love to paint

Yesterday, my girls had a book group meeting (for 4th-6th grade girls).  They talked about a book titled They were Strong and Good by Robert Lawson.  It's a book full of potential material for discussion. Here are the questions that my girls came up with: 1.  Did you enjoy this book?  Why or why not? 2.  How would this story change if the author was not proud of his heritage? 3.  How does the author's story make you feel about your own family?  Why? 4.  What was the purpose or message of the book?  What was the author trying to say? 5.  How does the story connect to you? 6.  Why does it matter where you come from? 7.  Do you think that the title fits the book?  Why, if so?  If not, what would you call the book? 8.  Robert Lawson described his family as strong and good.  How would you describe your family in 2 words? 9.  Why do you think Lawson described his family as strong and good to begin ...

When I sat down a moment ago to write a review of the book I just read, the phrase "unrealistic realistic fiction" came to mind.  My husband perused the book I'm about review and declared that is wholly unrealistic. It is.  It is a Christian Romantic Suspense novel.  Lynette Eason just published the second book in her Elite Guardians series, Without Warning .  But, I don't think readers really expect all realistic fiction  to be realistic.  It is set in the present with people they can picture in a world they live in every day. Without Warning is about a personal bodyguard, Katie, who gets involved in a case of arson and life.  Katie cares about one of her self defense class students, Riley.  The man who's life is in danger happens to be Riley's uncle, Daniel. Katie quickly gets involved protecting Daniel Matthews and Riley.  The book begins with the arson of one of his six restaurants and escalates in danger from there.  Katie's fe...

This past weekend I read a book by Sarah Loudin Thomas.  When I started reading it, I had no idea that it was actually the third book in a series.  There was no indication of this on the front or spine of the book.  Surprisingly, I didn't realize that it was the third in a series until I got to the end of the book and read the descriptions of other books recommended at the back by the publisher.  This book stood on its own without depending on the two that had come before it. The book is A Tapestry of Secrets .  The story centers on Ella and her grandmother Perla.  Ella got out of an abusive relationship with her boyfriend a year before the story begins.  Her occupation is creating art quilts.  Ella is the kind of young woman who loves tradition and is closely knitted into the fabric of her family so when Perla has a stroke, she moves home to help take care of her.  The book is the story of Perla's recovery and the secret that she wants to ...

There Never was I Here Are you Beyond Went She Under Hid slyly He But, Me They all Saw

This past weekend I read a book I found on someone's reading list on her blog.  The book was Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. I loved it.  I'm glad I read it and I want my kids to read it. The book is about a girl named Ally who struggles in school.  She's been in eight schools or so in seven years because her dad serves in the military.  Ally has an older brother, Travis, who has her back.  Their family is a healthy family, but Ally's dad is deployed during the story. This book is a story about not judging a book by its cover.  Ally's MO is to distract whenever a teacher or school administrator asks her to read or write.  Because... Ally has dyslexia.  Over the years, her teachers missed it.  Her brother struggles with dyslexia as well.  Their parents know school is hard for them, but her dad likely had it as well and encouraged his son to compensate for it in auto class. Dyslexia often runs in families.  A few years ...

The grass swallows your paws As you sit Still Not a sound But, I want to see How God made you Hop little limber bunny Hop Walking closer The bunny skitters away Without a Sound

For the past two months, I've been teaching my 2nd-5th grade Sunday school class about the Beattitudes.  I've been using a curriculum, The Kids Travel Guide to the Beattitudes , that I haven't been that happy with, actually.  I had used a previous book in the same series and really liked that one.  But, this one...  it has felt like there's a lot of fluff.  So, I end up taking a few ideas from the book and writing my own lessons each week. Yesterday, I only had a half hour in which I needed to prepare my lesson.  I'd been taking care of my family's needs all day and that was all there was.  I prayed and trusted that the Lord would help me put the pieces together.  One of the pieces came from an unexpected place... A few months ago, I agreed to review a Christian Living book because all of the author's books have been encouraging to me.  The book is The Blessing of Humility by Jerry Bridges.  A few months ago, this man passed away in ...