Tag Archives: fiction

You had me at imagination

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Books That Build Character by William Kilpatrick and Gregory and Suzanne M. Wolfe

From Books that Build Character (A Guide to Teaching Your Child Moral Values Through Stories) by William Kilpatrick and Gregory and Suzanne M. Wolfe:

If you’re a parent, you’ve got a battle on your hands — a battle with popular culture over your child’s imagination. And like every battle this one has moments when it seems impossible to carry on. But it’s not all grim, because one of the best ways of empowering your child’s imagination is also one of the most enjoyable. The books we’ve listed are stories of virtue and character, but they are many other things as well. Some of them are hilarious, some mysterious, some adventurous, some heart-breakingly poignant, some a combination of all of these.

As a mother and homeschooler, I’m  loving this book. From page 60 to 313, it’s lists of picture books, juvenile fiction, YA, fantasy and science fiction, biographies, fairy tales, historical and contemporary fiction, folktales, myths and legends – all with the indent to build into the moral lives of young readers. There is even a small list of sacred texts.

This is the kind of book you want to bring with you when it’s time to go book shopping.

The author’s summarize each book so you can do a quick preview. Good if you are unsure a book is a good match for your reader.

For more about teaching good values using great literature, especially to boys, visit the MOB society blog today.

Disclaimer: Yup, affiliate links. Yet this is a book I purchased, learned to love, and now want to spread the word, just one book-loving, homeschooling parent to another. Hope it helps your homeschooling adventure.

Reading American Gods with thousands of my friends

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As I was checking out @donttrythis‘s Twitter time line (yes, we are huge fan’s here), I found a link to a gem.

It’s called 1 Book, 1 Twitter and as of May 5, the group is reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I think it’s fair to say this group reading project might be the largest book reading club ever. A fellow reader put together this map of those who indicated they are reading along, so you be the judge.

I’ve never anything by Gaiman before, and am now currently somewhere in Chapter 4 of the book. I will not be using this novel as a read-aloud to the kiddos (that’s my nice way of saying this novel has it’s naughty bits, be forewarned, Gentle Reader.) But I’m going to ignore the s*x, looking for the undercurrent of gods and God. I’ve already found a reference to Jesus in one of the god-characters – interesting is all I can say without spoiling the book.

Now. If only I could magically transport all the 1 Book, 1 Twitter participants into my living room for coffee and pasty and book chat, this would get only better. O, the joys of Twitter!

So if you see me with a #1b1t next to my tweet, you know what I’m talking about.

Join us? Follow @1b1t2010 on Twitter, use the hashtag for discussion.

What I’m reading: mystery and food

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The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart. I’ve had my eye on this title for quite some time. Every time I went to the library, it was never checked in. Hmmm. That’s a good sign the kids like it, no? Finally I got smart and put in a request. Now I see why it’s popular – it’s a fun fiction selection that will appeal to both boys and girls. When I’m finished with the other books in the series, I’ll say more.

Chocolate (A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light) by Mort Rosenblum. The history of food makes for fascinating reading. This year I’ve consumed (oh, pun!) Starbucked (A Double Tall of Caffeine, Commerce and Culture) by Taylor Clark and The United States of Arugula (How We Became a Gourmet Nation) by David Kamp.

What are you reading?