To You and Yours

Number the Stars :: RtK Book Club CONCLUSION

Yup, tomorrow is Thanksgiving. It's a busy week for sure! But if you did have a chance to read Number the Stars with us this past month, and if you wrote up a post documenting your thoughts, now is the time to share! Below are Heather's concluding thoughts (interesting to read) and below that is the comment section where we invite you to leave your own thoughts/share links about this book.

*****

I’m happy to report that Number the Stars by Lois Lowry was just as powerful and beautiful as it was when I first read it. Carrie rightfully pointed out in her review that it is probably stretching it to call Number the Stars a classic, but I actually didn’t think of that until just now when I read her review. Which brings up a whole new topic. What IS a classic? Is it just age or is it something else? Some real sticklers might say it’s the actual classics: Aristotle, Ovid, etc. But I’m inclined to use some sort of vague age/worthiness factors to determine what is or is not a classic. Anyway, Carrie is right, I’m not sure this qualifies at least as far as age. It is only 25 years old. However, I think one can make a case for Number the Stars’s inclusion in the classics book club based on worthiness.

The story gets its name from Psalm 147 which in my bible says, “He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their name.” But the theme of the Psalm is God healing the broken-hearted and speaks of a God who is in control and “casts the wicked to the ground.” It’s a powerful Psalm and I recommend reading it with this story in mind. Or reading Number the Stars with this Psalm in mind.

Number the Stars is the story of the Danish resistance to the Nazi occupation told from the point of view of ten year old Annemarie Johansen. Annemarie encounters the harshness of the world around her when her Jewish friend Ellen and her family are forced to leave Denmark in order to escape the “relocation.” Annemarie is a typical little girl and not particularly brave, but somehow she finds a way to overcome danger in order to do the right thing for her friend and her friend’s family. We find out later that a few people in Annemarie’s life, unbeknownst to her are members of the Danish resistance.

While all of the characters are drawn from the author’s imagination, there were a surprising amount of documented facts in this book. I actually was almost more moved by the Afterword from the author than I was from the story itself. Which is saying something because I was quite moved by the story. Denmark was like little Annemarie herself. Overcome with the vastness and cruelty of the world, the Danish people managed to do what was right in the face of danger.

I have to say in my study of Nazi Germany and Nazi-occupied France, I haven’t looked very much into Denmark’s occupation. I now would really like to know more. I didn’t initially know that an overwhelming majority of Denmark’s Jewish population was saved, partly through the efforts of a German (yes, that’s not a typo) official who leaked a warning to a rabbi from Copenhagen, and partly through the unified effort of the Danish resistance. Most of the Jews were taken to Sweden in boats by fishermen who also were linked with the resistance movement. In order to avoid canine detection the fishermen carried handkerchiefs laced with rabbit’s blood and cocaine, a mixture which initially attracted the dogs and then numbed their sense of smell. Genius! Also, the Danish people actually did destroy their entire Navy after they were occupied. They wanted to keep as much power as possible out of the Nazis hands. You just feel like standing up and cheering for these people.

This is the exact type of story I like. It’s a story of one small spark of hope in a very dark world. There is fear and brokenness and absence surrounding Annemarie, but there is bravery and there is human decency too. It is one small story that promises other stories of sacrifice and bravery from everyday people. In the Afterword, the author presented a fragment of a letter from one member of the Danish resistance, named Kim Malthe-Bruun, (possibly Lois Lowry based the character of Peter Neilsen on him) to his mother the night before he was executed by the Germans. I’m just going to put the whole thing on here as the conclusion of this review because it was so good.

“…and I want you all to remember – that you must not dream yourselves back to the times before the war, but the dream for you all, young and old, must be to create an ideal of human decency, and not a narrow minded and prejudiced one. That is the great gift our country hungers for, something every little peasant boy can look forward to, and with pleasure feel he is a part of – something he can work and fight for.”

The Miracle of the First Poinsettia :: Christmas Picture Books

I love Christmas picture books. I love sharing them with my children. Not only is it read aloud time which we are spending together but it's just extra jolly somehow. Love it.

Every year I like looking for new books to share with the kids and this year I checked in with Barefoot Books to see if they had any titles to add to our collection. They kindly sent a few titles our direction to look into and both were enjoyed.

The first was enjoyable and unique.

The Miracle of the First Poinsettia, by Joanne Oppenheim tells the story of a young girl named Juanita. It is the tradition in her village for the children to bring a gift for the Baby Jesus when they attend Mass together on Christmas Eve. There is only one problem: Juanita's family does not have enough money to spend on such a gift. Juanita frets about what she will take to give to the Baby Jesus. She is sad that she has nothing to offer. As she is standing outside the church building, an angel statute comes to live and tells her to take some of the branches from a weedy-looking plant by the door. Juanita picks some branches and carries them into the church where everyone is surprised and delighted by the beautiful red blooms which appear as she walks to the front of the church.

This story is, of course, a fable. According to the author's note at the end of the book, this fable has been told many times and in many ways. Sometimes the story features a boy and other times a girl. Oppenheim decided to write the story surrounding a little girl. She also chose to both English and Spanish words and phrases when telling the story which can go either way for me. In the case of this book, I found the use of Spanish confusing in that a.) I don't know it and b.) sometimes you need to know it to catch the gist of what is going on in the story. At the back of the book you will also find a glossary which translates the words for you but you have to flip to the back page a lot while reading in order to follow along.

Again, a mixture of languages in a story is somewhat hit or miss for me. The Miracle of the First Poinsettia is a lovely story and the kids enjoyed hearing it. However, it was sometimes confusing to them. Others might not consider that a problem at all but it does make for some disjointed reading to us and so I don't think we'll hang on to this book for keeps. Still, I find it beautifully told and illustrated enough to pass on the information about it. You might quite enjoy this title!

Secondly, Barefoot Books sent us a copy of The Greatest Gift: The Story of the Other Wise Man, retold by Susan Summers.

In this version of the story we are introduced to Artaban, a fourth wise man and follower of the faith of Zooaster. He, along with the other three (more well-known) wise man study the stars to understand the struggle between the forces of good and evil. The four discover the famous star of Bethleham together and make a plan to travel to find the baby which they knew to have been born. The four decide on a meeting place and begin to make their travel arrangements. Artaban is trying to meet up with the other man to travel and follow the star but he has his travels interrupted by people in need. As a result, he never does find the One who is born under the star until it is "too late." Artaban never meets a baby, but he does meet a Savior.

The illustrations by Jackie Morris are exquisitely beautiful. The story by Summer is compelling and interesting. I had Bookworm1 (age 8) read it first and share his opinion of it with me. He thought it was interesting enough to keep it and read it multiple times. As I quite agree with him, we shall do so. Without any hesitations, we recommend The Greatest Gift to others who are looking to add to their home Christmas collection.

Many thanks to Barefoot Books who sent these titles our way in order to facilitate this review. I have received no additional compensation and all opinions shared are entirely my own.

Please note: Barefoot Books sell their titles through individual reps. You can also order directly from their website. I've linked to Barefoot Books above and not to Amazon as a result.

The Spirit of Christmas: A Giving Tradition, by Nicky Benson (Giveaway)

I hereby declare that it is now close enough to Christmas that I feel no need to apologize for Christmas titles and posts which you will now be seeing with some degree of regularity around these parts. My guilt is assuaged as the calendar days go by and we march steadily closer to December.

So there's that.

Now onto today's book which fills me with a myriad of conflicting thoughts. I don't think I've ever had so much to say about a children's picture book before.

I received The Spirit of Christmas: A Giving Tradition for review from Tiger Tales Books. (I love Tiger Tales and their Christmas books in general. Let me just say that from the get-go.) This book tells the story of a young boy named Drew who discovers that there are families at Christmas time who are unable to afford to give presents to their children. He is wounded by this thought and wonders how he might best be able to help some of these families in need. After thinking on it for a bit, Drew decides to send Santa a letter asking how he might share some of his own toys and clothes with others less fortunate. The following morning Drew finds an empty bag under the Christmas tree with an accompanying letter. Santa has written Drew back to say that he has left behind a "giving bag" for Drew to fill up with any special toys or clothes which he might like to share. Santa promises to redistribute the items, spreading Drew's love around to those in need.

Drew is very excited by this concept and he begins to hunt around his room for toys and books and games "he no longer played with" along with "mittens that were too small, and pants that were too short" etc. (He does include his favorite choo choo train in the bag as well.) Drew fills up the bag and deposits it under the tree where Santa collects the items. On the whole, it's a fairly cute story about giving to others and spreading a bit of Christmas kindness and cheer around. Now, I have zero objections to Christmas cheer and kindness. Please believe me on that. However, I also don't like it when people try to guilt me in to showing kindness in any particular way which they believe I ought to be showing it. Pressure to conform generally goes over like a lead balloon as far as I'm concerned. That is not to say that I don't think it's important to give to those in need at Christmastime. The problem is that I think too many people think only of giving to those in need at Christmastime and not at any other time of year. Yes! Giving at Christmas time can be extra fun and special in ways which are not possible at other times of year but there is just as much need in April as there is in December and that is my objection to the whole concept of "take your family to the food kitchen NOW" arguments when holly berries decorate all store windows.

Although I really do think this story is cute and have no objections reading it to my kids (mostly because we look for ways to serve quietly all year and not just during one month) I sort of have an objection to the idea of giving things that we no longer want. If you want to give something to someone in order to bless them, why not sacrifice a little? Sure, if someone can use something that you don't need anymore, pass it along. But that's not really sacrifice. You were going to get rid of it, you just found a particular person who had particular need of that thing. When I think of giving with a desire to bless, I prefer the idea of giving something that is unique that no one else can give but me and my family. I also really don't want anyone else to notice what I'm doing at the time. The act of giving isn't meant to be a show and it shouldn't feel like anything that is put upon you. Give with joy and gladness when you do give! Spend money buying something brand new that you know another person will be blessed by. Give of your time, your energy, and your creativity! Give, not with the idea of receiving anything at all back but with the JOY of giving something you desired to give.

What it really boils down to though is that giving and extending kindness to others is going to look different for each individual. Why? Because we are individuals, that's why. We are each created with different gifts and personalities. We have unique things to offer to this world. The only requirement for each one of us (specifically Christians) is that we do give. We must not be a stingy people for we do not serve a stingy God. He gives liberally, graciously and with great joy. If you look at your own life for a moment, I suspect you will see signs of His joy all over your life. I know it's all over mine and so when I do give to others, I want to give almost ecstatically and also with the hope of creating joy for another.

In other words, I'm not going to give away my mittens which are too small and my pants which are too short.

Do you want to talk about the true "spirit of Christmas" amongst yourselves and with your children? This "spirit" to which we refer is love come down to sacrifice itself on a cross. It is the gift of life and joy which knows absolutely not a single bound. It is happiness. It is peace. It is victory and the spoils are to be shared with the whole entire world!!!

Do you know how to give this way and with this spirit of joyfulness!? Why not!? That's a serious question and one I hope you'll give some consideration to if you are a Christian and choose not to give to others. Remember Who you serve and how you reflect Him and His gift to you to the entire world!

I want my children to know what it means to give but the giving will feel empty unless they know how much that they have been given by the God of the universe. In His great love, He sent His son Jesus to walk my road, know my pain and defeat death on my behalf so that I could have a relationship with Him. Christmas marks a time when we remember the gift that was sent to us. Oh, and with what gladness I pray my children receive this gift and desire to share it with others! I don't want the ever to give with any rules, regulations or guilt trips applied but with all of the joy that they hold in their hearts. We freely give because we have been freely given the greatest gift of all.

. . .

On that note, it seems a little bit of a let down to start talking about a giveaway with this book and title but that's what we'll do. Tiger Tales has created a special edition of this picture book which includes a jingle bell and also a giving bag for children to use for themselves. If you are interested in using such a bag to collect items to give away, I have no objections to that. (wink and smile) I won't say that our family will be using the bag (rather, we'll be using our eyes to look around and see who we might bless and how they would be most blessed by us) but it is a cute idea and perhaps a terrific place to start as you continue to instill in your own children the concept of giving and extending kindness to others. It never hurts a bit to be aware that there are those in this world who have less to live on than we do. It gives us perspective and perspective can be a very helpful, educational thing. So I don't have any problems, per se, with this book that would make me hesitate to host a giveaway. (I never host a giveaway for things I take great issue with. Although I have taken small issue with this book it really has less to do with the book than it does with the concept of giving without joy being a part of the equation. Have I talked enough yet? Let's move on, shall we?)

If you would like to win a copy of The Spirit of Christmas: A Giving Tradition complete with bell and bag, please leave a comment below. If you would please include a valid e-mail address, that would be greatly appreciated. This conest is open to U.S. Residents only and will be open through Sunday, November 30th.

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER, as selected by Random.org, is #6 - HEATHER. CONGRATS!

Many thanks to Tiger Tales who not only sent a copy of this book my direction in order to facilitate this review, but were also inclined to pass along a copy to one of my readers. Please note that all opinions shared above are 100% my very own, just like always. I received no additional compensation for this post if you have any doubts on that score.

Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry

Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry is the selection for this month's edition of the Reading to Know Classics Book Club. Heather frin Don't Let This Universe Forget You chose this book for us to read and I am glad of it because I had never read it before. It is an easy, fast read and if you have any inclination at all to read it, I highly recommend that you do! It won't take you long and you will find it remarkably enjoyable/edifying/thought provoking.

The story of Number the Stars, if you are unaware, tells us of a young girl named Annemarie who lives in Denmark during World War II. Annemarie's best friend is a Jewish girl who, during German occupation of Denmark, is being forced to "relocate." Annemarie's family, who are linked to the underground resistance movement, purposes to help their Jewish friends escape to Switzerland. The story is simple, straight forward and also quite short. Yet for as short as the story is, it is also impacting and memorable because it focuses on the theme of bravery even in the face of certain danger and even death.

Number the Stars was written in 1989 so it's not been around for that long. Well. I guess it has been 25 years. Hmm. Does that make it a classic? I'm not terribly sure we can really call Number the Stars a classic, per se, but we can say that it met with instant acclaim. It was awarded the Newbury medal in 1990 and Lowry testifies to having received fan mail from parents who read this book when they were young and found it so impacting that they have taken great delight in sharing it with their children.  It is at least safe to say that this book has seen a few generations of readers.

Lowrey wrote the book following conversations she had with friends who related to her stories of what life was like during the occupation in Denmark. The character of Annemarie is based on a Danish friend of Lowreys who great up in Copenhagen in 1943. The question that the book asks is whether or not we, the readers, might also rise to the occasion and be brave if we were asked to be.

Annemarie is just a young girl of ten (the age which this book is targeted to) and although she is used to seeing German soldiers on the street corners, she knows and understands better than to interact with them. They are a feature of her life but not something that she needs to rub up against, until the moment in time when they threatens a person and a family that she holds dear. Annemarie begins in this book as an innocent. She thinks to herself that she is "glad to be an ordinary person" who will not "be called upon for courage." Little does she know what the future holds for her. Ultimately, she is asked to work subversively to save the lives of others. Doing so requires a great deal of bravery. She must ask herself if she can face evil in the face and do what is right even if it threatened her life as well as those that she loved. I think this is a good question to ask ourselves and therefore I think this is a good book to read.

What the world needs today are courageous people like Annemarie. (Specifically, what the world needs today are courageous Christians.) It seems to me that we Christians are so frightened of our own shadows that we can't bear to think that we might offend someone by making statements that we know to be true. We cower behind ideas of "diversity", "equality" , "acceptance" and "tolerance" because we know that those words do not include room for our positions or beliefs. It is very true that the idea of "being tolerant" does not mean anyone should feel tolerance for Christians. We Christians are bullied by others into sitting down and being quiet. In general, we tend tend to follow the public's cue and end up sitting by, watching people's lives fall apart all around us, simply because we are made to be afraid to share the truth that will set them free. Christians know what I am speaking of and non-Christians are just perturbed that I'm speaking at all. But it is very true that Christianity is the one and only thing not tolerated in this world today and it is the one and only thing that is needed to bring about true peace and reconciliation.

We Christians really do need to pray for each other to be brave. And when one of us does take a stand, it would be great if the rest of us would - at the very least - be supportive instead of trying to put a little distance between ourselves and the one who took the stand for right. Being brave sometimes means taking the stand and sometimes it means showing solidarity with love for the glory of God. Annemarie has to make the same decision in this story. She must take a stand for herself and she must also support the obedient work of others. She chose admirably and therefore she is a character that is interesting to read and think about. Sometimes fiction can be greatly inspiring. Because of Annemarie's obedience to truth, the lives of several individuals (and - it can be argued - generations of people who followed after) were forever changed.

If we speak up today and share the truth and the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ then I suspect we would also see things change, one individual at a time. Future generations are also highly likely to be served when truth is upheld in this very moment. Annamarie refused to let evil win without doing and saying something against it, even though it was not a simple act she undertook. It is never simple when you stand for truth but it is always honorable and it always has an effect of some sort.

We Christians fear the wrath and disdain of the general population which is ironic and unbelievable if you consider Who we say we believe in and Who we say we serve. Fear holds us back; faith pushes us forward. Belief that God is - in total fact - Who He says He is is vitally important to our own soul's health as well as for the health of others. Being brave is what Christians are called to be. The most wonderful thing is, that even if and when we find ourselves scared to stand up and say and do what is right, we can rest assured that He will give us the confidence necessary in the moment which we need it. Annemarie was able to be brave because she had the love and support of her family around her. When push came to shove, they were there to help guide her through the process. We, in turn, have a wonderful and loving God Who directs, guides and supports us as we walk through this tricky life. Truly we have nothing to fear because He has conquered sin and death already and on our behalf. We are free to be brave.

It should be noted that bravery doesn't always involve grand spectacles. Most of the time bravery is displayed in quiet acts of sacrificial kindness. That is how it is displayed with Annemarie and most any story of bravery that I have ever heard of or witnessed. Discussing bravery shouldn't scare you off but fill you with hope and confidence in the One who will walk you through every situation you face and work things out for your good and for His glory. This is comfort for the Christian indeed!

In the meantime, it is also great to read books - both fiction and non-fiction - which contain characters who have lived heroically and who will inspire you to live to the fullest every situation you find yourself in. Add this book to your reading list if you have not yet read it. It's a great story to be thinking about.

Thank you, Heather, for choosing it for us.

Winterfrost, by Michelle Houts

I absolutely could not pass up a chance to read Winterfrost, by Michelle Houts once I caught site of it. If the cover art alone wasn't enough to do me in, the description was enough to commit me.  Let's see if it does the same for you. From Amazon:

"Christmas has come, and with it a sparkling white winterfrost over the countryside. But twelve-year-old Bettina’s parents have been called away unexpectedly, leaving her in charge of the house, the farm, and baby Pia. In all the confusion, Bettina’s family neglects to set out the traditional bowl of Christmas rice pudding for the tiny nisse who are rumored to look after the family and their livestock. No one besides her grandfather ever believed the nisse were real, so what harm could there be in forgetting this silly custom? But when baby Pia disappears during a nap, the magic of the nisse makes itself known. To find her sister and set things right, Bettina must venture into the miniature world of these usually helpful, but sometimes mischievous folk. A delightful winter adventure for lovers of the legendary and miraculous."

What are the selling points for me?

• Christmas. That alone should do it.
• White winterfrost. I'm practically swooning.
• Gnomes. Stop it already!
• A Christmas story set in Denmark? Extra bonus points.

I ignored the part in the description about a twelve year old in my haste to get my hands on a copy of the book. I barely noticed that bit. Part of me wondered if I would be ruined by the story as a result of bad writing. I also know that I am pretty deft to poor writing when it comes to a fun Christmas story. My pain tolerance is unusually high during the holidays. (It's a good thing Twilight isn't Christmas-themed.) So, whatever came, I was ready to enjoy myself.

I give the above disclaimer because I don't feel as if I can tell you with certainty whether the writing was poor or fantastic. The only claim I feel qualified to make is in saying that if you give Winterfrost a go, you'll find yourself highly entertained. I tried to read the book objectively but nothin' doing. Christmas, gnomes and snow were completely consuming and I had a blast reading this book.

As the Amazon description reveals, twelve year old Bettina is left in charge of her sister, Pia, as well as the family farm. However, a mischievous gnome, who is sulking for a lack of his rightful Christmas pudding, absconds with Bettina's baby sister. The book tells the story of Bettina's journey to bring Pia home again. Along the way she enters the world of the nisse (the gnomes) which is full of a magic all of its own. (And also snow and Christmas.)

Just as I say, I had a fun time reading Winterfrost. From the first page to the last I was enchanted by Houts' ability to tell a fun story. I was never once jarred out of the pages by phrases that felt off kilter but found that her words and story flowed nicely and to my liking. The main character of Bettina is a responsible, caring girl who proved a delight to know. I'm happy to pass this book off to Bookworm1 this year to read on his own time. (I would read it aloud to all of my bookworms, except I've already planned to read Dickens' A Christmas Carol and I fear we'll only have time for the one book. But there's no reason for Bookworm1 to be denied the privilege of Winterfrost independent of myself.)

Personally, I enjoyed Winterfrost and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a fun Christmas/winter story. This is a chapter book but the sentences are spaced and the story is easy reading. My eight year old won't have any trouble with it. I might generally recommend it for ages 9-12 as the publisher suggests, but then I'd be aging myself out of it and that would be a mite embarrassing.

Houte gets two thumbs up from me! Thank you for the entertainment.

Many thanks also to Candlewick Press who sent a copy of this book my direction in order to facilitate this review. I received no additional compensation and all opinions are 100% my own. (Really? Do people honestly doubt this?)

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, by Susan Cain

Some of you might remember that I was given the book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking to read as part of the personal Facebook Challenge I put up, allowing six people to choose six books for me to read during this calendar year. Quiet was given to me by Amber M. I was excited to read this one after reading several positive reviews of it over the past year or so. Most memorable to me was Barabara's review and I was delighted (and grateful) to be "assigned" a book that I had on my personal wishlist. (Thank you, Amber!) Let's just ignore the fact that it took me until November to read it, shall we?

Quiet : The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking was and is intriguing for me to read because I am an introvert. I don't know that I would have labeled myself as that when I was younger but I came to a very definite realization that I have introvert tendencies as I proceeded into adulthood. While I may seem wordy online, I'm actually really, really quiet in person unless or until I get to know a person quite well. I have to be very comfortable with the people and the surroundings to want to talk much outloud. I am always alert and am paying attention to the conversation and activities around me, but I might not necessarily say anything about them at the time.

More recently I've found that people I know generally at church and in town are surprised to hear that I'm an introvert because my husband and I host so many gatherings in our home. It's true that I love practicing hospitality. It is also true that I am very calculating in the way that I go about doing so. For example, I prefer large crowds to small ones because I find that I am not required to do as much talking and entertaining if there are more people present. I would rather host one hundred people in my home all at once than five, unless I know those five really well. Also, after having any type of event (large or small) in my home, I usually spend the entire day afterwards resting quietly in my pajamas. I need to feel comfortable and be still after spending time with others. It is only in this way that I find myself able to recharge. I have also learned to pace myself when we have family gatherings. I have learned that I have to plan "time out" for myself during the gathering. This is not because I don't like my family but because I start to break down if I don't have a little time away and alone to be quiet.  I begin to feel tense and stressed and even physically ill if I'm around people for consecutive days on end without a little time alone to regroup and breathe a bit on my own. Overnight guests are an absolute joy to me, but I quit apologizing for not coming out of my bedroom until 9 a.m. or so because I need that morning quiet time to rev up for the rest of the day's activities or else I will collapse before the visit is over and that's no good.

Quiet is an interesting book because the main purpose of it is to convince extroverts that introverts are just as valuable as they are. There is no "better" or "worse" way to be, but both types of people bring something to the table that is worth considering. I don't really need a book to tell me that  my introvert tendencies are valuable. I feel very confident and secure in my quiet, regardless of whether or not it makes much sense to others. I have a lot of extrovert friends and I enjoy them a great deal - (I usually find them highly entertaining) - but I don't wish to be like them nor do I demand that they be like me. I found this book interesting because it enlightened me to the fact that extroverts do need to see the value of the introvert and I found Cain's arguments as to the benefits of including introverts into society in a manner that suits them to be most intriguing.

A question and answer section is included in the back of the book and one of the questions posed to Cain is why she felt the need to write this book in the first place. She makes the following statement:

"Because there's a bias against introverts. Our schools, workplaces, and religious institutions are designed for extroverts, and many introverts believe that there is something wrong with them and that they should try to "pass" as extroverts. This bias leads to a colossal waste of talent, energy, and ultimately, happiness."

Throughout the entire book, Cain makes the argument that American culture, in particular, demands that each of this country's citizens be loud, outgoing, exciting extroverts. We are all made to feel as if we need to exude confidence with big, flashy smiles and be seen as determined and bold. We're supposed to be all about team sports and collaborate in hoards. She points out that workplaces now pack their office employees together in shared cubicles or open layouts, removing private spaces necessary for an introvert to recharge and problem shoot alone. Schools, she says, have grouped desks together so that students have to face each other straight on instead of work through math problems and creative writing assignments on their own, as individuals. She argues that American society has failed to see the value of creating quiet getaways for the introverts to do what they do best - which is to make thoughtful, calculated decisions in quiet places - alone.

Interestingly, she points out some examples of introverts and extroverts in the workplace and how the introverts' quiet, well-laid plans and ideas are frequently ignored because they are more modest and calm in the presentation of their ideas. She notes that in an office situation where introverts and extroverts are collaborating, the extrovert usually convinces the group to go with their plan and generally succeeds in convincing others simply because they are louder. The introvert sitting on the sideline is frequently ignored because they didn't stand up and do a dance, so to speak, to get people to hear what it is that they are suggesting the group/company do. Cain writes to encourage the extrovert to seek out the quiet introvert's opinion when collaborating and she also writes to encourage the introvert to work on being a little bolder in group environments so that they will be heard.

As only a little bit of an aside, Cain also notes that the introvert usually has the better plan because an introvert is more inclined to listen longer, ask questions, think more deeply and calculate risks more than an extrovert would. What is her point in mentioning this? The introvert generally has something to say that's worth hearing. Don't dismiss the quiet sorts just because they are quiet. Their ideas tend to be pretty good.

Truthfully I feel a little silly talking about this book because I feel like it's a bit of self-promotion in certain respects. I am the person she describes in this book. I identified with much of what she said regarding the need for quiet getaways to foster creativity and provide rest. I totally understand what she is saying when she argues that to deny an introvert quiet privacy is to risk their health and happiness because if I am on the go for too many hours a day or too many days in a row I begin to physically and emotionally wear out. I have to pace myself or I will literally begin to get sick - sometimes becoming overheated or I'll begin to suffer a sore throat. (I think that aspect is a little weird, actually, but it's truly what happens.) The only way I can recover and avoid becoming really sick is to be at home without anyone outside of our family coming around so that I can just be without feeling like I have to rise to some occasion and make conversation. Perhaps that seems unbelievable but it's true.

I did enjoy reading Quiet, mostly because it helps to remind me to pace myself well. And just so you know - I'm writing up my thoughts on this book after returning from a 7-day vacation to see family in which we were constantly on the go. I loved being with my loved ones and cherished every moment I had with them. But at the current moment, I am recharging in a quiet house. My kids are napping, I'm sipping tea, nursing a sore throat, and typing this up while enjoying flannel. I have no desire to leave my house for several days more. Weird? Perhaps. But so true.

Who should read this book:

1. Introverts who are curious to hear more of the arguments for why it is that it's ok for them to be introverts. (That's if you don't already understand the reasons, of course.)
2. Extroverts with introvert friends and family that they could better understand if they heard some of this information.
3. Teachers who might learn how to appreciate and make room for the introverted student.
4. Extrovert parents with introvert children who are in any way worried that their child is not equipped to survive in society in its current form.

If you would like to get a taste for this book, you might wish to check out Susan Cain's TED talk which has been viewed almost 10 million times.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Giveaway

I've been out of town for a week and although I did manage to read through a couple of books, I haven't had a change to write up reviews yet. So while I'm waiting for a moment to write my thoughts up on a few titles, why don't we have a little giveaway, eh?

You might recall that I read Chitty Chitty Bang Bang last year and absolutely loved it. In fact, I loved it so much that I listed it as one of my top favorite reads for the year 2013. I think everyone ought to make time to enjoy the pleasure that is this story.

Candlewick Press recently released a 50th year hardback edition of this book and I asked them if they'd be willing to host a giveaway for my readers here at Reading to Know. They were very agreeable and so I am excited to offer you a chance to win a copy for yourself.

Whether you win or not, I highly recommend this read to you. It is so fun, imaginative and quirky. Yes, I would totally gift a copy of this book this Christmas to any number of people with small children because it's a fun story (which is not at all like the movie, by the way). Can't recommend it highly enough.

Would you like to win a copy of this 50th year hardback edition for yourself or for a friend? All you have to do is leave a comment below. This contest is open to U.S. Residents only and will be open through Friday, November 21st.

Please note that you must leave a valid e-mail address in order to be entered into the drawing. Lately I have had a few people fail to do this and I have no way of contacting you without an address!

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER, as selected by Random.org., IS #18 - JANET! CONGRATS!

Many thanks to Candlewick Press for offering a copy of this delightful book to one of my readers.

The Snow Queen, by Hans Christian Anderson

Move over, Frozen! There's an old guy in town! His name's Hans Christian Andersen and he wrote a story about an evil troll who creates a magic mirror that distorts the appearance of everything it reflects. This mirror is used to make the loveliest of landscapes appear like "boiled spinach." There is an attempt made to carry this mirror into Heaven to mock the angels with, but the mirror slips during the journey and falls to earth, shattering into a myriad of pieces of all shapes and sizes. Pieces of the mirror are blown all around and land in people's hearts and eyes, eventually freezing their hearts.

In Andersen's tale, we also meet characters like Kay (a boy) and Gerda. These two have grown up together and are the best of chums until one day when a sliver from the broken mirror falls into Kay's eye and heart. His heart then begins to grown stone cold and he is attracted away from Gerda and the life he knew by an evil snow queen. Hans Christian Andersen's story focuses on Gerda's quest to find Kay and to release him from his evil and enchanted imprisonment. It is a deeply moving tale of true friendship and the war between good and evil.

Disney caught hold of this story and couldn't "let it go" (clever. I know.) and our world will likely never be the same. But what a pity if we all let Disney do all of the story telling without taking a time to dive into the rich original work by Hans Christian. Andersen first published The Snow Queen in 1844. It is one of his most highly acclaimed stories and that is the case even before Disney stuck their fingers in it. I read the original work to my kids earlier this year and we enjoyed it very much. It's a powerful, imaginative and thoughtful story - one worth hearing over and over again. Because I think it is worth listening to in its original form (repeatedly) I was delighted to see that Barefoot Books offers a beautifully illustrated edition by Miss Clara and "retold" by Sarah Lowes. (I can't say I noticed any deviations from the original story in this retelling. Unless I'm terribly mistaken, only language was changed but not substance.) Furthermore, this edition of the book offers a CD for you to listen to as many times as you like. (Bonus: Lowes is British. Therefore she has an English accent. Therefore I have enjoyed listening to the story many times over just because she makes it sound beautiful.)  Each of my kids has listened to this particular edition and each of them has enjoyed it.

Watching Disney-fied versions of old stories can certainly be lots of fun but I am of the opinion that it is so important to know the original works which the Disney stories are merely based on. Frequently I find that the original works are much better than the on-screen stories. (The one exception I have noted so far being North Avenue Irregulars. I absolutely love the movie and dislike the book.) The Snow Queen is such a classic tale and it would be a sorry thing to lose it amidst the Frozen hype. This particular edition is so lovely I would heartily recommend it to anyone who would like to know the "real" story. If you have Frozen fans to buy for this Christmas season, but don't really want to go the Disney merchandising route, I'd direct your attention to this Barefoot book with CD. My children are ages 3, 5 and 8 and, as I say, they each enjoyed it. (I did also and I am much older than they are.)

Least you get the wrong impression of me, I do like Disney very much but I'm not the world's biggest fan of Frozen. In this case of this story, I might not mind my kids watching the movie but I would much rather them read the book and know "what really happened" because it is ever so much deeper and thought provoking a story than Frozen is.

Beautifully told, beautifully read and beautifully illustrated - I have a hard time seeing anything wrong with this one and encourage you to check it out!

I'll leave you with a few more examples of the illustrations by Miss Clara:

Many thanks to Barefoot Books for sending a copy of this book my direction for the purpose of facilitating this review. I received no additional compensation and all opinions are 100% my very own.

Peter Pan, by J.M. Barrie

The kids and I managed to wrap up our reading of Peter Pan last week. Not that "wrapping it up" was all that hard to do. Everyone enjoyed the read, even Bookworm3 (age 3) who normally bores of our chapter books. It was nice to find one that she actually liked. I do suspect though that the reason she engaged with this story is because the characters were familiar to her, thanks to Disney. She enjoyed hearing about (and pretending to be) Wendy on Neverland Island. (The brothers play various roles from the book but no one else can pull off Wendy quite like Bookworm3. It must be nice to have exclusive pick sometimes.)

Since I am quite certain that everyone knows the storyline for Peter Pan, I'll avoid spending time explaining. I had mentioned that I read Peter Pan by myself a few years back. I almost hesitate to link to this but here is my old review (from 8 years ago!) which pretty much only points out that I read the book and didn't like certain aspects of it. (I hate my old reviews.) I have no idea what my complete thoughts were or even if I had any. (I really hate my old reviews.) Interesting though in that the one thing I noted was that 'one day' I would figure out how to filter the real story of Peter Pan when introducing it to my kids. Well, now the rubber has hit the road. And what did I do? I left it unfiltered. (I wipe my brow when saying that!) I have definitely changed as a reader and a more-experience-than-before parent. Ha!

Ok, so the kids and I sat down to read Peter Pan and overall we enjoyed it as I said. There are still aspects of the book which I did not like but this time I'll explain more precisely what they were. I read the book aloud and left it all as-is with one exception. Tinker Bell has a habit of saying, "You silly ass" quite a bit and I think that's very rude and something that I don't want my kids picking up on and trying out for themselves. So when I read her voice, I just left it at her saying, "You silly!" They didn't notice the difference but they also didn't catch the rudeness which is Tinker Bell and I think that's actually something of a loss for them. (But I'm also happy to let them discover the missing word later on when they are more mature.) Of course, the book is different from the Disney version and Bookworm1 pointed this out when we got around to re-watching that film. (I'm glad he noticed. He's been paying more attention to differences between books and movies like a good little bookworm ought to do.)

Now, let's jump to the "meat" of this post, shall we?

What did I not like about Peter Pan?

• I do not like the way that Mr. Darling is portrayed. He's a bumbling idiot who thinks highly of himself even though everyone else sees him as a rather inconvenient fussy pants. He does not receive an ounce of respect. While it is true that some fathers certainly strain our abilities to respect them, the role that they possess deserves a little respect, like it or not. I believe that even a bad father ought to be forgiven his sins just as we hope and believe ours will be forgiven. Even if a person has a father who is rotten to the core, we are still called to love them as we are to love our enemies. Sometimes our enemies are our fathers (or father figures) which is most definitely regrettable and sad. However, this does not excuse the fact that we are required to do right and think right even if they refuse to do the same. I don't much like how Mr. Darling runs his household (or pouts like a baby in the dog house, drawing ridiculous attention to himself) but he is still the children's father and they need to support and love him in whatever way it might be possible for them to do so. (Finding ways to respect fathers when they prove undeserving poses many difficult questions and by stating all that I have, please note that I am in no way belittling the herculean effort it requires to recover from a bad father and then attempt love on top of that.) As Mr. Darling though is not an evil man, he also ought to be obeyed without so much argument (as was the case in the beginning of the book). I don't know what Barrie thought of fathers but by testimony of this book, my guess is that he didn't think many kind things. 
• Politically correct crowds are not going to enjoy the way that the Indians are spoken of in this book. Using the label "red skins' isn't at all acceptable these days and so that will give modern readers pause. It is rather cringe worthy but as I mentioned in my review of Brer Rabbit, times change our beliefs, convictions and perceptions (as it ought to do) but we can't just ignore the past or ban books because we don't like the historical aspect of them. Certainly Barrie potrayed Indians in a rather poor light but at the time there was much less known about these people. They were mysterious and feared and it's understandable that that is the picture of them that Barrie gives to us.
• I do not care for Tinker Bell's language or attitude of contempt. (Disney has saved her hide.)

Things I know will be a problem for other people in the story, but that didn't bother me:

• There is a lot of talk about killing people in this story. The pirates are after the lost boys who are after the Indians who are after the pirates and so on and so forth. Their battles are not clean, neat, pretty or silly. They outright kill each other. Hook is not so much a bumbling codfish in the book as he is a (literal) cut throat pirate. I've never thought of pirates as being silly, fun guys and have never portrayed them as such to my boys. They aren't people that you are designed to admire so I didn't mind Barrie's descriptions of their behavior and left it as-is and open for questions. (They didn't ask me any questions.)

Things I did not remember about the literary version of Peter which I found fascinating:

• I had forgotten how much of a baby Peter acts. In the Disney version especially, he has the voice of pre-teen or early teen and he acts with the maturity level of a 12 year old (or thereabouts). His independence is somewhat believable in the cartoon version. He's taller on film than I think Barrie envisioned and, again, the deeper voice makes a huge difference. In contrast, Barrie consistently refers to Peter as a baby in every act and thought. Peter-of-the-Book only remembers things for a few seconds or minutes and then he's off to the next adventure, forgetting the last. His imagination is healthy and boundless and so real to him that he can even believe he is eating real food when he isn't. Really the only thing very adult about Peter-of-the-Book is the way he fights against Hook and the pirates. In all other ways he is predictably selfish and self-centered, just like a very young child. I recall not liking that aspect of Peter in my first reading, but this time I was just left with a certain amount of appreciation for Barrie's understanding of the sin nature of children. (Heh.)

Naturally after we finished the book, we watched both movie versions. We started with Disney which led to several days of pretending to be Wendy and Peter Pan fighting off crocodiles and Captain Hook. (Yes. It is delightful to me when my kids start acting out the books and stories that they hear and see.) Following the Disney version we watched the Cathy Rigby version which I have mentioned before. All of the kids sat riveted for the Rigby version and I (always and forever) recommended it to you. The only objection is that Tinker Bell's language isn't edited and Tiger Lily's costume a bit revealing. Peter interprets the "you silly ass!" line to Wendy in the Rigby version. (And both of my boys burst out laughing. Sigh.)

Really, don't just leave yourself with Disney (although I do find the cartoon version to be quite enjoyable in Disney's classic charming way) but check out Rigby also!

I am glad to have read this one again for myself and also to have shared it (unedited) with my kids. They enjoyed it and I get to write a brand new review which effectively writes the other one away, right? RIGHT!?

Number the Stars, by Lois Lowrey :: RtK Book Club November

We are coming to the conclusion of this year's book club reads. (Can you believe it?!) Book #11 for this year is Number the Stars and was selected for us by my friend Heather at Don't Let This Universe Forget You. Here is Heather with her opening thoughts on this month's read:

*****

I feel like I always say this when I pick a book to lead for my book clubs, but I picked Number the Stars mainly because I just personally wanted to reread it. I remember reading it as a teenager and it was one of the first books that made me cry. I don’t remember much about it other than the fact that it was about Denmark during its Nazi occupation in WWII. I also remember it was very moving (hence the crying). I also think it was quite possibly the reason my interest in the effects of the Third Reich have held a certain interest for me that lasted all the way through college. Honestly, I’m a little nervous to revisit it since it has held such a special place in my memory. I think it will be good to have the chance to reread it and I’m looking forward to what everyone else thinks about it, and if it is as good as I remember.


Number the Stars is the story of the Danish resistance to the Nazi occupation, particularly regarding the treatment of Danish Jews. The story is told through a child which makes it much more compelling, in my opinion. It’s one of those war stories that doesn’t minimize the horrors of war, but gives the reader a glimpse of hope and redemption in the midst of great sorrow, and who doesn’t love that about a book?

*****
Would you like to read along with us this month? Let us know in the comment section!