What We're Reading in March 2021

Since the moment I was old enough to stumble my way through the one-vowel words of a Dick and Jane classic, I've been told never to judge a book by its cover. This month, I learned how very wise that readerly advice truly is.

After scouring the Libby app for an audiobook to take with me to the first Teach Them Diligently Convention of the year, I settled on one by a new-to-me author that came highly recommended by a few moms during our Storied Mom Reading Challenge. The cover was lackluster, to say the least--girl in a sweeping Civil War-era dress, standing wistfully by a window with light streaming around her, giving her an angelic glow. It had all the classic markings of a fluffy, romance novel.

It delivered romance, yes. But it also contained some very rich and timely themes. More on that later...

Here's a peek at what we've been reading this month.

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Read Aloud- everybody

Henry Reed's Baby-Sitting Service-

This action-packed sequel of Henry Reed Inc., a book we read several years ago, tells of the babysitting calamities of 14-year-old Henry and his good friend Midge who spend the summer in the small town of Grover's Corners.  

Please note: This book was written at a different time and includes one scene where Henry spanks one of his babysitting charges as well as a paragraph with a rather disparaging remark about Native Americans. Neither should discourage you from reading the book aloud and having good discussions with your kids about both sections.

Jamie- that's me!

Love-Centered Parenting- After her child was expelled from school for bullying and admitted to the hospital for suicidal thoughts, popular blogger Crystal Paine knew she needed to change her parenting methods. This book details her 4-year-long evolution towards feeling loved by God in order to extend that love to her child. 

To Whisper Her Name- This was the book I almost didn't listen to on the Libby app. Do you see what I mean about the lack-luster cover? But while it looks as if it would deliver very little substance, it was actually rich in history and touched on some very timeless themes including the social struggles of the post-Civil War South. Tamera Alexander is a new-to-me author, but I will definitely be looking for more of her work.

Sweetie Pea- 12th grade/College Sophomore

Mistakes Leaders Make- My daughter is beginning to step into leadership roles in the youth group and in other social settings. This will no doubt continue as she gets older. Someone recommended she read this short book by leadership expert Dave Kraft to prepare her to lead well. The book focuses on the top 10 mistakes most leaders make, specifically within ministry positions, and how to avoid them. 

Super Boy- 9th grade

Guts & Glory: The American Revolution- My son is finishing this book he started towards the end of last month. Admittedly, it is below his reading level, but it is giving him a more in-depth look at our current history topic. Filled with lots of pull-quotes, graphics, and charts, it's allowing him to learn more specific details of the American Revolution than what I have been able to cover in our group history time.

Pro tip: When using a living book approach to teach history to a wide range of ages, select read alouds that are age-appropriate for your middle child. Then, assign personal history reading to any older kids from time-to-time. This will allow everyone to learn challenging material while not inundating really young learners with too much information. 

Blonde Warrior- 8th grade

The Castle Corona- My son and I read this book for our March tween book club pick. Unlike most recently published middle-grade fiction novels, it is very clean. It just wasn't a great fit for our group.

The basic plot followed a king and his family and showed how their lives ran parallel to two orphan children of the kingdom. The author attempted to show the differences between rags and riches in order to prove the old adage, "The grass is not always greener on the other side." However, the story was rather disjointed and reminded us all of Alice in Wonderland--slightly weird in places and hard to follow at times. 

On the plus side, after having read the book, our club (three tween boys and me) had a great discussion about character development, writing style, and the value of reading a book that you don't necessarily enjoy. In the end, we concluded that the book actually was good, it was just more suited for a younger audience who would better appreciate the silliness of it.

Greased Lightning- 6th grade

Jack vs. the Tornado- Jack is more than disappointed when his family must move from their beloved farm to the suburbs of Chicago. But, when he begins to meet some of the kids in his new neighborhood and finds himself in one adventure after another, Jack learns that God had a plan all along. 

This is the first in the Tree Street Kids, a new illustrated chapter series from Moody Publishers. What I love most about this book and the subsequent soon-to-be-released titles in the collection is that they are set in the mid-90s. My son will get to experience the life I lived in my tween and teen years through the pages of a book!

The Dude- 3rd grade

The Enormous Egg- Like all his brothers before him, my youngest is really enjoying this one. We read it together as a family several years ago before he was old enough to understand or remember it. The Enormous Egg has mid-century tones and themes similar to those found in Homer Price or old episodes of Leave It to Beaver and tells of a young boy who discovers that a triceratops has hatched out of one of his chicken eggs. Naturally, the book is full of the misadventures of said boy and dinosaur.

In full disclosure, because the book features a triceratops, it mentions evolution and "millions of years" a few times. This is obviously not in keeping with my family's young-earth creationist views. But since my son is reading the book aloud to me, we've been able to dialogue about these man-made theories as they arise.

That's what we've been reading in March. How about you?

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