The Face on the Milk Carton

Did you read this when you were little? I did. And then the book got passed around to all my friends and to all my sister's friends. And I remember thinking it was so cute. Well, I picked it up recently, just to read something (I didn't have a library card yet) and I found a fun story with lots of insight on teenage feelings.

And did you know that there are now 3 more books that follow this story?

Whatever Happened to Janie?

The Voice on the Radio

What Janie Found

I just finished the last two today. They are all quick reads and the story flows nicely. I didn't like the third as much as I liked the 2nd & 4th. And the 1st is still my favorite. However, I was surprised to get something more than just a story.

Caroline B. Cooney (the author) has amazing insight on what life is like for a young girl caught between two families. I found myself realizing that this book can give others a chance to better understand what feelings a foster child goes through. Or a child with divorced parents. Or an adopted child.

I'm glad I read these books and I would recommend them for anyone (teachers, parents, friends, siblings) who knows someone who's had any type of family crisis.

Rapunzel's Revenge

My book recommendation is Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale, illustrated by Nathan Hale.

I'm sure all you Shannon Hale lovers out there have probably already read this, but if by chance you haven't yet, you should definitely give this a try (especially if you've read and enjoyed her previous books). It is a graphic novel. If your dumb like me and don't know what that is, it's kind of like a comic book, but it's also a novel. I was actually a little leery about reading it because of the whole comic book thing. I wasn't sure it would be my cup of tea, but I gave it a try. I'm so glad I did! It is absolutely hilarious, creative, original, and delightful!

The story is a twist on the classic tale of Rapunzel. The twist is it's a western. That's right. A western. What a great twist is that! After finding out that her "mother" (Mother Gothel) is not really her mother and that her real mother is enslaved by the woman that raised her, Rapunzel is locked away in a massive magical tree. The magic in the tree makes her hair grow insanely long, and as we all know, she uses it to escape. She then must brave all kinds dangerous odds in order to save her mother and destroy Mother Gothel's power.

I loved this book because it surprised me- I didn't think I'd like it as much as I did. Second, I loved how strong Rapunzel was. She was no damsel in distress but it wasn't in a "I don't need no man to help me" kind of way. Third, I loved the humor. Fourth, I loved the originality, even though the story has been around forever, and fifth (I could go on all day really), I loved it because I was able to read it with my four year old. We had so much fun reading it together. He loved looking at all the detailed pictures, and he would often pick it up and look at it on his own. It is a very fun book to read with kids, but adults will enjoy it too. This will definitely make its way into my personal library.

If you read it I hope you like it as much as I did.

P.S.- This book was selected by The Today Show's Al Roker for Al's Book Club for Kids.

A Friend Like Henry

I think Ruth has already mentioned this book, but I finally got the the chance to read it .... I loved it. It is about an autistic boy and a dog, that helps him come out of his world!
My son is Autistic so now I really want to get a dog!!

These is my Words

These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Definitely one of the best books I've read! Here are some favorite quotes:



Pg. 121: "There is no outrunning fear, though, it comes on you and you have to face it. Childbirth is not an enemy you can fight or conquer or outrun, it takes you and tears you apart from the inside out and you have to just submit to it. I never understood why a girl would choose to be an old maid, but now I do."



Pg. 166: "It seems to me that any time there are men making a war, somewhere there are women and children at home waiting and worrying."



Pg. 309: "It seems there is always a road with bends and forks to choose, and taking one path means you can never take another one. There's no starting over nor undoing the steps I've taken."



Pg. 327: "Mama told me to make a special point to remember the best times of my life. There are so many hard things to live through, and latching on to the good things will give you strength to endure, she says."


View all my reviews.

New Year, New Books

Hello friends. Please forgive me for being such a slacker. I'm sure you'll understand when you hear that these last 2 months have been quite hectic with holidays, family things, leaving one country to move to another, job hunting & job interviews, etc, etc, etc.

I've also been pretty bad at reading lately. I did finally pick up Harry Potter while visiting family in Utah. I stole it from my sister's closet. And yesterday I read a childhood favorite, The Face on the Milk Carton. So now I have a few sequels to track down at the library.

So give me a few more days to figure out what book we can read. And I really want your input. I know everyone is busy, so do you want to revamp this club so we're not having to read each book within a month? Or do you just want me to pick the books and then whoever reads it will read it? Or do you still want to each make suggestions about the books we will read? Please give me feedback!!! If you're totally too busy to read now or you just don't want to participate, I completely understand.

If no one wants to help decide on which books we will read (and you just want to use this place to comment on books), then I will just start posting which books we're reading in the book club that I will be starting in my new ward. And everyone is still welcome to blog about other books (give recommendations) as well.

But I would prefer for each of us to take turns choosing books for discussion. I've really enjoyed that; it's caused me to read books I never would have otherwise read.

Let me know!

My Favorite Christmas Book

I love Christmas picture books. It was hard for me to decide on a favorite because I have lots. I decided to pick this one because it was one of the first Christmas picture books I fell in love with. It's called The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski. First of all, the art work is absolutely beautiful. It is a visually gorgeous book, but the story is equally lovely if not more so. It is about a widow and her son who ask the local carpenter to make them a new Nativity for Christmas. The carpenter, Jonathan Toomey, is a sad and bitter widower, but his heart is opened again as he carves each piece of the Nativity. It is a sweet story about the healing and peace that comes as we open our hearts to the love that was born on Christmas night.

Women who changed the world, Ros Horton & Sally Simmons

“I am not afraid. I was born to do this.” Joan of Arc

“I believe in hard work. It keeps the wrinkles out of the mind and spirit.” Helena Rubinstein

“Her spirit will endure as long as man can read and stories can be told of the woman who showed the world there are no boundaries to courage and faith.” Senator Lister Hill of Alabama, speaking about Helen Keller

“Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the action that we do.” Mother Teresa

“Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart.” Anne Frank

This book features 50 women who “are outstanding individuals who achieved exceptional things in the major fields of human endeavour—politics, literature, art, science, music, social reform, entertainment, sport, and adventure.” Each woman’s life story is told in a 3-page mini-biography. I enjoyed this format and even made a list of people, movies, and songs I want to look up now that I’ve read a small introduction. Some of the women I found interesting to learn about include Cleopatra, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Margaret Bourke-White, Katharine Hepburn, Rosa Parks, Oprah Winfrey, and surprisingly, Madonna.

Other well-known women featured in this book:
Amelia Earhart
Benazir Bhutto
Billie Holiday
Dian Fossey
Diana, Princess of Wales
Eleanor Roosevelt
Elizabeth I
Eva Peron
Florence Nightingale
Isabella I of Spain
Jane Austen
Margaret Thatcher
Marie Curie
Marilyn Monroe
Susan B. Anthony
Virginia Woolf

Little Women/Good Wives

Did you know that the movie Little Women is actually taken from two of Louisa May Alcott's books? Yep! I found out because when I borrowed the book Little Women from the library, I was distressed the closer I got to the end. Why? Because it wasn't the end of the story. So I thought I had gotten ripped off by the British for only getting half of the book. But now I know there were actually two different books to begin with. Yesterday I just finished the second half, Good Wives. And let me tell you that it was so adorable! Now, I've read a lot of books. But I would say that Little Women (parts 1 & 2) is now on my top 10 list. That's saying a lot! So for anyone looking for a wholesome read that offers great advice & sweet love stories, Little Women & Good Wives are the books for you!

Has anyone read the sequels Little Men and Jo's Boys?

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

I chose to read this book this month. I've been wanting to read it for a while now, and it seemed like the appropriate time. I really enjoyed this book, though it was slow going at times. The book is about one family's attempt to become more connected to their food by eating local for one year. They own farm land, so they grow, harvest and preserve most of the food they eat (including meat). It's interesting to think about eating more locally and eating food when it's in season. This book is not for everyone, but if you're looking for ways to reduce your carbon footprint, save money, or become more self sufficient it's a good resource.

October Discussion

The Wednesday Letters

by Jason Wright

I absolutely loved this book! I enjoyed how realistic the relationships were. Even though Jack had some flaws, I thought he was a great example of a wonderful husband and father.

Here are some questions to ponder/answer. Hope you enjoyed the book too!

1. A&P adopts the nickname that others had given to mock her, telling herself, “nicknames mean you matter” (p. 5). Have you ever had a nickname you didn’t like? How might you have turned it around to give it a positive meaning?

2. Joe is finally able to give up alcohol because the girl he nearly killed forgave him—even visiting him and frequently writing him letters while he was in prison. What is the novel saying about the relationship between forgiveness and self-acceptance? Where else are these themes worked through the novel?

3. Does The Wednesday Letters inspire you to start any traditions of your own?