fbpx
 

Bookish Novels Which Delight in the Written Word

Book lovers delight in the written word and doubly delight in books about books. This year I was introduced to The Last Bookshop in London and A Place to Hang the Moon both are delicious books filled with characters who understand the draw of a good story and the difference a book makes in one’s life. Sharing a book with someone instantly forms a connection. A conversation about a favorite book speaks volumes about the people that we are and the people we want to become. I hope that you enjoy this list of bookish novels that speak to the heart and encourage the soul.  Several of these are available in the shop so be sure and search under Grown-Up Books.

~Brooke

 

Family Read Aloud Books for Fall and Thanksgiving

Each year our family celebrates the first day of fall with a tradition we’ve come to call, Fallibration. During our annual celebration, we eat a pumpkin themed breakfast on fall themed paper plates and napkins, read all of our favorite fall picture books, and proceed to watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (Remastered Deluxe Edition). We’ve carried on this tradition for several years and our pile of books has grown along with our excitement over the day.

Here is a list of our favorite fall picture books (many of which are listed under Holiday at BrookesBookshop.com) that we believe you are sure to enjoy! We will be reading and rereading these throughout October. Then read to the end to find our favorite Thanksgiving books too!






Filled with traditions, food, and travel, Thanksgiving is among one of our family’s favorite holidays of the year. I know it can be easy to race through November festivities as we rush to welcome Christmas décor and the unlimited Christmas movies on tv. However, I discovered that I feel more comfortable leaving out the pumpkins and fall décor if we are reading stacks of great picture books to celebrate the season. This list is filled with gems, many of which teach more about the holiday than I ever learned in school.
Which ones on this list are your favorites? See any new to you or notice some that I missed? Let’s chat in the comments!




Make sure and check out all the fall books at BrookesBookshop.com! I pray that this is a beautiful time of celebrations and memory making this fall.

Never Forget: Books for Your Family to Commemorate 911

When my youngest son brought the 911 picture book to me for our bedtime read aloud I hesitated. It was weighty material for bedtime, but as is typical of my personality, I dove in anyway. Sharing not only the beautiful and inspiring but also the painful past with our children is important because history is important and passing along the history of our country and the world helps to prevent the repeating of mistakes and poor decisions. Additionally it binds us together with a shared heritage.

While reading the book aloud to my two youngest children I felt myself becoming emotional but I pressed on. It wasn’t until I got to the portion describing the firefighters rushing into the building that I couldn’t hold myself together any more. In particular was the story of two first responder brothers; one was a police officer and one a fireman. They passed each other in the lobby of the 1st tower. It was the last time they saw each other alive. My children didn’t understand at first why I was crying, but they soon began to feel the emotions and knew this was one of the saddest days in United States History.

I hadn’t intended to teach the younger children about 911, but my two oldest children were entering an essay competition in which they wrote about a 911 hero of their choice. I scoured the local library for books to assist them in their research, and came across some moving picture and chapter books that I thought they could use. Any time there are new stacks of books in our home (which is quite often!) the kids want to go through them and read them. This stack was no different.

Although I read an emotionally charged book at bedtime, I am glad that now all of my children know something about the horrific attacks of 911. With this being the 20th anniversary, as well as the turmoil and unrest that the implementation of the removal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan is stirring, this year is especially a difficult remembrance. The wounds are a bit fresher. Hindsight a bit harder to stomach in light of current events.

I am almost certain that our promise to “never forget” has been forgotten by many of our government leaders and possibly among our population. Therefore, I am extremally grateful for the essay competition because it helped my family to remember the events of 911: the attacks, the everyday heroes and the courageous first responders, the death and devastation, and also the coming together of the American people to unite for a common cause. We need more brotherly love at this point in our nation’s history, and the remembrance of the events of 911 is one way in which we could work towards unity. Viewing each other as we did directly following those attacks, as well as viewing our nation and its remarkable qualities, and the collective body looking to a Higher Power, Jesus Christ, if we did that in a similar light it would be a balm to our fractured nation.

With that in mind, I would like to offer a few books for you to share with your family as you deem age appropriate. I will list them in the order of maturity with the first being the most gentile introduction.

Books for Your Easter Celebration

It can be easy to leap into spring planning for a break from school and work, and eagerly seeking the signs of a new season: dogwood blooms, azaleas, buttercups, and irises. Next thing we know, Holy Week is upon us and we have just enough time to break out our Easter resources and decorations.

Our family anticipates celebrating Good Friday with a trip to the local bakery to grab fresh hot cross buns, dying Easter Eggs on the Saturday before Easter, and perhaps initiating a few new traditions. However, the best way we celebrate and focus for Resurrection Day is by reading a heaping stack of books. So, until we savor the hot cross buns and dye eggs, we ready our hearts and prepare our minds with some of our favorite books to celebrate Easter. Below are several books that we return to each year.  Happy Easter!



Top Ten Books I Read in 2020

Do you set reading goals each year? I didn’t start 2020 with a set number of books to read but rather read as many as I could while focusing on running my bookshop. I completed 76 books! I like to do a recap of my favorite books from each year, so here are mine in alphabetical order. Let me know in the comments if you read any of these and your thoughts about them. Also, please share what books made your top ten list from 2020!

*Terrible language in Fahrenheit 451, but the content is extremely thought provoking.

Two honorable mentions are:

Happy Reading!

10 Valentine’s Day Books for Your Read Aloud Book Basket

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG_2966-e1581362097404-1024x1024.jpg

Are you looking for a few Valentine’s Day books to add to your February book baskets? I’ve listed several of our favorites below. Let me know your family’s favorite books to read for Valentine’s Day. Enjoy!

This first one doesn’t have an image available; however, it’s the one pictured above. The Great Valentine’s Day Balloon Race (here).  This book is from 1980 and may be harder to come by. Please look at your local library. It is worth checking out.

Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch is a wonderful reminder of the power of community; please be sure to check this one out or purchase a copy of your own. Community is at a premium in our post COVID communities. 

Bonus Book:

Bunny’s Book Club isn’t a book about Valentine’s, but it is a book about the love of reading! You will want to read this one! It captured the attention of ALL my children; even if they wouldn’t ALL confess such if asked!

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NIV

Remember to head over to the shop and view all the winter and Valentine’s themed books listed for sale. Happy Reading!

Five Ways I Make Time to Read

People, especially fellow moms, often ask me “How do you find time to read so many books?”

That’s an interesting question. When do I read exactly? I have to stop and think about the question because, frankly, I feel my day isn’t complete if I don’t read for at least twenty minutes or more. It may seem silly that I don’t have a set routine I adhere to, or maybe crazier still that I am unaware of such a routine.

So, after some head scratching, here are five ways that I make time to read each day amidst meeting needs of home and family and homeeducating our children.

  1. Read in 10-20 minute spurts. I grab moments to read any chance I get. I know reading fills my emotional and mental tank, so I give myself permission to read here and there throughout the day: while the kids are playing or working on independent tasks, frequently for a few minutes just after dinner, and certainly after the kids go to bed for the evening and just before I go to sleep. Another wonderful way to do this is by listening to audiobooks I read these while exercising, folding laundry, and anytime I was driving solo.
  2. Read with a purpose. Once I started compiling the Orphan Adoption Book List, I was reading with a purpose. The list really focused my selections. Additionally, once I discover an author that I enjoy, I read as many of his or her books as I can find. The author for the later part of 2020 and the start of 2021 is Jan Karon. I fell in love with The Mitford Series, Father Tim, Cynthia, and Dooley… all the incredibly memorable characters found in the pages of this over 13 book series. I have sets of this book I will add to the shop in the coming days.
  3. Put down the cell phone. Perhaps the greatest distraction from daily reading for me is social media. Now that I am no longer on social media aside from Parler this is less of a distraction. I find that putting the phone away affords me much more time for reading. I don’t mind my kids finding me with my nose in a book near as much as my face in a cell phone. Believe me, they see me doing both regularly.
  4. Give everyone a daily break. In the earlier days of homeschooling there was an afternoon quiet time for some and a nap time for others. These days we work on homeschool work during the younger kids nap time so I don’t have that break as before, but if you can enforce even a 20 minute quiet time in your home then I would encourage you to do so.
  5. Take a book and leave a book. I grab whatever book I am reading and throw it in my purse as we head out the door. This way if there is a snippet of time I am prepared to read instead of scroll (see number 3 above). I often also leave a book in my car to grab while waiting for an appointment or between running errands. Finally, leave books in several rooms of your home. Don’t forget the bathroom! I know there is hardly uninterrupted time for moms even when nature calls, but it doesn’t hurt to try right?

I’ve begun adding winter books to the store so be sure and check the new listings throughout the week. Also, please share the shop with your friends!

Happy Reading!

Read the Christmas Book and Watch the Christmas Movie

Reading a basketful of Christmas books is a wonderful way to spend our days, but there is something about snuggling up together to watch a Christmas movie with a mug of hot cocoa in the glow of the Christmas tree. We have a regular litany of Christmas movies we watch each year but I especially love it when we can celebrate the reading of one book with a family movie night.

Yesterday, in a last minute decision, I was able to attend the production Charlie Brown Christmas Live. Imagine my excitement! I’m fairly sure that when our children remember their childhood they will nostalgically recollect the marking of seasons by each Peanut’s Gang DVD. The live production was remarkable. I watched with a smile the entire performance and plotted brining my family next year. It’s a wonderful experience to build our family traditions, which for us include books and a selection of movies.

Here are a few for your family to enjoy!



Merry Christmas!

Picture Book Biographies of Great Americans

Picture books pack a punch for the whole family. Yes, even your teenagers! The beautiful illustrations and text with rich vocabulary targets a wide age range which is especially good for larger families. With picture books, you gain a great overview of a topic in a very short amount of time. Plus, if something or someone particularly peaks your interest, now you have a springboard from which to find more books on that topic. 

Since summer is quickly approaching, I have compiled a list of 30 picture book biographies of influential Americans, most likely many of whom you have never heard of before. Head to your local library or the Amazon links below and choose which people of American History you most want your family to learn about this summer. From artists to architects, authors to library advocates,  computer programmers to female firefighters, and inventors to scientists almost all fields of interest are covered!

Below you will find the biographies listed in chronological order and divided into women and men. Enjoy your summer read aloud time!

For more picture book biographies please see this post on the Ingri and Edgar Parin D’Aulaire books and this post on Kadir Nelson’s books.

Christmas Books for You and Yours

We’ve decked our halls and trimmed our trees. Our large blue wooden box of Christmas books sits stuffed to the brim and many titles have already passed through little hands.

We add to our Christmas book collection each year and develop new favorites as we revisit old friends. Traditionally our family celebrates the season at a slow pace as much as possible. Several years ago I wrote about 5 Helpful Principles Every Type A Woman Needs to Embrace and I’ve since tried to abide by them. With my husband working in the ministry the Christmas calendar has the potential to quickly fill up with church events alone so we have traditions that we maintain in our home but not always around town. The first and foremost tradition is reading wonderful books!

Christ is the central focus of Christmas in our home and here are the books we read to aid us with that intention:

Most of the books we read embody the spirit of Christmas without telling the Christmas story explicitly. There are many many of these but here are our favorites:

While Santa doesn’t deliver presents to our house (read more here), we have a few which incorporate St. Nicholas and Santa Claus. Here are some that we would recommend checking out at your local library or adding to your collection:

Santa Mouse may be the cutest mouse you will ever meet!

Don’t you love a wonderful Christmas story? The kind that offers peace, hope, and good will towards men?  Me too! I reread A Christmas Carol every year and typically I Saw Three Ships and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Following is a list of my 16 most cherished Christmas chapter books to read aloud or individually. Please share your favorites in the comments and feel free to ask me any questions that you have.


 I have a few that I’ve introduced to at least one of my children and plan to introduce to each of them this year:

 The Little Match Girl made an impression on me when I was a child. It is one that I haven’t shared with my children but plan on doing so this Christmas. I think this will open the door for rich conversations around our responsibility to look for ways to help others. 

Finally, I’ve posted here about Christmas books that have corresponding movies. Check out the list and see if there are any of your favorites!

Merry Christmas to you and yours. May your days awaiting the celebration of Christ’s birth draw you nearer to the heart of God.