In the last two years the teens in my local book club have improved their recommendations for me. As we have gotten to know each other better, they have been able to make more interesting and appropriate requests for future book clubs. Over the last few months, at every meeting, someone renews the call for … Continue reading The Westing Game
The Strange Intruder
As a boy mom, a small part of my regular reading diet includes previewing books that come from trustworthy sources as possible reads for the often difficult-to-please 8-14-year-old boy niche. In this book list article, Diane and I mention that, in our experience as teachers, boy moms, and encouragers of readers, we have learned that … Continue reading The Strange Intruder
Leepike Ridge
“What poetry does is represent nature. That can be handy because nature is big and changing and various and hard to look at. Whereas with somebody with a great eye and a big soul, they could explain it to you.” I heard Dr. Larry Arnn, president of Hillsdale College, say this in a lecture … Continue reading Leepike Ridge
Last of the Mohicans
This is part of Diane's American Literature Course Series This summer, about six weeks before school was going to start, I was asked to teach a literature class for a small group of teen girls. “Literature” is a dauntingly broad subject. Where to focus? Based on what some of the students had already read, I decided on … Continue reading Last of the Mohicans
A Tree for Peter
“...Some of you have steady jobs now. Most of you work off and on...there is not one among you who is not a man after me own heart. Kicked around by life you were, sure. Only, I am the cop on the beat and I know that there is not one among you who has … Continue reading A Tree for Peter
In The Realm of Mist and Mercy
One of my favorite couples in the world each had a baby last week. Holding their sweet newly-minted little princesses in my arms I was struck, again, by how sacred the task of parenting is. At the birth of a child, a tender immortal soul is entrusted into our love and care so that we … Continue reading In The Realm of Mist and Mercy
David and the Phoenix
“You never know what you will find when you climb a mountain…” While he was a student at Berkeley in the 1940s, Edward Ormondroyd had a vision of a “large pompous bird diving out of a window, tripping on the sill, and crashing into a rose arbor below” (from the author’s letter in the Purple … Continue reading David and the Phoenix
The Wilderking Trilogy
This spring my family fell in love with The Wilderking trilogy. Much like Narnia or the Shire, the Wilderking books are set in a place that feels romantic and a bit heaven-kissed. Corenwald is a place of physical beauty, vibrant community, traditional values, exotic intrigue, relative peace, and the possibility of high adventure. The fictional … Continue reading The Wilderking Trilogy
Books Boys Love
Moms often ask us for book recommendations for their 8-12 year old sons. This particular gender and age reader combination can be challenging for many families. Even if the boys are reading independently, many do not just dive into novels the way that girls seem to. Keeping in mind that boys tend to love "real" things, … Continue reading Books Boys Love
The Mad Scientists’ Club
Bertrand R. Brinley lived a fascinating life. I suggest that readers read this article (written by his son) before proceeding. I think that it will help give some insight into the things that I must say. In short, Brinley’s early life was not dissimilar to that of Louisa May Alcott’s. After a peripatetic childhood (I … Continue reading The Mad Scientists’ Club