FRIDAY: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Today is Harry Potter's birthday and in honor of this event, I will be suspending my usual blog schedule for the next couple weeks to look at the original seven books as well as some great non-fiction books about the series.

Let me deal with one issue up front, first. -- I am a Christian, and I am a Harry Potter fan. Yes, you can be both.

I came to the series late, just before the 6th book came out. I had heard the rumblings in Christian circles about the books being evil and endorsing witchcraft, so I avoided them. My husband started reading them because the kids in the youth group were and he wanted to be able to talk with them about what they were reading. He thought they were very well-written fantasy stories and didn't see anything objectionable for Christian teenagers. A friend told me about a book that looks at the Christian themes in the series (I will review it in a few days) that left me feeling as though I could try the series in good conscience.

I fell in love. In fact, I read the first five books of the series in about a week in order to be ready for the 6th book when it released - and those aren't small books! So, let me tell you a little about the book that started it all.

Harry, orphaned and abused by his aunt, uncle and cousin, finds out - at the age of 11 - that he is a wizard. He is introduced to the wizard world and enters his first year of wizard boarding school. At school, Harry and his best friend, Ron, stumble into a mystery. There's a beast in the school guarding something, and an evil presence is lurking in the nearby woods. With the help of the sometimes annoying Hermoine,* the three use their different gifts and strengths to try to save the day.

Each book contains a "mystery" for Harry and his friends to solve, but each also doles out information on the larger overarching story of Harry's past and his ultimate battle with the evil Voldemort.

I love the first book because it develops the world of Harry Potter. My favorite part is when Harry is first introduced to the wizarding world; I love his wonder and amazement at what he sees. It is also so nice to see Harry find a home for the first time since the death of his parents when he was only a year old. With the exception of the very end of the story and possibly the scene with the troll, there isn't much "scary" in this volume for kids. My almost seven-year-old is enjoying the first book quite a bit. [He won't be hearing the other books, though, for a few more years!]

(*I don't think Hermoine is annoying, but the boys do early in the book. In reality, I think she is trying to overcompensate for being from a non-magic family.)

THURSDAY: 10-10-10

10-10-10 is basically a decision making concept. The idea is to think about the impact your choice will make 10 minutes from now (or in the immediate future), 10 months from now, and 10 years from now (or long-term). It seems pretty simple, but it can really help you make difficult choices. the book is full of stories from people who have had decisions to make and tried this idea and how it helped them think through the pros and cons of a choice. She recommends asking yourself the following question: "Knowing what I know now about my options and consequences, which decision will best help me create a life of my own making." Without getting too much into the "life of my own making" stuff, which could be skewed into something very self-serving and selfish, the idea is to make the best choice you can with the information you have available. This book could be very encouraging to someone with some hard choices to make.

WEDNESDAY: Priced to Move

(first in a series)
Andrea is a gemologist who finds herself working for a QVC-type home shopping channel with a hunky co-host who knows nothing about gems. She enjoys the slower pace of life in Kentucky compared to what she left behind in New York, but her life doesn't stay "slow" for long. Andrea travels to exotic locations and finds herself in the middle of a mystery. There's lots to enjoy in this series opener.

Other titles in the series include A Steal of a Deal and A Cut Above. Ginny Aiken has written other mysteries including the Deadly Decor series.

TUESDAY: The Sisters Eight (series)

A set of octuplets anticipate a festive New Year's Eve at home with their parents, but when Daddy goes out for firewood and Mommy heads to the kitchen, they both disappear. The girls find a note telling them they each have a power to discover and a gift to find in order to figure out what happened to their parents. So the eight 7-year olds try to get through day to day life without any grown ups to help them out.

I enjoyed the "voice" of the prologue that sets up the book; that is what first drew me into the story. The first book is Annie's story, but you get a glimpse of each girl's personality. The story is told from a "we" perspective, which is interesting. I'm not sure I see seven year olds in my head as I read the story, though. That seems a bit young. I am eager to see how the story evolves as each girl gets her turn in the spotlight. Another interesting thing is that the book is a family affair, with the author's husband and daughter helping with the development of the story - a neat example for kids who love to write.

MONDAY: Snuggle Puppy

Another favorite from Sandra Boynton. Momma Puppy sings a love song to her Snuggle Puppy. She tells him/her that she loves everything about the child. It is a sweet book that quickly became a favorite at our house. We made up a tune and sang the book to my son as a toddler and even as an almost-first grader, he likes to hear it every now and then, or he will sing the song to his stuffed animals. I did change the words to one part that says "I love what you are." We changed "what" to "who," but that is a matter of personal preference.

FRIDAY: Death by Sudoku

Another Sudoku series. Liza Kelly used to be a mover and shaker in Hollywood, but needed some times to regroup in her personal life, so she went home to Oregon to write sudoku puzzles for the local paper. In the first book, she returns to California for a sudoku tournament, and reconnects with an old friend. His sudden and mysterious death pushes Liza into solving sudoku for something much more serious than a tournament.

I have read the first three books in the series so far and enjoyed all of them. In my opinion, this series requires more background knowledge of sudoku than the other series I reviewed, but the author does a good job of explaining things for newbies.

THURSDAY: Clean and Simple Scrapbooking

Some scrapbookers are really in-the-know about the big names in scrapbooking. I am not really one of those people. I know a few names of the people I really like and connect with and the rest are a mystery to me. Cathy Zielske is one of the names that I know. In fact, in looking at some old scrapbooking magazines a few weeks ago, I can pick out a page of hers at a glance. Sometimes it is because I recognize her kids from years of their pages in magazines and reading her blog. But often it is becuase of her style - it is "clean and simple." She doesn't care if she uses the same basic layout over and over and over again. It is just a tool to help her tell her story. She is a graphic designer by profession, so she offers lots of good information about how to use fonts and space well on a page. These two books are the foundation for what I do when I am scrapbooking.

[Cathy also teaches classes occasionally at Big Picture Scrapbooking. In the fall of 2009 she is doing a class called Me: The Abridged Version.]

WEDNESDAY: The Invitation

Four people receive an invitation in the mail that tells them to come to Nebraska with the promise that if they have the faith of a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible for them. As circumstances work together to call them to Nebraska, each person begins to wonder Who might have invited them and for what ultimate purpose.

This is the first book in a series, but I only truly loved this part of it. The story is inspiring and engaging from start to finish. One of my favorite books by Nancy Moser.

TUESDAY: Mom for Mayor

Eric can't believe the city is selling his neighborhood park! He has so many memories of favorite times there. He blames the mayor for the sale and decides his mom should be mayor and set things right. Now, if only he could convince her to run...

Eric gets to learn a lot of things during his quest to see his mom win the election. He learns that things aren't only black or white and people aren't only good or bad. He also learns about city government, about being responsible for his own learning, and about being a good friend.

Great story for kids around the ages of 9 and 12.

MONDAY: The Scrambled States of America Talent Show

In this story, a follow up to The Scrambled States of America, the states decide to have a talent show and show off their special skills.There's an MC and state impersonators and jugglers and all sorts of fun antics. If you follow the link above to Amazon, you can see some pictures from the book where Vermont is talking to a few states about their abbreviations, which is pretty funny.

While this book doesn't apply to geography as well as the first one, kids have another opportunity to see the shapes of the states and enjoy a fun story. This volume was as popular with my history students as the first one.

FRIDAY: The Sudoku Murder

Kate McDonald returns home to New Hampshire at the request of her mentor, PT Avondale to help him with problems at his Puzzle Museum. When PT is killed, Katie tops the suspect list. She figures she better find the killer if she wants to save herself and her beloved museum.

It took me awhile to warm up to this story and the characters. Katie has a lot of baggage - memories of being teased by bullies for being so smart as well as family issues. I had to hang with the story for a few chapters to start to like her enough to care about her story. PT was withdrawn and frail, and there are plenty of bitter, nasty people making Katie's life difficult that added to the time it took for me to start liking the book.

But the story of how PT reached out to Katie as a little girl who tragically lost her mother and later to a young man in an abusive home sucked me in and I enjoyed the rest of the story. I would love to find a really Puzzle Museum to visit - it sounds like a lot of fun! Knowing how to do sudoku is not a requirement for enjoying the book. (first in a series)

THURSDAY: 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny

I started buying school supplies the other day which has gotten me thinking a lot about the new school year starting in a month or so, depending on your school district. This is a great book for teachers - so funny! I especially like it as a gift for new teachers. I think it puts things into perspective and gives new teachers some insights into how their new career might look - at least on some days.

This is technically a memoir, written by a long-time third grade teacher. A male third grade teacher. So this could be a good resource or gift for a young man pursuing a career in education. Some of the stories brought tears to my eyes and others had me laughing out loud. The chapters are fairly small, so they could be used during in-service or devotional times for teachers, too.

WEDNESDAY: Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl by N. D. Wilson

(This is my first review for Thomas Nelson as a Thomas Nelson Book Review Blogger. I received a free copy of this book to read and review with no expectation of a positive review.)

Wilson likens life to a Carnival and explores philosophical and faith issues in a stream-of-consciousness style. He endeavors to make sense of the world and our questions about it. The chapter called “Unwomb the World,” for example, has some interesting and challenging thoughts about God and how evil can exist in the world.

When I like a non-fiction book, there are often notes in the margins and passages highlighted or underlined. And there were a few places in this book where I made those sorts of marks, like when he wrote “Change this world. Use your body like a tool meant to be used up, discarded, and replaced. Better every life you touch.” (pg 154) Overall, though, I found this book difficult to read and difficult to like. There were pages where I read and read, but couldn’t pinpoint what the author wanted to say or wanted me to understand. This was just not my style of non-fiction book, although I have a few friends who would love it.

[Sensitive readers may be surprised by some word choices the author makes and how often he talks about sperm for a Christian book that isn’t about sex. Everything fit with what the author was communicating, but it may catch some readers by surprise.]

TUESDAY: The Princess and the Peabodys

(for some reason, I can only find the link to the Kindle version of this, but it is available in hardback, too. It is for kids 9 to 12)

Casey and her grandmother spend the occasional Saturday at garage sales. One morning they find an old, heavy box they can't open. At home, with the help of Casey's dad and brother, they open the box and find a princess inside, tiara and all. And she is NOT happy about finding "commoners" with weird clothes who refuse to bow and curtsy to her. Now Casey and her family have to count on a student wizard from Princess Eglantine's time to get "Egg" back where she belongs so they can get back to their lives.

This was a very fun story. It reminded me of the recent Disney movie The Princess Protection Program in that you have a princess who is used to a certain sort of life being thrust into the regular every day life of "commoners." This story is about younger characters and has some magic thrown in which takes the story in a different direction than the Disney movie. I think I liked this story better. I would happily recommend this story - and even read it again myself.

MONDAY: The Scrambled States of America

The story begins with Kansas, who is tired of being in the middle of the country, seeing the same things day after day and never meeting anyone new. So, he and some of the other middle states decide to throw a party for all of the states so they can get to know one another. During the course of the party, Idaho and Vermont come up with the idea to switch places and see some other parts of the country. So, all the states switch places, but they soon discover that a change of scenery isn't always the best solution.

This is a fun book for kids who are studying the states in school or kids who love maps - or kids who just like a silly story. I read this to my history students (grades 2 and 3) last year and they loved it and my son, who is younger than that, also enjoys the story and seeing the problems the states discover in their new locations.

FRIDAY: State of the Onion

This mystery stars Olivia, or "Oliie," an assistant chef at the White House. It begins when Ollie shows up for work and finds herself hiding on the White House grounds while a man is chased by the Secret Service. She takes the man out with a frying pan and her adventures begin!

Fun mystery at a new and different location - the White House kitchens! The setting is a nice change of pace from typical "cozy" mysteries that take place around craft shops, etc. First in a series.

THURSDAY: Organizing for your Brain Type

The title is pretty self-explanatory! Includes a quiz to help you determine your brain type and lists the strengths, challenges and strategies for each of four types. Sub-categories are included for each type broken down by sensory preference (visual, auditory, kinesthetic). The author also talks about how different brain types would work (or not work) together. If you are looking for a way to better organize your life, consider trying Organizing for Your Brain Type.

WEDNESDAY: Atonement Child

This is a fantastic book about a very, very sensitive topic. Dynah is raped near her Christian college campus and gets pregnant. As she wrestles with her own healing and her questions about what to do about her pregnancy, Dynah's friends and family - and fiance - are wrestling as well.

This is not a happy-go-lucky sort of story. If you are looking for that, pass by this book. This is a very emotional story, and the author handled the subject well.

TUESDAY: The Quantum Prophecy series

Ten years ago, superheros were active in the world, rescuing people and fighting supervillains. But something happened that caused all the superheros to lose their powers. Then went into hiding, resuming life as their alter egos. But now, two 13-year old boys are starting to show signs of their own super powers... and someone is tracking them down.

I have really enjoyed reading this series! Amazon says it is for kids between the ages of 9 and 12. I don't know that I would go much younger than 10, though because of the dangerous situations these teenagers find themselves in. In my copy of the second book (from the library), someone had blacked out many words throughout the book. I don't know if those were swear words or not. I did not notice swearing in the first or third books.

The author's website gives some more background to the story as well as talking about what is next for the series (Book 3 does not completely wrap things up!).

MONDAY: Goodnight Gorilla

This is a board book that proves the old adage, "A picture's worth a thousand words." There aren't many printed words in this book, but the facial expressions on the characters are priceless. The little gorilla steals the zookeeper's keys while he says good night to all the animals in the zoo. When the zookeeper heads home, all of the animals follow him home, surprising his wife who has to take them all back to the zoo.

I know a lot of parents talk about Goodnight Moon as a great children's book, but I would choose Good Night, Gorilla every time if given a choice!

FRIDAY: The Three Musketeers

I am not sure what possessed me to pick this book up from the library. I seldom read things that would be considered "classics." But I thoroughly enjoyed this lengthy tome - I couldn't put it down!

If you have seen the Disney movie with Charlie Sheen and co., you have the general idea, but the screenwriters trimmed several plot points for the movie. D'Artagnan comes to Paris to become a musketeer and ends up with duels scheduled with the Three Musketeers from the title - Aramis, Porthos and Athos. Rather than fighting, they join forces to fight a more crucial battle against Cardinal Richelieu. Fantastic story!

THURSDAY: The Big Picture

While I have been a negligent scrapbooker for the last year or two, this remains one of the best books I have read about scrapbooking. Stacy Julian is the guru of "simple" scrapbooking. She stands firm against the idea of "getting caught up," believing instead that you should scrapbook the things that matter most and forget about chronology and putting every picture you take into an album! Where were these ideas when my son was first born and I was making a scrapbook page for every little thing he did?

This book goes along with a class that Stacy teaches at her website, Big Picture Scrapbooking called Library of Memories. In its simplest form, the idea is to (a) not print every digital picture you take - just use the best ones or the ones that communicate something important, (b) put your pictures somewhere where you can see them and be inspired by them, (c) and fight the urge to work chronologically. Look for ways to use your pictures to communicate ideas - personality qualities about a person, for example - rather than 16 pages of pictures of each soccer game from the season.

This is a great resource and encouragement for overwhelmed scrapbookers or for people just getting started who want a system that can stay simple.

WEDNESDAY: Frog Wars

While my son is moving out of the Veggie Tales DVD stage, he still gets a kick out of this book (for kids 4 to 8). It is the story of Moses and the Exodus with an emphasis on perseverance. Junior Asparagus is having a hard time sticking with his music lessons and thinks changing instruments over and over will make it better. He falls into the story of Frog Wars and meets characters who may seem familiar to your little Star Wars fan who help him learn to stick with things. Fun story, silly Star Wars jokes and a good lesson!