Little Pea, Little Hoot & Little Oink, if you please!

Hey! I just learned that Chronicle Books is having a big 35% off sale now through August 5th. They are the publishers of the following books which I reviewed (and L-O-V-E-D!!!) on 5 Minutes for Books. If you have any intention WHATsoever of picking up these books, I would encourage you to do so while Chronicle is blowing out Amazon.com prices! (I'm always in for a bargain!) 35% off plus free shipping. Hard to beat.

You can read my review of Little Pea and Little Hoot by clicking on the titles.

I loved the above two stories so much that I begged to be able to review Little Oink when it came out. Love it, love it! (Click to see my review of Little Oink.)



(Normally don't post about sales unless there's a title that I really think is worth picking up. If you DO decide to pick these titles up, don't forget to use the promo code "FRIENDS" when checking out!)

We will now return to our regularly scheduled programming . . .

Telling Silly Stories

We've been learning about silly stories around here. When I was growing up, my dad would tuck my brother and I into bed with a prayer, a Bible story and a silly story which, of course, he would make up. I remember some of the stories. Particularly the one about the boy with the ear so full of wax that the entire town was set up with candles for life! At any rate, it's good family tradition and therefore must be passed along to the next generation. Bookworm1 has been delighted with our silly stories of late.

The other day he spoke words that were magical music to my ears: "Mommy, I will tell YOU a silly story!"

What pride. What a surge of hope I felt. What glorious anticipation! WHAT story would I be told by my two year old son!?!?!?

Here it is, in full and in quotes:

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Bookworm1: "Once upon a time there was a tomato named poop."

Mommy: "Poop?" (WHY!? WHY!? WHY!?)

Bookworm1: (laughing) "Yes. A potato named poop."

(He still confuses tomato and potato.)

Bookworm1: "Poop hopped into a tree store and he found some gold."

Mommy: "He found gold!??! What did he do?!"

Bookworm1: "I don't know. And it was very dark."

Mommy: "It was very dark!? Was he very scared?"

Bookworm1: Let loose a chorus of "I don't knows" indicating that story time was over.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Let that go on record as his first "Silly Story."

Now, on a more traditional note he also told me this story:

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Bookworm1: "Once upon a time there were three little pigs."

Mommy: "What were their names?"

Bookworm1: "Umm....pig. And pig. And pig."

Mommy: "They were all named pig? That's pretty silly!"

Bookworm1: "And then there was a big bad wolf."

Mommy: "What was his name?"

Bookworm1: "Wolf. And he thuffed and thuffed and *insert blowing noises* he BLEW MOMMY'S HAIR DOWN!!!"

The End.

Or, perhaps you might say (and I might hope) this is only the beginning.


I would love my son to be a good story teller (in all the correct ways!). It's a marvelous skill to have and I'm delighted he connects with the world in such a goofy little way. Now, if we could just leave poop out of it . . .



For some great Silly Story prep, you might check out the Mr. Men and Little Miss Books which I reviewed an incredibly long time ago over at 5 Minutes for Books. Just a tip from me to you.

Read Aloud Thursday - Counting & Giveaway

This week we're taking a look at some new titles from Sylvan Dell Publishers that involve numbers. And animals. Which is why we like Sylvan Dell so much. No other publisher that I've seen consistantly works with authors and illustrators to prompt a love of learning in children through their use of things that children love - cuddly bears, mysterious ocean life, elephants and birds, lizards and pelicans and the list goes on and on. This publishing house seems to know that if children can connect to animals, they will connect to the lessons that the book is also trying to teach. Smart move!

Just in time for the upcoming school season, they've released Count Down to Fall. This book is written in rhyme and it counts down from ten to one. The primary purpose of this book is to learn to count to ten (or backwards from ten) and to learn how to identify leaves from various trees. All of the animals that you see pictured in this book are engaging in some kind of activity around a leaf. For example we see a turtle munching on a chestnut tree leaf. Squirrels are scurring through oak leaves in search of acorns, and owls are sitting next to maple leaves. The back of the book contains two pages of information on trees, their leaves, seeds, fruits, nuts, roots, etc. There is a page which shows the differences in the shapes of leaves as well, and it also includes a matching game for children to play with the leaves. Very practical and fun - esp. if you are planning a leaf rubbing with your children!

We never did make it to the zoo this summer, as I had hoped we would. Instead we've had to content ourselves with books on zoo trips and zoo animals. In What's New at the Zoo? An Animal Adding Adventure we learn to add. This book is a bit above where we're at right now, so we just spent our time looking at the animals and counting them out. However, the book is laid out so that the children can solve additional problems by counting the animals so we're not too far off the mark here! THe book begins with 2 + 1 and continues on up to 12 + 8. You count pandas, peacocks, snakes and bats. My son, being fascinated with the idea of the zoo (one day we'll take him there - really!) loves this book. He likes flipping through it. It's a bit hard for him to distinguish some of the animals from one another towards the end of the book. For example, there are 20 bats and they are all brown and they kind of blend together making it hard to point them out individually. But he's only 2 and I imagine a kid who was a little bit older than that wouldn't have as much trouble.

There almost doesn't seem like there's anything new to say when it comes to raving (in a positive way) about Sylvan Dell. However, let's add generosity to the list.

Sylvan Dell has offered one copy of each of the above titles to a Reading to Know reader. So leave a comment here if you'd like to win these books! Must be a U.S. Resident only and, per usual, my rule is that if you are a regular subscriber and track with me around here, you can leave two comments to equal two entries. (Faithfulness IS rewarded! ha) Contest will close on Wednesday, August 5th.

**** CONTEST IS CLOSED ******

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Here's a special treat, if you don't mind reading books online! Sylvan Dell is offering you a chance to view ALL of their titles.

For the next 90 days you can view all of their 45 titles by clicking here: http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/ebooktrials.php?e=MSBL9J

The code expiration date is 10/31/09

For more information about this special treat, visit Sara Dobie's blog by CLICKING HERE.

The Castle in the Attic

Awhile back I found a copy of The Castle in the Attic at our local Goodwill store and I put it in the cart. Before I left the store I had removed it from the cart, deciding that I would bypass it. Then I read someone else's review of it and instantly regretted my decision to leave this book behind. Therefore I was pleased-to-ecstatic to find another copy pop up at Goodwill later on. The best $0.99 cents I ever spent on a book!

Some of my first reviews on this site were pathetically left at "I really liked this book!" or "I really hated this book!" I've tried to hone my skills as a book reviewer over the course of the past few years but I have to confess an inner urge to revert back to "the good old days" when I just left it at a "two thumbs up" where this book is concerned. Except saying that I would give this book two thumbs up seems particularly lifeless and uninteresting. I'd need to add a few thumbs, a few toes perhaps and a very wide grin. This book is fabulous and deserves heartily accolades from me (and the rest of the world).

Ok, ok, so now I have to tell you WHY I liked it. Right!?

Ever since I read The Code of Chivalry and decided that I would really like to encourage my son in his pursuit of knowledge regarding Knights in Shining Armor (always said in an excited voice with lots of exclamation points in the voice inflection) I have been on the prowl for good books on knights. I was, of course, attracted to this book because of the title and the cover art. It piqued my interest. But when I sat down to read it, oh! Elizabeth Winthrop had apparently also read the Code of Chivalry and wasn't about to back down on the terms involved.

This book is about a ten year old boy named William who is about to lose his long time nanny. Before she leaves him, determined to return to her brother and home in England, she gifts him with a rather large and magical "toy" castle which is stored in the attic. She also presents him with a miniature knight with a silver helmet who is himself shrowded in mystery and legend. When the little two inch knight comes to life, so does William. He grows in wisdom and understanding throughout this story, discovering that he is worthy to fight great battles and that he, too, can be victorious in his pursuits and endeavors. But it's not just a feel good story! Oh no. William's nanny insists on good morals and principles. She demands nothing less than William's very best. When she recites some of the rules of chivalry, well, I was sold! (I'd have been tempted to hire her as a nanny for a young boy also!)

I truly cannot wait to share this book with my son(s). I am eager for the day that this book can be used for a read aloud and I will make a big deal out of that day. (Similar to the big deal I plan on making when we finally get to read The Mysterious Benedict Society.) It is imaginative, well-told, well-written, clever and, well, just plain good.

The Castle in the Attic is a keeper, a winner and a delight and I look forward to revisiting again many times over. I'm dubbing this 'a favorite' because it is!

Story Stretchers for Infants, Toddlers, and Twos

I really appreciate Gryphon House books. They offer quality teaching material to use, not just in classrooms, but in the home. Now, I know some people look at teaching tools and consider them meant just for classroom situations. I really don't. Anything that can be used in the classroom can be used by me as a parent to my child. Nothing prevents me from utlizing good resources to further my own child's education and understanding of the world around him. In my opinion, it's my responsibility to prepare him for life -- and learning. Therefore I'm quite willing to take a good look at what Gryphon House has to offer.

Story S-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-r-s kinda follows along the lines of Starting With Stories (click on the link to see my review) except for this book does not highlight lesson plan/activity ideas for multiple learning styles. This is a basic activity book for infants and toddlers that takes popular story books and builds on them. This is a book that you can start with at birth for good ideas on how to interact with your child as you introduce them to books and stories.

For example, one of the books that it highlights is Show Me! (which we have). This is a simple board book in which babies are introduced to their various basic body parts via a cutesy little game of pointing and tickling. This is a great book for interactions and I enjoyed reading it with my son when he was younger. Story Stretchers takes a step beyond this book and gives you ideas for a clapping game and encourages you to involve dolls and stuffed animals in learning where things are (like eyes, ears, belly buttons, etc.). It takes the story and it stretches it out. (Handily titled book, eh?)

For toddlers on up, I would probably go with Starting with Stories. However, if you are excited to introcude your child to reading and the love of it from a younger age, I'd go with Story Stretches for an earlier beginning.

What's On The Ol' Nightstand

I wish I could put your fears to rest but I am afraid I cannot. The year IS flying by. Another month IS gone. It's time to examine those Nightstands again! (Sorry. Reality is harsh sometimes.)

This time I'll show you in pictures what I have laying about waiting for a decent amoung of attention.

For Reading to Know:

Lucy Maud Montgomery: The Gift of Wings. I mentioned last week how my husband gifted me with this book (which has been on my wish list for awhile -- well....since it came out). I'm excited to get to it this month!



Hollywood Worldviews: Watching Films With Wisdom and Discernment. This book looks terribly fascinating. I actually have a few books on my nightstand that relate to engaging (or not) with the culture. Definitely thought provoking books. I guess you can say that I've been conducting a mini personal study on the subject and I'll be sharing more about that soon.



For 5 Minutes for Books:



Pink Brain, Blue Brain: How Small Differences Grow Into Troublesome Gaps -- And What We Can Do About It. This book just piqued my interest and I'm looking forward to finding out what the author's premise and arguments are in relation to the differences between males and females.



The Jew Store. I've started reading this (it's been on my nightstand for awhile) and it IS very interesting. I just need to pick it back up and get going again.

I do have lots of fun reads this month. I'm excited about my stacks. These are the books at the top that should be comin' down the bloggy pipe here shortly as they've been nagging at me recently.

What books are nagging you this month? I look forward to finding out. =)

People Who Should Be Excited and Sending Me Their Mailing Address

The winner of Pajama School is: Lauren from Shooting Stars Mag.

The winner of At the Scent ot Water is Busy Julie.

The winner of The Pluto Files is Marks of Faith.

The winner of the Alphabet Puzzle Cards is MJ.

Congratulations, ladies!

And whether or not you won anything this go around - stay tuned! I have more on my shelves to give away and I'll host another Very Merry Unbirthday Giveaway in the not too distant future!

Just Do Something

Reading is sort of been a family affair for as long as I can remember. My parents were great readers and encouraged my brother and I to read heartily and extensively as well. Despite the oddness of it, when I grew up and was making "The List" of qualifications I hoped to find in a husband - I wrote down that he needed to be a reader. (Thankfully for Jonathan - he was! haha!)

At any rate, reading is still something that my whole family (both sides now!) have in common. We love to swap and share and so I've asked my brother to write some posts from time to time. He recently read Just Do Something and launched into a discussion of it with me which I (somewhat successfully/somewhat unsuccessfully) avoided by asking him to review it for me! (Some might say that's a mean older sister trick. But actually I get more out of reading about books than I do in talking about them . . . strange as that may sound!) At any rate, here's a review by my favorite brother, Christopher.

******

In Just Do SomethingA Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will, author and pastor Kevin DeYoung has given the Body of Christ a useful guide to understanding what God expects of us, and what we should expect of ourselves, as we seek to make life decisions. I personally was very blessed and refreshed as I read the book. In fact, at this point my wife has now read the book, my Mom has read it, we have quoted from it extensively to our friends on various occasions, and we are purchasing additional copies of it to give away to folks as we have opportunity.

It is clear that the author is writing with a Pastor’s heart. There is no heavy-handedness here; no pushy theology, simply the encouragement and prodings of shepherd who has seen too many sheep sitting idly in green pastures, distracted by a haze of spirituality and not seeing the lush provision they’re right in the middle of. Filled with clear reasoning, practical examples, and sound exegesis, Just Do Something encourages you exactly as the title suggests, to get out there and walk in God’s will instead of waiting around for it to walk up and smack you in the face.

I do have to warn you that Pastor DeYoung does have a sense of humor, and good dose of sarcasm to boot. You’re not going to walk away from this book with the warm fuzzies. Let me give you one of my favorite quotes as an example:

“I’ll never forget my poor beleaguered roommate talking with me after he took a risk and told a nice young lady that he liked her. They went on a long walk. He was pretty sure that she would reciprocate his declaration of affection. But it turned out she wasn’t interested. She was a sweet girl, a good Christian. She didn’t mean to have bad theology. But instead of just saying “I’m not interested” or “I don’t like you” or “Quit stalking me” or something, she went all spiritual on him. “I’ve been praying a lot about you,” she demurred, “and the Holy Spirit told me no.” “No?” my confused roommate asked. “No… never,” she replied.

Poor guy – he got rejected, not only by this sweet girl, but by the Holy Spirit. The Third Person of the Trinity took a break from pointing people to Jesus to tell this girl not to date my roommate…

Whether it’s the Holy Spirit saying “No, never” or Jesus apparently wanting some guy to “date” a myriad of girls at every campus, God’s will is frequently employed as an excuse for difficult relationship decisions.”

You get the idea. Just Do Something is a call for Christians to take responsibility, and to seek God’s will for their lives with the right motives and the right expectations. I would recommend it for all Christians, but especially for those who are facing a major life decision and are wondering where God will lead them. If you choose to read this book, I pray that God will bless it to your encouragement and joy.

*****

Carrie here again. In answer to the question(s): No, I haven't read this book yet and yes, Christopher has successfully piqued my interest in it enough to make me wish I already had. (But that's partly because I hate it when my brother beats me to reading a really good book.) Yes, our sibling rivalry is teeeerrrible to behold!!!

FuN FriDaY

Because sometimes life should be a little ridiculous.

I LOVED Herman's Hermits when I was growing up. Technically they ARE "before my time" and I can't remember how I discovered them. I just know that I think their songs are kind of catchy. And lucky for my husband, I stumbled upon them on Youtube today when trying to find something else. Now the songs are restuck in my head and Jonathan will be asking himself, "Why-yi! yi! yi! yi!"



(I gotta learn that little dance step there at the end. haha!)



Something tells me I'm into something good . . .

Wish Lists

A few days ago, Sarah at Library Hospital mentioned a book that was on her wishlist. I thought that was a fun idea. There are all books we wish hard for, eh, but take awhile to get to?

Well, thanks to my husband, my latest book wish has been fulfilled (I just haven't had a chance to read it yet). It's on my "To Do" list ASAP. Not that I consider it a chore or anything.



Lucy Maud Montgomery: The Gift of Wings

Stay tuned for the review!

What about you? Is there a particular book on YOUR wish list that you are hoping to get to read sometime soon? If so, what book is it?

Booking Through Thursday

Today's Booking Through Thursday looked fun so I'll jump in!

This week's Booking Through Thursday asks the following question:

Which do you prefer? (Quick answers–we’ll do more detail at some later date)

1. Reading something frivolous? Or something serious?

Something serious.

2. Paperbacks? Or hardcovers?

Hardcovers!

3. Fiction? Or Nonfiction?

(That's a nasty unfair question!) However, I think I will say non-fiction.

4. Poetry? Or Prose?

Prose. (See my post at 5 Minutes for Books today re: my love of all things Anne of Green Gables and poetry.) Lady of Shallot anyone? But only for a moment!

5. Biographies? Or Autobiographies?

Biographies!

6. History? Or Historical Fiction?

Just the facts, please.

7. Series? Or Stand-alones?

Stand-alones.

8. Classics? Or best-sellers?

Classics. More truthworthy.

9. Lurid, fruity prose? Or straight-forward, basic prose?

FRUITY! (I can't help it.)

10. Plots? Or Stream-of-Consciousness?

Plot. Please.

11. Long books? Or Short?

If I HAVE to choose - long!

12. Illustrated? Or Non-illustrated?

Non. Definitely non.

13. Borrowed? Or Owned?

Owned.

14. New? Or Used?

Used.

Read Aloud Thursday - Silly Songs

We seldom go to the library around here, for several reasons:

1. I almost always forget to return the books on time and I'm always getting e-mail reminders that my books are overdue and then, of course, end up paying a fine. I'd rather just buy the books in the first place. (Apparently this is a genetic thing. My sister-in-law deals with this problem as well in the form of my brother who also can't get books back in time. You'd think with as much as we read, we'd manage the library system a little better. Not so.)

2. We have a pretty good home library going and I don't feel the need to go to the actual tax funded library. (But if I could figure out how to direct taxes to my own bookshelves, well then. . . !)

That all said, this week we went to the library. (It's kind of a big deal, hence the mention of it!) And we found books. (Surprise!)

Two of our favorites were the following:

On Top Of Spaghetti incorporates the song by the same title, of course. My son had never heard it before so I made sure we sang and read it at the top of our voices when daddy wasn't home to hear mommy warble. Hmm, yes. In this particular rendition by author and illustrator Paul Brett Johnson, we meet Yodeler Jones, a dog with a diner whose business is floundering due to the fact that a new Fried Fritter Fricassee opened up right next door. Yodeler decides he needs to get serious about revamping his menu a little to reattract his customer base. While experimenting on a pasta dish he creates an amazing meatball which, of course, he loses to a sneeze.

The song is interspersed throughout the book and it concludes by having the meatball land underneath a bush and turn to mush as a result of, well, an interesting baseball game. The meatball turns into a tree which produces meatballs and spaghetti sauce which, naturally, are all so spectacular that Yodeler's regular customers return and the competition goes out of business. All's well that end's well! Very cute book and this one was highly enjoyed.

I was tipped off to I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie during the last Children's Classics carnival at 5 Minutes for Books. Alicia at Experiencing Each Moment talked about a similar book, There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Shell. Having recently read the original Fly version of the song, and having it met with much enthusiasm, I snatched up the Pie book having it on good authority that it would be a winner. No disappointments here. This old lady is doing her darnedest to swallow the entire Thanksgiving dinner. It's unfortunate that the original pie which started the whole problem for this woman was so dry. By the time she was done eating the pie, some cider, a roll, a squash, a salad, the turkey, a pot, a ten-layer cake, and some bread, she substitutes for a Macy's Day Parade float. Weight Watchers to the rescue!!!

This book was really funny and as my two year old pointed out, "It's like a fly, but it's a pie!" and we enjoyed our time with it very much. (Thanks, Alicia, for the tip!)

So the trip to the library wasn't so bad. The big question now is - will I get the books back on time?! I have the best of intentions!

American Lion, by Jon Meacham

Let's put disclaimers first, shall we? I received a copy of American Lion in agreement for participating in a blog tour. I've only ever done one blog tour before. Usually I take passes on them because a.) I don't think I'll like the book and b.) I would never think to recommend certain books, let alone blog them. If you see a book here that's for a blog tour, I want to assure you that I'm participating because I think it's worth the reading time and I read it before I recommend it.

I wanted to read American Lion because I love history and I appreciate learning from lives in the past. Now, when I read A Patriot's History of the United States I knew I was not a fan of Andrew Jackson. However, given the fact that American Lion won a Pulitzer prize, I figured the writing would be interesting. I don't typically choose what biographies or histories I will read about based on my own political preferences. What people in the past did has effected our present living situation and I think learning cause and effect is the wise and proper thing to do so that we can refrain from making future mistakes. Thus, I picked up this book on Andrew Jackson.

And no, for the record, I do not like Andrew Jackson. There is little that I find admirable about the man. I don't care for his politics or his personal life. I think if history can be said to have been unkind to Jackson, it is because he deserves little kindness. Harsh? Well. That's how I read him.

That said, I think Jon Meacham does a perfectly admirable job writing about Jackson. If it is possible for a writer to remain neutral in writing about their subject of choice, Meacham seems to have done the job well. I can't tell what he thinks about Jackson except for that he finds certain things good and worthy of applause and other things? Not so much. He writes beautifully and in a very balanced manner instead of coming across as too harsh or even of excusing too much. As I read this book I felt like I was being allowed to formulate my own opinion of Andrew Jackson instead of having it handed to me on some kind of silver platter, suggesting that I am incapable of coming to any rational conclusions on my own. (I really dislike history books that are biased to the ultra conservative side or the ultra liberal side. Just the facts, please, just the facts!) Books that allow the reader to think for themselves come high on my recommendation list. This book exists on said list.

The thing that makes me like Jackson the very least is that he cared more about what other people thought than about doing what was right. An excerpt from the book:

While religion was important in his private life, ("Gentleman, do what you please in my house," Jackson would tell guests, but "I am going to church."), he believed in keeping religion and politics, as well as church and state, as separate as one reasonably could. Despite his lifelong commitment to Presbyterianism, Jackson had never taken the public step of what was known as "joining the church" -- that is, making a public confession of faith in a particular congregation, which in turn enabled one to receive Holy Communion. Around 1826, according to an early biographer, he explained to Rachel [his wife] the reasons for his reluctance: he did not want to appear to be making a show of his faith for public consumption -- a show that might provoke attacks. "My dear, if I were to do it now, it would be said all over the country that I had done it for political effect," Jackson said. "My enemies would all say so. I can not do it now, but I promise you that when once more I am clear of politics I will join the church." (page 76)

(I have lots of nitpicky clarifications of the above paragraph but I'll push them aside for the purpose of getting on with this post!) My bottom line argument against him, if you will, is that he would put public opinion, be it right or wrong, above doing whatever he felt would be right. If he thought it ultimately right to join a church and take communion but would not do it because of political backlash then I am remarkably not impressed with him. Let me say that again: If he denied doing what he knew to be right because he cared more for the good opinion of fickle humanity, then I am not impressed. Where is the man in that?

Jackson is known for several things in his presidency. He instituted what we all know as the "spoils system", making it the norm for Washington D.C. (i.e., appointing friends who are loyal to you and/or the party upon taking office and dismissing those in disagreement with you.) Not to get too political here but....nah, nevermind. This is a reading blog, after all. However, we are supposed to read and THINK and not just read and walk on by without a thought towards the information we have taken it.

This book just commands thought in the area of cause and effect. Every presidency should make us reflect on both the past and the future. From Washington to Jackson to Reagan to Obama. Each and every man who has taken the office of President of the United States has effected great change - good or bad. They have all had an influence. Jackson had his and we're still talking about it (even if we don't realize that it is Jackson that we're talking about). He was also chiefly responsible for the movement to rid the "white man's land" of Indians. History does not look fondly upon Jackson for this. He made some really poor decisions.

Now that I've bashed Jackson about a bit, why should you contemplate reading this book? Because, if you are an American, it's about YOU. It's about your past. It's about your present and it's about your future, whether or not you decide to becoming actively involved in shaping social policies or sit idly by and see what others do.

Furthermore, this book is well-written. Everytime I thought I would close the book, the close of a chapter would be a cliff hanger and I'd be forced onward to see what happened. There is a very good reason this book won the Pulitzer Prize and it wasn't for including text messaging lingo and other pop culture references that are here today and totally forgotten tomorrow. Meacham is the editor of Newsweek and author of a few other best-sellers such as Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship and his writing skills show. You can find out more about the author by visiting Jon Meacham's website.)

Another little blurb on the book (from the back cover):

Jackson was the most contradictory of men. The architect of the removal of Indians from their native lands, he was warmly sentimental and risked everything to give more power to ordinary citizens. He was, in short, a lot like his country: alternately kind and vicious, brilliant and blind; and a man who fought a lifelong war to keep the republic safe–no matter what it took.

Jon Meacham in American Lion has delivered the definitive human portrait of a pivotal president who forever changed the American presidency–and America itself.

Jackson did change a lot about the presidency and much of what we know the office to be like today stems from actions that Jackson took before this country fought its Civil War. This is an excellent book and worth every attention and consideration that you would be willing to give it.

Kids' Pick - Brainwashing

Yes, we freely admit it. We are bent on brainwashing our children. Subtly, of course. A little Narnia here, a little classical music there and we're well on the way towards having children who look, act, think and have preferences just like us. It's all part of the plan folks, it's all part of the plan. Yes. We're evil that way.

Behold our latest attempt:



Story of the Orchestra: Listen While You Learn About the Instruments, the Music and the Composers Who Wrote the Music! is a book that makes Jonathan very, very happy. See, I'm not a classical music fan myself but Jonathan really, really is. His mother was a music major in college, majoring in piano performance. (Coincidentally, my dad was a music major at the same college at the same time. Our parents had mutual friends but never met.) My mother-in-law passed her love of classical music on to her son. (My dad passed his love of the Beatles and other more offbeat things on to me.) Jonathan is a skilled musician now in his own right which is something I absolutely love about him! Therefore I have no real and/or solid objections to our own children being in tune with such things.

To quote Jonathan in regards to Story of the Orchestra: "This is the BEST children's book on the orchestra that I have ever seen!" (It's a Workman book so I really wasn't surprised but still.)

The book is divided into parts. Part I gives a personal overview of the various composers and Part II covers the orchestra instruments, piece by piece. The author of this book, Robert Levin, strives to make classical music as appealing to the modern young audience as he possibly can, utilizing cartoons, quips and quotes to draw the reader in. Furthermore, the book comes with a CD that offers snippets of the great works to familiarize the children with the various composers and their styles. Each page includes a note telling you which track to play on the CD to teach by ear as well. It also includes selections of music that highlight the individual instruments so that the reader can learn to identify the specific sounds made by each. It is very well done and Jonathan will tell you that the pieces of music that they selected are of good quality and did not pain his ear to hear them. (That's actually saying quite a lot!)

My son (aged 2 and one half years) didn't pick up on any of the cutesy things the book has to offer. No, instead I sat him down in front of the CD player with a copy of this book. He listened to the CD for over half an hour. He wanted me to "Play the oboe!" while he looked at the picture of said instrument. Then he wanted me to "play the harp!" and so on and so forth, with extra special attention given to the violin (his favorite instrument, apparently). I left the room and HE KEPT LISTENING, slowly turning the pages and noting the differences between the double bass and cello. Oh, I kid you not.

This book is awesome. Even I think it's great because it has managed to capture Bookworm1's attention and he truly enjoys it. I'm all for him enjoying the things that daddy enjoys.

If you are looking for a good way to introduce your children to the orchestra and classical music - do consider this book. It is a quality resource to have on hand. I would not be allowed to say such things on this website if they were not true. (Trust me. Jonathan would forbid it!)

And once again we've succeeded in a little brainwashing.

However, I would like to draw the line at opera. Seriously people. Doesn't it give you a HEADACHE?! Apparently daddy and Bookworm1 were out driving around town listening to opera together. Subsequently, I got into the car and changed the music. Bookworm1 shouted out from the backseat, "No! I want to listen to opwa!!!" That is just plain scary.

Spiritual Mothering, by Susan Hunt

Spiritual Mothering: The Titus 2 Model for Women Mentoring Women was floating by my bookshelf and has now found a permanent home there. As I mentioned earlier today, learning about the Titus 2 principle is a concept that is becoming more interesting to me the older I get (and the more children I have, the older they get, the longer I've been married, etc., etc.). Here again is the scripture reference of which I am speaking:

Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God. Titus 2:3-5

Spiritual Mothering is written with the spiritual mentor in mind. However, Susan Hunt presents all of her arguments in light of scripture and as a "younger woman" who wishes to grow up in the wisdom of the Lord (frequently shared and given to and through women) there was plenty to be gathered up, gleaned, stored and tucked away to mull over. Hunt lays her arguments out very well, beginning by assuring her reader that what was "good for the women of Crete is good for us." (My phrasing.) She says:

The specific verses that Paul tells Titus to teach the older women are not an exhaustive "spiritual maturity" list. These characteristics were extremely relevant to that situation and have no less relevance to our time. Though they may appear narrow at first, they are amazingly broad. These particular characteristics were not merely from the mind of Paul; they were divinely inspired by our Sovereign Lord and intended not just for the women in Crete but for His daughters throughout history. These are the virtues that God said would give clarity and distinction to the lives of Christian women living in ungodly surroundings. This places a significance on these four virtues that we are compelled to consider. (page 43)

And what are those four virtues (laid out in Titus 2:3-5) that Hunt explains to her readers in more detail throughout this book?

1. To be reverent in the way that they live. (Honoring, loving and to have a Biblical world view.)

2. Not to be slanderers. (To control the tongue, learning to be gracious rather than vindictive!)

3. Not addicted to much wine. (Note: you can drink wine. God does allow us that! We just shouldn't be ADDICTED to it, but should exert self-control. Perhaps a modern day translation would be, "Not addicted to Starbucks"? Naaah.)

4. To teach what is good. (To learn truth and share/teach it.)

The emphasis I particularly appreciated from this book was that in order to have an effective ministry as a mentor OR a mentee requires that there be a (good) relationship between the parties. It is not just a case of an older woman standing austerely over a younger woman and beating "truth" over her poor little unprotected head. It isn't about who knows what or more. It is about respect, love, decency, encouragement, support, relationship. Growing up, to hear the phrase "mentor" meant something negative. It means subjecting and submitting one's self to the authority of another and submitting myself to one or multiple authority figures did NOT sound appealing when I was a teenager. The picture Hunt paints in this book is not only appealing but welcomed too! And NOT just because I'm "older and wiser" and see the benefits of learning from others but because there is love, trust and respect to be given and received on both ends of the spectrum. The "student" can be a teacher in her own right. The possibility that the younger women might actually have some wisdom and maturity of her own is something I've never really heard considered (very well or very truthfully). To put it another way, Hunt reaching out to the younger reader with respect in mind actually draws me to her message and makes me WANT to "submit" (for lack of a better word) to it!

Not meaning to harp on this but Hunt really spoke to me personally and the way that I relate to others by sharing that the woman in the mentor position needs to be so confident in Christ that she is not agonizing over whether anyone takes her advice or rejects it. Hunt expressed difficulties in raising her own children and how she had to come to the place where she totally "gave them up" in trust to God. She had to back away from her worries and anxiety that her children would make wrong decisions and resist urges to correct mistakes or set things up so that her children would not feel the pain of any particular decision that they might have made. So while Hunt is writing to "older women" in this, I am reading this as the mother of a two year old, hearing that I need to walk and grow in greater confidence so that when my children are teenagers I am more confident that God can take care of them even at that age and in that stage. Her words gave me something to think about and prepare for which is valuable.

Another thing (there are so many!) that Hunt said that I had never really thought about before was that when women gather together to study and learn the Bible and discover their calling as Christians, they should study as women. Here is what she says:

"Paul tells Titus to teach the congregation sound doctrine. Then he is to apply that to older women so that they can train the younger women how to live. Why didn't Paul just tell Titus to teach all the people? Truth is truth -- isn't it the same for men and women?
I am sure there are many reasons for Paul's strategy here, but I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to know that men and women are different. God's truth is the same, but our gender sometimes determines how that truth is pushed out into life. No man understands experientially how it feels to be a wife, to have a menstrual cycle, to have a baby, or to go through menopause. Paul was smart enough to know that women need women to train them how to apply God's Word to areas of our lives that are uniquely feminine. In this command, older women are given the high calling of traditionining Biblical womanhood. This is not a ministry of minutia; it is a vital part of church life that must not be pushed to the back-burner." (page 45)

I've been of the previous mindset that "truth is truth" and so you can speak to me as to a man. But by accepting that approach to teaching, I've ignored the way that God has created me. I've unconsciously accepted the world's argument that women are equal with men and can think, do and further more SHOULD say the same things. That is false. I AM different. The way that I live out my Christian faith is intrinsically different than a way a man would. We have different roles and different designs.

This book changed my way of thinking, softened my heart in a few ways that it was hardening (or had already hardened) and best yet - CHALLENGED me to really BE A WOMAN.

This book is more of a beginning for me than a conclusion. I'm grateful for it, I'm fascinated by it and I'm excited to share it with you! I hope you'll pick it up. I'd love to share and hear thoughts about it!

Non nobis domine, domine,
Non nobis domine,
Sed nomine, sed nomine
tuo da gloriam.