Book Challenge, Week 10

Brishen:

19. Children of the Green Knowe by L.M. Boston

Melani:

17. The $64 Tomato by William Alexander
This was a fun read about a man and his gardening adventures. Reading it made me realize that I will never have enough energy or drive to have a nice, big vegetable garden. Never!

18. The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs
This is a really funny book about a man who tries to live by the laws of the Bible for a year--including lots of those crazy Old Testament laws that seem to make no sense. It's a very funny read!

19. Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson
So I don't usually read regular old popular fiction. I read this whole book on Sunday while my family was gone for several hours. I don't think I'll be venturing back to the world of popular fiction all that often, except when I want to get a book read quickly or want a real change of pace. This was a story of a woman who falls in love with her childhood imaginary friend after they run into each other again once she's grown. That's a very interesting concept, since I have a daughter with a line of imaginary friends of her own.

20. Lost at School by Ross Greene, Ph.D.
This was a great read. I really think teachers out there should read it to help deal with children who have behavioral issues. I read it because I wonder about my own daughter's fairly mild behavioral issues. I really do think that she would be lost at school, if I sent her. Even though this is geared toward schools, I learned a lot. The author explains that behavioral issues are more like learning disabilities than we realize. Most kids misbehave because they have certain skills that they are lacking, not because they want attention or don't know what is expected of them. There is a long check-list of skills that kids can be lacking, and a few of them fit Basia. Luckily, crying is the way she lets us know that she's in over her head and not any of the more extreme ways out there. There is a better way to work with these kids while you try to teach them the skills they need, and I will be trying to work better with Basia. I even learned some things that will help with Brishen, even though he has great coping skills.

Jon:

9. Gang Leader for a Day by Sudhir Venkatesh
10. Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett