Or, as an alternative, the good people at Chicken Soup for the Soul have released a new title, Teacher Tales: 101 Inspirational Stories from Great Teachers and Appreciative Students. These essays celebrate the memorable moments that will live forever with teachers, along with the embarrassing experiences that every newbie on faculty goes through at some point. Just like with the career, this collection can inspire, invoke laughter, or bring forth the tears. As an added bonus, each of the 2009 State Teachers of the Year has contributed a story, so of course, I sought out my state's winner as my first read!

We're happy to share Teacher Tales: 101 Inspirational Stories from Great Teachers and Appreciative Students with three readers in this week's giveaway. Just leave one comment to enter, and we'll announce our three winners next week.

Dawn's classroom days are temporarily on hold while she plays the role of stay-at-home mommy. The highlights of her days are logged on her blog, my thoughts exactly.

Yes, they get summers off, but for at least nine months of the year, their days are filled with lesson plans, staff meetings, and classrooms full of children under their tutelage. The rewards come in many forms (most often not monetary!), and if you want to hear some entertaining stories, you just need to hang out with a group of teachers on a Friday afternoon.

Or, as an alternative, the good people at Chicken Soup for the Soul have released a new title, Teacher Tales: 101 Inspirational Stories from Great Teachers and Appreciative Students. These essays celebrate the memorable moments that will live forever with teachers, along with the embarrassing experiences that every newbie on faculty goes through at some point. Just like with the career, this collection can inspire, invoke laughter, or bring forth the tears. As an added bonus, each of the 2009 State Teachers of the Year has contributed a story, so of course, I sought out my state's winner as my first read!

We're happy to share Teacher Tales: 101 Inspirational Stories from Great Teachers and Appreciative Students with three readers in this week's giveaway. Just leave one comment to enter, and we'll announce our three winners in next week's column.

The winners of last week's (many) giveaways are:

• The Nancy Drew book from the Children's Classic Mystery Challenge is #17 debi.
• The winners of One Good Dog are #5 Penny Hull, #28 Shannon Baas , and #66 Jemrah.
• The winner of Leaving Yesterday is #6 Mindy.

Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter.

Dawn's classroom days are temporarily on hold while she plays the role of stay-at-home mommy. The highlights of her days are logged on her blog, my thoughts exactly.

My brother-in-law is a confirmed Irishman (a 100% American Irishman). He's visited the country each summer for weeks on end for the last several years. He speaks Irish (bet most of you didn't even know Irish was a language, did you?). So I've seen pictures and know of his love for the country (as well as my in-laws who have visited more than once themselves). So with a surname such as Donovan, I've gotta dip into the history of this country a bit, right?

Far from the Land is Thomas Rice's story (actually it goes back a bit further into his mother's life as an immigrant from Ireland to the US in the 20's — and then back again). He was raised on a rocky farm in Ballinvalley, the only boy in his large family, and since his father was mostly absent, he ended up running the farm as a young teen, and eventually chose to leave Ireland for England and then America.

It's told with gentle foreshadowing as he has the benefit of looking back over his life, knowing how each event ends up fitting into the puzzle of his life.

At times, it reads almost like a family history, and it could do with some editing, but if you are interested in life in Ireland in the 1940's and 1950's, specifically the life of a poor farmer and young man coming of age, this book will definitely captivate you. Rice's writing is descriptive, and the use of local terms and expressions always adds to the telling and the local flavor (sometimes when too much of this is included it becomes quite confusing, but that is not the case here).

There's a great mix of historical fact and personal experience, so if you are interested in the history of Ireland, there's plenty of that too — the oppression, the poverty, and the general character of the people there. I was fascinated by some of the facts, such as the huge population decline during the Potato Famine, and the treatment of the Irish immigrants by the British during this time. In fact, the conflict between the freed slaves, the working-class Americans, and the Irish immigrants is a central plot point to A Wish After Midnight, which brings up another audience suited for this book — those who are interested in reading about oppressed people.

Jennifer Donovan is proud to be a wee bit Irish and is thinking green this month. Read more about her life and family at her blog Snapshot.

Write up your kids' picks, or let them do a guest review themselves. Read more the detailed guidelines HERE).

For ease in searching, include your child(ren)'s ages or the book title in the link as well.

Sorry this was late today! I thought it was set to go (I figured it out! Wordpress has to be manually changed for daylight savings time). The Tuesday posts should go up at 8:00am Eastern each Tuesday, except Nightstand, which alternates between 8:00am and midnight.

Visit our Join In page to find out all the details about all of our Tuesday community events.

Coming up:

• March 23 — What's on Your Nightstand
• March 30 — Quarterly Classics Bookclub
• April 6 — I Read It!
• April 13 — Children's Classics Mystery Challenge
• April 20 — Kids' Picks

Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter.

Now it's your turn. Link up, directly to your blog post, or share your thoughts in the comments:

It’s been a few years since her last full-length novel and I have to tell you, I’ve been missing her voice in redemptive fiction. You can imagine how excited I was to learn that not only had she written another novel but that I’d been offered the opportunity to read and review it! Yep, very excited. So much so that I devoured this long awaited, much anticipated new release in a day. Yep, a day. Devoured, I told you.

Her Mother's Hope is the first of two historical novels inspired by Rivers’ mother and grandmother and their sometimes strained, contentious relationship. The mother-daughter bond is complex, I don’t have to tell you that, and Her Mother's Hope explores the heartache and disappointment that can stem from such complexity:

Near the end of the twentieth century, fiery Marta Schneider leaves Switzerland and a difficult childhood behind, determined to find life on her own terms. She's driven by her father's assumption that she'll never amount to anything more than a servant and her mother's secret prodding to chase her dreams. But nothing has prepared her for the journey ahead and the sacrifices she must make as she travels through Europe, Canada, and finally to the Central Valley of California to raise her family.

Marta's hope is to give her children a better life, but experience has taught her that only the strong survive. Her tough love is often mistaken for disdain, especially by her oldest daughter, Hildemara Rose, who craves her mother's acceptance. As Hildie pursues her calling as a nurse, she falls in love and starts a family of her own amidst the turmoil of World War II. But when tragedy threatens the independence she's worked so hard to build, both mother and daughter must face their own shortcomings and the ever-widening chasm that threatens to separate them forever.

Her Mother's Hope is, as the description suggests, an epic story crossing multiple generations, an aspect of the story that frustrated me somewhat, especially at the beginning of the novel. Within a few pages, or a few paragraphs even, the story would jump three years then five years and so on. I felt hurried along the story when I kind of wanted to linger awhile. That being said, the latter part of the book maintained a more consistent tempo; that, or I had grown accustomed to the epic nature of Marta’s story. I will admit that I liked the second part of the book, Hildie’s story, more so than the first. I also liked how the novel captured the tumultuous times of the world wars, touching on Japanese interment camps, for example, as well as the heightened prejudice against Germans.

Marta as a protagonist was a remarkably flawed character that I at turn liked, sympathized with, pitied and more than once wanted to shake some sense into. Such is real life–remarkably flawed–and Rivers’ portrayal of choices and consequences provide the kind of realism I like in a novel, even though I am sometimes frustrated by it.

I don’t know if Her Mother's Hope is my favorite Francine Rivers’ novel but I will say I liked it, very much. So much so I stayed up far too late and left too many tasks undone in order to read it in a days’ time. Rivers is a master at her craft and her storytelling skills do not fail her here. I will be eagerly awaiting the next novel in the series and the resolution of Marta and Hildie's story!

We have a copy of Francine Rivers latest novel to give away to one of you (U.S. and Canadian shipping addresses). Please leave a comment if you want to win. We'll announce the winner in our giveaway post on March 24.

Wife and mother, Bible teacher and blogger, Lisa loves Jesus, coffee, dark chocolate and, of course, books. Read more of her reflections at Lisa writes….

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One thing that I liked about Fireworks Over Toccoa is that it's a quick, easy, inviting read. It's only 272 pages, and the writing is descriptive and yet not overly flowery (which I sometimes enjoy, but I have to admit it does take more time to wade through).

So–if you are a mom who wants to read, but don't have a lot of time, this is the kind of book you want to pick up. Give yourself a few hours, and you can brag that you read a whole book!! Perhaps you are like me, and don't need extra incentive to while away the hours by reading instead of cleaning your house. Fireworks Over Toccoa has something for you as well. No matter how much we read, any of us like that immediate satisfaction of finishing a book quickly!

I also think that this book will appeal to

• Fans of World War II era fiction
• Georgians (the state, not those from English historical period)
• Military wives
• Romance-readers

Read my review of Fireworks over Toccoa to find out about what I liked about the book.

We are also going to host a sort of a bookclub here in mid-April, inviting you to link up your review or discuss the book along with us. Stay tuned for more details. However, I do know that anyone who links up a review by the deadline will be entered to win a $25 amazon gift card (sponsored by me — thanks to amazon affliliate rewards!)

If you are interested in receiving a copy of Fireworks over Toccoa and know that you will be able to read it and review it on your blog by mid-April, send an email with "blogger book" in the subject field to 5minutesforbooks (AT) Gmail DOT com. Tell me why you want to read the book, provide a link to your blog, and tell me why you'd be a good word-of-mouth advocate for this book (assuming you like it — we do want you to post your honest thoughts). This is open to U.S. and Canadian shipping addresses.

Not a blogger? Remember, anyone can still join in our bookclub and still be entered to win the amazon gift certificate.

• You can read over 100 pages of the book right now at FireworksOverToccoa.com. You can also enter to win one of 300 books!
• Read my full review of Fireworks over Toccoa at 5 Minutes for Mom to find out more about the book.
• Are you in a book club? The publisher would like to give you up to 12 copies of this book if you can read it for your April or May bookclub. Find out all the details about having Fireworks over Toccoa as your bookclub selection at 5 Minutes for Books.
• Email me (see above) to ask for a free review copy to feature on your blog. I'll write you back within a couple of weeks to let you know if you've been accepted.

Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter.

*Disclosure: This is a paid campaign with the publisher to help them reach bloggers and bookclubs. However, as always, our opinions are our own.

But they can also be hard to coordinate — finding a book that everyone will enjoy and have time to read.

And they can be expensive as everyone has to buy a copy of the book.

Or they can be risky, as some put their name at the bottom of a long line of library requests hoping to receive it before the next meeting.

We, along with the publishers of FireworksOverToccoa.com, want to solve this problem for you. That's right, we want to give you up to 12 copies of the book so that you can discuss it in your April or May bookclub.

You'd need to commit to meeting in April or May to discuss the book, which probably would involve switching some things around — but we'll send you the books, so it's probably worth it, right? Then you can report to us and let us know how the discussion went. We'll even be posting some discussion questions here later this month, so that's another difficult task out of the way.

Fireworks over Toccoa is a quick, easy, read, but one that will evoke feelings and emotions and memories. I think that the discussions will be rich. Click on the title to read my full review over at 5 Minutes for Mom.

The books can be sent out to one person, or to each individual member of the bookclub (U.S. and Canadian addresses). Then you just have to set a date, and get reading!

If you are interested in reading Fireworks over Toccoa for your next bookclub, send me an email at 5minutesforbooks AT gmail (DOT) com with "book club" in the subject line.

In the email let me know why you think that this would be a good fit for your bookclub, and when you would be meeting to discuss it.

I'll let you know before the end of the month if you've been selected (we're hoping to provide several bookclubs with books!), and the books will be shipped out at the end of the month, after the publish date of March 30.

• You can read over 100 pages of the book right now at FireworksOverToccoa.com. You can also enter to win one of 300 books!
• If you're a blogger, find out how 5 Minutes for Books is teaming up with the publisher to get this book in the hands of a lot of bloggers. If you read the book and post a review, you'll be eligible to win a $25 amazon gift certificate. Find out how you can be considered to receive a book in this post at 5 Minutes for Books.
• Email me (see above) to nominate your bookclub to receive up to 12 copies of the book.
• Read my full review of Fireworks over Toccoa at 5 Minutes for Mom to find out more about the book.

Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter.

*Disclosure: This is a paid campaign with the publisher to help them reach bloggers and bookclubs. However, as always, our opinions are our own.

Sons of Thunder tells the story of three young people, Markos, Dino, and Sofia, and their journey from Greece to the United States and back home again. Markos and Dino, who are forced to flee Greece when their tempers land them in trouble, vow to care for Sofia in their new lives. Unfortunately, their tempers and troubles follow them to Chicago and beyond, and all three characters find themselves lost and seemingly without hope.

Set in the years before and during World War II, this novel is an epic tale in three parts, one for each of the main characters. Unlike some Christian fiction novels, everything is not clean cut (I admit that I was surprised by some scenes, but I thought Mrs. Warren handled them realistically without unnecessary details). Markos, Dino, and Sofia make big, life-changing mistakes, and they struggle within themselves while also facing the violence of the Chicago mobs and the battlefields of Europe. After they have completely messed up their lives, these characters must decide whether to lose hope and drift through life or take hold of redemption. It is a choice that is surrounded by challenges and heartache, but a choice that could lead to love and forgiveness for them all.

Sons of Thunder is part of a new line of romantic suspense novels by Summerside Press and is the first book in Susan May Warren's Brothers in Arms collection. Be sure to check out these links for more information. Additionally, Susan May Warren is hosting a contest to celebrate the release of her new book. Click HERE to read how you could win a prize package containing a gift certificate to create your own hardcover photo book, a 6 month membership to Netflix, and a signed copy of Sons of Thunder.

Lauren is a wife, a mother of two, and an avid reader. She blogs at Baseballs and Bows. Lauren thanks Litfuse Publishing for providing the review copy of this book.

And then I heard about BookSwim. The most simple and accessible explanation of BookSwim's services is to call it the Netflix of books. A variety of leveled plans exist for membership, determining the number of books that you may have checked out at a time with differing costs. For all but the lowest plan level, shipping the books both ways is also free. The complete details for their plans can be found here.

I was offered a free trial membership with BookSwim for three months, and I was happy to use it to supplement my usual reading supply of review copy books with several of the novels that have been on my "someday" reading list for a while. Since their offerings also include children's books, I put a few picture books in our queue as well.

On the positive side, I appreciated their extensive list of titles, especially fulfilling my primary reading choice of contemporary fiction. Their collection is easy to browse online, and I was happy to quickly be set to receive really popular titles like The Help, The Almost Moon, The Book Thief, and Shanghai Girls (which I happily reviewed here). For some of those titles, the wait list at our large library system is actually pretty high, so I was impressed with their availability.

On the down side, though, I found the shipping and returning time frame longer than I expected. Part of the issue was that the return packages couldn't be dropped in the pickup boxes on my street, but rather brought to the post office because of regulations on package weights. For some people this may not be an issue, but for our situation, it made the turnover time for me longer than I had anticipated. Also, near the end of my membership time, a new distribution site was opened that was closer than the one that I was originally assigned, so this may have eventually shortened my shipping time, as well.

Overall though, if I were still living in a setting in which access to borrowing books was limited, I would most definitely consider BookSwim as a viable option for its selection, reasonable pricing, and availability of popular titles. And for avid readers like me, the real bottom line is simply having books in my hand and on my shelf for the wondrous moments that life allows me to lose myself in a story.

Dawn has no plans to leave her urban home setting any time soon, but she always likes having options for book acquisition available to her. Books (and children and laughs) play a major role on her blog, my thoughts exactly.

The official site, The Secret Lives of Princesses, has three of the princesses revealed already, with a fourth making her appearance on March 15th. (One of the three available now, who also graces the cover of the book, just happens to remind me of my almost 4 year old red-headed daughter: Princess Hot-Head. Oh yeah.) If you want even more updates, you can become a fan on their Facebook page, Being a Princess, as well.

The special offer for even more fun are the promotional puzzle card packs for The Secret Lives of Princesses. With seven princesses highlighted on these cards, there's also a logic puzzle to solve that reveals a code to unlock a hidden page on the site! We're happy to offer TEN packs to giveaway to 5 Minutes for Books readers. Just leave a comment here to enter. We will announce the winners in our regular giveaway posting on 3/24.

Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter.

Dawn found herself identifying with several of the princesses in this book, usually the more wacky ones! Her wackiness is on full display on her blog, my thoughts exactly.

"Where do I sleep? Underneath the low trees,
Close to my mother, my head on my knees.
Someday I'll be grown and my spots will be gone.
I dream of that now; I'm a Blacktail Deer Fawn."

Andrea Gabriel illustrates this book in such a way as to bring all of the animals to life. The book has such a calm, hushed feel about it that it makes for a perfect, cozy bedtime story. It features animals such as the following: the Hermit Thrush, Salmon, a baby Sea Otter, a garden spider and a Bald Eagle among others. My son and I both instantly fell in love with this book and highly recommend it to you – regardless of what area of the country you live in. It's a delightful book that is sure to please (if your child is an animal lover like mine is!)

The second book we looked at, also written by Jennifer Blomgren and illustrated by Andrea Gabriel, was Where Would I Be in an Evergreen Tree? The book begins with a seed falling to the forest floor. The seed begins "reaching for the sun" as we discover it has been a very useful seed, and begins to grow up into a big, tall evergreen tree. This tree grows for centuries, providing homes for all sorts of animals. Essentially what this book does is look at the life of one tree and the way it effects the environment. We are introduced to the squirrel, woodpeckers, butterflies, spiders and many others. It provides shelter and adds to the scenery depicted by Gabriel in her artwork. A truly beautiful book, it is one that we also feel safe recommending to you. It concludes in a very welcoming manner, as follows:

"So many creatures live in these woods –
In one single tree, there are more neighborhoods
than you'd find in a city, or any big town.
Some live in the canopy, some underground.
Some live in the needles, some under the bark.
Some sleep in the day and some sleep when it's dark.
There are many too many to fit in this book,
so come to the forest and quietly look."

Both of these books are published by Sasquatch Books who offer any number of books that specifically relate to life in the Pacific Northwest. Again, regardless of where you are living, these books are worth your time and attention. Naturally, I love them all the more because of my present location. I love using them to explore our own backyard! Through these books I invite you to explore it with us! Enjoy!

Carrie comes by her book obsession honestly, having descended from a long line of bibliophiles. She blogs about books regularly at Reading to Know and Reading My Library.

After reading Bernice McFadden's essay, I put Sugar, her debut novel released ten years ago, on my reading list, and my online book club is reading and discussing it this month. I have to say right up front that while I enjoyed this book immensely, this is not a novel for the faint of heart. With sexually graphic language and some heart-wrenching depictions of violence, readers who are sensitive to this type of content would most likely be uncomfortable. While it sounds odd to say that I enjoyed a book with such despair-filled content that often hurt to read, I cannot deny that the writing was powerful and the voice with which the story is told is unforgettable.

With 1950's Arkansas as the backdrop, the unlikely friendship of two women is at the heart of Sugar. In a small black town where the Sunday services are a whole community activity, the introduction of a young, heavily made-up and scantily-clad woman keeping house by herself on Grove Street cannot pass quietly. Sugar's history, horrifying and painful, may be officially unknown to the town's ladies, but they have their suspicions, certainly. Only Pearl confronts her own fears and worries and reaches out to Sugar, and in the process, both women discover new parts of themselves as they learn about each other.

While I may not have any personal experience with this time period or setting, it definitely came off as an authentic voice. While reading, I could feel the oppressive heat and smell the heavy scent of honeysuckle. Not as pleasantly, I also experienced the fear and terror and hopelessness that plagues Sugar through her entire life, because her emotions are palpable in the narration, just the same as Pearl's. Sugar is filled with much more pain than redemption and more suffering than relief, which doesn't make for a comfortable reading, but who says that everything we read has to have a happy ending?

Dawn's emotions are worn on her sleeve, and they get put through the wringer in her usual reading choices. She puts them on full display on her blog as well, at my thoughts exactly.

As the story opens, Mary Bridget Washburn is tired of her broken life. After running away from home and spending years helping her boyfriend with his meth operation, she makes a plan to leave her empty life in search of something better. When she encounters trouble, Mary reports her boyfriend to the police, hoping that she will be able to escape from him if he is behind bars.

Mary changes her name and leads a simple and quiet life until she witnesses a teen-aged girl crying out to God for help. Mary sees herself in this young girl, and she can't help but reach out to her. She soon finds herself completely involved in the life of the girl's family, and as she attempts to help ease the family's pain, she finds answers for herself as well.

This is a very simplistic synopsis of Not a Sparrow Falls. In fact, the pain and the problems that the characters in this story face are deep and complex. Although they are surrounded by people, the characters in this novel are alone, and they even feel as though they have been deserted by God or they have sinned too much to be forgiven. As Not a Sparrow Falls unfolds, the characters feel the pull of earthly influences and the evil that surrounds them; but they must learn that healing and forgiveness are possible.

Not a Sparrow Falls was first published in 2002. I missed it the first time around, so I am thankful for this new edition. If you have enjoyed Mrs. Nichols's books in the past, or if you are looking for a story that will draw you in and characters that will touch your heart, look no further than Not a Sparrow Falls.

Lauren is a wife, a mother of two, and an avid reader. She blogs at Baseballs and Bows. Lauren thanks Bethany House for providing the review copy of this book.

But most of all I loved the animal movies. I won’t suggest that I ever faked an illness, but if Homemakers’ Movies advertised Lassie Come Home as the next day’s broadcast, I might have a relapse of whatever kept me home in the first place.

Can anyone who has ever watched Lassie Come Home forget Roddy McDowell’s poignant portrayal of Lassie’s bereft boy? But it isn’t McDowell’s role that sticks in my mind, it’s the image of the drifter kicking Lassie’s little companion to death. I was young enough that I couldn’t separate the actor from the act. All I could think of was the horror of such brutality, the little yip of that dog. I recall my mother telling me it was only acting, only pretend. The dog wasn’t hurt, but in my child’s mind it was very real. I don’t think that anything that happened to Lassie ever affected me as much as that one scene, the thought of which even today brings tears to my eyes. Such is the power of the screen.

The other dog movie that wrenched my heart is the 1936 The Voice of Bugle Ann. Lionel Barrymore and Maureen O’Sullivan star in this story of fox hounds and fences. Things end badly in this movie, and my childish disbelief that the movie would end as it did still lingers. Old Yeller, Disney’s version of the book by Fred Gipson, is the third dog movie that stands out in my memory as taking the heart out of me when Beverly Washburn, the mom, bravely puts poor Yeller down with her shotgun. I wanted her to give him a chance, see if he comes down with rabies after defending them; she’s already sewn him up with a hair from a mule’s tail, didn’t she love him enough to take a chance?

Typically I don’t cry at movies. (With Cinema Paradiso the notable exception.) I’ve come to terms with the concept of pretend. And yet, Sophia Coppola’s The Black Stallion gets me so choked up, I am in danger of embarrassing myself each and every time I watch it. In this case, it isn’t cruelty, but the exquisite photography at the end of the movie, The Black free and capering on the seashore, the music swelling. The horse free and happy, a wild thing so beautiful it hurts. Damn, I’m weeping now.

Susan Wilson is the author of One Good Dog (linked to Jennifer's review and giveaway), the story of a man who is down on his luck, and a dog who is all out of chances. Together they discover the true meaning of salvation, redemption, and unconditional love.

Who’s Your Good Dog? Post a picture and explanation of how your dog (or turtle, or human, etc!) has transformed your life and share your good dog! Readers on Facebook can participate at: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Susan-Wilson/314299227142?ref=ts

To be honest, at the beginning of the novel, I wasn't sure if it was working for me. First Adam is very unlikable. Very. You get his backstory and understand why, but even so. . . and then there is the dog's point of view. I'm not such a conventional reader that I can't suspend reality enough to read a book narrated by a dog. I have, and though I haven't loved any of them, I enjoyed them and thought it was a novel approach (no pun intended, unless you are laughing at my cleverness). But by the end of One Good Dog I realized that this story couldn't have been told in any other way, and worked in this book's favor.

In fact, by the end, I couldn't avoid the metaphor of a pit bull being "a victim of his breeding," just like those street kids who fought him, and even Adam himself. For good or bad, aren't we all?

As the metaphor strengthened (always used effectively and never crossing the line into trite), Adam also becomes more self-aware, and thus more likable as well. Both the dog and the man recognize what they really need. Their understanding of freedom, power, and success began to change.

There was some great dramatic suspense at the end that made me fly through the last 50 pages, and like any great animal story, left me reaching for my tissues.

We have a few copies of One Good Dog to give away. Please leave a comment if you'd like to win (U.S. and Canadian residents only). We'll announce the winner on March 17.

The winners of last week's contests are:

St. Patrick's Day Supplies – #7 – Nikki
This Book is Overdue – #18 – Sarah E

Jennifer Donovan has one good dog herself. She chronicles life with her family — furry and otherwise — at Snapshot.

Thankfully, my mom saved these books for us to share with our own kids but upon rereading them I have to say I'm kinda bothered by how Papa Bear is always represented – as some kind of silly oaf. He never seems to have a clue and Mama is the pinnacle of all wisdom and goodness. I can't say that these new Berenstain Bear titles, offered by Zonderkidz are terribly different in that aspect, but they are given something of a faith boost.

Recently I noticed that there was, what is essentially, a new vein of Berenstain Bears which share Christian themes with young readers. I hadn't had an opportunity to look into these books until recently and was very curious as to what they were like. Zonderkidz kindly sent me four of their latest titles for my review: The Berenstain Bears Learn to Share, The Berenstain Bears Hurry to Help, The Berenstain Bears Do Their Best and The Berenstain Bears Discover God's Creation.

I have mixed thoughts on the books, now having had a chance to read them. On the one hand, I think they are your traditional Berenstein Bears with very little surprises. All of the characters are as they ever have been. Mama Bear is still the voice of reason, the cubs still bicker and have much to learn about how to treat one another and others, Papa is still the klutz, but they still love their family unit and share all of their adventures together. If you have fond thoughts of this bear family, I doubt these books will effect your opinion of them one iota.

From a Christian perspective, I was kind of disappointed by how thinly veiled the bears "Christian faith" was, being that they are advertised as being Christian. If you are wanting to read Berenstain Bears with your kids but you want a Christian message represented, these will do but it's pretty weak. Some of you will like that, and some of you will not. Papa is still made fun of and I think that's the thing I was hoping would be changed the most significantly by laying a "faith blanket", if you will, over these bears. I almost didn't care if they were going to teach me some scriptural principals. In the end, I just wanted to see Papa Bear lead his family well without being constantly humiliated and bailed out of scraps and silliness by Mama. I'd like to see a strong father character in this bear family. (Personal opinion.)

I appreciated various aspects of these books and I see how Zonderkidz is really trying to do something nice for Christian parents who want books with clear messages for their children. For my part, I think that the distinction between the "faith bears" and the "regular bears" is so minute that I'd just as soon be reading the old classics with my son as the new ones. Each book in the Berenstain Bears series – defined by faith or not – has a moral lesson to share. I still love this family of bears, their rhymes, the adventures that they have with one another and their very apparent love for one another. I'd just take a strong Classic Berenstain Bear, rather than a watered down Christian one, if that makes sense.

I think that there probably is a place for these books and there are some good reasons to have them around. Life lessons such as: doing one's best in the face of adversity, learning to share with friends and family, being a helpful person bear, and learning to enjoy activities outside are all valuable lessons! I cannot argue with that at all and won't even try to. I just think that if you are going to say these books are Christian in nature – you might as well go 'all the way' instead of just throwing out the word 'God' when it rhymes and seems to fit. To rephrase – the lessons are still there, whether you mention God or not.

I'm glad that these books are available. I don't know if any of you have been able to meet the Berenstain Bears as they portray faith and I'd certainly be curious for your thoughts. I still love these old bear friends of mine and I'm happy to share them with my children and have them know who they are. This family, to me, is as classic as the Bradys and have rightfully earned a place in society. I'm glad Zonderkidz agrees.

What do you think about these bears? Any fond memories you'd like to share with the rest of us? We're all furry bear ears!

Carrie comes by her book obsession honestly, having descended from a long line of bibliophiles. She blogs about books regularly at Reading to Know and Reading My Library.