Searching for Tom Sawyer, by Tim Wright

Just a minute . . . gotta get out my soapbox . . . giving you a moment's warning before I climb up on it. And here we go.

I read Searching for Tom Sawyer: How Parents and Congregations Can Stop the Exodus of Boys from Church on the heels of reading Raising Boys By Design (linked to my review over at 5 Minutes for Books). Raising Boys by Design is a companion title, of sorts. It focuses more on the science of the male brain (with good Biblical advice on how to raise a boy), whereas Searching for Tom Sawyer focuses on the need for churches to recognize the differences between the sexes in the way that they design their services and minister to the males in their congregations. Both titles are very useful reads. Honestly, my favorite was Raising Boys by Design and I can do nothing but highly recommend that you read it over and over again until you assure me that you have. That's not to say that I did not appreciate Searching for Tom Sawyer because I did, but I thought it the weaker of the two and if you only have time to read one, read the other. (If you have time to read both, then absolutely do!)

I'm going to tell you what I didn't like about Searching for Tom Sawyer before I tell you what I like. Part of the reason for that is because my list of reasons not to like it is much, much shorter than my list of reasons to like it. I didn't appreciate two things, in particular. The first is that while I understood the reason for the choice of title (Mark Twain) I thought Tim Wright went into too much detail trying to incorporate the story of Tom into the book. The title speaks for itself and received too long and drawn out of an explanation. Read Twain on Tom and not Tim. (Make sense? Ha.) Secondly, I don't feel like Wright is a strong writer. However, that said, he has a passion for his message and this makes up for any lack of finesse or particular skill. The book is worth reading ten times over so it behooved me to get over my petty dislikes and I was completely able to do so. (It does help that the further you get into the book, the less Wright tries to draw analogies from Tom Sawyer.)

As a mother of boys I appreciate Tim Wright for taking a stand to reach the heart of men. However, I don't think you need to be a mother of a boy to have a reason to read this book. If you are a Christian then I think you should. If you have daughters I think you should if you care about their potential future spouses. It should concern both males and females  how a portion of the Body of Christ's needs are being met and/or ignored. Wright makes a good case (as did Jantz and Gurian in their book) that males are being ignored and that should make us all a bit heartsick, just as it has whenever women
are wrongly defined and mistreated.

Following on the heels of the research done by Jantz and Gurian (Raising Boys by Design), Wright's desire is for pastors and laypeople alike to recognize the differences between boys and girls so that the church can have the greatest impact possible on young men (just as the young women). This involving everything from checking the lyrics of the worship songs sung (carefully considering removing songs which are heavy on romance and short on responsibility before God) to pondering the effects of splitting up Sunday School classes and having separate classes for boys and girls in order to accommodate boys' innate design and desire to be more active and less cerebral than girls. He challenges the pastor, the elders and the men in the congregation to reach out to the boys in the church, to invest in their lives and to teach them what it means to be men. Wright's passion is that boys in the church would stay in the church, growing strong in their faith and convictions.

Now, even in writing the above paragraph I know that people will be up in arms complaining about statements differentiating between males and females. Wright acknowledges that he has had some kick back from his message and anticipates more of the same. Does this make his message wrong? I say no. I say we should be silent for a moment longer and take a second or two more to process his message internally and try to make sense of what he is saying.

Wright believes (and I do agree) that men and women are created and designed differently. This difference does not mean that one sex is greater than the other. He is quick to point out that scripture places both sexes on equal footing but he does note that each sex is designed for different things and I agree. Both Wright and I would also both agree that while each gender has traits that are specific to themselves, there are also exceptions to the rule. Wright acknowledges that he's the sort of fellow who likes to use a lot of words and is quieter and more thoughtful than some of his male counterparts are. Saying that someone is male doesn't mean that they are loud, active, aggressive, or in any way disagreeable (as they are wont to be described). He also is quick to acknowledges that although there are exemptions and variety within each sex, men are the same in that they desire to be heroes and they love challenges. Wright's firm belief is that the greatest example of a hero is Jesus Christ and that if Jesus and right theology is taught, then men will be drawn to the church and the church's mission to be the representative of Jesus on earth; to want to save the world.

Wright encourages the reader to work themselves away from a weak worship service - one that does not actively present a king, a Savior and a conqueror who redeems people from their sins by dying on the cross. Cleaning up the message takes away the meaning and the impact that can (and should!) be had on the hearts of not just the men but also the women! Weak theology will never serve either sex well! The heart of the Gospel message tells men that they need a Savior. It tells them that there is an enemy and a war to fight. (As a woman, right theology tells me that the battle is won and I am saved and redeemed and am safe and secure . . . among other things.)

Ladies and gentleman both, we should not be watering down the Bible, editing it, changing it, or apologizing for it. I choose not to mince words with my kids. I read the Proverbs to them straight up so that they'll know the difference between wise men and fools. They memorize the Psalms as-is to know how to worship God and also to take refuge in Him when things look uncertain. We read the "hard parts" and discuss them so that our boys and our girl will grow in understanding and discernment. And then we solidify what we've talked about by memorizing songs, hymns and spiritual songs so that their souls (and the souls of others!) will be easily encouraged. We strive to show them Jesus and in so doing we show them the greatest example of compassion and commitment to a cause. We show them a truthful and honest King and use our daily experiences to point out the need for Him. As their parents, it is imperative that our theology is correct so that we can teach our boys to be men (and our daughters to be women). And likewise, it is important for the church to hold the truths and scripture higher than any program or any activity to make sure that whatever programs and activities they do put to their use, will be used accurately and profitably.

To that end, Tim Wright does have suggestions for how churches can bring about changes to their ministries in order to appeal to men. I think his suggestions are well and good but the bottom line (and I do believe he would hastily agree) is that theology matters and the Bible can stand all on its own without my help or assistance and draw men to the Lord. Our job, above all else, is to preach the Gospel to our kids straight up, making no excuses, apologies and/or leaving any part out. Preach the word to your children - your boys and your girls. Live the word for your children - your boys and your girls. It is enough. It has always been enough. It always will be enough.

On the topic of worship music (which Wright brings up a couple of times) I think he has a point. I recognize there are differences in musical preferences, but I'm not a huge fan of the "Jesus is my boyfriend" worship songs which you hear a lot of today. I roll my eyes at being romanced by the King of the Ages for example. But if you tell me to arise and hear the call of Christ my captain, you'll have my attention. (That's just to give a little example.) Yes, this book (and this post) sort of focuses on boys and men - which I think is important and necessary to do at this time in history - but I think that if you commit yourself to the Gospel then what is fluff and nonsense will fall away when examined by the same Scripture. If you ask God for wisdom and discernment to know how to approach your young men (and young women) He will give it to you.

Almost to explain how I think men should be within the church (and outside of it), here is one of my favorite modern hymns written by the Keith Getty and Stewart Townsend. I'd love to see this one replace some of our fluffier singing material because I believe it accurately communicates scriptural truths and thus pierces the heart and brings about conviction during a period of worship. We've been memorizing this song as a family and let me tell you, it reduces me to tears every time we sing it. Also, I've noticed that my boys cannot sing this one sitting still and I don't ask them to. Action is a result of truth believed.

O Church Arise and put your armor on  Hear the call of Christ our Captain  For now the weak can say that they are strong  In the strength that God has given  With shield of faith and belt of truth  We’ll stand against the devil’s lies  An army bold  whose battle-cry is Love  Reaching out to those in darkness I believe Searching for Tom Sawyer is a very worthy read and I'm happy to recommend it to you. And also, I'm going to stay up here on my soapbox if you don't mind. This isn't a topic I intend to back away from because truth is too precious a commodity to ignore or lose sight of. And that my children - my boys and my girl - would believe in Jesus Christ is the best thing I could ever, ever pray for them.

Many thanks to Tim Wright who sent me a copy of his book in order to facilitate a review. I have received no other compensation for writing this and all opinions expressed are my own.

Death by Living, by N.D. Wilson (giveaway)

I had no idea that N.D. Wilson was releasing another non-fiction book. When offered a chance to review it, I leapt upon the opportunity. Death by Living arrived and I instantly devoured it.

I enjoyed it, with a few exceptions, and walked away with appreciation for it in the end. I'm glad to have read it. I find it very easy to identify with the Wilsons in general and although N.D. has a more flippant, journalistic style than his father (a fact I'm not overly fond of), I still agree (mostly) with his theology and I like the way he, too, makes me stop and consider what I believe and how that effects the way I live life. Ultimately I think that's what I appreciate about the Wilsons - they put my brain to work and challenge my presuppositions.

If you are unaware, they are also hugely controversial for two primary reasons:

1.) Their theology. If you want to look up debate about the Federal Vision then you will find a whole host of people up in arms (and some even understand the finer points). (Note: I am not sharing my position on this. I am merely pointing out one of the big issues with Wilson's theology. There are more, of course, and you are welcome to nitpick your favorites but this is a big one that garners a lot of attention.)

2.) The Wilsons collectively enjoy satire and it shows in their writing/speaking style. Some might say that they are an overly sarcastic lot and I wouldn't agree but to explain why would take a much longer blog post. I think it does make them confusing when they don't need to be, yet at the same time I understand their reasoning.

The thing of it is, I could write up a much longer explanation as to why I read this book (or any of their others) and then bothered to like it but that's not the point of this post and I've already spent more time than I meant to talking about it. The bottom line is: I like the Wilsons (both father, son, mother and daughters) and have my reasons for doing so. I recognize the fact that a lot of people want to debate whether or not I should like them but I'm just not interested in the discussion. The reason I'm not interested is buried in many books, articles, blog posts and real life experience of having attended Wilson's church, plus conversations with our current pastor and elders. No, I do not agree with the Wilsons 100% but I agree with enough and find great value in Doug Wilson's teaching that I will go on picking up Wilson (family) books and gleaning from them. I invite you to disagree with me (I can't make you stop!) and I can recognize and respect the fact that you might find my liking the Wilsons to be a grave error on my part. I'm deciding that it's ok (with me) if you don't like it if I like them.

Ok, now on to the book itself (finally). Death by Living is essential the mental-ramblings-with-a-purpose of N.D. Wilson. In all fairness, as I told Jonathan upon the conclusion of the read, if this book had been written by, say, Donald Miller, I rather would have despised it. N.D. Wilson's non-fiction is halting, rambling and somewhat chaotic. From the read I'm supposed to know more about his personal thoughts on life and living while having ascertained truths for myself. It's the "diary idea" that I don't like in Miller but since I agree more with Wilson's theology I'll be tolerant. Which might be a little hypocritical except I really don't think Miller and I are compatible at all, theologically speaking.

The idea of Death by Living is to communicate the truth that we are all in the process of dying. Some of us are closer to it than others but it is coming to all. How we live this life matters and we should be thinking in light of eternity. Moments here on earth are just moments and they are definitely meant to be enjoyed. We should absolutely "go big" when it comes to celebrating life, friendships, love, new business ventures, a well-cooked meal, etc., but we need to recognize that all of these good things are mere glimpses of what's to come and should all point us to Christ. In this book Wilson relates various experiences that he has had that have pointed out to him that we are but for a moment but God is eternal and the only way to truly live life is in hot pursuit for the things of God and, obviously, God Himself.

Now this is not a message that has never been presented before by many other people. Why read this particular book over another? Well, perhaps it is a style preference. I like Wilson so I read it just like I will be buying the latest Steven Curtis Chapman album because I appreciate the sounds SCC makes and the truths he communicates in his music. Wilson answers the question of why you might consider this book in the following paragraph:

"Here, in this painting, in these (hopefully) creative meditations, you will see the same sky and the same sun, the same story of struggle, of fall and grace, of descent and ascent, of death and resurrection. The same God. The same gifts. If He's not tired of it, why should I be? If His brush is still in His hand, if His words still roll, what can I do but stick my tongue out of the corner of my mouth and diligently (but pitifully) rip Him off? What can I do but meditate on His meditations?" (Introduction: Hello Again, page xii)

In other words, as Wilson learns more about God and applies the Bible to his own life, the more he feels the need to express his thoughts. This book is an attempt to create beauty and live life loud.

Loud is a good adjective for N.D. Wilson, based on impressions and observations (i.e., paying attention to the things he writes about himself and the things he says about himself). He is a man full of energy who wants his life to be fully spent for his family and his God. He wants to tell stories that communicate truth, yes, and also that entertain and feed his children's souls and those of others. He wants to live out his Christianity and this book is a further attempt at doing so.

In the reading of it I was encouraged to think more Big Picture and that's a good encouragement for me. It's very easy for me to be wrapped up in miniature moments. My kids won't nap = life is over. The laundry pile is high = life is monotonous. I'm tired = I will never be well-rested again. Ever. Moments tend to drag me down but if I stop fixating on what is going wrong I can see everything that God is building and doing in my life and in my family and take heart. When my vision is focused on God, my attitude about life in general changes. Little irritations begin to fade away. I have more energy to spare than I originally thought. In short, I move forward and am far more productive for the glory of God.

Drink your wine. Laugh from your gut. Burden your moments with thankfulness. Be as empty as you can be when that clock winds down. Spend your life. And if time is a river, may you leave a wake. (The (Blessed) Lash of Time, page 117)

I walked away from this read encouraged and convicted. And if you think you might be the same, then I am happy to tell you that Thomas Nelson has offered to give away one copy of Death by Living to one of you. Would you care to win a copy? Simply leave a comment below including a valid e-mail address. This contest will be open through Tuesday, September 3rd.

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. The winner, as selected by random.org, is #5 -OBCL HORN. Congrats!

Many thanks to Thomas Nelson who sent a copy of this book my direction in exchange for sharing my honest opinion. I have received no additional compensation for this post.

Bookish Fun

Grabbed this meme from Barbara who answered the same questions on her blog last week.

1. Favorite childhood book? One of my favorite books from childhood that I thought was the biggest hoot was Skinnybones, by Barbara Park. I saved my copy for my own kids. However, the other day I pulled it out and was browsing it and the kid in the story is a major liar and quite disrespectful to his parents. As an adult reader, I see far less humor there than I did before. Funny how that works. (Har, har.)

2. What are you reading right now? Daniel Deronda, by George Eliot which is incredibly fantastic!

3. What books do you have on request at the library? None! I have forsaken the library because I just can't seem to get the books back in time and rack up fines left and right which frustrates me!

4. Bad book habit? Buying books faster than I can read them.

5. Do you have an e-reader? Well. Heh. What a complicated question. Readers here will note that I have long decried the horrors of the e-reader. However, my father-in-law gifted me with a Kindle. I choose to believe that he gave this to me chiefly because I'm a HORRIBLE traveler and I made mention of the fact that I was going so stir crazy on our 16 hour drive to his house that I would even consider a Kindle (to read audibly TO me as I cannot read in the car). So. I have one. But the power button hasn't been pushed yet.

6. Do you prefer to read one book at a time or several at once? I really prefer to have only one going at a time. Sometimes I'll try for two but inevitably I end up back with one.

7. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog? Having the blog pushes me to read for deeper meaning. I think I get more out of books as a result of having a book blog. I stop and consider passages for longer and allow time for things to sink in.

8. Least favorite book you read this year (so far)? Payne & Misery

9. Favorite book you’ve read this year? Frankenstein

10. How often do you read out of your comfort zone? My reading comfort zone, I think, is fairly large. If by leaving it you mean Christian fiction or chick lit, then seldom. But maybe I'm not as generous and diverse in my reading habits as I'd like to think.

11. What is your reading comfort zone? Christian non-fiction, general non-fiction, history, classics (I wouldn't have said so before just a few years ago!). Those primarily.

12. Can you read on the bus? Unfortunately I cannot read in moving vehicles. Thankfully, I think I can still read on airplanes. We'll find out soon!

13. Favorite place to read? On my living room couch, tucked into a cozy blanket.

14. What is your policy on book lending? Well. It's uncertain, that's what. I dislike loaning books to people who lose them or return them in sad condition. I no longer loan out any of my Lucy Maud Montgomery books because most are out of print and hard to find at present. (And I once loaned out one of the titles which was never returned.) I really wouldn't have a problem loaning things out of people had the general mindset that if they break or ruin something, they will replace it. I think that's a common courtesy. However, such a thought does not seem to occur to the general populace so I try to be choosey in what I loan out and to whom.

15. Do you ever dog-ear books? I'm starting to.

16. Do you ever write in the margins of your books? NO! But I'm trying to get into the habit of underlining. Baby steps.

17. Not even with text books? Nope.

18. What is your favorite language to read in? Um. English.

19. What makes you love a book? Depends on the genre. If we're talking about fiction then a solid story which has twists and turns and fun side plots. I like believable dialogue and a total LACK of references to modern things like iPads, McDonald's, etc. I like a story which makes you think about your worldview.

20. What will inspire you to recommend a book? If it contains the above elements, I am highly likely to recommend it. Daniel Deronda, for instance. The Mysterious Benedict Society. (Just thought I'd throw that one out there again!)

21. Favorite Biography? Hmm. That is a hard one. I think I'm going to go with Bonhoeffer: A Biography, by Metaxas.

22. Have you ever ready a self help book? Yup.

23. Favorite cookbook? "The internet."

24. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)? Hmm. After some consideration, I think I'll go with The Envy of Eve.

25. Favorite reading snack? Probably chips and salsa. This is extremely evident if you open my copy of Daniel Deronda. (Thwwwppt!)

26. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience. I can't think of anyone, even after some consideration on the topic. Generally speaking, when my trusted bloggy/reading friends recommend a book, I like it.

27. How often do you agree with critics on a book?As Barbara said, I don't read the critics. I pay attention to my trusted book bloggers.

28. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews? I really don't have a problem giving a bad review when I think a book deserves it (and some do!). I feel like publishers these days are willing to publish a great deal more than they should and so it leaves the readers to be even more on guard and discerning than might otherwise be the case. I want to weed out the "duds". I like having the duds weeded out for me! So I appreciate a negative review and am prepared to give them when I feel the situation calls for it.

29. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read? Bleak House.

30. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin? Atlas Shrugged. Shonya made it sound fabulous and tedious at the same time.

31. Favorite poet? No.

32. Favorite fictional character? I'm split between two, so I will mention them both. Anne of Green Gables and Lucy Pevensie.

33. Favorite fictional villain? The White Witch

34. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation? I am most likely to take a book along that will not require me to think very much and will further the idea that I am on vacation. Usually this means I take a Lucy Maud Montgomery title or a Narnia book. And most of the time I take both. (That way the kids and I can read aloud should moments present themselves.)

35. The longest I’ve gone without reading. A week. And by the end of the week I am Super Grump by the way. I get antsy if I haven't read.

36. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?Unfortunately I have to say Facebok. Which is super pathetic and I KNOW it.

37. Favorite film adaptation of a novel. Predictably I shall say Anne of Green Gables.

38. Most disappointing film adaptation? Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story. And "disappointing" is an understatement.

39. The most money I’ve spent in the bookstore at one time? Probably around $125. But that only on two occasions that I can think of and both occurred after the fire at our house wherein I lost a lot of our book titles and so I was rebuilding the library.

40. How often do you skim a book before reading it? Never. Only I'm trying to get into the habit of at least reading the first two pages to determine whether or not I'm going to appreciate the writing style. Most modern novels sound exactly the same for the first two pages, by the way.

41. Do you like to keep your books organized? YES!

42. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them? Depends. If I really, really liked them then I want to keep them. If I felt halfhearted about it, then I'll find the book a new home. If it's a non-fiction self-help type that I feel I only need to read once, then I'll find it a new home.

43. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding? Ha! ha! Yes. The Twilight series. My husband won't let me read those because he doesn't want to hear me harping on and on about how much I will despise them. I sort of want to read them but only to find out how to better make fun of them, which might not be fair but it is how I feel.

44. Name a book that made you angry. Only one, hmm? I think the only type of book that makes me truly angry is one that writes with flippant or flat out bad theology because it bothers me how easily people are sidetracked by them. I really did not appreciate The Shack, nor did I care for Blue Like Jazz.

45. A book you didn’t expect to like but did? Bleak House!

Thanks, Barabara, for the list of questions! If anyone else gets around to doing this, let me know and I'll come read your answers!

Camp-In-The-Yard, by Vivian L. Thompson

The coolest thing happened to me last Sunday after church. One of the older ladies who has been a tutor for many years said, "Can you come with me to my car right now? I have some books for you." With no notice or warning, I went to the car. She opened the trunk. It was FULL of BOOKS! Picture books, early readers, chapter books, etc. Treasure in a trunk! I swooned! And a took a box home and was elated!

Camp-In-The-Yard, by Vivian L. Thompson was in the box I brought home. It's an early reader published in 1961 and that's obvious once you get to reading it because two twin boys, definitely under the age of 10, are allowed to cook their own food over a campfire without any adult supervision. This book comes from a time when adventures were allowed and parents didn't know that they had to worry as much as we know we need to now. (I can say that in jest even to myself. I worry! I confess it!)

In this story, twins Mike and Tom wave to their brother as he leaves for camp. Their brother, Bill, is only one year older and the boys are sad that they cannot also go along to camp. They perk up considerably when their parents give them permission to create Camp-in-the-Yard and make their own dinner and sleep in a tent. This story follows their escapades as they get the tent down and set up, burn their hotdogs and are met by something spooky and scary after dark (i.e., their neighbor's dog). It's a cute story and my boys loved it. Bookworm1 said his favorite part was when the boys made their dinner. Bookworm2 liked it when they were scared by the dog. I liked it because it's a book about two boys creating adventure.

Part of me acknowledges the fact that boys need to have such adventures and the other part of me hesitates to provide those opportunities (because I worry with the best of them!). Quite frankly, I don't like the idea of camping. I like indoor plumbing too much. I also value mattresses. And heat. I have camped only once since moving to Oregon and I did it with my sibs-in-law back before I knew they were going to be my sibs-in-law. They invited me to go camping with them in the back of their property, roughly in the area where our house is now located. I camped in a tent with a sleeping bag and f-r-o-z-e. I then caught a cold. I decided I did not really appreciate camping.

Still, I think it's important to have adventures and so a few weeks back I thought I'd make it up to my boys that I don't like camping outdoors by having a family camp-out in the living room. I hauled all of our mattresses onto the main floor (oh yes, I did) and opened the doors and windows. We had a yummy dinner and then all climbed in our beds and watched a movie together. Afterwards we attempted sleep. My daughter couldn't get over the thrill of the whole thing and after I had finally managed to fall asleep she leaned over and started whispering in my ear (at 10:30 p.m.-ish). At 3:30 a.m. I awoke, completely f-r-o-z-e-n and got up to close all of the doors and windows after which I was mostly able to sleep. In the morning we made pancakes (a rare but well-received treat) and everyone was happy. We agreed that we would do this every summer. Family camping. In the living room. That's how we roll.

Adventures are fun in books, to be sure, but I think it's important to have real life ones as well . . . to match your own sense of style.

An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered. - G. K. Chesterton

So how do you feel about adventures? Do you modify for the sake of family fun? Or are you hard core and do the real "camping thing", etc.?

Charlie and the Glass Elevator, by Roald Dahl

Weirdest book ever.

After reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory aloud to my kids, I received strong counsel to proceed on to its sequel, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. My children were quite game to give this one a go and so we launched into this book and were launched into one of the most bizarre stories I've ever read.

If you haven't read Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator I would personally say that you shouldn't feel guilty about it. No need to re-arrange the reading stack to get to it post haste or anything. However, I also realize that the chances are high that I am in the minority on this one so don't mind me (much) and do whatever it is you are going to do.

When we left Charlie he was the new owner of the Chocolate Factory. Mr. Wonka, Charlie and Charlie's Grandpa Joe had gone to pick up the rest of the family in Mr. Wonka's Great Glass Elevator in order to bring them back to the factory. In this sequel, the family is on their way back to the factory when the Grandmas in bed start fussing and hollering, causing Mr. Wonka some troubles with his elevator. The family and Mr. Wonka end up in outer space where they board a new U.S. Space Hotel and are greeting by man eating aliens who chase them away again. The family manages to escape back to earth, after annihilating the aliens and saving the lives of others who had traveled to the Space Hotel. Upon arriving back at the factory, Mr. Wonka introduces Charlie's elderly relatives to Wonka-vites which will take 20 years off their lives (per pill taken). The Grandparents go wild with the pills in an effort to be young again, only Grandma Georgina takes too many pills and minuses herself out of life. Mr. Wonka and Charlie travel to "Minusland" where they locate the ghostly, non-existent Grandma Georgia and bring her back to the land of the living. In the end, everything is set to right but only in the weirdest fashion.

To me, the book was chaotic, crazy and insane. To my boys it was a hilarious good time. They laughed out loud. They wanted me to read several chapters per sitting. (We read the book in four days.) They just couldn't get enough and upon finish the read, Bookworm1 asked to read another Charlie book. "Regrettably" I had to inform my son that there are no other Charlie books. (Alas. Sigh. Oh dear.)

That all to say, we read this book and I never want to read it again. My kids had their fun (my oldest boy began calling my middle child, "My dear boy!") and I'm ok with that but I sort of feel the need to shower and read them a hard core classic to make up for all of the ridiculousness. (Ha! I jest. Mostly.)

Reading Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator was an experience. That's probably the best thing I can say about it.

(Regardless of my low opinion of Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, I have not given up on Dahl completely. I picked up a copy of James and the Giant Peach at Goodwill for $0.99 and am willing to give it a go!)

Little Britches, by Ralph Moody

So here's the thing. The last time my best friend from law school came to visit me, she brought me two books as gifts. I knew she was coming to visit (this past weekend) and I hadn't gotten around to reading either of the books. I decided that this was perfectly horrible (and horribly rude), and so I made time and space in the reading list to pick up one of the titles before her arrival. I went with Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers, by Ralph Moody. When my friend (LT) gave me the book she explained that this was a book that her mother had read aloud to her and her siblings when they were growing up. She mentioned it is a true story told in a very palatable and engaging manner. She also warned me that there was a fair amount of language in it that she had not been aware of as a child and that her mother had cleaned it up a bit during the read aloud. Nevertheless, said LT, this was a memorable book and she very much loved it and therefore was gifting me with a copy. Well, I know LT and I know the books she likes to read and so I knew I'd like it. (This aside from the fact that I just really love LT a super duper lot and would read anything she asked me to. Well, within reason. Heh.)

That all thoroughly explained, I dove into Little Britches. The book is set in 1906-11 and tells the story of Ralph Moody as a boy. Back around the turn of the century, his parents decided to travel from the East Coast to the west where they were promised a land flowing with milk and honey. Upon arrival they realized that they had been misled and as they gazed upon their dilapidated new ranch home, his parents resolved to make a go of it and give it everything that they had to give. Thus the Moody family was established near Littleton, Colorado.

Life out west was hard on the family. Ralph's father, Charlie, had some serious health issues which is why the family had opted to move in the first place. Ralph's parents were in agreement that the best place for Charlie to heal was out west but they had not accounted for the hard labor which went into building and maintaining a ranch. Nevertheless, his father throws his heart into the land and his family and does see improvement in his health situation. In the meantime, Ralph thrives on the land. He discovers he has a passion for horses and has great skill when it comes to riding and training the wild ones. When the story opens, Ralph is a mere six years old but he learns quickly how to play the man in helping his father with life on the ranch and with the family farming efforts. When the book closes, Ralph is 11 and has learned quite a few solid life lessons, to be sure.

My favorite character in this book is Ralph's father, Charlie. That is exactly what Ralph, the author, intended. It is clear that he both loved and respected his father a great deal. I love how old-fashioned this book is in that it has parents speaking honest and forthright to their kids about what it means to be a good man or woman. Charlie doesn't mince words with his son as he disciplines him, corrects him and guides him into manhood. I marked some of my favorite passages.

Ralph had taken a fairly untrained and wild horse off to do a job without his father's permission. Ralph had taken an unnecessary risk and ended up placing himself in quite a bit of danger.

"Son, there is no question that the thing you have done today deserves severe punishment. You might have killed yourself or the horse, but much worse than that, you have injured your own character. A man's character is like his house. If he tears boards off his house and burns them to keep himself warm and comfortable, his house soon becomes a ruin. If he tells lies to be able to do the things he shouldn't do but wants to, his character is a sham on the face of the earth."

Now, that's tellin' it like it is! Gotta wonder if kids these days would spend more time focused on improving and keeping their character if adults were able to tell them plainly what is right and what is wrong. Charlie clearly believed that truth existed and that it was his duty to teach truth to his son. I like the man!

Charlie's solid advice and speeches which he gave to his son were not always delivered when Ralph was doing wrong. Charlie watched his son and grew to know his heart. He found teachable moments to instruct Ralph in times when the truth would have the greatest impact on his heart and mind. He was a man who won the heart of his son and loved him deeply, by all accounts of this story.

For example, it was against the law to kill a pheasant (it was never explained why) but Ralph had accidentally caught one in a steel trap. Charlie sent his young son into town with the dead bird to confess to the Sheriff and find out if there was anything that needed to be paid or taken care of in light of the bird's death.

"That night when were milking, he told me it had been a day I should remember. He said it would be good for me, as I grew older, to know that a man always made his troubles less by going to meet them instead of waiting for them to catch up with him, or trying to run away from them."

At another point, Ralph has a conversation with a girl who tells Ralph that people who have to work hard for their living are somewhat stupid. She boasted that her father claimed that the world owed him a living and that Ralph's dad was a fool for working so hard. Ralph told his dad about this conversation.

"Any man who says the world owes him a living is dishonest. The same God that made you and me made this earth. And He planned it so that it would yield every single thing that people on it need. But He was careful to plan it so that it would only yield up its wealth in exchange for the labor of man. Any man who tries to share in that wealth without contributing the work of his brain or his hands is dishonest."

On a different occasion, Ralph was punished unjustly at school and was severely punished in a very unreasonable way. Ralph's dad dealt with the authority figure privately (and Ralph finds this out) but to Ralph he said the following:

"You know, Son, sometimes a fellow has to take a licking for doing the right thing. A licking only lasts a short while, even if it's a hard one, but failing to do the right thing will often make a mark on a man that will last forever."

In other words, Charlie acknowledged to Ralph that he had been wronged. At the same time though he assures him that by doing the right thing even when he is unfairly treated is the most admirable thing and will make a man worth knowing out of him.

Now, Little Britches isn't the Book of Proverbs or anything, but it is chalk full of lessons about what it means to be honest, to put in a good day of work, to earn an honest living, to be trustworthy, and to care for one's family and neighbors. Yes, there is some crude language scattered about. I'll be blunt and tell you what it is so that you know: there is an overuse of the word "damn" and plenty of instances of taking God's name in vain. Ralph points out multiple times that his father was not a swearing man and that he didn't want his children to use swear words. Yet Ralph includes it in the story as used by cowboys and neighbors. If you opt to read this book aloud, it would be remarkably easy to skip over these words or change them for your reading audience. If you are reading it to yourself, then you can consider the language.

As my regulars know, I really do not have a high tolerance for foul language and regret when I find it in a book. I regret that I find it in this book. However, I was fairly warned and as my friend LT says, this is still a book worth reading. I agree with her whole heartily.

The only thing problem I had with Little Britches came at the end. It isn't a happy ending. I cried. And just as I was crying, my sister-in-law (who is living with us for the summer) walked in the room and I had to explain why I was furiously wiping my eyes. I'm a little annoyed with LT for not warning me about The End but I'm pretty sure that by the time you read my thoughts on this book, I'll have spent a perfectly LOVELY weekend with her and her family and will have forgiven her completely. (Heh.)

If you can find a copy of this book, I highly recommend it to you. Also of note is the fact that this is the first book in a series by Moody about his growing up years. I honestly don't know if I'd want to read the others because of the way that this particular book ends. However, I do love the first title and am super glad for the gift of it!

Daniel Deronda, by George Eliot

Daniel Deronda is Heather's pick for the Reading to Know Book Club for the month of August.

Heather blogs over at Do Not Let This Universe Forget You when she is not preoccupied with planning a wedding and snatching time with her fiance when it is available. In fact, we're a little delayed in talking about this months' book club read because The Fiance is in town visiting her and her family. So you'll pardon us, I'm sure. Heh. At any rate, Heather did manage to write up a little something explaining why she chose this book.

*****
I picked Daniel Deronda for the simple reason that I read it quite a few years ago and remember loving it, but being unable to remember exactly why. I do know that it was George Eliot's final novel, and I think Eliot was an interesting author.

Though a contemporary of the Bronte sisters, she began publishing later and you won't find any Byronic dark horse heroes in her novels. She is far more interested in reality and psychological studies. Her characters are deeply complex and change far too often in the course of a story for you to label them quickly. Also, she's hard to read. She makes a very rewarding read, but it's rewarding because it's good for you and challenging. And for the record, Queen Victoria was an avid reader of George Eliot. If it's good enough for Queen Victoria, I don't think I need to say much more.

I found Daniel Deronda fascinating when I first read it, not only for the story of the brazen and self centered Gwendolyn Harleth, but for the dual storyline about the young Jewish woman and her attempt to find her mother after being separated from her in childhood. Eliot digs into the antisemitism in her own culture and also shows some knowledge of the finer points of Judaism. However, at the time of writing this, I'm still working through my copy and much of what I'm reading has been unfamiliar. So, I think it's fair to say I wanted to reread this novel and found this book club a good excuse to do so.

*****
I know this book may seem a little scary to some but I hope you'll give it a shot! If you are planning to join in with us, please leave a comment in the comment section below.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl

I didn't think I would like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. My only prior reading experience with Dahl was The Fantastic Mr. Fox (linked to my thoughts) and I didn't like that one very much. However, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory felt like a book I ought to read and try to like and so I eventually bit the bullet and did so. (What really happened was that I had some credit at our local used bookstore and they had a copy of the book. I figured the best way to try a book for free aside from the library was on trade so I went for it.)

Our family has an interesting history surrounding this classic - assuming it can be called a classic - piece of children's literature. I distinctly remember watching the Gene Wilder movie version as a child only to have my mother turn it off in disgust. As I recall, she didn't like the way that the children visiting the chocolate factory were behaving. And so I never watched the movie or read the book. In Jonathan's case, he watched the Gene Wilder version as a child and was scared spitless. The Oompa Loompas were apparently too much. With these combined negative experiences I wasn't quite sure that reading the book would be a success but . . . it was!

I read the book by myself in two days and enjoyed myself so thoroughly and whole heartedly that immediately turned around and began reading it aloud to our children. (I got Jonathan's permission to do so first, should anyone be wondering about that!) If you are unfamiliar with the story (doubtful) it goes something like this -

Mr. Wonka is a world-famous chocolatier who owns an impressive and rather mysterious candy factory. However, Mr. Wonka has had some issues with hiring people from other candy businesses who were working undercover. These "spies" sttole his candy-making secrets and so he was forced to shut down his factory for a time. Then, without notice, the factory began operating again but no one understood how this could be as no workers were ever seen going in and none coming out. It is shortly announced that Mr. Wonka is going to hide five golden tickets inside five random chocolate bars. The five children who find these golden tickets will be invited in for a tour of the factory on an appointed day. The world goes wild looking for these tickets which are eventually found (of course). Five children enter the factory to see the magical world which Mr. Wonka has created but that no eye has ever seen. Only one child will make it through this tour without mishap and that child will be the new owner of the chocolate factory.

I found the story to be hilarious, personally. Dahl gives us an interesting cast of characters in this book. Four of the children who find golden tickets are the most obnoxious and disobedient that you would ever want to not meet. (It is true! The children do behave badly!) However, their bad behavior is made known in a clear and decisive writing style. Dahl minces no words when it comes to his opinion of these four. Then there is young Charlie who comes from a poor family and is a very humble soul. He and his aged grandpa go to visit the factory and, as is predictable, make it through without any disaster befalling him and becomes the new owner of the factory. The reader can only be delighted.

Dahl is a quirky writer and I can see how I misunderstood him previously as well as how he could be misunderstood generally. In fact, I think he's so quirky and odd that I reserve the right not to like any of his other titles! For now I like this one in its entirety. I believe I shall still be picky of Dahl titles in general even though I like Charlie. Dahl is not a style that I generally appreciate but in this instance he really made the idea of why good behavior is appealing (in a generic sense) understood very well.

My children absolutely LOVED this book. No two ways about it. I read it with them in three days. We breezed through it with laughter, curiosity and the constant refrain of, "Read the next chapter!!" This book was an all-around winner and we recommend it for a good time.

After reading the book, I naturally wanted to see the movie. So did (do) my children. Jonathan and I watched the new Johnny Depp movie but I have to honestly tell you that I was less than impressed. In the book, Mr. Wonka is a confident man who knows he has great talent and had little time to waste with, well, nincompoops. In the Depp movie version, Mr. Wonka is insecure about himself and frequently goes off into this reveries in which he mulls over his less-than-satisfying relationship with his own father. I disliked Depp's insecurities because they are nowhere present in the book. That rather soured the movie experience for me.

I was going to watch the Wilder version but I showed Bookworm1 the back of the case and he recoiled a bit from the pictures. So I'm thinking that we did the right thing by reading the book (first!!!) wherein our imaginations can work appropriately in bringing Dahl's characters to life. We probably will watch the Wilder version but we'll take our own sweet time in getting to it.

Glad to have experienced this story and to finally know what the golden tickets are that people are forever referring to! Yay for that! :)

Sharkopedia: The Complete Guide to Everything Shark

Just the cover of Sharkopedia is in danger of creeping me out. Heh. Not really but I'm not going swimming in open waters anytime soon either!

This new title is associated with the Discovery Channel and published by Time Home Entertainment. If you or someone you know loves sharks, this is definitely the book for them! I am somewhat amused though that one of the book's stated purposes is make this "misunderstood" and "scary" animal less so to we humans who recoil from rows of sharp, pointy teeth. Yet upon cracking open the covers of the book I am met with a page spread with the caption: "The Body of the Beast." So far I am not feeling any sympathy for these creatures with the massively huge and painful jaws of death. (No. I don't exaggerate things much. Why do you ask?)

The book explains a great deal about sharks including their anatomy, the orders (There are eight. Who knew?), a bit about their habits and activities. Sharkopedia discusses a wide variety of sharks and there are tidbits ("fin facts") and information on each page discussing things like the bullsharks' poor eyesight (which causes them to attack anything and everything), sharks which migrate, and lots of encouragement to pass laws to protect these beautiful (and terrifying) creatures. (Please don't misinterpret me here. I think we have a duty and a responsibility to take care of animals. But I have limits on the numbers of laws I think are required to live my life and if a shark were biting my leg off and I had a chance to kill it so that it would stop biting my leg off, I would, law or no.) I should note that there is also a section of this book dedicated to "survivor stories", showing pictures of people's healed limbs (or missing limbs, as the case may be).

I'm being seriously tongue-in-cheek with this review and I'm only slightly of sorry about that. I'm seriously amused by the fact that the purpose of this book is to make me think kindly of sharks while showing images which would rightly scare anyone spitless. One thing I can agree with this book on is that sharks are incredible creatures. They are curious beasts who are interesting to observe and learn about. They are awesome in the sense that they inspire awe and ought to be approached with great presence of mind and a load of respect for their abilities. I don't love them and this book didn't change that, but I did enjoy reading more about them.

My oldest son (age 6 1/2) is sensitive to what might be perceived as "scary" images. For the most part, he liked flipping through this book but there are some pages and images which he found disturbing and so he ended up asking me to take it away from his presence. I have done so. But that does not make me feel as if I cannot recommend this book. If you are curious about sharks at all, then this book has the ability to satisfy a great deal of your curiosity. It is nicely laid out with a great number of colored photographs set into nicely designed page layouts. There are roughly 180 pages of SHARKS and as that floats a good many boats out there, I'm happy to recommend this one to you for your consideration.

Note: my only true objection to this book is in the fact that the information is presented from an evolutionary viewpoint. As a creationist, I dismissed the introduction in which it discusses the theory that sharks have been "swimming in the world's oceans since before dinosaurs roamed the earth." However, Introductory page aside, the majority of the book focuses on actual facts of any variety of shark so I'm not too disturbed.

Many thanks to Time Home Entertainment for sending a copy of this title my direction in exchange for my sharing my honest thoughts.

North of Nowhere, by Liz Kessler {Giveaway}

I accepted North of Nowhere for review mostly because it was written by Liz Kessler who you might recognize as being the author of the Emily Windsnap series. I read The Tail of Emily Windsnap (linked to my review) back in 2008 and discussed it over at 5 Minutes for Books. (It is a post that is still discovered online by teen girls who leave comments letting me know how much they loved the Windsnap books!) I rather liked that one myself, with cautions and reservations. I did think Kessler told a good story though and that raised my interest for North of Nowhere.

In this new title, Liz Kessler explores some of the "what if?" questions of time travel. In certain respects, North of Nowhere reminds me a great deal of When You Reach Me (linked to review). If you like one, you are almost sure to like the other.

North of Nowhere opens with an introduction to the main character Amelia, or "Mia" for short. She is just about to begin her Spring Break when her mother announces to her that instead of spending time at the mall hanging out with her friends, she would be joining her mother on a visit to her grandparent who live in a podunk seaside town. Mia is angry about this change of plans until she is made aware of the reason behind it: her grandfather has mysteriously disappeared.

Mia and her mother make the trek to her grandmother's and the search continues for the whereabouts of Mia's grandfather. Bored, Mia wanders down to the shoreline and there finds an abandoned boat with a diary inside. She opens the diary and begins reading the secret thoughts of "D." Mia feels bad for reading "D's" diary and decides to be honest about her infraction and writes a quick confession inside the diary for D to find. The boat then disappears for the evening, reappearing the next morning with a note from "D" to Mia. An odd friendship is formed through the letters the girls write to each other within the pages of this diary.

I don't want to spoil the story at all and there is a risk of it if I continue on with much of a description of the plot line. There is mystery surrounding the identity of "D" and also Mia's grandfather. If you want to know this story, it is best to read it for yourself.

Unlike in The Tail of Emily Windsnap, I do not believe Kessler is making any attempts at any political arguments in this story. My only irritation with the book is in the character of Mia who is a bit of a whiny, self-centered teen. However, she does seem to recognize the fact that she has a duty and a responsibility to care for her family members and manages to rise to the occasion. I can't say that I was completely riveted by this book or that it'll go down as one of my favorites, but I will confess to being pleasantly diverted. Kessler has the ability to weave an interesting story and I appreciate that of her. As I say, if you liked When You Reach Me, you'll be interested in North of Nowhere.

Better news - Candlewick Press have offered to give away one copy of this title to one of you! Would you care to win? Simply leave a comment below including a valid e-mail address. This contest is open to U.S. Residents only and will be open through Monday, August 12.

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER, as selected by Random.org, is #1 - Amy at Hope is the Word!

Many thanks to Candlewick Press who sent a copy of the above title my direction in exchange for my honest review. Thanks also for offering an additional copy to one of my readers!

The Wind in the Willows :: RtK Book Club July CONCLUSION

This month's discussion is being held by Stephanie at Simple Things. Below are her concluding thoughts on The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Graham which was our July selection.

*****

So, what did you think? Have you enjoyed your time with Mole, Rat, Toad & Badger? I’m so glad that I finally sat down and read this! To sum up, I’m going to use that age-old blogger trick – the bullet point – since my thoughts are scattered all over the place with regards to this book.

• I read in the introduction (written by Margaret Hodges in my version) that this book is told “in a sandwich sort of way”. This was in reference to Grahame alternating Toad and non-Toad adventures – “the former providing the laughter and the ‘story’, the later the meaning and overtones.” Did you have a favorite of the two? I admit – the Toad stories were my favorite and by the time I got to chapter ten and we were well into Toad’s escape from jail and the eventual retaking of Toad Hall from the weasels, I couldn’t put the story down.


• I was heartily confused by chapter 7, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, at first. This is the chapter where Mole and Rat go in search of a young otter that has gone missing. Rat and Mole take a moonlight row down the river looking for the young author and there were some lines that I underlined in this chapter thinking that they were talking about God and the majesty of His creation (reminding me some of The Magician's Nephew, when the children see Aslan create Narnia at the beginning). There was a beautiful music that was calling to them that was almost painful to hear and Rat says,

“Here, in this holy place, here if anywhere, surely we shall find Him! … “Afraid?” murmured the Rat, his eyes shining with unutterable love. “Afraid! Of Him? O, never, never! And yet – and yet – O, Mole, I am afraid!” Then the two animals, crouching to the earth, bowed their heads and did worship.

Then, the story goes on to describe the Friend and Helper, with his backwards sweep of curved horns, the bearded mouth, the hand holding the pan-pipes, the hooves, etc. – it was a description of the god Pan! I guess I was surprised at how the descriptions of the Pan reminded me of how I feel about God and His creation when I think on them!

• I loved the characters of Mole, Rat and Badger! Each of them, in their own way, was a true friend to Toad and I don’t think I could pick a favorite from them. Badger, for all his crotchety ways, was supremely loyal. I loved what was said in my book’s intro about it, “though he cared little about Society, [Badger] was rather fond of children.” Mole, who was willing to go along with the other’s ideas and help in whatever way he could in his gentle way. And Rat … I loved his moment of tenderness to Mole when he finally realized how homesick Mole was and changed his agenda to minister to his friend.

I know these are random thoughts, but such as they are, I’m glad to have read this book this month! I’m always on the lookout for another group of animal friends to add to my book list and The Wind in the Willows did not disappoint. Thanks for asking me to host again this year, Carrie!

*****
And thank YOU, Stephanie, for hosting!!

Did anyone else out there read along? This is the post to link up your own posts to if you did. If you do not have a blog but want to share your thoughts on this read in the comment section below, please do so! We'd love to hear from you also.