Good books 2013 - 1

Mostly to get it off my to-do list, here are the books since last April that I read, wrote down on my book log, and can recommend for others to read. In chronological order, with no fancy formatting or recommended ages or anything. Here we go:

First Date, by Krista McGee - Christian fiction, a modern-day take on the Esther story, very clean and entertaining, about a girl chosen to be on a reality show where the US president's son will pick his senior prom date.

One Dog and His Boy, by Eva Ibbotson - fun kids' read about a rich boy who rescues dogs from a dog-rental company and treks across England with them. Pretty good.

Into the Woods: John James Audubon Lives His Dream, by Robert Burleigh, ill. by Wendell Minor with pictures from Audubon - Really nice picture book in the form of a letter from John to his father explaining why he's chosen his life path instead of something more conventional.

The False Prince, by Jennifer A. Nielsen - Even though you could see the ending coming from page 2 or 3, I enjoyed reading this book to see how that ending would happen. Three orphan boys are chosen to be trained in hopes that one of them can pass for the lost heir to the throne.

Ordinary Magic, by Caitlen Rubino-Bradway - Fun and quite good book about a girl with no magic in a society where that is abnormal.

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom, by Christopher Healy - Really fun read that pokes fun at the fairy tale stereotypes.

Gifted Hands (movie) - very good, did show some brain surgery that grossed out my kids a little, but they still liked the rest of the movie.

A Room of My Own, by Ann Tatlock - historical novel about the daughter of a doctor in the 1930s who helps the homeless in their camp.

A Posse of Princesses, by Sherwood Smith - Quite good twist on the theme of princesses getting rescued by princes.

Breathing Room, by Marsha Hayles - Interesting and positive story of a girl with tuberculosis in the mid 1900s.

Ungifted, by Gordon Korman - A troublemaker accidentally gets put into the gifted school where he joins the robotics team and hides from the superintendent.

The Year Money Grew on Trees, by Aaron Hawkins - Very good story based on the author's experiences - a boy is offered an orchard if he will get it into shape. He and his siblings and cousins have to learn how to make the orchard produce apples. There is a fair amount of math and engineering involved and it interested all of my children.

The Floating Islands, by Rachel Neumeier - Good fantasy story with lovely writing about an island kept aloft by dragons and a girl and boy who help defend it.

46 Pages: Thomas Paine, Common Sense, and the Turning Point to Independence, by Scott Liell - Short book (for adult reading level) but very interesting.

Princess Academy: Palace of Stone, by Shannon Hale - I liked this sequel even though I wasn't sure if I would. Miri goes to the capital and finds a revolution brewing.

King Richard II, by Shakespeare - It was interesting to read this for the first time. Richard gets deposed by his nephew Bolingbroke (Henry IV). Richard wasn't a good king, but is Henry right to take the crown? And will Henry be any better? Should the nobility's loyalty be to England or the crown or their friends?

Apology, by Plato - (reread) I'd forgotten how eloquent and compelling this is. It's a defense of staying true to yourself and seeking truth rather than comfort, and a plea not to think yourself too wise.

Horse of a Different Color, by Ralph Moody - (reread) This is still my favorite book about business and honest dealings.

The Constitution Translated for Kids, by Cathy Travis - Has the actual text of the Constitution side by side with an easier-to-read version for children (and those of us who sometimes need that level of explanation).

The Phantom of the Opera, by Gaston Leroux - Pretty good, melodramatic but definitely worth reading once, if only to get the original story.

The Evolution of Thomas Hall, by Kieth Merrill - Dramatic story of a painter asked to create a Darwin mural for a museum and also a mural of Christ for a hospital, and his struggles with his own beliefs.

Time

I've hardly posted on this blog this year. For almost the past two years, I've been gradually doing more and more to care for my mother who has Alzheimer's, and the past four months it's been pretty much full time. It's hard to suddenly have a job you can't go home at night from or take a few days off for the holidays. But there isn't another good option right now for her, so we're taking one day at a time and surviving.

Christmas cookies

We made Christmas cookies at the request of the kids. Here's a sample of what they created. A. made a nice, colorful star.

M. made this representation of Sauron atop Mount Doom.

T. made a Dalek.

I'm not sure whether to be alarmed that my children are only one-third normal, or pleased at the creative thinking shown here.

Goodbye to Stacy

For the last few days, our gerbil Stacy was moving slowly, resting a lot, and just not acting like herself. Yesterday when we got up we discovered she had died during the night. This is our first pet to die and we have all been sad, even though we knew Stacy was getting old and wouldn't live much longer anyway. Our other gerbil, Lily, can tell something is different, even though the two have been in separate cages for a while now because they had started fighting. We will miss Stacy and the little things that gave her a distinct personality. We buried her in the back yard and marked the spot with a rock.

Good Books 2012 - 2

Farmer Boy Goes West by Heather Williams, 2012, 311 pages, ages 8 and up.

I always loved Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and when I saw this recently written sequel at the library I was worried that it would not live up to the original book. I am happy to say that there was no need to worry. It is really excellent. The writing style is very similar to the original book, and best of all, the characters are recognizably the same. This book begins when Almanzo is 13 and follows the Wilder family for two years. They go west to a new settlement where Almanzo's father thinks the farming prospects will be better. Almanzo has to adjust to a larger school and relatives who aren't sure they want guests. It's all based on the real history of the family and nicely fills in some of the unknowns that the original series left out.


The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by Du Bose Heyward, illustrated by Marjorie Flack, 1939, 45 pages, ages 5 and up.

I hadn't read this for years and had forgotten it was even an Easter story until my youngest asked me today to read it aloud. Really, it should be a Mother's Day story. I like that the mother rabbit trains her 21 children (granted, too perfect to be real) to be self-sufficient helpers and then gets the chance to pursue one of her own dreams.


Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand, 1897, ages 14 and up.

I had never read this play before, even though I'd heard the story and seen the movie Roxanne back in my teenage years. I was surprised at how readable and funny it is. Cyrano has a monstrously grotesque nose and is sure no woman could fall in love with him, especially the beautiful Roxann. When a handsome but dense acquaintance falls for Roxann, Cyrano offers to help him by writing love letters for him, and Roxann falls in love with who she thinks is the letter-writer. There's no happy ending here. It's melodramatic but moving at the same time.

Easter 2012

Happy Easter!

"Oh, dearly, dearly, has he loved!
And we must love him too,
And trust in his redeeming blood,
And try his works to do."

(Cecil Frances Alexander, "There Is a Green Hill Far Away")

It's been quite a year so far. I keep meaning to post about what's happening with us, but never quite get around to it. Here are our good-lookin' kids, so grown up I hardly recognize them sometimes:




You know how I can tell they're growing up? This year they didn't ask to color Easter eggs, and when I asked them about it, they said, "No, it's no big deal." And their grandparents take care of the Easter candy, so it has been a pretty calm weekend.

We thought we'd also take some photos of our middle-aged gerbils, but Stacy was asleep and Lilly wanted to chew the camera cord.