Mrs. Essig is Reading...
Black Beauty by Anna SewellA story for animal lovers for sure! This book is all about life through the eyes of a horse. It starts when the horse, Black Beauty, is born. The reader is taken through the many adventures and owners Black Beauty goes through. It's a lesson in kindness and perseverance no matter what your circumstances are, to do what is right even when it's hard.
I was drawn to this book because of the movie with the same name. Vastly different but with the same feeling throughout. So, if you've seen the movie, don't put the book off. They are completely different and both worth your time. Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean MyersThis is a fictional story of a young soldier sent to Iraq during the takedown of Saddam Hussein. It tracks his adventure of being in the Civil Affairs unit and not expecting to be in the fight and yet still finding himself there. It is hard to remember it is fictional, and it tugs at your heart strings for soldiers who are in a position of fighting for democracy and the freedoms we have become so accustomed to. May we always have men and women like this who are willing to put aside their own right to life to ensure that we have a right to freedoms in our lives. I think the only disappointment in this book is that is isn't true. I read it wanting it to be a true story and I find myself a little let down that it's not. Maybe that is a testament to Myers' good writing. The Prince Warrior by Priscilla ShirerWith three little boys running around my house, constantly battling each other in one way or another, I find myself drawn to stories of warriors. This book series of four books about two brothers and a couple of other teenagers from the neighborhood who get transplanted magically to an unseen and unknown world where they are given armor and challenges that test their resolve, their focus, their teamwork, and their morality. It teaches this group of kids to stick to what they know is right and to truly accept and be kind to everyone.
It was a series I could not put down and brought me to tears at its finish. I cannot wait to have my boys read it and to have them see in the mind through the wonderful writing what it means to be a warrior in this day and age. It is geared toward upper elementary and middle school boys AND girls. The princess warriors in this series are just as vital and strong as the boys. They are just as much warriors as the boys. The False Prince by Jennifer NielsenWhat a great story! It is engaging and a fun read. A young orphan is not who you think he is which makes this story and the twists and turns of it, one you have a hard time putting down.
The main character is one you are not sure you want to like but can't help but admire his independence, perseverance, and desire to do what's right when it counts. It is the first in a trilogy and I cannot wait to pick up the other two to see how the adventures of this young man end up. Nothing is as it seems and this book gives us an example of how we should go through life - sacrifice, going against the flow, being true to who you are, and doing the right but sometimes hard thing. Motherhood Without All the Rules by Maggie CombsSometimes it's good to read a book about something you are or something you like just to get another perspective. That is what this book is. It is giving me, as a mother, insight into the difference between being me in my motherhood and not being what the world expects me to be as a mother. And isn't that something we all need help with...being who we were created to be, where we are placed, instead of exactly what the world says we should be or who someone else is?
Definitely a good read, and if you find yourself a mother or know one who needs a reminder of being the mother they were created to be, pick up this book and give it a read . I believe you'll find it refreshing and encouraging. Wild at Heart by John EldredgeThis book was recommended to me by my husband. It is about boys and men and what makes them "tick". As my husband and I are raising three boys, I am finding this book is so essential to understanding how boys think and how their hearts are unique from girls.
I honestly would say that if you're a boy, you need to read this...at some point in your life. It may be a little more geared at adults but there is nothing inappropriate in it. He is talking more to men and then women raising boys than teenagers. That is not say you, as a boy, wouldn't be able to glean from the information. It may even help you as you traverse the roads of adolescence. East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Being an avid reader and a teacher of English Language Arts, I love classics...almost more than new stuff. This novel I read a loooong time ago, so decided to reread it. It is amazing how much you forget about what you read! There has been so much I don't remember about this book, it's almost as if I am reading it for the first time.
But then, maybe we do read books again for the first time when we are in a completely different stage of life having a whole new set of experiences behind us. It is a book for the mature, it has a lot of content in it that is heartbreaking, but that is the draw to it for a lot of people. It's real. And real life has a lot of fails, a lot of disappointments, a lot of evil, and a lot of heart-break. Well written, a great book about humanity and relationships...but probably not one I'll ever read again. |