Betsy's Review Policy

My book review goals/agenda:

• to review books that are worth reading--in particular, books that illuminate the Creation-Fall-Redemption framework found in Scripture, that show us something about the way Creation works and/or about the nature of humanity and/or about the nature of redemption. This is by no means limited to "Christian" books but refers to excellent literature regardless of the author's professed beliefs.
• to review award winners and best sellers--I like to know what the general public and/or the award committees are reading and what they feel is "excellent" or "noteworthy" in some way
• to keep a record/review of some of my favorite reads! 

When I say "recommended for" followed by an age group, you should know that this does not mean that age group SHOULD read that book necessarily. It simply means that if you deem that book worth reading from my review, then I think that is the best age group to shoot for. The age group recommendations refer to maturity level more than reading level; some 7-year-olds are reading voraciously at a middle school reading level while some middle school students still aren't reading at that level. Kids' maturity levels often don't coincide with their reading levels. 


I have reviewed many books that many Christian parents I know would not want their children to read. I respect that. I know my standards are more liberal than some of my peers since I have no problem with witchcraft, profanity, etc. in a book. I think how those elements are used and/or reflected in the text determines whether or not I think the book is worth reading. When there are elements such as these in a book that might give a fellow Christian parent pause, I try to note them. It's worth encouraging you, dear reader, to remember that your child will come into contact with things you deem inappropriate no matter how much you shelter them. Wouldn't you rather have the opportunity to discuss some of life's big issues while your child is still under your roof than to wait until he or she chooses to experiences some of those things down the road? A well-written book can be a great conversation starter!

It's worth knowing, as a parent and/or teacher, what's out there in the current book publishing world. Currently, I simply follow other folks' recommendations on what's new, what's hot, what's coming up, and so forth. I also choose some Advance Review Copies (ARCs) from netgalley on occasion. Essentially, I read what looks interesting to me and/or what looks like it's got award potential.

Teacups, Teapots, and Tea Sets

From the time I was a little girl, I've loved tea sets: the matching cups and saucers, the fancy tea pots, the coordinating creamer and sugar.... I was destined to be a collector. I know Megan shares my sentiments exactly--that's part of what drew us together! In fact, the reason I wanted Lenox fine china was because I liked the shape of the teacups in their classic china collections.

We've both come to a disturbing realization lately--disturbing but freeing at the same time: we have too many tea pots and tea cups (gasp!). Is that possible? Unfortunately, yes, it is. Megan has been inspired to write an amazing short story that hopefully will published--one that reflects our dilemma and provides a wonderful solution. In the meantime, whilst we all wait with baited breath for the publication of said story, here's what I've come up with (giving credit where credit is due--this is all thanks to Megan's inspiration!).

My number 1 criterion for keeping various teapots and teacups:

Do I enjoy using it?

If it doesn't meet that criteria, then, no matter how attractive, how sentimental, how priceless, I need to consider getting rid of it. This has prompted some interesting reflection. For instance, I was using a teapot that I enjoyed using, but which had no value other than I simply liked the way it looked. A recent kitchen redo took away some of my storage, and I was forced to part with at least one teapot. I got rid of that very one because the others were all more sentimental in some way, and I simply decided to start using them! It's akin to using the good china instead of letting it linger unnoticed year after year. I'm sending a precious tea cup to a friend of mine who's going through a hard time. We both spent time in Scotland, so I know a teacup from Scotland will mean a lot to her. I don't enjoy actually using that teacup--I just like the way it looks and knowing its origin. Now, it's on its way to a mission much more spiritually uplifting than gracing my teacup shelf. And, oh, the pleasure of "using the good stuff"! If it gets chipped along the way, oh well--at least I'll have enjoyed its tenure in my possession.

Speaking of having "enough" teacups, I have 26 teacups (or nice china mugs) that coordinate with existing sets of china, so I'll never be short for a normal tea party. Thus, it's purely up to my enjoyment of the extras as to whether they'll "make the cut." I have teacups I've collected from different countries--the fun part is trying to figure out if I actually like drinking out of them. If not... then they're on to a new mission. This is where the freeing part comes in--if I don't enjoy actually drinking out of it, I need to find another use (small vase? coin/change holder? Goodwill box?).

I'm hopefully going to inherit a teaset from my mother. It sits on a small table at my mother's house, and I've never seen it used. It's the tea set that started me on my love affair with tea sets when I was a little girl (that and my voracious appetite for British literature). Will I use it when I get it or sit it on display? Probably both--after all, tea sets are meant to be used. Will I enjoy drinking out of those diminutive cups? You betcha! Will I be sad when and if one breaks? Of course, but I'll know that it was fulfilling its mission in life: to be filled with tea and to bring joy to someone.

On a final note: I let my kids drink out of some very sentimental tea cups I got in the Czech Republic. They're quite small and the perfect size for little hands. My daughter, especially, loves drinking out of "real" teacups. And I've been drinking out of my all-time favorite tea cup every day for the past 2 weeks.... (pictured above and purchased in London)

Reading to Your Children: Why and What

I have a close friend whose children are roughly the same ages as mine (hers are 2 and 4; mine are 3, 3, and 4). She is growing increasingly worried that she won't be able to communicate a love of reading to her sons and, if she chooses to homeschool, won't be able to teach them to read well. She was not a good reader growing up and feels rather insecure about the whole endeavor.

Communicating a love of reading to children is one of the single most important "loves" we can pass on (of course, we are also trying to communicate our love for our Savior--sometimes these two endeavors work hand in hand). So, what is a person like my friend to do?

The NUMBER 1 thing you can do to inculcate a love of reading in your children is to...

READ TO YOUR CHILDREN.

The NUMBER 1 thing you can do to help teach your children to read is to...

READ TO YOUR CHILDREN.

That's it, folks. There is no curriculum you "must" follow, no prescribed list of books you "must" read. Simply do it (see here for more info if you're in doubt). Go to the library and pick out some books (your librarians are usually quite helpful folks--after all, they wouldn't be librarians if they weren't interested in the same goal!).

Go to library story time. Read your own books when your children are watching. Listen to audiobooks in the car--even driving around town, you'll find plenty of time to listen to Winnie-the-Pooh, Mary Poppins, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Charlotte's Web, etc. See here for more ideas about reading aloud to children.

When is the best time of day to read to your children? Whenever it suits you! After breakfast, before naptime, after playing outside, before dinner, before bed... I even read to my children during lunch for a while--they were a captive audience since they were all strapped into their booster seats. Why not?

What should you read? There are better books than others, but you will learn that as you go. A good rule of thumb is to start with books you remember loving as a child. Chances are, those classics are still around:

• Frog and Toad books
• Dr. Seuss
• Amelia Bedelia
• Mother Goose
• Charlotte's Web

If you like guides (I, as an avid bibliophile, truly enjoy perusing lists of books), then here are a few places to start:

• Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt (Hunt also has an outstanding section on what it means to read as a Christian, why books are important, and so forth.)
• Books Children Love by Elizabeth Wilson (one of the strengths of this book is its many nonfiction lists/recommendations for children)
• The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease (full of great read aloud info and resources)
• Choosing Books for Children: A Commonsense Guide by Betsy Hearne
• Lists online help with identifying recent "greats" (search big libraries' websites, like the New York Public Library, and other sites such as the ALA website, 2009 Notable Books--ALA, 2010 Notable Books--ALA, School Library Journal, Hedgehog Books, and others)*

*It's especially important to remember that not all people who make lists of noteworthy children's books have the same priorities when it comes to values, choices, and similar issues. Read the lists with a discerning eye; skim books before checking them out from a library.

Happy Reading! Make good use of the summer ahead!!

Firmly on Mr. McGregor's Side: A Reality Check

Remember the days when we fondly thought being poor as churchmice would be an adventure? Just think how those 5 little Peppers grew, despite their poverty! Or, what about being short? After all, the Borrowers had such a life of adventure. Then, there's the romantic way Ma and Pa made that little sod house on the prairie. What a life! Can there be too many adorable Peter Rabbits in the world? Wouldn't raising your kids on a diet of Yorkshire moor air be just the thing for their health? Better yet, who wouldn't want to reclaim a secret garden from 10 years of neglect?

Those of us raised on a steady diet of great children's books have no doubt all experienced adulthood as one big reality check. Am I right? Currently, I'm firmly on the side of Mr. McGregor, wishing all little bunnies were being good little bunnies who only ate blackberries (instead of my tomatoes and cucumbers!). I think Mr. McGregor was totally justified in making Peter's father into a pie.

I've also been forced to admit (so far, only to myself) that being poor is not really much fun*; being short is not always a blessing; feeding and raising kids is a lot harder than Mrs. Sowerby makes it out to be; doing yard work/gardening is fun sometimes, but frequently just a lot of hard work; and I don't even want to imagine what cleaning a sod house with dirt floor would be like! And yet, I'm delighted--utterly delighted--that my children are entering the worlds of Mrs. Tiggywinkle and Jemima Puddleduck...soon to be followed with stories of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Mary Lenox, and other great literary characters. Despite the reality check that eventually comes, great literature teaches us to see things better, to understand people better, to see the Great Story better (creation, fall, redemption). After all, I'm quite sure the Swiss Alps were so beautiful to me in person because I'd already seen them with Heidi, I love roses in part because they were the essence of the Secret Garden, and I can never look at a horse without appreciating the hard work we humans have put them to--especially as London cabby horses. Don't you still think there might be little people under your floorboards borrowing thimbles and whatnot, fairies amongst the fireflies at night, dolls that talk, animals that all get along when the moon is full, and mermaids?

*I must admit that we are not poor by any stretch of the imagination--we had some tough times when hubby was finishing grad school, but even then the Lord had blessed us with more than enough! We were tight enough and continue to budget enough that I can appreciate how much hard work it truly is to make ends meet when you really don't have enough.

Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices

Paul Fleischman has created a truly unique offering for children in his Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices. A collection of antiphonal poetry, the poems in this charming volume are all about bugs. Antiphonal poetry involves two people reading each poem; the lines of the poem are arranged in two columns so that each narrator can figure out his or her lines. In JN, the readers will sometimes be speaking alone, sometimes in unison, and sometimes overlapping--each with a unique line.

Fleischman's little book is organized by the seasons in that the first poems deal with the insects we first encounter in the spring (grasshoppers); the final poems end with winter and what that means for the world of creepy-crawlies. Most poem are in first person--from an insect point of view. The language changes for each insect, gaining speed in the "Whirly-gig Beetle" offering, moving rythmically in the "Waterboatmen" version, chirping away in "House Crickets."

This is one of those books that you simply must experience in audio format. It is less than half an hour long--it would make a nice preschool or kindergarten offering in the midst of longer, "older" books during a long car ride. It fits in well if you're simply running errands, too, since each poem is quite short. The narrators are top notch (I listed to the Recorded Books, Inc. version--those are often found in libraries), and poetry should always be heard, rather than merely read. I think the collection will most resonate with preschool-kindergarten-aged children, but anyone who enjoys bugs and the insect world will appreciate the subtle humor, the variety of language, and the intricacies of hive life that Fleischman includes in his charming poetry collection.

For other audio book recommendations (for those summer trips!), check out the audiobooks category in the right-hand column.

Award Winners--Newbery

The familiar Newbery Award has been around a long time! Nearly 100 years old, it was first awarded in 1922. Awarded annually, to the "author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children," it usually signifies a book worth reading. Still, though, remember that these books are judged by other people--it represents an opinion you are free to disagree with! They are worth getting to know because libraries stock them, and they often wind up on curriculum lists in elementary/middle school classrooms.

These are meaty books, even though they are for "children." They also range from Millions of Cats to Frog and Toad to The Giver in level and content. It's interesting to note that some of the now-standards were only "honor" books back in the day, partly because the committee wondered if their content was too dark (i.e. Charlotte's Web and Old Yeller). Here's the list of winners.

Here are Betsy's faves (I haven't kept up with the Newbery scene as of late; I haven't read many of the newer ones):

• A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park (2002 Winner)
• Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (2001 Honor)
• Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis (2000 Winner)
• Holes by Louis Sachar (1999 Winner)
• Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse (1998 Winner)
• The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (1997 Honor)
• Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman (1995 Honor)
• The Giver by Lois Lowry (1994 Winner)
• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (1990 Winner)
• Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind by Suzanne Fisher Staples (1990 Honor)
• Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleishman (1989 Winner)
• Jacob, Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson (1981 Winner)
• The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (1979 Winner)
• Bridge to Terebithia by Katherine Paterson (1978 Winner)
• Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor (1977 Winner)
• The Perilous Guard by Elizabeth Marie Pope (1975 Honor)
• The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper (1974 Honor)
• Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel (1973 Honor)
• Sounder by William Armstrong (1970 Winner)
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (1963 Winner)
• Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell (1961 Winner)
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (1959 Winner)
• Old Yeller by Fred Gibson (1957 Honor)
• Charlotte's Web by E. B. White (1953 Honor)
• King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry (1949 Winner)
• My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett (1949 Honor)
• The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes (1945 Honor)
• Roller Skates by Ruth Sawyer (1937 Winner)
  

Award Winners--Printz

The Michael L. Printz Award is an award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. The Printz Award is a relative newcomer to the award scene; it was first awarded in 2000. It is worth noting one of the key differences between the Printz Award and the more familiar Newbery: the age of the target audience. Printz Awards are given for young adult literature versus the children's literature that receives the Newbery. Sometimes, the protagonist's age doesn't differ greatly, but the subject matter, content, and overall tone will differ extensively.

The pattern, so far, in the Printz Award winners seems to be literature that is most definitely for the upper end of the YA spectrum (age-wise). These are not books to hand casually to your 11-year-old. They are edgy, complex, "messy," open-ended, and, admittedly, well-crafted. They merit much discussion and often include elements that parents are uncomfortable with. They also happen to be books that wind up in high school (or even middle school) classrooms on the curriculum list. It's worth knowing what your children may be reading in school. Certainly, their peers are devouring these books.

Betsy's favorites:

• American Born Chinese by Gen Yang (2007 Winner): A graphic novel about a Chinese-American boy's struggle to find his cultural identity. Really, a fascinating and well-done book.
  
• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (2000 Honor): This one winds up in classrooms regularly, particularly in 8th and 9th grade. It's a sobering, poignant book about a young girl who gets raped at a party during the summer between 8th and 9th grade; she struggles to find her voice (literally) throughout her freshman year. The ending was a bit overdone, in my opinion, but the book tackles a topic worth examining, and Melinda's "voice" in the book (she's the narrator) is readily identified with, even if you haven't undergone the trauma she has experienced.
  

Here's the list of winners.