I recently had the opportunity to read David Helm’s The Big Picture Story Bible to my children. It was a huge hit! Even though I would consider a toddler/preschool Bible storybook, my older two (ages 7 and 6) were also riveted. One of the things they, in particular, enjoyed about the book were the questions interwoven in the stories. These, of course, are not a standard part of the Biblical narrative, but gave them the chance to think about the story, and then show their understanding of what they had heard.

The large pictures were especially enjoyed by my younger two children (ages 4 and 3). They found it easy to point out different familiar items, such as animals, people, and vegetation. My youngest didn’t want me to stop reading, and we read over 100 pages in one sitting. Granted, there isn’t a lot of writing on each page, but it still held her attention for a long time.

As a parent, I thought this was a good book. The stories, of course, are nothing new, but I did enjoy the way one part led into another, showing the connection between Bible stories. I did find the book to be an odd size and shape for holding and reading to a child sitting in my lap, but I made it work.

What I liked most about the book, though, was my children’s reaction to it. I started reading to the youngest two, and when I glanced up, I realized the 6-year-old had left her artwork to listen in, and a short while later, when I read one of the questions, my 7-year-old, who I didn’t even think was listening, chimed in with the answer. It is always a pleasure to see my children enjoying the Word of God!

Find out more about this book at www.crossway.org/blog

Douglas Wilson’s book, 5 Cities that Ruled the World, about how major cities throughout time (Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, London, and New York) shaped global history is a fascinating read. I can’t say that I know enough about each city to identify any possible bias regarding their histories, and I’m little surprised at the exclusion of some cities, namely Constantinople, but I think that this is a great book for understanding world history.

Each city’s story is contained within one chapter. Things that are revealed about each city include its history (origin, major leaders, and wars and other events), its effect on the world stage, and its current state.

I found that the chapter on London contained the most “unknown” information. I guess perhaps I just didn’t know much about London history, especially the *very* early years (did you know London burned 15 times before the year 1300?!?).

My only real complaint with the book has nothing to do with its content, and instead is an issue with the materials. I can’t stand what the cover is made of–it’s a paperback, made of a textured paper, and I find it weird to touch. Other than that, the book is a great tool for learning more about our world’s major cities, and how they shaped the society in which we currently live, even from across the centuries and around the globe.

Four lost souls on a collision course with either disaster or redemption. A random community of Faces in the Fire.

Meet Kurt, a truck-driver-turned-sculptor with no memory of his past. Corinne, an e-mail spammer whose lymphoma isn’t responding to treatment. Grace, a tattoo artist with an invented existence and a taste for heroin. And Stan, a reluctant hit man haunted by his terrifying gift for killing.

They don’t know each other, at least not yet. But something–or someone–is at work in the fabric of their lives, weaving them all together. A catfish, a series of numbers scribbled on a napkin, a devastating fire, and something mysterious. Something that could send them hurtling down the highway to disaster–or down the road to redemption. But they won’t know which is which until they’ve managed to say yes to the whispers in their souls.

It sounded like a good book, and I think it had the potential to be, but I found it too confusing for my taste. Any book with chapter numbers out of sequence leaves me feeling on edge. And the book describes itself as bizarre, which I guess should have been a warning to me that it was too strange for my straightforward way of looking at things.

A Family Guide to the Bible by Christin Ditchfield is a good resource, especially for people who are unfamiliar with certain parts of the Bible, or the history behind each book. After some introductory material, including the history, message and authority of the Bible, there is a summary of each individual book, which has the author, audience and setting, as well as the story, interesting trivia, and important words to know.

The only part of this book that I really disliked is the way Ditchfield boiled each book down into one key verse. While these are probably a good starting point for memorization, I don’t think you can simplify each book of the Bible to that point, and in some cases, the key verse given is questionable regarding whether or not it is even the focal point of the book.

I particularly liked chapter six, on how to study the Bible. I think the author made an excellent point, in that families should chose one translation of the Bible, and stick with it for the sake of consistency (although it is also mentioned that using different translations for comparison can be useful). I wish that paraphrase translations of the Bible had not been mentioned in the “choosing a translation section”–I truly believe that those versions of the Bible have no place in serious Bible study.

This book could be a very helpful tool for families trying to get a grasp on the big picture of Scripture, although my personal preference is a good study Bible.

For more on this book, visit www.crossway.org/blog

Popular Christian author Max Lucado has a new book out:  Fearless–”Imagine Your Life Without Fear.” From the back cover of the book:

Imagine your life, wholly untouched by angst. What if faith, not fear, was your default reaction to threats? If you could hover a fear magnet over your heart and extract every last shaving of dread, insecurity, or doubt, what would remain? Envision a day, just one day, where you could trust more and fear less.

Can you imagine your life without fear?

The topic of this book sounds great, and it’s certainly timely in light of concerns over the economy, health care, and the general direction our country is headed.  But, I can’t help feel that this is just another Max Lucado book rehashed. Certainly the best part of the book are the quotes from Scripture, because if you are truly dealing with fear issues, that is the only true source of comfort.

I think that going directly to the Bible for help, instead of yet another self-help book, is your best bet.

We’re on our second year of A Reason for Handwriting ( we started with Book K last year, and have moved on to the now-alphabetically-sequenced Book A), and our first year of A Reason for Spelling (also Book A). Even though it’s early in the school year, I have a pretty good feeling for both programs.

I was very impressed with the way Handwriting introduced proper letter formation in Book K, using a tree-house as a guide. My children thought it was a fun way to learn, and even though Bunny still has some work to do on writing well (which is all about her rushing, and not about her understanding of what she’s *supposed* to be doing!), Turkey has excellent printing already, and they both know how letters are supposed to be written.

We’re still working on reviewing what we learned last year now that we’ve started Book A, but looking ahead, I love that we’ll be using Scripture to practice handwriting (even if the translation used isn’t my first, or even second, choice!), and I also love the fancy border sheets, which reinforce the idea that handwriting is a public way of communication, and should look nice.

So far in Spelling, we’ve worked on phonics review, and it’s been very much like the Explode the Code series. The activities have been fun, and the bonus activities suggested in the teacher’s guide are geared toward every kind of learner, even kinesthetic. What I like most, though, is the way the lessons line up with the lessons in the Handwriting book. Of course, this only works if you’re using the same level of handwriting and spelling at the same time (which we are), but I think it’s a great way to reinforce the Bible passages used, and to bring in needed repetition in spelling and writing well. And why wouldn’t you link the two? It seems like a very natural way to learn, which is one of the things I love about our main curriculum, Sonlight.

I’m definitely looking forward to learning cursive and spelling harder words in the years to come with the A Reason For… books!

I was very excited to read What He Must Be…If He Wants to Marry My Daughter by Voddie Baucham Jr., because I’ve read an excellent book by Dr. Baucham before (Family Driven Faith), and I was curious to see what he had to say about helping your daughter find a good, Christian man to marry (even though I’m no where near ready to think about my two little girls ever getting married!).

I thought that this was another excellent book by Dr. Baucham. It’s a topic that I think a lot of parents either don’t think about or are afraid to approach. In a culture of “falling in love” and “if it feels good, do it,” fathers and mothers have to make a deliberate effort in guiding their children as they look at potential spouses, at instilling in their children what kind of qualities to look for before they marry, and in helping (their sons, particularly), cultivate these qualities in themselves.

I did feel that this book would be especially beneficial for fathers to read, although mothers can gain much from it as well. I also think that fathers and mothers would take away different things from their reading. I’m sure that my perspective on the book is much different from what my husband’s perspective would be were he to read it.

I especially liked the chapter entitled “He Must Be Committed to Children.” When dating or even newly engaged, I’m sure that the topic of children is far from many couple’s minds, and yet a man’s feelings about children, the way he treats them, and his ability to interact with them speak volumes for the kind of man he is, and are a good indicator of the future of the relationship. While it may not be a comfortable thing to consider or discuss, it is a crucial topic, and parents need to be encouraging their daughters to consider it, and raise their sons to care for children.

The only part of the book that really puzzled me was the conclusion. It seemed to focus entirely on race issues, and while I understand that that can be a very important discussion for some families, it seemed like it would have been better discussed in it’s own chapter, instead of a wrap-up to the whole book. It felt a little awkward having the conclusion focused so much on one topic.

You can read more about What He Must Be If He Wants to Marry My Daughter at www.crossway.org/blog

Blue Like Play Dough is a great book for mothers, because it really meets you where you’re at.  The author, Tricia Goyer, shares her experiences from the time she was a pregnant teen, to now, a more settled, yet still occasionally struggling, adult.

As she shared her joys and sorrows in parenting, I found that I could relate to much of what she was saying. Being a mother can be a lonely, demanding job. There are times when you feel like you are drowning, even though there are also times when you feel like you’re on top of the world. You often wonder if you’re doing things right, or if you’re screwing your kids up for life. I think every mother has dealt with these doubts, questions, and feelings of inadequacy at one time or another.

And yet, in the midst of all that, God is always there, guiding you, preparing you for great things. And even if you do make a mess of things, He is there to help you clean it up. And, if you finally let go of *your* plans, you can be open to the wonderful plans God has in store for you!

I found this to be a very uplifting, encouraging book that takes a real, honest look at motherhood, and how God can give us so much more joy in our job than we ever imagined!

I had never heard of authors Rick Burgess and Bill “Bubba” Bussey before reading this book, but now I wish I had!  Rick and Bubba’s Guide to the Almost Nearly Perfect Marriage is the funniest book I’ve read in quite awhile. It’s like a combination of Chris Fabry (the Christian aspect, as well as the humorous look at marriage and the difference between the two sexes) and Jeff Foxworthy (the whole redneck thing), and that combination makes for some hilarious, yet clean, reading.

Even with the hilarity, there is some truth that can be found in this book, as far as how men and women are different, and what can make a marriage work (or not!). Even while laughing at the stories Rick and Bubba relate from their own marriages, I often found myself thinking: “I do that, too!” or “I think we’ve had that conversation before.” Humor and hyperbole can make the truth easier to see and admit to, and even though I could see myself and my marriage in some of their stories, the way the truth was delivered left me feeling like we’re not alone in how we interact, instead of feeling angry or ashamed that I’ve been found out!

I recently read The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn, which is a “Love Inspired” Suspense novel. I don’t usually read books that can be purchased in the grocery store, but I thought this one was pretty good.

Kenzie Thorn (granddaughter of the state governor) teaches a GED course in a prison. She can’t help but be intrigued by her new student, Myles Parsons, but her curiosity turns to fear when he abducts her. His explanation? He’s an undercover FBI agent working to protect Kenzie, and to do so, he needs to hide her.

Can Kenzie trust Myles? Who is the real threat to her? And what kind of relationship can she have with the man sent to keep her out of harm’s way?

There was a twist to this story (which I obviously won’t share) that prevented this book from becoming a formulaic romance novel. I appreciated the Christian slant to the book, which prevented it from becoming a trashy romance novel. Certainly light reading, but not a bad way to spend time.

The verdict? Good for summer reading by the pool.