Saint John Don Bosco:

"Never read books you aren't sure about . . . even supposing that these bad books are very well written from a literary point of view. Let me ask you this: Would you drink something you knew was poisoned just because it was offered to you in a golden cup?"




To find more books by your favorite author, click on the author's name in the title...

Also, try searching by "historical fiction" if you're looking for novels at a certain time period...

Friday, March 27, 2009

Ida B. by Katherine Hannigan

I think Ida B. moves into the place that Ramona the Pest occupied for the younger set. She's a kick: an independent-minded, free-spirited, homeschooled girl whose life is full and happy.

Unlike Ramona, her conflicts are more mature. Her mother gets cancer and Ida now has to attend school, which she tried once and hated, and her father sells part of their beloved farm to pay the medical bills.

This causes Ida's strong, stubborn heart to harden right up, and she wrestles mightily with her emotions and behavior. Gradually, certain people, a special teacher, and events work on Ida and help her come to terms with things.

Teaching Moments: I would love to give this 3 Vatican Flags, but one thing that's a bit much is the way trees and water "talk" to Ida. It's not the silly presentation like you see with "Mother Willow" in Disney's Pocahantas, but it has a bit of that New Age feel to it. You could chalk it up to Ida's vivid imagination, but it's a real conversation to her...

See Catechism of the Catholic Church:
God creates an ordered and Good World: paragraph 299
God transcends Creation and is present to it: paragraph 300


Now, thanks to Ida B., I will forever be calling school buses "Yellow Prisons of Propulsion."

Safety Rating: 2 Vatican Flags (minor issue); High Readability

10 comments:

Regina March 29, 2009 at 12:07 AM  

YAY, a comment! so glad i got that figured out. thanks for all the great book tips!!
r

Jessica Gordon March 29, 2009 at 8:51 AM  

You have a lovely blog!! Thanks for taking the time to share these reviews. God bless!

The Wades March 29, 2009 at 12:11 PM  

I love children's books. Can't wait to peek around your site more. BTW, blog looks great. :)

Anonymous,  March 29, 2009 at 7:50 PM  

Your blog is so needed! What a great idea. As the mother of 7 kids, I have a hard time finding books that are safe to read. I just don't have the kind of time it takes to look through/read everything. I rely on recommendations from other Catholic homeschooling moms. Your blog will be a big help to me and I will pass your site on to our homeschooling group. (No pressure!) :)

Angela March 29, 2009 at 7:59 PM  

What a great blog . . . so helpful! Thank you!

~Angela in Oregon

regan March 29, 2009 at 10:20 PM  

sent via regina and glad i did. as avid readers it is great to have someone do the hard part-helping us weed out the bad stuff-as much as possible anyway! you've a great little spot here.

Laura The Crazy Mama March 30, 2009 at 12:12 PM  

I've never heard of this?! I can't wait to try it out. It sounds like something my oldest would really enjoy.

Laura The Crazy Mama March 30, 2009 at 12:16 PM  

OH, and what do you think about the City Of Ember series? I'm reading the last one now to my 8 year old. So far, I think they're pretty great, but I'd like to hear your opinion.

Heather March 30, 2009 at 2:43 PM  

This is terrific- I'm so glad Regina introduced me to your site. So...I've already got two of the recommendations in the holds at the library. ;)Happy Reading

Tween Lit Crit March 30, 2009 at 4:12 PM  

Thanks to all who have chimed in and let me know you like this site. I was curious to know if it was worth the time; now that I see it is; I'm delighted to keep going.

I like more book recommendations; thanks...I have a long list, and I'm still glad to add to it because I read quickly, (don't watch TV much) and plan to get to many more.

I know it's hard to keep a step ahead of my reading tweens, and I've seen some bad stuff sneak under my own radar screen, so I hope a list like this will come in handy for you moms who don't have time for all the previewing! Now, go catch up on laundry, cooking, or hanging out with the children. I've got the book scene covered :)

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