Reading Challenge 2016: The Bravest Dog Ever

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Week 22: A book based on a true story

The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto

by: Natalie Standiford

This is a great book in the Step into Reading series that does its job well. The text is large and easy to read, the illustrations are well done, and the language is easy to understand. While I'm not a fan of the hyperbolic title, the story of Balto and his team is certainly commendable. Good book for young readers.

4 stars.

This review appears as part of the Reading Challenge 2016. To see other books in the challenge, click here.

Reading Challenge 2016: Miss Hattie and the Monkey

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Week 21: A book by a female author

Miss Hattie and the Monkey 

by Helen D. Olds

Perfect for reading outloud

This beginning-to-read book is perfect for its intended audience and for reading outloud to children.

The big pictures engage while the sentences are simple. This is the story about how Miss Hattie and the monkey Jingles become friends, and young children are sure to be amused.

Recommend.

4 stars.


This review appears as part of the Reading Challenge 2016. To see other books in the challenge, click here.

Reading Challenge 2016: Stories Read from the Rocks

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Week 20: A book about science

Stories Read from the Rocks
by Bertha Morris Parker

Iffy

I picked this book up at a library sale because I love love love old book with the painted covers (I have the hardback of this book, the picture shown here is the pamplet cover).

Positive: This book is from the '50s and targeted to elementary aged children with very simple language and sentence structure. There are beautiful illustrations and full color photographs (of the era, so nothing crystal clear). This is really a great resource as a handbook for different kinds of rock and how they form.

Negative: There is a lot of assumptions in this book presented as fact. The age of the earth and evolution are presented as absolute truth, and that's unfortunate for a few reasons. 1. None of us saw it happen & we are fallible & should recognize that. 2. I believe there are reasons to doubt the theory of evolution. It just would've been nice for the author not to be so sure about what we cannot know with certainty. Otherwise it's a great very tiny book.

3 stars.

This review appears as part of the Reading Challenge 2016. To see other books in the challenge, click here.

21 Days of Encouragement

DaySpring is providing me with boxed cards to use as a part of this challenge. This post does contain affiliate links. This means that - at no additional cost to you - I may receive compensation for referring business. Thank you for your support!

I remember one time when I gave a dear friend a card. She later told me that the timing was perfect - she had been praying they could start fundraising for adoption in June, and I gave her that card with a check in it (I knew adoption was on their hearts) on the first day of June. To her it was such an encouraging reminder that God cares about small details - such as beginning fundraising in June - and the big picture - them being parents. 

We're called as believers to encourage each other, but I know all to well how easy it can be to forget to do that in the business of life. I want to change that and make encouraging others habitual. So when I saw DaySpring's 21 Days of Encouragement Campaign, I was on board. 

The idea is simple: it takes 21 days to form a habit, so we challenge each other to encourage someone for 21 straight days. I'll be taking to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to keep you updated on what I've done each day to encourage someone. 

The challenge launches today, but I started early by sending out two cards on Saturday and a text Sunday to encourage three women who have been through tragedies the past several years, making Mother's Day bittersweet. This morning I sent an ecard to my mother in law. 

What will you do to encourage someone today?

Reading Challenge 2016: The Story of Sacajawea

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Week 19: A historical book

The Story of Sacajawea: Guide to Lewis and Clark 

by Della Rowland

Easy Read 

I appreciated that this book is perfect for its target audience of young children, but still enjoyable for older ages. I'm well passed the intended audience and still learned a few things!

What I appreciated: fact is fact (as far as I know) because we have the extensive journals of the expedition to glean information from.

What isn't so great: Young children (target audience) will probably not catch the speculation of Sacajawea's early life (before she meets Lewis & Clark). As an adult, I caught the qualifiers of the author, but I feel certain that as a child I would have read right over them.

What I appreciated: There's not political agenda. This is just super abbreviated story of a historic expedition.

This is a great book for young children as an introduction to the exploration of the Louisiana Purchase. It's also a quick and easy read for adults looking to learn a few things about that expedition.

4 stars.

This review appears as part of the Reading Challenge 2016. To see other books in the challenge, click here.
 

Reading Challenge 2016: The Sign of the Beaver

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Week 18: A book written in the 20th century

The Sign of the Beaver
by: Elizabeth George Speare

Great Book for Children

Enjoyable, easy read with children as the target audience. The best part about the story was how it felt it could be real. The interactions Matt has with Attean keep shifting his perspective, and he recognizes that his family will probably never understand. He starts to understand that the two races have completely different worldviews, and he isn't sure how to help Attean understand why white people think the way they do. 

One reason I appreciated the book is because it was pretty balanced as far as pointing out aspects where it was misunderstanding between the races, and how both sides were at fault at times. Very refreshing and preferred to the common books that totally slam one side or the other. 

While it is not a perfect book, it is very well done overall. I highly recommend it.

This review appears as part of the Reading Challenge 2016. To see other books in the challenge, click here.