Wendy's Favorite Book

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned in a post that Wendy and I were reading "My Father's Dragon," by Ruth Stiles Gannett. We had just started reading the Kindle version, because I had seen it recommended and it was temporarily free. (It's not free anymore, but it's a whopping $.99, so go buy it.) I hadn't ever read it before but it looked interesting, so we began reading before Wendy's nap one day.

We read three chapters in that first sitting, because neither one of us wanted to stop! We had to find out what was going to happen to Elmer! Was he going to take the cat's advice? Would he be discovered on the ship? And most importantly, would he find the dragon?

The book is a simple and sweet adventure story, wherein good triumphs over naughty (I wouldn't say there's real "evil" anywhere in the story), creativity pays off, and quick thinking saves the day. There are ten chapters, and each chapter takes about 5 minutes to read aloud, depending on how much time you spend discussing as you go. The illustrations are fantastic, and are displayed quite clearly on the Kindle version; some Kindle versions of children's books have sacrificed the quality of the illustrations, but this one is really good.

We ended up enjoying the book so much that the day after we finished it, Wendy asked, "Can we please read 'My Father's Dragon' all over again?" I ordered the hardcover version that is pictured, and it has all three stories in the "My Father's Dragon" series in one volume. We've started reading the first story again and plan to read all the way through the series.

It's been a long time since I read a children's chapter book that I fell in love with.

Not a compensated review. I just love the book.

The Heart of a Little Girl

She's a wild little horse.

A firecracker.

A masterpiece.

A plotter.

A mighty bug hunter.

Wendy is a wonderful, beautiful, confusing, confounding, strong, opinionated little girl, and she our daughter. That means it's our job - our blessing- to teach her and guide her in the way she should go. To train her spirit, prune her behaviors, and shape her attitude into what it should be. Some days, the task seems insurmountable; parenting is a tough job, especially when you have a spirited child.

I've been doing some reading lately, and two books have stood out as being remarkably helpful as we try to grow in wisdom and effectiveness as parents.

Shepherding a Child's Heart, by Tedd Tripp, is a remarkable book. Instead of focusing on turning a child's behavior from wrong to right, Dr. Tripp advocates addressing the real problem - the heart of the child. From the introduction:

"The central focus of parenting is the gospel. You need to direct not simply the behavior of your children, but the attitudes of their hearts. You need to show them not just the “what” of their sin and failure, but the “why.” Your children desperately need to understand not only the external “what” they did wrong, but also the internal “why” they did it. You must help them see that God works from the inside out. Therefore, your parenting goal cannot simply by well-behaved children. Your children must also understand why they sin and how to recognize internal change."

I strongly believe that all parents should read this book. Even parents with children who are always patient, always kind, never talk back, never throw tantrums, always think of others first, always do tasks immediately, always answer respectfully...wait, do you know any children like that? Me, neither. The point remains - all parents should read this book!

The second book is one for parents and little girls to read together and discuss. A Little Girl After God's Own Heart: Learning God's Ways In My Early Days, by Elizabeth George, is a delightful book for girls in the 4-8 age range. It focuses on the fruit of the spirit, giving specific examples of how those wonderful attributes come into play in everyday life. (I hadn't heard of this book until earlier this week when I read about it on someone's blog, but I can't remember who - if it was you, let me know & I'll give you credit!) We started reading this book today, and I was surprised with how well Wendy received it. And the lessons on patience? self-control? gentleness? EXACTLY what we need right now!

There is a book for boys, too: A Little Boy After God's Own Heart, by Jim & Elizabeth George. We'll be buying that one in the next year or so for our David.

I wish I could give copies of both books to everyone I know. I can't recommend them highly enough. They've really made a difference in how I think about parenting!

We Like Books

It's no secret: I am an avid reader. From the time I was in grade school, I have really enjoyed reading, especially good, clean, absorbing fiction. Now that I have kids who love books and being read to, another category has delighted me - children's picture books.

Now, let me say this: while I love picture books, I'm actually kind of a book snob. There are too many good books out there to let our shelves be cluttered with poorly-written superficial fluff. I regularly go through the kids' bookshelf and cull things that are not up to the standard. (Although I must confess that we have a few Dora books and Princess books.)

Anyway, as I have been looking at and collecting children's picture books, I've found a few authors that I can always trust to deliver a book we'll love for years to come. Some of them are classics, some are a bit newer, but they're all delightful! (Keep in mind that these are just picture books - chapter books are a whole 'nother topic!)

1. Marjorie Flack - The Story About Ping, Angus and the Ducks

2. Virginia Lee Burton - Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, The Little House

3. H. A. Rey - Curious George books

4. Sandra Boyton - Moo, Baa, La La La, Barnyard Dance

5. David Shannon - No, David!, A Bad Case of Stripes

6. Doreen Cronin - Click Clack Moo: Cows that Type, Duck for President

7. Julia Donaldson - The Gruffalo, The Snail and the Whale

8. Robert McCloskey - Blueberries for Sal, Make Way for Ducklings

9. Don Freeman - Corduroy, Dandelion

10. Janell Cannon - Stellaluna, Verdi

(11. Dr. Seuss - that's kind of a given)

Who are your favorite authors for children's books?

I'm linking up to Top Ten Tuesday at OhAmanda.com. Click over for more great Top Ten lists!

Bedtime Read-Alouds

At our house, nothing gets the kids' attention faster than for Mama to sit down with a book. They love to have me read to them, and would listen for an hour, if my voice would hold out that long. We read before nap, before bed, and other random times throughout the day. Reading aloud is a big part of our homeschooling plans, too; as energetic as Wendy is, she can listen to a story and really get involved in it.

Here are a few favorites, posted by child:

David, 2 years:
The Cat in the Hat, by Dr. Seuss
Anything with The Cat in the Hat's picture - basically any Dr. Seuss or "Bright and Early Books"
Blue Hat, Green Hat, by Sandra Boynton

Wendy, 4 1/2 years:
The Story about Ping, by Marjorie Flack
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, by Virginia Lee Burton
The Little House, by Virginia Lee Burton
A Bad Case of Stripes, by David Shannon

Wendy and I are usually also reading a chapter book. Our first one was Little House in the Big Woods, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and right now we are reading My Father's Dragon, by Ruth Stiles Gannett. I'm not sure what book we'll tackle next; it might be the next Little House book or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

I'm linking up to a 4 Moms post at Smockity Frocks - come see more suggestions for bedtime read-alouds!

Reading List for 2011

This is being edited constantly, so feel free to give me suggestions!

Parenting:
Raising Godly Tomatoes, by L. Elizabeth Krueger
Bringing Up Girls, by James Dobson
Bringing Up Boys, by James Dobson

Non-Fiction:
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbara Kingsolver
Radical, by David Platt
One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp

Fiction:
The Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett
The Help, by Kathryn Stockett
Here Burns My Candle, by Liz Curtis Higgs
Secrets, by Robin Jones Gunn
Olive Kitteredge, by Elizabeth Strout
Dismantled, by Jennifer McMahon
Her Fearful Symmetry, by Audrey Niffenegger
This Body of Death, by Elizabeth George
Beguilement, by Lois McMaster Bujold
Gone, Baby, Gone, by Dennis Lehane
The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Shanghai Girls, by Lisa See
Year of Wonders, by Geraldine Brooks
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, by Alan Bradley

Early "Reading" Skills

One of Wendy's favorite books so far is "Click Clack Moo," by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Betsy Lewin. I was introduced to this book by my friend Kristi, when I read it to her son Mason about a hundred eight years ago.


Anyway, the book is charming, and silly, and funny. Wendy likes it, and it's one I don't mind reading over and over. I read it to her at bedtime tonight, and then let her have the book to look at in bed.

As I sat in the living room, I could hear her "reading" to herself, and it made me wish I had the video camera handy.

"No miwk today. Dat too trouble. Kik kak MOOO! Dat funny..."

I've really got to record some of this cuteness, before she's all grown up.

Simple Pleasures

I've recently become more aware of some of the basic pleasures in life. We don't live a luxurious life by American standards, but by the standards of the rest of the world, we're quite wealthy! Here are some specific physical things I'm thankful for:

1. Coffee. I've never been a serious coffee drinker, but I do enjoy a cup every now and then. I had to give it up early in the pregnancy, because the smell didn't agree with me. Yesterday, it sounded really good, so I gave it another try, and YUM. My personal favorite coffee concoction is coffee, a sprinkle of cinnamon, a generous slug of Hershey's syrup, milk, and Splenda. I've always loved my coffee sweet!
2. Heat and hot water. Several of my friends teach English in China, and it gets plenty cold there, and rains most of the winter. My friends have heat (sort of) and hot water, but NONE of their students do. Can you imagine going through a whole winter without heat or hot water??
   
3. Washer & Dryer. As much as I whine about the endless laundry, etc., how wonderful is it that I can just walk to my kitchen and plop some dirty clothes into a machine, turn a few dials, and get clean clothes? Then I can put those clean clothes into another machine, and they get all warm & dry & fluffy. It's a great blessing, when you really think about it! (Now getting the laundry folded & put away is another matter...)
4. Clothes. Now that I'm wearing maternity clothes, my options are somewhat limited. And yet, when I chafe against boredom & lack of variety, I think of our Compassion kiddo in the Dominican Republic - he's got 2 shirts & two pairs of shorts, if he's lucky. I'm getting bored because I only have 8 shirts to choose from?? What a blessing it is to have extra clothes to wear!
5. Books. I'm an avid reader, and I'm trying to raise Wendy with an appreciation for books, too. I love reading to Wendy (as long as she's not elbowing me in the belly), and I really enjoy most of her books. One of my favorite ways to spend a lazy afternoon is snuggled up in bed with a good book. I especially like Christian fiction - stories that involve you and help illustrate important principles of life.

What are you thankful for today?

I Live in the Boonies

Out of desperation, I got Wendy ready, and she and I headed out in the pouring rain to the library. I took a list of your suggestions with me, in the hopes of finding some recommended books.

I struck out.

Well, almost. I did find several books by Karen Kingsbury, so I'm giving those a try. But that was it - all your other suggestions of authors & titles, and my library didn't have any of them. I was also looking for potty-training guides. They had one. I checked it out.

There are times when I fantasize about moving back to Missouri. Today is one of those days.

Emergency!

Not really.

But I'm out of things to read. I finished the Twilight series earlier this week, and then read a couple of other books I had sitting around, and now I'm out. There is no fiction in this house that I haven't read at least once. I'm going to have to make a trip to the library, possibly this evening after Wendy's nap. I just have to have reading material.

What books should I look for at the library? My favorite genres are historical fiction & Christian fiction. I like things that are well-written and complex, but still easy to read when I'm sleepy.

Any suggestions? Any authors you love? Any special series I should look for?