Lest you think I haven’t been blogging because I’ve been spending my days watching TV and eating bon bons, I have news for you. I’ve been READING BOOKS and eating bon bons! So there. Okay, okay. I don’t even know what bon bons are. But I have been reading. 🙂

Banner in the Sky – James Ramsey Ullman

This will be one of Mitchell’s book report books this coming year. Rudi Matt’s father, Josef, died trying to climb the Citadel – the tallest peak in their Swiss village. Rudi is compelled to finish the job for his dad and place his father’s red shirt at the top as a banner in the sky – the symbol of Rudi’s love and admiration for a father he never knew. His struggles to pursue his dream  and the tensions that arise make a great story. The mountain climbing metaphor beautifully applies to life, particularly the Christian life. This book will not disappoint you.

The Great Gilly Hopkins – Katherine Paterson

This book tore at my heart emotionally to the point I couldn’t put it down. The repeated use of a curse word frustrated me, yet it’s perfectly true that a girl like Gilly would talk that way. Galadriel “Gilly” Hopkins is a foster child looking for love, going from one foster home to another. She dreams about the day her mother will send for her and imagines living a happily-ever-after. I’m having my teenager read it for a book report because it is thought provoking.  It depicts a life that we all should be grateful that we do not have. It has tenderness and love.

Journey through the Night – Anne de Vries

Anne de Vries was commissioned by the Queen of the Netherlands to write the history of the Dutch Resistance during World War II. He did a fantastic job. You will meet Everett de Boer, an architect, and his family on page one and instantly be swept up in their fight for freedom from their Nazi neighbors. I was moved by the courageous acts of these citizens as they housed divers, (the name for Jews or any of the Allies), distributed anti-Nazi literature, stole ration cards, bombed bridges and more. I asked myself, “If I were called upon to attempt these deeds  for my country today, could I do it?” It’s a sobering thought. But even in this fictional story, the glory for every success, for every act of bravery, is given to God. It’s an exciting history lesson, one you will thoroughly enjoy.

Phoebe the Spy – Judith Berry Griffin

This short book is perfect for early elementary age children…or, adults in their thirties. It’s the true story of a brave girl who helped save General George Washington’s life during the Revolutionary War. It’s brief, but well written. I give it five stars. Or a thumbs up. Or both!

The Journal Belongs to Ratchet – Nancy J. Cavanaugh

From the back cover:

If only getting a new life were as easy as getting a new notebook.
But it’s not.

It’s the first day of school for all the kids in the neighborhood. But not for me. I’m homeschooled. That means nothing new. No new book bag, no new clothes, and no friends – old or new. The best I’ve got is this notebook. I’m supposed to use it for my writing assignments, but my dad never checks. Here’s what I’m really going to use it for:

Ratchet’s Top Secret Plan
Project Goal: turn my old, recycled, freakish, friendless, motherless life into something shiny and new.

This year, I’m going make something change.

This book is full of surprises and yet another that my teenager will be reading. It’s pretty easy to believe our lives are hard or even bad. But perhaps we’re looking at it all wrong? Ratchet’s journey is one to which adults and teens will definitely relate – homeschooled or not. 🙂

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I’m currently in the middle of two other books, and have yet to write about some that I read months ago. I say it too much, but it’s true: So many books, so little time.

Thanks for reading about what I’m reading!