Here's a list of books that I've read so far this year and a mini-review of them. Lest you think I'm reading on a third grade level, we preview most of the books that our six year- old reads and I read aloud to the kids quite a bit, so I'm including those books. I'm linking to the books on Amazon, but most of these books can be found at your local library.
The Quotidian Mysteries: Laundry, Liturgy, and Women's Work by Kathleen Norris. If you want to appreciate the little things in life, like laundry, cleaning, and the like, this is a good book. It also offered some insight for me into how doing daily things can ward off depression (or even just a bad day) . . . getting up, praying, cooking breakfast. It's a short book and a fairly quick read.
Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher. Betsy lives with her overprotective aunt in the city until a situation arises that causes her to move to the country with family that she has heard of but never met. A friend suggested this book for my eldest daughter and I finally got a copy. It is the sweetest book and it's one of those books that you could read when you're young and then read it over and over and glean new things from it. I loved Betsy's willingness to learn from others. I cried three times! And I'm not a crier over books, really.
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. A wonderful story of two cousins who find a secret garden that changes their lives. I'd actually never read this before (I know! The horror!). An excellent book. A classic. Our library had a copy that was illustrated by Tasha Tudor and I thought it was especially sweet.
Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes. A story about the Pye family and their newly acquired dog, Ginger. The kids loved this book. I love how the author writes the book to appeal to children, yet throws a few jokes in there every now and then that only adults or older kids will chuckle at.
Two Part Invention: the story of a Marriage by Madeleine L'Engle. This was a wonderful book about the L'Engle's marriage, but I thought of it as a wonderful love story as well. It was interesting to see how she and her husband loved each other and made their marriage endure over time. I cried at the end of this one as well. Maybe I'm am a crier over books?
The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss. We're still reading this one aloud. This one, also a classic, is more entertaining for my son to listen to, although the girls have been listening almost as closely as him. It's so fun to see what the father (and the narrator of the story) will contrive next in the book in order to make the family's life better on a deserted island. I'll be back soon with my favorite children's books. We LOVE books around here! My children probably think they live in a library. :-)
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