Friday, December 31, 2010

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.

Friday, December 10, 2010

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.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Nurture Shock - Po Bronson & Ashley Merryman

***
Interesting and enlightening, this book challenges traditional thoughts on a variety of parenting techniques/methods. You have to read it to believe some of the theories the studies they discuss have uncovered. It might change the way you interact with your child in very fundamental ways...

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Meaning at the Movies: Becoming a Discerning Viewer - Grant Horner

****
I really liked this one. Full disclosure - it was written by one of my favorite college profs so I may be a little biased but I found it an excellent read. Much more than the typical legalistic approach to what is "appropriate" this books delves into the world views behind the movies and helps you discern truth while dissecting some exemplary movie gems in a very enlightening and enjoyable discussion. I read it within the first 24hrs after landed on my door step. Reminded me of the good old college days. Sigh.

Parenting with Scripture - Kara Durbin

***
This is a REFERENCE book. It lists scriptures that can be used to teach about different topics. The topics appear in the book alphabetically with discussion questions and application activities. A good resource but not really bedside reading. That said we've used it a couple of times already when looking for scripture to help with issues that Leo is encountering.