More 8-12, especially girls

Thanks for your comment, Michelle! It reminded me about my new batch of books I needed to post. My mom cleaned out her books and let me take what I wanted. Treasurers! Here are some more for girls 8-12. I'm not good at judging grade level, but these are innocent fun reads for this age group.

1. Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster
2. Borrowers (I think it's a series) by Mary Norton
3. Mixed-up Files of Basil E. Frankweiler by Konigsburg
4. Behind the Attic Wall by Sylvia Cassidy
5. Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney
6. Tom's Midnight Garden by Phillipa Pearce
7. Lisa and Lottie by Erich Kastner (I just re-read this. It's darling.)
8. The One of a Kind Family series by Sydney Taylor . . . completely endearing

Good luck!

Mother Hubbard Summer Book List 2012

The idea cupboard is bare.

Throw me a bone.

The Shunning

Not much reading going on around here, it's May and it's crazy. This week, for instance, we attended school open house, a trip to the zoo, preschool at our house, and the school carnival. We also had one mom (me) who was in charge of the teachers' luncheon, a PTA meeting, our family's turn to clean the church, a trip to get fitted for glasses, and soccer practice. Eric had early mornings at work and nights spent with church work. Tomorrow we have a soccer game (we are in charge of treats) and two birthday parties (not our kids).

Not much reading going on here. Not by me at least.

But.

I did see a good movie. After finding Arranged, I've been looking for good movies that depict well (and not sensationalize or demonize) other religious and belief systems. I saw The Shunning, directed by Michael Landon Jr, and I liked it. The plot deals with a young woman in the Amish community and her emotional journey as she is shunned by her community. Low budget movie, but good acting. Drew me in. I like that wasn't about a young woman struggling to get out of her community, but about her struggles as she tried to stay in it. All sorts of juicy sub-themes: community needs vs. individual needs; non-mother mentor figures; mother needs vs. daughter needs; room in a strict religious community for people who row their boat their own way; growing up, etc.

Marcie, this would be great in a high school homeschool comparative religion unit in a language arts class. Completely clean and rich with themes for writing and discussion. I think sophmores maybe, juniors definitely.

Or, this would be a great movie for a book club full of women who didn't have time to read an entire novel, but wanted a good movie to discuss. Not objectionable, but rich in conflict.

Someone watch this. Then I want to talk about it with you. (Which reminds me of one of the most flattering ways I was ever asked out on a date . . . a PhD candidate in my church congregation said to me, "So there's this movie I just saw with all of these Jane Austen parallels. . . I need an intelligent woman to see it with me so then we can talk about it. How about Friday?")

That was another movie, and I don't need a date  . . . but watch it, and we'll chat.

The Beaver IMAX movie

Seen it yet? My kids love it and we stream it right in with Netflix.

(Ah, Netflix streaming. A blessing and a curse. It was here that my boys discovered 66 episodes of Go Diego Go! To think I had heretofore been able to avoid the chirpy theme song by saying, "Oh, it's just not on right now." Ah, the good old days.)

Hey Michelle, hope I can find that list for you. Check the May 2008 posts---I was transferring all my book posts from the family blog onto this blog because Kristen C said she wanted all the book stuff in one place and I thought that was a good idea. There's a Age 10-14, especially for girls, and one especially for boys. Is that "the list"? If not, I'll keep looking. I just looked at the list and it seems rather small actually, but maybe it was grander when I posted it.

And then we also had a bunch of people chime in when I was looking for my friend Amy's 1st grader in Dec. 2010. Might be a little young, depending on where your daughter is, but there might be something there for you. But that was post-family blog posting, so that might not be it.

Oh! That Michelle!

Well, I'm flattered. So nice to have you coming by! I'll see what else I can find for you, then. I'm in a bit of a book lull---no reason really, just one of those ho-hum, what I'm reading really isn't worth recommending. But I'm sure to get to something good soon.

Yeah! Michelle in Colorado! Identified!

Hey Michelle in Colorado

Hi.

You've commented twice and I just wanted to say that's so nice of you.

Who are you? Have we met in person? Or do you know Meg in Sheridan? Because Meg in Sheridan also comes here and I think she's great even though we've never met except for here.

So welcome. You are one of 2, maybe 3 people who actually read this blog who aren't related to me genetically.

:)