What We're Reading in September 2020

All good things must come to an end. Or at least that's what I've been told. After 16 years of sitting by my side for our daily read alouds, my daughter has officially opted out and will not be joining us for our afternoon tradition anymore. Her work schedule is very unpredictable, making it difficult for her to commit to anything other than her college classes and our family Morning Time on any given school day.

While it saddens me to know that she will miss out on our fiction adventures, she'll still experience plenty of shared reading. If truth be told, the missionary biographies we read each morning have always been her favorites anyway.

So, she'll continue to gather with us. We'll continue to read together. We'll continue to be shaped by stories, individually and collectively. Reading is stitched into our family culture for now. For always.

Here's what we'll be reading this month:

Read Aloud

The Wild Robot- We just turned the last page on this Wall-E meets Hatchet middle grade. I'll be honest, the story started kind of bumpy and underwhelming. Like most contemporary fictions, the language was not very rich. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much we all ended up enjoying it. With themes of sacrificial love, unlikely friendships, and admirable work ethic, it was a great example of how children's literature can be character building without being overtly preachy and naggy. As an added bonus, it taught us all quite a bit about the habits and instincts of wild animals. 

Jamie- that's me!

Chasing Vines- While I usually enjoy Beth Moore's Bible studies, I've always struggled to appreciate her stand-alone books. They tend to be too meandering for my taste. Chasing Vines is a delightful exception. Moore has masterfully unpacked the numerous vine analogies of Scripture with such imagery that the book reads like poetry. Many sections are jam-packed with so much goodness that I've found myself reading and re-reading them again and again to taste and re-taste every word.  

I, Eliza Hamilton- Don't let the slightly sultry cover fool you. This book is a very clean and captivating retelling of the life of Elizabeth Hamilton. The broadway show Hamilton may have propelled her life to the forefront of water cooler conversations, but it did not necessarily paint the details of her days very accurately.

This book, while fiction, has been well researched and sticks to the timeline of her story quite well.

Sweetie Pea- 12th grade/college sophomore

Left Behind- My daughter was reading this book on and off throughout most of the summer, putting it down quite often in order to read other titles. I'm sure her lack of sticktoitiveness says something about her true feelings of the book, but she's determined to finish it.

As the first in the best-selling Left Behind series, this book begins with the disappearance of a large portion of the world's population. The rapture of the church is one in a series of apocalyptic events all leading up to the second coming of Christ. 

Super Boy- 9th grade

Jesus Freaks- In this modern remake of Foxe's Book of Martyrs, readers are introduced to men and women who have given their lives for the cause of Christ. Each chapter gives a short biographical sketch of faith heroes down through the ages, from first-century Christians thrown to the lions to a modern-day teenager whose life was mercilessly cut short because she courageously claimed the name of Jesus at her highschool. 

We're actually reading a chapter of this book each week as a family during our Morning Time. But my son, who has already read most of it once before, has opted to read it on his own as well. 

Blonde Warrior- 8th grade

North! Or Be Eaten- This is the second book in the Wingfether Saga and was one of our family read alouds last year. Ever the fantasy enthusiast, my son enjoyed the entire collection so much, he's decided to reread it. 

The series follows the Igiby siblings as they learn to become the rightful heirs of Anniera. In the same vein of The Chronicles of Narnia, the entire 4-book collection features themes of redemption, forgiveness, and good prevailing over evil. 

Greased Lightning- 6th grade

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch- This biographical fiction recounts the true story of Nathaniel Bowditch who overcame a lifetime of hardships to become the father of modern maritime navigation. To be honest, nothing about this book has ever appealed to me, but my oldest three boys seem to love it. 

The Dude- 3rd grade

My Father's Dragon- This is the first in the 3 volume Newberry Award-Winning series by Ruth Stiles Gannet. In this whimsical, illustrated chapter book, a narrator recalls the boyhood adventures of his father, specifically how he finds and frees a dragon that is being held captive by the jungle animals of an island. 

That's what we're reading in September. How about you? Whatcha reading?

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