Book #44

The kids and I really enjoyed reading "The Bronze Bow" by Elizabeth George Speare last summer for our kid book club.  We also liked "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" which we read the year before.  This summer we picked another of her books to read--"The Sign of the Beaver"--and liked it just as well as the others. 

In this story Matt and his father move to Maine and set up a homestead, then the father leaves to fetch the rest of the family leaving Matt in charge.  The journey takes longer than expected and 13 year old Matt is left to have many adventures on his own.  While attempting to retrieve honey from a tree, Matt is attacked by bees.  He is rescued by an Indian chief and his grandson, Attean.  Matt agrees to teach Attean to read, but in the process learns a lot from Attean.  Matt learns that there are two sides to every story.  He starts to see how the indian people feel about the white people hunting on the land.  Matt learns different ways to do things.  He also learns the importance of family. 

After our discussion we ground some corn with rocks and made corn meal.  The kids discovered that it was hard work.  They worked for 10 minutes and only ground about 1 Tablespoon.  We also tasted some hasty pudding--a food that Matt ate until a bear snuck into his house and scattered the flour on the floor.  I had several toppings available, but most of the kids didn't like it any way. 

Book #43

I'm not a salesman, but we all have something to sell--ourselves.  That is what I learned from reading "The Greatest Salesman in the World" by Og Mandino. 

In this book we meet Hafid who is known as the greatest salesman and go with him as he walks down memory lane to the time when he was just a camel boy.  He inherits 10 scrolls that contain the secrets to becoming the greatest salesman.  The first scroll is the instructions and the why, and the remaining 9 contain actions to build good habits.  Hafid read one scroll 3 times a day for 30 days before moving on to the next scroll.  Here are the things I learned from each scroll:

Scroll I - Begin a New Life.  Use the right information and become a slave to good habits. 

Scroll II - Greet Each Day With Love In Your Heart.  Love opposition for what each offers.  Dig for reasons to applaud, shout praise and keep quiet instead of criticizing. 

Scroll III - Persist Until You Succeed.  Prizes come at the end of the journey and you appreciate them more after going through the struggles.  Small, repeated attempts will complete any undertaking--"If I persist long enough, I will succeed." 

Scroll IV - You Are Nature's Greatest Miracle.  I am unique.  I am the only me.  I am here for a purpose. 

Scroll V - Live Each Day as if it Were Your Last.  Forget yesterday and don't worry about tomorrow.  Avoid timewasters and DO. 

Scroll VI - Master Your Emotions.  Understand that emotions change and be prepared to handle each emotion.  When depressed, sing; if sad, laugh.  Give grace for others' emotions. 

Scroll VII - Laugh at the World.  Laughter improves.  Remember that "this too shall pass."

Scroll VIII - Multiply Your Value Every Day.  Set goals and surpass own deeds. 

Scroll IX - Act Now.  Goals, plans, and dreams are worthless unless followed by action.

Scroll X - Pray to God for Guidance.  Ask Him to guide me to "acquire ability to equal my opportunities."

Book #42

I hesitate to write a post on this book. . .I'm not sure what to say or how to say it.  "Leadershift" by Orrin Woodward and Oliver DeMille is "a call for Americans to finally stand up and lead."  It is a book written in story form and gives steps and ideas for the average citizen to become one of the 10% who lead our country in the next shift. 

A lot of us recognize that our county is moving in a downward spiral and feel a need to do something about it, but we just don't know what to do.  This book gives those people something to do.  One suggestion is to read like our founders did.  The founders were not educated men (in a traditional sense) but they all could read and discuss "The Federalist Papers". 

Another thing the authors suggested was being involved on a local level and knowing what is happening.  Tocqueville says something similar in "Democracy in America".  Bear with me; it is a long quote. 

"There are some nations in Europe whose inhabitants think of themselves in a sense as colonist, indifferent to the fate of the place they live in.  The greatest changes occur in their country without their cooperation.  They are not even aware of precisely what has taken place.  They suspect it; they have heard of the event by chance.  More than that, they are unconcerned with the fortunes of their village, the safety of their streets, the fate of their church and its vestry.  They think that such things have nothing to do with them, that they belong to a powerful stranger called "the government."  They enjoy these goods as tenants, without sense of ownership, and never give a thought to how they might be improved.  They are so divorced from their own interests that even when their own security and that of their children is finally compromised, they do not seek to avert the danger themselves but cross their arms and wait for the nation as a whole to come to their aid.  Yet as utterly as they sacrifice their own free will, they are no fonder of obedience than anyone else.  They submit, it is true, to the whims of a clerk but no sooner is force removed than they are glad the defy the low as a defeated enemy.  Thus one finds them ever wavering between servitude and license." 

 

I am taking a constitution class in the fall and this book will be the closing book.  I will read it again at that point.  The hope is that after learning about what the founders wanted, we will want to read something that points us in the direction of change.  It is something that everyone who wants to turn the spiral upwards should read. 



Book #41

We just finished the second book in the Wizard of Oz series called "The Marvelous Land of Oz".  I don't know if you watched the movie Return to Oz when you were a kid, but parts of this book reminded me of that movie--some of the characters and some of the magic.  It made me want to find it and watch it with my kids. 

After writing "The Wizard of Oz" Frank L. Baum said that he wouldn't write another Oz story.  He received lots of letters asking him to write one.  After one letter from a young girl he said that if she could get 1000 people to write saying they wanted another Oz story he would do it.  This story is proof that he lost that bet. 

In this story we see the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman again and are introduced to new characters--Tip, Jack Pumpkinhead, the Sawhorse, the Highly Magnified Woggle-Bug and the Gump.  They travel around the land of Oz in an attempt to save the Emerald City from the army of revolt and search for the rightful heir.  I enjoyed the story, but didn't think it was as well written as the first book. 

Book #40

"Son" is the 4th book in "The Giver" series by Lois Lowry.  This is an interesting series.  "The Giver" was written over 20 years ago and at the end you think the story is over, but in in 2000 Lois Lowry wrote a sequel called "Gathering Blue" and a 3rd book called "The Messenger" in 2004.  Again, we thought that was the end, but just last year she released "Son".  Who knows if that will be the last? 

The story starts in the same place as "The Giver" and ends in the same place as "The Messenger".  Claire is assigned to be a birth mother, but there are complications and after giving birth via C-section she is reassigned to another occupation.  By chance Claire does not resume her daily pill taking and therefore has feelings.  She feels attachment to her baby.  If you've read "The Giver" you understand how different this is for people in this community.  Claire's baby is Gabe, the boy that Jonas (from "The Giver") runs away with.  Claire runs away, too, in search of her son and after much adventure, learning and sacrifice she is reunited with him. 

I've mentioned before how much I love reading books from another character's point of view.  The first part of the story is this way.  I thought that we would get to see how the community survived after Jonas left, but was still pleased with the direction the book went.  Maybe Lois Lowry will write another book that watches the people in the community deal with the memories. 

Book #39

My sister and I like to read books together so that we can discuss them and sometimes having a buddy/accountability partner helps me to finish tough books.  The latest book we read was "Ender's Game".  She read it for a book club and knew that I wanted to review it before I read it to my kids so she asked me to join her.  I love this book, but my kids aren't ready for it. 

It's funny how each time you read a book, you learn something different.  The first time I read it, I was intrigued.  I enjoyed it, but didn't really get it.  The second time I read it, I understood so much better the battle scenes.  This time, the leadership stood out to me.  The way Ender watched others and learned how to be a good leader. 

Some leadership skills I learned from Ender:
1. It isn't how you solve problems, but why.
2. A leader settles their own problems.
3. A leader knows what to do and what not to do by learning from others.
4. A leaders also knows what to do by trial and error. 
5. A leader evaluates their knowledge and understands how to apply it.
6. A leader often takes "the road less traveled."
7. A leader acts like a leader.
8. A leader asks the right questions.
9. Sometimes a leader has to act alone.
10. A leader must "stand strong" even when everything stands against him.
11. A leader gains trust.
12. A leader is not a manager--a leader must be in the trenches.

Ender realized that he had power, but it was "a power born of excellence, not manipulation."  He had respect and admiration from his crew.  He learned how to lead them. 

I don't know if I'll watch the movie.  I'm always disappointed in the changes made, but it might be interesting to see how they do the battle scenes. 

Book #38

"We're off to see the wizard, the Wonderful Wizard of OZ!"  I broke out in song several times as I read this book aloud to the kids.  What a fun story, even thought it isn't the same as the movie I grew up watching and singing along with. 

Dorothy is carried by a cyclone to the land of OZ and befriends some strange characters--the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion.  They make their way to the Emerald City in hopes that the wizard will give them their deepest wish.  The irony of their wishes is that 3 of them already have what they want.  The Scarecrow wants brains, but his ideas along the trip show that he already has brains.  The Tin Woodman wishes for a heart, but he is always kind and thoughtful to all the creatures.  The Cowardly Lion desires courage, but often shows courage and bravery in the face of danger.  Even Dorothy has the ability to get back to Kansas the whole time, she just doesn't know the power is contained in her silver shoes.  The 4 friends go on many adventures and overcome many trials, but in the end, they all get what they want.

I can't remember if I already knew there were more books about the land of OZ or if I learned it from friends who were reading the series.  I decided it would be a fun series to read.  Most of the kids have already read the first book, but I decided to start there anyway for the benefit for the youngest two.  They loved it and all are looking forward to the next book in the series.