“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’→
“You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back, relax, all you need is a book.” Dr. Seuss
Reading Level:
Grades K-1 [according to common core]
Grade 2.5 [according to Scholastic – reflects the grade level at which a student reading on grade could read the book independently]
Interest Level:
Grades K-2
Review and Comments:
Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg is a treasury of poetry, familiar fairy tale and nursery rhyme characters and corresponding illustrations that compliment every detail of the text. It all begins with a little poem that invites the reader to play a game of “I Spy.” Then the fun begins. Young readers, even non readers, will love to listen carefully to the short rhyme on each page so they can identify familiar characters and then search for those characters in the illustrations. The text is simple and repetitive and the very detailed and colorful pictures make the search lots of fun. This book is the perfect opportunity to introduce a few fairy tales and nursery rhymes to children or retell old favorites. Continue reading I Spy a Fun Read!:A Review of ‘Each Peach Pear Plum’→
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Dr. Martin Luther King
Reading Level:
Grade 2-3 [level according to common core list]
Grade 4.5 [level according to Scholastic which reflects the grade level at which a student reading on grade could read the book independently]
“Reading about nature is fine, but if a person walks in the woods and listens carefully, he can learn more than what is in books, for they speak with the voice of God.” –George Washington Carver
Reading Level:
Grades 2-3
Review and Comments:
“Some people come in and out of your life, as quick as a hummingbird darting at a trumpet vine. And some of them, when gone, leave something behind that sticks in your heart or mind. It sticks to you like a little burr on your sock. It wraps around like the tendrils of a vine.”
These are the thoughts expressed by a little girl named Sally after meeting Dr. George Washington Carver. She first sees Dr. Carver with an old wagon he calls his “movable school.” She recognizes him from his reputation as the plant scientist from Tuskegee. Dr. Carver has done much research with plants and now he is sharing that knowledge with others. He teaches people how to improve their lives by making poor soil rich again and simple foods into other products. Continue reading Like the Tendrils on a Vine: A Review of ‘In the Garden with Dr. Carver’→
“Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.” –Colossians 3:20
Reading Level:
Grades K-1
Review and Comments:
The Tale of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter, is a classic tale that is ready for a new generation. Peter, that scamp of a bunny, does not heed his mother’s warning about Mr. McGregor’s garden or her instructions to stay close to home. He immediately goes to the garden and enjoys quite a feast on all the wonderful vegetables bunnies love to eat. Mr. McGregor spots Peter eating his produce and immediately a pursuit begins. Mr. McGregor runs all over the garden trying to catch him, but Peter is able to escape each close encounter. Peter is completely lost because of the chase and frantically tries to find a way out of the garden. Finally, after much searching, he locates the gate and is free once again. He does not stop running until he reaches the safety of his home and family. By the time he gets home his ordeal has taken its toll. Peter is put to bed and misses out on the delicious dinner that his sisters are able to enjoy. Continue reading Taking Risks as Far as Possible: A Review of “The Tale of Peter Rabbit”→
“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→
“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”– St. Francis of Assisi
Reading Level: Grades 5-6
Interest Level: Grades 5-8
Review and Comments:
As Brian buckles his seat belt and settles in the small plane to begin a trip to visit his father for the summer, he never dreams his life is about to change forever. He is distracted by angry, raging thoughts about his parents’ divorce. In the tangle of all of those emotions is a secret about his mom and that “Secret” is like an anchor weighing him down not only in his heart but in his thoughts. Those thoughts again assault his mind as he begins his flight. After a lengthy period of silence, he and the pilot finally begin to talk a bit. Brain is surprised when the pilot shows him how to use the rudder, and he actually flies the plane on his own. After that things go horribly wrong. The pilot has a heart attack and dies leaving Brian alone flying over the vast Canadian woods. Continue reading Strength in the Face of Danger: A Review of ‘Hatchet’ by Gary Paulsen→
“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.
“Poetry is a packsack of invisible keepsakes.”–Carl Sandburg
Grade Level:
K-1
Review and Comments:
Pocket Poems by Bobbi Katz is an anthology of 55 short poems that are both humorous and thought provoking. They cover subjects from nature themes to a twist on traditional stories like ‘Humpty Dumpty’, ‘The Old Woman in the Shoe’, and ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’. There is even a poem written in English and Spanish entitled “You – Tu.” Teachers will find the poem using homophones and a few poems about punctuation marks good additions to English lessons. My particular favorites are “The Drum” and [from]” Arithmetic.” The poems are written by classic authors such as Emily Dickinson and Carl Sandburg along with contemporary authors like the author of the anthology, Bobbie Katz. Continue reading Rhythmical Creation of Beauty in Words: A Review of ‘Pocket Poems’→
“The biggest challenge in life is being you – In a world trying to make you like everyone else.”–Unknown
Reading Level:
Easy Reader, Ages 4-8
Review and Comments
You Are (Not) Small by Anna Kang is a story with few words but a meaningful message. The characters in the book have a debate about their size. One character is obviously big and the other one is obviously small. Each character points out those physical traits, sometimes with passion. “You are small.” “You are big.” It seems that both are correct. The discussion progresses when they each show that there are others who are their same size so that must mean they are not really big or definitely not small. The debate begins to get heated because they will not change their viewpoint of one another. Continue reading One Size Does Not Fit All: A Review of ‘You Are (Not) Small’→
Reading Level:
Grade 2-3 [level according to common core list]
Reading Level:
Reading Level:
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. 
Reading Level: Grades 5-6
Grade Level:
Easy Reader, Ages 4-8