A Little Reading...If You Loved Harry Potter

Here are some books we've read lately on the recommendation of our high school librarian. If you loved Harry Potter, then you might like:


The Magic Thief. A three tome work about grade 4-40 level. This means that although great for child at or above a fourth grade level, adults will find it compelling. The story is about Conn, a young street urchin/pick pocket who unwittingly pickpockets a wizard. He gets much more than he bargained for! Akin to A Little Princess, Sarah Prineas masterfully creates a character that is true to life, endearing, but not hokey. My seven year old (and I) loved this.


100 Cupboards. Two works in the series completed; grade 5 and above level. A young Henry, whose parents have been kidnapped, is sent to Kansas to live with an uncle. In his attic bedroom he uncovers 100 magic cupboards; where do they lead? Where did they come from? N.D. Wilson's descriptions of Kansas, a landscape that reflects Henry's lonely struggle are masterfully woven with the adventures through the cupboards that follow around and in Henry.


The Roar. A little more gritty and akin to The Hunger Games, The Roar is a Jr. High and above level book. Mika is young boy on an Earth that has been destroyed by an animal plague; in the process his sister has been kidnapped and is presumed dead. Mika must harness is new internal powers to fight the government that is enslaving the world through control of its children. A page-turner from page one like The Host or Ender's Game.

A Little Motherng...The Power of Moms.com

I used to feel like I had stumbled into mommyhood by accident- I got married and *poof* -four children appeared! There are amazing days of love and fun...and many challenging days in between. What do you do if being a patient,loving, creative, disciplined, organized, sensitive, knowledgeable mother doesn't come naturally? Because it didn't for me.

Enter: The Power of Moms.com.



Within two weeks of searching the thoughtful, realistic and optimistic articles Powerofmoms.com site provides, I gained direction concerning some of the main struggles I am facing as a mother. (The site is free, by the way!) Their learning circles, retreats, and newsletters offer support, training and insight that will lift any exhausted mother soul.

The title of the organization "The Power of Moms, A Gathering Place for Deliberate Mothers" taught me that I hadn't really made the hard and fast decision to mother. I had just kind of fallen into it. Mothering for me now is a conscious choice, and I feel much more full of purpose. Mothering isn't about diapers or errands anymore- it's about relationships and love. I am much happier now with that focus.

"It's going to be hard and that's ok!" is an article that calmed my stressed out heart. "Every stage of motherhood has its ups and downs. Every week and every day has its ups and downs. We might as well accept it and prepare for it where possible. And once we’ve got that acceptance and preparation in place, it’s a lot easier to enjoy our lives."


Do you resent housework like I do? Does that resentment flow towards the family? I had some serious negativity from the laundry, dishes and messes that four small children and a couple of busy adults create. Then this week I read one of the posts- "What's the point of housework?" Wow- what wisdom I gained when the founder of the site, California resident April Perry said! "If it’s just about “the house,” then I really don’t like my job. But if it’s about the RELATIONSHIP, I feel like the most important lady in the world. Funny how one little idea can make such a difference, but it absolutely does." This week my approach to the house has completely changed and my children are much happier. My children actually want to be with me.


Workshops and Retreats

The Power of Moms hosts conferences all over the United States. Themes include:

Taking Care of the Person Inside the Mom (creating margins and balance in your life, finding time to pursue your talents and interests, having more fun, using positive thoughts and realistic expectations to deal with the hard stuff, understanding more about how motherhood can help you become the person you really want to be)

Family Systems (assessing your needs and desires for your children and family so you can create systems that will take your family where you want to go, concrete steps for establishing a family economy, family discipline system and family identity)

Making Great Ideas into Reality (strategies for incorporating what you’ve learned in this conference into your real life, simple ways to organize your time, tasks and space so you can enjoy more progress and less stress in your life).


What are Learning Circles?

part girls’ night out (with a meaningful purpose – in addition to having a great time)

part book group (with a lot less pages to read…yep, you can complete the reading for each month in about 30 minutes)

part support group (we all need more opportunities to learn from, encourage, and even sometimes commiserate with other moms)

part motherhood course (because you deserve a monthly class to help you grow yourself, build your fellow mothers, and shape the future that starts right in your own home)

One of the best aspects of The Power of Moms is that the site invites all women to contribute. They invite everyone to submit articles, become trainers and share wisdom. It is a power and refreshing experience to be surrounded by welcoming rather than competitive mothers!

A Little Reading...Children's Best Audio Books

"Mommy, I want a story!"

This is what we hear multiple times a day in our home- the solution when I've run dry on imagination? Audio books! Great ones- ones that engage the children, build vocabulary and entertain.

Is the trip to the library worth it? Well, how many hours do you-and your children- spend in the car a day? Yes, hours- count them up. 30 minutes to and from school; 15 minutes waiting, 40 round trip to the gym, 15 to the store, 10 to get gas. We are in our vehicles and average of two hours a day!

And children are reported to spend an average of 3-5 hours a day in front of the TV!
According to The Read Aloud Handbook, the most important thing we can do to help develop avid readers is to read to children of all ages, 6 months or 16. The following is my personal list of favorites; these have incredible narrators, a compelling story line, and are worth listening to multiple times.

The Trumpet of the Swan, Stewart Little, Charlotte's Web (read by EB White himself!)
Dragon Rider (read by Brendon Frasier- I always thought he was a little on the dense side, but his reading of this novel is terrific)
Dr. Seuss Horton Hears a Who and other Classics (read by Dustin Hoffman)
The Box Car Children
Ella Enchanted
Harry Potter Series
The Story of the World (all four volumes- our personal fave)
Aurthur (all read by the author Marc Brown)
Amelia Bedilia
Skippy John Jones (read by the author in accent)

Enjoy!

A Little Reading... Teaching Children to Read

You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold,
Richer than I you can never be ,
I had a mother who read to me.
— Strickland Gillilan

Teaching a love of reading is the most important academic skill you can offer a child. All subjects, including math, are dependent on reading skills. The following is a list of resources and tips that opened the world of reading to my children and me. Each of these books focuses on teaching a parent how to teach reading.


1. The Read Aloud Handbook. An in depth look at how reading aloud to children, even teens, is the key to effective learning and a love of independent reading. An analysis of other countries whose literacy rates are higher than ours and why that is. Great for parents, grandparents and teachers of any age.

2. The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading. An excellent day by day guide for parents in teaching reading to small children. The explanations are clear, precise, fun and no-nonsense. It will take you from preschool through a first grade level. Perfect for parents who want a tutorial on how to teach vowels, nouns, verbs, contractions, etc. Ages three to seven.

3. Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. My second child really took off with this book. The print is easy to read, the pictures engaging and the stories are not babyish. It will take you from preschool through first grade level; ages three to seven.

4. I See Sam Little Books, Set 1 and 2. Once a child knows the letter sounds (not names) he or she is ready for these excellent readers. Our children, after the first fourth or so of the Ordinary Parents Guide, graduated to these books. They got to put a sticker in the back when they read it through twice. These books have prompts for the parent- I found it extremely helpful. After our children finished these series they were ready for easy chapter books.

5. The Well-Trained Mind. A 400-page book of resources on teaching your child nearly any subject. Even if home schooling isn't in your future, having access to pages and pages of the best teaching resources for every grade and each subject is priceless.

6. The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had. A companion to the Well-Trained Mind, this book teaches adults how to read and analyze books for our own learning and enjoyment. Other than trips to the library and reading aloud, the single best way I have increased my children's love and frequency of reading is by reading myself. It's astounding, but even when I read brain candy (and ignore the house and other basic needs) the kids sit down of their own accord and throw themselves into books.

7. Have books all around your house. We ditched our T.V. nine years ago and instead have a house full of books. And a house full of readers. Savers sells books for $.69, buy four get one free. My sister takes her whole family, husband and wife included, to the book store once a month and let's them pick a book to buy; the children rush home to read them them.

Even my little ones who have been resistant to reading or were more wiggly than book wormy have been able to gain a love of reading. It's the love of reading that is the goal. These books aren't about producing a three year-old who will astound your family or impress other preschool moms. Instead, these books will help your child gain access to the world of words, knowledge, fantasy, emotion and fact. "Once you learn to read, you will be forever free," says Frederick Douglass. You CAN teach your child to love reading and set them free!