What We're Reading in March 2018

How is it March already? Where has the time gone? We are 2/3 of the way through our school year and are careening pell-mell towards summer. Where are the brakes on this thing, anyway? Any chance these days with my children can slow down just a little bit?

Somehow reading good books together stops the clock...or at least dials it back to a gentler pace, if only for a little while. Cuddling together on the couch to enjoy a shared story has always been my favorite way of pushing pause on the frenzy of the day...of the week...of the year.

Here's what we're reading this month.

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Read Aloud- everybody

The Wheel on the School- I've bypassed this book for years even though I've seen it on just about every list I trust. The kids and I read Along Came a Dog, another Meindert DeJong book, years ago and found it to be uninteresting and dry. I just assumed that The Wheel on the School would be equally underwhelming. But after having read a few excerpts from it during my oldest son's grammar lessons this past fall, I decided to give the book a trial run. I told the kids that we'd start reading it and if we didn't like it, we'd set it aside and start something else.

I made that promise a week ago. And we're still reading.

That being said, the premise of the book is a bit atypical and may not appeal to everyone: Lina, the only school-aged girl on the island of Shora, observes that storks no longer nest in her village. With much imagination and a little scientific know how, she along with her teacher and male classmates devise a plan to get them to return.

Jamie- that's me!

Adorned- This book is one of the latest offerings of Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth and seeks to provide practical HOW TOs for living out the Titus 2 mandate of mentoring and spiritual mothering in the 21st century. Each chapter of the book tackles one particular section of Titus 2:3-5 and concludes with a handful of questions designed for both older and younger women to ponder as they attempt to reach forward and reach back along the faith journey.

The Fire in Ember- I went looking for a light read with a little intrigue and a little romance. That's what I got when I opened this book. Light. A little intrigue. A little romance. Nothing more. Nothing less. It has all the right markers of a western, historical Christian fiction: lost and lonely girl, brave but wary cowboy, a shaded past, the hope of a new beginning, etc. etc. etc. The plot points are unrealistic at times. But I'm gonna see the story through to the end. 

The Church Comes Home- The Hubs and I have been reading this one together. We're on a mission to reclaim the community and familial feel of the 1st century church in our own congregation. We've seen far too many people falling through the cracks of our mega church society: singles, widows, single parents, ethnic minorities, and the list goes on. While this book reads like a scientific journal at times, it is filled with practical tips and first-hand testimonials for making a small group or home church a welcoming place for anyone in the body of Christ. 

Super Boy- 6th grade

The Bronze Bow- (Mom-assigned book) My oldest son is still working his way through this award-winning classic that he started last month. It was one of The Hubs' favorite books during his own homeschooling years, and is a great read for the Easter season. It's set during the final years of Christ's life and offers a glimpse of the hostile, civil and spiritual unrest of that day. 

Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective- (Just-for-fun book) I originally picked up this book for my middle two boys. But as is the case with any good book, word has gotten around about it. So now my oldest son is reading it. It's a great book for just-for-fun reading because each chapter is a separate mystery that must be solved, making it an easy read to pick-up and put-down at a whim.

Blonde Warrior- 5th grade

The Trumpet of the Swan- (Mom-assigned book) My middle son is also still working his way through the book he started last month. Since he spent a few weeks at the beginning of the school year copying several excerpts from it during his Charlotte Mason style grammar lessons, he's quite familiar with the story and is enjoying the adventures of Lois, a mute Trumpeter Swan who uses a brass, musical trumpet to win the affections of the swan that he loves. 

Ramona the Brave- (Just-for-fun book)

Greased Lightning- 3rd grade

In Grandma's Attic- (Mom-assigned book) My son started this book months ago and then accidentally misplaced it. He was thrilled when it was finally rediscovered last week because he said this has been one of his favorite books. Each chapter is an individual story told between a grandmother and her granddaughter and recounts the adventures of the former's childhood in 19th century America. This is the first in a series of four books. I've no doubt my son will want to read them all. 

I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii, AD 70- (Just-for-fun book) My eldest two boys loved the I Survived historical fiction series. Now it's their younger brother's turn to enjoy them. He's been making his way through the entire series since summer. He's even re-read a few titles multiple times.

The Dude- Kindergarten

Charlotte's Web- He and I are about half-way through with this E.B. White classic. Since he sometimes doesn't have the attention span for the group read aloud, I've been trying to read some illustrated chapter books with him after school each day, just the two of us. Circumstances sometimes make our little dates impossible, but I do my best to read at least three times a week. This means that we trot along in our reading rather slowly. But every little bit counts. A finished book is a finished book, no matter how long it takes one to complete it! Right?

Basic Phonics Readers- This is a set of phonics-based readers that corresponds with my son's phonics curriculum. The program schedule plods along slowly through each of these mini books, so I've been weaving in other emergent readers when necessary. Currently, I'm supplementing with a few titles from the Read For Fun Enrichment Library.

What are you reading this month? Enquiring minds want to know.

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