Book Review: Hermie - A Common Caterpillar, By: Max Lucado

Hermie is one of our favourite positive-character-trait-building cartoon characters.  This easy reader book is based on the original Hermie video and follows the story quite well. 

I found it to be longer than the average "early reader" book so depending on your child's reading ability, this may or may not be a book that can be read in one sitting.  Of course, it is an enjoyable story just to read aloud to young ones as well.

This is the first e-book I have read, so that in itself was something to be learned.  I was hoping to read it on our laptop and iPod with our youngest children but ran into some difficulties after downloading the book; how to do it?  It turned out to be quite simple.  On the iPod, there is a free app called iBooks that can be downloaded on iTunes.  Once downloaded, you just open your book in iBooks.  On a computer, you can download Adobe Digital Editions for free and open up your book to read. 

I'm looking forward to downloading more digital books - great for long car rides and I won't have to pack as many books; just the laptop or iPod.  My brother's family makes good use of an iPad with many digital books to occupy little hands.  I'll be recommending Hermie to them as well!

AWANA Sparks - Sky Stormer Book 3 - Printable Verses - KJV

Three of our four children are in AWANA again this year.  In an effort to remain organized with who is memorizing which verses, I've begun compiling their verses by book section.

The son (almost-7-years-old) who is currently in Sky Stormer doesn't read very well yet but has a phenomenal memory.  I love hearing him recite God's Word from memory.  As parents, our prayer is that our children will hide God's Word in their hearts now, hold Him dear all their lives, and share Christ's love with others.

If you are using the KJV AWANA books, here are are the verses and references to activities for the Sky Stormer book.  Click Here to open printable document.

Book Review: The Blessing - by John Trent & Gary Smalley

The most recent book I have received from Booksneeze (Thomas Nelson) to review is "The Blessing" by John Trent and Gary Smalley.

To be honest, I'm hard-pressed to read psychology-related books.  I much prefer a good story; true-to-life or fiction.  However, this was a book that caught my eye. 

We all want the best for our children and having our children feel valued, loved, and respected is important to my husband and I.  In turn, we want them to value, love, and respect others (both now and as they grow up).  This book helped me relate more to how to best go about instilling this heart-knowledge in their young lives.  The investment we make in their lives today will be something they take with them forever in their relationships with others.

Trent and Smalley focus on five primary areas: meaningful appropriate touch, spoken words, attaching high value, visualizing a special future, and an active/genuine commitment.

I regularly hug our children at bedtime but purposing to hug them, touch their hand while speaking with them, and maintaining eye contact all throughout the day has made a difference in my life as well.  I never want to be too busy to hear them out.  I want them to have the blessing of their father and I on their lives so they will always carry that built-in love and acceptance no matter where they go or what they do.  I truly believe the impact our blessing has on their lives will be felt for generations to come. 

Great book that serves as both a guide for parents and anyone seeking to model what giving of self really means.