In addition to learning about animal tricks and talents, the book also introduces various habits and locales for those habitats. It lets the reader guess whom he or she believes to be the winner of each “event” before revealing the answers. The book, in general, provides a nice introduction to animals and their unique talents for the child reader. I only wish that it were longer and taught me about more animals!

Note: I received a complimentary digital review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for review consideration.

This week is Children’s Book Week, so I’ll be focusing on some of the children’s books we have read. I have not been very regular about posting, and it’s about time I get back in to the habit. What a better way but by focusing on children’s books?!

From her first memories of eating to the times she ate with her mother and her father (very different experiences, I may add), Lucy’s story was an enjoyable one. The illustrations added a dimension to her life that I also enjoyed. A bonus was that Lucy included a pictorial recipe with each chapter! She made me want to go cook. If you enjoy good food and the ways it makes itself known in the special memories of our lives, you will enjoy Relish, which helps us remember good food and good life with delight.

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher via netgalley for review consideration.

First, I must point out the thing that did bother me about the book: Heather Shumaker based a lot of her ideas on the philosophy of her childhood preschool, which she visited and the leaders with whom she sought advice. This seemed a little unfair to the school (why didn’t they write the book?)  as well as a warning sign to me. What is her authority? Her children are still young; why is she an “expert” able to write a book that I should read? These hang ups are my own, however. I frequently find myself questioning “why” when I read a parenting book. Although I will not always agree with an author of a parenting book, I find there is much to appreciate in each parent’s perspective. Such was the case with this book.

I liked Ms Shumaker’s explanations for the “renagade rules.” If we make children say “sorry,” they learn that they can say a word and go on with playing. If we teach them to stop and notice that another child is hurt or crying, they learn sincerity and compassion. Let them decide to say sorry, but do help them notice what they’ve done. Similarly, if we force a child to share a coveted swing, he may resent the parent and the other child. If we alert him to the fact that others want a turn and let him choose when to get off the swing, he may learn to be more sensitive to those around him.

Although I obviously won’t implement all the “renegade rules”¹, I certainly appreciated the eye-opening look at a different way to parent. I appreciate the thoughts on how our forced compassion back-fires, and I intend to reconsider my responses to my young children in the future. In all, It’s OK Not to Share is a worth-while read for parents seeking more ideas.

P.S. I also gave The Honest Toddler by Bunmi Laditan (Scribner, 2013), but the humor was not my style. If you like the blog The Honest Toddler, you should give that parenting book a try too!

Note: I received a digital review copy for review consideration from the publisher.

Most of the information in Born to Blog is self-evident, and yet I found myself actually taking notes as I read of things that I want to improve about my new blog. First, I must find my purpose. As I read the book, I found myself rethinking what I wanted that blog to be. My problem with it at the moment was I have not focused. Was it to be a compilation of resources? Or a educational site for how to information? I feel I have a better idea what I want my main focus to be, and I look forward to better developing ideas, writing regularly.

As you approach blogging you must determine what your strengths are. When I look at Rebecca Reads and consider where I’ve been in the past and where I want to go, I’ve decided I really like the book reflection posts the best of all: I love revisiting what I’ve read in the past by rereading the posts on here. Although I’ve tried other types of posts, those are the ones I like the most, and that’s where I’ll keep writing. My purpose on Rebecca Reads has shifted too. Since I am transitioning to the role of homeschooling parent as well as a part-time job by creating educational products for teachers, I do not have as much time to devote to reading other books blogs. But that’s okay, because I’ve determined my purpose is different from what it was four five years ago, when I really needed that community as a new stay-at-home mom half-way across the world in Australia, far from family and friends.

Now I’ve got my hands full. And working on a new, profitable blog is quite fun. If you are interested in homeschooling and educational resources, come check it out!

Note: I received a digital review copy from the publisher for review consideration.

By using images, charts, and graphics, this book gives young readers a very active and attractive book. If my son were older, I would not have hesitated to hand it to him to get his thoughts. This truly is a visual generation. The book’s layout reminded me of those whiteboard infographic videos on YouTube  where the information is present with a narrator and a hand drawing images on a white board. Each image leads right in to the next, and at the end, the camera zooms out to show the entire whiteboard of images.

In general, however, Native Americans: A Visual Exploration was simply too brief. I believe there is a place for visual learning, but there also is a place for information, and there simply was not much in this book. I say this fully realizing that I have read a lot about the Native Americans, and this is for youth who will not know as much as I do. There were generalities that bothered me, such as the chart which showed that all Native Americans arrived from Beringia (evidence suggests otherwise) and some of the pages had lots of cute illustrations but little information. I really liked some parts of it and I loved the chart of climate and homes since that goes along with my own homeschooling booklet I made.

So, in all, I really did like the visual exploration. It had cute graphics and interesting information. But it would not work as a stand-alone because there simply is not enough. At less than 50 pages, we can’t be too surprised about that.

Note: I received a digital review copy from the publisher via netgalley.com for review consideration.

In People Who Said No (Annick Press, 2013), Laura Scandiffio outlines a few of the people in history who made a difference by standing up for what was wrong. Some chapters felt like miniature biographies of people I’d heard of but never before studied in depth. Included were Hans and Sophie, two young adults who took a stand against Hitler’s rise; Helen Suzman, the lone politician in South Africa who spoke out against Apartheid; the people of Egypt who mounted a mostly peaceful protest against their leader; and many more.  

The stories also had a mixture of results. Some, like the young people speaking against Hitler, were futile attempts for themselves: they gave their lives. Oscar Romero, a Catholic archbishop who spoke against the government in El Salvador, also was assassinated  Others, like the people of Egypt and Helen Suzman, eventually influenced their government and brought about a change in policy or leadership. No matter the results, the legacy of standing up against unfairness does inspire us to consider our own civil actions. Am I willing to risk my life for what I know is right?

My favorite chapter was the one on Rosa Parks. Although I knew her story, I was inspired to read how the result of her moment of defiance. It would not have been easy to defy in the first place, and Rosa Parks ended up being just the right, unassuming person to be at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement. I found the coincidence of the bus driver to also be highly ironic: Rosa Parks symbolically rode a bus for cameras on the day that Montgomery’s buses were no longer segregated and the man who drove the bus she got on that day was the same man who had called the police on her years before for not abandoning her seat. What a triumph!

People Who Said No is well written and I believe it is appropriately suited for young adults. Because some of the people who “said no” did end up being killed and because the unfair situations these people faced are difficult, it probably should not be read by children who cannot handle these facts. Life truly was not “fair” for many of those in this book.

I’m inspired by their stories. I do hope that some day my son will likewise be inspired, once he is better able to grasp just what “fair” is, of course (he is only five years old). There is a time and place for saying “no.”

Note: I received a digital review copy of this title from the publisher via netgalley for review consideration.

I really appreciated Tough’s research and the inspiring stories he shared. He argued that while learning letters and numbers and other “kindergarten ready” facts are helpful, what really helps children succeed in their lives is learning to deal with the frustrations of life (which he called developing “grit”), developing determination, and learning to improve and put forth extra effort when you make mistakes. He looked at schools full of well-to-do children from wealthy families, and he found that many did not know how to work. He also looked at students from poor, underprivileged families and found that some of them had developed grit and determination.

Education, he argues, is not just about book learning but about life learning and overcoming. There is a lesson to me in this as I teach my young son at home. I hope that I can exemplify to my kids the grit, determination, and confidence necessary to success in life. Tough’s book was not surprising or groundbreaking to me, but it did inspire me in my home education goals.

Yes, my five-year-old son wanted to spend an hour and a half reading with me. This is why I did my 1000 books project with him, and why I’m doing it all over again with my baby. Reading together as a family truly is fun. I’ve grown my son into what I am certain will be a life-long reader.

Here are some of the books we enjoyed.

Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg (Viking, 1978) is a wonderful take on both Nursery Rhymes and the fun game “I Spy.” On each page is a simple rhyming phrase, with a picture opposite with someone for us to look for. For example, the first page says “Each Peach Pear Plum / I Spy Tom Thumb.” IN the picture, we see peach, pear, and plum trees, and Tom Thumb is hiding in the branches. The fairy tale characters who appear include the Three Bears, Baby Bunting, Mother Hubbard, Cinderella, Jack and Jill, Little Bo Peep, and more. In the end, all come together for a picnic in that same fruit orchard. I loved how this author/illustrator team focused on such a variety of beloved characters (both fairy tales and nursery rhyme characters), and I love how each page has a hidden friend to find. My baby loved finding Baby Bunting. She stopped on that page and said “baby” for about five minutes while my son and I went on to the next book.

When No One is Watching by Eileen Spinelli and illustrated by David A. Johnson (Eeerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2013) is about a girl who loves to be crazy (dancing, singing, grunting disapproval, and so forth) but only when no one is watching. If she’s around others, she is quite and sullen. She’s withdrawn and unhappy. At the end, we find that she likes it this way. Her best friend is the same way, and when they are together, they can be crazy together. I am a true introvert myself, although I can appreciate being around others, so I really related to this book. I was the same way as a kid. I love how the illustrations give her a sense of action on the “alone” pages: she appears in a few different poses, as she dances for example, so we can see just how much she is a part of things. On the “everyone’s watching” page, however, she sits in one place and others all appear dull and uninteresting. The illustrations really capture the feelings I remember from being a shy girl just bottling up my desire to dance. And I’m so pleased that her ultimate resolution is so satisfying: that she can find her place with her friend. That is what I’ve found in my life too. Nothing is better than a friend.

Night Knight by Owen Davey (Templar Books, 2011) begins and ends with a boy with a colander as a hat, holding a play horse, but the rest of the illustrations show a different story: a knight coming to the end of his day. The illustrations are playful and fun as the “knight” bathes with the fishes, jumps over crocodiles, and heads to his tower room. The story is one all kids can relate to – the need to go to bed – and yet the story comes across as playful and original. It’s easier to head to bed when it becomes a game. Raisin and I liked the imagination in this story, and the fact that the story is told through the pictures with just a few words on the page makes it extra appropriate for a young child resisting bedtime. It’s just long enough to give the child an amusing story they can relate to, but not too wordy to be a quick bedtime story to help a child calm down. I personally really liked the muted color palate (orange, yellows, and purplish-blue) and the geometric illustrations. This title was a Cybils 2012 Fiction Picture Book pick. If only baby Strawberry had stayed awake long enough to enjoy this one with us!

What did you read with your kids this week?

In many ways, Ariel Bradley’s story is a fun and exciting one. Ariel is a young boy, with two brothers who are a part of General Washington’s army. He wishes he could be brave,  but his life is still at home. When his brothers come to visit, though, they have a special mission for him to perform for General Washington himself! As Ariel acts like a country bumpkin and stumbles in to the British war camp, he knows he can be a spy for General Washington and do his own part to help the country.

I liked the story. It showed how a child helped in the war effort. It showed my son the different way someone could help the Patriot cause. As we read, we looked up unfamiliar words and talked about what Ariel Bradley was doing. Raisin was very excited to see General Washington, and I believe he enjoyed the suspense of what would happen next.

It’s been a few weeks since we finished and Raisin tells me now that he does not remember it. I know he liked it, but apparently the story was not a memorable on. There are many historical fiction stories based on real events that relate to the American Revolutionary War. This may not have been the strongest choice out there, but Raisin and I did enjoy it when we read it. We found it to be a fine book to tie in to our American history studies.

Note: I received a digital copy of this book for review consideration from the publisher via netgalley.com.

Shakespeare’s Common Prayers by Daniel Swift (Oxford University Press, 2012) is a deep examination of how The Book of Common Prayer impacts the phrases and themes in Shakespeare’s plays. Mr Swift takes a few of Shakespeare’s plays almost line by line in examining the impact that the liturgy of the Church of England may have had on the playwright. Reading his examination made me think, “Wow! Why didn’t we notice this before?”

I know what I didn’t notice: I’ve never heard of The Book of Common Prayer before. I am a part of a religion in the Protestant tradition¹ so I had not encountered the liturgy of the Church of England in its Elizabethan form. It is amazing to realize that this staple of Elizabethan life is something that is so foreign to the modern reader. Mr Swift’s examination, then, is all the more important for those interested in Shakespeare’s plays.

The first concept that fascinated me is that it was against the law to put liturgy on stage. Yet, the christening, marriage, and death rites were the frequent facts of life that people were intricately familiar with. Whenever Shakespeare borrows language from one of the rites, whenever his words and actor’s actions hinted toward the familiar liturgy, it was close to crossing a line that could have gotten him in to trouble with the law.

I was also fascinated in the ways Mr Swift noticed the familiar in the midst of the plays. As I mentioned, I had never even heard of the liturgy. Mr Swift is obviously a student of The Book of Common Prayer because he recognized hints of it in what I would have thought was obscure Shakespeare text. Taken as a whole, then, Shakespeare’s Common Prayers was impressive in scope and original in concept. I found it fascinating.

That said, Shakespeare’s Common Prayers is not a light read. It apparently began as a dissertation and it still has a heavy dose of “academic” in its writing style. It is rather dry to read. It is fascinating and thorough, but it certainly is not “pop” commentary as so many of the other books I’ve read about the Bard have been. One should know, before they begin, that this book is a serious study of one work that strongly influenced Shakespeare: it is not a light book about the author.

All that said, however, I am glad that I finally was able to read this book. Shakespeare’s Common Prayers reminded me once again of the import of understanding the context in which a classic work was written in order to best understand the work itself. I will not look at Shakespeare’s plays again in the same way!

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher (via netgalley.com) for review consideration.