Teaching From Rest :: A Review

{I received a free copy of Teaching From Rest, from Sarah although she did not specifically ask me to review it.} 

I've been a long time reader of the blog Amongst Lovely Things. I've watched Sarah's family change and grow (exponentially it seems) over these past, what... 5 years?

Sarah has recently compiled her blog series, Teaching from Rest, into a book with an Audio Companion and printable Companion Journal. It's a lovely looking book with a deep message that really does come from the depths of Sarah's heart. And it is a message that I think a lot of moms want to hear and need to hear. Find peace in your homeschool by resting in the knowledge and understanding that you are forming souls with the strength of God's grace to strengthen you. That means letting go of your preconceived notions about what success looks like or what a well-rounded day or even year looks like:

Surrender your idea of what the ideal homeschool day is supposed to look like and take on, with both hands, the day that it is. Rest begins with acceptance, with surrender. Can we accept what He is sending today?


This is an invaluable lesson for homeschooling moms to learn because frankly, most days aren't going to meet our perfect ideal. We are humans dealing with other humans who are all dealing with life. There are illnesses, broken machines, dogs with digestion issues and a myriad of other things ready and willing to get in the way of your perfect day. Sarah's advice is do less, integrate more, don't hold yourself slave bound to a published resource, stay focused on your purpose, major on the majors and then enjoy the beautiful wonder that is your children's childhood.

Through this journey, from steamrolling through the checklists and curriculum to focusing on the relationships she was building with her children, the peace that was so elusive to Sarah previously has been found and that is quite an accomplishment considering the crisis mode of life that she's in right now with a toddler and infant twins. Peace, just like children, comes in varying shapes and sizes and temperaments. It's easy to say "surrender to God your fears and anxieties and try to embrace His plan for your children, your family, your home"... but when people start asking "can you tell me specifically how to do that" you might have to acknowledge that His plan is different for every child, family and home.

Sarah's definition of "rest" comes from Andrew Kern who says, "The most important thing a homeschooling mother can do is to teach from a state of rest." and Sarah's interpretation of that statement is that "we ought to enter into God's rest and then serve Him wholeheartedly- not out of anxiety, but out of love and trust." What a beautiful place to start.

Now, in the practical application, that is going to look different for everyone. For Sarah, it means surrendering and accepting what God has in store for your day, going at a slower pace and trusting God with your children's education. Sarah says to honor the relationship you are building with your children and place that above all else. She counsels against rushing through the schoolwork with a steamroll frame of mind, and even feeling the need to finish a book of curriculum in a school year's time frame. She says on her blog,

 "First I look at what I want to teach my child (for example, grammar) and how much time I can give (1/2 hour, three times a week, for 1/2 a school year)- then I look at my resource and plug in the chapters. This means that it often takes us 2-3 years to get through what other homeschoolers try to cram into one. " 

M&M Math!

While I might disagree with this in practice and with the negative connotation behind the word "cram", I think this approach can work for some subjects, just don't forget the benefit of teaching your child diligence, perseverance and self discipline. Those are admirable and worthy skills that most children aren't inherently born with. Sarah's approach might be a good way to tackle what I consider elective subjects, but not core subjects like math. (For all the reasons Elizabeth Foss already mentioned.)

See, I believe that we have a responsibility to our children to make sure that we aren't the cause of them missing out on the skills they need to successfully launch into the real world. Are we going to do it perfectly? Probably not, but I refuse to let it be for lack of trying.

Instead of sitting down and asking how much time you are willing to give to your child on any given subject, ask yourself how much time is a reasonable amount of study time to be expected taking into consideration how much reasonable forward progress you can expect. And then maybe, ask yourself where you are giving of yourself too much outside of your family, or heck, just pursuing your own desires and passions too much. Because as much as we can be honest about the fact that homeschool moms know how to work hard, we also have to acknowledge that self-discipline can be a struggle for us too. We, especially us creative types, know how to indulge our pleasures and interests and we sure know how to justify it too. I'm not saying that mama doesn't need a break now and then, but maybe mama does need to ask herself how much personal indulgence is enough?

We need our children to see us choosing to pray first, then do our work and then go play if we want them to someday be adults who choose to have a healthy prayer-work-life balance as well. We are forming their souls for Heaven but first, they have to survive this world. That means holding down jobs, paying bills, meeting deadlines, working hard, playing too, dating people, and managing all different kinds of relationships on a daily basis.

Sarah goes on to say that, "I’m teaching to mastery, we only move on when we know that we know that we know the material. I’m not teaching according to the book’s timetable..." Now, I admit, I'm not that familiar with Benjamin Bloom's educational philosophy of mastery learning or it's various previous and post iterations, but a little bit of looking into it tells me that it was a response to the typical institutional school philosophy that everyone moves on at the same time without any consideration for children who might need more time to grasp the concept. Frankly, this doesn't happen in my homeschool when it comes to skills that need to be learned.

A very young Professor in his "study carol".
He loves secluding himself so that he can focus
 better even today. 

Reasons of faith aside, the main reason I choose to homeschool my children is so that I can tailor their education to them, to suit their interests and maximize the effectiveness of their learning styles for ease and enjoyment. But maybe there are homeschoolers out there just desperately trying to cover as much ground as possible and raise Little Einsteins.

While there are certainly some subjects that can be quantified as mastered based on skill sets learned, off the top of my head I can only think of math, grammar, handwriting and phonics and most of those are usually mastered in the early elementary years. I can see skills that could be considered mastered within the study of science, but science itself is a subject like history and literature, not a skill. Skill levels can be measured for sure and Sarah did clarify that her idea of mastery is in reference to skills only so that makes more sense to me. The problem I have with the formal idea of mastery learning within a homeschool is that it depends upon multiple layers of assessments that just aren't practical for every concept and sound like a lot of extra busywork for mom and student. It also seems like there will be a lot of repetition for a child who has trouble mastering a skill which could lead to the idea that "schoolwork is boring". For some children, complete mastery comes later with maturity and understanding.

I also don't expect my children to master to a 100% level every skill or concept they are introduced to. Learning is a lifelong project. Mastery in the early grades of things like reading, multiplication, spelling... sure! But there are still grammar rules that I am learning or rather, trying to remember, and historical connections I am making for myself. We learn new things about history all the time.

Sarah agrees with Dr. Perrin who espouses the opinion that "true breadth is achieved through depth. Our children get a broad education when they go deep into a few carefully selected subjects, not when they dabble in ten." I agree that no child needs to be pursuing to a full degree ten different subjects at one time, but I don't agree that diving deep into subjects is the best kind of education for young children. It depends on the child and the age. I prefer to give my young children a survey of different subjects and then narrow down the ones they want to dive deeper into. For example... choosing Astronomy for my space and weather minded oldest son but choosing to study Botany with two little girls who loved flowers was a no brainer. We chose to go deeper into the subjects that they were passionate about after they had already enjoyed a shallow survey of the other physical sciences. So, cut down on the number of areas that you focus on unless it's something that you or your child has a passion for.

And that's where I have some concerns about Sarah's practical applications (and I am not the only one if you read the combox). Perhaps it is just my perspective as a mom of older children. Her message is a beautiful one but I shy away from anything that tells other moms "how to do it"… and yet, it's what young mom's want, isn't it? Just tell me how to do it so I don't get it wrong!!! One mom might interpret Sarah's directives to mean that there is no need for her stress over that art appreciation curriculum sitting dusty on her shelf and she will breathe a sigh of relief. But for the mom who loves art history and can't wait to share it with her children, where is the encouragement she needs not to give up on that opportunity? Maybe suggest she put it off until she's out of survival mode (because you will get out of survival mode, I promise Young Mom!) Maybe ask her to ask herself if there is an easier way to help her children to explore this subject she loves. Maybe give her options that she hasn't considered on her own.

What about the child who has a passion for a subject that doesn't fit into the lesson plans that Sarah thinks should be tracked? Encourage his mom to stretch herself a little bit. Let go of an ideal, but still try to engage his natural interest and curiosity. Maybe encourage her to give him the skills to learn about the subject on his own. Maybe mom needs to stop thinking of herself as "The Teacher" and needs to start being the guide, the counselor, the director, the facilitator.

If you teach your young children the skills they need to explore a subject on their own in the middle grades (with a little of mom's guidance) and give them a proper understanding of diligence, perseverance and self-discipline balanced with freedom and creativity, they will embrace their education as their own and hold themselves responsible for accomplishing it to the best of their ability in the high school years. That's what my experience has been so far.

I don't want to limit my children's choices for the future by not doing enough now but I think I'm realistic in my expectations and so do my children (right kids? :). My first and primary focus was to teach them to read well, to read independently and most importantly to enjoy reading. Foreign language is not a subject we require until high school. Music study is piano lessons once a week for as long as the child is enjoying them. Art appreciation comes in the form of pictures and prints on the dry bar at home or trips to a museum. I do insist that my children work hard enough to be considered on or close to "grade level" in their math skills because those are vital to their options for college in the future (provided none of them has any kind of learning disorder which they don't… learning disabilities are a whole different ball game). My kids have been pushing themselves to "catch up" to that grade level target regarding math, not because we let them take 2-3 years to finish one math book, but because the program we were using was sorely lacking in academic standards. They know first hand how much hard work it takes to catch up and are thankful that we made the switch before it was too late. Vocabulary is a part of literature. Literature is a part of life. Poetry… meh. I admit it's not important to me but when Rain desperately wanted to explore it, we did it. I found a resource for her to use. She ran with it and made it her own. Writing is communication, not a formula, and vital to every day life but I don't push it in the early grades when handwriting is still a skill that is being learned. This is what has worked for us.

So, I think there is a balance to be found between checking things off a list just to get them done and taking a too leisurely stroll through just the things I want my kids to know. I don't feel like I am steamrolling over them or damaging my relationship with them in the process because they understand why they are working so hard, how it will pay off in the end and because we make sure to take breaks when we need them… that's why we school year round. They know that I am here to help them but they also want this education for themselves. That is something that maybe is unique to some children. My kids want to learn and we listen to them tell us what they want to learn. We give them all the resources we can to learn whatever they want to learn whether it's latin or poetry or knitting but also the encouragement to persevere through the subjects that don't intrigue them but do fulfill certain requirements. Most importantly, we focus on teaching them how to learn. Teach a child how to learn and there won't be anything they can't learn if they put their heart and mind to it.

Christmas Book Round-up!

One piece of feedback that I got from so many readers is that you love to see our book recommendations and reviews. Well, one of our favorite gifts to give our children for Christmas is a stack of books. They can't wait to open them on Christmas morning. I love the hush that falls over the house when they dive into the books we have chosen for each of them!

Just so you know, I start saving books to give them for Christmas usually some time over the summer. In fact, after the May Back-to-Back-Birthday extravaganza is about the best time since we don't have any other gift giving celebrations until Shortcake's birthday in November. That makes it a perfect time to start collecting books for Christmas. Sometimes they are new and sometimes they are used copies. Sometimes they are books they have never read before and sometimes they are books that have been checked out from the library so many times that the librarians beg us to acquire our own copies! (Just kidding… kind of.)

So in case you have birthdays coming up or you are looking for Epiphany gifts or just looking for some good books, here are the books each of my children received this year (with Amazon affiliate links, but you probably already knew that)…

~The Professor (15, going on 16)~

The Hobbit Chronicles: The Desolation of Smaug: Art & Design, Alexander the Great, Black Ice, Fire Storm, The Eagle of the Ninth Chronicles, Iron Thunder, & City of Orphans

~Sunshine (14)~

The Hobbit Chronicles: An Unexpected Journey, Mother- Daughter Knits, Boutique Knits, Itty-bitty Toys, V is for Von Trapp, The Knitter's Book of Yarn, Woodland Knits: over 20 enchanting patterns, The Plants of Middle-Earth: Botany and Sub-Creation (given to Sunshine but immediately admired by The Professor, 33 Days to Morning Glory, & The Doll's Christmas

~Shortcake (13)~

The Hobbit Chronicles II: Creatures and Characters, How to Draw Faces, The Wise Enchantress, The Curse of the Thirteenth Fey, Tales From the Perilous Realm, Winterling, Summerkin, & a promise for Moonkind (to be released December 31st!)

~BigBoy (9)~

The Three Ninja Pigs, Ralph Masiello's Dinosaur Drawing Book, The Hobbit: The World of Hobbits, Joan of Arc, Euclid: The Man Who Invented Geometry, Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library, & National Geographic Kids Just Joking

Bigboy also received from his godparents Read a Rhyme, Write a Rhyme and Pizza, Pigs and Poetry

~Cupcake (2)~

Santa's Favorite Story, Curious George Visits the Zoo, Rachel and the Treeschoolers DVD #2: Plants and Flowers, Rachel and the Treeschoolers DVD #3: Incredible Insects, Dancing with Degas, In the Garden with Van Gogh, A Picnic With Monet, & Sunday with Seurat

Cupcake was also given a copy of Red Knit Cap Girl along with a hand painted Red Knit Cap doll by her sweet godparents! She loves it and I am in love with Naoko Stoops's illustrations! True works of art! 

(Sunshine is trying to figure out how to knit a teeny tiny red cap for the doll! I have no doubt that she can do it.)

Merry Christmas and Happy Reading!

WWRW: Awesome Pope Awesome

Pope Awesome and Other Stories by Cari Donaldson {affiliate link}

I am pretty skeptical by nature. It's not a good thing, but it is what it is. It probably goes back to trust issues. Still working on those…always and forever, most likely. So when the latest book comes out from the newest Catholic writer on the block and everyone starts raving about how many times they LOL'd or how many passages they just had to read to their husband, in the back of my mind I tend to think, "Is it really as good as everyone is saying?" Because, let's be honest, we tend to be less critical of our friends (online friends count too) and we cheer and champion their success more than strangers. It's normal, I think, and something we can't really help, even if we wanted to.

That being said, I can say as someone who doesn't know Cari Donaldson any more than anyone else who has read her blog for a relatively brief period of time or anyone who looks at her Instagram pictures, that this book is a truly well-written, enjoyable read! I really did find myself laughing out loud several times and read more than one passage annoyingly out loud to my husband. So, take it from this skeptical girl that when someone says that Pope Awesome and Other Stories is a great book, they really do mean it.

I don't need to tell you what it's about because just about everyone else has done that much better then I can. It's more than just a memoir. So much more… It speaks to the reader on a higher level than a memoir or a collection of funny stories. What it speaks to you no doubt will be different than what it whispered to my heart. Give it a try… you won't be disappointed.

WWRW: An interesting combination...

Hey there! My mom is visiting in town right now so I'm going to make these brief, well…brief for me, that is. First up in this British themed WWRW is…

 Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild
{affiliate link}

This is our Book Club 9-1-1 book for November. Did I mention that our book club is made up of 7 boys and only 3 little girls? I've been hearing from some moms that the pink factor of that cover was almost too much for some of the boys but they persevered like the brave young men I know they are! It wasn't originally published with that cover of course. Although, I don't know that these are really any better…

Never judge a book by it's cover, okay boys? If you don't know the story of Ballet Shoes, it's a wonderful piece of historical fiction set in England in the late 1920's and is considered one of the best glimpses inside what life was like for child performers on the stage at that time. It tells the story of three little girls who are adopted by a rather eccentric gentleman and given to his great niece and her nurse, Nana, to raise because he thought "all women liked babies". He then disappears for a lengthy adventure and the women have to provide for and educate the girls and take care of the house and themselves not knowing when or if he will ever return. It's wonderfully rich with historical references that could be used for any number of rabbit hole adventures, which is what I was counting on when I brainstormed book club ideas. I'll post how it goes later.

Next up…

Death Cloud by Andrew Lane
{affiliate link}

Lissa posted a link to a review of this series on FB and as soon as I read about it, I knew The Professor, lover of all things Sherlock related, would want to read it. It's a series that explores Sherlock Holmes' teen years. In this first book, he is 14 and is forced to spend the summer living with an aunt and uncle he's never met thinking that he's in for a summer of boredom when surprisingly, he makes a friend (no, it's not a pimply face Watson), acquires a tutor and stumbles across a dead body in the woods. Well, this summer just got interesting! Psssssst... he meets a girl too. The Professor has read just about all of the Sherlock mysteries and he's even enjoyed watching some of the rebooted Sherlock series with me. (No, he's not seen THAT episode.) He's a stickler for not violating canon unless it's for a really good   reason so we'll see what he thinks of this series and the addition of Sherlock's older sister.

I previewed Death Cloud {affiliate link} and was fairly impressed. I found one aspect of the ending a bit hard to believe, it just seemed too improbable, but I think it's definitely an easy read and a fun story, if you are willing to suspend your disbelief just a tad. I will leave him to critique whether or not Mr. Lane captured Conan Doyle's Sherlock as a young man or not but it is the first young adult series to be endorsed by the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle estate, so they must have liked it. So far, he says it's seems accurate and he's already recognized a name that was mentioned as one of Sherlock's early cases. Seems like Mr. Lane did his homework! I'm not sure the cover art designer did though. I had no idea Justin Bieber hair was popular in the 1860's. 

This series is targeting young adults, so there is a bit of a romance blossoming in this first book but nothing that would be inappropriate for a younger reader. I'd recommend 12 and up only because of the scenes of peril and, you know, the dead body stuff.

WWRW: The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf

The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf by Gerald Morris
{affiliate link}

The Professor stumbled upon this series at the library last year and loved the first book, The Squire's Tale {affiliate link}, but the second one, The Squire, His Knight and His Lady {affiliate link},  had some odd reviews so I previewed it for him a while back... when WWRW was just a twinkle in Jessica T's eye! One of the reviewers charged the author with being anti-Catholic. I read the second book and my first impressions were that Mr. Morris was trying to show the antagonism between the French and the English knights and maybe some of their customs as well (long standing rivalry there, you know). But then I read a little about the author and found out that he is also a Protestant minister. 

That really did put his comments in a different light. I went back and re-read them. I even had Sean read them and he agreed. While the anti-Catholicism is not the overall theme of the whole book it's sufficient enough that it's noticeable. Was it problematic enough that I didn't feel comfortable letting The Professor read the second book? No. He's 15 and old enough to read and then talk with me about these things. His overall impression was, good book but "Bad form!" His favorite thing to do is to re-read books he loves but this one was only read once. We all felt that the anti-Catholic snideness was unnecessary. Especially his characters' comments on what is supposed to be a portrait of Our Lady, who I know most evangelical Protestants have no love for. Sad, because Christ certainly did. (If I had a copy of the book on hand I'd quote that passage here but I don't.)

Anyway, The Professor was content to just let the rest of the series go, but I decided to pick up the third book, The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf {affiliate link},  and see if the disparaging continued or maybe if the author got the snit all out of his system. I am pleased to say that the 3rd book had nothing in it that caused me pause. It's funny and intriguing especially if you know the story that it's retelling: a light and fluffy Arthurian adventure. The Professor has read it now too and he enjoyed it although not as much as that first one. He has asked me to preview the next one. I have a feeling I'll be reading the whole series since he's interested in the others now. But because of that second one I just don't feel like I can trust the author and so I don't feel comfortable handing him the books without reading them myself. So, I read, he reads and then we discuss. It's not necessarily a bad thing. 

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For very sensitive readers... there is one scene at the end of the book that implies an immodest intimacy between two of the unmarried characters. My son didn't even notice it when he read it because it was only a brief sentence,  but when he'd finished the book and I said, "Let's talk about that one part." We had a good discussion about temptation, how these characters were flawed characters and who the most virtuous characters were. If you want more specifics, email me.

WWRW: How I Killed Pluto...

I had to stop and think about what I was reading this week because I've hopped around between a few things. I checked my Kindle app on my phone and I realized that I never blogged about How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming by Mike Brown {affiliate link}. Melanie recommended this book a while back and I immediately let The Professor read it, being the most avid astronomy buff around here. He enjoyed it so much that we brought it to our teen book club as our suggestion for the coming year. It's the only non-fiction book that they will be reading this year but it's written in such a conversational tone I don't think the kids will think it dry or boring. I'm typing this review up on the fly right now because I can't write a serious review about non-fiction. I just can't. I don't know why. It's an entertaining book to read and definitely keeps you engaged. I think the way Mike Brown interspersed personal accomplishments along with scientific ones kept the book from even the slightest bit of dryness, along with his clever way of explaining science in layman's terms. It's been way too many years since I took college astronomy to follow anything more complex than layman's terms.

I don't want to give away too much but most people know the ending (No, Pluto is not a planet anymore. Yes, it is a dwarf planet. No, a dwarf planet is not just a really tiny planet.) but you need to read the book to follow the intrigue that goes along with the story (sly Spanish astronomers secretly stealing Santa!... read the book!) and the way a scientist responds to sleep deprivation coupled with newborn cuteness! His wife had the presence of mind to put the kibosh on any baby experiments, thank goodness!

    After cat, Lilah next learned flower. Flowers (scrunch up nose as if sniffing) were everywhere, first only outside on plants, but soon she generalized to flowers on her clothes or her shoes, or in pictures in books and magazines. I wanted to hook up wires and do experiments and comparisons and studies to understand it all.
    “You want to do what?” Diane would say.
    But, really, who wouldn’t? In our own house the most extraordinary thing in the universe was taking place, and it was passing by unexamined, unstudied.
    “There will be no Lilah experiments,” Diane declared. 

Brown, Mike (2010-12-07). How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming (p. 198). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. 

Just before I finished the book, I had the opportunity to go back to my alma mater and do some star gazing with Dr. Olenick, my astronomy professor from college, at the Alumni/Family Weekend! He spends his summers with students looking for wanderers in the sky just like Mike Brown. The Professor (my oldest son) got to meet my professor (Dr. Olenick) and was able to see some cool stuff up in the sky through the telescopes there on campus...you know...just the Ring Nebula, some binary stars, cool stuff like that. I had a chance to talk to Dr. Olenick about this book and ask him his opinion on Pluto's status (totally not a planet). He's kind of a quiet man and I don't know if he's read the book or not (probably not) but he did comment on the intrigue when I mentioned the sneaky Spaniards. He said there is a fine line that they walk between trying to be the first to announce a discovery but also wanting to get their information correct. I told him as an outsider, it seemed a little chaotic and disordered. Why not come up with a system for making a claim, submitting research, etc? You know... wanting to organize it (like the mom I am). He just sat there and smiled. I asked, "Or is that part of the fun?" And he grinned even bigger. He's just a big kid, I tell you! (I think most scientists are.)

Check out what everyone else remembered they were reading this week over at Housewifespice!

P.S. For moms who want to know... part of this story includes dating, vacationing with and then marrying his wife. While they don't make a big deal out of it in the book, it is obvious to discerning readers that they moved in together before they were married. Nothing intimate is ever discussed. It's a minor blip in the story for most people today, but it might provoke a question or two.

WWRW: Moon over Manifest

Brief blog business... if you prefer to use FB as your feed reader in these post Google Reader days (wah-hah-hah!), I have created a page for this here little blog. I will be posting links to my posts and albums with links to coloring pages as a little reminder of what's available. 

You can find me by clicking here.

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The first thing we're reading this week is a delightful new e-magazine published by a couple of very talented young girls. All of my big kids read the first publication and can't wait for the second. Shortcake, my resident writer, especially loved it. It's called Tale and just a slight word of caution, they have no control over the other e-mags that are advertised by their host publisher below their magazine or on the side bar. Be careful if you go clicking around. 

I thought that Josie's review of the second Percy Jackson movie (haven't seen it but read the book) was very well done...clever and funny. The article by C.M. Davidson on dystopian fiction made me consider looking into reading some good dystopian fiction to see if bad dystopian fiction had unfairly colored my perception of the whole genre. But it was her book review of Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool, that saved me from getting trapped in another book series. Unfortunately, our library doesn't have Navigating Early so I decided on Vanderpool's other novel, Moon over Manifest (2011 Newbery Medal book), which turned out to be a great pick!

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
{affiliate link}

Abilene Tucker feels abandoned. Her father has put her on a train, sending her off to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. Armed only with a few possessions and her list of universals, Abilene jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas, aiming to learn about the boy her father once was. Having heard stories about Manifest, Abilene is disappointed to find that it’s just a dried-up, worn-out old town. But her disappointment quickly turns to excitement when she discovers a hidden cigar box full of mementos, including some old letters that mention a spy known as the Rattler. These mysterious letters send Abilene and her new friends, Lettie and Ruthanne, on an honest-to-goodness spy hunt, even though they are warned to “Leave Well Enough Alone.”

 ~ from Amazon 

This book is not an action packed adventure story so compared to what I had been reading it was noticeably slower paced, but not in a bad way. It was interesting and captivating but not in a "sit down in an evening a read the whole thing" kind of way. In fact, the whole story moved like the train that first brings Abilene to Manifest... slow and steadily building up speed as it pulls away and takes you on a ride. This is a book you want to savor! I really didn't want it to end.

The present day story draws you in and unfolds. Soon, it becomes entangled with a story from the past and both stories draw you in like a warm, comfy sofa and and a soft blanket on a cold rainy day as you read to find out how these two tales finally merge. You might have your suspicions, but you don't really know for sure so let them go and just enjoy the stories. It's a wonderfully rich piece of historical fiction giving you glimpses of a tiny immigrant town in Kansas during both The Great Depression and WWI. Abilene's journey searching for a connection to her father in this town he once called home is filled with intrigue and fascination. The newspaper clippings reveal life in a small town through the eyes of a plucky young wanna-be journalist. The letters written by the young doughboy, Ned, who is fighting in France to his friend back home shift slowly from humorous to heartbreaking.

What I didn't expect from this book were the tears. Real tears. Gentle tears. Healing tears. Were they happy tears, you ask? All I will say is that a book with two stories can have both a joyful and a sorrowful ending.

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A couple of points for very sensitive or concerned readers. There is a character who is a "diviner" or fortune teller but only in the sense that she's an old Hungarian woman who the girls think of as a gypsy. Miss Sadie knows a lot about bugs, herbs and telling stories.  In fact, Abilene comments several times that "Miss Sadie was an awful purveyor of the future, but she sure knew how to spin a tale from the past." There is no actual divination or practicing the occult in the book.

Also, since Manifest is a town made up mostly of immigrants, there is also quite a lot of mention of different religions (including a Catholic nun school teacher) but the author is very respectful to all of the religions mentioned. I loved when they were looking for a big enough "trough" like container to use (I won't give away why)...

“But why can’t you do it at the Catholic church? Or the Methodist church?” Mrs. Larkin asked. Shady answered. “Their little fonts wouldn’t do much good. They’re just for sprinkling. It’s the Baptists who enjoy a good full-body dunking.”

Vanderpool, Clare (2010-10-12). Moon Over Manifest (p. 223). Random House Children's Books. Kindle Edition. 

 Because the story is told through the eyes of young Abilene, there are some rather humorous observations about the nun especially when the girls spy her without her veil on (she doubles as the town's midwife to assist at difficult deliveries) and the various religious people in town but like I said, nothing ever disrespectful. Age level recommendations: 10 and up only because it does deal with some heavy subjects like WWI, death, the Spanish Flu Epidemic, alcoholism, the KKK and The Great Depression. All of my big kids (oldest three) have read it and enjoyed it.

Day 3: WWRW

Day 3 of the 7 in 7 blogging challenge!

Pride and Prejudice
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It sounds like a cop out, but I really did read it this past week. It has been quite a few years since I've read this one. It's not one of my favorites, I have to admit. Oh, I like it fine, it's just that others seem to jump to my mind first when I'm looking for a little Jane Time. (Persuasion!) And it might have to do with the fact that Mrs. Bennet drives me up a tree! Usually, I don't get bothered by annoying characters in print form. Once they come alive on the screen, that's another story. But Mrs. Bennet in any form has made me want to pull my hair out.

And I know that Mr. Bennet is supposed to be the likable parent, poor man, put upon by his annoying wife and adored by his oldest two girls, but he gets under my skin too. Was he really that thoughtless? Was he supposed to be seen as the noble philosopher father who simply found himself in a difficult situation beyond his control? He didn't save any money for his daughter's dowries because he believed he would have an heir. Would Mrs. Bennet have been such a gold digger if he had been more financially astute?Then again, he married Mrs. Bennet to begin with even though she was a ninny.

Her father, captivated by youth and beauty, and that appearance of good humour which youth and beauty generally give, had married a woman whose weak understanding and illiberal mind had very early in their marriage put an end to all real affection for her.

Something struck me as odd as I was reading this time. Nowadays, we tend to keep things like salaries and financial resources private, but back then, everyone's financial situation is known by everyone else. How did that happen? Did they really go about telling people what their incomes were? Did everyone else really think it acceptable to discuss it in polite conversation? How did everyone know that Mr. Bingley has "Five thousand a year?" It seems as if income was something that should only he talked about in hushed tones yet, everyone knows who has what. Mr. Collins even knows " that one thousand pounds in the 4 per cents" will be Elizabeth's inheritance after the death of her mother. I can understand Mr. Collins being aware of the finances of the estate that is to be entailed upon him (although we are told that his father was estranged from Mr. Bennet so it leads one to wonder how this information was passed to Mr. Collins), but how does he know about her inheritance from her mother? It led me to search for some answers which I didn't really find but I did come upon this interesting paper on the economics of Jane Austen.

One other thing... Mr. Collins is described by Jane Austen as "a tall, heavy looking young man of five and twenty" yet both movie versions have made him short and in the case of the BBC version, seemingly much older. In the Kiera Knightley version, he is laughably short, so short in fact that Mr. Darcy almost takes his head off with his elbow. I know his character is used as comic relief in the movies, but I wonder if that's how most people imagine him now. Just a thought.

As for Cupcake, she's been enjoying some Jane too. Do you know about the BabyLit Board Books? {affiliate link} She loves them and my girls delight in reading them to her. When the picture of Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley shows up, she kisses them both, but seems to have a preference for Bingley!  Oh, and the puppy. And Colonel Brandon! My girls have already taught her that Willoughby is a weasel!

What about you? What's your favorite Jane Austen to read? 

WWRW Link-up!

So, my OTHER friend Jessica, has a brand spanking new link-up called What We're Reading Wednesday! First, I was like... reading? I don't read anymore. Who's got time for reading what with the playing outside and the toddler chasing and the spring cleaning? (I know it's not spring, but we've got spring temperatures! Whoo hoo!) And then I thought, wait... I am in the middle of a couple of things on my Kindle app and if Jessica counts online gems like this one, then I'm sure I could play by those rules because I am an oldest child and it's all about THE RULES! Right? Give me structure, give me guidelines, give me a frame to follow and I will do it!

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So, here's what I am reading...

Teaching in Your Tiara: A Homeschooling Book for the rest of Us by Rebecca Frech

I had seen some rave reviews of this book and I wanted to check it out for myself to see if it's something I would recommend or not. It is! I thought Rebecca gave a very thorough and thoughtful look at homeschooling. She doesn't write from one educational philosophy perspective which I think is very helpful to those still discerning and she uses humor to keep things light. She's also not afraid to say "don't do it!" for those who really aren't in a good place to tackle homeschooling. If you are new to homeschooling or considering it, check it out!

English Literature for Boys and Girls by H. E. Marshall

Someone suggested this in a previous post and since there was a free Kindle version, I decided to check it out. From what I've read so far, it's kind of a history of literature book with snippets of the actual literature. I think my oldest will enjoy reading it but as far as literature study, I don't think it's going to work. My older kids are moving into more literary analysis than just exposure to literature. Still a very interesting read. 

And as far as online reading goes... how about an awesome post about... reading?

"Somehow, somewhere, we lost the idea that the spirit is even more precious than the body, and needs even more careful formation. Your child will survive the occasional Twizzler. For that matter, he will survive the occasional Transformers Blast Mars or whatever trashy book he insists on bringing home from the library.
But a steady diet of bad books is worse for the mind than something analogous for the body. The imagination is starved and then, as a final blow, the stunted intellect concludes that reading is not interesting.
Establish the habit of vetting all the books. You are the gatekeeper."

Auntie Leila's latest Library Project post is about whether or not children should be allowed complete freedom when it comes to choosing books. As always, Auntie Leila is practical and reasonable and right, of course!

"Even a teenager should consult with you about what he reads (and you will find that they want to). You would not drop a fourteen-year-old boy off at the center of town for a few hours without inquiring into his plans. Well, a book is a universe, so don't just drop them off there."

So, there you go, Miss Jessica. I know it's not much but I hope that the promise of your little linky-do will help me to be more mindful about what I'm reading and, you know... actually remember to make note of it. Right now, is a very hoppy-skippy reading time. I'm reading in snippets and jumping from book to book. I don't like that, but it is what it is and it's either that or no reading at all.

As for the kiddos, let me ask them:

Sew Serendipity: Fresh and Pretty Designs to Make and Wear

Sunshine is on a sewing kick and she's been looking at this book that we picked up from Half-Priced Books. We have only just started peeking through this one. It comes with some patterns and Sunshine has high hopes to make herself a couple of skirts.

Enemy Brothers by Constance Savery

Shortcake just finished Enemy Brothers. She's not a huge historical fiction fan but she really enjoyed this one "especially the relationship that started to grow between Tony and Dym".

The boys are busy playing right now, so we will save them for next week. Head on over the Jessica's and let everyone know what you are reading!

And don't forget about Sarah's Virtual TWIN Baby Shower! Get on over there and guess her girth before she pops!

After Miscarriage by Karen Edmisten

I haven't read the whole thing because it just arrived this afternoon, but I did take a picture! The snippets that I've read as I flipped here and there are truly lovely and inspiring. I cannot tell you what a special joy it is to be able to read these words, the words of so many wise, beautiful people who know that wrenching pain of loss and suffering, while snuggling my own little bit of hope and healing.

Nothing erases the loss of a child from your heart. But as Colleen recently wrote, "I hold in my heart the greatest of all consolations, the hope of heaven.  For I realize, that even when my body is well past the age of bearing babies, even if I should live until I am 100, always, I will be an expectant mother, until the day I hold my babies for eternity." It's so true and it's what women of faith cling to. Karen knows this  and it shows in every touching moment of the personal grief that she shares.

You might recognize the words in one small section of Karen's book and if they offer you any amount of comfort then I thank the Divine Comforter for inspiring them and allowing me to share them with you. And I thank Karen for finding them worthy of inclusion in her work of the heart. Thank you, Karen!

 

Book Review: The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes

I usually don't do book reviews unless it's something I have discovered at the library or elsewhere that I just really want to share. So, when I am sent offers to review items I have never heard of before, I typically don't pay attention to them. This one was different.

The title alone made me take notice... The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes. It's the story of a bright young girl name Beatrice Bottomwell who, as you can guess, makes her very first mistake and learns to laugh about it. It's a sweet story with a gentle lesson and eye catching illustrations. Mark Pett's artwork is really delightful and grabbed everyone's attention. Mr. Pett and Mr. Rubenstein have put their combined teaching and parenting skills together to come up with a engaging story too. My kids passed the book around and declared it to be shelf worthy! High praise, indeed!

Now, I am not ashamed to admit that there is a strong streak of perfectionism that runs in this family. Being the oldest child of an oldest child seems to seal a perfectionist's fate. I used try to make The Professor laugh by droning, "Hi... my name is Mommy... and I make mistakes," and then encouraging him to say it too. If he did, it was often through clenched teeth. He's much better about it now but it took some work. While this adorable little story isn't going to be enough to fix your anxious idealist and make her send her inner Donna Reed packing, pearls and all, like most good books, it can open the door to conversation and discussion about moderation in all things, including perfectionism. And it will make you laugh!



I received a free review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This is it.

Library Finds

Two books this week that caught my eye...

First, Perfect Square by Michael Hall is a colorful, engaging little picture book that takes a perfect square of paper through a metamorphosis in order to create a lovely visual story. The front cover flap says, "A perfect square is transformed in this adventure story that will transport you far beyond the four equal sides of this square book." What I loved about this book is that my first thought was... what a great artistic opportunity this could be for a young child! After defining what a square is (can you say math lesson?) the story goes that on Monday, the perfectly happy square was cut and poked so that it wasn't a perfect square anymore.

So it made itself into a fountain...

...that babbled and giggled and clapped.

BigBoy's fountain

Even some of my big kids wanted to take a turn at making the fountain! I plan on adding this to our personal library soon only because I want to figure out how to make all of the transformations that come later. Some are going to be a little tricky but what fun for an early elementary "curriculum" idea. Although, let me state if I haven't already, that I am of the opinion that formal pre-school and kindergarten are not something homeschoolers really need to worry about. Teach your kids to read and everything else they need to know can be learned in the course of daily family life. This article that I saw linked to on FB pretty much sums it up. You can't mess up preschool or Kindergarten!

Library find #2:

Hummingbirds: Fact and Folklore from the Americas by Jeannette Larson

The girls are studying Zoology I this year after thoroughly enjoying Botany last year. It starts out with a bird study which we plan to spend the entire fall on. This book is an excellent complement! Lots of great scientific facts interspersed with legend and folklore. Who knew there was so much hummingbird mythology? Although the pictures are just beautiful, it's not really a picture book for young kids. I think the upper elementary age is probably their target audience although younger children would certainly love having the folk tales read to them! Speaking of the pictures, Adrienne Yorinks' illustrations are gorgeous works of fabric art with a beautiful quilt like quality to them that makes you want to swoon and pick up a needle. (Swoon first, then grab the needle. The other way around could be dangerous!) I highly recommend this to all my birding friends, even my quilting friends!

BTW... Ms. Larson lives in Pflugerville, Texas! Stalking is bad, right?