Monthly Archives: May 2010

Bringing Up Girls by Dr. James Dobson

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I feel almost like I’m reacting to a book I’ve already read and digested long ago as I contemplate what to say about Bringing Up Girls by Dr. James Dobson.  It’s Steady Eddie’s book, really.  I ordered it at his request (although I did want to read it, and in fact, due to insomnia, finished long before he ever got out of the starting gate with it).  I don’t know if it’s because I’m already familiar with what Dr. Dobson has to say, or if it’s because I am a girl and have been raising two of them for over five years now so some of the information in the book was intuitive to me, but I didn’t come away feeling like I had any new revelation about anything.  However, that’s not so say I don’t recommend the book, perhaps especially for men who have the task of helping to bring up girls.  In fact, I do recommend it.  This book simply solidified many of the things that I have observed and experienced in this interesting calling called parenting two little girls:

  • Fathers are extremely important to them, even if they cling to their mother more.
  • The cultural pull (Dobson calls it “the river of culture”) toward immodesty and loose living is very strong, but still, children do respect what their parents have to say.  In fact, they are likely to listen to and heed their parents’ advice,  if their parents actually give it.  (It seems that some parents are actually afraid to tell their daughters what they think about certain issues, for fear of driving them away or toward rebellion.)
  • Technology is a new challenge that we parents of this generation have to figure out in ways that no other parents have had to do before.

There’s a lot more to this book than that, of course, including a good bit about physical development and how it affects girls’ behaviors, etc.  Dobson includes a healthy dose of research, so if you find a particular topic in the book that interests you, there are plenty of sources to check out for further reading. 

I don’t think I’d consider this a must-read for moms, but maybe it is for dads.  I don’t know–I feel like I’m almost too close to the situation (being a girl myself :-) ) to give it a very objective review.  However, it does make me eager to read Bringing Up Boys, Dobson’s companion book.  Now that’s one that I think will be news to me.  :-)

Another Good Mail Day (Thanks, Kim!)

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Steady Eddie and I went to a homeschooling conference on Friday, and he forced helped me make some decisions about next year concerning curricula, etc.  However, that will have to wait for another post, because what I want to do right now is give a big, huge THANK YOU to my friend Kim, who blogs at Confessions of a Sewciopath.  Kim is someone I actually have met in real life, but we don’t live close to each other, so we mainly communicate electronically.  She is a sweet, godly woman, who is also very talented.  When we got home on Friday from a l-o-n-g day of concrete floors, curriculum decisions, and time to talk unhindered by children (thanks to my mom and Steady Eddie’s), I was so tickled to find a package from Kim in the mailbox.  She has blessed me before with her handcrafted creations, but I think this just might be my favorite thing that she has ever made.  :-)

 

 

 

I don’t think my computer monitor does the beautiful, vibrant colors of these pieces justice, and you truly would have to see the perfection of the stitches to appreciate them.  Kim is one talented knitter (and seamstress, and mom, and pastor’s wife, and. . . and. . . )!  She also has an Etsy shop if you’re in the market for beautiful, handcrafted toys or hats or any number of things that her creative mind might cook up. 

Thanks so much, Kim!  I am blessed to know you! 

Now all we need is the baby!  :-)

Read Aloud Thursday

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Yes, folks, I’m still here.  I’m in the end-of-pregnancy slump that hits me pretty hard at this point in the game, so my motivation has been zilch.  Nesting?  What’s that?  I’ve honestly NEVER felt the urge to clean the floors in my house with a toothbrush, no matter what state of gestating I’ve been in.  The same goes for almost anything, including blogging, that requires much thought or effort.  Blech.  But, as one gentleman at church reminds me every time he sees me, “I’ll be okay once the swelling goes down.”  ;-)

We have been reading, though, and that’s a good thing.

After reading Janet’s Read Aloud Thursday post a few weeks ago, I went to the library determined to bring home Noah’s Ark by Peter Spier.  What I found instead was Peter Spier’s Circus! While I’m by no means implying that a circus compares in any way to Noah’s big boat, this particular find was very timely for us since the girls had been to the circus just a week or so before.  This book is a visual delight!  It’s really not so much about the story as it is the pictures and the people and animals who make up the circus.  What we came away from this book with is the idea that putting on a circus is a task that requires lots of help and cooperation, and at least in this story, the help comes from all around the world.  This is one of those books to just sit and soak up. 

I couldn’t resist sharing a few pictures from our girls’ night at the circus.  These pictures come courtesy of Steady Eddie who braved the big top with the girls (and the help of his mom).


Another timely book we read this past week is Cousin Ruth’s Tooth by Amy MacDonald.  It’s timely not because we have anyone in our house who actually has a loose tooth, but we sure have someone who (thinks) she wishes she had one!  (She’s on the cusp of her sixth birthday, and she is brimming over with the possibilities of this new age.  :-)   )Cousin Ruth’s Tooth is the delightful story of Ruth, a little girl who loses a tooth.  The problem is that the adults in her life think she has literally lost her tooth.  It’s a fun play on words.  The story is written entirely in rhyme, and it uses quite a sophisticated vocabulary.  Witness this:

“Cousin Ruth has

lost a tooth!  O,

careless youth!  It’s too absurd!”

Marjorie Priceman’s illustrations are a perfect fit for this story.  They’re free-flowing, with some of the pictures actually spilling off the page.  They really lend themselves to the frantic feeling of the story.  This is a fun one for the loose-tooth crowd!


This last story is one that came as a surprise to me.  Every once in a while, I’ll read a picture book that teaches me something, and this one certainly did.  Flood Fish by Robyn Eversole is a gentle story about an Australian drought that finally ends.  When the rain comes, so do the fish!  The text is sparse, and it’s written from the point of view of a little boy who presents his own and others’ ideas about where the fish (fully grown in a matter of days after the rain) come from.  The author’s note at the end of the story fills in the details:  the setting is the Finke River in the Australian outback, and the appearance of these adult fish so soon after the coming of the seasonal rain puzzles even the scientists.  This is a great one to reawaken a wonder of nature, and it would fit nicely with a study of Australia, or of fish, or of types of bodies of water, etc.  This was definitely a serendipitous find!

I’m beginning to wonder if it’s time for us to return all our library books and draw from our own ample shelves here at home for a while.  I don’t know.  I just hate to be stuck with a huge amount of borrowed books when we’re distracted by our new arrival.  We’ll see.  One thing’s for certain, though–we’ll keep on reading!  :-)

What has you and your family been reading these days?  Please share a link to your blog post below, or simply leave a comment!  Remember, this MckLinky list will be open all week, so even if you’re not ready today, you can come back until next Wednesday evening and leave a link!

Have a blessed Read Aloud Thursday!

Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure

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Sometimes a book really surprises me, and this one did.  I had a chance to review it as a member of TOS Homeschool Crew, and honestly, I didn’t expect much.  I’m not a huge fan of series books, and most of the time, Christian fiction leaves too sweet a taste in my mouth.  After I began reading this book, though, I realized that Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure is exactly the kind of book that I would’ve enjoyed as a upper elementary-aged student or young teenager, and even as an adult, I found it engaging and entertaining.  Written by Susan K. Marlow and published by Kregel Publications, Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure is a part of the Circle C Adventures series.  This is a summary of the series from the Kregel Publications website: 

Readers ages 8–14 have fallen in love with Andrea Carter! But how could they not? The 1880s are exciting times and Andi can’t seem to stop getting into trouble on her huge cattle ranch near Fresno, California. By the time she turns thirteen, she’s had more fun than most kids have in a lifetime. And the fun doesn’t have to stop! Now available in a handy slip case, all six of Andrea’s Circle C Adventures will keep kids reading for hours.

Despite the fact that I read book number five in the series, I had no problem picking right up with both the characters and plot;  Marlow does a good job of reintroducing characters with little fanfare but enough detail to satisfy those who are unfamiliar with the story.  The individual title I read has just the right amount of adventure for the target age range–it’s suspenseful but not scary.  Christianity is presented as a natural part of the title character’s life, so there are no “preachy” parts at all in the story.  As a young girl, I loved horses and historical fiction, so this series of a girl who lives on a ranch and gets into all sorts of scrapes would’ve been just the thing for me.  The Circle C Adventures series even has its own home on the web, and it’s full to the brim of fun things like book trailers, free study guides, and more!

Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure is available for purchase from the publisher, from the Circle C Adventures website, and from other bookstores.

To read more reviews about this fun series, check out TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

Top 100 Children’s Novels::A Poll and a Meme

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I saw this over at Semicolon a while back and thought it would be fun to play along.  It seems that Betsy, who blogs for School Library Journal  (no small beans!) at A Fuse #8 Production conducted a poll to find out readers’ opinions of the top 100 children’s novels.  Next, Teacherninja turned it into a meme, and I just couldn’t resist.    Here goes, at least as far as my memory serves me.  I’m putting the ones I’ve read in bold, and if I’ve posted anything about them here on my blog, I’m linking my reviews/comments/thoughts up in parentheses. 

100. The Egypt Game – Snyder (1967)
99. The Indian in the Cupboard – Banks (1980)
98. Children of Green Knowe – Boston (1954)
97. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane – DiCamillo (2006)
96. The Witches – Dahl (1983)
95. Pippi Longstocking – Lindgren (1950)
94. Swallows and Amazons – Ransome (1930)
93. Caddie Woodlawn – Brink (1935)  (my thoughts)
92. Ella Enchanted – Levine (1997)
91. Sideways Stories from Wayside School – Sachar (1978)
90. Sarah, Plain and Tall – MacLachlan (1985)
89. Ramona and Her Father – Cleary (1977)
88. The High King – Alexander (1968)
87. The View from Saturday – Konigsburg (1996)
86. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – Rowling (1999)
85. On the Banks of Plum Creek – Wilder (1937)
84. The Little White Horse – Goudge (1946)
83. The Thief – Turner (1997)
82. The Book of Three – Alexander (1964)
81. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon – Lin (2009)
80. The Graveyard Book – Gaiman (200
79. All-of-a-Kind-Family – Taylor (1951)
78. Johnny Tremain – Forbes (1943)
77. The City of Ember – DuPrau (2003)
76. Out of the Dust – Hesse (1997)
75. Love That Dog – Creech (2001)
74. The Borrowers – Norton (1953)
73. My Side of the Mountain – George (1959) (my thoughts)
72. My Father’s Dragon – Gannett (1948) (my thoughts)
71. The Bad Beginning – Snicket (1999)
70. Betsy-Tacy – Lovelace (1940) (my thoughts)
69. The Mysterious Benedict Society – Stewart ( 2007) (my thoughts)
68. Walk Two Moons – Creech (1994)
67. Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher – Coville (1991)
66. Henry Huggins – Cleary (1950)
65. Ballet Shoes – Streatfield (1936)
64. A Long Way from Chicago – Peck (1998)
63. Gone-Away Lake – Enright (1957)
62. The Secret of the Old Clock – Keene (1959)
61. Stargirl – Spinelli (2000)
60. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle – Avi (1990)
59. Inkheart – Funke (2003)
58. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase – Aiken (1962)
57. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 – Cleary (1981)
56. Number the Stars – Lowry (1989)
55. The Great Gilly Hopkins – Paterson (1978)
54. The BFG – Dahl (1982)
53. Wind in the Willows – Grahame (1908)
52. The Invention of Hugo Cabret (2007) (my thoughts)
51. The Saturdays – Enright (1941)
50. Island of the Blue Dolphins – O’Dell (1960)
49. Frindle – Clements (1996)
48. The Penderwicks – Birdsall (2005) (my thoughts)
47. Bud, Not Buddy – Curtis (1999)
46. Where the Red Fern Grows – Rawls (1961)
45. The Golden Compass – Pullman (1995)
44. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing – Blume (1972)
43. Ramona the Pest – Cleary (1968)
42. Little House on the Prairie – Wilder (1935) (my thoughts)
41. The Witch of Blackbird Pond – Speare (1958)
40. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – Baum (1900) (my thoughts)
39. When You Reach Me – Stead (2009)
38. HP and the Order of the Phoenix – Rowling (2003)
37. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry – Taylor (1976)
36. Are You there, God? It’s Me, Margaret – Blume (1970)
35. HP and the Goblet of Fire – Rowling (2000)
34. The Watsons Go to Birmingham – Curtis (1995)
33. James and the Giant Peach – Dahl (1961)
32. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH – O’Brian (1971)
31. Half Magic – Eager (1954)
30. Winnie-the-Pooh – Milne (1926) (my thoughts)
29. The Dark Is Rising – Cooper (1973)
28. A Little Princess – Burnett (1905)
27. Alice I and II – Carroll (1865/72)
26. Hatchet – Paulsen (1989)
25. Little Women – Alcott (1868/9)
24. HP and the Deathly Hallows – Rowling (2007)
23. Little House in the Big Woods – Wilder (1932)
22. The Tale of Despereaux – DiCamillo (2003)
21. The Lightening Thief – Riordan (2005)
20. Tuck Everlasting – Babbitt (1975)
19. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Dahl (1964)
18. Matilda – Dahl (1988)
17. Maniac Magee – Spinelli (1990)
16. Harriet the Spy – Fitzhugh (1964)
15. Because of Winn-Dixie – DiCamillo (2000)
14. HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban – Rowling (1999)
13. Bridge to Terabithia – Paterson (1977)
12. The Hobbit – Tolkien (1938)
11. The Westing Game – Raskin (1978)
10. The Phantom Tollbooth – Juster (1961)
9. Anne of Green Gables – Montgomery (1908)
8. The Secret Garden – Burnett (1911)
7. The Giver -Lowry (1993)
6. Holes – Sachar (1998)
5. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler – Koningsburg (1967)
4. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – Lewis (1950) (my thoughts)
3. Harry Potter #1 – Rowling (1997)
2. A Wrinkle in Time – L’Engle (1962)
1. Charlotte’s Web – White (1952) (my thoughts)

If my memory and my counting are correct, I’ve read some 55 of these books.  Many of them I’ve read since I’ve begun blogging! 

How many have you read?

Of the ones I haven’t read, which ones are on your “must read” list?

Read Aloud Thursday

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It has been a long while since I’ve posted a totally random, this-is-what-we’re-reading-for-fun Read Aloud Thursday, so this week, that’s what this post is all about!  It seems like we (meaning I, really) got into a rut the past few months, and nothing really appealed to me.  I feel like I’m back to enjoying what we read, and boy, am I glad!

Mouse and Mole:  Fine Feathered Friends is a book we picked up last week at the library and actually read while we were still there.  This is unusual for us; we usually fill our book cart but don’t actually enjoy any of the books together until we are at home.  We had time to kill that day, though–we were meeting Steady Eddie at the park for lunch.  It was a field trip day, you know–library time and then p.e.  ;-)   Anyway, back to the book–I was pleasantly surprised by it, and Louise was captivated!  It’s actually a short chapter book about two very different friends, Mouse and Mole.  Mole loves birdwatching, and so he and Mouse go on a birdwatching expedition. First, though, they have to figure out how to not scare off the birds.  This is a gentle story about friendship, and Wong Herbert Yee, author and illustrator, has a good grasp of what is appealing and funny to children both in terms of words and pictures.   It turns out that we’ve read something by him before, but I didn’t realize it until I saw the book cover (with the title in Japanese!)  on his blog.  Mouse and Mole actually have their own series, so we’ll be sure to look for more of them on future library trips!


I’m reaching back several decades for this next title.  I picked up Corgiville Fair by Tasha Tudor, thinking that my girls have had no exposure to this wonderful illustrator (which is what I think of her as first) and author.  I expected this book to be mostly about the illustrations (which are, indeed, wonderful!), but the story is quite captivating, as well.  It’s really a very sophisticated story, but even Louise seemed to follow it very well.  It’s about a family of corgis and their preparations for the local fair.  The son, Caleb, is working on training his goat, Josephine, for the Grand Race.  His work is sabotaged by the scheming Edgar Tomcat, but with the help of a boggart (trolls who, oddly enough, also live in Corgiville), he is able to turn the tables on the wily Edgar Tomcat.  It’s a fun story and my girls really enjoyed it.  It appears that Tasha Tudor’s family is carrying on her legacy since her death in 2008, so be sure to check out the Tasha Tudor and Family website to learn more about this talented author and illustrator.

We’ve been doing other reading, of course, but it will have to wait for another post!  :-)  

What has your family been enjoying lately?  Please share by linking your blog entry below, or simply leave a comment!  I am now leaving the MckLinky list open until midnight of the following Wednesday after each Read Aloud Thursday, so if you haven’t written up a post yet, you still have time!  :-)

I Read It!::Beaded Hope and At Home in Mitford

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I have two books to share for this month’s I Read It!  challenge over at 5 Minutes for Books.  I actually meant to write up a full-length review of the first one, but I never got around to it.  However, I actually think I can sum my feelings for this particular story up in a few words, so it fits well here anyway.  As for the second book–well, there’s really not much to say about it that hasn’t already been said. 

My first read for the I Read It!  challenge was Beaded Hope by Cathy Liggett.  I believe I first read about this book at Reading to Know, and then my real-life friend Wanda read about it and reviewed it, too.  Wanda was kind enough to loan her copy to me, and I finally got around to reading it.  I enjoyed Beaded Hope and found the story captivating, especially since it’s based on a real ministry.  However, I wouldn’t say that it is significantly different than any other contemporary Christian fiction in its style or message.  In other words, both are somewhat forgettable, if the ministry and trip that inspired the story are not.   Again, that’s not to say I didn’t like it; indeed, I did.  I even shed a few tears over it, which is almost always proof that I’m engaged in a story.  If you’re looking for a story about a group of disparate women who are united by a common cause, and ultimately, by the cause of Christ, you’ll enjoy this book.  If you’re looking for inspiring, literary prose, you’ll find this book lacking.

The second book I read for the I Read It! challenge, though, is a lovely piece of fiction that I enjoyed not only for the story but also for the way it is written. Yes, I finally, finally succombed to the pull of Mitford!  I cannot even begin to say where my inspiration for reading this book began, but certainly Monica’s ongoing mention of the series on her blog had something to do with my decision to finally plunge in.  I have actually had this book for a while and even tried to read it once, but for some reason, I just didn’t find it terribly appealing at the time.  However, at this point in my life, I needed something encouraging and uplifting to read (have I mentioned before that I find pregnancy draining in every way?), and At Home in Mitford just hit the spot.  This book really needs no introduction (the series has its own forum, for Pete’s sake!), so I thought that instead of rehashing the story, I would share why I like it and some quotes I found inspiring.  How’s that?

First, why I like this book so much:

  • This book is refreshingly optimistic, but not in a saccharine way.  The characters in the story have real problems (homelessness, dysfunctional families, serious illness, mental illness, to name a few), but they mostly choose to live victoriously through Christ.
  • Father Tim seems like a real person, not a stained-glass saint.  He has his own weaknesses and foibles, but he consistently reminds himself that his strength comes from God.  I like this a lot because I found myself identifying with Father Tim throughout the story.
  • The other characters are also mostly depicted realistically.  Some of them are likeable and some of them are not, but mostly they are a mixture.  
  • The writing!  Oh, the writing.  I’ll let it speak for itself:

As the streets and lanes gave way to countryside and sloped toward the deeper valley, the rolling farmland began.  Here, pastures were stocked with Herefords and Guernseys; lakes were filled with trout and brim; barnyards succored chattering guineas.  And everywhere, in town or out, was the rich, black loam that made the earthworm’s toil one of unending satisfaction.  (18)

I just love that last sentence! 

Later, drifting toward a restless sleep, he murmured a deep truth:  “It’s different having a boy in the house.”

Given the imminent arrival of our own first son, this one struck me as funny (as well as gave me pause)!

How could he have considered taking Monday off?  Monday was the diving board poised over the rest of the week.  One walked out on the board, reviewed the situation, planned one’s strategy, bounced a few times to get the feel of things, and then made a clean dive.  Without Monday, one simply bombed into the water, belly first, and hoped for the best.  (391)

I feel the same way about Mondays, too.

Perhaps, in a small parish, he was spared the passion, but he didn’t feel spared the challenge.  He was feeling more surely than ever that he was exactly where God meant for him to be.  All he really needed, he knew, was the endurance to be there with stamina and zeal.  (391)

Amen, Father Tim.

I give this one a Highly, Highly Recommended!

For more I Read It!  posts, click over to 5 Minutes for Books!