The Rifle by Gary Paulsen
I had very little desire to read The Rifle by Gary Paulsen, but since it was of great interest to our boys especially, and covered one of our favorite time periods, it was chosen as a read aloud. The author described the fashioning of a rifle in 1768 so vividly, it seemed as though Cornish…
Breaking Stalin’s Nose by Eugene Yelchin
If you stopped reading Breaking Stalin’s Nose after chapter 1, you might think Communism was a noble ideology. Everyone shares everything. There are 48 people living in Sasha’s little apartment and only one bathroom. He is often hungry, but never complains. Good Communists learn to repress cravings for such unimportant matters as food. It’s a…
One With Everything by Mike Cheney
One With Everything would be a terrible title for a theological book, but not to worry, this one is about family entrepreneurship! Mike Cheney quit his soul-sucking job as a business executive and started a hot dog stand in order to spend more time with his family. “One with everything” became a strategic upsell in…
Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt
Across Five Aprils is a wonderfully written, coming-of-age story by Irene Hunt about the Civil War. Less about the Union versus the Confederacy and the defining issues that brought the United States into conflict, Across Five Aprils focuses more on the travesty of war itself. Stalin famously said that “one death is a tragedy, a…
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
I greatly enjoyed reading A Single Shard last week with our middle two girls, ages nine and ten. Tree-Ear is an orphan boy who lives under a bridge in 12th century Korea with Crane-man, a homeless man with a bad leg. He epitomizes the saying, “The wisdom of the wise is an uncommon degree of…
Following God Fully: An Introduction to the Puritans by Joel Beeke and Michael Reeves
Following God Fully: An Introduction to the Puritans seemed like an appropriate book to review for Thanksgiving. Many of the pilgrims who came to America on the Mayflower were Puritans. Facing persecution in Europe from the Church of England because they desired to worship God only as He commanded in His Word, they left for…
America’s War Heroes by Marilyn Boyer
Some of our kids are natural bookworms; others need a little more encouragement to read. I know a book must be exceptionally interesting if I catch them completely engrossed in the story of their own accord. Such was the case with Marilyn Boyer’s new book, America’s War Heroes, and our 12 year old son, who…
Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? by Richard Maybury
One of the great tragedies of modern education is that very few people graduate without the most basic understanding of economics. Most adults today don’t know:where money comes from, We are made to believe that Economics is a topic best left for experts, but in Richard Maybury’s book, Whatever Happened To Penny Candy?, he clearly…
The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare was one of my favorite books my mother read to me, and I’m thrilled that our children love it just the same! This piece of historical fiction explores the early Roman Empire through the eyes of Daniel, an 18 year-old Israelite growing up during the time of Jesus.…
Portraits of Integrity by Marilyn Boyer
Portraits of Integrity quickly became the favorite book in our Morning Basket when we read it a few years ago. The kids always stuck it at the bottom of the pile because they wanted to “finish with the best.” Tears were shed more than once while I tried to blubber my way through the story…
Trapped in Hitler’s Web by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
Trapped In Hitler’s Web, an emotional, highly suspenseful story based on true events, explores the lesser-known Ukrainian experience of World War 2. In her attempt to hide in plain sight by joining one of Hitler’s work farms in Austria, Maria learns that the poster promising money for her labor was a big lie. However, she…
Little Britches by Ralph Moody
Little Britches was recommended to me by three close friends, and it didn’t even take an entire chapter to understand its appeal. This autobiography by Ralph Moody is a coming-of-age story that shares how his experience as an eight-year-old boy on a Colorado ranch in the early 1900s turns him into a man. It is…
