Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families & Churches, Russell D Moore

****
I loved this book. Pete and I have been seriously considering adoption for the near future (we always thought we might someday but with the past years events we have been moving up the timeline). We loved the way Moore laid out a biblical theology of adoption and "walking" through the his experiences with adoption helped us think through what the road might look like in a new way.

Thanks Amy for suggesting it on your blog!

Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World: Suzanne Woods Fisher

***
Very enjoyable read. I loved the amish proverbs that began each chapter and the summaries that gave practical suggestions on how to rethink our modern lifestyle without moving to Lancaster Pennsylvania. It was a good vacation read - although a few chapters at the end drew a tear or two...

Life is so Good: George Dawson and Richard Glaubman

 ****
Really good read - big take home points - don't worry and be content. I'll let you discover the rest for yourself :)

Parenting Your Infant/Toddler by the Spirit: Yes, you can lay the foundation for a godly character - Sally Hohnberger

**
I stopped reading this one when it seemed to be repeating without much new content. The  book was a good reminder to remember prayer in the midst of child training/correction and it did focus on infants a toddlers. I wasn't comfortable with the author's "style" however as she came across rather legalistic (she is a 7th day Adventist) and a lot of her "techniques" seemed more like toddler "healings" straight from the local tent meeting.  I would not recommend this book unless you were willing to dig with extra discernment for the diamonds in the rough.

Creative Correction (Focus on the Family Book) - Lisa Whelchel

***
Was a good interesting read and I will definitely come back to this looking for creative "consequences" once Leo is a little older but for the toddler age this material was definitely not yet applicable. Her style is really enjoyable however and it read almost like a novel. Definitely the "lightest" parenting book I've read, full of humorous stories yet it still provided some good practical information. Possibly a good productive vacation read :)

The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure - William Goldman

**
Totally enjoyable light reading - mostly pretty close to the book accept omissions which were immediately understandable. A few interesting background tidbits are discovered that would definitely be of interest to a fan (and bring extra dimension to a few characters) but mostly the additional material was mediocre to just plan bad. The story outside the story (which is much more expansive in the book than movie) could have been skipped altogether in my opinion.

Teach Them Diligently: How To Use The Scriptures In Child Training - Louis Paul Priolo

****
I really liked this book as well - it's emphasis on bringing the scriptures into your child rearing was great. It had a lot of great principles and some practical advice as well - again it didn't deal a lot with the toddler age. The main thrust was on the parent's learning of scripture - which is great I totally agree - but I'd love for someone to come up with some tools to for me to teach my child biblical lessons in a way that we would both enjoy and doesn't take hours of planning. We have tons of bible books but really need some good bible board books as well as some books using bible stories (preferably) to deal with issues he faces - obeying parents being the primary one respecting others a good second.

Parenting by the Book - John Rosemond

 

****
This was a favorite of mine - Really enjoyed a guilt lifting look at what parenting used to be about. Great principles but not a lot of nitty gritty practicality for the toddler age. The great general framework for parenting however made it definitely worth the read!

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk - Adele Faber, Elaine Mazlish

  

*
Have to admit I didn't finish this one - maybe I'll go back and skim the rest it had great tips on the general psychology of how conversations work but the parenting philosophy was way off base in my opinion.

Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood: Practical Parenting from Birth to Six Years - Jim Fay, Charles Fay

***
I liked this book. While I don't agree with all their stances - they think spanking is cruel and that babies aren't defiant till they're two! - they were the first parenting book that I've read to give helpful PRACTICAL tips on how to deal with toddlers. I love their techniques to deal with tantrums and their helpful tips with response "procedures" that help you keep your cool in the heat of disobedience.