This post is part of the members’ only content here at Redeemed Reader. Want full access? Find out more about membership here. Username Password Remember Me Forgot Password The post RR Quarterly Links appeared first on Redeemed Reader. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:””; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”, sale “serif”;} (Originally published at Redeemed Reader on November 27, 2013) Most kids enjoy comics or their upscale cousins, graphic novels. Of those who enjoy them, many will decide they want to create them. Does your son draw aliens and superheroes in his spare time? Does your daughter block out stories in panels? He or she might appreciate a little direction and a few pointers in how this medium actually works. Today, a recent how-to and a classic art manual to encourage the young graphic artist: Draw Out the Story: 10 Secrets to Creating Your Own Comics, by Brian McLachlan. Owl Kids, 2013, 143 pages. Age/interest level: 10-14 There’s a lot more to creating comics than drawing ability. The “secrets” aren’t that secret, but some (like Take one moment at a time and Go beyond the normal) need some explaining. That’s what the author does, combining exposition, examples, and suggestions for practice. Each chapter explores one of the ten points and then provides several exercises for the aspiring graphic artist to pursue on his own. This is not a drawing manual; it assumes the reader can already draw well enough to play around with the exercises. Encountering this book before a kid feels fairly comfortable with his drawing skills may frustrate more than encourage. It’s more about how to tell a story through pictures, with a lot of relevance for story writers as well. How to get ideas and develop them, how to show personality traits, how to brainstorm, as well as useful terms and tools and techniques of the trade—all will give the budding artist plenty to think about. Understanding Comics: the Invisible Art, by Scott McCloud. HarperCollins, 1993, 215 pages. Age/interest level: 14-up. According to the author/artist, Will Eisner’s Comics and Sequential Art was the first book to explore comics as an art form. Scott McCloud’s is the second–a classic at twenty years of age. It’s much more than a how-to book; he delves into the science and philosophy of comics and their defining characteristic, which is time. McCloud uses the distinctives of the medium itself to explore the medium—that is, panels, dialogue boxes, and lots and lots of pictures. Art + Sequence receives plenty of ink, but also the mechanics of iconography, sense perception, the influences of fine art, the relationship between words and pictures, the uses of color, and the six steps to becoming a comic-book artist (of course it’s art!). His thoughts about icons and symbols and how the mind perceives them is especially interesting. McCloud takes a materialist view of humanity and the art humans produce, with little or no spiritual dimension and occasional nods to unguided evolution (e.g., The natural world creates great beauty every day, yet the only rules of composition it follows are those of function and chance). That, plus the challenging concepts and the occasional references to sex, drinking, and drug use (none of them graphic) make this more appropriate for teens. But if you have a young artist who is serious about pursuing this medium, Understanding Comics might well be indispensable. Emily has some interesting thoughts about the graphic medium here, particularly how it relates to boys. Be sure to check out our interviews with two Christian masters in the world of graphic storytelling: Sergio Cariello and Doug TenNapel. Also, our intern interview with Art Ayliss, founder and CEO of Kingstone Media Group, the leader in Christian comics publishing. The post Comics: Whys, Hows, and Wherefores appeared first on Redeemed Reader.
Beat the summer boredom with a book-themed party! The post How to Throw a Book-themed Party for Kids appeared first on Redeemed Reader. (Originally published at Redeemed Reader on July 10, 2013, in connection with that year’s Summer Reading Challenge) This week on our Summer Reading Challenge, we’re visiting the British Isles. To celebrate, we invited Kristen of Celebrate Every Day With Me to share her party-planning expertise with us–and help us throw a party with the works of treasured British children’s author, Beatrix Potter. Great for birthdays, Kindergarten graduations, or other occasions, a book party is not only loads of fun, it encourages your child’s and her friends’ imagination and love of reading. When it comes to raising readers…maybe “let them eat cake” really is good advice! A Party with Peter Rabbit Ah, the magic of books. They encourage the imagination. They whisk the reader to new worlds, thrilling adventures and great mysteries, all the while teaching valuable lessons and sharing new discoveries. But even more than that, they can be used to plan the most amazing parties! Whether you are throwing a children’s party or baby shower, a book-themed event may be just what you need to inspire a creative and fantastic party. First thing to do? Choose your book. Think about the occasion, your audience, their age and interests. Once you have selected the book upon which to base your party, grab a notebook and read the story . . . several times. Write down any details you can use in your party. Be thinking about three categories: decor, food and activities. Write down creative adjectives and objects. Notice the colors, special characters and names, and foods eaten. This is free thought brainstorming. No rules, just jot down anything that stands out or is something you particularly like. For my children’s party, I chose English author, Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Peter Rabbit. As I read through it several times, I noticed things like Peter’s blue jacket, the assortment of vegetables, the blackberries that Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail ate, the garden, the loaf of bread Peter’s mother bought, the various animals, the watering can and of course, Peter’s tearful dilemma of getting out of Mr. McGregor’s garden. With these things in mind, I began to plan my book-themed party. Let’s look at the three primary categories to party planning: Decor: The color scheme can be pulled from any key element of the book. For Peter Rabbit, I used blues and browns. Blue for Peter’s coat and brown for good old garden dirt. As you read through the book, look for colors you can incorporate into your party. For an Anne of Green Gables party, you might choose a light summery color scheme from a quilt-like floral pattern. For Curious George, your main color would be yellow for the man’s hat. (For more help on selecting a party color scheme, see here.) Gather items from the story and begin to decorate your tables and party space. An inexpensive way to accent your table is with old painted frames and artwork from the story. For a Dr. Suess party I threw last year, I cut up an old (and extra) copy of Green Eggs and Ham. If the book falls under public domain, you can simply print clip art like I did for this party. Food: When planning your book-themed menu, think about what the characters ate in your book. If there is not specific food mentioned, what would they have eaten? Rabbits like carrots. So for our Peter Rabbit party, I served carrot cake cupcakes. (I wasn’t about to make our young guests eat radishes and parsley!) We offered Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail’s blackberries and a clear fruit punch served in mason jars to go with a garden-friendly theme. Think of creative names you can give the food. For a Peter Pan party, you may serve Lost Boy’s Lemonade or Mermaid Lagoon Water. For an Anne of Green Gables party, you may choose to serve Raspberry Cordial Tarts or Avonlea Apple Pie. Be creative and have fun. Activities: If you are throwing a children’s party, reading all or a portion of the story is a great way to draw the kids in. For Peter Rabbit, I read one of the stories and then we acted the story out with props. Each kid got to play a different character and they loved it! Because so much of Peter Rabbit took place in a garden, our other activity was to plant seeds in little terra cotta pots that the kids could take home. When thinking about activities, think of any conflict in the book. Can you create a game to mimic the character’s solution to the problem? Children have great imaginations, use them! For a baby shower, think of questions you can ask from a classic story for a trivia game. Gather items mentioned in the story for a memory-style competition. Take traditional shower games and adapt them to fit your book-themed event. A book-themed party is a fun way to draw your guests into another world. After our Peter Rabbit party, my kids continued for the next couple days to act out Mr. McGregor chasing Peter Rabbit around the garden. They were smitten with the story and wanted more. Have you thrown a book-themed party? Which book did you or would you like to use? We’d love to hear some of your ideas! Would you like to see more? You can check out the Peter Rabbit invitations, party favors and more at Celebrate Every Day with Me. ——- Kristen Summers is a fun-loving mom to two kids who keep her busy and laughing. Add her great husband and the Lord to the mix and her life is one fantastic (and sometimes crazy) adventure. Kristen is the author of Teach Me To Serve: 99 Ways Preschoolers Can Learn to Serve & Bless Others. A former wedding & event planner, you can now find her blogging at Celebrate Every Day With Me where she shares fun
Some re-issues actually improve on the original. Others, not so much . . . The post Gladys Hunt on Re-issues: Good, Bad, and Ugly appeared first on Redeemed Reader. A story betrayed Originally published on the Tumblon website January 29, 2010 It’s sometimes like wandering into unknown territory if you’ve had favorite books in your own childhood and want to find those same books for your own children. A favorite old book goes out of print, and a generation or so later a publisher decides to re-issue this book—with results that are sometimes wonderful and sometimes so disappointing it makes a person want to cry. I’ve written about this before but the reaction of bookstore owner Terri Schmitz (The Children’s Book Shop, Brookline, Massachusetts) to what Houghton did to Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel (Virginia Lee Burton,1939) is worth noting because she is right on target when she writes the following in Horn Book Magazine, Nov-Dec..2007. “Whose idea was it to take one of the most beloved children’s books of all time, butcher the text and leave out a number of pictures? Poor Mike and Mary Anne. They’re no longer given credit for cutting through the mountains to clear the way for railroads, or smoothing the ground for airport runways. The crucial plot elements that they work faster and better when they have an audience is barely mentioned. And that most dastardly of villains, Selectman Henry B. Swap, never smiles in ‘a rather mean way’ as he plots to back out of paying Mike and Mary Anne for their work digging the cellar for the new town hall.… Where is the unbearable tension as the day wears on and the sun moves inexorably across the sky? What about the drama as Mike and Mary Anne cut each corner of the cellar hole? And why is the heroism of the little boy who rallies the townspeople to cheer on the man and his machine not celebrated? There is no reason to sigh in satisfaction when Mike and Mary Anne triumph in the end, because we haven’t been given the chance to worry that they might actually fail.” Well, that certainly tells you about Schmitz’ disappointment with this reissue in no uncertain terms. She wonders what “evil genius” prompts publishers to produce board book versions out of popular picture books that should not be board books. Why? Because they eviscerate the original text and illustrations to fit the board book layout. In short, they take the heart out of a book. My question is why make a board book out of book aimed at ages 3-5 or 4-8? Board books are best when written as board books for very little children. Schmitz makes a critical point when she complains that her strongest objection is that people who purchase this new version will never know what they’re missing, and won’t bother to read the original. And that is a crying shame. Other people won’t recognize the difference, see the title and exclaim, “O, this is a wonderful book!” Then they buy it and think they have the book they remember. Book fans feel strongly about the sanctity of books—the text and often the original art. An internet check often reveals outraged fans venting their disappointment at edited plots and changes in illustrations because they consider the new edition a travesty. No matter how you feel about this issue, think kindly of such fans if you have not read the original. (However, in the case of Mike Mulligan, all the internet reviews I could find are rave comments about the original book, not the board book. ) Personally I feel a great sympathy for parents and readers who object, for I know that same sense of betrayal when I see someone has tampered with my favorite book. You may not be such a ‘purist,’ but do consider how foolish it is to throw away the past without good reason. Dollars are not good reasons. On the other hand… Originally published on the Tumblon website February 5, 2010 In Ruth Krauss’s The Growing Story (1947) a small boy sees everything around him growing during the summer but worries that he can’t see any change in himself. His mother tells him he is getting bigger, but he scarcely believes her until he tries on last winter’s clothes. Krauss has a way of writing these wonderful simple stories about what children know and feel. In the re-issue of this book Helen Oxenbury’s wonderful full-color watercolors make the characters fairly jump off the page—as when the small boy somersaults across the final pages, shouting, “I’m growing, too!” The illustrations in this book make the original edition seem pale and lifeless, even though it was retro-charming. Here’s a case of a reissue that is a winner. The books of another favorite children’s writer, Charlotte Zolotov, are also being reissued. Her story A Father Like That (1971) has had a dramatic facelift. In the somewhat melancholy story, a little boy says in a matter-of-fact way, “I wish I had a father. But my father went away before I was born.” He tells his mother what his father would be like if he were around—that his father would bring him books when he was sick, would know all his friends’ names, and not make him wear his green shirt. His mother’s response, “I like the kind of father you’re talking about. And in case he never comes, just remember when you grow up, you can be a father like that yourself!” The two-color ink and wash illustrations in the original edition showed a middle-class suburban family with spreads of barbecues, a stay-at-home mother, Little League games, etc. The new edition has full-color painting by LeUyen Pham of an African-American family in an urban setting. Zolotov’s words fit both kinds of illustrations, but this edition will give the book new life. Other works like those of Roger Duvoisin’ Donkey-donkey (1933) which has been reissued with his own original illustrations. It
An eclectic collection of picture and travel books for summer fun. The post Summer Fun Ahead: a Picture Book Tour appeared first on Redeemed Reader. (Originally published at Redeemed Reader on May 21, 2013) The Not-for-Parents Travel Book, Lonely Planet Publications, 2011, 207 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 8-up Australians are probably the greatest travelers in the world, and Lonely Planet (an Aussie publisher) produces some of the greatest travel guides, according to some experienced backpackers I know. Lately LP got into the kid’s market, with their “Not-for-Parents” guides. The title, I’ll admit, is a little off-putting to parents, but let’s assume they mean well. Last January, for instance, three boys who were camping with their families in Queensland rescued themselves from the mud flats after getting literally stuck in quicksand, after one of them recalled information he’d picked up from Lonely Planet’s Not-for-Parents: How to Be a World Explorer. I’ll probably be reviewing that book later–you never know when you’re going to be trapped in quicksand!–but for now, prospective globe-trotters will enjoy touring the world with the Travel Book. It’s a hodgepodge of information, with something on every page that’s bound to be of interest. Every country of the world, or almost, gets a page, meaning Canada shares equal space with Vatican City (pop. 826), and Russia with Luxembourg. Insert maps show where every country is located, with population, area, currency, flag and official language. Recurring features include Scary Stuff, Epic Events, Hideous History, Crazy Facts, and Amazing Animals. Since it’s geared to kids, most of the information is kid-friendly, such as where Pez dispensers, roller skates, and Legos were invented (you’ll have to read the book to find out), as well as what country has the highest rate of twin births(ditto). Since it’s published in Australia, British spellings are used. And since Lonely Planet leans left, there are some details you might want to discuss. Why, for instance, is Cuba described as “a moving museum of old cars”? Maybe because the people can’t afford new cars, because communism has run their economy into the ground? China’s one-child policy is presented with no comment, and no mention of forced abortion. For some parents, there may be a little too much “scary stuff” and “hideous history,” but the history is fairly even-handed (i.e., not all the fault of white people) and fascinating facts outnumber the scares. A world map on the last double-page spread puts these countries in perspective. (Lonely Planet also offers detailed guides to the world’s great cities, such as London, Paris, and New York. If you’re planning a family trip to any of these destinations, they may be worth looking into.) Worldview/moral value: 3 (out of 5) Literary/information value: 4.5 PERSONAL STORIES The Matchbox Diary, by Paul Fleishman, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline. Candlewick, 2013, 50 pages. Age/interest level: 6-9. On a bright sunny day, a little girl and her great-grandfather are spending some together time in his crowded antique shop. Apparently they’ve just met, and he’s asked her to pick something off his shelves. “And then I’ll know something about you.” She chooses a cigar box. “So. You like boxes, just like me. You smoke cigars?” What’s inside is not cigars, but stories. “When I was your age I had a lot I wanted to remember but I couldn’t read or write. So I started this.” “This” is a collection of little matchboxes with sliding lids, each containing a piece of the past: an olive pit, a worn photograph, a bottle cap. All together they tell of the old man’s childhood in Italy and how he and his mother and sisters sailed the ocean to join their father in America (sunflower seed shells in one box marked every day until the Statue of Liberty finally appeared on the horizon). Some tough years follow, living from job to job until the boy is finally able to go to school and learn to write. Though a simple story (told entirely in dialogue), it’s beautiful and poignantly human, with each evocative picture illustrating a memory captured in a box. Worldview/moral value: 5 Literary/art value: 4.5 CRAFTS AND HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES Building Our House, by Jonathan Bean. Farrar Strauss Giroux, 2012, 40 pages. Age/interest level: 5-9. Today is moving day. We left our old house in the city and we’re moving to the country. My family is building our new house away from the road, down a dirt lane. The family is Dad, Mom, big sister (who looks about 4 or 5), little brother (around 2), and their pickup, Willys. It’s the early 1970s, so you don’t have to have car seats for all the children and you can put up a house just about anywhere you want to, meanwhile homesteading in an old Airstream trailer. That’s what the author’s family actually did—build a house from the basement up, starting before he was born and ending around his fifth birthday, using “every scrap of spare time.” For this book he compresses the action into one and half years, and the process will fascinate any budding builder: laying water pipes, digging a basement with grandpa’s backhoe, stacking rocks and mixing cement for the basement walls, sawing planed logs for the house walls and boring holes with a brace and bit. Relatives helped raise the frame, but everything else—wiring, insulating, and plumbing—is done by Mom and Dad with the kids helping out wherever they can. Meanwhile, Mom is working on a baby, who appears in the second spring. The soft watercolor illustrations are bursting with activity. Be sure to compare the endpapers in front (open field) to the back (finished house, already looking like it belongs). This book is a labor of love from a son who honors his parents and takes pride in their accomplishment. Worldview/moral value: 5 Art value: 4 THE GREAT OUTDOORS Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping, by Melanie Watt. KidsCan Press, 2013, 30 pages. Age/interest level: 3-6. If you’re familiar with Scaredy Squirrel, you know
Did you ever wonder how your local librarian chooses books for the children’s collection? The post Gladys Hunt on Starred Reviews appeared first on Redeemed Reader. Editor’s Note: “Starred reviews” are a guideline for librarians figuring how to spend the budget for the children’s section. (We take particular notice of them too, when figuring how to budget our reviewing time!) Are they always a good indicator? How Are Books Chosen for the Library? Originally published on the Tumblon website September 9, 2009 If about ten thousand books are printed each year for children and young adults, how in all the world of reading does a librarian or a committee choose which books to buy for their shelves? Or book buyers for stores find a way to choose? I’ve wondered about that myself in the past. First of all, you must know that there are professional journals that review new books. One such is The Horn Book Magazine. This journal is published six times a year and each issue has approximately 65-75 reviews done by different people—which means that less than 500 books out of the ten thousand are reviewed. Another is The Bulletin for the Center for Children’s Books, which give shorter reviews, but still leaves “plenty of wiggle room on the value of the books reviewed.” Others are Booklist, School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Publishers Weekly. Each of those journals use starred reviews to indicate books they recommend or deem unusual or different in approach. You could imagine that anyone who spends hours reading new books gets almost anesthetized to characters and plots, but still these are professional readers and generally know their stuff. After all, they do this for a living. A starred review indicates “outstanding,” yet they never tell you how it is outstanding. When they hit something with a theme or a plot line or characters that are out of the ordinary, they may hit the * button if it is any good at all. At least I’ve come to that conclusion by noticing the starred reviews and have sometimes wondered why that book is better than one by an author whom I know writes outstanding fiction or non-fiction, and whose books are not starred. Hmm. All this by way of saying that this is no easy task. Lively debates take place with other reviewers before the journal goes to press to make certain that one person’s recommendation isn’t going head-over-heels on a whim. Each journal should be able to defend its stars. How many librarians have time to read even all the book reviews, to say nothing of all the other newly published books? Some method for choosing must be used. A survey of librarians indicated that if they find the same book starred in more than one journal, then they figure that is one worth reading and perhaps buying. Except that one woman, who has been a librarian for thirteen years, said that she takes starred reviews with caution because she has had to weed out non-circulating items over the years. She found that starred review books can become shelf-sitters. But, according to a HarperCollins editor, starred reviews are the books the publisher is apt to advertise which makes the book-buyer think it is a winner. Librarians are most apt to buy the starred reviews, and so are the bookstores. This means that much of what is labeled “good” or “outstanding” depends on the taste of the reviewer—and his or her worldview. Do their “stars” fit your galaxy? That’s a good question to ask. And what of the thousands of other titles not reviewed anywhere? Picture books are less of a problem because of the simplicity of their charm. Yet I became enamored with a starred review of a beautifully illustrated book that involved a horse lost in the winter just before Christmas Eve. Looking at it was a pleasure, reading its text was so disappointing I wondered why the editor didn’t send it back for revisions. Not a single sentence was memorable. The word choices were colorless. Maybe the reviewer had a weakness for horses! It had possibilities, but this isn’t a book that begs for re-reading. The more complex the story is, the more the world-view of the reviewer comes into play. Generally speaking, all of the books chosen for one of these journals stand a good chance of being well-written by all the usual standards of characterization, dialog or plot development. Some reviewers will opt for the off-beat story, something different that has never been tried before, while others are looking for what the story will do in the readers’ lives. Reviewers are people with their own “hot spots” about books. So what is the solution? Remember that some of those starred become favorites. The readers, the buyers, decide. If a child has no guidance and simply picks up whatever is there, he will waste a lot of time reading what may be mediocre and will not last. Parents have to make some decisions about what makes a good book, and help their children see exactly what this means. And all this takes some thinking. And thinking will take more than one blog to explore. © Gladys M. Hunt 2008-10, reissued in 2022 with minor adjustments with permission of the Executor of the Literary Estate of Gladys M. Hunt (4194 Hilton SE, Lowell, MI 49331). Used by permission. All rights reserved. The post Gladys Hunt on Starred Reviews appeared first on Redeemed Reader.
What are the takeaways from a memorable read-aloud experience? The post 5 Souvenirs from Narnia appeared first on Redeemed Reader. (Originally published on Redeemed Reader September 21, 2015) Some places we visit once as tourists. Once we have a souvenir, have checked off the “must see” locales, and perhaps eaten a signature food, we’re off to the next experience. Other places call us back, over and over, for return visits. A beach house every summer, a cabin in the mountains every fall, a grandparents’ farm on holidays. The collective memories we have from repeated visits to a beloved place shape our perceptions of other, similar locales. “This reminds me of….” or “These tomatoes are good, but not as good as the ones on the farm.” Books are the same: some we read once and check off the list. Old Man and the Sea? Done. Moby Dick? Check. Some we revisit over and over. For me, that second group includes, among others, the land of Narnia. As I listened to the audio productions yet again with my children this summer, I realized that I have taken away some remarkable souvenirs from that magical land. They shape not only my evaluations of other literary works, particularly fantasy works, but also my understanding of my faith and the Bible itself. Here they are, in no particular order. #1: Sometimes Fairy Stories May Say Best What’s to be Said Amongst Lewis’s many excellent essays, he discusses the appropriate-ness of fairy tales for his purpose in imagining the spiritual truths he holds dear. A good summary of this essay can be found at Pilgrim in Narnia (there’s even a facsimile of the original essay). When traveling in Narnia, the reader fully believes in Aslan and in his work on behalf of those whom he loves. Whether he is traveling beside Shasta and Bree, silent and unnoticed, in The Horse and His Boy or waking the nyads and dryads in Prince Caspian, creating Narnia itself in The Magician’s Nephew or rising from the dead in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, Aslan is eminently believable. Is is no small leap to think of our Lord in much the same terms: a constant presence even when we cannot see him, continually bringing forth praise from his creation, and rising from the dead. Spiritual truths often seem trite and cliche when couched in realistic fiction; suspending disbelief in a fantasy world frees the author to portray ideas without that worry. #2: God is the God over mankind, over all of Creation, over the dark forces, and over worlds we can only imagine. When Aslan roars, all submit–even the “bad guys.” He rules with a firm, just hand over the Sons of Adam and the Daughters of Eve, over all of created order in Narnia (even the seasons and the spirits of the trees), over the evil forces and their henchmen, and over worlds at which those in the books can only guess. Does he not guide those in his care? Did he not create the world of Narnia in the beginning? Does he not know magic from before the dawn of time of which the White Witch is ignorant? When those, like unbelieving Trumpkin see him for the first time, they cannot help but fall before Aslan in submission. #3: Men and women are superior to the rest of creation; only men and women have been given the gift of dominion. Have you ever wondered about the repeated emphasis on the Sons of Adam and the Daughters of Eve in the Narnia Chronicles? Only a Son of Adam or a Daughter of Eve can rule over Narnia. They are revered by the talking beasts and other Narnian creatures. Why? Because Aslan has put them in that position, not because Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve are super special. In fact, at the end of Prince Caspian, Aslan reminds one that being a Son of Adam is worthy of high honor as well as deep shame. Just as the Lord put humans in dominion over the rest of Creation, just as we humans have the high honor of being made in God’s image whilst simultaneously bearing the deep shame of a sinful state. Each human is in the same position and called to the same dominion over Creation and the same stewardship of it; each human is both worthy of honor and in need of salvation we can’t earn. #4: Magic is woven into the fabric of Creation; those who mess with it are up to no good. In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the witch chides Aslan for being willing to “throw himself away” for the sake of a traitor. Aslan tells the Pevensie children later that the witch was ignorant of magic that existed from before the dawn of time. Consistently in the Narnia Chronicles, those up to no good try to usurp magic and attempt to circumvent the created order. And, consistently, Aslan sets things to right–not by using “magic” per se, but by restoring all to their proper place and function. Analogous to the law of God and the natural laws God imprinted in the very fabric of creation, Narnia reminds us that those using supernatural forces, unless they are the Lord himself, are up to no good.* #5: Those who know Aslan have true hope; when the Lord of Creation returns, he will set things to right. Chaos may reign. We may be prevented from returning to previous states of innocence like the Pevensie children eventually leave Narnia not to return (at least, in the same fashion). Some may die. Dire consequences occur. Evil doers may have us–and the world–under their thumbs as they wreak havoc on people and/or creation (like the prince in The Silver Chair). Yet, when Christ returns, he will set all to right. In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Lewis gives us a glimpse of this as Aslan reverses the winter caused by the witch. In Prince Caspian, he awakes the nyads and dryads. In The Last Battle, all
What better time to talk about value, budgeting, and a summer job? The post Talking About Money appeared first on Redeemed Reader. (Originally published at Redeemed Reader on June 1, 2012) We think of summertime as beach days, catch-up-on-our-reading days, vacation days, camp days (more on that next week)—but what about make-a-budget or start-a-business days? Economics and all its outriggers (like business), is a subject that gets bumped in favor of more traditional school fodder like algebra, world history, American literature, and chemistry. For a subject that has immediate impact on every adult’s daily life, economics gets a very short shrift. At some point in their growing-up years, kids should get a firm grip on money: what it is, how it works, and how to make it. Two recent books and an old one can shed some light on a subject that may not be as complicated as it seems. The Secret Life of Money: A Kid’s Guide to Cash, by Kira Vermond, illustrated by Clayton Hanmer. Owlkids Books (Canada), 2012, 151 pages. Age/interest level: 10-14 The author begins with the interesting premise that money is not just money—it’s also a measure of happiness and dismay, a destructive force as well as a constructive one. The power it has is largely up to us, and that’s a good message to send. In ten chapters, she addresses consumer psychology, credit, salary levels, compound interest on the debit and the credit side, benevolence and world poverty, all reasonably well with just a little liberal bias. In her discussion of the sub-prime mortgage crisis of 2008 she blames the banks, with no acknowledgment of government policies (in the US, anyway), that encouraged risky lending. She also doesn’t discuss the overlarge thumb that public-sector unions put on the wage scale. She is uncritical of the World Bank and IMF. And as for poverty, I read long ago that “What causes poverty?” is the wrong question for something that has always been the natural state of most of the world. A better question is, “What causes wealth?” with a careful consideration of how those circumstances can be developed or maintained. The chatty tone gets on my nerves sometimes, as in, “Money. It’s a lot like an apple pie. Seriously. I’m not making it up. (Okay, maybe I am a little . . . . ).” On balance, though, she’s solid about the value of work (for its own sake, not just for the wages) and the necessity of saving, with practical suggestions for how to do it. I also learned some things: for instance, did you know that Canada and some other countries are experimenting with polymer currency, as opposed to paper? Whatever Happened to Penny Candy?, By Richard J. Maybury. Bluestocking Press, 2010 (6th edition), 159 pages. Age/interest level: 12-up This one has been around for a while—originally published in 1989. Mr. Maybury takes the persona of “Uncle Eric,” writing in response to specific questions from his nephew Chris. For instance, “Dear Chris: In your last letter you asked me to explain inflation and recession . . .” As you can see we’re into challenging material from chapter one. The author goes on to address the origin of money, the origin of the dollar, the business cycle, wage and price spirals, volatility, recession and depression, foreign currency, and the influence of government on economic exchange, to name a few. But he uses enough examples from history, as well as a clear and direct writing style, to make these terms comprehensible to the average teenager. Or younger. Richard Maybury is of the Austrian school, meaning conservative in fiscal policy and libertarian in social policy. He believes “that government is best which governs least,” and states early on that we’d all be better off if we remembered this simple principle: There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch (tanstaafl). Critics complain that he slights public charity (welfare) and globalism. That’s because he doesn’t like them. Other readers may also be put off by the pages of self-promotion in the back pages (other titles and a newsletter), and I don’t find him as reliable on world and cultural events as he is on money policy. But for a concise, no-nonsense introduction to sound economics he’s hard to beat. Better Than a Lemonade Stand! Small Business Ideas for Kids, by Daryl Berstein, illustrated by Rob Husberg. Aladdin, 2012, 188 pages. Age/interest level: 11-15 What it all comes down to is, How can we make money and enjoy doing it? Daryl Berstein published his first version of this book in 1992, when he was a teenage entrepreneur himself. He went on to become an adult entrepreneur, business advisor, motivational speaker, and author of more books. This edition is an update that could perhaps have used more updating—some of his start-up business ideas seem very 20th-century—but the foundational principles are timeless. Berstein realizes that not every kid is entrepreneur material, which is why he begins with a quiz to see “Are you ready to start a business?” For those who are poised to hop in with both feet, he has common sense suggestions about commitment and courtesy, organization, pricing and—very important—choosing a business that suits individual personality and goals. Once past the introduction, we get down to business: 55 specific self-directed jobs that underage kids can do. Some of them won’t work for everybody: snow shoveling in Florida is a non-starter, wake-up calling would seem to have limited application, and painting rocks to sell would require some talent and imagination to create a salable product. But the tried-and-true mingle with the unique-and-intriguing: how about Muffin and Juice Delivery? New-Product Assembly? Growing Seedlings? Washing Sheets and Towels? Ideas tend to spawn other ideas, so some of these could light a spark of creativity. Also, looking around the neighborhood or community can help kids recognize needs they can fill. Every business suggestion includes tips for how to advertise and what to charge, with a realistic assessment of the time and
How many books should a child own? The post Gladys Hunt on Personal Libraries appeared first on Redeemed Reader. Editor’s Note: As we head into the last month of our Honey for a Child’s Heart Read-along, we share the late Gladys Hunt’s further thoughts on choosing good reads, both for home and for the local library. Building a Child’s Library Originally published on the Tumblon website March 17, 2009 After enthusiastic praise of libraries, should anyone bother to buy books? How many books should a child own? A library book is a wonderful discovery, a taste treat to be enjoyed. But a borrowed book always has a different emotional hold on a child than a book that is “my very own.” Every family needs a shelf or special place for children’s books. You will know—or your child will tell you—when a book should be one you just have to own. Not any book will do for this shelf. That’s why it is good to give suggestions to grandparents and aunts and uncles about books to give as gifts. (It’s a favor to them to give titles to look for in the store. It’s so easy to pick up something that looks “sweet” or “cute” but in reality is only merchandising fluff—and not a “keeper.”) The treasured books will be read again and again. These will be the ones that leave footprints in the heart. Whether wordless picture books or picture books with a minimum story line, or stories that make a child cry out, “Don’t stop now!”—these are the books that say something that leaves a mark on the child’s life. C. S. Lewis said, “Any story worth reading at ten should be worth reading at fifty.” That’s the kind of children’s stories he wrote. Quality is high priority. Good stories have good writing: good use of language—imagery and word pictures that inspire the imagination. Look for a good theme (what is the book saying?) and strong characters whose actions make the plot work. A good book has integrity, a kind of wholeness that affects the reader, be the plot ever so simple. It’s no good saying that Sam is a good, honest boy or that Jimmy is mean and thoughtless. The reader should come to personal conclusions about Sam or Jimmy based on their actions in the book. As one editor said, “Don’t tell me that the grass is green; tell me what its greenness does in the story.” What I am talking about is the right word in the right place. In Cynthia Rylant’s Christmas in the Country the narrator is a small girl who lives with her grandparents and it is Christmas morning. “And in the morning when I woke it was still a little dark outside and still a little shivery, and I went to my grandparents’ bed and asked them to help me see what Santa brought. And they rose up from their warm quilts and together we all went to the tree.” I especially like the phrase they rose up from their warm quilts. How much better than if the story had read, “I got up early and went into my grandparents’ bedroom and woke them up so we could look at our presents.” I like Rylant’s word choices. In her book In November she has a delicious line, “In November, he smell of food is different. It is an orange smell.” That line has become part of our family vernacular during November. There is a wonder and a joy to words put together in just the right way. © Gladys M. Hunt 2008-10, reissued in 2022 with minor adjustments with permission of the Executor of the Literary Estate of Gladys M. Hunt (4194 Hilton SE, Lowell, MI 49331). Used by permission. All rights reserved. Also at Redeemed Reader: Don’t miss Megan’s series on Home Library Management: Heart Issues, Where Do I Begin?, Analyzing the Situation, Weeding Out the M.U.S.T.Y Titles, and Curating the Home Library Collection. The post Gladys Hunt on Personal Libraries appeared first on Redeemed Reader.
Land of Hope offers a balanced, positive, and often inspiring view of American history. The post *Land of Hope by Wilfred McClay appeared first on Redeemed Reader. Land of Hope offers a balanced, positive, and often inspiring view of American history–now available in student workbook, teacher’s guide, and young-reader editions! *Land of Hope: an Invitation to the Great American Story by Wilfred McClay. Encounter Books, 2019, 429 pages +bibliography and index Note: This review was originally posted July 4, 2021. Reading Level: Teen, ages 16-up Recommended for: teens and adults The story of America begins long before the discovery of America. Throughout history, “the west” has held a peculiar hold on cultured imaginations: a place for starting over or ending well, for building or recovering some lost ideal. Atlantis, Utopia, and the Elysian Fields were hopeful myths that actually began to come true on that October day in 1492 when a Spanish sailor serving under an Italian captain first sighted land. Over the last 50 years the study of American history has become fragmented, highly politicized, and toxic, with Howard Zinn’s People’s History of the United States a well-known example. Zinn’s bitter socialist take on America has become a standard text in many high schools and colleges, making the need for a balanced, positive history of our country all the more urgent. “History always begins in the middle of things,” writes Professor Wilfred McClay in this new, wide-focus biography of the United States. American history begins not only with the scattered native settlements dating back some 20-30,000 years. More significantly, it begins with unsettling trends in Europe that bred disruption, invention, reformation, education, and exploration. The quick overview of the unsettlement in Europe that led to settlement in America is an appropriate setup to the rest of the story. The narrative approach employed by Prof. McClay is not merely a series of events but a series of ideas that drove the settling and eventual founding of a new nation. With so much ground to cover, details pass in a blur. After a whole chapter of events leading up to the Revolutionary War, the war itself takes only six pages. Ten pages describe the less dramatic but more significant evolution of our constitutional government, followed by four pages on the institution of slavery, our “original sin.” Since all of American history, for some, has come to revolve around American injustices, the author provides some valuable perspective: “. . . it would be profoundly wrong to contend, as some do, that the United States was ‘founded on’ slavery . . .” No, it was founded on other principles entirely, on principles of liberty and self-rule that had been discovered and defined and refined and enshrined through the tempering effects of several turbulent centuries of European and British and American history. Those foundational principles would win out in the end, though not without much struggle and striving, and eventual bloodshed. The United States enjoyed a miraculous birth, but it was not the product of an unstained conception and an untroubled delivery. Few things are. Prof. McClay writes with an elegant style and draws some breathtaking concept arcs. That said, the pages and pages of text (no in-text pictures, except for maps) can be intimidating for the average high-schooler. A moderate amount of illustration and charts would have provided some further illumination, but 24 pages of color portraits and photographs are bound into the middle. Those who already love history will love this. It may be more of a challenge for newbies, but if you’re looking for a standard American history that explores our faults as well as our “Great American Story,” Land of Hope is well worth the price. Cautions: None Overall rating: 5 (out of 5) Worldview/moral value: 5 Artistic value: 5 Note: Since this review was published, Land of Hope is now available as a student workbook, a teacher’s guide, and a Young-Reader edition. Also at Redeemed Reader: See our review of Thomas Kidd’s American History, another excellent resource! See our thoughts on how to approach historical racism in children’s classics. The post *Land of Hope by Wilfred McClay appeared first on Redeemed Reader.