Getting Your Child to Read

Hey All,

I love reading. Maybe you love reading, but these days, most people prefer TV, Internet, and Video games to books. Sad, but true. While this is a problem when it comes to adults, I believe it is even more so a problem when it comes to children and teens. You see, the young mind is still growing and developing. Like a muscle, giving it exercise and using the imagination is what makes it stronger.

Television and video games and many of the things young people do on the internet require little to no imagination. Many teens and children dislike reading because they subconsciously correlate books with school.

But perhaps if they find a good enough book, thier minds can be changed... hmmm....

So I've put together a short list of novels that I am positive could entertain all ages and genders. Really and truely.

First on my list: The False Prince  (the Ascendance Trilogy) by Jennifer A. Nielsen

This novel/series is packed with swordfights, plot twists, and bits of romance. Don't be fooled by the title, this is not just a girly princessy book. Boys (as well as girls) will love Sage, an orphan selected by a royal official, to compete for a chance to win the throne.

Next up is The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Wow. This book is crazy. Composed of both words and beautiful illustrations, I am continually impressed by the work that must have gone into this book. Hugo, a young orphan, is constantly tinkering with cogs, clocks, and machines. But will he be able to fix the mysterious mechanical man his father left behind? And will it be able to answer his questions? 

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

Yes, the same Suzanne Collins as the Hunger Games Suzanne Collins. This is just an earlier, and in my opinion better, work. This is the first in a series of five novels about a boy and his sister who accidentally fall down into a world below where spiders and cockroachs and rats and bats are freakishly huge. Join Gregor on his quest to leave the underland, save the city that resides there, and try to figure out how his father mysteriously dissappeared a while back.

And finally, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

I cannot give these books enough praise. They are packed with suspense, strong characters, laughs, and tears. Harry is off to wizarding school. Join him, his friends, Ron and Hermione, and teachers as they grow up together and work to defeat the dark wizard, Lord Voldemort. There is no way I can summarize Harry Potter as the series is composed of 7 long books. But believe me, by the end of book seven, you'll be wishing for more!

There you have it. If these books won't get your child to read, I don't know what will. But keep on trying. It will be worth it.

Danielle

Book Review: The Screwtape Letters

Hello All,
Last summer, I read what is a classic in the Christian world, The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis (the author of The Chronicles of Narnia) This book is composed of a series of letters from an uncle, Screwtape, to his nephew, Wormwood. Both are Demons, assigned to tempt specific humans in different ways, be it greed, fear, or lust.

This is a very thought-provoking read. It really opened my eyes to the spiritual battle around, fighting over my soul. The enemy is constantly looking for a place to grab a foothold in my life. The Screwtape Letters demonstrated ways that Satan tempts us and attempts to lead us astray from the straight and narrow path.

Matthew 7:13-14

 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

I think this verse pairs well with the theme the book presents. It is easy to give into temptations of the devil, but if we (Christians) stand firm in our faith, in the end we will receive the reward.

Over all, this book was rather intense, and I'd recommend it to anyone wishing to deepen their faith in Jesus Christ.

~~{~@  Danielle

Book Review: My Lucky Life in and out of Show Business

I've always been a HUGE Dick Van Dyke fan. A lot of the time actors and actresses can seem so genuinely friendly on-screen, but then it gets out what a pain in the rear are. When I hear this, it always makes me sad because I grow attached to their characters and then almost expect the actor who portrayed him to be him, if this makes any sense. Not that I'd expect them to be exactly the same, but similar somehow. Really, if I found out Julie Andrews was a major jerk, I'd be super dissappointed (especially after The Sound of Music)!

All this to say, I was not dissatisfied with Dick Van Dyke's personality. While I did not agree with many of his views, he has a wonderful moral and a likeable character.

As for the book, it is definitely the best written autobiography I've ever read. It kept me entertained, which is not an east feat for autobiographies to complete! The stories he told, some hilarious, some saddening, some thrilling, were usually quite relatable, even if nothing I've never neen through anything he has.

I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone!

~~{~@ Danielle