Books

Simon and the Easter Miracle {Book Review}

by jen.

I ran across another review of Simon & the Easter Miracle several weeks ago and in it they mentioned the author was Catholic and that the story was an old Polish folktale. I’ve been unable to discover if there is truth to that, but it would explain why I enjoyed it so much. I’m a 100% polish (5 generations in) and cradle Catholic to boot .

If you are familiar with the stations of the cross, you know that the 5th station is Simon carries the cross of Jesus. Simon & the Easter Miracle is a gorgeous children’s picture book that gently tells the story of Simon, the man who carried Jesus’ cross. This hardcover book is richly illustrated and is accurate while remaking age appropriate. My 4 year old has requested it many times.

If I did not know that this was a “religious” Easter book, I would consider it so good that it had to be mainstream. I have a huge beef with the fact that religious books tend to, well, suck. It’s a beautiful story and where in other books it seems like the author tries too hard, Simon and the Easter Miracle is fabulous!

A simple farmer, Simon is grumpy going into town. He is forced by Roman soldiers to carry Jesus’ cross. Struck by Jesus’ mannerisms and the people so adamantly for and against him, he hightails it back to the city and finds his goods ruined. He trudges back to his farm in a very Eeyore sort of way, and later discovers an Easter miracle.

Simon and the Easter Miracle by Mary Joslin and illustrated by Anna Luraschi is a great Easter book for your older preschoolers and up. It will end up in your library for generations! I think this will be a favorite read all year, not just during Lent & Easter.

Do you have any Easter favorites?

Disclaimer: A copy of this book was received in exchange for an honest review. As usual, all opinions are my own.

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88 Great Daddy-Daughter Dates {Book Review}

Mar 24th, 2012

by jen.

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We are big on quality time in our house. Even though I stay home and hubby is home as much as he is able, we are human and tend to be a bit lazy. So we have scheduled several quality time items on our calendar including daughter-parent dates. While we have them scheduled on OUR calendars weekly, we usually end up getting one a month, which is far superior to not getting any all.

But what should we DO on our dates? Mine usually revolve around shopping and a treat. My hubby has a harder time. In the winter, it’s cold and neither of them like that. And he doesn’t shop. Obviously. Enter 88 Great Daddy-Daughter Dates: Fun, Easy & Creative Ways to Build Memories Together. I narrowed down the options to age and weather appropriateness and passed it to my husband. I heard the “Oh yeah! We haven’t done that in a long time!” and “Oh, that’s a good idea, too!”. Crisis averted .

88 Great Daddy-Daughter Dates is aimed at girls from age 6-12 but I would say that you could use many of them for girls as young as 3 or 4. Each date consists of a short list of items needed, what to DO on the date, some things to talk about, and a short prayer at the end. Each idea is super short – 2 to 3 pages. Most of the ideas can be done without a lot of planning and there is a good mix of free/cheap/easy dates with those requiring a little more planning and/or money.

My hubby picked Puppy Love as his date. He took my daughter to the local pet store — she loved it even though the bird and fish selection was pretty small. Then he took her to the Toys R Us down the way and she picked out a “pony” to remember their date by. She loves it and carries it everywhere which is fascinating to me because she’s never really had an attachment to stuffed animals. Until her DADDY bought her one on a date, that is .

Overall, I loved this book and look forward to it getting dog-eared and dirty. You can easily take the ideas in this book and use them as ideas for family fun days. I also like the items to talk about, because it’s important that God be familiar to them and neither my husband, nor I, grew up that way. It’s a great resource for ideas for spending quality time with your children and teaching them about God. Love, love, LOVE it!

88 Great Daddy-Daughter Dates is available March 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Do you do “dates” with your kids?

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As usual, all opinions are my own.

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Spring Reading Thing 2012

Mar 20th, 2012

by jen.

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I have to confess, I’ve been a little sloppy lately in my reading. It’s been 60-80 degrees here. In Michigan. In MARCH! I know! Who knew that it would be so nice on the month when I over-scheduled myself and have a book a week to read and review!

In trying to blog a little more and spend more time, you know, paying attention to my girls, I read about the Spring Reading Thing on Reading To Know and had to join in.

Here is my goal to have done by the first day of summer. As a bonus, you get a preview of book reviews that will be showing up .

Books to read & review for Simply Stacie:

Real Moms Love to Eat: How to Conduct a Love Affair with Food, Lose Weight and Feel Fabulous

The Tigress of Forli: Renaissance Italy’s Most Courageous and Notorious Countess, Caterina Riario Sforza de’ Medici

Out of Oz: The Final Volume in the Wicked Years

For read & review on Happy Little Homemaker:

Introduction to the Devout Life

I’ve had this one for over a year…almost two. It’s so deep, I think I’m a little scared to get into it!

Sweet Invention: A History of Dessert

Another book that has gotten pushed off for far too long… I’ve had it since October and things with a deadline keep pushing it out.

As One Devil to Another: A Fiendish Correspondence in the Tradition of C. S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters

Beyond Hope’s Valley: A Big Sky Novel

Need You Now

By the Light of the Silvery Moon

For Fun:

The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers: Reclaiming Our Passion, Purpose, and Sanity

Grace for the Good Girl: Letting Go of the Try-Hard Life

and some Catholic women’s book. I have 6 or 7 on my shelf that I haven’t read. I just need one to speak to me .

This seems like a MUCH more do-able list than the list of January – March . Only 3 of them have set deadlines though I’d like to have the Simply Stacie one’s finished because I agreed to 1-2 a month.

What are your goals? Share your to-read list and find out what others are reading at Callippider Days.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

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Love’s Sacred Song {Book Review}

Mar 15th, 2012

by jen.

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A few weeks ago, I was waxing poetic about a fabulous novel. I didn’t mention it at the time but it was the best book I’ve read in months. Until I read Love’s Sacred Song. This novel by Mesu Andrews completely blew the other one away. Love’s Sacred Song is the story of King David’s son Solomon (author of Song of Songs in the Bible). As with most, biblical history, I was only vaguely familiar with the story of Solomon so I can’t say how accurate the history is.

What I can tell you is how spellbinding this book is. The transfer of power from King David to Solomon is not the easiest thing ever. An older brother attempted to steal power and political forces (called Sons of Judah) are aiming to take over the kingdom. Meanwhile, the “black sheep” northern tribes of Israel are FURIOUS about a woman of theirs given to King David. Their leader is offering his only daughter to the new King as a treaty bride.

Love’s Sacred Song is the tale of the love story between a confident girl who has loved Solomon since she was 7 and the king who is trying to follow in the footsteps of the greatest king that ever lived. Full of intrigue, deception, misunderstanding, pain and love, Love’s Sacred Song is a fabulous novel about the story of King Solomon and the wife that inspired the Song of Songs, the most beautiful love poetry in the bible.

If you love a good story, especially historical or biblical fiction, you will LOVE this Love’s Sacred Song. Available March 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Disclaimer: This book was received in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

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Catholic Children’s Toolbox {Book Review}

Mar 13th, 2012

by jen.

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Catholic Children's Treasure Box

A lot of Catholic preschool & kindergarten programs reference the Catholic Children’s Treasure Box. None of them, however, tell me WHAT they contain. The Catholic Children’s Treasure Box is a reprint of a children’s magazine by the Mary Knoll sisters in the late 50′s.

Let me start by saying that I really love these. I bought them for my them 3 year old and she would bring me the whole stack at once. Each issue of the Catholic Children’s Treasure Box has the same essential format. The inside front and back covers have information on the contents for the parents to be able to expand upon the topics if necessary.

The beginning has a story about a major Catholic figure that is continued from book to book. It starts with St. Therese and goes to others. I only have 1-10 (there are 20) so I’m not sure who else might be covered. There is a continuing story about an African boy name Sunny & his guardian angel, Wupsy. Many times the book contains a rebus (stories with pictures in place of words), which my daughter loves!

There are games to play & crafts to make with seemingly nothing, that obviously harken from a simpler time. Children, however, don’t change because my daughter wants to do them all. I would say that a 7 or 8 year old would be able to do them though. The rest of the Catholic Children’s Treasure Box contains poems or stories with morals where the child learns a lesson. Finally, the back cover has a poem about a child with a bad habit or character trait.

I love that these aren’t dumbed down. The theology behind these seems advanced compared to what is currently available. They are totally not politically correct, but I’m not the type that cares . The illustrations are simple but pretty and they way they are broken down, it’s not something that needs to be read all at once.

Overall, I adore these and think that any Catholic home with small children needs to have these books. The best price I’ve ever seen is $39.99 for Vol. 1-10, or vols. 11-20 at Catholic Heritage Curricula, though they are available at many other online Catholic booksellers.

Disclaimer: This post does contain affiliate links.

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