All posts by Beth Ruggiero

Middle School

The Most Frightening Lesson: A Review of ‘Red Scarf Girl’

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“Our leader had taken advantage of our trust and loyalty to manipulate the whole country. This is the most frightening lesson of the Cultural Revolution: Without a sound legal system, a small group or even a single person can take control of an entire country.”—Ji Li Jiang

Suggested Grade Levels:

Grades 6-8

Review and Thoughts

Ji-Li Jiang is a young girl growing up in China when the Cultural Revolution began.  She is a star pupil, popular and a dutiful daughter.  She is impressed and excited by the new leadership of Chairman Mao.  She worships him as so many others do.  This is what begins her struggle.  She feels so strongly that Chairman Mao is the leader that China has been waiting for, but then she sees the tragedy that happens to her family. Continue reading The Most Frightening Lesson: A Review of ‘Red Scarf Girl’ →

Elementary, High School, Middle School

Sidekick Wanted: A Review of ‘El Deafo’

“There is a plan and a purpose, a value to every life, no matter what its location, age, gender, or disability.”—Sharron Angle

Suggested Grade Levels:

Interest Level: Grades 4-9

Grade Level Equivalent: 2.7

(As stated by Scholastic)

Review and Thoughts

El Deafo by Cece Bell is a cute novel written about the author’s own experience of dealing with becoming deaf at a young age.  This graphic novel chronicles her early life and explains how she became sick with meningitis as a child and lost her hearing.  Because the story takes place in the 1960s, some of the aids she receives are different than one might see today, but the situations with other people are all too familiar.  Friends, family, and teachers are unsure of how to treat Cece and she is unsure how to connect with them. Continue reading Sidekick Wanted: A Review of ‘El Deafo’ →

High School

Guard your Mind: A Review of ‘Poisoned Apples’

“She is clothed in strength and dignity and laughs without fear of the future.”–Proverbs 31:25

Suggested Grade Levels:

Grades 9-12

Review and Thoughts

My mother raised me to be a strong woman.  She always told us we could be anything we wanted to be and taught us to fight for our right to do certain things.  My mother ALSO taught us that we were still women.  She taught us that God had created us with special gifts and beauties that men do not possess and because of that, we have a lot to offer the world because of our sex. My feminism is strong, but I acknowledge my weaknesses and am appreciative of the strengths of the men I am surrounded by.  Our different strengths and weaknesses complement each other and we are better for having both sexes.  Perhaps this is why I had such a difficult time reading Poisoned Apples by Christine Hepperman. Continue reading Guard your Mind: A Review of ‘Poisoned Apples’ →

For the Adults, Holidays

Aspirations of the Heart: A Beautiful List of Prayer Books to Give Someone for Christmas

“Prayer is an aspiration of the heart, it is a simple glance directed to heaven.  It is a cry of gratitude and love in the midst of trial as well as joy; finally, it is something great, supernatural, which expands my soul and unites me to Jesus.”–St. Therese of Lisieux

The prayer books we have listed below are a meager few of some of our favorites.  They are short and simple, enough for the busy lives we tend to lead. (Click on the picture to take you to Amazon.com for more information on each book.)

Word By Word: Slowing Down with the Hail Mary by Sarah A. Reinhard is a beautiful way to slow yourself down when reciting the Hail Mary.  After years of reciting the prayer, I, unfortunately, find myself rushing through the words. This book is a compilation of reflections and questions based on the short phrases of the prayer.  They are short enough for you to read one each day and spend a few minutes meditating on the questions asked at the end of each reflection.  It’s a wonderful way to look at the Hail Mary for those of us who have become “familiar” with the prayer. Continue reading Aspirations of the Heart: A Beautiful List of Prayer Books to Give Someone for Christmas →

Holidays

Come Before Him in Thanksgiving: A List of Blessings

“Let us come before Him in thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.  For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.”—Psalm 95:2-3

My mother did an activity with her grandchildren this year by building a tree of thankfulness.  Each day they would come up with an idea for something they were thankful for and add it as a leaf.  It was a great way for the kids to visually reflect on all of their gifts.

IMG_0639How can we reflect on all we are thankful for this time of year?  Read some reflections from our loved ones below. Continue reading Come Before Him in Thanksgiving: A List of Blessings →

Elementary, Holidays

Celebrating Halloween (Part 2): Halloween Books for Your Little Saints

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IMG_0802There is nothing more beautiful than being able to spend time reading with your kids.  Aside from introducing children to books, it builds a special bond with them.  They feel safe in your arms, they have your undivided attention, and their imaginations are captivated. There is nothing better. Below is a list of books that will get you and your family into the Halloween spirit. Continue reading Celebrating Halloween (Part 2): Halloween Books for Your Little Saints →

For the Adults, Holidays

Celebrating Halloween (Part One): A Response to Halloween From Four Catholic Moms

00000018In today’s changing world, Halloween has evolved along with society.  Costumes aren’t quite as innocent as they used to be, candy is blamed for contributing to childhood obesity, and trick-or-treating has become a concern for some people worried about what could be in candy...or worse, who could be passing it out!  Luckily there is also beauty in the holiday for Catholics, in fact, its origins began with us.  Innocent celebration can teach our children a special part of our cultural history and create lasting memories for years. Below are thoughts from individual Catholic moms about their feelings toward Halloween. Continue reading Celebrating Halloween (Part One): A Response to Halloween From Four Catholic Moms →

High School, Middle School

Courage Under Fire: A Review of ‘I Am Number Four’

“Courage is being scared to death…and saddling up anyway.”—John Wayne

Suggested Grade Levels:

Grade 6-10

Review and Thoughts

In my continuing effort to find books that appeal to boys, I stumbled upon I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore.  This book is full of action and adventure and teen love, which is the perfect combination for ANY young adult reader. Continue reading Courage Under Fire: A Review of ‘I Am Number Four’ →

High School, Middle School

This One’s For the Boys: A Review of ‘Guys Reads: True Stories’

“One cannot always be a hero, but one can always be a man.”—Johan Wolfgang

“An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered.  An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered.”—G. K. Chesterton

Suggested Grade Levels:

Grades 6-12

Review and Thoughts

I was excited to read this book for a couple of different reasons.  First of all, I feel like a lot of books are geared toward women lately.  I’m sure I will have a lot of people who disagree with that comment, but when I read a lot of modern literature, there are so many strong heroines, but few good heroes.  Boys are less interested in reading and some studies show that they are falling behind in school. The Guys Reads series is looking to help bring boys back to love reading again. The series is edited by John Scieszka (The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, and The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales) and includes a great collection of short stories that are meant to appeal to boys.  I must mention here that girls will also enjoy these stories, but it’s obvious that they are trying to appeal to the guys out there. Continue reading This One’s For the Boys: A Review of ‘Guys Reads: True Stories’ →

High School, Middle School

The Fantastic Adventures of Nobody: A Review of ‘The Graveyard Book’

“Fairy tales do not give the child his first idea of bogey. What fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of bogey. The baby has known the dragon intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill the dragon.”—G. K. Chesterton

Suggested Grade Levels:

Grades: 6-9

(This book may interest students beyond ninth grade as well, however, I think the writing lends itself to this age.)

Review and Thoughts

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman starts out with quite the attention-grabber!  As the story begins, we witness the murder of a family.  The murderer, Jack, quietly goes through a house and stabs everyone.  Luckily, before he can murder the young two-year-old, the baby climbs out of his crib and crawls down a nearby hill to an old graveyard.  Here, he is protected by  ghosts and other creatures who live there.  The mother of the young boy and the rest of his family appear as ghosts, though only briefly.  The mother cries out begging the ghosts to take care of her son.  As they agree, the young family fades into the darkness until they appear in their own graveyard to rest in eternal peace. Continue reading The Fantastic Adventures of Nobody: A Review of ‘The Graveyard Book’ →