reading lately

some of what we've been reading lately...

for the pups:

Global Babies -- a favorite of Owen's, a favorite of Bob's at this age.  babies love babies, simple as that.  and what a beautiful way to introduce our littlest ones to different cultures.

One Year Devotions for Preschoolers -- we read these most days at lunch.  bob loves them and usually begs me to read a few extras each day.  every entry has a brief vignette, a Bible verse, and a two-line rhyming prayer.  all very simple and sweet, with focus on loving Jesus, being a good friend, beginning to understand God.  no scary stories or frightening illustrations, just good points for preschoolers to think about.

The Amazing Adventures of Bumblebee Boy -- picked this one up at the library last week and we've read it a hundred times since.  a great story about (not) playing with a younger sibling, whose name happens to be owen!  bob loves all things superhero, so of course he loves it.  he reads owen's lines in his Owie voice; cutest thing ever -- except when Owie grins and points at "himself" on the pages.

for me:

The Alchemist -- okay, I can't believe I just finally got around to reading this (and only because ben picked it off the shelf first!)  at jasmine's bequesting (I know that's not a word but i think it is) I borrowed it from kara approximately 8-10 years ago.  and i wish i had read it way back then because it is amazing.  so good.  i could provide you with a hundred quotations to go along with my assessment, but i'll refrain.  if you're the only person besides me who hasn't read this yet, you need to.

Letters to a Young Poet -- as soon as i finished the alchemist i needed to read this one.  i've read it several times already and each time it speaks to me.  another must, as far as i'm concerned -- and not just for poets.  rilke's words on sadness, on solitude, on God: profound.

The Mister Rogers Parenting Resource Book -- it's actually two books in one: The Mister Rogers Parenting Book (Helping to Understand Your Young Child) and Mister Rogers' Playtime (Encourage Your Child to Create, Explore, and Pretend with Dozens of Easy to Do Activities).  I picked this up at a library book sale when Bob was a baby and recently pulled it off the shelf to read.  The first half is great -- with an emphasis on understanding and appreciating and working with your child instead of just getting them to comply with your demands.  While Rogers' words are clearly rooted in the soil of unconditional parenting, he is much less confrontational about it than say, Alfie Kohn.  It's a very reader friendly book, with short digestible chapters.  The second half is filled with simple activities -- some are great ideas and some I know my son in particular has no interest in whatsoever.

so that's that.  any good reads lately?