Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile

by Gloria Houston
illustrated by Susan Condie Lamb

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Religious/Secular Content	:	-no
Adult Content	:	-no
Mature Topics	:	-no
Strong/Inappropriate Language	:	-no
Magic/Witchcraft	:	-no
Disrespect/Rebellion	:	-no
Drug/Alcohol Use	:	-no
Violence/Abuse	:	-no
Educational Value	:	-yes
Positive/Negative Message	:	-Teaches the history of a library.

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Oh, another great picture book!! This one is written by the same author that wrote My Great-Aunt Arizona...look into it, it's a good one as well!!

I think I'm partial to this book because it takes place in North Carolina-our home!

The book opens and you meet Dorothy, a little girl who loves books and loves people. She loves to loan out her books to her friends so that they too can find the treasures in them. Dorothy then determines that when she grows up she will become the librarian of the fine brick library in the center of the town square in her hometown of Massachusetts.

We find out however that even after attending college; preparing herself to be the best educated librarian that she can be; her plans don't happen like she thought.

The story then takes readers to the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina where Miss Dorothy's librarian dreams take a route that she didn't quite expect.

Oh, this is a lovely book!! It displays how one person's love of books can permeate her surroundings and affect the lives of those she comes in contact with. It teaches that although things may not turn out exactly as we had planned that doesn't mean that our dreams won't be fulfilled. Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile also inspires a love and respect for libraries and librarians alike.

If you are a book lover-and you probably wouldn't be reading this blog if you weren't-then you need to check out this and other books by Gloria Houston. You won't be disappointed.

This book would also be a good addition to any study on libraries that you may be doing in your homeschool!  

The Firehouse Light

by Janet Nolan
illustrated by Marie Lafrance

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Religious/Secular Content	:	-no
Adult Content	:	-no
Mature Topics	:	-no
Strong/Inappropriate Language	:	-no
Magic/Witchcraft	:	-no
Disrespect/Rebellion	:	-no
Drug/Alcohol Use	:	-no
Violence/Abuse	:	-no
Educational Value	:	-yes
Positive/Negative Message	:	-no

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We recently ended our 2010/2011 school year with a trip to a local fire department. It was a pretty last minute deal but I am so glad that we went. The fireman was extremely detailed and the kids (especially my son who went clad in his very own fireman outfit) loved it! Afterward we took a trip to the library and like all other Mom's out there I decided to look for a book that would compliment what we had just learned.

I happened across The Firehouse Light book by accident and immediately fell in love with the illustrations. (What can I say, I am visual...pictures attract me!!) They were done using acrylics and are a feast for the eyes!!


Anyway, the book! It's story starts out with this line, "A long time ago, when horse-drawn buggies delivered ice to keep food cold, and laundry dried on ropes in the sun, fires were fought with buckets, axes, and hand-pulled carts with water hoses." As the story unfolds, we find out that these poor firefighters had to fiddle with with lanterns in pitch-dark sheds to quickly find the equipment they needed. Then, one day, and elderly citizen brings to the firefighters a gift of a single lightbulb.


The book then skips ahead 10 years with every turn of the page and the readers learn what life was like in that little town for its citizens and its firefighters after 10 years of having the light, 20 years, 30 years on up to 100 years. And that lightbulb, well, it stays lit.

At the 100 year mark the townspeople throw a long deserved celebration for their faithful lightbulb. And ya know what, in the afterward at the end of the story we learn that the bulb-the same lightbulb-is still hanging from a single cord twenty feet above the ground in the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department's Station #6. It even has its own backup generator (to keep it going), webcam and website: http://www.centennialbulb.org/.

It's an amazingly sweet story that teaches so much! First of all it teaches history; the evolution of fighting fires, the evolution of a town and the evolution of it's people. It teaches math; counting by 10's up to 100. And it teaches, although quite subtly, how important faithfulness and dedication are to our society.

This is a great book! I highly recommend it for all of your firefighting enthusiasts!!

Hot X: Algebra Exposed

by Danica McKellar
illustrated by N/A

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Religious/Secular Content	:	None-
Adult Content	:	Yes-
Mature Topics	:	Yes-
Strong/Inappropriate Language	:	Yes, minimal-
Magic/Witchcraft	:	No-
Disrespect/Rebellion	:	Yes-
Drug/Alcohol Use	:	Yes-
Violence/Abuse	:	Yes-
Educational Value	:	Yes-
Positive/Negative Message	:	Positive-

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Hot X: Algebra Exposed is a middle/high school book about Algebra. It is written towards that age group and specifically for GIRLS. 
There is no distinguishable religious slant yet it does not talk against religious beliefs (it would be more secular than religious!).
The book is written for modern day girls aged 13+. There is reference to crushes on boys, obsessing over boys, dating, sex, drinking, partying and drugs. The focus on boys and liking them is prevalent throughout the book. 
Here is the lowdown on what might be of concern to some (myself included):

• "kick-ass" -dedication page
• "suck"- page xiv and throughout the book in reference to her other book by the title Math Doesn't Suck as well as slang for 'bad'.
• "kick butt"- page 3
• "tool" as it meaning "total loser"- page 10
• Wishing a guy would like her who she had a crush on- page 15
• Giving the impression that smarts gets the job, money and the life one dreams of (material pursuits)- page 20
• Romance and sex are talked about- page 26
• Drugs, partying- page 30
• Boy crazy- page 39
• Dating/boyfriends- throughout the book
• Kissing- page 40
• Crushes on boys is prevalent throughout the book
• Bullying- page 72
• Imagining the variable x is a kiss from 'some guy' (denotes it is alright to get kisses from various guys)- page 85
• Breaking up with a boyfriend (at the age of 15)- page 140
• Kissing- page 140
• Domestic violence- page 146
• Wishy-washy with emotions (I took it to denote that is it okay to like one moment and not another)- page 182
• Martinis- page 239
• "kick-ass"- page 263
• Drinking wine (and while on the job)- page 272
• Polygamy (gives the definition)- page 298
• "heck"- page 286

Some good points:

• Modest attire mentioned "your cute tankini and cover-up"- page 202
• References to faith and God helping in ones life- page 222
• Overall there is a message of being positive and confident in who you are and your abilities. 
• Don't let math get the better of you- don't let the 'fear' run your life.
• Don't let others control your actions and be true to yourself.

Because this isn't a review of this book as a math book I will leave it at what I have. But I do intend to read it more fully to see how it does stack up as a math book and will write a review on my blog soon.

20 and Counting

by Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar
illustrated by

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Religious/Secular Content	:	- Yes, Christian
Adult Content	:	- No
Mature Topics	:	- No
Strong/Inappropriate Language	:	- No
Magic/Witchcraft	:	- No
Disrespect/Rebellion	:	- No
Drug/Alcohol Use	:	- No
Violence/Abuse	:	- No. There is one part where Jim Bob describes a robbery of his home. There is a gun involved.
Educational Value	:	- Yes
Positive/Negative Message	:	- Yes, Very Positive and Encouraging.

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 This is one of the most inspiring books I have ever read. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar's story is encouraging.

The Duggar's are a homeschool family, who have not only put the amount of children they have in God's hand, but their whole lives.

They have learned to depend on God for everything they have, instead of themselves.

They learned early on the effects of debt, and have been determined not to ever borrow money.

You will see how God provided for this family in so many wonderful ways.

It has really encouraged me to lean more on Christ, and less on myself.

You will find all kinds of tips for running a family. These tips can be used in large and small families alike.

You will find helpful tips in areas such as:

Homeschooling
Housekeeping
Cooking
Moving
Finances
Marriage

And much more.

This is a must read for all ages. It is appropriate enough for children to read.

The only part that may be scary is when Jim Bob was tied up at gun point in his garage, while he was being robbed. But even this story is such a testimony to the Lord.

This whole book is such a testimony to the Lord. Very inspiring, and very encouraging.

Trailblazer Books-The Forty-Acre Swindle

by Dave & Neta Jackson
illustrated by

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Religious/Secular Content	:	- yes, emphasizes that when we put our trust in the Lord, even when things look bad, He is faithfully working for a better end for those who lean on Him.
Adult Content	:	- no
Mature Topics	:	- yes-does deal with racism in an honest and open way.
Strong/Inappropriate Language	:	- Uses many terms that were common of the day when referring to African-Americans. (I only substituted words a couple of times.)
Magic/Witchcraft	:	- no
Disrespect/Rebellion	:	- no
Drug/Alcohol Use	:	- no
Violence/Abuse	:	- no
Educational Value	:	- exposes children to how racism can affect the lives of others, and how pride and deceit can harm
Positive/Negative Message	:	- Promotes the desire to love people as God does, unconditionally. Encourages children to see the importance of working together as a family. Focuses on the recompense of hard work.

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Although these books have been around for a while this was our first reading adventure with the series. I read this with my three oldest, ages 5.5, 7.5 and 9 years. Obviously the older two were better suited for the book, but my 5 year old took a lot away from it, and enjoyed it very much. 


The Forty-Acre swindle is set in Alabama in the late 1800's. It focuses on a young boy named Jesse Turner and his family. As was typical with the day, Jesse and his family face a good amount of racism from the, as the book labels it, "white folk" of the community. The only thing in the world that Jesse and his family own is their land, 40 acres of tired cotton farmed land. When someone begins to sabotage their efforts in harvesting for the new year they become desperate. As a chance meeting the Turner's meet a man by the name of George Washington Carver who does all he can to teach the Turners and their neighbors how to be self-sufficient farmers. With Mr. Washington's help the Turner's luck seems to have taken a turn for the better until the mysterious problems start, and their harvest is threatened once more.


This was an amazing book!!! The kids could not wait for each new chapter! I don't really know why I stayed away from these books but I am glad to have begun a friendship with the series. 


The Jacksons spare nothing. This book is written about a very difficult time in our nation's history, yet the Jacksons do not shy away from bringing the reality of the things many African-American families endured during those difficult years. At first I was taken aback at the way some of the dialogue was written but it's a portion of our history that I decided our children needed some exposure to, so we read on. The story unfolds in an awesome way, and God's hand is seen clearly in how He used George Washington Carver to help many people become more self-sufficient, gain a knowledge for God's awesome creation, and become encouraged by his strong faith in the Lord.


I highly recommend this book! We will begin our 2nd book of the Trailblazer's series soon!!

The Dragon and the Turtle Go On Safari

by Donita K. Paul and Evangeline Denmark
illustrated by Vincent Nguyen

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Religious/Secular Content	:	- Mostly secular but does have one Bible verse
Adult Content	:	- None
Mature Topics	:	- None
Strong/Inappropriate Language	:	- None
Magic/Witchcraft	:	- None
Disrespect/Rebellion	:	- None
Drug/Alcohol Use	:	- None
Violence/Abuse	:	- None
Educational Value	:	- Teaches about overcoming fear; friendship
Positive/Negative Message	:	- Positive messages of overcoming fear and friendships

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The Dragon and the Turtle Go On Safari
Authors: Donia K. Paul and Evangeline Denmark
Illustrated by Vincent Nguyen
Hardback, 36 pages
ISBN: 978-0-307-44645-9
Retail: $11.99

We had the opportunity to review this cute little book and we really enjoyed it!  The illustrations are very good and the story is interesting.  DS3 really liked it...he wanted me to read it to him several times!

The story is about Roger, the turtle, and Padraig, the dragon, who are best friends.  They decide to spend the night out in the woods together but end up being very afraid of every sound they hear.  They do eventually overcome their fear to save a baby "leopard".  The story is written in a very unique manner that is incredibly fun to read.

The very last page of the book (glued to the back cover) is also something very nice - it is a Bible verse (Deuteronomy 31:6; of which this book is based off) along with some discussion starters.  Nice addition!

We would definately recommend this book to others.

Have a wonderfully blessed day!


Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Blogging 4 Books in exchange for my honest review. No compensation was received. All opinions are my own.

Little Star by Anthony DeStefano

by Anthony DeStefano
illustrated by Mark Elliott

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Religious/Secular Content	:	- Religions
Adult Content	:	- None
Mature Topics	:	- None
Strong/Inappropriate Language	:	- None
Magic/Witchcraft	:	- None
Disrespect/Rebellion	:	- None
Drug/Alcohol Use	:	- None
Violence/Abuse	:	- None
Educational Value	:	- Teaches the story of Jesus
Positive/Negative Message	:	- Teaches that Jesus came to save all

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Publisher: Multnomah Books
Hardback, 40 pages
Recommended Ages: 4 - 8
ISBN 978-0-307-45805-6
Retail Price: $12.9

This is a childrens book that tells the story of Jesus in a way that I have never even thought of - from that of the little shining star.

There are two parts to this story - the story of the star and the story of Jesus.

The story of the star talks about how no one likes him, how he is too small and how everyone ignores him.

The second part of the story is about Jesus, about how He came to serve and save "the little people".

Although I think the author was trying to tie the story of the star to how Jesus came to save the ones no one likes - I didn't really like how it was tied together (or wasn't really tied together).  I did appreciate  the part of the little star story where even though he was the littlest - he was the only one who saw Jesus as the King through the poverty and circumstances.

If you are looking for a book that tells the story of Jesus in an entirely new way...this is the book for you!

Have a wonderfully blessed day!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Blogging 4 Books in exchange for my honest review. No compensation was received. All opinions are my own.