Frozen in Time, by Mitchell Zuckoff

Frozen in Time is indeed one of those epic stories of survival that boggle the mind and rally us to think the best of our fellow man when they've undergone horrible trials and have risen to the challenge beautifully. Written by Mitchell Zuckoff, this is a true story of three downed planes and the men inside of them, lost out in the Arctic wilderness.

In 1942, the Americans and the British were anxious to occupy Greenland because it is said that weather starts in Greenland. You know what the weather will be like in Europe a week or so prior to if you know the current weather situation in Greenland. Germany was also interested in the country for this reason and the Allies were anxious to beat them to it. After all, the country who knows the weather can make the best decisions for their troops and theoretically win the war.

In November of 1942, a US cargo plane slammed into an ice cap in Greenland. Four days later, a B-17 was assigned a search-and-rescue mission for the cargo plane and its occupants. The B-17 also crashed. In an attempt to rescue the men aboard the B-17, a Grumman Duck amphibious plane was sent their direction, only to fly into a severe storm. The Duck also vanished. Frozen in Time tells us the story of the crew on the B-17 and of how they coped and survived on the ice for over 140 days. It also tells of the modern day expedition to find and recover the Duck and its crewmen.

As you might imagine, it would not be an altogether pleasurable experience to be exposed to cruel elements for even a short time, let alone 140 days. It was (and is) so cold in Greenland during the winter time that snow instantly sticks and freezes to surfaces and the threat of being buried alive is a real danger. The crew mates were short on rations and long on time more frequently than not. The darkness which pervades the land during most of the winter brought several of the men to the brink of insanity more than once. Yet still they managed to rally themselves to fight on, thinking of their families and dreaming of life in a warmer climate.

Frozen in Time tells a truly remarkable and unique story and that makes it a curious read. It speaks of adventure, courage, grit and hope. That said, the writing style of Mitchell Zuckoff leaves a lot to be desired, in my opinion. The idea of flipping back and forth from 1942 to the present day, telling of the men and then the current recovery efforts didn't need to be distracting but, I felt, it was. Zuckoff spends a lot of time explaining how the leader of the expedition to recover the Duck, Lou Sapienza, is highly dependent on the practicality and available finances of others to accomplish the things in life which he finds himself pursuing. I didn't much care for the way that Sapienza is constantly draining money from others (also living off of his current girlfriend and whoever else will sponsor his existence) without wanting to put much work into making money to support his ambitions. He seems horribly lazy to me. I also didn't care for the fact that Zuckoff made me feel this way towards Sapienza, since Zuckoff confesses that he willingly handed over his own credit card to fund their 2012 recovery mission. He seems to resent having put money towards the expedition, complains about Sapienza endlessly, all while wanting to be able to write this book. He wants to be able to tell as complete a story about The Duck as he can, he realizes he cannot do this alone, but he resents the person driving the effort. It isn't very pretty to read.

In short, I really enjoyed reading the history of the 1942/43 veterans who gave their all to stay alive and contribute towards the war effort. I'm not so keen on hearing about how Zuckoff and Sapienza were both out to get the best deal for themselves for the sake of notoriety and a book. If this is not what Zuckoff meant to communicate to his reader, then he made some ghastly mistakes in his writing. Chiefly, he slammed Sapiena's character while simultaneously mooching off his dreams. Neither of these modern men are very interesting to me and I confess to skimming through the chapters detailing their stress-filled recovery efforts.

Also of notable interest, apparently all servicemen in WWII were disarmingly handsome, rugged, good-looking, etc., if you are to believe Zuckoff. Eventually I found the physical descriptions of the servicemen to be hilarious. Every time a new name would pop up I would wonder to myself how they would be described and it was always in a most flattering light. Regardless of what the pictures tell me of the men, the stories of their courage and bravery in what would be an altogether depressing and defeating circumstances tells me what they ought most to be admired for. Good character trumps good looks any day of the week. An ugly man who survived on a Greenland glacier for 140 days would be intriguing and admirable just as well as not.

To summarize - this isn't my favorite book about survivors in World War II. Yet it was still interesting because it is such a unique circumstance. i would have liked it more if Zuckoff wasn't trying so very hard to make me like him. In that, he failed.

Still, many thanks to the publisher, Harper Collins, for shooting a copy of this book my way in exchange for my honest opinion.

You've Got Personality

I really don't know when or for how long I've assigned personality to numbers. I mentioned the other day that I've always viewed the number 8 as a dapper fellow and a couple of you asked to hear what I think of the rest of the the numbers. I'll play your game and answer your question. ;)

0 - male; wallflower; completely ignored; unsuspecting
1 - male; leader of the pack; steady and hard working; honest
2 - female; wallflower type; not a number that I really notice
3 - male; happy-go-lucky
4 - female; straight shooter; doesn't dilly dally around
5 - male; a jock, of sorts; no one really likes five; too popular
6 - male; dependable; reliable
7 - male; the perfect number; kind of guy everyone wants to marry
8 - male; dapper fellow with good manners but somewhat cheeky
9 - female; smart; independent
10 - male; the number family patriarch

I remember being in grade school and mentioning to a friend what each number's personality was. I remember her being curious but I didn't concentrate too deeply on her response. Numbers just are who they are and cannot be changed. I also remember being age nine or ten and staring at a street address, trying to figure out how that worked because the numbers weren't pared well and wouldn't necessarily get along. I did not think this was weird or unusual. I still don't. (Heh.)

Apparently noticing personalities in association with colors, numbers or letters has a name. It's called synesthesia. If you look at the wikipedia page it claims that this is a condition that is frequently inherited but can also be brought upon by drugs (hallucinations) or a stroke. I haven't had a stroke and I have never taken drugs in my life. I have no idea whether or not I inherited it. I seldom think about it. Numbers are what they are and I can't really change that and so we proceed about our daily business.

According to a different website, people with synesthesia are more likely to be left handed (I'm right-handed) and are of normal ("or possibly above average") intelligence. We needn't argue over such things. (ha!)

Other people with this "condition" include:

Franz Liszt
Duke Ellington
Itzhak Perlman
Stevie Wonder

Truly I don't really think much about it. I don't find it curious that I do this. But when I stop and think about it, it could be sort of funny. Hence I'm willing to post this. Enjoy. :)

Play-Doh Board Books

Ok, I have to truthfully say that when these books landed on my doorstep I wasn't sure what to make of them. They seem a bit....odd. And they also looked like space fillers. And maybe they are that but they are also very well-loved by my two year old so I'm here to talk about them!

Mama's Little Ducklings is the new most requested read in our household at the moment (as far as Bookworm3 is concerned). I don't know whether she likes the sparkles, the flaps she can lift up on each page or the ducks themselves. At any rate, she likes reading "Mama Duck!" and this book travels the house and rides in the car with us whenever we go places.

In this short story, Mama Duck lays 5 eggs, 4 of which hatch and one of which rolls away. The hunt is on for egg #5. Will they find it?! What sort of children's book would this be if they didn't?! (SAD!) No worries, they find it.

Rainbow Butterflies suits our littlest bookworm well as she has been learning her colors most diligently. (Favorite color? Pink. When that color is not available, red will do.) She enjoys looking for the Play-Doh butterfly of color on each page.

I did notice that Amazon has the "search inside" option available for each of these titles so if you want to get a feel for how the books are laid out and illustrated, the opening pages are provided. If it's not quite obvious from the big "Play-Doh" logo on each book, the animals, flowers, houses, trees, etc., are all of Play-Doh origins.

PLAY-DOH: My First Words is a padded board book, distinguishing it from the others. (I like the peacock on the cover.) Inside you'll find all of the items made with Play-Doh and labeled for the purposes of expanding a younger reader's vocabulary. You'll see animals such as owls, cardinals, elephants and lions. There is a page discussing things you'll find in the sky, such as the moon, stars, planets and rainbows. There is also a page full of fun vehicles like an ambulance, fire truck and monster truck. It's a cute book.

This one, same as the others, make you want to crack open a can of Play-Doh and attempt making some creatures all by yourself!

PLAY-DOH: Making Shapes with Monkey is another in the "first concepts" series and it teaches exactly what you can correctly assume that it does: shapes.

Monkey likes to make shapes. Monkey invites you to play a fun game with him wherein you identify the different basic shapes. On each page spread you'll see monkey in different settings. For example, on one page you'll find him next to a tree, pointing out Mama Bird and the birdhouse in a tree. How many shapes can you correctly identify on this page? And so on and so forth in like manner.

And as a reward for all of your hard work in identifying the shapes? Monkey makes you a heart award! Again, cute.

Lastly, we were sent a copy of the PLAY-DOH Let's Get Creative Jumbo Sticker Book to check out.

My girl LOVES (and I mean loves) stickers. So this JUMBO sticker book is quite the treat! This sticker book looks much like many other sticker books you might pick up - there are stickers to choose from and plenty of page scenes to decorate. You can use the stickers to create stories, make collections, give animals various faces, build ice cream cones and explore nature. This title covers all the basics and has proved to be delightfully entertaining.

Play-Doh and Mommy are good friends, in an odd sort of way. My children get an absolute kick out of playing with Play-Doh. I absolutely hate cleaning it up. As a result of both things I just mentioned, Play-Doh is a rare and special play treat in our home. Our box of Play-Doh and associated equipment comes out 2-3 times a year and both occupies and entertains the children for stretches of up to 3 hours at a time. No breaks. No joke!

Play-Doh is one of those childhood Things of Wonder and I'm happy for my kids to enjoy it periodically. It certainly serves a good purpose in allowing me a chance to accomplish any variety of projects of my own while my children are engaged in a creative activity. We're happy with Play-Doh and also these books!

Thanks to Silver Dolphin Books for sending all of the above titles our direction in exchange for our honest thoughts.

I was honestly surprised by how well my children liked them and we've had a great deal of fun with them. Thanks!

5ive Straight {Game Review}

Time for another game! This one is new to us, even though 5ive Straight is marketed as being a long-time family favorite. It made its debut appearance back in 1968 and has recently been re-released by Winning Moves Games. (Really you ought to click on their website and check out their catalog. They have a lot of classic games.)

The game can be played by 2, 4, 6, or 8 players who are equally divided into teams. Or it can be played with 3, 6, or 9 players divided into three opposing teams. We have played with 2 and 3 players and - as the rules of the game suggest - the game is indeed more exciting with all three colors being played at once. However, we've had a good time in 2 player games as well. The game is deceptively more challenging that it initially seems.

The object of the game is to be the first player or team to successfully place five pegs in a row (straight, vertical, horizontal or diagonally).

The rules of the game are very simple. It is at this point that I should note that I am not a person who finds reading, comprehending and teaching rules of games to be a particularly easy task. When handed the sheet of paper which contains the rules of a game, my mind generally goes blank and my eyes cross. However, in the case of 5ive Straight it was easy to comprehend and teach my children to play with me.

- The dealer shuffles and deals 4 cards to each player, face down. The remainder of the deck remains face down near the game board.
- Players can look at their own cards but should not show them to any of the other players.
- On the player's turn, they can play a card face up on the table and put a peg in the square having the same or higher number than the number on the card. (E.g., if you play card "75" you can place a peg on any number on the board 75 and up.)
- A turn consists of either playing a card and placing a peg or of drawing a new card to add to your hand. You can only have 4 cards in hand.
- A card can becoming a "dead" card by being played out on the board. For example, if you are holding card "92" in your hand and all spots on the board from 92-99 have already been filled, then "92" is dead. You cannot dispose of it. You do not want four dead cards in your hand or you will automatically lose the game.

This game does involve a little strategy. Lower cards are the more valuable as they allow you to play in the most places. Whether you decide to play a peg or draw a card affects the outcome of the game.

It is a very easy game to learn and a very easy to play. Because of the ease when you first begin to play it seems as if it requires little to no strategy. However, once the game is underway you begin to recognize the challenges faced in getting five in a row. My enthusiastic game playing brother-in-law started playing with my six-year old, complained that the game had little strategy, but ended up being beaten by his nephew. When my husband sat down to play it, he was skeptical as well but ended up declaring it a really fun game and a great one to play with the kids. All a kid really needs in order to be able to play is number recognition from 0-99. After that, it's straight forward enough. My four year old is unable to recognize all of the numbers but we help him out and he managed to block my pegs and keep me from winning. (So he's not allowed to play anymore. I jest. Sort of. And no, I'm not at all competitive.)

Ultimately we've had a surprising lot of fun with 5ive Straight - I've even enjoyed playing it! - and we highly recommend it!

Thanks to Winning Moves Games, Inc. for sending a copy of this game to our family to check out in exchange for our honest opinion. We honestly recommend it!

Explore Flight!

I'm still frequently asked the question, "What are you doing for (home) school?" and I still don't fully know how to answer that question. It is a journey and we are on it. To date, I haven't been too terribly concerned with it. (Should anyone be speculating about us...our oldest is 6, reads chapter books independently and is working out of a second grade math book. So I think we're doing ok.)

Still, I know quite well that next fall needs to look more official than this year and that is one of the reasons why I wanted to check out Explore Flight! which is a newer title from Nomad Press.

I'm a personal fan of thematic units. I think that's because unit studies manage to hold my own attention span. I like learning about things in spurts and then moving on to new things. I like Story of the World for history and I'm looking for something suitable for science. Explore Flight! holds great promise and so I think we're going to use this. (And then, separately, My Body.)

Explore Flight! is written/designed for ages 7-9. I could hand the book over to my son and he could read it for himself but we'll make it a group effort and involve the four year old as well. Upon opening up the book you are given a timeline of the history of flight. Moving on you are given some basic information and "words to know" as you dive (fly?) into this subject. All throughout the book we learn about scientist and explorers who dreamed about flight and made it possible for humankind. Litered liberally through the pages are experiments which you can conduct which are age appropriate. For example, the opening experiments involve flying seeds and leaves and also ye olde air resistance experiment where you drop things of varying weight and see which falls more quickly.

History and science are explored simultaneously with discussions of technology and the flight of the Hindenburg. (Of course, anything that adds the historical perspective is going to catch my attention and hold my interest.) The experiments increase in difficulty and complexity as you go along and you'll find yourself building a mini hot air balloon and/or learn things like Morse Code. It looks like tons of fun and the information is laid out in a way that is easily comprehendible. I think this book is a good fit. Especially for young boys who believe they can fly, regardless of the evidence.

If you are interested, Nomad Press has thematic units for all sorts of subjects. I've reviewed a few of their books before including the following:

* Explore the Wild West
* Great Pioneer Projects
* Great Colonial America Projects

Many thanks to Nomad Press for sending the above title my direction in exchange for my honest thoughts!

8

I've always liked the number 8. It just looks pretty. (Confession: I've always attributed personalities to numbers. The number 8 has always been male in my mind. Sort of a dapper fellow with good manners but just a little bit cheeky at the same time.)

Today is significant for me, Jonathan and the number 8. We've been married 8 years today. Which means we've known each other for over a decade (which is weird so we we won't think much on that)!

And these have been eight of the most crazy, beautiful, hectic, chaotic, terrifying, humbling, miserable, exhilarating,  exhausting and happy years of our lives. (I can say that without asking Jonathan. Because it's true. Ha. So there.)

Do I love him better than I did when I say "I do"? What a silly question. You learn to love for real after your married - when life comes along and you are forced to move with it. When hard decisions have to be made and you have to make a conscious choice to stay a team no matter what. When God gives you little people to raise together - and who expose you further for who you really are, warts and all.  Is marriage magical? Moments are. And then there are moments which aren't. We've had to battle how to make it through another hour with each other and then how to come back and make things right between us. And you know what? I respect him all the more for coming back to conversations when they do not promise to be pretty. I have grown in respect and admiration - and love, yes - through the nitty gritty. It's seeing the staying power during the harder times that make the good times better.  I know we'll stand with one another through anything because when the going gets tough, one or both of us always points the other to Christ who is the only hope and answer when it comes to weathering the storms. Our relationship with Jesus Christ helps us to go on holding hands when the wind blows.

We continue to learn. We continue to grow. We continue to fail and succeed, laugh and cry, plant trees, mow lawns, do laundry, wipe little noses, can vegetables, go to work, play piano, read stories, pick up trash and sit down to dinner all together as a family. It seems to always be getting better and harder at the same time.

And I wouldn't trade it. Because I'm blessed by it.

And again, in song:

Still (and predictably) -

A little country (for kicks) that is funny and not -

Yup (check out all the little hearts all through the lyrics) -

(Coincidentally, Clint Black wrote the above song for his wife on their 8th anniversary. And they are still married.)

 And just in case we ever forget the processional at our wedding (which still manages to make me cry!):

Non nobis Domine, non nobis Domine,  sed nomine tuo da gloriam Non nobis Domine, non nobis Domine, s ed nomine tuo da gloriam
Not unto us, O Lord  Not unto us, O Lord  But to your name, but to your name  May all the glory be!

I love you, Jonathan.

The Sasquatch Escape, by Suzanne Selfors

I couldn't pass up an opportunity to check out The Sasquatch Escape, by Suzanne Selfors for two reasons:

1. It looked imaginative and creative; and
2. I read Selfors' Smells Like Dog (linked to my thoughts) and rather enjoyed it.

I'm generally inclined to like middle grade fiction because it provides adventure without including teenage romance (which I always find ridiculous). I'm quicker to pick up a piece of middle grade fiction to pass a few pleasant hours then I would many other genres. That's due in part to the fact that middle grade fiction doesn't require much (usually any) effort on my part, as an adult reader. Well written pieces of middle grade fiction provide a nice little bit of entertainment just when I want it. Then too, I like reading it in advance of my own children. I'm stocking our home book shelves with books for them to read as they progress as readers and so I'm quick to take opportunities to check into new stories. I opened the pages of The Sasquatch Escape ever hopeful to find a book that not only I would enjoy but that my kids would in turn.

It should be noted that The Sasquatch Escape is the first in a new series entitled "The Imaginary Veterinary." This book sets the stage for the books to come, while offering a small adventure to whet the reader's appetite for more.

In this story we meet Ben Silverstein who has been sent by his parents to live with his grandfather in the podunk town of Buttonville. The residents of Buttonville are dying out and there's not a whole lot of action to be found outside the local senior center. Buttonville used to be a hubbub of activity until the main source of employment - the town's button factory - closed down. Ben is not excited about spending his summer here, away from his parents and friends in LA. Furthermore, he's a little concerned because his parents have sent him to Buttonville for the expressly stated purpose of "working out some problems" between themselves. He feels angry and bitter about being shipped off and his hopes are not high that a good time will be had.

However, immediately upon arriving in Buttonville he discovers a baby dragon, a quirky girl named Pearl, and the existence of a Dr. Woo who has recently taken up residence in the boarded up button factory. As it turns out, Dr. Woo is a veterinarian to imaginative animals who come from imaginative worlds. She doctors things like unicorns, griffins and the legendary Bigfoot. Perhaps, just perhaps, life in Buttonville will not be boring after all.

As I say, this first book sets the stage for the up-and-coming titles. From this particular book you can guess at what adventure Ben and Pearl have in this story. You do get an adventure but at the conclusion you feel sort of as if you sad through Part I of III of The Hobbit - you know there is more to come and you wish you could just get to it already! (Patience is a virtue most easily admired in other people.) Alas, we wait.

As an adult reader, I enjoyed the book so-so. It is an interesting and creative plot. Selfors writes in a manner that is not choppy or jarring. I think she writes banter in conversation very well and I could easily see and hear Ben and his grandfather conversing with one another in my mind's eye. It's a fast read and clever enough. (Not brilliant, but not boring!) Of course, you can see that Ben's parents have some issues to work through but as Ben has been removed from their conversations (arguments?) so is the reader. You know there is a problem but you aren't made to endure it, for which I am grateful.

The entire time I was reading it I kept thinking to myself that my oldest would really rather enjoy this story and so I handed it off to read to him at his leisure and choosing. I'm perfectly fine with him reading the story right now. Although he is a beginning chapter reader, he is flying through The Boxcar Children with speed and gusto and I think he can handle The Sasquatch Escape without much difficulty. There are illustrations on just about every page and all the talk of dragons and Sasquatch sightings is sure to keep him entertained.

Is this book a masterpiece or a classic? No. Is it clean enough, fun, and an intriguing adventure? Yes. I feel very comfortable passing this off to my kids for the sake of a good time. And if anyone out there is tempting to think that this is fluff and I shouldn't encourage my children to it, well, then I'd say that sometimes it's ok to relax with a quick and pleasant read. We're reading plenty of other books most 6 year olds don't get to for some time - things like The Hobbit, Narnia and E. Nesbit. I think we can handle a Bigfoot thrown in every now and again.

On that note, I shall look forward to seeing how this series plays out.

Thanks to LB-Kids who sent a copy of this book our direction in exchange for our honest thoughts.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, by Kate DiCamillo

I picked a copy of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane at our local Friends of the Library book sale a few months back. Then a friend of mine - who is a foster mother - mentioned that this is one of her favorite books. When I heard that I shuffled the book stack around and moved this one closer to the top. I finally sat down to read it a few weeks ago.

In short, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, is the story about a self important china rabbit who has a rough journey from self love to real love.

Edward Tulane is, as mentioned, a china rabbit. He thinks very well of himself and is bored by anyone and everyone else. A child's toy that was created to share love finds himself without the ability to do so. He only learns what it means to really love someone by becoming lost from his first owner, and then his second and then his third. I can definitely see the themes of a foster child being moved about from one home to the next, never knowing what to expect and always needing time to adapt. Edward travels a rough rode but his pain is not without purpose. Through his trials, he finds he has a heart after all and he comes full circle to belong to a person whose heart was full of love for him from the very beginning.

This is a sweet story and a short one as well. It took me all of an hour to read it to myself. Written by Kate DiCamillo, the book is written in her typical style - being straight forward and to the point while having a touch of fairy tale in the wording. The illustrations by Bagram Ibatoulline were exceptional and made this book really come to life for me!

In a lot of ways this book can be summarized by the old skin horse in The Velveteen Rabbit:

"What is REAL?" the Velveteen Rabbit asked the Skin Horse one day. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Velveteen Rabbit .

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand. But once you are Real you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always."

The above passage from The Velveteen Rabbit has long been a favorite of mine. Being real with anyone does involve a certain amount of pain. It's hard to be open with people and let them into your life. Exposing one's true self to others is a difficult and painful thing to do. Our hair gets rubbed off and our eyes start to droop out a bit in the process. But then we become real. Then we find ourselves with greater capacity to love truly and honestly. Pain with purpose should therefore be welcomed, not avoided.

I rather enjoyed The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and will look forward to re-reading it again with my kids (or letting my independent reader take a crack at it all by his lonesome)!