October 2006
Listening For Lions, by Gloria Whelan: excellent! Good for older child, about racist themes, honesty, and love (194 pgs.)
Chasing Vermeer, by Blue Balliett: excellent! Fun for math ideas, art appreciation, mystery, codes, older child level (254 pgs.)
Seven Wonders of Sassafrass Springs, by Betty C. Birney: excellent! Fun read-a-loud. Exciting underlying idea of finding “wonders” in our own backyard, so to speak; fun to create theme of study on this (205 pgs)
My Father’s Dragon, by Ruth Stiles Gannett: fun and quick Good for read-a-loud for the whole family; about using your head, clever with a slight theme of disrespect for parents (74 pgs.)
The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho: fantastic! A thought-provoking, fable like tale of life, missions, distractions, and perspective. (164 pgs.)
The Comedy of Errors, by William Shakespeare: funny but a bit too asinine. Discourages jumping to conclusions, encourages having a strong sense of judgment to not be deeply affected by any rumor or have small instances blow out of proportion. Also a good study on vocabulary. One of the least meaningful of the Shakespeare plays I’ve read.
Parenting Breakthrough, by Boyack (sp). Excellent, realistic ideas about how to teach your children independence by teaching skills, accountability, and work ethics by the time they leave your home. Also good ideas about teaching money sense. (Approx 250 pgs.)
The Inside-Outside Beauty Book, by Barbara Barrington Jones. Light, teenage-level about confidence and beauty, dwells more on feelings of self-worth than outward beauty tips...which is consistent with her premise that outer beauty is reflected by inner beauty. Okay, easy read. (98 pages)
The Confident You, by Barbara Barrington Jones. Much more practical and hands on than her other book above, but the way she writes is often hard to follow, jumpy, and overly sappy (but, again, better than in the previous book).
December 2006
No Doubt About It by Sheri Dew fantastic
Boy at War juvenile fiction about the bombing of Pearl Harbor (read to preview for Kel) alright. Not great morals or message, but minimally questionable read.
Bonds that Make us Free, by Warner, fabulous, but not as readable as the Anatomy of Peace. Harder to understand the overall concepts, but great, personally affecting examples.
FableHaven, Moss(?) Great fantasy book read-a-loud for youth. Fun characters with themes of obedience and consequences for irresponsibility.
January 2007
Poison Study, an interesting fantasy book but with too much sensuality thrown it to ruin it. Didn’t read the next books in the series.
The Anatomy of Peace, by the Arbinger institute fabulous and life changing about being a better person
A Separate Peace,
February 2007
CFA Martin Luther King Jr. Excellent resource of black civil rights history. Great poems and song outlines inside.
The Unicorns of Balinor, mediocre youth fiction read. A little dark with gaps in the plot and too much predictability in the characters.
Flatland, by Abbott–an interesting satire that is mind-expanding about the concept of dimensions. About 100 pages.
The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, a fictional look at the recent history of war-torn Afghanistan. A story of two boys, their friendship and love betrayed by self-doubt and jealousy. A story of forgiveness, and an interesting look at the Afgani culture (written by an Afgani, so hopefully fairly accurate). Disturbing scenes and language...not one I’ll read again, but in many ways I am grateful for the glimpse. Around 400 pages.
March 2007
The Three Musketeers, by Alexander Dumas. A somewhat shallow book about consistently bad examples of good virtues. One good quote: (pg. 241) “A rogue does not laugh in the same way that an honest man does; a hypocrite does not shed the same tears as a sincere man. All falsehood is a mask, and however well made the mask may be, with a little attention we may always distinguish it from the true face.” 626 pages.
The VonTrapp Family Singers, by Maria Von Trapp. Great, with good ideas of education, family traditions, and music. A nice, positive account of Catholicism. A little over 300 pages.
Gooney Bird Greene, by Lois Lowry. Youth, 86 pages. Great introduction to story telling.
A Week in the Woods, by Andrew Clements. About 200 pages. Young adult story with excellent themes about responsibility for personal behavior, the positive effect of hands on work/learning, survival skills, and benefits of allowing children unstructured time.
More Team Building Challenges, a great book for ideas about group games/challenges.
April 2007
The Thomas Jefferson Education Home Companion, by Diann Jeppson and the DeMille’s. Pretty good...I liked the parts that the DeMille’s wrote particularly, and felt that Diann’s part came across a bit overbearing.
Fairest, by Gail Larson Levine. 326 pages. Engaging book, clean, and interesting twist of how much are we compelled to do or really just think we have to do. Also, thought-provoking concepts of our gifts, how we use them and take care of them, etc.
May 2007
The Five People You Meet in Heaven, . About 200 pages, I didn’t finish (about 50 pages from the end) due to the overly dramatic, crass way he wrote. The story didn’t seem to provide closure or healing as the main character looked back at his experiences, which is what I think the author was trying to do.–I finished this in July...it was better towards the end, but it was as though the author was trying to hard to make it a classic, moving story...and came short.
The Explosive Child, Ross W. Greene, c. 1998. Interesting book about how to prevent, anticipate, and deal with explosive, inflexible children. I only read one third, skimmed another third, and didn’t read the end due to the persistent recounting of terrible swear words “in dialogue”. I understood his premise and methods only after trudging through the mire of self-conceit, excessive examples (pertinent perhaps to school age/older children), and repetitive conclusions. P 332
July 2007
Captains Courageous, by Rudyard Kipling. 189 pages. A book that captures the flavor of sea life, complete with difficult to follow dialogue (not easily suitable for younger readers for that reason). The last thirty pages or so really completes the book as a statement of the power of work and discipline on the positively shaping of a young man into a man of confidence and power.
Shiloh, approx 200 pages. Story about a young boy who hides a dog from an abusive master. I don’t agree with the author’s resolution or ending statement of how sometimes right and wrong don’t stay the same. The boy, although troubled by the lies he tells to keep the dog, seems to toe the line of integrity in appearances and seems to feel that the end justifies the means. There are quite a few good discussion questions in the end of the version I read, though, and it did help me understand a bit more the possible bond between a person and an animal.
The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd, 302 pgs. An interesting story about a young woman discovering the truth about her past during the time when the Civil Rights Act was passed. It is in many ways a beautiful tale about relationships, racial issues, and developing into womanhood. It explores the bond between women as they seek to comfort and teach each other, as they work and worship together, and the beauty and healing of forgiveness, unconditional acceptance, empathy and love. The themes of the value and nature of motherhood and womanhood are strongly developed in such a way to enable to reader to explore her own feelings on the matter. Although the language was a bit too brazen about Lily’s images of herself and the book had vulgarity throughout, the language of nature (the bees, the river, the seasons, etc) was poetic and helped create a nest, a safe environment for Lily to grow, develop and learn to love and be loved. It was a very empathetic novel, more suitable to an older teen or adult
A few parts that I liked out of the book: Lily, describes how she refrains from throwing a fit because she knows it doesn’t do any good or change anything, so she lets out her frustration in a long sigh. What a great lesson. I could have read the whole book just for that line.
“Nobody’s perfect. You just have to close your eyes and breathe out and let the puzzle of the human heart be what it is.” (Pg 285)
The Miracle of Forgiveness, by Spencer W. Kimball, pg 360 (approx.) A very no-nonsense look at the gospel and the need for each of us to seek forgiveness, and the way to do it. Powerful in many ways. I liked the quotes on not limiting the number of children which came at a time when I needed to hear it. It took a long time, but it was worth it.
August 2007
The Fourth Turning, by Strauss and Howe, pg 340 (approx.) Fabulous, paradigm-changing read about historic cycles, with marvelous information that captures the vibrance of lives and “eras” gone by...and yet to be? The ideas the authors present give hope in times of “unraveling” values, as well as giving value to individual lives and personalities.
Up From Slavery, by Booker T. Washington, pg 214. More about freedom from the slavery of ignorance, prejudice, physical passion/laziness, and covetousness than from physical slavery. Great model for developing a school that teaches work along with “official” education (Greek & Latin). Themes: work, freedom, slavery, independence.
The Silent Gondoliers, by William Goldman, pg 110. A few swear words, written in Goldman’s saucy tones. Wonderful story with the thought provoking idea, “How can the removal of beauty from a world so lacking in beauty be anything but tragic?...And can the loss of beauty be anything but bad?...That is for you to decide.” My decision, yes, if it is replaced by something even more noble or beautiful, such as sacrifice and love. The Gondoliers replaced something that brought them vanity and separateness one from another and replaced it with something noble and self-sacrificing, which brought them together. How can it not be good create unity? In light of the Fourth Turning...I sound like someone living in the first turning... “unity is essential!” not someone from the Unravelling “everything for the individual!” I wonder if this book gains popularity at different times in history...
Also a book to look at how an individual’s life can be so tragically bad/unfortunate despite great labors to overcome adversity, and still have a great impact on others.
Sometimes I feel like Luigi...no matter what I do, I cannot fix me. I am grateful for the Atonement of Christ that enables my life to be valuable.
Wild Swans: Three daughters of China, by Jung Chang, pg 508. A brutally succinct depiction of the evolution of Chinese life from under the empirical “warlords”, to the Kuomintang, to the Communists. The instability of their lives, literally at the whim and mercy of the current power, was incredible. It made me see how someone could accept communism as a possible option. It also made me think about how much it mirrors the law of Consecration...only that would only be effective with a righteous judge and ruler...which the Chinese never had. A memoir. I felt like it was a great overall impression of Chinese history...kind of a “feel of a country in a nutshell”...but, of course, I have nothing to compare it to. ☺
September
Fascinating Womanhood: by Andelin, pg approx 3-400. Read half-way, skimmed the rest (was repetitive in examples & ideas). Book with great underlying message about how men want to be admired and women like to be cherished with ideas to go about doing this. Be cautious about recommending this one...without a good core, this book can be demeaning and destructive to a woman and her identity & relationship with her husband.
October 2007
The Mourning Dove: A Story of Love, by Larry Barkdull, pg 86. A symbolic tale about a boy living with his grandfather after the death of his parents. The overall message parallels the Atonement, and how, even when we do wrong, the price has been paid so that we may do better, live better, and become more. Nice story.
November 2007
Alas, Babylon, by Pat Frank, pg. approx 200. Great book about an apocalyptic event and what might happen to society and individuals as they try to cope with it. Young adult suitable.
“Mr. President–a book of US Presidents” Scholastic Biography, pg. 175, by George Sullivan, which was a quick, seemingly non-partial overview of our presidents, their main strengths and weaknesses while in office. Great youth non-fiction read.
To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, pg 322. Wonderful! This book has so many great themes and topics of discussion from honor, integrity, seeing people for who they are/not judging, prejudice, fairness, parenting, living responsibly...so many! Some of the discussions and language may not be age appropriate for younger readers. I was amazed at the messages of education (home education in particular), seeing the beauty of others or "walking in their shoes", integrity, parenting and tolerance that were so simply put forth in those pages. Another personal classic!
The Abolition of Man, by C.S. Lewis, pg 87. Great (albeit complicated) reflections on the importance of teaching morality in schools through reading and discussions. Read it twice to get it better. Plough through the first time!
December 2007
Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee, approx 600 by Dee Brown. I skimmed through this one. While it is interesting and truly heart-wrenching to read about the sad accounts of the American Indian, I have honestly skimmed and jumped because it is literally the same thing, over and over again. This book would be a good reference when studying the degeneration of a particular tribe, or if one needed to catalogue all the terrible things people have done in the name of government with the motivation of wealth. However, it hasn’t really changed anything for me. I still feel pity for what happened, but hearing fifty different ways about how white men maimed and brutalized women and children hasn’t done much for me. Read after referencing 1 Ne 13:13-15, which, much like the Jewish atrocities, doesn’t justify it, but perhaps explains how time and again the American Indians suffered defeat. I loved the quotes in the book, elucidating the connection of that people to their land and families. The last section about “the Messiah” made me think about the caution to us about false Messiahs raised in the last days, who will lead many astray. Despite the obvious falsity of the situation, it was eye-opening how many truths about His coming still were latent among the people. This book reminded me of the other book I’m currently reading, Kon Tiki that refers to the ancestral “white” race of Polynesian tradition.
I Am A Mother, by Jane Clayson Johnson, pg 128. Great book with collection of quotes and experiences that help women see the joy in the “mundane” of motherhood. ☺ An empowering statement of our divine worth and significance.
Kon-Tiki, by Thor Heyerdahl, pg 230. I just skimmed this–it was a book trying to prove how the population of the Polynesian islands could have come in part from South America. He used archeological connections, similarities in diet, language, and religion, not to mention traditions that stated “white ancestors came from the east over the big water”. In order to prove his theory, Thor gathered some men, crafted a raft comparable to what they believe could have been employed by primitive peoples in South America, and then sailed across, propelled by nothing more than the current and prevailing winds, living off items available to ancient Americans. It has many interesting notes about sea life, survival, and testing a hypothesis scientifically.
Gathering Blue, by Lois Lowry, pg 215. Good book, if grounded in Core. Many potentially controversial subliminal messages about blind obedience, dangers of tradition, and questioning authority. I enjoyed it immensely, the idea of gifts, personal vision, and value of tolerance, love and kindness have on the structure of society.
Goose Girl, pg approx 300. Fascinating re-telling of Grimm’s “Goose Girl”. A story about realizing inner potential, finding our own gifts, and how to use and contribute. Different ideas about leadership, educating ourselves for a purpose, having integrity, and loyalty are strongly and well presented.
January 2008
The Virginian, by Owen Wister, approx 400 pages. A five Pillar GWC “Classic”, which I thought was poorly written. While it may accurately capture the life, personality, and diction of an American Cowboy, I saw little to emulate and didn’t like the conclusions of justice.
Geronimo, Childhood of Famous American Series, approx 200. Great account of Geronimo’s possible childhood–a quick, fun read for 8-12 y.o. boys.
Nectar in a Sieve, by Kamala Markandaya, pg 186. I really liked this book, its themes of quiet contentment and beauty among trying conditions of poverty and persecution, until I discovered...on the last page...that it was a fiction. While I could have found this out earlier, I didn’t, and looking back find some of the examples pretentious. If they were examples out of a real life, I can understand it, but now I wonder about the accuracy of the portrayal of an Indian woman living in poverty. Some of the major themes were: one of waiting, calm acceptance of terrible things that happen in our lives; finding joy in the simple things of earth and family; the question of how valuable a knowledge of our own impotence can be–will it just make us frustrated and discontent vs our previous calm resignation. “What more is there? What more can I do? It is how things are.” It is a beautiful book, though, the beauty of a life simply and completely lived with integrity to one’s personal convictions.
A Winter’s Tale, by Shakespeare. Quick, insightful read about the consequences of rash behavior and the inherent value of a person true to their qualities, birth, and station.
February 2008
To Destroy You is No Loss, by JoAn D. Criddle, The story of Teeda Butt Mam. This is a powerful, simply told account of a young woman and her family in the face of changing governments, the most “remarkable” of which was the Khmer Rouge, a communist dictatorship that killed hundreds and thousands of Cambodian people. This was not an issue of racial or even cultural prejudice–it was simply the desire of a small group of people to exercise control and authority over another. With a population of approximately 8 million, 50,000 soldiers and leaders of the Khmer Rouge were able to manipulate them with false promises, deception and brutality. Remarkably “clean” for a book about a genocide; a powerful testimony of the importance of preserving freedom when you can is easier than taking it back later,...further, the importance of intelligent awareness of government and caution against taking the “safer” way out. They continually held to empty promises and hope, having given no foundation to believe the regime.
Princess Academy, Shannon Hale, pg 314. Wonderful story about a young woman who finds her place in society. Rampant with values and standards I myself hold dear; captivating and page-turning. Ideal young adult fiction. Captures the value of an education in many areas to become a “capable princess”...the desire of any young maid ☺.
March 2008
A Heart Like His, by Virginia H. Pearce. Pg 106. Quick, anecdotal read which I have had people refer to me as “life-changing”. While I found some good ideas in it, it wasn’t transforming, as I have come to many of the same conclusions already. It did have truth in it.
Laddie, by Gene Stratton-Porter.
April 2008
Leadership and Self Deception, Great book about self-deception and the powerful, proactive role we can have in relationships. Written in the context of a business, but applied to personal relationships
Anatomy of Peace, by the Arbinger Institute. A companion book to Leadership and Self-Deception.
May 2008
O Pioneer!, by Willa Cather, pg 169. “O Pioneer!” by Willa Cather, and I didn’t really care for how it ended. It didn’t bother me that some of the characters died–it was more the drama that seemed to take away from the statement the first part of the book was making about the character of pioneers, their ties to the land, and the vision they cherished. I did love the book, though. It taught the incorrectness (appropriate consequences perhaps?) of immorality, without graphic detail, no language that I could recall, and was an interesting study in human behavior/response to adversity/hard work/prosperity.
Enna Burning, by Shannon Hale, approx 270 pages. A follow-up with the tale of Goose Girl, with one of the characters from that book. Interesting dialogue about personal will-power, “victimization”, accountability. It also addresses guilt over misdeeds and the role that can play in our lives, healthy or otherwise. Great young adult book, with a tiny insinuation of some romantic, adult overtures that are open to individual interpretation.
June 2008
River Secrets, by Shannon Hale, pg 290. Alright, but definitely not as good as the other two in this “series”. It was nice to see the drawing together of Enna and Finn, but the story wasn’t as meaningful. A coming of age book for “Razo”, the main character, and how he found his own place, but not in a transforming way–rather, by way of a realization of his inherent qualities.
My Antonia, by Willa Cather, pg 228. Not as good as “O Pioneer!” by a long shot in terms of prarie/pioneer imagery, but I felt like the last look at Antonia with her family made it worth reading this time. I loved the image of her and her glowing, healthy family at the end. Her strength, vivacity, and passion for her family produced such a marvelous home environment.
The Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck, pg 260. A fair book, although not as good as “Wild Swans” about Chinese society. The portrayal of Chinese actions was accurate, if you didn’t mind the Christian overtones with relation to temperance, fidelity, chastity, following good examples, idleness, pride, ingratitude...these weren’t spelled out, per se, but strongly hinted at, whereas I don’t know that any of the characters would have been troubled with such thoughts, or the negative outcome as dramatically depressing. (Quinn said the book should have ended halfway through.) Definite adult themes, particularly in the last part of the book, that were dwelt upon too much.
July 2008
Common Sense, by Thomas Paine pg. 58 less commentary. Amazing, powerful. Great expression of phrases of freedom.
The Voyage of Patience Goodspeed, by Heather Vogel Frederick, pg 213. A great young adult read (recommended to me by Tova), about a girl who loves mathematics and her adventure on the high seas on a whaling ship. Meaningful comments about family relationships, friendship, determination, along with a seemingly accurate portrayal of life/terminology would be like aboard a whaling vessel.
Five Little Peppers and How they Grew, by Margaret Sidney, pg 276. Originally I thought it too slow, boring and sappy for the kids to enjoy, but they implored me to keep reading it. While it is slow, the strong messages of love and joy in simplicity/poverty are neat, and provide great discussion. The kids drew their own conclusions that wealth was not everything and can in fact be limiting, although that was not clearly presented.
Princess: the real life story of women in Saudi Arabia, very graphic, depressing book...I was unable to get much further than pg 50 of it.
A wrinkle in Time, an interesting commentary on a socialistic society.
August 2008
1776, by David McCullough. Excellent and inspiring!
The Real Thomas Jefferson, by a bunch of people. Long, fabulous collection of source material to review Jefferson’s remarkable life. Skimmed, absorbed, devoured...fabulous.
Founding Mothers, by Cokie Roberts. Poorly organized and written, almost tabloid fashion. Interesting quotes about these amazing women, but told in the light of “the founding fathers were pathetic and needed the women to keep it all together. It would have been better told, I believe, with less condescension in the accounts of the men. Many lines like, “the women did all the work to keep it all running, balancing everything because they didn’t know better and it was tradition for them to be repressed.” Perhaps I am coming across a bit strong, but I feel that these vibrant amazing women knew exactly the sacrifice they were making, and they chose to do so.
A Tale of Two Cities, by Dickens. Amazing, powerful flowing read about a sweeping time, that ends remarkably filled with hope, despite the tragic circumstances of the novel. Characters quick, real, and many searching thoughts about personal responsibility in society, the power of one, how do we respond in the face of tragedy, perilous times...does it bring out our best? The role of God, and how, unfortunately, easily He can be replaced, etc. Amazing book.
September 2008
The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch. A quick, nice read about a man and his last reflections before dying of cancer at a somewhat young age. Not profound, per se, but not a waste of time.
October 2008
The Seer and the Sword, Victoria Hanley, pg 320 (approx). Fabulous fantasy book, with great atypical plot varying from the “hero-quest” outline. Engaging, noble characters, wonderful concepts of peace/war and the importance of peace, clean. Good young adult/adult read.
Love Comes Softly, by Janette Oke, pg 237. Enjoyable love story, not your typical “romance”, but about development/ relationship building. The man reminded me a lot of Quinn, with his patience/forbearance. Very clean, and simple.
Tuesdays With Morrie, by Mitch Albom, pg 192. Similar to “The Last Lecture”, about a dying man imparting wisdom to those coming afterwards, with a detailed depiction of his slow deterioration with the ALG disease.
The Illiad, by Homer, pg 630. Interesting themes of war, fate, and honor. It was a great documentation of family histories/geneology, theology/folklore/tradition, knowledge (anatomy, culture), and fabulous imagery. (Akhilles was a whiner.)
The Communist Manifesto, by Karl Marx. Interesting read, in light of how he plays on people’s fears of inadequacy and that other’s (the “leaders/nobility/upper classes/etc.) are seeking to take advantage of them, and uses twisted logic to justify why he (and other self-proclaimed “sympathetic” authorities) should decide what is best for everyone.
Hamlet, by Shakespeare. The best read yet! I think I developed a better understanding of the greatness of Hamlet in his cautious desire to do what was right, torn between his ties to the throne, his mother, and his dead father crying for revenge. He must examine certain absolutes in his life and decide if they are based in truth and what his actions should be in relation to them.
The Naming, Allison Cronin pg 456 (about). Good book, probably not worth reading again, although has an interesting twist on the usual fantasy set-up, and most of the “bad guys” aren’t too dark. No real moral/lesson..
Healer’s Keep, approx 350 pages, by Victoria Henley. Not as good as “The Seer and the Sword” (it’s precursor), but still an excellent read. Too much surreal magical imagery in the end with little logic. The typical “my obscure magic trumps your obscure magic by hitherto unknown magical laws.”
November 2008
The Light of the Oracle, approx 350 pages, by Victoria Henley. Better than Healer’s Keep and only very loosely related. I liked the themes of integrity and honor in the face of peer pressure that were well presented.
Princess Academy, 314 pages, Shannon Hale. Again, a wonderful read, and I enjoyed even moreso the themes of family,community, and the power of knowledge in these pages..
The Riddle, Allison Cronin. Didn’t finish...too much the classic quest, skeptical hero in the face of overwhelming odds discovering their powers as the only miraculous way to save the world. The characters were alright, but the author spent too much time describing things in mysterious, cryptic ways. A great deal of repetition in the thought processes and actions of the characters.
The Apology, by Plato (10 pages). Wonderful account of Socrates “defense”. It seems more like his chance to bear his final witness of the truth of what he sought to do...there is nothing “apologetic” about it ☺. Fabulous quotes, and situation similar to Abinadi’s final moments...powerful.
Ella Enchanted, by Gail Larson Levine, pg around 350. Great story (better than “Fairest”) that is nothing like the movie. The heroine is genuine, the prince real, and the story engaging. I loved her integrity and the sincerity of the main characters. There are definitely some lacking characters, but they are never put forth as admirable. Seeking the underlying goodness in people seems to be an emphasis of Levine, as well as the emptiness of pride and vanity and position.
The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom, pg 220.Amazing, life-changing book each time I read it. Powerful concepts of forgiveness equaling peace, forgiveness that comes only from God, the power of one, of love, of prayer, of faith. Favorite (of many) “Christ has died for them, dare I demand more?” We must forgive...what more can we exact/demand for vengeance?
December 2008
Reviving Ophelia: saving the selves of our adolescent girls, Mary Pipher, PhD pg 293. Great book for a glimpse into how horrific the teenage years can be. The first 3/4ths is sometimes disturbing, and self-aggrandizing on the part of the author, however the final 1/6th is redeeming for the book and very enlightening.
Two from Galilee-mediocre fictitious book about Mary and Joseph. I felt a bit uncomfortable with the endless focus on consummating the marriage ☹
Plato’s Republic-fascinating account of “what is justice?” and is it worth it to have it in society.
The Book Thief (½-way through) fictitious story about Germans and Jews in Germany in WWII.
January 2009
Multiple Intelligences-insightful, albeit long-winded treatise on different learning styles in children and how we can increase the learning capacity of an individual by teaching them in their unique style.
The Apple-Pip Princess, fabulous children’s book about what someone can do to restore a country with just a little seed!
Aristotle-Politics book 1 and Ethics book 1-interesting insights into the purpose of society, purpose of man, and how they should interact.
Plutarch’s Lives, Pontilus and Numa (I think). A great compare and contrast of the tyrannical socialistic government that intrusively dictated the lives of the subjects and a ruler that sought to educate the people and inspire them to be better.
February 2009
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, approx 260 pages. Enjoyable historical fiction, in the style of letters back and forth. It is a speculation of what it might have been like on the Channel Islands during WWII under the occupation of the Germans.
Locke Treatise on Civil Government. Interesting presentation on society, it’s purpose, Natural Law/state of Nature, what is “just” or “right” within societies: parental rights, slavery, conquest, forms of government, etc.
The Hero and the Crown, by Robin McKinley, approx. 300 pages. Not as good as I remember it being: too ethereal and mystic and nature in its conclusion...the usual fantasy “cop-out”. Even the characters didn’t really change or develop. Going to D.I.!
God’s Smuggler, by Brother Andrew and the Merrills. Approx 350 pages. Fantastic read about a gentleman “called” to deliver Bibles behind the Iron Curtain. Completely without soliciting funds or sustaining a job, this man goes out on faith and the Lord provides a way for him to do His work. It reminds me a great deal of Corrie Ten Boom’s story in “The Hiding Place”. The Merrills helped him print and publish it, but it is a narrative of his story. He experienced WWII first-hand in Holland, as well as military experience in Dutch Indonesia. His travels have taken him throughout Eastern Europe, Russia, China, and even Cuba...always delivering Bibles and sharing “God’s greetings from Holland” ☺.
Bastiat’s Essay on “The Law”. Amazingly readable and relevant to today’s issues and arguments against socialism. Highly recommended to anyone who will try it ☺. Approx. 45 pages in my copy.
March 2009
Till We Have Faces, C.S. Lewis. Excellent, thought-provoking book about what it takes to understand our divine heritage/religious perception of God...how we cannot identify our God and His role in our lives and the world around us until we know ourselves. (See notes in “Til we have faces” notes)
Aristotle: Politics
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, by Boyne. Fabulous and powerful. Excellent book about how we can support fences around us, that separate us from those others may see as “not equal” or even “not human”; how society can seek to justify terrible things.
The Ordinary Princess-one of my favorite books of all time!!
April 2009
Plato’s Republic
Machievelli: The Prince An interesting political mind-set basically embodying “the end justifies the means” and what one must do to maintain power (ruthlessly, at times, if necessary).
Tiger Rising, by Kate DiCamillo A young adult book that doesn’t really say much, but has great potential for learning about life, relationships, stereotypes, mourning, loss, friendship, responsibility, family.
May 2009
The Wonder of Boys, by Michael Gurian, pg 265 notes on this in the “parenthood” notes section. Interesting, but has some ideas that I definitely don’t agree with. However, I think it was worth the read and the perspective it had into boy-ness ☺.
Fairest, by Gail Carson Levine. Alright fantasy book about the role of beauty verses other talents and inner beauty.
Red Scarf Girl, autobiography by Li Ji Liang (?). Emotion-stirring account of a girl who lived through the Cultural Revolution at ages 11-14. It captures her belief in communism and frustration at trying to be her best in a system that doesn’t accept her because of her ancestor’s place as landowners.
The School Story, by Andrew Clements. Nice story about the process of getting a work published, role of an agent and editor, and a little theme about friends. Too much bossiness and not very real relationships compared to other Clements’ stories I have read.
June 2009
Door in the Wall (listened to) middle age time frame great book about responsibility, coming of age, the vale of learning...young adult book. Many references to God and faith in Him.
Around the Great Horn Spoon (listened to) the book behind Bullwhip Griffeth movie, fun book about the gold rush environment.
Mao’s Last Dancer, Good book...very much like “Wild Swans”, “Red Scarf Girl”, and “The Good Earth” by Buck. I didn’t finish reading it right now, but it had neat themes of family and loyalty.
Red Sails to Capri, a fun adventure book about three men who come to an island and challenge a long-standing superstition, and the courage of a young family in supporting them. (Young adult/late reader chapter book).
Do Hard Things, by Alex and Brett (?). Approx. 240 pgs. An amazing, paradigm shifting book about the misuse/mistreatment of the “teenager”, and how actively doing hard things by choice can be powerful and produce amazing results in this age group that has been severely “dumbed down” and underestimated.
Three Cups of Tea, I read about 1/3 of it before stopping, knowing I will read it later for a book club. A neat book about the determination and ability of one man to make a difference in the lives of rural Afghanistan by creating schools for children, particularly young girls. Highly recommended by Niesha Richardson.
Chasing Vermeer, by Blue Balliett. Re-read this fantastic book for a youth group I am doing in the fall.
Messenger, by Lois Lowry. A great book that wraps up the trilogy begun with “The Giver” and talks about the harmful effects of arrogance, it’s twin sister disdain, and bigotry.
July 2009
Against the Pollution of I: by Jacques Lusseyran. Fabulous book about the role of sight in our lives, the pollution of distraction, and finding our inner, true selves. (Notes in “Random Book Notes”)
So you want to raise a Boy? by W. Cleon Skousen. Unfinished, but a fascinating read!
A Summer to Die, by Lois Lowry. An interesting young adult book. Some of the themes are more adult (strong feminist, not so strong moralistic), but it also has a touching way to depict what it is like to lose a sibling to a slow death. It is also an interesting sibling portrayal, has meaningful relationships, a great message about beauty, and depicts well the process and passion for photography.
A letter to Mrs. Roosevelt, by C. Coco De Young. A quick youth fiction about life in the Great Depression, but the story line was lacking of content, character development, and good qualities/examples. The ending was a trifled contrived and basically “big brother (or sister in this case) will bail you out, and life will be perfect, despite your irresponsibility in borrowing.)
Book of a Thousand Days, by Shannon Hale. pgs=305. A decent read, but lacking in real content. Decent enough love story, with an idea of value based on internal ability vs. society recognition. Safe ☺.
August 2009
Mere Christianity: skimmed it again...fantastic!
When Bad Things Happen to Good People, a rabbi. Alright book. Very thought-provoking with some definite truths mired amongst some blatant fallacies about God and His “inability” to take care of people or prevent bad things from happening and how we should “forgive Him” for not doing anything to prevent bad things from happening...as though we were entitled to a life free from pain and suffering in order to make us better...
Reaching for Sun, by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, pg. 182. Wonderful book with a great insight into the mind of people with handicaps. Written in poem form. Great young adult book recommended by Tova. I loved it.
September 2009
Lincoln, from the Landmark series...hard reading for Knights of Freedom, but pretty succinct.
The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingsolver. An interesting book...not much plot but more of an anthropologic (?) work, a statement of existence.
October 2009
Reviewed “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society”...enjoyed the letter form and reality of the characters.
November 2009
The Road Less Traveled, by M. Scott Peck. 316 pgs. Amazing book. Difficult read. Life changing. Of course I don’t agree with everything in it, but for the most part, quite the book!
Our Town, by Thornton Wilder. 120 pages. Quick, delicious read to capture some rather profound thoughts about life, death, love, youth, innocence, “small town mentality”, appreciation.
The Cellist of Sarajevo, by Steven Galloway 250 pgs. Loved it...a lot like the Book Thief. Great tones of ownership of attitude and action despite oppressive government.
The Hunger Games, pg. 350? by Collier. Interesting and engaging, although a little too much “Lord of the Flies” for me. The main character started out seeming to want to protest the dictator government that created the terrible situation, but seemed to go along with it too far into the book for my taste. I didn’t finish it with the ongoing “kids killing kids”.
The White Giraffe, pg. 190 by Lauren St. John. Alright older child read, although the characters were a bit too mean and vindictive than I thought needed to be. The resolution too contrived and the main character seemed to do a lot of justification of bad behavior (disobedience, deception, etc.).
The Battle of Britain, by Quentin Reynolds, Landmark book series, 177 pgs. I liked it. Supposedly the author was an American war correspondent in Great Britain. Some great accounts of heroism. Some dishonesty (the Americans lying about flight experience to get in, but it was acknowledged), and even one reference to a Mormon from Utah in it ☺. It was great to see the courage of Churchill and others in the beleaguered city of London.
Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt, pg 139. Interesting but not much to it. I wonder, though, if the ending would have been the same...would the woman have killed the man, without having stepped outside into their timeless existence...could her feelings about the sanctity of life have been somewhat jaded after seeing her family’s own inability to die? However, they still seemed emotionally invested in others...but how deep was it? They left Winnie reluctantly, yet, how long did they wait to come back for her? What was their response? Was their life as meaningful, living forever? “You can’t have living without dying, ...You can’t call it living, what we got. We just are, we just be, like rocks beside the road...I want to grow again, to change.” (pg 64)
January 2010
Archimedes and the Door of Science, by Jeanne Bendick. 135 pgs. Amazing book. Great Math Classic!
Parenting the Ephraim's Child, by Talmadge and Theler: 237 pages. Great book, but I skimmed through most of it (repetitive of other books I've read like “Raising your Spirited Child”, and “Parenting with Love and Logic”.) It has some good concepts but I don't always liked their application. It was too much of “this” is the right way to do something with your child, and I don't believe in universal specifics, other than the 10 commandments, and even then God has had instances of times where we are asked to act outside of those parameters.
Just my Nature. Wonderful personality book.
Three Cups of Tea, wordy...didn't finish it. Many others have found it amazing.
February 2010
Left to Tell. Amazing book about a Rwandanese woman's story of survival from the Holocaust.
March 2010
Mrs. Mike a silly romance with very little meaning. A woman leaves her home in Boston to the rugged Canadian frontier, marries a “manly man”, and has all sort of interesting experiences. However, most of the situations seemed unrealistic and the character development shallow for the most part.
April 2010
The Help, started out great, with a little swearing. However, the language and the content (at times) was horrific, so I stopped. It was about “the help”, or the African-American people who worked for pittance right before the time of the Civil Rights Movement. It was interesting to get it from their perspective (at least according to this historical fiction). Decent book without that, interesting, but not worth finishing with the garbage in it.
The Kidnapped Prince, by Olaudah Equiano (adapted by Ann Cameron). Wonderful young adult work about this man, taken from his home in Africa, and the life he leads as a slave seeking to be honorable.
1984, by George Orwell. Amazing and thought-provoking broken book. I will definitely have to read it again someday, skimming over the sensual parts, although I think that even that played a part in stressing the importance of human relationships, even those based upon physical feelings at first, when allowed to develop into feelings of deeper attachment.
Freakanomics, by Stephen B. Leavitt, approx. 250 pages. Interesting, albeit random information that he is trying to connect through studies and observation. His observations are also merely opinion seeking to displace “conventional wisdom”, but it does help you to think outside the box and look for alternate connections besides the one in front of you.
May 2010
The Element- A wonderful book about “how finding your passion makes a difference”
Christlike Parenting- I didn't finish this book but loved some of the practical advice and perspective on more agency-based, liberating parenting by calmly and lovingly stating rules and expectations without threats and bullying.
June 2010
The Lost Prince by Frances Hodgenson Burnett. A wonderful book about service-oriented leadership, true nobility, with some great characters with strong values.
The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster, a fable-like story with so many applications on different levels.
July 2010
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak. A book about WWII Germany from more of a German perspective. It was fiction, and while it was an interesting perspective with “Death” as the narrator and the writing style was very visual and metaphoric, the crass words and treatment of people in the book was too crude. I stopped before the end, with the swearing getting worse and worse.
Les Miserables
A Single Shard, a neat book about a Korean young man who becomes apprentice to a potter...a coming of age book with good moralistic messages about integrity, hard work, apprentice-ship, and trust.
August 2010
The Last Waltz, an alright historical romance...not worth reading again, but clean.
Weight of Glory, C.S. Lewis. Wonderful, as all Lewis's are, but some of the lectures were dry and non-applicable. There were a few that were amazing.
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, Leetham. Wonderful book with many great lessons. A good young adult read about the value of self-driven education and it's benefit on the world around them.
Charlie's Monument, by Blaine Jorgenson. Awesome book.
September and October 2010
Across Five Aprils, Irene Hunt. Wonderful!!! I loved it. She is great storyteller, and it touches on principles of responsibility, hard work, family loyalty, political issues around the time of the Civil War, covers simply an outline of the progression of the war and the mood of the populace, love, and is beautiful to read.
Christlike Parenting by Dr. Glenn Latham (I believe). Amazing, life-changing book. Now if I could only parent without thinking about how much I am probably not doing right it would be even better :). However, the main line of “parent as Christ would parent” is a powerful and simple message that is surprisingly easy to apply. Also, his advice about preparing for situations by role-playing or rehearsing ahead of time what you can do and say is remarkably powerful.
The Mysterious Benedict Society , a fun read about kids with talents who use them together to make a difference. The kids actually treat each other respectfully and pass that along to other people.
The Nazi Officer's Wife, by Helen Beer?. A decent book about an Austrian Jewish woman who lives during the holocaust partly on a farm in Germany and partly as the wife of a Nazi officer who is aware of who she is. It is a decent story, but I am not sure what the point is, other than to uncover a part in history where people allowed themselves and others to be dehumanized. It is amazing how when you allow yourself to dehumanize someone, you become dehumanized.
Driven, by Larry H. Miller, an autobiography. Really a pretty engaging, and remarkable book about how he came to be where he is at. While I don't agree with his “abandon the family to provide for them” philosophy, he has a lot of great messages about determination, philosophy, hard work, etc.
The Crucible, by Arthur Miller: disturbing how people can let their prejudices run away with them, not to mention superstition. The Salem Witch trials was surely a refining process...to see who would act according to natural laws and who would act like the natural man :).
Miracles on Maple Hill, nice youth book about how living on the land can heal a family.
The Kidnapped Prince, by Olaudah Equiano. Wonderful book about the value of freedom and the horror of the slave trade.
November 2010
The Alchemist, by Paulo Couhlo
Flatland, a great read, even the second time, about dimensions, not to mention a great political satire—one of the best I've read!
All Mimzy were the Borrogoves (a short story)
Three against Hitler, an interesting true story about some LDS youth in Nazi Germany, their resistance to Hitler, and the consequences of that...definitely an “older than 12” kind of book, but not graphic at all.
Papa's Wife, a charming book about a Swedish couple, a minister and his wife, that come to America with their eight children.
January 2011
Poisonwood Bible, by Kingsolver. Interesting perspective on Africa and foreign involvement.
The Lost Prince, by Frances Hodges Burnett. Amazing book about the characteristics of a true leader.
February 2011
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by Frank Baum. Each of the characters is insistent of what they need from the Wizard, but each already has those characteristics to a degree and demonstrates them: our greatest strength is our greatest weakness, perhaps? They each express fear at not having something particular that they feel keeps them from succeeding...perhaps they have compared themselves to what they think others possess, and find themselves lacking. Yet each has what it takes to work together to create a team.
The lesson from the “great” Oz: sometimes leaders deliberately deceive those they lead and create laws to perpetuate it (the green glasses). They also distance themselves from the people by perpetuating their appearance of great knowledge and wisdom.
Elantris, by Brandon Sanderson. Excellent book about government and different forms of leadership. Older youth.
Angel on the Square, by Gloria Whelan. A great book about the time of the transition from the tsars of Russia to Lenin/Stalin. Young adult.
Spring/Summer 2011
The Princess Academy
Trails to Testimony
The Evolution of Culpernia Tate: too many taking of the Lord's name in vain, cool mentor/child relationship with Grandfather and granddaughter, neat teaching how to be a naturalist and the concept of evolution (minimally)
Everyone Communicates, few connect- very effective and worth the read once
The Silence of God: wonderful
Norms and Nobility: hard to read, but incredible dissertation on classical education
The Power of Intention: Powerful and life-defining for me
The Story Teller's Daughter Quick read, but very good!
The Yearling (Quinn read aloud) wonderful, with many great lessons; childhood classic
Snow Treasure (Quinn read aloud) great story
The Great Turkey Walk (Quinn read aloud) funny, but not very deep. Quick read, youthful story
Summer of the Monkeys (Quinn read aloud) childhood classic
The Goose Girl wonderful!
Winter's Child- alright, but not much character development. Interesting retelling of “The Snow Queen”.
The Boy Knight- great book about the Crusades; I felt it was very historically accurate and well told, if hard to understand due to the archaic-type language.
