The best parenting book I've ever read, and I've read a lot. This principle is based on making your children independent by having them make their ownThe best parenting book I've ever read, and I've read a lot. This principle is based on making your children independent by having them make their own choices from a young age. The difficult thing is to let your children fail. Instead of telling them to get their coat, the premise is, tell them it's chilly and ask them if they want a coat or not. But if they say no, you have to let them be cold. This is hard for parents, but letting them fail at a young age like this, helps them make smarter decisions when they're older.
That's a simple way of putting it, and I really don't do it justice. They have tons of examples and ways to implement this in the book, and I've just started reading the one about teens and am excited to start implementing it. It's hard to be strong sometimes and put the decision into their hands and let go, but it's so worth it in the long run. I feel like it really works. I'd recommend this book to anyone with kids....more
This is not my kind of book. I don't enjoy graphic novels and these true stories are so sad. HOWEVER, and this is a big however, I read this because mThis is not my kind of book. I don't enjoy graphic novels and these true stories are so sad. HOWEVER, and this is a big however, I read this because my 12 yr old son read it and was confused on a few points and wanted to talk to me about it. I love this about my kids and will never say no to this request. After reading this book, I felt it was excellent and even feel like this would be AMAZING required material in schools today. Especially inner city schools. Our main character's brother is killed in a drive by shooting and because of the rules that have been passed on down through his family, believes it's his job to avenge his brother's death. But when he starts to meet the ghosts of his brother's life, he realizes that his story isn't so cut and dry. At the end the brother asks if he's coming and it can be debated long and hard on what that means. Is the brother asking him to commit revenge, and in doing so, will join the ranks of the dead? Or is he asking him to step away from the ghosts and the ending story of shootings and revenge to break the cycle. There is a lot of meat here for so simple a book and I find it very interesting and a great conversation starter for kids and teens. I'll probably make all my kids read it.
Also, the artwork is fantastic. Beautiful and haunting, it goes well with the prose and the storyline. Both the author and illustrator are very talented. I highly recommend this book....more
Amazing book. First of all, even though I'm a board gamer of 20 years, this book is for everyone. It's written very well, so that it's easy to follow.Amazing book. First of all, even though I'm a board gamer of 20 years, this book is for everyone. It's written very well, so that it's easy to follow. As a kid I played a lot of war and go fish with my deck of cards but was always looking for something more. I can only imagine what I could have came up with up I had had this book!
Knizia is a well known, talented, board game designer, and he takes simple things around the house, like old game pieces, a deck of cards, and dice, and shows you how to play some simple games that add a little more fun and strategy to our mostly luck based games we knew as a kid. Not only that, he adds suggestions on how we can add and change the game, putting our own rules in.
As I read through this book, I played each game with one of my kids (twin 12 yr olds, and a 14 yr old) to see how they stood up. We all enjoyed them, especially the changing them up part which was so easy to do. One of of our favorites was a 2 page chapter for a game called "goal". On a piece of paper you drew a few boxes that looked like a soccer field and put some sort of playing piece in the middle. Then you play a game something like war, where you each split a deck of cards, lay one down, and whoever has the highest one, gets to move forward, closer to their goal, almost like kicking the ball back and forth. The difference between this and war is that for this game you look at your cards and get to choose one instead of just drawing from the top of the pile. Another neat twist was that the Ace could beat the face cards but was considered a zero when pitted against the number cards. Knizia then proceeded to tell us how to change up the game by making some of the other cards special. If you're a long time gamer like me, you can definitely see some of these thought processes and mechanics in play in some of his board games.
I'd play the game as the book described with each kid, then had each one make up a new rule and play again. I especially like one of my twins making the 5's worth -5. The game was fun, quick, and easy to put together quickly. A lot of them were. We do a lot of camping in the summer so this was a great addition to our trips.
This would be a great buy for any kid interested in games or reading or for camping trips. Each chapter is small and quick and can be easily digested by almost any age. I got this book for Christmas from my kids and we really enjoyed it as a family. Highly recommended!...more
Such an interesting read. So many ideas that make good business sense that are still ignored today. I love not just the descriptions of his work and iSuch an interesting read. So many ideas that make good business sense that are still ignored today. I love not just the descriptions of his work and ideas, but how it starts out talking about the thought process behind his decisions. He talks about the kind of people who need to use their thinking processes on the job and those who don't want to think. He talks about the different kind of workers and that you need some of each to run the business. I also found the percentages required of each fascinating. He had so many accomplishments. An amazing man and highly entertaining read....more
Great little book about some of the big questions in Christianity that kids ask. Straight forward and to the point, this paperback gives a quick explaGreat little book about some of the big questions in Christianity that kids ask. Straight forward and to the point, this paperback gives a quick explanation of the question and a bible verse to look up for extra verification if needed. Each question is a single page or 2 and very easy reading. For kids of all ages and totally something they could do on their own, for example, if you wanted to assign a chapter every Tuesday and Thursday, as I do in our home. They come to be with questions and if there are none, they email me the answer to the question so I know they've read the chapter which is really more like a small paragraph. Highly recommended....more
McKee has got some great books out there for kids and this was no exception. My eldest just turned 13 and although insists there are no girls he has iMcKee has got some great books out there for kids and this was no exception. My eldest just turned 13 and although insists there are no girls he has interest in, he's started spending more time in the mirror on his hair. This is a great one for the beginning teen years, giving advice about just life in general. From memorizing scripture, to learning how to cook, the advice given is great for any guy, but especially for a young Christian man learning to navigate the world of self, girls, and social media. I loved how McKee broke these up into little chapters so it was easy to use for our weekly health class. I usually always read one or two out loud but then often my son would ask for another one or two. Took about a half an hour total. We stopped to discuss each one and I tried to give advice if there was some to be had about the girl side of things. I especially loved a few of the chapters on girls. One of my favorites was "Don't underestimate a female's sense of smell." I tried to reiterate how important this one was to my son, my being a female and living with a house full of boys it was especially important. Girls know the difference between a shower and a French bath (when you skip the shower in lieu of cologne)! Another one I enjoyed was "When a girl walks by, keeping looking forward." I told him when I was a young girl, I always noticed guys looking at me, but the guys that didn't, those were the ones I paid attention to! I told him some personal stories and it was great bonding time. He also goes on to give advice on things like talking to the homeless, let others see the Christ in you, and today's nerd is tomorrow's boss. It's a great way to connect with your son and spark up some conversations that might otherwise be difficult to initiate. I like McKee and will probably end up getting some more of his books to use....more
This is part of a 4 set series of books that are Christian based and talk about sex. I've used all 4 of these with my kids, finally finishing the lastThis is part of a 4 set series of books that are Christian based and talk about sex. I've used all 4 of these with my kids, finally finishing the last one with my oldest so I thought it was time for a review. Loved these. Had no idea how to approach sex and health in today's ever increasing confusing world about what's right and wrong in this area. Each book is for a different age group and while I loosely adhered to these, I chose a time for each child based on their maturity. I'm a homeschooling mom so we set up a health class each week to discuss topics with each child individually and gave them a notebook to write down any questions during the week they might discuss.
In this fourth and final book, it goes through everything it did before in the series, but in more depth. It's designed for the teen who has a good idea what's going on, but might have questions about specifics. There are also charts that are labeled with body parts, showing both the male and female organs, as well as a baby, placenta, and a diagram of giving birth. It talks about love and dating and how to know when you're ready. Overall a great conclusion to the series. Highly recommended. ...more
This is part of a 4 set series of books that are Christian based and talk about sex. I've used all 4 of these with my kids, finally finishing the lastThis is part of a 4 set series of books that are Christian based and talk about sex. I've used all 4 of these with my kids, finally finishing the last one with my oldest so I thought it was time for a review. Loved these. Had no idea how to approach sex and health in today's ever increasing confusing world about what's right and wrong in this area. Each book is for a different age group and while I loosely adhered to these, I chose a time for each child based on their maturity. I'm a homeschooling mom so we set up a health class each week to discuss topics with each child individually and gave them a notebook to write down any questions during the week they might discuss.
In this third book, I'm going through it currently with my 10 yr old twins. This one is chapter based which makes it easy to do one chapter a week for a few months. I believe there are 12 chapters. It's opened up a lot of questions from the kids but I like knowing where they're at in their mindset and the kinds of things they're hearing around the "kid's water cooler". It goes over sex in more detail, God's design for sex (why we should wait until we're married), sexually transmitted diseases, with a whole chapter on AIDS, and some other prominent social topics like being gay and what it means. I'm glad it had this one because it's started to be a topic in our household because it's become so popular in the social media culture. The other day, one of my twins said, Daddy wakes me up so nicely in the morning, he's so bisexual. I was like, wait - what? My twin said, "Yeah, he's happy at night, so he's a night person, but he wakes me up nice, so he's a morning person too - bisexual." Of course, we had a discussion after that. I believe it's so important to discuss this stuff with your kids. No matter what you believe, you don't want your kids getting wrong information. It's better to be up front about what they're curious about. These books really help with that. The book also talks about sex outside of marriage, periods (which I made sure my boys read), and it goes a little into condoms and birth control when talking about AIDS. We used it to expand on more birth control topics. This book is a great jumping off point for discussions. Highly recommended. ...more
This is part of a 4 set series of books that are Christian based and talk about sex. I've used all 4 of these with my kids, finally finishing the lastThis is part of a 4 set series of books that are Christian based and talk about sex. I've used all 4 of these with my kids, finally finishing the last one with my oldest so I thought it was time for a review. Loved these. Had no idea how to approach sex and health in today's ever increasing confusing world about what's right and wrong in this area. Each book is for a different age group and while I loosely adhered to these, I chose a time for each child based on their maturity. I'm a homeschooling mom so we set up a health class each week to discuss topics with each child individually and gave them a notebook to write down any questions during the week they might discuss.
In this second book, it goes a little deeper into the functions of body parts, reiterating the correct names for the body parts, and how sex actually happens. Tastefully done. Highly recommended. ...more
This is part of a 4 set series of books that are Christian based and talk about sex. I've used all 4 of these with my kids, finally finishing the lastThis is part of a 4 set series of books that are Christian based and talk about sex. I've used all 4 of these with my kids, finally finishing the last one with my oldest so I thought it was time for a review. Loved these. Had no idea how to approach sex and health in today's ever increasing confusing world about what's right and wrong in this area. Each book is for a different age group and while I loosely adhered to these, I chose a time for each child based on their maturity. I'm a homeschooling mom so we set up a health class each week to discuss topics with each child individually and gave them a notebook to write down any questions during the week they might discuss.
In this first book, it's a very simple introduction as to body parts, the correct names for them, and where babies come from. I felt it was very tastefully done and easy for the kids to understand. Highly recommended. ...more
I'm glad I read it, it was interesting, but not necessarily enjoyable. The British Rule was a high conversation topic of the day and I feel like the oI'm glad I read it, it was interesting, but not necessarily enjoyable. The British Rule was a high conversation topic of the day and I feel like the only aspect Tolstoy's viewpoint that I can really get on board with is the need for more love in humanity. It's cheesy, but true. Love, forgiveness, and kindness go hand in hand and could only benefit any situation, especially this one. From what I understand, although Tolstoy's references to Krishna are enlightening, apparently the meaning behind what Krishna was talking about is debatable. There are enough reviews out there that give specifics on this, just take it with a grain of salt or do your own research before coming to some strong conclusions on how you feel about what he says. Especially the disparaging comments about science and religion. I truly believe you can take anything too far, so I guess on that point I agree with him. I do believe, though, that this is, in many ways, still relevant today. An entertaining read, nonetheless....more
I did not want to write this review. There are so many reviews out there, and our political and social climate today is so volatile, I did not want toI did not want to write this review. There are so many reviews out there, and our political and social climate today is so volatile, I did not want to start an argument that would last years. There are enough of those out there already. But I felt like I had to write something. I don't believe communism or socialism would work. I loved Ayn Rands Atlas Shrugged and believe in capitalism. I think if things such as private property were abolished and handed out on a "as needed" basis, chaos would ensue. I liken it something to my three boys deciding who among them deserves the last Oreo in the package more. Who decides who gets what? And who decides who the decider is? I also believe in the past, there was a definite oppression between classes, and even if there is still division between the classes today, everyone, especially in the United States, has the means and opportunity, if they really want it, to achieve membership to any said class of their choice. I know it's a strong statement. I don't mean to offend or alienate anyone because of it, and I won't argue or defend my position further, because I don't want heated fights between intelligent people of our own class. Our class being the dwindling class of people who love the written word and read books to further understand the world, increase our intelligence, and enjoy life.
Instead, I only state my opinion to show why I rated the book as I did. I still believe it is worth reading, if only to understand the differing political viewpoints of our history and how they apply to today. Happy reading. ...more
An amazing piece of work, if not hard to understand. At first glance the words didn't make a lot of sense to me, but once I realized the potential of An amazing piece of work, if not hard to understand. At first glance the words didn't make a lot of sense to me, but once I realized the potential of the emotion that emanated from the words, I was totally sucked in. A person could study this poem for a year and not glean everything there is to be had from it. It was my first read of Eliot's, and I'm glad it was. I immediately purchased more of his works. Not for everyone, but if you can look deeper, and find passages that illicit feelings that touch you personally, they are there to be had....more
I read this back in college for a World Civ class and had completely forgotten about it until it showed up in one of my short story collections. ReadiI read this back in college for a World Civ class and had completely forgotten about it until it showed up in one of my short story collections. Reading it again as an adult has floored me with the craftiness and wit and arrogance that Socrates had. I've never been a huge fan of philosophy but man, can Socrates debate! There are a few intellectual debaters out there that I highly admire and would loved to have seen them debate with each other, time period in history notwithstanding. Someone like Socrates with maybe someone like C.S. Lewis for example. People just don't appreciate and good intellectual debate anymore. And with our cancel culture and politically correct groups getting offended easily, I just can't see that this would ever happen in today's day and age. However, I can still hope, and occasionally enjoy the truly advanced brains of the past....more
A story of a brave little girl, set in 1943 Copenhagen, occupied by German soldiers. While the story is fiction, many aspects of her tale are true, taA story of a brave little girl, set in 1943 Copenhagen, occupied by German soldiers. While the story is fiction, many aspects of her tale are true, taken from historical pages of real-life heroes during this time. Lowry does an amazing job of putting the reader in the tale and making it easy to understand for younger children. My 5th grade twins loved this book and had many questions about World War II when they were done. This is a great introduction for young readers into this topic, and I'd recommend starting with this one before Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl, as that is more for young adults, in my opinion, because of content. Highly entertaining, educational, and a must for any homeschooling family....more
I've always liked Chris Van Allsburg and this is no exception. It's the story of Annie Taylor, the woman who went over Niagara Falls in a barrel. It wI've always liked Chris Van Allsburg and this is no exception. It's the story of Annie Taylor, the woman who went over Niagara Falls in a barrel. It was required reading for my twin 5th graders. The illustrations were beautiful and the story was fun and detailed. A great way to get kids interested in Niagara Falls....more
A decent book for kids to learn about Niagara Falls. Each chapter is clear and concise about the topics. They range from the history of the falls, wheA decent book for kids to learn about Niagara Falls. Each chapter is clear and concise about the topics. They range from the history of the falls, when the towns were first made, the first suspension bridge, and the daredevils that visited over time. It goes on to cover the change over the years, the unusual people that visited and challenged the falls - those that lost and those that won. I liked that it also went into the history of Tesla and Edison, and how alternating current came to be utilized by the falls. Great for anywhere between 4th-7th grade or so. Illustrations and side notes on interesting facts, like the Goat Island Hermit, made it an interesting read....more
This was an excellent book. I absolutely loved the chess aspect and it was like watching a suspenseful movie for me, I was riveted. You don't need to This was an excellent book. I absolutely loved the chess aspect and it was like watching a suspenseful movie for me, I was riveted. You don't need to know chess to read this, however, I believe it would be much more enjoyable for you if you had at least a basic knowledge of the game. The more you know, the more you can really visualize the action of the game as the tournaments are being played out. Beth Harmon is our leading lady and has as much adversity in her life as in her games. When she ends up in an orphanage at a young age, her life isn't easy, and chess is the only thing that gets her through it. Tranquilizers are given to the orphans to help the establishment better control them everyday up until the government finally lays down the law and says they can't do it anymore. So an 8-yr-old Beth is cut off from the one thing that helps her calm down and sleep. So begins her life of addiction. Throughout this struggle the only way she can get to sleep each night is running through chess games in her head, a game she learned from the janitor of the school, who grudgingly teachers her after she won't leave him alone.
Beth is quiet and reserved, often seen as cold by others, but inside she's got the intelligence of a grand master and lives her life struggling between finding peace with chess, or with drugs and alcohol. Besides the intricate detailing of the chess game, I also loved the girl power aspect of the game. I'm not a huge feminist, but you could say I'm a fan of girl kicking butt stories. I've always loved using my mind, being a programmer for many years, and deep into my past time of board games such as eurogames and chess, I find that doing things that stimulate my mind relaxes me, whereas most people, like my husband, often say no to playing a game because he doesn't "feel like thinking". Because of this, I find myself often surrounded more by men (except my husband of course) than women, in the workplace and in my hobbies, although this is finally changing as we start to see more women in both arenas. However, I can completely relate to Beth in how she sees men, how it affects her environment, and how she is treated because she is involved in a game that is mostly dominated by men. I love her intense concentration and her almost dismissiveness of everything outside the realm of the game she is playing.
This book came close to being put on my favorites list and I still might change my mind on that. The only thing that stops me is how some story lines fade into a quick and unsatisfying ending, almost as if the author felt it had to be in the book, but just wanted to hurry up and get it over with and back to the chess game. I'd rather Tevis just didn't put it in to begin with. For example, her relationship with Benny. To me, how it was described, was just a fling, or even a matter of convenience that ends abruptly with both sides not really caring. But when Beth talks to him again later in the story, she almost sounds as if she's crying she misses him so much. But maybe it's just because she's relieved she has someone to talk to about the game she's playing? I'm not sure. She has several relationships and they all end abruptly or fall flat with no real feeling on her part. And I kept expecting her to see the boy she found attractive back in the beginning of the book but he never showed up again. I wonder too if it's because Tevis is writing more from a man's point of view. I find that sometimes when men try and write relationships they focus more on the sex and less on the feeling and then I feel surprised when there turns out to be feeling there later on, especially on the woman's part because it wasn't really indicated early on. The relationships feel like flings and are over quickly. Why even write about them? It seemed like when she had her big binge she was lonely, but whenever she's around people she tries to get away from them as fast as possible and seems relieved when she's alone again. But getting back to the storylines, another non relationship example would be when Mr. Shaibel, the janitor who taught her chess, sends her money and she promises to send it back to him plus more if she wins a tournament. I kept waiting for her to write the letter or maybe go see him and thank him or something. Finally, almost at the end of the book, at his funeral, there's a line or two that mentions her remembering that she never sent it and should have. But why didn't she? Is it just assumed she forgot? But with her razor sharp mind, every time his name came up, she wouldn't have remembered? It was almost as if Tevis remembered that hanging thread of a story line and quickly threw in a line or two to make sure it was resolved. I saw this all over the place and I'm not sure if it's laziness, or just his writing style. Either way, I wanted a little more.
Overall, the book is amazing and well worth the read. Beth's adversity in life comes through in how she deals with the chess games and the other players. It's intriguing and fascinating at the same time. It's also got me itching to bring out my board and finish some of the books with formations and exercises in them. I look forward to watching the series on Netflix. Highly recommended....more
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