Her brow furrows as she slowly and deliberately makes the sounds for each letter, purposely combining them to decipher the new word. The next word is one she knows by sight so it comes easily. With each sentence, she rereads, carefully checking that she understands what she’s read. My teacher heart bursts with pride! This is what we’ve been working on for months and her skills are improving with each word, each sentence, each page.
The next morning, after she has flipped through almost every book in the classroom library, she bounces up grinning from ear to ear. “I’ve been waiting for this one to be there!” and she waves it in my face. A Biscuit book (they are about a cute little dog, whose name is Biscuit for those that aren’t familiar). “Will you help me read it?” she implores. “Of course!” I answer, “I’ll read it to you during part of our reading conference.” Her brow furrows like I’ve seen her do so many times in concentration and her voice drops to a whisper, “No, I want to read it by MYSELF. I just want you to help me with the ones I don’t know.” Ah, I think. She might not be ready, but INTEREST in what you are reading is as important to growth as knowing the words. Saying she was interested didn’t fit the situation. Determined. Stead-fast. Strong. Now those fit a little more closely.
At each conference over the next week, we combed through the book together. She would reread each page she already knew, and we’d work through new pages together. The next time she bounded up waving the book in my face, her smile was even wider! She had finished it – by herself! And within weeks she’d finished every Biscuit book in my collection.
This tiny learner was in my class several years ago, but I can hardly think of Biscuit without seeing her beaming as she’d overcome this challenge. Maybe this sense of accomplishment is one of the reasons I love reading so much. Perhaps reading came easily to you at first, or maybe it didn’t. But, now, for me, it represents starting something – and finishing it. Persistence, working through challenges, and accepting guidance when it’s time to learn new things.
In my life, right now, there are so many things that are cyclical. I do them every day, every week. But a book… start it… enjoy it… finish it.
What about you? What’s your “Biscuit Book”? What challenging thing has caught your eye? Do you need to start? Or finish?
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus was referred to as Teacher and many times as we read, we see him teaching in the synagogue. John Mark tells us as Jesus was going away to rest, a great crowd ran to meet him.
Mark 6
“When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.”
Allow me to take some liberty as I examine this story as a former teacher. Teachers don’t see our tiny learners as a great crowd. We see them as individuals! In classrooms, it isn’t that they all need to learn to read. It is “A. is working on long vowel sounds.” “H. is working on figuring out the words from the pictures.” “E. is working on retelling what she has just read.”
I believe, with all my heart, Jesus sees us the same way! “B. is filled with worry.” “K. struggles with insecurity.” “M. doesn’t know how she’ll pay this month’s bills.” His compassion was not for the great crowd. It was for me – and you – as individuals.
Do you need to sit at the feet of The Teacher and let Him lovingly prompt you to grasp what you might not understand? Do the hard work today. You may not finish it but imagine His joy as you step forward in faith.
***
Speaking of reading and after a few friends have asked what I’m reading, I decided to do a quarterly round-up of books I’ve completed during that time frame. I’ll do a quick recap (solemnly swearing to never give up an ending) and give a quick opinion or two. I probably won’t give “stars” or “tomatoes”, but instead will give some instructions that will range from “Get thyself to the Barnes & Noble immediately, don’t even wait on the Amazon Prime Two-Day shipping, trust me it’s worth the drive to an actual store” to “don’t even pick this up, turn your eyes away from this garbage”. I, actually, will probably very rarely ever or maybe never say that, because every book is someone’s hard spent time, effort and energy. (And plus, I’m an Enneagram 2, which includes praise and people-pleasing, so saying calling something “garbage” just hurts my heart.)
Onward! To 2019 Winter Book list…
The Girl from Everywhere, H. Heilel – (https://amzn.to/2XWWr3T) – The premise of this book is fantastically imaginative. The heroine, Nix, and her father travel through time and space on their ship with the use of any new map. I appreciated the concept of Heilel’s story and her exploration of the daughter/father relationship, but parts of the story-telling fell flat. I was confused in various parts by the actions of the characters. The ending was satisfying, but not “lay the book in your lap and close your eyes, sigh, and enjoy the beauty” kind of satisfying. If you see this book at HPB and your basket isn’t full, pick it up – especially if it’s summer and you need something to read by the pool.
How Do I Love Thee? Ladies of History Book 4, N. Moser – (https://amzn.to/32cfPsU) – Based on the story of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s romance and eventual marriage to Robert Browning, this story was somewhat slow to start and a few chapters could have been cut shorter (me: alrighty… yep… we know she fears her dad… yep… we know… we got it), but I believe the writing intentionally repeated so that we could understand the depth of EBB’s despair and the expectations of ladies at that time to adhere to the wishes of their fathers. I didn’t know the story of EBB and her beloved, only that they were both poets. This book is full of heart, grief and eventually love overcoming that grief. It is inspiring and sweet, full of historical perspective and we see the characters for the humans that they are. I would absolutely read another of Moser’s books, especially within this “Ladies of History” series and often look for them when I’m browsing at HPB.
Marie Antoinette Serial Killer, K. Alender – (https://amzn.to/2JqRZ44) – Y’all this book was so fun! It’s a quick read full of teenage love, angst and mean girls. Alender uses a class trip to France to seamlessly weave a connection to the French Revolution. Readers will cheer for Collette, the heroine, to save the day and figure out what is happening with the murderous, pale faced ghost in a beautiful gown. I chose this book based on the review of my friend, Michelle I. Mason (Her book, “Your Life has been Delayed”, is to be released Winter, 2021! If you love YA, check her out at michelleimason.com) If you see this one, or your teenager brings it home, snatch it – and enjoy it!
Red, The (Fairly) True Tale of Red Riding Hood and Rump, The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin, both by L. Shurtliff – (https://amzn.to/329BYYR and https://amzn.to/2xyV6kY) – Teachers! If these books are not in your library, get thyself on Prime or Scholastic or Wishlist and add them immediately! They are perfect for upper elementary readers and would be the most enjoyable chapter book read-alouds. The characters are (clearly) based on fairy tale characters, but Shurtliff writes the backstory of the character or what led up to the events of the fairy tale. Both books lend themselves to comparing and contrasting, discussions on character change, and character traits. Red is lively and spunky, but threaded throughout her character is worry. Rump is grouchy and a victim of circumstance, but longs to be the hero of his own destiny. I thoroughly enjoyed both of these quick reads and will always scope out Shurtliff’s writing at HPB. (Don’t be surprised if you see Jack and Grump from this same series in my spring list!)
The True Story of Hansel and Gretel, L. Murphy – (https://amzn.to/2LEtsLj) – Even remembering enough about this book to write a quick review pains me. I don’t know why I picked it up. It wasn’t on my list but caught my eye (maybe because I was loving Shurtliff’s book – see above – and this title was also fairty-tale-ish), but as lively and light-hearted as those were, this one was dark and heart-breaking. Set in Nazi Germany, Murphy interlaces the basic premise of the fairy tale into a tale of the survival of two children, renamed Hansel and Gretel to hide their Jewish heritage, who have been separated from their father and living with an old woman who took them in. There were times I had to set this book down and walk away. There are two scenes of this book that still haunt me. People hurt others in terrifying ways during this time in history and none of it is sugar-coated in Murphy’s writing. While it is not ACTUALLY the true story, it could be. I was thankful for a redeeming ending. If you like historical fiction and don’t mind being haunted by characters and events of WWII, this book is for you. If you are an empath who can’t stop seeing scenes months after the book has been sold back to HPB, and fights the villains in her dreams for weeks afterward… well, I’ll leave that up to you.
The Next Right Thing, E. Freeman – (https://amzn.to/30nE71j) – It is impossible for me to explain how much I enjoyed this book. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you may already know I had the privilege of serving on the launch team for this book. So, I received an electronic version in pre-release (and then an early hard copy!). Emily’s book came at the perfect time for me, as I was feeling overwhelmed with “What’s next?” kind of questions. She writes specifically for those who are weighed down with a difficult decision or simply suffering from decision fatigue from the litany of daily decisions. In each chapter, she offers a path to decision making in beautifully written prose, a practice and a prayer. Her words walked me to a peaceful place of settling in and seeing “all the miraculous ways Jesus works in small surprises in the midst of the long haul…” Emily’s book is still available for preorder until its official release date on April 2nd. If you preorder, you can also receive the book in audio format and her Discern and Decide class. Preorder it today, click this link to claim your freebies. I promise you will not regret it! (NextRightThingBook.com.)
Red Queen, V. Aveyard (https://amzn.to/2LEkw8R) – I am late to the game on this one, my friends! Aveyard weaves a tale that is somewhere between Hunger Games and Victorian era politics. If you haven’t read this first book in the series, take time to get it done! I held my breath as Mare, the Red main character fell into the life of the supernatural Silver royalty. In a lightning fast moment, her world was turned upside down and she struggles to maneuver her new role and stay true to what she believes is right. Aveyard’s descriptions of the disparity between Red and Silver living conditions, her portrayal of the heart-racing face-offs and the final showdown of this book made this a quick, heart-racing, and fun read. If you haven’t read the first book in Aveyard’s series, you should!
Sermon on the Mount (9 Session Video Based Bible Study and Workbook), Jen Wilkin (https://amzn.to/2LBo8IR)– Friends, I tell you what… I have learned some THINGS in this Bible Study. As many of you know, I grew up in church, have heard countless lessons on the Sermon on the Mount and could easily have quoted various parts. But, to study it – as a whole – brought new meaning to Jesus’ words. In studying each word as it was meant in the Jewish language and tradition, I glimpsed the heart of the Teacher in a new way. Wilkin masterfully guides through thought and study. I will jump at the chance to do another of her studies, and I hope you will too! (Bonus: she encourages the use of colored pens!! My favorite!)
I hope you enjoyed the story of the strength in the tiny learner and my reviews of what I’ve been reading! Please reach out and let me know your thoughts on any of these books or if you decide to read them soon.
Many Blessings and Happy Reading, – Bethany
Yay! I love book reviews!