Barrels of Blessings

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Summer Reading 2016


We’re back in our little cabin in Maine and frequenting our small town library.  The two room (one upstairs, one downstairs) building has a wonderful collection of children’s books thanks to our very enthusiastic and experienced librarian, “Miss Janet.”  She’s known us for years, has the same sensibilities, and a terrific ability to “expand our horizons” with interesting novels, picture books, and biographies.  We look forward to summer reading each year - in between all the exhausting outdoor activities!



Before I get to our latest reading list, you can look at older posts HERE and see our former seasonal favorites - some are good enough to be mentioned again below.  ANYTHING from JourneyForth books comes highly recommended, and some of you are lucky enough to find them in your town or church libraries.  If not, they are a worthwhile investment - some appealing particularly to reluctant readers and boys - such as the Arby Jenkins Series (9-12 year olds) and the Braken Trilogy.  My favorite thing about these books is not only the Christian component, but also that I don’t have to pre-read the selection to know it’s worthwhile and wholesome for my little ones.  This year’s favorites were: The Braken Trilogy, Regina Silsby’s Secret War, The Silent, Jericho Ride, The River of Judah and Avery’s Battlefield.  No children should miss the Arby Jenkins series - it’s lots of fun and will make your children laugh out loud!




Secondly, I highly recommend any of the Christian Hero Series’ books from YWAM.  For girls start with Lottie Moon and boys would love David Livingston or Hudson Taylor.  Everyone loves CT Studd - and all are fabulous.  I’ve read each and everyone - sometimes more than once - and still cry in parts when I read them aloud to my children.  My favorite?  Betty Greene - the first woman pilot to fly over the Andes and of course, my hero, as a former military pilot.



This year, I have a few recommendations with warnings, but still worth reading in my opinion due to their subject’s careful handling as children’s books and excellent storyline.  We’ve also enjoyed reading picture books with higher interest themes that made us all smile and sometimes wonder at the ingenuity of their heroes.  Enjoy perusing the list, and I hope you find some unknown treasures for your own summer reading. 

Picture books read to read aloud:

Tucky Jo and Little Heart:  Heartwarming story of a young man on the Philippines Islands during WWII and his friendship with a young girl and his help to her village.  Interesting story twist highlighting the plight of our veterans today.  



Balloons Over Broadway:  The story of the innovative artist and puppeteer behind the Macy’s Parade.

Giants in the Land (Appelbaum): The story of New England “Mast Trees” used for English fighting vessels during colonial times.  An interesting tale of the ingenuity and hard work of the settlers in getting them to the ocean and their specialized “mast ships.”



Mesmerized (Rockcliff): Fun book featuring Ben Franklin solving a scientific mystery during his time in France and illustrating the Scientific Method and Placebo Effect.

Thank You, Sarah - The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving:  Story of a woman who spent years trying (and finally succeeding) to make Thanksgiving a national holiday.

Who Said Women Can’t be Doctors?  Cute book about the first woman doctor in America.

A Boy Called Dickens:  Fun biography of Charles Dickens.  An older daughter of mine and Dickens fan loved this picture book. 

One Plastic Bag:  Interesting book about one Gambian woman’s clever entrepreneurship and efforts to clean up her community. Great artwork!



Young Readers:

The Year of Miss Agnes:  Repeat - don’t miss this story of a teacher to a remote Alaskan village.

Who was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (biography series): I enjoy the interesting facts and positive treatment given in these children’s books about notable historical personalities.  Can’t wait to read more!



Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear:  A repeat - but don’t miss this one.  Cute story of a family’s “black sheep” that finds his own way.

Li Lun, Lad of Courage:  One of my favorites.  Courage is found in unlikely places.

Tiger Boy: Interesting story that takes place in a remote Island culture and includes lots of little known facts.  Not particularly believable, but still a good story about the value of education and animal conservation.



Anthony Wayne:  A Signature Book (can be hard to find) about “Mad Anthony Wayne” - a neglected historical figure.  My girls loved it!

Robert E. Lee and the Road to Honor:  Another good historical biography.

The Kite Fighters:  Another good book from Linda Sue Park.  Story of two Korean boys who love to build and fly kites and befriend the young emperor.  Loved her book, A Single Shard, referenced in my older summer reading post.

Breaking Stalin’s Nose:  Picture book with mature theme about the communist revolution in the Soviet Union.  Great book to introduce life under communism and pertinent for our times.  Good read aloud.




Stronger Readers:


Dolls of Hope:  A heartwarming historical novel about the 1926 Friendship Doll exchange, in which teacher-missionary Sidney Gulick organized American children to send thousands of dolls to Japan in hopes of avoiding a future war.  Young Japanese girl learns to forgive those who are unkind.



Red Scarf Girl:  Don’t skip this book - a must read for all children before they graduate.  The true story of a young ardent communist girl as she lives through Mao’s Cultural Revolution.  Again - pertinent to our times as communism/socialism makes a resurgence.  Particularly poignant is the author’s word at the end;  “How did it happen?”



A Long Way from Chicago*:  Hilarious story of two children who go to spend the summer with their eccentric and “crusty” old grandmother in a small town.  Not glowing in its treatment of Church goers, but redeeming in its view of the grandmother’s good treatment of even the worst of neighbors as she metes out justice.  Would make a good read aloud as some children may not get the subtle humor. **Grandma is a little rowdy, cynical about Church.

A Year Down Yonder: sequel to A Long Way from Chicago.

The Signers:  Interesting stories about the signers of the Declaration of Independence.  Fun book to peruse - no need to read the entire thing.

Shadow Spinner:  Story that takes place in Arabia alongside the famous Shahrazad of Arabian Nights fame.  A crippled girl, with a story of her own, helps the Sultan’s wife come up with a new story as she is about to run out.  The theme is abandonment and forgiveness, and the book gives a look into the troubled lives of young women in historical Islamic culture.



The Turning:  ALMOST anything by Gloria Whelan is great, Angel on the Square, The Impossible Journey, Listening for Lions, and Homeless Bird (Don’t recommend the book in Columbia as it’s too graphic) The Turning is another winner about a ballet dancer who considers defecting from the Soviet Union to France.


Rules of the Road**: Humorous - but touching story for teens about the value of quality in business, and the virtue of hard work across all age groups.**Teen girl deals with alcoholic father and learns forgiveness.

Wednesday Wars:  We actually listened to this on audible while doing puzzles.  Hilarious tale of a teen boy’s school days, his opportunity to play a part in a Shakespeare play, and all the awkward events that ensue.  Serious at moments as the Vietnam War touches the lives of students and teachers alike.

The Road From Home:  Excellent true story of an Armenian Girl’s survival during the Armenian Massacre of the early 1900’s.  The treatment is mild for younger readers, but still a middle to teen book due to the difficult material.  Nearly her entire family perishes.



Bruchko:  The story of an 18 year old new Christian who travels to the Amazon region to reach a dangerous people group with the gospel.  Amazing true story!

The Navy Justice Series and other books by Don Brown are excellent military thrillers.  Start with Thunder in the Morning Calm: the story of a North Korean prisoner rescue.  Not for younger children.



Alas Babylon: Before “preppers” were popular, this survival story in the aftermath of atomic detonations in America made its debut.  We listened to this on a drive to across country.

Silas Marner:  Touching story of a young man falsely accused and his eventual redemption in the guise of an abandoned little girl.

God’s Smuggler:  Christian classic.  Brother Andrew’s early ministry delivering Bibles behind the Iron Curtain.

Heavenly Man:  The story of a Chinese pastor in an underground Church - his evangelism, persecution, and deliverance. 

Safely Home:  One of the best examples of a Christ figure (after Uncle Tom’s Cabin) in literature.  Starts slowly and shallowly - but proceeds superbly and convictingly from then on.




David Copperfield:  Thrilling and funny - giving you everything you want by the end.  Some of the best human stereotypes in literature - you’ll recognize them all.  Not sure why it’s so maligned among some readers

I hope this gives you ideas for your own summer reading.  Please look at our favorites from last summer as well for more fun stories.  I'd love to hear what you're reading as well - please feel free to comment here or on the fb post.  We love finding new favorites.  

Blessings, 
Kim

Saturday, February 7, 2015

Happy Birthday, Jenny!

Jenny and Nana shared their birthday party this year!


The girls prefer family parties and we're fortunate to have both grandparents close by.  Poppy hung out at the counter.


Jenny picked out pizza and our 50 year old Chocolate Cake with cooked White Frosting - not so good for my cholesterol...But Nanny takes statins so she dug right in.




All the kids loved her dinner choice - we even got sparkling candles for the cake.  They weren't very sparkly - but we had a few "sparks" of excitement before giving up and blowing them out.



Next was presents.  Jenny reads each card and is so thankful for everything.


Nana got a new basket for her bicycle and some homemade cards.


Everyone had a great time - and the girls put a lot of thought into their gifts.  Sarah made her chocolate covered strawberries that looked like roses!



 Rachel sewed a dress for Jenny's American girl doll - she did a great job!


So thankful for such a beautiful soul.  She is such a cheerful child and loves knowing Jesus.

Blessings,

Kim


Saturday, December 13, 2014

Prayer and Families Needed

My heart is with the older children who wait.  Maybe it's because I was "adopted" as an "older child" into God's family at the age of 34.  While I've had nearly 20 years of walking with Jesus, the sense of wasted time never really goes away.  And while I had an easy life compared to that of orphans, I have a deep sense of sadness for the time I spent away from the family of God.  "Why didn't he call me sooner?" and "Why did he let me wait?"  These are the same questions I occasionally hear from my children - especially Jenny - who is only 2 months younger than Rachel, yet has the added burden of knowing "we were right there" getting Rachel while she continued to wait another 10 years.  10 years of being unloved, unfairly and unkindly treated by those who should have protected her, and without the knowledge of a God who loves and cherishes her.  My answer is always the same; we didn't know.



But I do know about others - who will surely have the same questions.  Some who have waited for more than 5 years on waiting lists - and mostly boys.  Please listen to their stories and spread the word.  Many of their friends have already aged out and will never know the love of a family - but we pray they'll know the love of their heavenly Father who will never leave or abandon them.

This is Gideon:


Gideon is in my favorite city, GZ, and at the same orphanage as my dd Katie.  He has waited there for years and been on many different waiting lists at different agencies.  His SN is mild hemophilia - and it doesn't even require medication!  His medical information has been evaluated by a local Medical University and I can make that available to anyone who is interested.  He is a straight A student, loved my his foster family's neighborhood, and loves playing chess, reading, and running.  He will age out this summer.  There is a video of him from one of the first agency camps he participated in here.

This is Charlie:



Charlie has waited for more than 8 years and is at an orphanage in Shanghai.  Here is his first picture from many years ago.

It breaks my heart that he's waited this long.  His development and school work is on target and he has watch so many children leave over the years.  He desperately wants a family and should have no further medical needs.  You can see a video of him here and read more about him here.

Last but not least, Troy - who is from Sarah's hometown.  He also has hemophilia - but it doesn't hinder him at all.  He prays every night for a family.


Many people have met him at a "Bring Me Hope" camp and are praying for him, too.  This is what they have to say about him:

"Troy has a very sweet and loving personality. He loves sharing whatever he has with other people. He puts others before him and helps take care of those younger than him. He says thank you often and is always grateful for what he has. He loves to play baseball, badminton, and card games. He also really enjoys being outside. Troy listens well and does things as soon as he is asked. His smile could light up a room. He seems to always be happy." 

A cheerful personality can overcome so much in life.  You can read more about him and see lots of pics HERE.

Please pray, advocate for, or consider these children as a part of your family.  And pray for me as there is another I've prayed about for years - but circumstances have prevented him being available until recently.  We're out of room in our home - but not in our hearts.

Blessings,

Kim





Monday, December 1, 2014

Fall Collection


With the advent of Facebook, I've become lazy in updating our blog.  Life has become routine and unfortunately a little complacent.  I forget that if someone hadn't taken the time to post about Jenny, she wouldn't be our dd today.  So here is one more plea for "Gideon" who will soon age out.


He's in my favorite city, GZ, and has a very mild hemophilia - doesn't even require medication.  He would be such a blessing to his family.  Contact me for more info!

Here are some updated photos of our fall activities - we've been very busy! :)  The girls are enjoying running more and more, and ran the IOP Connector 5K in October.  I can no longer keep up with them - they're quite fast!


Perry and I attended the Lifeline Adoption Agency auction and had a wonderful time with Angie and other friends from the local adoption community.  We also got to meet the Hong Kong staff - wonderful fellow sisters in Christ.



The girls have me running to orthodontic appointments, handbells, piano lessons, and Bible studies each week - we keep busy trying to keep up with their quick size changes in clothes and shoes at this age as well!  We finished off the last few warm days at the beach and have been walking and running the bridge regularly.



And now we're settling in for some Fall Fun.



We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at Nanny's house.




And celebrating my dad's Birthday!



We are enjoying our new healthy lifestyle and the girls are becoming excellent cooks!




We've been able to enjoy the fruits of our labor in better health and wellness - as well as improved growth and cognitive skills.  Diet is a huge factor and we've come late to that realization.  We're preparing for the Christmas season now, and hoping we have a few more warm days to enjoy our outdoor activities.  Our nutritional plan has become a small business for me as I help others feel healthier and slim down as well.  I keep office on my new carbon frame road bike - perfect for older bones - and drink my healthy shakes after exercise!



Enjoying life and keeping Christ at the center - wondering what God has in store for us next.

Blessings,

Kim