Book Review: The Anti-Romantic Child by Priscilla Gilman

Parenting is hard and wonderful.

Parenting a special needs child is undoubtably harder, but in some ways more wonderful, more poignant, once we get past our own expectations.

 We all basically start out in the same place. We expect to have a healthy, "normal" baby. We expect they'll hit all the milestones at the right times, (if not a little early,) that they'll run, and play, and make friends, and have basically the childhood we had, (except a little better.)

What happens when things don't go according to plan?

The Anti-Romantic Child chronicles one mom's journey down the bumpy road of special needs parenthood.

Priscilla Gilman was a new mom with a lot of lofty ideals about what children and childhood should be like. An English professor with a love of romantic poetry, she'd always imagined her child would would be a dreamer, a lover of nature, an explorer.

The child she had was different. Different than she'd planned for, different from herself, certainly different from the children in the poems. As he grows, she has to face and contend with her own expectations again and again.

As months and years go by, the family's life revolves around what to do for "Benj." He needs therapy, and a suitable preschool, and constant advocacy. As is often the case, the all encompassing task of trying to get everything just right for the special needs child leaves mom and dad sort of out in the rain. They have to make complicated decisions about their careers, their marriage, even where to live, in light of how Benj will be affected.

Priscilla's love of literature provides her with comfort and context during the ups and the downs. As many of us do with a favorite quote, or Bible verse, Priscilla finds herself returning to certain verses of poetry throughout her life, examining them from different angles, depending on where she's at.

It's a familiar story to those of us with special needs children, and it resonated deeply with me. When I read the part where she began her frantic online search to explain his odd behaviors, I could have been reading my own story. First you search the symptoms, then you get sucked into the forums, then you print out the check lists, and on and on.

I thought the story was a rare, balanced commentary on special needs parenting. It includes both the hard, terrifying parts, and the awesome, hard won victories.

I'd recommend this book to anyone, but if you have a child with special needs, particularly on the autistic spectrum, I think it will really speak to you.

Author, Priscilla Gilman.

If you'd like to find out more about Priscilla Gilman, you can visit her website, follow her on Twitter, or check out her Facebook page.

Disclosure: I was provided with a free copy of this book in order to participate in this book tour. No other compensation was provided, and all opinions are my own.

Review: Educating the WholeHearted Child, by Clay & Sally Clarkson

Like any other endeavor in life, this homeschooling thing has it's ups and downs. Every once in a while, when things don't seem to be going as planned, it's easy to lose sight of what's really important, namely God and family. Homeschooling is a means to an end, not the end itself.

I was pleased to recently receive a copy of Educating the WholeHearted Child, by Clay and Sally Clarkson to review for the HSV. (The book is available in a softcover format, and retails for $22. It's available from Apologia.)

It came at a good time for me, a time when I was feeling a little burned out. We've chosen a good curriculum, we're making good educational progress, and yet, something's missing.

Actually, several things seem to be missing lately. Joy, a sense of purpose, and peace, to name a few. These are the things that seem to get lost in the daily shuffle of "getting things done."

That's where this book comes in. Instead of looking at the small picture, (curriculum choices, academic achievements, and the like,) Educating the WholeHearted Child is a reminder to look at the big picture. What is the big picture? Discipleship, family relationships, and the blessing of learning together. Those are the reasons most of us started this journey, and they're what we need to focus on.

Whether you're a new homeschooler looking to build a solid foundation, or a more experienced one looking to refocus on God's plan for your family, this book is a great place to start. It's full of thought provoking questions, Bible verses that are applicable to home education, and practical ideas.

I'm devouring it as fast as I can, after which I'm going to be sharing it with my husband. I'll check back in with my final thoughts on it after I'm done.

Disclosure: I was provided with a free copy of this book to facilitate this review. No other compensation was provided, and all opinions are my own. 

Review: Hands-On Science by Elizabeth Brough

Up until fairly recently, we've been sort of touching on science as it comes up in our unit studies, or L shows an interest. In general our homeschooling style is pretty laid back, but I've been thinking something a little more systematic might be better for us.

Experimenting with volume.

I was given the opportunity to review Hands-On Science, vol. 1: Particles in Motion, by Castle Heights Press, Inc. It's intended for grades K-6, and sells for $29.95

I 'll admit I was initially curious how a science curriculum could effectively cover such a broad age range. I was pleasantly surprised.

The book consists of four sections:
Thermodynamics
Weather, Climate, &Water
Aerodynamics
Astronomy

Each of the four sections includes a number of experiments related to the topic. For each assignment, the basic experiment is explained, and there are instructions for further exploration to elaborate on the topic, as well as more challenging assignments for older students.

Essentially the student(s) would do the experiment, and if they were an early elementary student, you'd discuss the findings with them. An older student would take the assignment further by perhaps charting or calculating their answers, etc. In this way a family with several students could use the curriculum together, while tailoring the assignments to the students' abilities.

Experimenting with density.

L and I enjoyed this curriculum. As the book explains, at his age, (6,) science is mostly about the joy of discovery, not about memorizing steps and formulas. We did some of the experiments several times, on different days in order to reinforce the lessons. Even 3 year old V was excited to participate in the weighing and measuring. 

The materials called for were generally things you'd probably have lying around, or could easily acquire. This is a huge plus for me, as anything that requires tons of prep work by me in advance is less likely to actually happen around here. 

I really like the idea that we can use this curriculum now, and then we could actually revisit it in a couple of years, expanding on the explorations as L's abilities increase. I'm planning on using it next year, as an enrichment to the Heart of Dakota curriculum that we've selected.

I think this is a good, solid intro into science that kids will enjoy, and parents will find totally do-able.

Castle Heights Press offers a variety of neat products on their website for all ages, as well as a blog covering topics of interest to homeschoolers. You can also connect with them on FB or Twitter.

Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of this book in order to facilitate the review. No other compensation was provided, and all opinions are my own.

Everything Christmas (Book Review)

As part of the Water Brook book reviewing program, I received a copy of "Everything Christmas," by David Borden and Tom Winters to review a while back.

It's set up a little like an Advent calendar for adults, with a short section (several pages,) for each day.

The contents are pretty varied, from traditional Christmas Dinner menus and recipes from around the world, to short works of fiction, to lyrics and background info about favorite Christmas carols, (among other things.) The prose and poetry were a mix of religious and secular material.

I thought it was a fun, light hearted way to spend a few minutes a day during the month of December.

If you're a "Christmas person," you should have a copy of this on the nightstand (or the coffee table,) next year. I really liked it.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book to review from the publisher. No other compensation was provided, and the opinions expressed are my own. The Amazon link above is an affiliate link.

Girls to the Front (Book Review)

The mid to late 90's found me wearing the obligatory pair of Docs, the obligatory flannel shirt, the obligatory weird dyed hair. For us, at that time, it was about a certain fashion sense, and "alternative" music, which had by then become pretty mainstream.

Several years earlier, and many miles away from the Texas suburb I grew up in, several social movements were born, initially out of the Punk movement. (A superficial, watered down version of those movements  would eventually filter down to kids like me.) One of those movements was the Riot Grrrls.

Girls to the Front: The True Story of the Riot Grrl Revolution, by Sara Marcus, chronicles that movement, from it's hopeful beginning to it's eventual disillusioned end.

I thought the book was fascinating.

The movement started out as a way to make feminism culturally relevant for a new generation. Young women set out to empower themselves, in relationships, in the arts, in society at large. It was a big undertaking for the young, sometimes conflicted, always human activists.

The book is really about many stories, the stories of the individual girls, their bands, their events, and their conflicts, under the larger umbrella of a social and political movement. The book takes a pretty even handed approach, noting both the strengths and weaknesses of the characters. To me, it didn't really read as a book about feminism as an ideology, per se, but more like a biography of the activists in the movement. (Totally a side note,but I  recognized several of the characters from other books I'd read about the music scene at that time, which was interesting.)

I really enjoyed the book, and I think anyone who is or was a fan of punk or alternative music in the 90's would as well.

(It goes without saying that this book includes potentially objectionable language and situations. Don't say I didn't warn you.)

Disclosure: I was provided with a review copy of the book by the good folks at Harper Perennial. No other compensation was provided. All opinions are my own.

Bread Baking for the Cooking Impaired




One of the things on my to do list this year was to learn how to bake bread. I'm awful  not very good in the kitchen. My one previous attempt at bread baking yielded a whole wheat brick, not especially tasty, but perfectly suitable for masonry.

After asking around, and reading several rave reviews of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, I forked over the money, and picked up a copy for myself.

I finally got up the nerve to try out the basic recipe in the book, and guess what? It was awesome. So awesome that the kids and I ate a whole loaf in a couple of hours. (In our defense, it was the smallish loaf pictured above. Also, I consoled myself with the idea that it had to be better for us than the Pop Tarts my son had been begging for...)

The recipe doesn't require a fancy mixer, and in fact there's no kneading involved either.

The bread was tasty, a little like a sourdough, and my family was thouroughly impressed. (I made homemade butter too, and my husband said I was like a cool Martha Stewart.)

I totally recommend the book to anyone who has been dreaming about baking their own bread, but doesn't want to spend a fortune on kitchen appliances, or hours in the kitchen.

For more WFMW tips, check out http://www.wearethatfamily.com/

Disclosure: I recieved nothing in exchange for this recommendation, and paid for the book with my own cold hard cash. The Amazon link above is an affiliate link.

Get Hooked Again (Book Review)

I haven't been doing much crafting the last couple of weeks, there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day. One exception is crocheting, which I do in the car, at the doctor's office, and in bed at night. I've been simultaneously working on several patterns from Get Hooked Again.



I've checked and rechecked it from the library over the last couple of years, and made many, many incarnations of the Workin'-for-You-Scarf. It's easy enough to do while watching tv or whatever, and is a pretty, feminine alternative to what most people think of when they think of a crocheted scarf.

Latest version of the Workin'-for-You Scarf, in Kool Aid dyed yarn.

I'm also working on a pair of Fingerless Street Mitts for my Sunday School teacher, and a Gidget Bucket Hat for V. (Pictures to come, as I finish them.)

In spite of what would appear to be a book aimed at really young girls, I found several really solid patterns in this one. If you're looking for cute easy projects, I'd recommend it.

Disclosure: I received nothing from the author, or publisher, or anyone else, in exchange for this review. I'm recommending it based on my own positive experience.

Resources for a Pink Princess Party

Every since V decided she wanted the pinkest, princessy-est party ever, I've been looking for fun, (preferably pink,) snacks to go with the pink cupcakes, pink cookies, and pink lemonade that had immediately come to mind.
Along the way, I've run across some neat books for anyone with a little girl that likes tea parties, princesses or pink. I thought I'd share some of my favorites here:



 

Pink Princess Cookbook: Fun but doable recipes for things like "Pretty Princess Puffs," "Candy Coated Dragonflies," and "Blueberry Biscuits." I like this one so much I purchased it.

Princess Tea: This book has several party plans built around specific themes, including recipes, as well as a few decor and activity ideas. Although many of them didn't exactly fit the "pink princess" theme, there were some pretty neat ideas. I especially liked the "Indian Princess Tea," and the "Lotus Princess Tea" themes.

DK Cookbook for Girls: DK books are great, and this one was no exception. It includes a wide variety of yummy looking recipes, but I found a few that seemed especially well suited to a "fancy" princess party, "Strawberry Meringues," "Chocolate and Raspberry Brownies," and "Chocolate Truffles."

Usborne Fairy Cooking: Virtually all of the recipes in this book would work in a princess party. There seemed to be a special emphasis on tiny, pink foods.

Disclaimer: I'm recommending these books based only on the fact that I think they'd be useful to anyone looking to throw a tea party, princess party, fairy party, etc. I was not in contact with any of the publishers, nor did I receive any compensation. The links in this post are Amazon Affiliate links however.

Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers (Book Review)

Shortly before Christmas,  I won a couple of children's books from New Leaf Press. I gave them to the kids for Christmas, and they have been requested over and over again.
Both books were a part of the Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers series, and were written by Joey Allen. The books are aimed at children ages 4-7, and retail for $5.99.
Both hardcover books consist of biblical truths about the given topic, with scriptural references throughout. The illustrations are just silly enough to get an occasional giggle, without being distracting.



The first book was called 'The Gospel." It explains salvation in a way that even little kids can understand. Since reading it, two year old V has been telling us and her dolls "the good news" that "Jesus loves us." I think she got the message.



The second book was "The Trinity." This one was my favorite, probably because it's a sort of hard concept to explain, and I felt I'd done an unsatisfactory job of it in the past. It has sparked several discussions with five year old L about the nature of the Trinity, and apparently cleared up some misconceptions that he had.
I thought these were sweet little books, and will be keeping an eye out for others in the series.
(I know it's pretty early to even be thinking about such things, but these books would make an especially nice, meaningful addition to an Easter basket...)

Disclosure: I won these books in a Twitter giveaway, and was under no obligation to post a review. I'm sharing them because I like them. No compensation was provided, and the opinions expressed are my own. The Amazon links are affiliate links.

The Word Made Flesh: Literary Tattoos from Bookworms Wordwide (Review)

A book about tattoos about books. Sounds pretty cool, right? As a lover of books and tattoos, I was intrigued.
Every tattoo has a story, (although, admittedly, some stories are more compelling than others.) Here's a whole book about people, and the (mostly,) written words that inspired their tattoos.  From fairly obscure poetry references, to homages to the written word itself, (in the form of alphabets, and tattoos of librarians,) to illustrations from Where the Wild Things Are, this book covers a pretty diverse group of subjects.
I enjoyed the photos, but equally interesting were the quotes and explanations behind them. In typical book worm fashion, I made mental notes to try to get my hands on some of the books that were mentioned. Of course.
I know a lot of people with tattoos of cartoon characters, random animals, and people's names. I don't actually know anyone with tattoos inspired by books. The idea is fascinating to me.
I'd recommend this book to folks who enjoy either tats or books, but for a book lover who happens to also be a tattoo enthusiast, this book would be a real treat.
I think it would make a neat gift.

Disclosure: I was provided with a free review copy of the book by Harper Perennial. No other compensation was provided. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Additional Disclosure: Yes, I have tattoos. No, they're not literary. ;)

Book Review: The Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask

What do you say when a nonbeliever, or even another Christian asks you a hard question about your beliefs? Do you mumble something about faith, and try to change the subject?

(Before I go on, I think it's important to discern whether the person asking the question is really looking for an answer, or merely a debate. I won't debate my religious beliefs. I don't actually think you can argue most people closer to God. )

Having said that, it's important to think about what you really believe, and why, so that when someone who is sincerely searching asks you a question, you are able to provide a thoughtful answer. "I don't know," or "Just because," aren't particularly helpful, or likely to promote any further discussion or growth.

I was recently sent a copy of The Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask, by Mark Mittelberg to review, and I devoured it. Truly, these are the questions that catch you off guard, questions about evolution, whether Jesus was really the Son of God, or merely a good teacher, about the hypocrisy among our own ranks.

I found Biblical answers for a few of my own questions, as well as frankly better, more in depth explanations of things I already believed.  The explanations were accessible, obviously based on scripture, but also backed up with science, where applicable.

I think this would make a thought provoking Sunday School or small group study.

One of my close friends has recently become a Christian and has been asking me some hard questions. I'm torn between loaning her my book, and buying her a copy, so I can keep mine. :)

I loved this one.

Click here for a PDF of the first chapter.


Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book from Tyndale. No other compensation was provided, and the opinions stated here are my own.

Book Review: Stretch By Neal Pollack

My reading lately has been pretty utilitarian. In the few minutes after my head hits the pillow at night, and before I drop off into a mommy coma, I read a few pages out of a parenting or homeschooling book, or the Bible.

When I read the blurb oline about Stretch, The Unlikely Making of a Yoga Dude, by Neal Pollack it sounded like a pretty fun, lighthearted read. The folks at Harper Perennial were gracious enough to send me a review copy.

I enjoyed the book so much that I finished it in a couple of days.

The book follows Neal, an author in his thirties, who's pretty sure he's already peaked professionally and personally, as he sets out on a journey to find "his best self." He reluctantly takes up yoga with his wife, and slowly becomes fully immersed in the yoga culture.

Neal starts out as a rank beginner, always out of his league, but eventually graduates to fancy overseas yoga retreats, rubbing elbows with gurus, and a yoga marathon. (Did you know there were yoga marathons? Me neither.)

In a sea of clean living vegetarians, Neal overindulges in everything. His cynical musings about the new age-y navel gazing of the yoga community, (himself included,) were laugh out loud funny. (I should mention that I don't actually laugh out loud all that often.)

The takeaway from the book for me was the pretty unversal experience of searching for something. In an unlikely ending, Neal eventually does find what he's looking for, but manages to never take himself too seriously.

I should mention in the interest of full disclosure that the book does contain a good bit of profanity and crass humor.

Disclosure: I was provided with a review copy of the book from the publisher, in hopes that I'd review it. No other compensation was provided, and the opinions expressed are my own.

No Girls Allowed Book Review

As a member of the Tyndale Blog Network, I was recently able to review a new boys' devotional, called No Girls Allowed, by Jayce O'Neal.
The book is intended for boys ages 8-12, and includes 60 devotionals, each 4 pages long.

Each 4 page section includes:
a story
a relevant Bible verse
a prayer
an activity (things like a word search, a secret code to break, or a crossword)
a list of things to do to put the day's study into action
several pertinent quotes by authors, religious leaders and philosophers
and several other scriptural references about the topic

The devotionals cover topics you might expect to see, things like bullying, persistence, and teamwork, but they're approached in a way that will be very engaging for boys in this age group. There are references to comic books, video games, and characters like Spongebob Squarepants and the Transformers.

I was really impressed with this book, and would recommend it to anyone with a son in this age range.

The only (small) improvement that I would make on it is that I wish it were spiral bound, as I think that would be better suited to the workbook type format of this devotional.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free review copy of this book from the publisher, in order to facilitate the review. No other compensation was provided.

Slob Proof! Real Life Design Solutions Review & Giveaway

I was recently sent a copy of Slob Proof! Real life Design Solutions, by Debbie Wiener to review. I don't want to say we're slobs, but well ok, we probably are...

The book focuses on home decor solutions for real people with children and pets, who don't want to keep plastic wrap on the furniture.  :)

Some of the suggestions were fairly obvious: no white carpet, patterns cover messes better than solids, etc. There were also some really solid suggestions about what to look for when replacing carpet or installing wood floors, to achieve maximum durability. This was something I was particularly interested in, as we're looking at replacing our carpet with wood floors in the foreseeable future.

There was information about how to select a quality sofa and other furniture that would withstand bouncing kids, dirty dogs, and the inevitable spill, among other things.

I thought it was a good read, and will be looking into some of the specific brands and products Debbie references throughout the book.

I always enjoy looking at decorating books and magazines, but it's usually obvious that they're aimed at people with no kids, no dogs, and tidy husbands. This book is for the rest of us.

If you're in need of some family friendly solutions, and would like to check it out for yourself, leave a comment here with your biggest decorating struggle. One randomly selected commenter (in the U.S.,) will receive a copy of the book for themselves. Don't forget to leave a way to be contacted if you are the winner!

This giveaway will end 8/21/2010, at midnight central time.

Disclosure: I was provided with a review copy of the book, as well as one to giveaway. No other compensation was provided, and the opinions expressed are my own.

Radical:Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream

As a participant in the WaterBrook Multnomah Press book blogger group, I recently received an email promoting a new book, called Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, by David Platt. I was invited to go check out the first chapter of the book here, and post my thoughts on it. (By the way, you can download the first chapter there too.)
I found the first chapter to be pretty thought provoking. The premise of the book is that so many of us have rationalized away the direct instructions Jesus gave us. When Jesus said to sell all you have and give the proceeds to the poor, he meant that in the literal sense. ALL you have. Eek. How many of us are really willing to do that? How many of our churches are willing to forgo a fancy building and other amenities, in order directly minister to those in need?
It's fairly easy to be a Christian in America. Our lives aren't in danger, and neither are our livelihoods. What if they were? Would we still be willing to abandon our homes, our possessions, our families? Isn't that what Jesus explicitly told us to do?
I think this book would be good reading for anyone who is feeling a disconnect between what Christianity is supposed to look like, and what it really looks like, in this day and age.
If you want to find out more about the book, you can visit http://www.radicalthebook.com/, or you can request the Free companion booklet here: http://tre.emv3.com/HS?a=DNX7CkSi86948SA9MOOScOHnGHxKR6CJEQ_-.
Thanks to the publisher for a head's up on an interesting book, but please know that I was in no way compensated for this review, and the opinions stated are my own.

The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers 2 (Review)

As a member of the Mama Buzz review group, I was recently sent a copy of The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers 2, by Carla Barnhill.
(ISBN 978-1-41433445-5)
I unfortunately missed the blog tour date during my computer downtime. Nonetheless, here's my review, even if it's a tad late...
Each day there is a Bible verse, a very short, (paragraph long,) devotional, and a little two line poem that summarizes the message for the day.
The illustrations are cute, and kind of retro looking. They feature children of multiple ethnic backgrounds, which I like. Apparently the illustrator was the creator of the Care Bears, which I was quite fond of in the mid eighties.
For my purposes, this book alone wouldn't really be sufficient, even for a very young child, but I have enjoyed using it in addition to our regular bible reading.
I'm contemplating adding it to our bedtime routine, as that seems like an easy way to assure that we actually get around to it every day.
Ultimately I like the book, and would recommend it, particularly if you are trying to get your preschooler to apply biblical principles in their everyday life. It's pretty easy to read the Bible to a little one, but it can be hard to help them understand how it applies to them. This can help.

The book retails for $14.99, however I did find it for $11.99, here: http://www.christianbook.com/one-year-devotions-preschoolers-2/carla-barnhill/9781414334455/pd/334455?item_code=WW&netp_id=649153&event=ESRCN&view=details

(I love www.christianbook.com, by the way. They always have great deals.)

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free review copy of this book by Tyndale publishing. No other compensation was provided, and the opinions expressed here are my own.

Hoac Turkey Time Project Pack Review

I was recently given the opportunity to review a unit study by Hands of a Child. I received the Turkey Time unit, and I was excited to see whether the product lived up to all the raves I had read about HOAC products.
I was very impressed. I thought this was a very nice, age appropriate unit study. It included lapbooking components, craft ideas, a brief history of Thanksgiving, discussion questions, and book suggestions. My son is 4 years old (pre-k), and this would be a pretty all inclusive unit for us, at this age. I could also see using many of the activities for a somewhat older child, which would be a plus for someone trying to teach several children at once.All needed patterns were included, as well as photos of what a completed lapbook might look like. I liked the way the unit was organized, with a to do list for each day, as well as a supply list. There would be a very minimal amount of prep time involved for mom, which is always a plus to me. The unit is set up to take place over the span of 5 days.

Altogether, I thought this was a great product, and plan on purchasing more HOAC units. You can purchase it at www.currclick.com, or www.handsofachild.com.

(disclaimer: I was provided with a review copy of this product from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. No compensation was provided, and all opinions expressed were my own.)

Rattlesnake Rules (Book Review)

As a member of the Mama Buzz review group, I was recently sent a review copy of Rattlesnake rules, by Conrad J. Storad.

Rattlesnake rules is a unique book, in that the first 2/3 of the book is a typical children's story format, while the last third consists of nonfictional information about rattlesnakes, and a curriculum guide.

The story follows a mommy rattlesnake, as she teaches her babies all the things they'll need to know to live on their own. (My first response was "hey, snakes don't take care of their babies." I had to stop reading and Google it, and found that I was incorrect. Some types of rattlesnakes do actually stay with their babies for a while after they're born. ) The story includes factual tidbits about rattlesnakes, like what they eat, and how.

The illustrations were cute, with mommy snake wearing pearls, and the babies wearing baseball caps and hair bows. I thought that was a nice take on trying to make snakes seem "cuter," and perhaps more likeable.

The second part of the book includes lots of trivia, a facts vs. myths section, a words to learn section, and a number of cross curriculum ideas to extend the theme.



I thought this was a neat book with a cool format, and I really liked the second portion of the book. My only issue was that although the information I received said it was appropriate for children aged 4-8, I really thought it was too "old" for my 4 and a half year old son. I wasn't able to hold his attention long enough to read the whole book, and I know that he didn't understand a lot of the information. I can see this being a useful book for a 7-9 year old child, who would "get" more of the vocabulary and so on.

For more information about this, and other Five Star Publication Books, check out http://www.fivestarpublications.com/. For additional information about this book, go to http://www.fivestarpublications.com/rattlesnake/index.html. Rattlesnake Rules sells for $12.88, and can be purchased at http://www.fivestarpublications.com/book_detail.php?recordid=111.

This is a Mama Buzz review. The product was provided by Five Star Publications for this review.

Sleepy Sun, by Mari Priscilla Hanson (Book Review)

We love books around here. My husband teases me, because I don't know my driver's license number, have to think really hard about my phone number or social security number, but I know my library card number by heart.
I'm always excited when I get to review a new book, particularly a quality children's book. I'm trying to pass along to my children a love of books and reading, and I've become acutely aware of how many lame, junky children's' books are out there. Reading anything is better than reading nothing, but good books are are priceless.
As a member of the Mama Buzz group, I was provided with a review copy of Sleepy Sun, by the author, Mari Hanson. (This is a total aside, but she sent a sweet handwritten letter along with the book. That was a first for me, in this age of computer generated press releases. )



Sleepy Sun is a bedtime story for toddlers and young children. The story follows the sun, as it illuminates places and activities all over the world. At the end of a long busy day, the sun sets, and goes to sleep. The story incorporates a loose rhyming structure, which is always a plus for little ones. (My four year old loves rhyming stories.) The story will engage your preschooler who asks questions like "where does the sun go at night?"
The illustrations are gorgeous. The paintings depict the sun shining down on people and landscapes all over the world. There are beaches, mountains, cornfields, the desert, a city street, and more. The sun looks and "feels" different in each picture. It's big and yellow at the beach, orange and hot in the desert. My first impression was that the illustrations definitely had a Southwestern influence, and when I read the bios at the back of the book, I found out the artist lives in Arizona.
I liked the fact that the pictures of people in the book represented a great deal of ethnic diversity. It's important to me to expose my kids to as much diversity as I can, however I can, since I can't physically take them everywhere, or have them meet everyone.
All in all, I found this to be a sweet book, which brought to mind classic bedtime stories like Goodnight Moon. At the end of the the book, the moon goes to bed, and (hopefully,) your little one does too.
This book is available at Amazon, for $14.99., and you can find out more at http://marihanson.com/

Find Your Strongest Life, by Marcus Buckingham (Book Review)

There are a lot of self help books available telling you how you can do more in less time, how to be all things to all people, and how to turn your weaknesses into strengths.

Find Your Strongest Life does none of these.

Instead, it emphasizes figuring out what you are happiest doing, and trying to orient your life in that direction.

It makes sense. After all, those other things aren't working. In the drive to do more, many of us are missing out on life's joys. In being all things to all people, we frequently have to ignore our own wants and needs. Finally, while it's never a bad idea to try to improve yourself, you're always likely to go further by following your strengths than your weaknesses.

I have to admit that I initially got off to a slow start with this book.

The first third of the book relates many statistics about women's perceptions of happiness, or lack thereof. It also follows case studies with several women, which I found interesting, but somewhat removed from my life as a stay at home mom. In fact, if there was anything in the book that I didn't love, it was that there seemed to be an underlying message that in order to be happy, one must have a paying career. As a (happy) stay at home mom by choice, I disagree with that premise.

Ultimately though, I found the rest of the book to be very interesting. I easily recognized myself in several of the "Life Roles" discussed in the book. It was interesting to think about how those roles have influenced my past choices, and continue to motivate me.

The discussion about focusing on your own and other people's strengths instead of weaknesses was very thought provoking, particularly as it relates to your spouse and children.

The last chapters of the books are questions and answers on a variety of topics, sort of like having a session with a life coach. Although not all of them apply to every situation, they were interesting nonetheless. I particularly thought the section called Tactics for a Stronger Career were informative and relevant, especially now, when so many people are trying to hold on to the job they have, or find a new one.

I was provided a review copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishing. You can find out more about their Book Review Blogger program at http://brb.thomasnelson.com/.