Books

  • Book: Just Me and My Puppy by Mercer Mayer

    Brina loves animals….really any kind of animals dogs, cats, horses, goats, sheep……anything.  As she continues to pick out some of her own books to read to me I have started to notice a common theme, pretty much all of them are about an animal.  She has read Just Me and my Puppy by Mercer Mayer several times over the past two weeks.   The girls have always enjoyed “Little Critter” and all the stories he is in but this one has been a favorite especially for Brina.

    The story is about “Little Critter” and his new puppy.  It goes through all the different activities Little Critter does to take care of his new pet including feeding and training the puppy.  I like that it shows how he is taking responsibility even if everything doesn’t go perfectly.  The book makes the kids laugh and is silly but captivates their attention at the same time.  They enjoy reading it on their own or to me.  If you have a child who enjoys puppies this would be a fun one to read with them.

  • Book: “Patch” by Kristin Earhart

    Last Christmas Karlie got Patch by Kristin Earhart from Grandpa and Grandma.  She was super excited to get a horse book.  Both Brina and Karlie have read this book many times.  The story is about a girl named Lauran and her horse named Patch.  If you have a child that loves horses or animals and is starting to read books more independently this is a good one to check out.

  • Book: “Dash” by J. Elizabeth Mills

    Even though our girls are twins they have very different personalities.  One of the few things they have in common is their love of horses!  Both of them absolutely love anything about horses.  Lately I have been noticing that more and more horse books have been pulled off the shelf to read and when we go to the used book store they are always on the look out for new “horse” books.

    The other day I noticed that Karlie had been carrying this Scholastic book Dash by J. Elizabeth Mills around for several days and reading it over and over.  I asked if she would be willing to read the book to me and she did!  It is still hard to believe that my girls are old enough to be reading me books.  Granted this one isn’t a huge book but it does have four short chapters.

    The story is about a little girl named Jenny who wants to participate in a barrel racing competition.  She and her horse Dash train really hard for the big day.  Both of our girls love this book.  If your child loves horses and is starting to read independently this would be a great book to add to your library.

  • Book: “No One to Call Me Home” by James Close

    As I was going through a stack a books we had in the house and trying to decide which ones to keep, sale, giveaway, or donate I came across this book.  I cannot remember where it came from and hadn’t read it before but it captivated my attention so I decided to read it.  The book is called No One To Call Me Home by Reverend James J. Close and it is about Reverend Close’s ministry at the Mercy Boys Home in Chicago.  His ministry provides a home, meals, clothing, and a loving environment for homeless teenage boys.  The boys typically range between 14 to 18 years old (sometimes they take in younger siblings).  There is also a Mercy Girls Home but Reverend Close lived and worked at the Boys Home so the majority of the book discussed not only the lives of the kids he impacted but some of their struggles as well as successes.

    Some of the stories he told brought tears to my eyes…..stories of some of the obstacles small children and teenagers had to face such as starvation, stealing, crime, abuse, drugs, alcohol, neglect and so much more.  None of these children asked to grow up in these families.   The Mercy Home has reached out to many of these hurt teenagers and provided them a safe and healthy environment in hopes that they will be able to encourage the kids to heal and become successful adults.

    As a parent this book made me not only appreciate the stable (although not perfect) home environment I was raised in and motivates me to pray for wisdom as I raise my kids as well as find ways to make a positive impact on the lives of other children.  The book is short and a quick read but touches on many areas of the heart.  Although I don’t have all the same religious beliefs as Reverend Close I think he is on the right track with providing a safe, stable environment for these teenagers.  Not every story he has is successful but it is encouraging to know that through their ministry they are making a wonderful impact on many individuals and families.  It really makes you think about the ways you can make a positive impact on the lives of others.

    A few quotes that made an impact on me:

    The Mercy kids are some of the most courageous and extraordinary persons I have ever met.  Many have overcome immense odds to succeed in life.  Others were not so fortunate.  But each of them taught me about life and made me grateful for the simple blessings to be found in each day.

    Our street was as big as the universe to me…..when it started getting dark, the other kids’ moms would lean out the windows and start calling to their kids – it’s time to come home.  I would stay out there and keep playing until I was alone. I was always the last one to come home.  I always had to decide when to go in. There was never anyone to call me in – to call me home.

    Our kids have so few of the simple family experiences that most kids have growing up, it nearly boggles the mind.  I’m not talking about ritzy family vacations and Christmas Eve around the fireplace.  I’m talking about food in the refrigerator and the same bed every night.

    If all you’ve known is disappointment, if all you’ve been told is what a loser you are, if all you’ve seen is poverty and life on the other side of the law – it is hard to believe things can ever change for someone like you.

    I’m a strong believer in the power of prayer combined with effort and love. 

    They are just kids.  They need a place to live and someone to love them unconditionally.

  • Free Audio Book: “Hearing God” by Dallas Willard

    For the month of June Christian Audio is offering a free download of an audio book .  This month the audio book is Hearing God by Dallas Willard.

    Being close to God means communicating with him–telling him what is on our hearts in prayer and hearing and understanding what he is saying to us. It is this second half of our conversation with God that is so important but that can also be so difficult. How do we hear his voice? How can we be sure that what we think we hear is not our own subconscious? What role does the Bible play? What if what God says to us is not clear?  (information from Christian Audio)

    If you have been wanting to a book to listen to throughout the day or while driving then this is a great opportunity to get a book for free when you download it from Christian Audio in June.   Make sure to submit your order by June 30, 2012  to get your free audio book.  Thanks Christian Audio!

  • Book: “Gregory the Terrible Eater” by Mitchell Sharmat

    Brina and Karlie recently received Gregory the Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat from Uncle Paul, Aunt Mirm, Noah, Noelle and Nadia.  The girls loved reading about Gregory the goat.   Gregory’s parents were concerned because he wanted to eat eggs, vegetables, fruit, and fish when “normal” goats eat tin cans, tires, boxes, clothes, and other garbage.  His parents take him to see Doctor Ram to find out how to help Gregory eat more like a goat.  This is a silly story that makes our girls laugh. If your kid like animals or have spent some time around goats they will probably enjoy reading this story as well.

  • Book & Pony Set: “Misty of Chincoteague” by Marguerite Henry

    Book Misty of Chincoteague (couldn’t find a picture of “Misty” and “Phantom” that came with the girls set)

    Book & Pony Set – Misty of Chincoteague  (with “Misty” and “Stormy” similar to the one we got, but couldn’t find a picture of the first book with the ponies)

    My girls are very different in many ways, even though they are twins, but they do have two things in common that they both love…….books and horses / ponies.  While I was in India my Mom came to stay with the girls and she brought their birthday gifts.  She gave the girls the book and “Misty” & “Phantom” ponies.  They were so excited when I got home to show me their book and ponies that went with it.  After we finished reading the current book they were going through they both agreed that the next book should be Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry.  Every time I would read the book the girls would get out the ponies and each of them hold one while I read.  They loved this story about a little boy and girl who worked hard to buy and raise these ponies.  It was a cute story that our family enjoyed.

    All the incidents in this story are real.  They did not happen in just the order they are recorded, but they all happened at one time or another on the little island of Chincoteague.  All the characters in the book Misty of Chincoteague really lived on Chincoteague Island.  – Marguerite Henry

    The part that was really neat about the story is it was based off a real family and event “Pony Penning Day”.   After getting into the book you quickly grow to love the Beebe family.  The grandparents dialogue is a little choppy to read but otherwise it was a wonderful story to share with your kids especially if they love horses or ponies!

  • Book: “Who Got Peanut Butter on My Daily Planner?” by Cindy Sigler Dagnan

    One of the perks of traveling is that I get to catch up on some of the books I have been wanting to read.  One of the books I read on a recent trip was Who Got Peanut Butter on My Daily Planner by Cindy Sigler Dagnan.  The subtitle is organizing and loving your days as a Mom.  It was a fun and lighthearted book that I enjoyed reading.  The girls loved the cover of the book with the little boy spreading peanut butter on the planner.  While I don’t do as much with my paper planner these days, everything has gone more digital for our family so we can keep up with everyone’s schedule, many of the principles the author talked about still apply.

    She made a lot of great points about the choices we make as parents, especially as Moms.  Even if I could afford to pay someone to do all the tasks I do, I could not pay them enough to love, spend time with, nurture, or share my values with my children  I love this quote from Cindy Dagnam’s book because raising kids is not always easy nor do we did it perfectly but no one else can raise our kids like we do.

    Every day we make choices of what to do with our time, energy and talents.  While not everyday is productive it is important that we continue to invest in the lives and hearts of our children.  While we as parents are raising our kids together it is also healthy for us as Moms to establish friendships with other Moms.  The author gave some examples such as Women’s Bible Study, MOPS group, Girls Weekend Away, Book Club, Moms Play Group, and more.

    Cindy Dagnam discussed many topics that were good reminders for me:

    • Perfectionism is a load you can drop
    • Ask God to help you recognize your kryptonite tendencies….rather than attempt so many things in your own strength
    • God placed you in this home with this family for His purpose
    • Be flexible and build extra time into your plans. Children don’t like to always be hurried.
    • Memories are even more important to your children than a spotless house.
    • Live your priorities and the rest will fall into place

    These were some of the ones that really stood out to me because they are areas I need to work on more in my own life.  At the end of each chapter there is a study and reflection section which includes questions, scripture reading, action plan, journal, and a verse to memorize.   If your a Mom of kids, especially young ones this is a wonderful book to read.  The author does a good job of reminding us that we are not perfect but with a lot of prayer we can still make a positive impact on our husband and children.

  • Book: “Gulliver’s Travels” by Jonathan Swift

    My Mom started reading The Great Illustrated Classic  Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift to the girls while I was in India.  This week we finished it and both girls enjoyed reading about all the different places Gulliver traveled to, the people he met, and the adventures he had on his journeys.   A couple parts had the girls on the edge of their seats because they might be scary but it ended up being fine.

    Gulliver traveled and met people who were only six inches tall, the Lilliput’s who took him as their prisoner.   On another adventure he encountered the Brobingnag’s which were giants even the flies were huge compared to him.  He encountered many more interesting people in his journeys around the world including the Yahoos, Laputas, Lagados, Glubbdubdribs, and more!