The Poisonwood Bible

I didn’t plan to read this book, but Seth brought it home from the library and was busy reading other things (and struggled to get into this one), so I picked it up.  In a nutshell, it wasn’t my favorite.  I had a difficult time really believing the characters could have been real.  It was set in the Congo and covered about 30 years, beginning in 1959.  If anything, I became more interested in African history, but the characters were difficult for me to really grasp.  The chapters are written from the point of view of five women:  the wife and four daughters of a somewhat self-proclaimed Baptist missionary.  Sometimes I would set the book down and when I picked it up again, I couldn’t remember whose voice I was reading and I wished the names were printed on the tops of the pages.  They were usually distinctive, but I still think it would have been helpful.  The family depicted a rather depressing missionary outlook and experience.  The father was a piece of work, to put it nicely.  Maybe because I know some truly wonderful missionary families, I found Mr. Price to just be unbelievable.  This book just left me feeling kinda blah.

The Bible, English Standard Version

(This is becoming a case of…the hurrier I go, the behinder I get.)

I’m keeping track of my Bible reading with this chart my husband made for me.  (Feel free to print the PDF for yourself, if you like.)

Books finished:  Genesis, Matthew, Proverbs, Mark, Exodus, Leviticus

Books in progress:  Numbers, Psalms, Luke, Romans

The Littles

I remember reading and enjoying some of these books when I was a kid, so on a recent library trip, I picked this one up for fun.  I’m trying to find something that will pique Ethan’s interest in reading for himself!  (Sigh…)  He can read.  He still doesn’t want to read.  He did enjoy this story of miniature people (with tails) that live in the walls of a home and are met with some challenging circumstances.

Carolina’s Courage

This is the fictional story of a family who loaded up a covered wagon, left their home and farm and friends in New Hampshire, and headed for the rich farmland of Nebraska.  They didn’t travel in a wagon train but covered most of the miles by themselves.  The story especially follows Carolina, a little girl who has a pivotal encounter with an Indian girl.  This is a well-written story and gives kids an idea of what it would have been like to start over in a new place, far from anything or anyone familiar.

Buffalo Bill

This is another beautifully illustrated biography for kids from the d’Aulaires.  What an adventurous life Buffalo Bill had!  Before he was twelve, he had a job with a wagon train, and then later came the Pony Express, and then 40 years with his Wild West Show.  What an interesting time in American history.  What an amazing sight it must have been to see the plains covered with buffalo!

An Absence so Great

This is the second book in a two-book series.  I wasn’t so sure I was even going to read this one after I was disappointed in the first one.  I’ve enjoyed many of Jane Kirkpatrick’s titles (mostly historical fiction), but I honestly think both of these books could have been combined into one better book.  The main character is actually the author’s grandmother, and she was a photographer when women photographers were rare.  This second book has more story and carried my interest better than the first one, and I find the facts fascinating as they are based on actual people, but I think I just wished for something different…for the character and from the story.

The Bible, English Standard Version

I’m keeping track of my Bible reading with this chart my husband made for me.  (Feel free to print the PDF for yourself, if you like.)

Books finished:  Genesis, Matthew, Proverbs, Mark, Exodus, Leviticus

Books in progress:  Numbers, Psalms, Luke, Romans

The Star-Spangled Banner

I love this book.  It breaks down our national anthem into phrases and matches them with beautiful illustrations, giving you an idea of what it may have looked like when Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the words.  The pictures make the song come alive and give the words visual meaning.  At the back of the book, there is a photo of the actual four-stanza poem, along with a map of the battle and details surrounding the battle and how Key came to be in the position of witnessing it.  This book carries great respect for our flag and all for which it stands.

Farmer Boy

The Little House books were some of my favorites when I was young, so I was happy to read this one to Ethan.  However, my boy prefers more action, mystery and adventure than this book provides.  Narrations of seasonal farm work and the occasional break from it just weren’t his favorite.  I think he was afraid I was acquiring ideas on how to make him work harder…’cause those farmer folks?  They worked!  Hard!  Nearly every day!  And then on Sundays, the kids had to be still and quiet.  And no talking at the dinner table, ever.  Yep…I think Ethan was glad this story wasn’t about his life, and he didn’t particularly like thinking about it much.  Oh well, I enjoyed reading it again!

Liberty’s Kids

Our history curriculum this year is an overview of US history, so when I learned about this DVD series I thought it would be a fun addition to our studies.  We borrowed the first disc from the library, and Ethan loved them so we went ahead and bought the set.  I believe he’s seen them all at least twice now and some episodes even more.  They cover the time leading up to the writing of the Declaration of Independence, through the victory over the British and Washington’s inauguration as the first President.  The stories are quite well done, entertaining and educational, with introductions to many larger-than-life characters.

Snow Falling on Cedars

I chose this book because David Guterson is the author of one of my favorite books on homeschooling called Family Matters:  Why Homeschooling Makes Sense.  I really liked that book.  This one, however, wasn’t my favorite.  I did like the way the story was told and what the story was about…how it began a few years after WWII with a murder trial and then wove the back story of the main characters throughout the story of the trial.  The setting and historical context were interesting to me…an island in the San Juan Islands and the community of Japanese immigrants and descendents that were yanked from their homes after Pearl Harbor.  But…some of the content was (ahem) more than I needed to know, if you catch my drift.  And it was just kinda dreary and a bit depressing, especially the last line of the book:  “…accident ruled every corner of the universe except the chambers of the human heart.”  Well, huh.  I think I wish I had spent my time reading something else.

In Love and War

Recently, I came across an intriguing quote by Jim Stockdale that is known as the Stockdale paradox:  “You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end – which you can never afford to lose – with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever that might be.”  This led me to do some research on Stockdale, which led me to this book.  Stockdale was a POW in Vietnam for 7 1/2 years (four of those were in solitary confinement).  This book tells his story, and every other chapter is his wife’s story about how she raised their four boys while doing all she could to help POWs and their families while Jim was in prison.  I could not put this book down!  It was compelling, fascinating, heart wrenching, inspiring.  They were both smart and brave and strong.  They never lost faith that they would prevail in the end, but they faced their daily circumstances with discipline and determination.

Bringing Up Boys

I began this book years ago, when Ethan was still tiny.  It was hard to grasp the relevance of it at that time, so I set it aside.  Now, it seemed like just the right time to read it.  Some chapters were more interesting to me than others, but I enjoyed the overall look at boys and how our society is not really set up to encourage boys to be fully boys and then grow into men.  I was especially encouraged by the chapters dealing with discipline and building relationship.  I face these things on a daily basis…some days are better than others!  I am so happy God blessed us with our boy, and this book encouraged me to keep working hard at being his mom.

The Bible, English Standard Version

I’m keeping track of my Bible reading with this chart my husband made for me.  (Feel free to print the PDF for yourself, if you like.)

Books finished:  Genesis, Matthew, Proverbs, Mark, Exodus

Books in progress:  Leviticus, Psalms (1-52), Luke

Uh…the Bible reading slipped this month.  <Big sigh…>

Goin’ Someplace Special

Beautifully illustrated, this story gives a glimpse of a day in a 1950s Southern town where a young black girl takes a trip to “someplace special” all on her own.  It is the author’s own story of growing up in Nashville, Tennessee with the Jim Crow laws.  In the author’s note it says, “In the late 1950s, Nashville’s public library board of directors quietly voted to integrate all their facilities.  The downtown branch was one of the few places where there were no Jim Crow signs and blacks were treated with some respect.”  The girl in the story makes it to the special library, but not without encountering prejudice along the way.  I think this book is a great way to introduce and discuss the injustices of the Jim Crow laws with a child.

Snowflake Bentley

This is the true story of Wilson Bentley of Vermont, the first person to extensively photograph snowflakes, in the late 1800s and early 1900s.  He was dedicated to showing the beauty in creation that normally escapes the human eye.  I love snowflakes and I love photography, so I enjoyed this story.  With all of our modern technology, I think it was hard for Ethan (and me) to fully grasp the amount of work Bentley went through to achieve his photos.  Thankfully, we can still enjoy them today, in books like Snow Crystals.

(Sorry, no picture for this book.)  Alvin York grew up in the mountains of Tennessee.  He was kind of a wild young man, but eventually he decided to live for God and let go of his wild living.  When he was drafted for WW I, he tried to avoid going to war as a conscientious objector.  When that didn’t work, he decided he would go to war whole heartedly, and he became an American war hero.  In about four hours one day, he captured an entire German machine gun battalion, about 132 men.  His Tennessee rifle skills were accurate and put to use that day.  He remained a humble man, living out his days in Tennessee and never looking to profit from his war heroism.  This was a simple biography, aimed at children, and well done.

Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer

This book, detailing some moments of history, unfolds like a novel, taking the reader on an incredible, hair-raising journey.  Starting about a week before Abraham Lincoln’s assassination in April 1865, the story covers John Wilkes Booth’s movements and decisions, as well as those of his co-conspirators.  I had no idea that other government leaders were also targeted that night, including Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William Seward.  By the end of it all, multiple people were involved in the assassination plots and many more were accomplices in their attempted escapes, whether they were aware of it or not.  It’s amazing to me that more precautions were not taken to guard the President’s life, especially given the war-torn state of the nation at the time.  Even so, Booth, the famous, handsome actor would probably not have been considered such a dire threat.  He ended up being the subject of a frustrating, 12-day manhunt.

Born to Run:  A Hidden Tribe, Super Athletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

Seth brought this one home off the bestsellers rack from the library.  It had been recommended to him, but I snatched it up.  About 1/3 of the way through the book, I realized I was really liking it, but also thought it to be quite strange and wondered what in the world I would say about it for my recap.  I ended up liking it even more by the end, but I’m still not sure how to describe it.  It’s definitely a compelling, true story, even while some of the people and places seem like they must be a figment of someone’s imagination.  As a subscriber to Runner’s World for many years, I recognized many of the names and races mentioned, and I was definitely interested in the subject material.  I found it entertaining, interesting, intriguing and inspiring.  The subtitle nicely sums up what it’s actually about.    (Bad language alert.)

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years:  What I Learned by Editing My Life

This is a fast, thought-provoking read.  I underlined a number of things and will continue pondering them.  The book is about story, and how we are all living stories, and what we can do to make our lives into better stories.  Honestly, my story over the last few years is not one I am fond of, but quotes like these I found encouraging:  “…we were designed to live through something rather than to attain something, and the thing we were meant to live through was designed to change us.  The point of a story is the character arc, the change” (page 70).  “The point of a story is never about the ending, remember.  It’s about your character getting molded in the hard work of the middle” (page 177).  “…every conflict, no matter how hard, comes back to bless the protagonist if he will face his fate with courage.  There is no conflict man can endure that will not produce a blessing”  (page 188).

The Bible, English Standard Version

I’m keeping track of my Bible reading with this chart my husband made for me.  (Feel free to print the PDF for yourself, if you like.)

Books finished:  Genesis, Matthew, Proverbs, Mark, Exodus

Books in progress:  Leviticus, Psalms, Luke

Homer Price

The six stories/chapters in this book are basically stand alone short stories.  They revolve around a boy named Homer, his family and the town of Centerburg, and they have a Normal Rockwell sort of appeal.  As usual, McCloskey’s  illustrations are delightful and the characters are a bit outlandish.  If I’m being honest, I think Ethan thought the chapters were a bit long and I found a few of the stories ended rather abruptly.  Maybe we would have liked it better if the stories and characters could have been developed a bit more, but with shorter chapters.

The No-Cash Allowance:  A Practical Guide for Teaching Your Child How to Manage Money

When I first saw the title of this book, I thought someone had found a magical way to pay children an allowance without using any money.  That’s not quite it.  The book talks about how money has changed over the years, and how kids need to learn not only how to deal with cash, but how to deal with various money accounts via the computer, how debit and credit cards actually work, and how to handle money in a no-cash society.  The author then shows practical ways for giving kids many years of experience in managing money before they grow up, leave the house and are thrust into the “real world.”  She shares the methods she and her husband used with their two daughters, who are now grown.  In a nutshell, this involves the parents budgeting certain amounts to be spent on certain things for their kids (areas where the parents would be spending that money anyway), and then gradually handing over the reigns of that amount in that category to the child.  Example categories would be: school supplies, gifts, clothing, communication, personal care, etc…  These categories can increase in number and responsibility as the child grows older.  Keeping track of deposits and withdrawals from various accounts all happens on paper (or on the computer), even though real cash may not be changing hands.  I really enjoyed the practical advice in this book and will consider purchasing it as a resource as we hope to equip our son with good money management skills.  I think it pairs nicely with some of the techniques we’re already trying to use from Dave Ramsey‘s Financial Peace Jr.

Band of Brothers

As Seth and I had recently watched the Band of Brothers miniseries again (recorded from TV), it was easy to pick up this book as the history and people were fresh in my mind.  As the cover of the book states, it follows “E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne – from Normandy to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest.”  What these men, and all of those who fought for freedom in WWII, accomplished, sacrificed and endured boggles my comprehension.  I must admit, seeing them first portrayed so vividly on screen enabled me to sink into the words on the pages, probably deeper than I would have otherwise.  The movie is much more violent and fast moving than the reading, which is to be expected.  But I think the screen version helped me have an inkling of what the situations may have looked like for these soldiers.  Even though I have a good imagination and the writing is detailed, I don’t think I could come close to conceiving what their circumstances actually looked like.  I was fascinated, awed, grateful, perplexed, and filled with respect for this group of young men that came together from various places and walks of life and made history.  The kind of stresses they endured bonded them together for life.  It is strange and sad to think that there are only a few of these men still alive today.  May we never forget.

The Help

I read of this book on another blog (and now I’m not sure which one!), and when I looked it up on Amazon and saw it had over 1400 reviews and 4 1/2 stars, I thought I should give it a try (from the library).  I was not disappointed.  It grabbed hold of me right from the start and pulled me through all the way to the finish.   The story takes place in 1960′s Mississippi, and three main characters are the voices:  two black maids and one white woman who just graduated from college.  The characters became so real, and I felt the full range of emotions while taking a glimpse into their lives and what it must have been like to live in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement.  I haven’t been drawn into a work of fiction like this in a long time.  (The book does contain some bad language, so if you read the book on my recommendation…consider yourself forewarned).

Children Who Do Too Little

The subtitle of this book is, “why your kids need to work around the house (and how to get them to do it).”  As a mother of an only child, I have many concerns, one of which is that I will neglect to teach my son how to do work because it’s easier to do it myself.  I know this wouldn’t be good for either of us, but it’s a worry I have.  Along with discussing the history of children and work, as well as the reasons for children learning to do good work as part of a family team, the book has lists of age-appropriate tasks and skills that I know I’ll be referring to often.  The author also addresses the how: how to start, how to teach skills rather than chores, how to deal with rebels, how to teach by consequences, how to deal with your own frustration and impatience, etc…  I felt both convicted and encouraged by this book.  I’ll probably re-read parts of it often.

The Bible

I honestly don’t know if I’ve read the Bible in its entirety, over many years, and I wish that weren’t the case.  Besides, reading it just once isn’t exactly my goal.  This year, I’m keeping track with this chart my husband made for me.  (Feel free to print the PDF for yourself, if you like.)  I am well on track to finishing this year, but if not, at least I’ll know what I’ve done and what I have left to do.  I’m reading the English Standard Version, after using the NIV for years.  I really like the ESV, and while I’m reading the pretty, thinline Bible pictured here, I may want to get a larger study Bible in this version at some point.  I have been blessed by the discipline of simply being in the Word.

Books finished:  Genesis, Matthew, Proverbs

Books in progress:  Exodus (1-12), Psalms (1-31), Mark (1-6)

I picked this up for Ethan for Christmas, trying to see if the graphic novel format would entice his reading appetite a bit more. I ended up reading it to him, although I got him to read a few pages.  As we’re studying America this year, it was an appropriate subject.  While all the pictures were fun and Ethan did enjoy it, and it did reinforce some of the history we’ve already learned, I hoped for a better story.  I won’t be rushing out to get the next ones in the series.

Sarah Whitcher’s Story

This is a sweet story about a little girl who gets lost in the woods near her New England-pioneer home.  I liked the writing style and the simplicity of the story, as well as a couple important surprises.  I think I may have enjoyed it a bit more than Ethan did, but the subject was a little girl, after all.  I think it’s a keeper.

George Washington

Ingri and Edgar Parin D’Aulaire have written and beautifully illustrated a number of short history books that are a delight to read and look at.  This is a simple biography of Washington, which fit into our current studies.  I look forward to reading and collecting more of the D’Aulaire’s books.

For me, this book is about the charming illustrations.  Really, the words are almost unnecessary!  It’s a short and sweet story that ends with this line, “So, you never can tell what will happen when you learn to play the harmonica.”  Well, there you have it. 

Little Pear

This is a simple, little story about a young Chinese boy and his daily-life adventures.  It has charming illustrations and nearly stand alone chapters, making it an easy read.  Ethan should have been able to handle most of this one himself, but he’s still in the stage of needing to be convinced that he can indeed read.  This one had nothing to do with what we are studying at the moment.  It was just one we had on our shelves and I wanted to read it.