What I'm Reading

Adopted for Life: by Russell D. Moore. This was my pick for book club this month. It has blessed my life and given me tremendous knowledge. It has brought me closer to my Lord in understanding my standing as an heir of Christ.

Here is a brief summary from cbd.com: The gospel of Jesus Christ — the good news that through Jesus we have been adopted as sons and daughters into God’s family — means that Christians ought to be at the forefront of the adoption of orphans in North America and around the world.

Russell D. Moore doe s not shy away from this call in Adopted for Life, a popular-level, practical manifesto for Christians to adopt children and to help equip other Christian families to do the same. He shows that adoption is not just about couples who want children — or who want more children. It is about an entire culture within the church, a culture that sees adoption as part of the Great Commission mandate and as a sign of the gospel itself.

I wish that everyone would read this book. Maybe I am too close to the topic of adoption, but everyone is touched by adoption in some way- adopting, adopted, friends, family, supporters or adopted by our Heavenly Father.

On a side note, the author is actually going to be in town this Sunday at my brother's church. I am making plans to go to church with them. What a providential blessing!

What I'm reading

Diary of a Rabbit: I found this sweet book at the library the other day. It was published in 1982, written by Lilo Hess. It begins with the birth of some bunnies, including Daisy, the main character. It has some very sweet pictures of a growing rabbit and the story concludes when Daisy becomes a mother. Factual yet fun. I love it.

Prodigal God: by Timothy Keller. I read this for book club last month. It focuses on the story we think of as the Prodigal Son, but Keller explores the depth of the parable. The prodigal was lost, the elder brother was lost, I was lost in sin. But our Heavenly Father seeks us out and draws us to Himself. I never really understood this parable before- I am an older sister and always thought the elder brother was justified in his anger. I am grateful for Rev. Keller for writing this book and explaining the radical nature of this parable.

Monday feature: What I'm Reading

It has been way too long since I posted anything about books! While I have read lots of books this summer, I wanted to share a book I just rediscovered in my quest to find the rest of my children's books to read to the little boy that I am teaching/babysitting.

Introducing Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by Jane Dyer. I love LOVE this book. It makes me smile just thinking about it. The illustrations are simply beautiful. And as an added bonus- there are bunnies! Well, there are lots of children and animals but you know that my favorites are the bunnies.

Here is a summary from a review at School Library Journal:

Using the activity of making and eating cookies, the author defines some important concepts for young children, such as respect, trustworthiness, patience, politeness, loyalty, etc. The book begins: COOPERATE means, How about you add the chips while I stir? and continues with one definition per page. For example, FAIR means, You get a bite, I get a bite….; REGRET means, I really wish I didn't eat so many cookies; and CONTENT means sitting on the steps just you, me, and a couple of cookies. Lovely pastel watercolor illustrations show appealing children and anthropomorphic animals interacting with one another and the treats.

I must tell you that my favorite illustrations are three bunnies (shocking, I know): pessimistic (the grumpy bunny face is right on!), optimistic, and regret. My other favorite is honest- the sweet little lamb is so adorable!

Here is a link if you want to see some inside pages of the book: http://browseinside.harpercollins.com/index.aspx?isbn13=9780060580810

I am also excited to tell you that there are two more books by the author that I can't wait to own: Christmas Cookies: Bite-Size Holiday Lessons and the soon to be published Sugar Cookies: Sweet Little Lessons on Love. Happy reading!

Monday feature: What I'm Reading

Since my last post, I have read/listened to quite a few books. I was painting some rooms for one of my friends who is trying to sell her house. Being alone in a house painting gave me lots of free time. Plus, I am slow, methodical painter! The first book I listened to was Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris. Since I did not know anything about Theodore Roosevelt before this time I learned a lot: he loved to hunt (the story of the teddy bear comes from him), he designated lots of national parks and monuments, he was urged to run for a third term as president (which he declined, though reluctantly), and he was a pretty good peace keeper.

The second book I listed too was Empire by Orson Scott Card. It is a fictionalized look at how a second civil war could happen in America. It dealt mainly with the polarization of red/blue politics and control of military might. I enjoyed it, but then again, I like almost anything that Orson Scott Card writes.

How can I even begin to describe this book? Terry Pratchett once again weaves so many plot lines together that it just seems natural in Witches Abroad. It involves magic mirrors, fairy godmothers and lots and lots of fairy tales becoming reality.

I am almost finished with Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson. While I knew a little bit more about Franklin than Roosevelt, I still didn't know much. And I have never read his autobiography (which is quoted throughout). He seems like a very interesting character who loved learning, science, politics, and most of all, talking. While he always had a gift with words, he appeared to combine humility and wisdom later in life to bring about some of the most important documents in all of American history.

I am currently reading "fluff" as my husband calls it. I will update you again next week. Happy Reading!

Monday feature: What I'm Reading

images courtesy of amazon.com

I received three of the most beautiful books yesterday! Stranger in the Woods: A Photographic Fantasy by Carl R. Sams II and Jean Stoick was published in 2000. It won 27 different awards- it is that awesome. I found out about Lost in the Woods just last year, though it has been out since 2004. I love the sweet little fawn in this book. And when I stumbled upon First Snow in the Woods at Christmas, I promptly declared that this is what I wanted for my birthday! The photography is breathtaking. The deer are so friendly you want to hug them. And I love the fact that there is a rabbit or hare in each book. Thanks Evette! Thanks Mimi! Happy reading!

What I'm Reading

Here is my Monday feature, just a little late.

I just finished listening to Einstein by Walter Issacson. It was pretty interesting. It actually explained the math and physics involved in Einstein's theroies. These explainations were totally lost on me. I did, however, enjoy learning about his life and times.

Here is the book summary, for those interested: How did Einstein's mind work? What made him a genius? Isaacson's biography shows how his scientific imagination sprang from the rebellious nature of his personality. His fascinating story is a testament to the connection between creativity and freedom. Based on the newly released personal letters of Albert Einstein, Walter Isaacson explores how an imaginative, impertinent patent clerk, a struggling father in a difficult marriage who couldn't get a teaching job or a doctorate, became the mind reader of the creator of the cosmos, the locksmith of the mysteries of the atom and the universe. His success came from questioning conventional wisdom and marveling at mysteries that struck others as mundane. This led him to embrace a morality and politics based on respect for free minds, free spirits, and free individuals. These traits are just as vital for this new century of globalization, in which our success will depend on our creativity, as they were for the beginning of the last century, when Einstein helped usher in the modern age.

Monday feature: What I'm Reading

I love to read. I love books. I even enjoy talking about books. This was one of the main reasons I became a librarian. So, I thought that I would try to do a book feature on Mondays. It will include what I am reading right now, my favorite books, or a book I really want to read but haven't gotten around to it yet.

Right now, I am reading The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. I am actually reading the 1987 reprint of the 1982 edition. The first part has chapters on the importance of books and reading aloud to children. The second part is a Treasury of Read-Alouds. I can't wait to go through this list- there are some wonderful suggestions (especially for someone who didn't read good books as a child). The author has a website with updated suggestions and a wealth of other information. It is found at http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/default.html

There is a great little story in the Introduction about Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey.

One of the quotes featured in the book made me proud that, as a librarian, I could lure children into the world of books:

"Few children learn to love books by themselves. Someone has to lure them into the wonderful world of the written word; someone has to show them the way." -Orville Prescott, from A Father Reads to His Children.

That's what I am reading, what about you?