book reviews
Reviews of books that explore the complexities of family throughout history and across cultures.
Books and Authors to Make Your Kids Read When They Finish Their Summer Reading
We have all heard of summer reading, but it always comes to an end way too soon. I am a huge fan of reading, no kidding, my mom used to have to ground me from it. My mom made me read books all the time during the summer, but she didn't let me read fun books. I had to read books like Old Yeller (I Cried), Where The Red Fern Grows ( I cried), and Gone With The Wind (I didn't cry, but have you seen how long that book is?). These books are fun and have good stories in them. Trust me, I still read them.
Best Books for Expectant Parents (And the Ones You Should Avoid)
As an expectant parent, there are a million questions you'll face about pregnancy and how to raise your children. Navigating all of the conflicting information, statistics, and opinions can be overwhelming. With such a vast number of resources, from pregnancy apps to books to videos to articles, how do you know what sources can you trust? Where can you find help?
Alicia SpringerPublished 6 years ago in FamiliesA Weird Book Review
“Finishing a good book is like saying goodbye to a good friend,” as I’m sure many have said. After placing The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee back on my bookshelf, I stared into space for a while, deeply aware of an emptiness in my stomach. During the past seven days, I have experienced the ups and downs of life exponentially magnified through reading the “biography” of cancer.
A Very Different Fairy Tale
This book is dedicated to my beautiful daughter—Isabella Amore-Lauren Yandoli. Words will never be able to describe how much I love you, how much you mean to me. I am beyond blessed to have you as my daughter.
Amanda Marie GomezPublished 6 years ago in FamiliesBeloved
“Anything dead coming back to life hurts.” There is no experience that could possibly match that of being a mother. Valued for all they are, mothers have been created by the media to be the loving, nurturing type, but are never truly depicted facing the trials of what it means to be a mother in its entirety. Beloved, a love story rooted from the sincerest of love, is a Toni Morrison classic following the life of a woman found in the two greatest minorities: being a loving mother, and a slave. Throughout the novel, Sethe, the mother of four, is in constant turmoil after relentless abuse and mistreatment. It is this collection of experiences and her painful past that cause Sethe to face the most difficult of decisions as a mother. With the goal to provide and sustain a happy life for her children, her choice to kill one and attempt at the others was rooted in her love for each child.
Kayla StarrPublished 6 years ago in FamiliesSRJ's Page Turners – 'One' by Sarah Crossan
Hello, procrastinating student/night owl/bored insomniac/person who didn't mean to end up on this page, and welcome to the first in my new series of book reviews: SRJ's Page Turners, coming at you every two weeks.
The Expectations of Children
Parents or guardians expect a child to achieve specific goals in their life. If the child shows signs in their early childhood years that they are not heading toward the straight path to these life goals the parent or guardian can become terrified of the unknown and deem them a disappointment. Additionally, this child is often treated unfairly, isolated, and neglected by the same people who are supposed to support him or her with unconditional love and understanding; that they will not conform to the life that their parents expect. In The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo, the main character Despereaux is a non-conforming individual who naturally is not born with the mice-like instincts that his mom, dad and two siblings ascribe to. His mother states very early in his childhood to “please look for crumbs. Eat them to make your mama happy. You are such the skinny mouse. You are a disappointment to your mama.” (Di Camillo, 18) Despereaux, being a non-conformed mouse, is expected to be like all the other mice and follow all of the mice rules. When he does not follow the rules she and the rest of the family fear that he will become a disappointment and shame the entire family. This leads to Despereaux’s brutal treatment, isolation and neglect. Why does his family treat him negatively? Their expectations of Despereaux are not met and therefore, they fear that he will bring shame to their family. The author explores the ways in which Despereaux is treated when his parents and siblings don't accept the rambunctious mouse.
Traveling From Heavenly PlacesPublished 7 years ago in Families- Top Story - July 2017
Books That Improve Family Relations
Everyone alive is an expert on this most compelling of subjects. Nothing is, or ever was, more wonderful, more dreadful, more inescapable, or the subject of more talk than the family unit. Every clan and tribe has its tale to tell, and nearly all the tales I have heard shed some light on the chief question: what is it that makes a good family?
Arnold SeleskeyPublished 7 years ago in Families A Quick Guide to the Best Family Books on the Market
Some books are the type of reading that you leave on a coffee table so that guests can flip through them, or just marvel at your taste in photography. Other books tell amazing tales of adventure into outerspace and satisfy your inner geek. Still more are filled with sordid tales of sex, drinking and drugs.
Riley Raul ReesePublished 7 years ago in Families