Pedro’s Journal

I intended to read this as a stand-alone “fun” book for Columbus Day, since we’re studying Ancient History right now. This was my mistake as the girls were bothered by what they learned about him…All that to say, while I thought the book was a good read and well written, it’s not one that I would take lightly.

The School Story

I actually enjoyed the story even though the plot was pretty far-fetched. I especially found the glimpse into the world of publishing interesting, and I found myself appreciating the bits and pieces of life as seen through Natalie’s mother’s eyes.

The Kite Fighters

First of all, this is one of the few chapter books we’ve read (as a family of GIRLS!) that I think would really appeal to boys. It’s a book about boys and fighting (well, okay, kite fighting, but still).

The Tanglewood’s Secret

What an excellent first witness and introduction to Jesus this book makes! Although I want to keep our copy for Little May to read when she’s older, I may pass it on long before then. It’s that good.

The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden has become a classic that every woman I know has read and loved. I received a beautifully illustrated book for Christmas one year as a child, and it became a special Mom and Me time of bonding as we read the book and studied the pictures.

A Lion to Guard Us

This was our first book by Clyde Robert Bulla and I found it to be very well written. It’s easily understood and read, but has a lot of foreshadowing and clues. There were tons of discussion points where I was able to re-read a sentence, ask the girls what they thought it meant, and then point out how it further deepened the character development and story line.

Lawn Boy

Lawn Boy uses comedy and a bit of a surreal story line to introduce children to the world of economics. I had to explain a lot to the kids – stocks, shares, entrepreneurs – but they actually listened and enjoyed my mini lessons since it pertained to the story.