WWRW :: Getting my reading groove back...

I know it's Friday, I'm just late. 

I've been wanting to post about what I'm reading, but it's mostly been picture books. A LOT of picture books. BigBoy has been doing a weekly Chess Club at our library so Cupcake and I have been reading tons of books. Right now, Mr. Putter and Tabby are her absolute favorites. She especially loves it when we mix up the names in the story… Mr. Tabby and Putter or Mr. Pabby and Tutter. She just giggles with delight.

Getting back into a weekly library trip was a side benefit of joining the Chess Club that I was looking forward to along with getting some alone time with the younger two. We have reached that point where I can leave the oldest three (16, 15 and 13) at home occasionally, and it is… wonderful! Those of you with little ones who all need your help… you will get there, I promise you. (And then, you'll want to go back. Sniff, sniff.)

So, along with lots of Mr. Putty and Tabber, we've made ourselves acquainted with the new acquisitions shelf (new to our library, not necessarily newly published) and want to share some of them with you. Here is a quick run-down of the ones we've enjoyed:

Sophie's Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller and Anne Wilsdorf… Perfect for fall coming up. Really delightful little story about a girl who names and cares for her most precious treasure… a butternut squash named Bernice. Bernice, being a squash, can't last forever so you might think you know where this story is headed, but the ending is a happy one. My favorite page was the exchange between Sophie and her mom…

When it was time to make supper, Sophie's mother looked at the squash. She looked at Sophie.
"I call her Bernice, " Sophie said. 

"I'll call for a pizza," said her mother.

The Yippy, Yappy Yorkie in the Green Doggie Sweater by Debbie Macomber and Mary Lou Carney… I admit I got this one thinking that Sunshine would like to read it to Cupcake. It's about a little girl who is worried about moving to another house and leaving behind her old town especially the yarn shop where she learned to knit a sweater for her little yorkie named Baxter. Of course, she finds new things to like about her new place including a new friend who has a yorkie and wants to learn to knit. This book is by the author of the Blossom Street series for adults. I don't know anything about those. We've read the other kids book that she's written, The Truly Terribly Horrible Sweater that Grandma Knit, and thought it was cute. This one too was cute and might be something that someone who is moving might like for their kids… or someone who knits… or has yorkies.

Do you like Patricia Polacco's art? Some people do and some people don't. I admit that it's not my favorite style, but I still enjoy it and her stories that have an "Old Country" feel to them. This one is not a new one but it was new to us. G is for Goat is a really fun little alphabet book with an unusual theme. Goats. It is fiercely cute. Looking to introduce your little one to the alphabet and just can't stomach one more "A is for Apple, B is for Boat" book? Definitely check this one out!

Minette's Feast by Susanna Reich... Darling story about Julia Child's cat. Anyone else find it funny that her cat's middle name was "Mimosa"? I loved how well written this book was (I'm a sucker for alliteration in a children's book) and of course, all the biographical information they snuck in especially the loving relationship between Julia and her husband, Paul. While I may not agree that "a house without a cat is like life without sunshine" I know many cat lovers who would. There is a notes section in the back with more specific information and a glossary for some of the french words and phrases. This one might be one we decide to own someday!

Lastly, this is one that I shared with Miss JessicaSpice when she CAME OVER TO MY HOUSE on Monday!!! I know! In person playing and snuggling a tiny baby and eating and chatting… and we didn't take one picture, either of us. We are such bad bloggers, or maybe just better friends? I grabbed If You're So Smart, How Come You Can't Spell Missisippi? by Barbara Esham off the new shelf without really looking at it. Turns out, it's about dyslexia. I don't have a child with dyslexia, but if I did, this would be a great book to own. A little girl questions her super-smart lawyer dad why he can't help her with her spelling test and he explains to her what dyslexia is. She thinks about a little boy from her class who can't spell either and takes is upon herself to learn about all of the amazing accomplishments of some other people with dyslexia so that she can share them with him. It was a very interesting read. Cupcake liked the pictures but wasn't into the story much. BigBoy read it too and he said that he liked reading about all of the great people who had dyslexia. His favorites were William James, a psychologist, and Helen B. Tausig who was a doctor in the 1930's.

WWRW: The kids speak...

I'm turning this week over to the kids. I'm hoping to get back to some reading and reviewing later but since they just went to the library and brought back a haul, here is some of what they are reading right now {with Amazon affiliate links, but you probably already knew that}...

The Professor :: The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game Core Book 
by Steven S. Long

The Professor: For those that are interested in learning to play roleplaying games, but are hesitant to take up Dungeons and Dragons, this is a great book to look into. Not quite as unusual as the world of D&D, this book combines a fun roleplaying experience with the familiarity of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic works. The rules, unlike D&D's rigid system, are simple, easy to understand, and very beginner-friendly, although careful reading is essential, or else your game experience may take an unusual turn (Hobbits effortlessly walloping Troll after Troll, for example). The unique layout of the character-generating rules alone assures a more relaxed gameplay experience, a chance to focus on character development, and allows for players to rapidly become more attached to their character than any Dungeons and Dragons characters, many of whom are reduced to mere pages of complicated statistics. The main problem with this book is that it has been out of print for quite a while now, and has become somewhat hard to find: also, grammatical errors and misspellings are all too common within the various chapters. Overall, this is a great roleplaying resource for beginners and longtime role-players alike, and definitely worth exploring.

Sunshine :: The Music of Dolphins by Karen Hesse

Sunshine: The Music of Dolphins tells the story of a young girl who has been raised by dolphins since before she can remember. When rescued by a group of scientists, she is frightened and unsure what to think. Eventually, 'Mila' learns how humans behave and she starts to act the same way. She is given a recorder and learns to play music with it. At first, she loves the human world and, even though she misses her dolphin family, she is thrilled to discover what she can do as an intelligent and curious young girl. However, as the story progresses, she is confused by some of the things that people do and are expected to do. She is puzzled when told to hit the punching bag with a smiling man drawn onto it. She is upset when locked in her room. And most of all, she is frightened and longs to return to the sea with her dolphins. Her only comfort is in expressing herself with music and singing, because it makes the most sense to her. To her everything is music and expressed with songs spoken and unspoken. To Mila, everything in life is part of one, harmonious song and she is confused and saddened when something seems out of tune.

Honestly, this story is not my favorite. It is written from her point of view, as if she's writing in a journal and written in first person present tense, which is not my preferred style of narrative. It is also written very simply. I have a feeling the author wrote the book that way on purpose, to show you how simple Mila's speech is at first. As the story goes on, she becomes really depressed with all she is expected to do and her longing for the sea. She stops eating, she becomes ill, and she doesn't make any progress at all until she receives what she is promised.

On the whole, an interesting read, but one I could do without. I found it not very realistic, but it could be an intriguing pool-side read for someone who's looking for that.

Rain :: Stout Hearts and Whizzing Biscuits by Daniel McInerny

Rain: This is the story of a family who moves away to the country to build a mansion with the money the father received from a big promotion at work. They purchase their plot of land from two rather suspicious businessmen and then find out that the land is believed to be part of the grounds of a secret country of Trojan descendants called Patria. The citizens of Patria can only prove this fact with their treaty…which has been missing for over 200 years. The main character, Oliver, joins with the Prince and Princess of Patria to try to find the treaty in order to prevent the looming war between Oliver's father and the country of Patria. 

So, what did you like about it?
I liked the idea of branching off from the story of the Greeks and Trojans. I like his characters... the rascally Farnsworth & the absent-minded King who is more interested in writing poetry instead of running the country. There is some slight romance but it's entirely between a young knight and Oliver's Aunt. (It's very chaste and innocent romance.) It's a fun read that's probably geared towards the 10-12 year old crowd. It's definitely enjoyable and the sequel, Stoop of Mastadon Meadow, is just as good too. 

Anything you didn't like?
Admittedly, Oliver's parents are kind of annoying. His father is rather puffed-up and very proud of his position which makes him act superior to the Patrians. He's not very willing to trust them either… that could be because he thinks they are crazy. His mother is kind of like Mrs. Bennet… silly, rather irritating and a little careless.

BigBoy :: The Legend of Luke by Brian Jaques

Bigboy has been plowing through books and audiobooks since he signed up for the library's summer reading program. This is his review of The Legend of Luke. He's talking. I'm typing.

Bigboy: It's a really good story full of sailing and questing with a smidgen of tragedy. (Yes, he really did use the word smidgen.) I would heartily recommend the Redwall series. Is that good?

Me: Yes, that's good. Which is your favorite Redwall book?

I'd say Mossflower.

Why?

Because there are a bunch of adventures, a sea battle and one very funny character. 

Who is that?

He's called Gonff. He's a mouse thief and a ballad writer who sometimes has some very funny lines. 

Is he a thief who is a mouse or does he steal mice?

He's a thief who is a mouse. The Redwall series has no humans, only animals.

Anything else you want to say about The Legend of Luke?

Nope. Not really. I would just like to recommend the whole series.


Check out other summer reads with pregnant elephants waiting to pop over at HousewifeSpice!

WWRW :: The Little Oratory :: Father's Day Giveaway

Auntie Leila, homeschooling sage and speaker of time tested family truths, asked me if I wanted to host a giveaway of her beautiful new book, The Little Oratory: A Beginners Guide to Praying in the Home, and I enthusiastically said, "Yes!!!" When someone like Leila writes a book about beauty and faith education in the heart of a home, I listen and so should you! That's my best advice… listen to someone who has been there and has the spit-up stripes on their shoulders and the transcript ink smudges on their fingertips to prove it before you get caught up in the latest untested homeschooling craze.

I have been reading Leila and David's book since it came out and I've been wanting to write a review of it but it's just not one of those books that I can sit down and read all in one sitting. It's so meaty and delicious; definitely the kind of book to be savored in small bites. I absolutely agree with so many others that this will become our go-to wedding gift along with a beautiful frame or an icon/religious picture. (I just hope we don't all get invited to the same weddings!)

My "working" oratory just above my kitchen sink: Our Lady of the Angels, The Irish Madonna of Hungary, a tiny Infant of Prague statue, some St. Joseph's oil and a rosary bracelet.

I guess I've always had a little oratory of sorts in our home without really knowing what that was. Something I've discovered, which I hope a more in depth study of this book will help me reconcile, is that some places in a home lend themselves to being a more decorative place for an oratory but maybe not the most useful. That is what I always struggle with; form vs. function, you know? Maybe you don't. I tend to think it's a problem that us visual people struggle with mostly.

For example, this space is perfect from a decorative standpoint. It's a blank wall space (with the exception of the outlets behind the Blessed Virgin) with a lovely wooden counter below it but it sits in an area of our house that is like an open hallway. It's a pass through area called a dry bar. Across from it is a dual height counter that we use for serving food whenever we host a function. We could put some bar stools opposite it in order to help direct the sitter's gaze towards this wall but bar stools just don't seem conducive to quiet prayer to me. There is no place for chairs or even a kneeler. I like the idea of a corner so much better but haven't been able to find one that I can make work in this house. That's where I'm hoping that The Little Oratory can guide me.

For right now, I personally prefer a working oratory like the one above my kitchen sink but I'd like to find something that's more of a space for our whole family to use. That will be my challenge. In the book, they talk about using the little oratory to pray the Liturgy of the Hours. Yes, Auntie Leila… I admit… I quailed, I'm sorry!! I'm trying to leave my mind and heart open to the idea but I've never really embraced the "domestic monastery" view of the family but rather the "find a heaven amidst pots and broomsticks" view instead. Maybe it's because we attend Mass at a Cistercian Abbey and have heard the monks pray morning prayers before daily Mass that it seems like an aspect of our faith that is particularly well-suited to the religious life, something not really intended for a family with young children. I can see a couple in their retiring years embracing some of the aspects of monastic life, but I've never felt particularly called to the movement that imposes monastic like silence and seriousness on a day when babies are crying and toddlers need help wiping. I freely admit that this is more than likely my own personal challenge to conquer. Like I said, maybe I need to educate myself better about what the Liturgy of the Hours really are and do some more praying about it. I do want to find a way to help my children feel comfortable with moments of quiet meditation, contemplation or prayer throughout the day. And I look at Leila's advice on family and education as words from the wisest of wizards. She's been there and done that. so I'm hoping that as I delve further in TLO some of these questions will be answered. See what I mean… meaty!

Now for the giveaway part… (it ends this Sunday at 11:59pm so it's a fast one!)

Sophia Institute Press is offering a bundle for Father's Day. Not only will you get a copy of The Little Oratory, but you will also get a copy of Father of the Family by Clayton Barbeau. These would make a great Father's Day gift pack for your husband or your father! Or give the Father of the Family book to your favorite Dad in your life and keep The Little Oratory for yourself! (I won't tell!)

(Your giveaway copies will come from Sophia, not from me. I have not been compensated for this review in any way. The copy I reviewed above was a copy that I purchased for my own personal library.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Find more great reads over at Jessica's place!

WWRW: Something Other Than God

(Just FYI... I installed Intense Debate in the combox so, if there are any glitches, I apologize and I'll try to sort them out.)

We've been sick with a nasty little cold. It's taking everyone down two at a time. The Professor and I came down with it when Jennifer Fulwiler's book came out on Kindle so I basically spent all day in bed reading it. It was kind of an amazing experience. The book, not the cold.

 Most of what I thought, Jessie/Jessica already pointed out. #cradlecatholicproblems…hah! Jealousy rears it's ugly head here too when I listen to the big things God has done in someone else's life and it obscures my vision so I can't see the things He's done for me. Most Cradle Catholics I know have had big moments (for them) when things "clicked" and they took up their faith as their own, not just something handed to them. Some of them even call themselves "reverts" (as opposed to "converts"). Those moments are big moments, they just don't garner the same kind of attention even from ourselves and so we tend to forget about them… it's like everyone thinks of Lourdes and Fatima when they think of Marian apparitions but Our Lady of Knock is just as much The Blessed Virgin Mary. She didn't say anything, but she was still there. (OK… if that only made sense to me, I'm going to blame it on the gunk still in my head).

I've always felt like the Prodigal Son's older brother gets a bad rap. Maybe that's just because I identify with him more than the other son. That's embarrassing to admit, but true. A lot of Cradle Catholics identify with him. When I start wanting those big moments in my life, when I want to feel that cloak around my shoulders and that ring on my finger and have the fatted calf slaughtered for me, I usually play this song. (Hmmm... embedding wouldn't work so I just linked.) It helps to put things in perspective.

My husband has mentioned before that he thinks of Cradle Catholics like babies learning to walk. God is there, just like the perfect father He is, letting us hold onto his fingers as soon as we start to pull up, picking us up when we fall down, encouraging us until we reach the point that we can cruise on our own. Is He still there when we no longer feel Him? Of course He is. Maybe He doesn't think we need as much help now because we have been cruising on our own for quite a while. You wouldn't think to double check your teenager's walking abilities and ask if they need your help, would you? Well, maybe if they were exceptionally clumsy. We can't really remember when He was right there, helping us learn, it was so long ago but He was and still is there. All the time. Whether we feel Him or not.

I've been reading Jennifer's blog now for a while (and I couldn't agree with Jessica more about being confused about her name) but even having read her story as it unfolded, there is an insight to her in the book that you just don't get from her blog. (Just like I thought when reading her E-book.) Maybe it was the time that she took crafting this memoir, the time she took to reflect on it. Jennifer has mentioned often how many manuscripts were scrapped. I have to be honest and say that given all the difficulties Jennifer blogged about, I was worried that it would read like some piece of tough meat that you had to chew your way through. Instead, all of the advice and years of prayer and work tenderized this juicy tale. It flowed beautifully! I couldn't believe that this manuscript hadn't just breezed onto the page effortlessly. Nothing felt out of place or disjointed; everything made sense. And just like Cari's story, it gave you plenty of deep personal insight, but not so much information that it made you feel uncomfortable. (I'm not a fan of TMI memoirs.)

And while there is much to learn about Jennifer's personal mental workings (the C.S. Lewis/ Tupac connection is one that everyone is talking about) I found her relationships with her family to be some of the most interesting parts. Her humor in this book is subtle and catches you off guard unlike the hyperbole she tends to employ on her blog.

For years, I’d strongly suspected that other people’s belief in God was preventing me from climbing the elementary school social ladder. When my dad’s latest construction project management job took us to Dallas, just before I entered third grade, I’d been certain that this was the place where I would finally take my rightful place as the queen of popularity.

Even though I grew up as a Cradle Catholic, there were a few moments that I could relate to on a more personal level. The moment her thoughts first turned to death and human mortality. The affection she has for her grandparents and her connection with the history of her family. Her fondness for Mexican food (but not rap music… sorry. I just can't do rap. The Lewis/Tupac connection only made me want to read more Lewis, not listen to some Tupac).

But there were a few moments that absolutely blew me away… her Dad's letter, her mom's chapel veil, her baptismal candle, the thoughts about Lazarus' disappointment. One moment in particular that all of us could stand to ponder...

When I imagined that same scene with me shouting, “I can’t imagine why I haven’t had any experiences of the source of all goodness!” the problem became clearer. To get my spiritual “mirror” in the right condition, per Lewis’ advice, I had to seek goodness. I had to try to be good. And, as I had just learned in that horrible, airless room, doing whatever feels nice and labeling yourself “good” doesn’t cut it. To be truly good, you have to shut down the infinite human capacity to rationalize away evil. {emphasis mine}

Convicted. Shamed. Wow. Jennifer's response was to turn to the Catechism. As she put it "I’d come to see that the only way for people to shut down the power of rationalization is to adhere to an external moral code, one that they don’t have the power to change on the fly when it gets inconvenient." The challenge here is also for someone who has already embraced the moral code of the Church... because we all do it! Rationalize away evil. Rationalize away every uncomfortable thing. Excuse ourselves. Give ourselves every way out or rationalize ourselves into a corner so that we only have one course of action and of course, it's the course of action that we are most comfortable with. (Adding in here... of course, as a Cradle Catholic sometimes our challenge is making sure that we don't run so far in the other direction of scrupulosity. Isn't it such a delicate balance?)

So, my honest opinion (and I always give my honest opinion no matter who wrote the book, I promise) is that this is a story that will affect many people on different levels. I hope some non-believers take it up and rise to the challenge that Jennifer and Joe battled to really think about the bigger questions in life. I hope some believers see it as a means to grow stronger in their faith. Some of the questions that Jennifer wrestled with are questions that we could all stand to ponder.

WWRW: Convert stuff

I haven't participated in this link up in a while because frankly, I wasn't really reading much. I was doing a lot of embroidery and sewing of dolls and I was watching a lot of old, junk TV. I can now say that after hours and hours of research… I much prefer the Angel series over Buffy… don't judge! In my defense, my husband was in training classes for two weeks… in Seattle! TWO WEEKS! That's a long time! Ok, those of you who have husbands in the military can laugh at me. I'm a wimp, I know.

But he's been back for a while now and other than doing some spring cleaning and wardrobe refreshing for the kids, I really had no good reason not to pick back up with some reading. 

Since I still find that it's easier to read using the Kindle app on my phone and I saw that Jen at Conversion Diary was offering a free ebook to go along with pre-ordering her new book, I thought this was a good way to begin again. The download comes in pdf form but if you are like me and you want to read it in Kindle form (meaning you can change font style and size), you can email it to your Kindle (you'll have to find your specific Kindle email address over at Amazon) with "convert" in the subject line and it will arrive in your Kindle library in Kindle form. Isn't that cool? And the irony wasn't lost on me. I had to convert Jen's book..."Convert" ---> Conversion Diary. Tee hee hee. I am easily amused. Hah!

I will have more to say about this little .pdf gem in a future post. There are so many thoughts swirling around in my brain, I need time to sort them all out and this week is too jam packed to do that. Let me just say that this was an enlightening work. Like lightbulb moment epiphany. Like jaw dropping, smack your head kind of epiphany. (OK, maybe that's a little hyperbolic, but I don't think Jen will mind being prone to hyperbole herself.) It explained a lot. It encouraged a ton. It really helped me look at things from a completely different perspective that I don't know I would have ever seen without Jen's guidance. What I enjoyed most about it was the practical "action" items for those who were interested in that (you know, actually putting one foot in front of the other to get something done) and the practical, common sense approach to everything else for those of us just looking for some inspiration and insight. I really felt like for the first time since reading Jen's blog that I had something in common with her, something I could relate to (that common sense practicality), that I was learning more about her thought processes and even her real self. (I'm not saying she puts on an act or anything but you know how a blog is only a small glimpse…SEE… too many swirly whirly thoughts…blah.) Suffice it to say that it perfectly whet my appetite for her book coming out soon. I'm even more interested in reading her story than I was before.

Head over to Housewife Spice for more reading inspiration.

WWRW: A Sojourn of Sorts

Do not freak out! Wednesday was several days ago. Today is Saturday! I meant to post this on time but losing almost a whole week to ice means that I am suddenly behind on everything!

A Sojourn of Sorts by Douglas Leblanc {affiliate link}

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.) 

This was a very interesting book written by new author Douglas Leblanc (who, by the way, tells me he was homeschooled himself for a while before college). It's a middle grade fantasy adventure which means I let The Professor read it. It received his stamp of approval before he passed it along to Shortcake, our fantasy adventure buff around here. So, the three of us are putting our heads together to give this review.

This book kind of surprised me. It started off with a unique situation… an isolated community living on a tropical island. Not the kind of situation I expected for a fantasy adventure but very intriguing. You meet a young man, named Geel, who daydreams about battling pirates and adventures exploring the other 26 islands in their world while the rest of the islanders are content to keep to themselves. Geel unexpectedly meets the wizard, Brackle, who is trying to make his way to another island to warn the King against moving a very powerful artifact. Geel, seeing his opportunity to get away and have a real adventure, leaves a note for his parents saying he needs to help a friend, promises to return and sails off with the Alchemist, Old Gawny, and his smart-aleck parrot Petey, to meet up with the wizard.

We all thought it was a well-written, fast-paced, easy to read story with some unique concepts and characters. Shortcake suspects that the author might have a fondness for Ancient Roman history because she felt like one of the civilizations they come across in their adventure was very Roman-esque. The Professor agrees they were similar to Romans but with a healthy injection of Germanic influences such as their idea of courage. (Yes, this conversation really just took place as I typed this.) Shortcake thought that was neat to see such a civilization included in a fantasy adventure story and The Professor agreed.

The main female characters in the book are vivacious and spunky which pleased my similarly vivacious, spunky girl. The villain of the story is your typical villain… the bad guy who gets what he deserves in the end. There were also a plethora of Z named characters which delighted us. If you don't know why, it's because you don't know my children's real names. :)

For sensitive readers: there was a village full of raggedy old hags and trolls who try to eat the children in the story. Part of their escape involves dropping some shriek beetles on a woman who is then bitten to death. Nothing gory, just a little disturbing maybe for some. There are also some other instances of characters having to kill in order to protect themselves or others including one case of a 12 year old boy stabbing another kid his own age who was possessed by the evil villain in order to protect his friend. Just FYI. Again, it's not gory or salacious, in fact, it's pretty typical for a fantasy adventure story but it might disturb some sensitive readers. Our age recommendation for this book would be 11-13.

WWRW: Official Christmas Edition!

***Yes, I know it's Tuesday… now. My days are so messed up so just count me early for tomorrow.

So Miss Jessica Spice said that this week is the official Advent/Christmas theme version of WWRW. I know I posted some of our favorites last week, but I'm going to post some more here because, well, we have a ton of them. {with Amazon affiliate links, but you probably already knew that…}

 The Thirteen Days of Christmas by Jenny Overton

The kids were *almost unanimous that this one had to be read this year. It's a great family read aloud book that starts with the first chapter on the Feast of St. Nicholas and then doesn't pick up again until the first day of Christmas. I've mentioned this book before when we made our first Epiphany Tart but since it was such a big hit, I thought I'd mention it again. 

*The Professor was the only holdout against this one but I think that has more to do with husband's silly reading voices, not the book. 15 year old boys don't like to be seen chuckling at silly voices. :)

Shall I Knit You a Hat? A Christmas Yarn by Kate Klise

This is for the people you love who love knitting. It's a knitting story AND it's Christmas themed... which makes it pretty much perfect in Sunshine's opinion. Although, reading this book might mean you get more than a few requests for Christmas hats but is that really a problem? (Well, if you aren't a knitter I guess it might be.)

The Christmas Knight by Jane Louise Curry

This story is based on a medieval tale of a generous nobleman. The illustrations are lovely. I can't tell you much more than that because it's wrapped up right now. It looks like this one is OOP so keep your eyes peeled for it. Maybe check eBay? 

A Christmas Manger by H. A. Rey

It's Christmas AND H. A. Rey. What's not to love? A sweet little punch out creche and a pocket to keep it contained in the back. Just so you know… the book part of this book is just a couple of pages of the Nativity story from the Gospels of both Matthew and Luke. Most of the book's other pages are the punch out figures. 

The Baker's Dozen: A Saint Nicholas Tale by Aaron Shepard

Please tell me you have this book. Everyone should have a copy of this book! The illustrations are so intricate and detailed and the story is inspiring. Right now, the Kindle copy is only a penny, but trust me, you are going to want to own a copy. We are already on our second one. 

Song of the Stars: A Christmas Story by Sally Lloyd-Jones

This lovely story was new to us last year but it has already become a favorite this year. We read it the other night and even Cupcake was captivated by the poetic words. I caught her whispering "It's time. It's time." So sweet!

The Dolls' Christmas by Tasha Tudor

 This one will be new this year even though I purchased it used. Right now, used copies are insanely priced but the Kindle version is reasonable. I don't normally enjoy reading picture books on the Kindle/Kindle app but I would make an exception for this one if I didn't have a hard copy. It's Tasha Tudor and in the same vein as my other favorite Tasha Tudor book...

A is for Annabelle by Tasha Tudor

I have my mother's copy of this book from when she was a little girl. When I found out several years ago that it had been reprinted, I purchased an obscene number of them and handed them out as gifts to anyone I knew who brought home a little bundle of sugar and spice. With the number of pregnancies announced lately, maybe I better stock up on some more!

Head on over to Jessica's to find more great Advent/Christmas suggestions!

WWRW: Pre-Christmas Edition

I'm coming in late and kind of breaking the rules (forgive me Jessica, I'll save you a scoop of Apple Cranberry Crisp) to share some of our favorite Advent/Christmas books. I'll have more next week, I promise. It's been a long day of cooking and cleaning so I'm going to type this up quick like {with affiliate links, but you probably already knew that…}:

The Professor: A Christmas Carol  by Charles Dickens~ Specifically this one illustrated by talented P.J. Lynch

Sunshine: An Orange for Frankie by Patricia Polacco~ She likes the sappy ones.

Shortcake: Letters From Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien ~ She has taken to drawing her own pictures including polar bears.

BigBoy: Angela and the Baby Jesus by Frank McCourt ~ 

It's a new favorite.

Cupcake: A Christmas Carol: A BabyLit Colors Primer ~ We turned on The Muppets Christmas Carol the other night and after hearing a "Bah-Humbug" and "Old Marley was as dead as a door nail," she piped up with "Hey, that's my book!"

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

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
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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
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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
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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
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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.