At the End of the Day

My favorite time of day is when everything stops—when lights are dimmed, outdoor sounds diminish, the bouncing, crashing, bell ringing tunes of Mario Party and other video games end and I can hear myself breathe once more. The best part of this time is reading with my eleven-year-old daughter, Jordan.

She has her own quiet time to read a book, but this is our time to read together. I spent many hours reading books aloud when I homeschooled her and her brothers, and miss that the most…so I want to hold onto our evening routine as long as possible, before hanging out with friends becomes the preferred alternative, or she realizes she’s too old for reading with Mom.

I confess I must drink coffee while she reads to me—her soft voice has often lulled me to sleep. If I don’t, I wake, confused and disappointed at missing a whole chapter. Sometimes no amount of caffeine is strong enough, so I stand up and do leg lifts or squats to keep me awake. It’s not just the story I don’t want to miss, but my time with Jordan. We talk about Ida B, Janie, Jaden, or Miranda, what we think will happen next, and what we liked or disliked. We laugh when a character does something silly; we cry when a character cries; we learn about each other.

After we close that book, we read where we left off in the Bible for a while. Then we pray. Jordan’s prayers cover everything from her brother’s cold to the typhoon victims in the Philippines.

Then I glance at the time and complain that it’s so late and she’s going to have trouble waking up for school … and why didn’t we start earlier? I must be the only parent who lets her fifth-grade child stay up until 11:30 on a school night. But I kiss her goodnight and set the books on her dresser until tomorrow.

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Some of our recent favorite books to read (for middle grade):

Ida B. by Katherine Hannigan

The Graduation of Jake Moon by Barbara Park

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney

Randi’s Steps by Frances Judge (Okay, we are bias to this one)

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

The book of Esther in the Bible

Comments

Book Review: A Soul as Cold as Frost by Jennifer Kropf

From the first page, I knew this was going to be something special. And it was even better than I expected. I’m not one to usually read fantasy novels, but the poetic descriptions of this magical world author Jennifer Kropf created sparkled. Her characters had depth and personality that had me rooting for them and enjoying getting to know them as the story progressed. Helen is transported into this winter land parallel to her home where she encounters all sorts of different creatures somewhat like human, but not. Her mission becomes a journey with her patrolman to save the Truth. It had a touch of The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe aura, but such a unique story with its own charm and suspense. This book is one I won’t forget and will add to my list of favorites. I am looking forward to reading her sequel. Amazon / A Soul as Cold as Frost

OUT OF THE BLUE (Spring Fling Kidlit Contest)

Robin sang, “No. Not flying from my nest. Ever.” The ground was too far, and the sky, too wide. She wished she could climb back into her blue shell and forget about flying. Chickadee chuckled. “Come play air-tag!” Robin sang, “No.” Benny Bee buzzed by, somersaulting, ruffling Robin’s downy feathers. “Bet ya can’t do that!” “Show off!” Bee twirled again… Bang! Into a branch. “Buzzzz! Bzz! Bzz! Help!” A black and yellow dot spiraled out of the blue sky, past Robin’s nest. Without thinking, Robin dove and darted, flapped and floated. With Bee on her back, she landed on a cherry blossom carpet. Bee buzzed a soft “Thank you.” Robin waved her wing. “No problem.” Chickadee chirped, “Now are you ready for air-tag?” Robin sang, “Yes.” She tossed her shell to the ground. It was her time to fly.

24th Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards ... Book Review

On Sale: Amazon / Randi's Steps Randi's Steps did not win the Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards, BUT... The judges wrote a wonderful review that I'm thrilled to share. "Randi’s Steps is a beautiful, bittersweet story told by Francie, the little girl neighbor who befriends Randi when she moves in next door. Judge captures a wonderful narrative voice, real and warm and very human. Francie loves having a best friend like Randi, who is different in seemingly tiny ways, like being Jewish, but who loves enough of the same things that Francie loves to make her the best of best friends. I liked the description of Randi’s Tinker Bell laugh with the occasional snort (13). Right away, Randi is described as being subject to headaches, which of course adults will understand. I think Judge conveys a progress of Randi’s illness perfectly. For all that Francie loves Randi, Francie is healthy and in need of healthy friends. She reacts with joy to...

Francy's New Morning

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