first book but mostly this just left me wanting to read more.

It took a few chapters for me to be hooked, so I hope the next books start in on the action a little sooner.

Recommended for teenagers.

Thanks to Pam at Zondervan for providing this book for review.

Giveaway: Premiere on the Runway

2010-09-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

This week's giveaway is a book we reviewed yesterday, Premiere: on the runway.

We will be posting a new giveaway every Sunday and we have new book reviews being posted every day.

As a very practical adult I was not very fond of the book but I think it has a lot of potential for someone who really enjoys fashion or who is a teenager. Leave a comment here on our blog and you are entered to win. We will choose a winner on September 12.

Premiere On the runway

2010-09-08T10:27:00.000-07:00

by Melody Carlson
ISBN 9780310717867

Premiere: On the Runway is a Teen Fiction book written from and for a Christian perspective. There are at least two scenes where the kids go to "youth group" and other church functions and these functions are not explained. So it is expected that the target audience knows what's going on.

The main struggle in this book is between two sisters. One, Paige, knows all about fashion and has been asked to host a teen fashion show similar to Stacy and Clinton's show What Not to Wear. The sister, Erin, more calm and down to earth and is invited to help her sister on her show but would rather be in the background.

As a teenage Christian I did not watch reality shows (well they weren't really around back then), read Seventeen magazine, or keep up with fashion, so it was hard for me to relate to the characters. In fact it was hard for me to reconcile the idea of kids who go to church and their parents are okay with them being so superficial as to go on reality shows and the like. Not that a true Christian could not do these things. It was just really hard for me to understand the protagonist.

Supposing that a teenager was in the same or similar predicaments of trying to reconcile her belief system with worldly culture, and to fit in both worlds, I thought the author did a plausible job of fleshing out the characters and plot. It did not really appeal to me but might to a teenager.

The whole book kind of reminded me of the latest Disney movie aimed at teenagers, but with some Jesus mixed in. I was not impressed. On the other hand I am not a teenager who loves fashion, so it was hard for me to understand the proposed audience.

Thanks to Pam at Zondervan for providing a copy of this book for me to review.

The Redheaded Princess

2010-07-29T14:14:00.000-07:00

by Ann Rinaldi
ISBN: 9780060733742

This book is about Queen Elizabeth I before she was queen. It is historical fiction.

This was the first book I had read by Ann Rinaldi, and I was impressed by the way she brings in actual facts into her story in an understandable way. She really weaves them into the plot.

This book was very interesting to me although I did not see very much hope or redemption. The time of Henry VIII was a brutal and sad time, even for the royalty in Europe. There was the Spanish Inquisition as well as poor King Henry killing all his billions of wives. Therefore the book was pretty dark, detailing the troubles Elizabeth had with her family members all trying to scheme and plot to take the throne.

Despite all of this sadness this was a pretty good book. I definitely learned new things about that time period, and bringing in the perspective of a young royal girl helped shed a new light on the topic. Recommended for ages 14 and up.

Princess Ben

2010-07-28T14:07:00.000-07:00

by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
ISBN: 9780618959716

I found this book to be a perfect mix of princesses, magic, powerful women characters, and redemption.

"Ben" is third in line to the throne when her parents and the king are attacked by enemies. She is orphaned and left to learn all about being a queen from the regent queen, her aunt. Ben is upset and confused and rebellious. She has never been properly trained and the queen is afraid she will be unacceptable as heir.

The first few chapters were quite despairing and hardships kept hurting the princess, but I was VERY encouraged by the end. This is really a coming-of-age book and would easily be applied to any young girl who feels that her life is just not fair and that the world is conspiring against her. Thankfully the book reminds us that sometimes we just have to push through and conquer our problems.

Special note: The princess is often referred to as fat, and towards the end does slim down but is still not "skinny" or "slim". I was happy to see the way the author handled conquering a food addiction in a healthful manner, and realistically many girls these days are confronted with self-image problems at an early age.

Recommended for age 13 and up.

The Staircase

2010-07-27T14:00:00.000-07:00

by Ann Rinaldi
ISBN 0152024301

Ann Rinaldi writes historical fiction for young adults. This particular novel was about a young girl who moves to a convent shortly after the Civil War. She does not want to be there, especially because she is Methodist, but also because she is grieving the loss of her mother and really would rather be on adventures with her father.

The convent was in Santa Fe, New Mexico territory. I was very surprised to see how interesting the culture of that area was at the time. The author portrayed a town full of Mexican, Indian, and Catholic superstitions, culture, and customs. At times the children in the book encountered graveyards, witches, vicious townspeople, and failed prayers. The protagonist has a healthy suspicion of Catholic beliefs and would rather just be Methodist.

I thought that though religion was not always portrayed in a positive light, there were some truths and hopeful characters. It was an engaging story about a real legend from the area.

Recommended for ages 13 and up.

Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains

2010-07-25T13:56:00.000-07:00

by Laurel Snyder
ISBN 9780375947196

Lucy the milkmaid is friends with Wynston, a prince. As she grieves the loss of her mother and solves a mystery surrounding her disappearance, she also goes through a coming-of-age time where she re-evaluates her life and expectations for the future.

On her journey to find her mother she meets new and interesting people and has to use her smarts and abilities to find her way.

Aside from the concerning problem of her running away and not really having any consequences for those actions this was a light, humorous, and tender book. Recommended for ages 10-14.

The Aedyn Chronicles: Chosen Ones

2010-07-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

by Alister McGrath
ISBN 9780310718123

Fiction, fantasy, young adult

The Chosen Ones is an allegorical fantasy showing us the battle that people go through when deciding whether to be on God's team or not.

This was the first in a series, and I was glad to see that it did not end in a cliff hanger. The writing was simplistic and unpolished. I found the story to be an okay plot, but I am fairly picky in my fantasy expectations.

Two children find a pool in the backyard of their vacation home and fall through it into another world. They are assigned a quest to save the kingdom and even have a prophecy about them.

There were a few typos and it really wasn't a book that I would read again, but if you are looking for a light fantasy this is a good choice for you.

Thanks to Pam at Zondervan for providing a copy of this book for me to review.

A Bump in the Road: From Happy Hour to Baby Shower by Maureen Lipinski

2010-07-02T08:55:00.000-07:00

I have made the comment recently that I read more fiction than non. After reading A Bump in the Road: From Happy Hour to Baby Shower by Maureen Lipinski, I think I need to clarify that statement.

I don't tend to finish fiction. Why? Because most of what I read is terrible. Bad plots, badly drawn characters, and the worst offense--authors who cannot put their main characters in peril. Fiction is supposed to be cathartic, allow readers to experience things we would be too scared to otherwise or would never have the opportunity to. Nothing irritates me more than when an author is too gentle with the plot for the sake of the main character.

Yes, Stephanie Meyer, I am calling you out.

So lately, I have been gravitating towards memoir because it feels more authentic. However, Jen Lancaster made some fiction suggestions on her summer reading list. Looking for a change, I decided to try some out. First up was Lipinski's book, a story about a young woman in Chicago, still enjoying her marriage's honeymoon stage, who accidentally gets pregnant. The novel follows Claire through each trimester as she struggles with the sudden changes, the morning sickness, managing her life, and coming to terms with the fact that nothing will be the same again.

At first I struggled to get into the book. I found Claire to be silly and unrealistic (really, who can drink that much?), but once she got pregnant, I could relate to her much better. This novel reminded me of my own unexpected pregnancy in so many ways. This novel excels because it has just enough realism and outlandish moments combined.

Now, it's not perfect. There are some cliches, some characters who aren't fully developed (overbearing mother-in-law, perfectionist friend with bad marriage, slutty friend with heart of gold, etc.) But it's good enough for me to look forward to the sequel I requested from the library.

I recommend this book for non-literary snobs, especially women. I don't see guys getting into this. Well, it's not really for them anyways.

Hillary

Pretty in Plaid by Jen Lancaster

2010-06-24T16:54:00.000-07:00

I do not tend to be a big fan of non-fiction, but I make the exception for humor writers. In my opinion, Jen Lancaster is pretty dang funny, but humor writing is a "funny" thing. One person's side-splitter is another person's curled lip and/or eye roll. I am a huge fan of sarcasm and shock (well, not too much shock--I'm pretty modest.) But I love when people can tell the stories of crazy things that happen to them, especially when they can be honest about themselves and their short comings.

Last summer I read Lancaster's Bitter is the New Black and Such a Pretty Fat. It is not necessary to read these books before Pretty in Plaid, but all three books are pretty quick reads. In Pretty in Plaid, Lancaster writes about growing up, using the context of her favorite/most memorable outfits. This book will particularly appeal to those who can relate to 80's fashion, etc. In every story, Lancaster writes about herself with honesty and humor. She has a really strong view of the world, but she is open about her flaws.

I recommend this book for women who want to laugh. This is definitely not a book for the guys and not for children. While Lancaster is modest about sex, she does have a foul mouth and she drops several f-bombs. She is funnier than heck though and all her books make a great summer read. You can learn more about Jen Lancaster on her website http://www.jennsylvania.com.

Hillary

Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

2010-01-19T07:51:00.000-08:00

I have finished Choosing Gratitude Your Journey to Joy by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. What a wonderful book to read at the beginning of a new year!

In this book Nancy Leigh DeMoss writes of the transforming power of gratitude in our lives. Because of the grace we've been given, gratitude should be evident in us. The purpose of this book is to show how we can have a lifestyle of gratitude and how this will change our lives as we become grateful people. She writes about reasons we need to be grateful and how we can show our gratitude. At the end she also includes a 30 day devotional guide to put into practice the things she talks about in the book.

This book was a pleasure to read and I highly recommend it to you. I really gained a lot by reading it and want to share it with others. I also look forward to reading other books by this author.

Thank you to Moody Publishers for providing this book for review.

Have a day of blessings!

Winner of GREEN

2010-01-14T14:18:00.001-08:00

Briana won the copy of Green by Ted Dekker. I randomly generated a number between 1 and 5. Congrats to Briana!

In Grandma's Attic

2010-01-04T20:52:00.001-08:00

by Arleta Richardson

ISBN: 978 0 781432689

When I wrote my post on quality chapter books I got some more recommendations for books. Among them was the series "Grandma's Attic." I got a couple for Christmas and was wonderfully surprised!

Each chapter in this book is a short story that the author's grandma told her about living in the late 1880s through early 1900s. They each end with a Christian moral and Biblical truths are liberally sprinkled throughout the text. The stories do not come out as very preachy in my opinion but you can definitely sense that the author is Christian and believes in God. I especially like the last chapter where the grandma teaches about appropriate uses of prayer (for God's will to be done, not our own).

There are lots more books in this series and I will be buying all of them. Highly recommended.

The Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook

2010-01-04T20:48:00.000-08:00

By Joyce Lankester Brisley
ISBN 978 0 7534 53322

Back when I wrote my post on quality chapter books I got some more recommendations for books. Among them was "Milly-Molly-Mandy". I was able to buy it recently and read it tonight.

I highly recommend this book. The child, Milly-Molly-Mandy, gets to do lots of fun, calm things that a little girl would have done in the 1920s. The AR Bookfind site said it was a 5.2 grade level but I thought the content was quite tame and sweet. I would let my 7 year old read it for sure.

Highly recommended!

Green

2010-01-04T16:13:00.000-08:00

by Ted Dekker

ISBN 978 1595542885

GIVEAWAY:
Leave a comment here to win this book. I will choose by random selection on Wednesday January 12.

I was interested to see what this science fiction / Christian book was about. I have not read any Ted Dekker books and thought it looked interesting. Green is the fourth in a "circular" series of books. Supposedly it can be read first or last- the whole series refers to itself due to time travel.

I could not finish the book. It alternately bored, confused, and shocked me. Firstly I don't usually like books that refer too much to things in other books. A passing reference here and there doesn't bother me, but when constantly being put into situations where we smugly know what happened before didn't work for me.

I also didn't like the graphic descriptions of violence and rituals. This society was either parallel to ours or an alternative to ours, and there was a lot of violence. I don't appreciate violence in any case but to see it in a book that was trying to show the Christian story was not happy for me. I know the Bible is full of war and sadness but this had a different feel to it for me.

At any rate I am sorry to say that I cannot recommend this book.

I received this book free to review for Thomas Nelson Book Reviews. I was not compensated for the review except for the free book.

When Moms Pray Together by Fern Nichols

2009-12-26T17:15:00.001-08:00

There is power in prayer. I've known this, but to read the stories of this book amazed me and touched my heart.

When Moms Pray Together by Fern Nichols is a collection of 25 stories written by moms who have seen God answers to their prayers for their children. Prayers for healing, growth, protection, prodigals to come home, and many others. These stories show how God answered prayers and in the process changed the hearts of the praying moms.

Moms in Touch is a group of moms who pray for their children and their schools. You can find out if there is a group in your area at the MIT website.

I'm so glad to have read this book. It blessed my life and I recommend it to you.
Thank you to Tyndale Blog Network for providing this book to review.

Have a day of blessings!

The Church of facebook by Jesse Rice

2009-12-26T17:14:00.000-08:00

The Church of facebook by Jesse Rice is the latest book I've finished reading.

In case you haven't noticed, Facebook is extremely popular right now. What started as a social network for college students has turned into a "community" for all ages. This book explores the aspects of Facebook that has made it so popular in such a short amount of time.

The author takes what I found to be an interesting approach with this topic. He does not speak against Facebook. He includes many historical examples as well as psychological studies and applies these situations and lessons learned from them to the Facebook phenomenon.

I enjoyed reading this book. It was different from many books I read in its focus and style. I learned some new information by reading it.

We need to consider the ramifications of participating in online communities. Are we being our true selves or pretending to be something we aren't? Are we being intentional in our interactions and relationships? Some times we need to stop and consider how we are spending our time online. This book has caused me to think about my online relationships in a new way and the relevance of them to my life.

Thank you to David C Cook for providing this copy for review.

Have a day of blessings!

Miracles by Karen Kingsbury + Giveaway

2009-11-30T19:24:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for a nice book for a Christmas gift? Let me recommend Karen Kingsbury's book Miracles.

This is a book of 52 different stories of miracles compiled from five of Karen Kingsbury's other books. Each miracle also includes a scripture passage and two other verses related to the miracle.

I enjoyed reading these miracles. There were all different types of miracles. Many involved unexplainable visits from angels. There were stories of healing, safety, and answer to prayers. It really did encourage me to read this book and see how God is at work all the time around us.

Would you like to win a copy of this book? Hachette Book Group is giving away five copies of this book! Please leave a comment on my original post about this giveaway at Raindrops & Rainbows for an entry. Here are the rules: 5 winners, no PO Boxes, US and Canada only.

This would make a great book for you to read or to give as a gift (The publisher is not guaranteeing shipment to receive by Christmas but possibly.) Five winners will be chosen this Friday, December 5.

Have a day of blessings!

Levi's Will

2009-11-11T20:20:00.000-08:00

Levi's Will
W. Dale Cramer
ISBN 978 07642 07129

Contemporary fiction

WIN this book! Leave a comment on this post any time before Wednesday next and you could win the book.

This was a very good book about an Amish family and the choices they face. I have read a lot of fiction books about Amish and Mennonite people and sometimes they can be a little patronizing of the faith that these communities hold. Sort of an "aren't they so cute?" attitude. I admit I was worried that this book would be similar in that regard.

I was pleasantly surprised, however, to see the true respect and care that the author took towards the Amish faith. There was little, if any, patronizing attitude, and I felt that the author really loves and adores his Amish heritage. I appreciated the realism that was present in the book. The author speaks about his ancestry and I could really tell that this was a near and dear topic to his heart.

The book flips back and forth between two or three times in the protagonist's life in which pivotal things happen. He ends up leaving the Amish faith in a way that means he ought to be shunned. I felt this was a great book.

Recommended

WIN this book! Leave a comment on this post any time before Wednesday next and you could win the book.

Mothering Heights: A Novel Approach for Christian Mothers

2009-11-09T07:12:00.000-08:00

Mothering Heights: A Novel Approach for Christian Mothers by Keitha Smith and Susan Brereton is a new novel from Judson Press that I'm happy to share with you.

From the website:
This encouraging book uses the charm of timeless literary works and the wisdom of the Bible to reconsider what is seen today as a classic role.

My thoughts:
I found Mothering Heights to be an enjoyable book that was easy to follow. Each chapter is titled after a classic literary work, such as Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Great Expectations. A few quotes are used from these books throughout the chapters. One thing I appreciated was the comments from mothers relating real experiences to the information discussed in the chapter. Each chapter ends with a short list of questions. One of the chapters I enjoyed was about the expectations we face as mothers...expectations of our spouses, our children, others, ourselves and God. What I learned from this book was to be reminded of my role as a Mom is valuable even in the tasks that seem menial at the time and taking care of my family is a way I can serve God right now. This book was encouraging to me, and I would recommend it to other Mom's. It seems it would be a valuable book especially for new moms to read so they will realize that they are valuable and what they are doing is important. We all need to be encouraged from time to time and reminded of our purpose. This book does that.

Thank you to Kim Shimer at Judson Press for sending me this book for review. You may purchase it at this link.

Have a day of blessings!

Bringing Up Boys + GIVEAWAY

2009-11-05T07:44:00.000-08:00

James Dobson is a practical author who deals with philosophy of family and parenting matters from a Christian perspective. His book Bringing Up Boys has some ideas of how to teach your sons to be great men.

I haven't personally read it but my friend told me that it has more to do with philosophy and less to do with specific strategies.

If you would like to own this book please leave a comment and I will randomly choose a winner on Thursday next.

Chapter Books for children

2009-11-05T06:48:00.000-08:00

I have spoken before about my quest to find appropriate books for Emlyn to read. She's a few grade levels ahead of her actual age, so it can be difficult to find books that aren't too mature and that are enjoyable to read. I've compiled a list of some of my favorite authors that I've discovered. I'm not going to include most of the well-known and popular authors because most people can find them fairly easily.

I don't have the time today to put these in reading level order; you may have to go look and figure it out yourself. I would still suggest reading one from each author before you let your kids free with that author, to make sure their stories are not too mature for your kid. Most authors have many books that they've written. If your child likes one they most likely like the rest.

Here we go:
Ralph Moody "Little Britches" and following series
Lois Gladys Leppard "Mandie" books
"Encyclopedia Brown" series
Brisley "Milly-Molly-Mandy"
Nesbit
Spyri "Heidi" books
Frances Hodgson Burnett "A Little Princess," "Secret Garden," and "Lost Prince"
Speare "The Bronze Bow"
Carolyn Haywood
Eleanor Estes "Ginger Pye"
Elizabeth Enright "Thimble Summer" and "The Saturdays"
George Selman "The Cricket in Times Square" and series
George MacDonald "The Princess and the Goblin," "The Light Princess," "At the Back of the North Wind"
Old Nancy Drew
Old Hardy Boys
"The Penderwicks"
Maud Lovelace "Betsy-Tacy"
Julie Andrews Edwards "The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles"
Andrew Lang "Fairy books"
Baum "Oz books"
Grandma's Attic series

The following are recommended by my dear friend Shannon but I have not read them:
"All of a Kind Family"
Marshall history books "This Country of Ours"
"Trumpeter of Krakow"
Padereic Colum
"Hans Brinker"
Howard Pyle
Robert Lawson
Porter "Pollyanna"
"Little Pilgrim's Progress"
Susan Coolidge
Dodie Smith "101 Dalmatians"
Susan Bauer "The Story of the World"
"Johnny Tremain"
"Plain Girl"
Elizabeth Goudge "The Last Unicorn"
Arthur Ransom

Go forth and read! Rest assured, at least one of these authors will pull your child out of Junie B Jones and Magic Treehouse and Judy Moody. I promise.

Snow Melts in Spring by Deborah Vogts

2009-11-01T19:19:00.001-08:00

I have finished another book! It is called Snow Melts in Spring by Deborah Vogts and published by Zondervan. It is in the Seasons of Tallgrass series.

Main character Mattie Evans is a young veterinarian who is trying to save a horse named Dusty after he was badly injured in an accident. Dusty belongs to the quarterback of the 49ers Gil McCray. Mattie's close friend John McCray is Gil's father. Gil ends up back home at the ranch, exactly where he doesn't want to be, because of Dusty's injury and his father's failing health. He wants to return to California but there are issues at home that he realizes he needs to confront. Mattie is somewhat stuck in the middle of trying to help both Gil and his father.

One thing I appreciated about this story was the important role of a couple of the minor characters, Jack (a ranch hand) and Clara (Mattie's friend). This is a well-written story of love, renewal, and forgiveness.

This one was enjoyable from beginning to end. It made me think of my friend from elementary school, Kelli, because her family raised horses and always went to horse shows. I apologize that it took me a while to actually read it. I had several I've been reading and this one got pushed aside. I do recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.

Have a day of blessings!

Tumtum and Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall

2009-10-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

by Emily Bearn
ISBN: 9780316 027038

This collection of three stories is about two mice who live in a rather nice mouse house inside a human house. I enjoyed reading about the mouse adventures. While clean, I did feel that the stories were a little too involved and too dark for my 7 year old daughter. I think when she's in third grade she may appreciate them more.

The first story tells us about the mean human Aunt who hates mice and wants to kill them. The mice prevail in the end but they have to call on other helpers within the rodent community.

The second story tells us about a rat friend who is caught and taken to school by the children who live in the house. Terrible things are about to happen to the rodents at the school because the teacher doesn't like them.

The third story is about the mice going on a camping/boating adventure. The evil pirate rats try to keep them prisoner but they prevail in the end.

I guess I would have preferred for at least a couple of the human adults in the book to be kind and supportive of the animals. We have the dad who is absent-minded and hardly takes care of his kids, the aunt who actively hates the mice, the teacher who isn't overly malicious but still mean, and the custodian who is willing to kill the whole lot of rodents rather than set them free. There are nice adults in this world!

Recommended with reservations

How do you feel about children's books with negative attitudes toward adults? Are parents and authority figures really as bad as these books say?

The Stolen Voice: a Gil Cunningham Murder Mystery

2009-10-26T08:17:00.000-07:00

by Pat McIntosh
ISBN 9781569475829

I read two historical mysteries this week, and of the two this one was not quite as good in terms of the writing. They are both parts of series, and I had never read the previous books in either series. It was interesting to be able to compare two books like that. This one is about a community in which people are disappearing and reappearing, and no one knows why. They are mostly all part of the singing community, hence the title. This takes place in the 14th or 15th century; I never was very clear which.

I felt that the way in which we were introduced to past events in other books and to some of the characters was a bit smug. I don't know how to describe it exactly, but some authors seem to have troubles with writing subsequent books and "casually" letting us know about prior events. I don't know how to change it for the better, but as a voracious reader it's jarring when I feel out of the loop or confused, yet I don't like being patronized with a two paragraph description, like they did in the Sweet Valley Twins books.

At any rate I enjoyed the story and especially the fact that the gore level was pretty low considering it was a murder mystery.

Recommended.

Do you ever experience the same thing when reading books that are part of a series? How do you think the author could fix the issue?

Philippa Fisher's Fairy Godsister

2009-10-26T08:12:00.000-07:00

by Liz Kessler
ISBN: 9780545208147

Philippa Fisher is 11 and a half and of course unhappy with life. Thankfully she still believes in fairies because one evening, after her best friend moves away, she picks a daisy that she is sure will turn into a fairy.

Turns out, the daisy is a fairy godsister (instead of godmother), and both of them have lots of things to learn.

This book was fun- three wishes in a modern society. There was a little bit of teasing and "the in-girls vs. outsiders" but not too much. My 7 year old daughter enjoyed it.

Lessons learned are accepting your parents and self the way you are, and being more compassionate and understanding toward others.

It's a fourth grade reading level and I think appropriate for that age.
Recommended.

The Last Word by Kathy Herman + Giveaway

2009-10-21T17:10:00.000-07:00

I’ve finished reading The Last Word, book two of the Sophie Trace Trilogy by Kathy Herman. I had been excited for this to come out after reading book one The Real Enemy. I was not disappointed! This is another great read, and I found it hard to put down.

Sophie Trace Chief of Police Brill Jessup must be on guard at all times because someone she convicted years ago is now out of prison and has threatened Brill. He’s already gone after others and Brill is next on his list. Besides this danger, Brill’s daughter Vanessa comes home from college seven months pregnant. I thought the author did an excellent job telling this story and making a strong point through the book about the importance of the witnessing as Christians.

One thing that I liked about this second book of the series is that the author did not spend pages and pages referring to the first book. She did make mention of events from book one. It wasn’t necessary to read book one to enjoy this book though. I’ve read some books in a series that I feel spend too much time repeating what happened in previous books which is information I don’t want to reread. I really liked how Kathy Herman mentioned things from book one but didn’t dwell on it in great detail.

I enjoyed this book and look forward to number three!

****Also I am giving away a copy of this book. Visit this post at Raindrops & Rainbows for your chance to win!

Have a day of blessings!

Generation Warriors + GIVEAWAY

2009-10-17T07:21:00.000-07:00

by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Moon
ISBN: 0671720414

This is a volume with two stories in it about Dinosaur Planet.

Generally I love Anne McCaffrey's books, and I even like the Sassinak ones usually, but this volume didn't ring with me very much. I love sci-fi/fantasy but more along the lines of fantasy. Spaceships running around is not my favorite.

At any rate these books follow very closely along with the other Sassinak books and Lunzie books. Both of them are featured in other volumes. After getting into the story about 35 pages into it I started to enjoy it and wanted to know what would happen next. There's lots of action and adventure.

Lunzie is on a spaceship whose goal is to map out a planet. As soon as they arrive they notice that strange things are happening.

One other thing I didn't like about this book, and most of the other Lunzie/Sassinak universe, is the problems between "heavy-worlders" and regular people. This race is human but has been genetically bred to be able to handle being on high-gravity planets, and they are resentful of this. I see that the author is trying to explore the idea of racial tension and why it happens and how it can play out, but it just doesn't work for me, maybe because it is SO overt. Most racial tension is not talked about or discussed.

I recommend these books, but my favorite books by Anne McCaffrey are the Pern books.

GIVEAWAY: Comment by next Saturday, October 24, and win this book. Tell me if you usually read Sci-fi/fantasy and what your favorite author in that genre is.

Giveaway!

2009-10-14T09:38:00.001-07:00

I recently reviewed The Marriage You've Always Wanted by Gary Chapman. I'm giving away this book and study guide on my blog.

If you'd like to enter, please visit this post at Raindrops & Rainbows. Thanks!

Have a day of blessings!

Book Thief Winner

2009-10-06T15:49:00.001-07:00

Linna is the winner of "The Book Thief." Congrats Linna!

The Marriage You've Always Wanted by Gary Chapman

2009-09-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

You may be familiar with Gary Chapman as he wrote the popular book The Five Love Languages. I have read another one of his books called The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted as well as The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted Bible Study.

I enjoyed reading these together and appreciated how they complimented each other. I didn’t find the study guide to be just a repeat of the book, which is often the case I’ve found with books/study guides. They went together but with new information and stories. One thing I really liked about the Bible study was looking up the answers to the questions in the Bible. Some of the verses are included in the text but some you have to look up yourself. It seems many times in other Bible studies a Bible reference is made and then the answer is given. The reader has to think and come up with his own answers in this study, which I liked. I found the questions to be appropriate and thought provoking.

Topics covered include forgiveness, positive response to anger, sexual fulfillment, money, listening, agreeing, and prayer.

I enjoy Chapman’s writing style because it is easy to read and has stories from real couples related to each topic. It is easy to relate to him and understand the points he makes for marriage.

I highly recommend this book and study guide for you. It would be great to do as a husband and wife or with a small group.

Have a day of blessings!

Book Giveaway: The Book Thief

2009-09-24T06:26:00.000-07:00

I reviewed "The Book Thief" last week and found it to be a powerful book to read. It was very hard to get through, because it's about the Holocaust, but still a good read.

If you would like to enter, please leave a comment on this post. The contest is open until next Thursday, the 1st of October.

Winner of Love Has a Face

2009-09-24T06:14:00.000-07:00

The contest to win "Love Has a Face" is over.

Using random.org I generated a number between 1 and 6. It came up with the number 3.

Number 3 is Kim P, a friend from a church I used to go to. And it just so happens that I already have plans to see her today! So that's handy. Thanks everyone for participating! I will be posting a new giveaway soon. Take care!

I Wonder Why

2009-09-19T20:01:00.000-07:00

by Ruth Hummel
ISBN 0570084768

"The Concordia Sex Education Series"

I believe this book has also been revised and republished under another name but am not sure which. This book is for ages 6 to 8. It is the second in the series, after "Each One Specially".

As a parent of a 4 and 7 year old, I know it will be part of my job to teach my children how to view their bodies in relation to God's will for their lives. I looked at this book to see if it would be a good resource to teach my children about their bodies.

After comparing two series of Christian sex education books I have to say I prefer these over the others. I believe the authors do a good job of teaching children age-appropriate information without giving too much away. These editions are pretty dated in the illustrations but I think they have been republished with new illustrations.

This book is in a story form, with a dialogue between a mommy and her daughter. The mommy is pregnant and getting ready for the new baby. We learn that families have more love to give no matter how many live in the family, and that all families look different and are at different stages of growing up.

The family goes to the museum and learns about the miracle of birth. We learn that a woman has a uterus and that babies grow there, and that the mommy grows bigger as the baby grows bigger. We learn that when it's time for the baby to come out, the opening in the uterus gets bigger too. We learn that only women can be mommies, and only men can be daddies, but that everyone can be a pilot, or a cook, or a fireman.

We learn that babies need lots of care and lots of love, but that mommies and daddies have extra love for the older kids too.

We learn that every baby begins with a sperm from the daddy and an ovum from the mommy. When a man and a woman love each other, they get married, and sometimes hold each other very closely, and their bodies "fit together in a wonderful way." This is when a new baby can begin. I think that this is an age-appropriate amount of information to share about creating babies.

We also learn new vocabulary, such as v**gina, uterus, vu**va, p**nis, and te**ticles, and scr**tum.

We learn that new babies sometimes get their milk from their mommies breasts (an illustration of this is shown) and sometimes they drink from a bottle (also illustrated). We learn that this is all part of God's plan.

Overall I think that the amount of information given in this book is very appropriate for ages 6 to 8. I would definitely read this and discuss it with my children at this age. I would like to see the revised versions of these to see how the text and illustrations compare.

highly recommended.

How God Makes Babies

2009-09-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

By Jim Burns
ISBN: 978 0 7642 02100

"Laying the foundations for healthy sexuality: an age-appropriate resource for ages 6 to 9"

This is the second in the series by Bethany House Publishers. The first one is "God Made Your Body."

As a parent of a 4 and 7 year old, I know it will be part of my job to teach my children how to view their bodies in relation to God's will for their lives. I looked at this book to see if it would be a good resource to teach my children about their bodies.

I have to say I had high hopes for this series but this one was just too mature for 6 to 9 year olds. I know I am old-fashioned and overly modest and all that, but I think that this age group is not yet ready for all the topics covered in this book (and it would be too hard to skip the affected pages). I prefer the book "I Wonder Why" for ages 6 to 8.

From the beginning:
We first learn about God's plan for families, i.e. that a man and a woman get married and love each other.

Then we learn that a husband and wife do many different things together, like praying and holding each other "in ways they would not do with any other person". Then we learn the term: making love, or having sex. WHAT? Telling a child of this age those terms? Am I this sheltered? I don't think that my children need those terms. Perhaps they will hear them in school and want to know what they mean, but I don't think it's a good idea. I would love to hear from my readers as to their opinions; am I over-reacting here?

We learn more about girl and boy-specific parts, such as v**gina, uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes, p**nis, scr**tum, and t**sticles. We learn that these parts are private, covered with swimsuits, and who should look at those parts (parents and doctors). We talk about keeping those parts private from everyone else.

The next thing that I think is too mature is that we learn that the husband puts his p**nis into the wife's v**gina. I just think kids of this age (6 to 9 year olds) are too young to need the details here. How many inquisitive kids are going to try to figure out how that works? We then learn how the sperm travel to find the egg, and that not every session of "making love" results in a baby.

Then there are more details about pregnancy, all of which are pretty neat and not too mature, how the baby grows at different stages of pregnancy. There are nice illustrations and pictures.

We learn about contractions and that labor is hard work, and that most babies are born at the hospital.

Then we learn that sometimes a c-section is called for, and what that is. I think this is too much detail for a child of this age group.

We learn that most babies get nourishment from the breast (a real picture is shown here but it is focused enough that it doesn't look sexual at all), and that some babies use a bottle. We learn that new babies are learning and growing a lot. God made all different kinds of families, including adoption.

Overall I loved the pictures and illustrations and thought that they were very age-appropriate and well done.

I did not love the vocabulary at all. I will not be telling my children about "making love/having sex", c-sections, and p**nises entering v**ginas for a long time. I think 10 or 11 years is a good time for that.

You decide for yourself if your 6 to 9 year old is ready for this book.

Each One Specially

2009-09-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

By Carol Greene
057008475x

Concordia Sex Education Series for ages 3 to 5
This is the first in the series; the second is "I Wonder Why."

I believe this book has been revised and republished to be "How Boys and Girls are Different" with the ISBN 978-0758614155, but I'm not sure how well they compare.

This book is the one my parents had when they were teaching me about my body, and I personally prefer it to the other one I reviewed today, "God Made Your Body."

As a parent of a 4 and 7 year old, I know it will be part of my job to teach my children how to view their bodies in relation to God's will for their lives. I looked at this book to see if it would be a good resource to teach my children about their bodies.

This is the first in the series and is specifically geared towards children ages 3 to 5, although especially with this type of book I recommend previewing the book on your own first to make sure it only has topics you think your child is ready for. Each child matures at a different rate and it's important to stay slightly ahead of them in their understanding, yet not give them information that is too mature.

This book starts off by saying that different kids like to do different things, but that God made all kids.

Then we learn that God gave us different parts of our bodies (mouths, ears, etc.).

Then we learn that God gave girls a v**gina and boys a p**nis. (I have to put asterisks or I will be in google's search engine for topics that I don't want this blog to be focused on).

Then we learn that there are lots of "shes" and "hes" in our lives and that they do all kinds of different things, like paint or drive a truck.

How did God make us? We learn that sometimes a man and a woman love each other, get married, and decide to have a baby. Then the baby grows inside the mommy, and that after nine months the baby comes out of the mommy's v**gina.

Then we learn about different types of families, small ones and big ones, etc. They do different things together. God also puts us into a church family (I liked that they talked about this).

I appreciated that the book gives children some proper vocabulary without giving too many details. I recommend this book for ages 3 to 5. You decide for yourself if your 3 to 5 year old is ready for this book.

God Made Your Body

2009-09-19T19:15:00.000-07:00

By Jim Burns
97807642117

"Laying the foundations for healthy sexuality: an age appropriate resource for ages 3 to 5"

This is a new book from the Bethany House publishers. They sent it to me to review.

This is the first book in the series; the second one is "How God Makes Babies."

As a parent of a 4 and 7 year old, I know it will be part of my job to teach my children how to view their bodies in relation to God's will for their lives. I looked at this book to see if it would be a good resource to teach my children about their bodies.

This is the first in the series and is specifically geared towards children ages 3 to 5, although especially with this type of book I recommend previewing the book on your own first to make sure it only has topics you think your child is ready for. Each child matures at a different rate and its important to stay slightly ahead of them in their understanding yet not give them information that is too mature.

This book starts off by showing pictures of kids in all shapes and sizes. It talks about facial features and skin color and hair types all being different. Then it tells us that different kids like to do different things. Then we talk about what features God gave to both boys and girls (toes, etc.)

Then we find out that little boys have a p**nis and tes**icles (I have to put asterisks or I will be in google's search engine for topics that I don't want this blog to be focused on).

We find out that little girls have a v**gina and a womb. Each of these pages has a cartoonish diagram of the body parts talked about.

Then we find out that mommies and daddies come in all shapes and sizes.

One thing I think is a little too mature for even my 7 year old yet is the idea of "making love". I don't believe young children are ready for any types of euphemisms. For example I refused to teach my kids a euphemism for boogers for a long time because I didn't want them to use any of the vocabulary. I don't think my kids need to be asking me about "making love." This book just says that the mommy and daddy "come together" and giving parts of themselves to make a baby (sperm and egg).

Then it talks about babies growing in mommy's tummies and that most babies are born in hospitals. The way the author talks about these topics is, I think, very age-appropriate. Then we talk about different types of families, including adoption, grandmas and grandpas, and single parents. The idea of non-mainstream families (same-sex marriages, etc) is not specifically introduced.

I loved the pictures and illustrations in this book, and without the phrase "making love" I would wholeheartedly recommend this book. You decide for yourself if your 3 to 5 year old is ready for this book.

I personally prefer the book "Each One Specially" for this age group.

Love Has A Face

2009-09-14T20:06:00.000-07:00

By Michele Perry
ISBN: 978 0800794781

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind. Love your neighbor as yourself."

Michele Perry's book "Love Has A Face" is a reminder of God's great love for us and a testimony of what his love is doing in Sudan.

Michele is a missionary at an orphanage and she shares stories and lessons learned from her time there. She is constantly reminding us that Jesus Christ died on the cross to redeem us from our sins and give us eternal life. He's coming back to take his believers to heaven.

This book helped me remember the faces of people I help, and that they are individuals, not just good deeds done.

Recommended

Win this book! Leave a comment on this post before Tuesday, September 21, and let me know what intrigues you about the book. I will randomly draw a winner on Tuesday next week.