This That and the Other Thing: August 2010

Monday, August 30, 2010

First Wildcard: The Berenstain Bears and the Gift of Courage

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Jan & Mike Berenstain

and the book:

The Berenstain Bears and the Gift of Courage

Zonderkidz (April 9, 2010)

***Special thanks to Krista Ocier of Zondervan for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Stan and Jan Berenstain introduced the first Berenstain Bear books in 1962.

Mike Berenstain grew up watching his parents work together to write about and draw these lovable bears. Eventually he started drawing and writing about them too. Mike is married to Andrea, and they have three children. They live in Pennsylvania, in an area that looks a lot like Bear Country.

Visit the authors' website.

Product Details:

List Price: $3.99
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Zonderkidz (April 9, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310712564
ISBN-13: 978-0310712565

PRESS THE BROWSE BUTTON TO VIEW THE FIRST CHAPTER:

The Berenstain Bears are always a hit at our house. Even my teen son had to have a look at this one.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Monday Memes

I'm going to do two memes in one on this post. First, Mailbox Monday which is on its final week at Chick Loves Lit. To participate, create a post showing what the mail brought you this week. I got

For Time and Eternity (Sister Wife) is about early Mormans and is for a blog tour September 10. Rebecca at Glass Roads sent it to me.

A Dream for Hannah (Hannah's Heart) and

A Hope for Hannah (Hannah's Heart) are obviously Amish fiction. First Wildcard will tour them next week.

Whisper on the Wind (The Great War Series, No. 2) is set during WWI and I just love the cover!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is hosted at Book Journey. It asks for a list of what you read last week and what you plan to read this week.

I finished and reviewed this book set in South Louisiana just before Hurricane Betsy. I didn't plan it that way, but I'm from New Orleans and we are commemorating the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

Running Around (And Such) (Lizzie Searches for Love, Book 1)

My other review this week was an Amish novel written by an Amish author.

I finished A Dream for Hannah (Hannah's Heart) and will post a review next week for a First Wildcard tour.

This week I need to read A Hope for Hannah (Hannah's Heart) and

For Time and Eternity (Sister Wife) so I'm able to post on time. I have a couple of other books I'd like to start too...

Happy Reading!

My Review: Rising Tides

Rising Tides was an interesting book to be reading this weekend, the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Set in South Louisiana in 1965, much of the action takes place in the days just before Hurricane Betsy, New Orleans' previous worst hurricane ever. Rising Tides is the sequel to Iron Lace which I reviewed not long ago. Aurore is now dead, and has summoned family and some friends to her summer home in Grand Isle for the reading of her will. She declared that anyone who did not stay for the whole four days would forfeit his/her share of the estate. The first three days small bequests are made, bequests it quickly becomes apparent are meant to shed light on family secrets--on her secrets. On the fourth day the big bequests are given, and with them, one of the biggest secrets. The storm brewing in the Gulf is no worse than the one hitting this family, and like the way Katrina's destruction of New Orleans has allowed some things to be rebuilt in a better way, so Aurore hoped that by making her family face the storm caused by the truth, she'd allow them to rebuild their lives on a firm, elevated foundation. Grade: B+

Review: Running Around (and Such)

I'm a Catholic who reads a lot of Christian fiction. Christian fiction, for the most part, is written for and by Evangelical Protestants, and reflects their faith experiences and life view. Sometimes these books contain Catholic characters, and often when they do, I roll my eyes and say "The author just doesn't get Catholicism". They may get the externals right (and sometimes not) but the meanings fly right past them, whether its because we aren't good at explaining then or because the author doesn't want to give up pre-conceived notions about us.

So, why am I talking about Catholicism when I show a photo of a book with an Amish girl on the cover? Amish fiction is a popular sub-genre of Christian fiction, but most of the authors are not Amish and hold a very different world view than do the Amish. I've often wondered if their depictions of Amish life and faith were as flawed as the depictions of Catholicism that I've read. With Running Around (And Such) (Lizzie Searches for Love, Book 1) I'm pretty confident that the depictions of Amish life and beliefs are accurate because the author, Linda Byler, is Amish. One thing I've found interesting is that she made it clear that the Amish are not one monolithic group who are all the same. The family at the center of the story moves a couple of counties away and the women have to change their hairstyles and are allowed to wear sweaters. I'd say the strength of this book is the depiction of Amish life--the clothes, the hairstyles, the houses, the schools and the fact that just like "English" girls, Amish teens want to look nice.

Unfortunately, the weakness of this book is the plot--there really isn't one. Lizzie, the main character, is coming of age. She is looking forward to being of dating age when one day her father announces they are moving to another county to buy a farm. She doesn't like farming, but Amish kids who live on farms work on farms. Also, we follow her as she works for other families in the area, and starts looking for a husband. Still, the book lacks the typical plot arc of introduction, problem, rising action and resolution. It doesn't end as much as it stops. The only conflict is between Lizzie and her parents, and there is no real resolution, but then the conflict isn't that much different than many teens and parents.

If you enjoy Amish fiction and want to read a book written by an Amish woman, you may like this one, but in the overall world of books, Running Around (And Such) (Lizzie Searches for Love, Book 1) leaves a lot to be desired. Grade: C.

Thanks for FSB Media for providing a review copy.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

I'd like to welcome you to Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival.

What did you post about this week? Create a post entitled "Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival and in it highlight your posts from this week. Include a link to this post. Then, sign Mr. Linky so we can all check it out. Don't forget to visit other folks. If you'd like a weekly reminder to post, join our yahoogroup.

This week I had an all-expense paid trip to Houston for the BP hearings so needless to say, not much blogging got done. It was tour date for two children's books: The Berenstain Bears and a Job Well Done and That's Where God Is (tour) and review.

First Wildcard: That's Where God Is

Today's Wild Card authors are:

Dan and Ali Morrow

and the book:

That’s Where God Is

David C. Cook; New edition (August 1, 2010)

***Special thanks to Audra Jennings, Senior Media Specialist, The B&B Media Group for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Dan and Ali Morrow are parents of two wonderful daughters. When they’re not writing children’s books, they like to go on adventures around their Colorado home.

Visit the authors' website.

Product Details:

List Price: $12.99
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 36 pages
Publisher: David C. Cook; New edition (August 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1434764346
ISBN-13: 978-1434764348

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER (Click on the pictures to see them larger):

I need to apologize to the authors, Dan and Ali Morrow for not posting yesterday. It was a hectic day but I let myself be distracted. I did have a review up. My six year old and enjoyed it and I'd like to say thanks again.

Friday, August 27, 2010

First Wildcard: That's Where God Is

My Review: My six year old enjoyed this story tonight and was able to generalize that God was at her school, with her friends etc. It is a multi-faceted book with which you can stress different aspects on different readings. These aspects include God being everywhere, the power of prayer, and of course, the love of grandparents. The only complaint I have is that it seems that the grandfather was suggesting the little boy didn't have God in his heart until he specifically prayed for that at the end of the book. I asked my daughter when she had become a child of God, and of course she knew the right answer "When I was baptized".

Monday, August 23, 2010

First Wildcard: Berenstain Bears and A Job Well Done

Today's Wild Card authors are:

Jan & Mike Berenstain

and the book:

The Berenstain Bears and A Job Well Done

Zonderkidz (April 9, 2010)

***Special thanks to Krista Ocier of Zondervan for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Stan and Jan Berenstain introduced the first Berenstain Bear books in 1962.

Mike Berenstain grew up watching his parents work together to write about and draw these lovable bears. Eventually he started drawing and writing about them too. Mike is married to Andrea, and they have three children. They live in Pennsylvania, in an area that looks a lot like Bear Country.

Visit the authors' website.

Product Details:

List Price: $3.99
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Zonderkidz (April 9, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310712548
ISBN-13: 978-0310712541

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER: