Archive | May 2008

First Daughter: White House Rules by Mitali Perkins

Tagline: This First Daughter makes her own rules.

Like all politicians and family members of politicians, Sameera Righton, the President’s daughter in Mitali Perkins’s First Daughter series, does seem a little too good to be true. She’s pretty, outgoing, poised, confident, full of fun, athletic, intelligent, loyal, and well, you get the picture. But, really, even if it is a bit of a fairy tale, First Daughter: WHite House Rules is a lot more fun to read than a journalist’s walk through the seamy side of politics. Why couldn’t at least one celebrity/political person be a wholesome all-American teenager?

The inside details on life in the WHite House are fun, too. And of course, as a blogger myself, I like the way Sameera uses her blog to communicate, hone her writing skills, and authenticate herself. An honest and transparent blog, written by the daughter of the United States of America, would be nearly impossible to monitor and maintain, but again it’s fun to imagine.

Then, Ms. Perkins has Sameera attending a public high school in Washington, D.C. I can’t wait to read what looks like the next book in the series: First Daughter: The School Diaries.

So, bottom line, I may be a cynic, but I have trouble believing in a First Daughter who’s as free, open, and unspoiled as Sameera (just as I have trouble believing in a certain presidential candidate’s kind, gentle, positive and hopeful image), but I like imagining that it could be so. It’s well-written teenage romance and adventure with a subtle, understated message of anti-racism, acceptance and respect for other cultures. What’s not to like?

Wednesday Discussion

May14

Back in February/March I read Robert Epstein’s The Case Against Adolescence. Epstein and John Holt would have been buddies. Epstein’s basic premise is that adolescence is a fabricated concept and that adolescents, starting at about age thirteen or whenever they demonstrate competency, should be treated as adults with adult privileges and responsibilities. These privileges include the right to own and manage property and money, driving, marriage, and other things we as a society have traditionally restricted teenagers from doing.

Matthew Lee Anderson at Mere Orthodoxy is the one who inspired me to read this book. You may want to read his thoughts and then come back to answer my questions.

Questions:
When does a child or a teenager become an adult?

What characteristics distinguish a child from an adult?

At what age, or using what other criteria, should society give adult responsibilities to and have adult expectations of a person?

If adulthood doesn’t magically happen on your eighteenth birthday, when does it happen?

And to get very specific, and very controversial, what basis does the state of Texas have for deciding that persons under the age of eighteen, and sometimes over the age of eighteen, can be held against their will, not charged with any crime, and made wards of the State of Texas for an undetermined time period? This is exactly what is happening in the case of the FLDS in Eldorado.

Into the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst

May13

I read this book back in February when I was on my blog break, and I’m just now getting my thoughts typed up and posted. Better late than never.

Choice: a predictable, planned out life where you get to live happily ever after—after slogging through the difficulties OR freedom to make your own choices, choose your own destiny, with all the risk that freedom entails?

Into the Wild is three parts silly, but the fourth, underlying part is serious philosophical stuff, like the question above. The Wild is fairy tale land run amuck, and Julie, our protagonist/heroine must choose to save her fairy tale character friends from the dictatorship of story that is The Wild or to become a part of the stories in The Wild and thereby gain a father and a happily-ever-after for herself. It’s not an easy choice. Stories have a way of sucking you in, sapping your strength and resolution, and making you into a helpless pawn in the hands of the storyteller.
I’m glad I finally read this tale told by a master storyteller herself, Sarah Beth Durst, and I’m looking forward to reading the sequel, Out of the Wild.

Miss Erin interviews author Sarah Beth Durst.

Becky’s review of Into the Wild.

Sarah’s Journal (the author’s blog)

Eldest Daughter’s Summer Reading List: 2008

May12

I am asking my children, even the eldest, to read at least ten of the books on their individualized list before August 18, 2008. I will take each child who does so out to eat to the restaurant of his choice, and I will also buy a book for each child who finishes the challenge. This list is for Eldest Daughter, age 22, who graduated from college last year and will be attending graduate school in the fall. She chose several of the books on the list herself.

The Bible. Romans.

The Bible. I Samuel.

Beaumont, Francis. The Knight of the Burning Pestle. Daughter’s choice.

Buber, Martin. I and Thou. Daughter’s choice.

Burkett, Larry. Debt-Free Living. Eldest Daughter says Dave Ramsey is annoying, so I chose an alternate selection on the same subject. I think she’s annoyed with me for saying so, but I also think she could use the reminder and inspiration as she begins to be completely responsible for her personal finances.

Chesterton, G.K. Manalive. June selection for the Biblically Literate Book Club.

Faulkner, William. The Sound and the Fury. Daughter’s choice. I may read this one with her. I’ve always planned to read Faulkner, but I never have.

Janson, Tore. Speak: A Short History of Languages. I may read this one, too.

Kallos, Stephanie. Broken for You.

Kierkegaard, Soren. Works of Love. Daughter’s choice.

McCaughrean, Geraldine. The White Darkness. May selection for Biblically Literate Book Club.

Monroe, Kelly. Finding God at Harvard. July selection for Biblically Literate Book Club.

Nadeau, Jean-Benoit and Julie Barlow. The Story of French. From the authors’ website: “When people think of the ‘French paradox’, they are usually thinking about how the French can eat rich foods and drink great quantities of wine yet somehow remain slim. But there is another French paradox, this one about the language: In spite of the ascendancy of English, French has held on to its influence. Where did this influence come from, and how has French retained it? These are the questions we set out to answer in The Story of French.”

Sartre, Jean-Paul. La nausee. Daughter’s choice.

Schillebeeckx, E. Christ the Sacrament of the Encounter with God. Daughter’s choice.

Smith, Lori. A Walk with Jane Austen. Deb D didn’t care for it at all. Camy thought it was well-written and perfect Jane Austen fans. Anne, Palm Tree Pundit, found a kindred spirit in author Lori Smith. I think Eldest Daughter and I will come down on the pro side.

Four issues of WORLD magazine. The purpose of this particular “assignment” is to help prepare Eldest Daughter to vote in her first presidential election. Does anyone else have any other reading suggestions for me and my three eligible young adult voters?

Hobgoblins or Habits

May12

Christianity for Modern Pagans, ch. 7: Vanity of Human Reason.

Pascal: ” . . . we require the aid of good habits to overcome bad habitual tendencies in the opposite direction. Therefore, we must act as if we believed, go to church, and so forth, thus habituating the automaton to obey what reason has discovered to be true.”

At least half of parenting and educating children is the development of good habits. As I understand it, Charlotte Mason discusses this aspect of education in her books.

Of course, one can develop a “foolish consistency,” but there is much to be said for doing things out of habit after having developed a conviction that those things indeed ought to be done and don consistently. Some fairly simple habits that I would like to instill in myself and my children:

1. To flush the toilet after each and every use thereof. Does anyone else have this problem? The problem of NOT seeing this done consistently, that is. And of course, Mr. Nobody is always the culprit.

2. Go to church on Sundays. I believe regular worship with a group of Christians is an important Christian discipline.

3. Get up in the morning and get dressed. My children get tired of hearing about how great it is that as homeschoolers they can do school in their pajamas. Unfortunately, they often play into that stereotype by . . . doing school in their pajamas.

4. Brush their teeth without being reminded. We’ve been working on this one for quite a while, and they still need reminders.

5. Tell the truth. I’d like it if they did this habitually without thinking about it.

6. Obey authority. Yes, there are times when a given authority is wrong, but I would rather their first impulse be to obey. Then, they can think about the possibility that the person in authority might have been mistaken or sinful and act accordingly.

7. Look for beauty and joy. This is a habit I need desperately to develop and to model.

8. Speak kindly. Again, if only I could model this one all the time.

9. Put away things when you’re done with them. The clutter, and resultant work, in our house could be cut probably ninety percent if only we would all put things away when we’re done using them.

10. Work first, then play.

11. Read the Bible and pray daily.

Of course, there may be times when the practice of each of these habits will be either impossible or inadvisable. But I would rather the habit be established, and then the mature person can choose to deviate from it for a reason.

Some habits my children are learning inadvertently:

1. Spend the day in your night clothes unless you have to go somewhere.

2. Obey when and if Mom says it a third time and gets THAT tone in her voice.

3. Do your work as soon as you’re reminded to do so.

4. Undress and leave your clothes on the floor.

5. Do as little schoolwork as possible to get by, and when the cat’s away . . . play!

YIkes! How do I replace the second list with a bette set of habits? How do the items on the first list become ingrained habits?

I think “hard work” is at least part of the answer to both questions.

Mother’s Day

May10

These are some opinions about mommy.

“She’s good.”
“She’s nice.”
“She likes good stuff.”
“She’s practical.”
“She’s my mom.”

What I think is good about mommy is that “She reads books!” and thats what I like about her.

I made this poem for her.

Mommy

Who is the person loves me so much? Mommy.
Who would NEVER leave me so she go could talk to a Dutch? It's Mommy.
Who would give me a dollar if I relay needed it,
because if I didn't have one I would not be able to buy that toy that just came out and all my friends have it AND it's the only one left!
It's definitely M-O-M-M-Y.

Hope you like it mommy and have a great mother’s day!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Computer Guru Son’s Summer Reading List: 2008

May9

I am asking my children to read at least ten of the books on their individualized list before August 18, 2008. I will take each child who does so out to eat to the restaurant of his choice, and I will also buy a book for each child who finishes the challenge. This list is for Computer Guru Son, age 20, who is a sophomore in college. Computer Guru Son chose some of the books on this list himself, mostly the ones I haven’t commented on because I haven’t read them.

The Bible. Romans.

The Bible. I Samuel.

Eifelheim by Michael Flynn. Review by Elliot at Claw of the Conciliator. I read this one and liked it very much, but I never reviewed it here because it was so weird that I couldn’t get a handle on my thoughts well enough to write about it. But it’s a good book. And Computer Guru Son likes weird.

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson.

Soul of a New Machine by Tracy Kidder. This book was published in 1981 and won a Pulitzer Prize and an American Book Award. It’s the true story of a bunch of maverick computer geeks at a company called Data General and their dedication to designing and debugging a new computer.

Perdido Street Station by China Meiville.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.

A Scanner Darkly by Philip Dick.

Never Let Me Go by Kashuo Ishiguro. Semicolon review here plus links to other reviews of the book.

The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon. Semicolon review here.

1984 by George Orwell. Classic, futuristic fiction, in spite of the dated title.

The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare.

Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris. I’ve heard good things about this book written by the twin brothers of author and pastor Joshua Harris (I Kissed Dating Good-bye).

Ask Me Anything by J. Budziszewski. Professor Theophilus gives provocative answers to college students’ questions. The book is written by a professor of government and philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin.

Financial Peace Revisited by Dave Ramsey.

A Long Way Gone by Ismael Beah. Memoir of a boy soldier in Sierra Leone.

48 Days To the Work You Love by Dan Miller. Recommended by Dave Ramsey.

African Food for Africans Who Are Starving?

May8

In Ethiopia in 2003, for example, widespread drought occurred in the low-lying areas of the country and the very dry northern highlands. Some 12 million to 15 million people were at risk of hunger and starvation. But in the central and southern highlands of Ethiopia, farmers were producing a bumper crop of corn and other cereals. Yet with no market for the locally produced grains, prices collapsed.

If USAID could have purchased and helped distribute some of this excess, up to 500,000 small farmers would have benefited, as well as the millions at risk of starvation. But its only option was to import surplus food grain from the U.S.”

Right now I’m reading Timothy Egan’s book about the Dust Bowl of the 1930’s in which millions of pounds of wheat, a bumper crop grown on the Great Plains in 1929 and 1930, sat in or near silos and rotted because the prices went down, and the wheat was worth less than it cost to produce. I don’t understand how this happens exactly, especially when people in the cities began to have trouble feeding their families at about the same time because of the collapse of the U.S. economy.

Eventually, under FDR, the U.S. government did purchase some of the surplus wheat and other grain crops and distribute it to the hungry during the Great Depression. But the dust storms and the lack of income for those first two years caused the farmers to go bankrupt and their land to lie fallow.

Now in this Wall Street Journal article, two food experts say that we, the U.S., are causing much the same problem as what helped to create the Great Depression in our food aid program in Africa.

The Bush administration has urged, rightly, that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) be allowed to buy food locally, particularly in Africa, instead of only American-grown food.

The U.S. government currently buys grain and other foodstuffs from American farmers for free distribution in poor countries where a disaster has occurred, or sells it in food-deficit nations to generate funds for food-security development programs. Under the law, the food must be shipped almost exclusively on American vessels.”

Why is Congress opposing this change in policy? Why not buy food there for distribution there and use our own grain surpluses here? Or sell the grain “surpluses” to the highest bidder since there seems to be a food shortage that I keep reading about? Is there something I’m not seeing?

Red Rover Daughter’s Summer Reading List: 2008

May7

I am asking my children to read at least ten of the books on their individualized list before August 18, 2008. I also want each of them to memorize two poems this summer and present them for the family. I will take each child who does so out to eat to the restaurant of his choice, and I will also buy a book for each child who finishes the challenge. This list is for Red Rover Daughter, age 16, who just finished her sophomore year of high school. I must admit that several of the books on Red Rover’s list are left over from our study of twentieth century history and literature that we didn’t quite finish during the school year.

The Bible. Romans.

The Bible. I Samuel.

Brooks, Bruce. The Moves Make the Man. For Jerome Foxworthy, basketball is a metaphor for life. But trying to to teach the moves to Bix Rivers is a job that even Jerome may not be able to handle.

Jiang, Ji-li. Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution. A teenage girl survives the Chinese Cultural Revolution under Mao in spite of her family’s outcast status under the new Communist regime.

Lewis, C.S. Mere Christianity. Classic apologetics and theology.

Lindbergh, Anne Morrow. Bring Me a Unicorn: Diaries and Letters of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, 1922-1928. Before she was married to famous aviator Charles Lindbergh, Anne Morrow, daughter of the American ambassador to Mexico, kept a journal and wrote a plethora of letters. This book is the first of five volumes of collected letters and journal entries of Anne Morrow soon-to-be Lindbergh. The others are called: Hour of Gold Hour of Lead, Locked Rooms Open Doors, The Flower and the Nettle, and War Within and Without.

McCaughrean, Geraldine. The White Darkness. The May selection for the Biblically Literate reading club.

MacInnes, Helen. The Hidden Target. MacInnes gives the flavor of the Cold War era in a story of terrorism, counter-terrorism, hippies, drug culture, and communist threats. Nina O’Connell, a college student in Europe, agrees to join a caravan across the continent to “find herself” and assert her independence. However, the driver and leader of the free-spirited group may have ulterior motives.

Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels. Perry, a teenager from Harlem, experiences the horrors of the Vietnam War.

Paton, Alan. Cry, the Beloved Country. South Africa under apartheid. I love this novel about sin and lostness and redemption and reconciliation. Here’s a Semicolon discussion of Paton’s novel with some favorite quotations.

Ramsey, Dave. Financial Peace Revisited. I don’t follow the entire Dave Ramsey plan, but he has a good basic handle on money management and financial responsibility.

Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice.

Uris, Leon. Exodus. A novel of the Jewish return to Palestine and the birth of a new, modern nation of Israel. Some thoughts on Uris’s books.

Voeller, Brad. Accelerated Distance Learning. Earn your college degree or get a head start on your degree by using AP, CLEP, and other tests and distance classes to both lower the cost of a college education and cut the time it takes to earn a degree. This book explains how to do it.

Wilkerson, David. The Cross and the Switchblade. A Pentecostal preacher from rural Pennsylvania is called to work with drug addicts and gang members in New York City in the 1950’s-60’s.

Poems to memorize:

Portia’s speech from The Merchant of Venice:

The quality of mercy is not strain’d,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
‘Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God’s
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy.

Red Rover Daughter can choose her other poem herself. I’ll let you know what she chooses.

Brown Bear Daughter’s Summer Reading List: 2008

May7

The Bible. Romans.

The Bible. I Samuel.

Costain, Thomas. The Conquering Family. Nonfiction about the Norman invasion of Britain and about the Plantagenet family and the history of England.

Hale, Shannon. Book of a Thousand Days. A princess and her maid are locked in a tower for a thousand days because the princess refuses to marry the man her father has chosen for her. Semicolon review here.

Little, Paul. Know What You Believe. What does the Bible teach about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit? What do angels, Satan, and demons have to do with reality? What place should the Bible or a church have in my life?

McKay, Hilary. Forever Rose. The last in the series of books about the wacky Casson family.

McCaughrean, Geraldine. The White Darkness. May’s selection for Biblically Literate Book Club.

Malley, Gemma. The Declaration. Semicolon review here.

Marshall, Catherine. Christy. Romance and Christian service clash with culture shock in the mountains of North Carolina. Christy is an eighteen year old innocent idealist when she goes to the mountains of Appalachia to teach school in a one-room schoolhouse. By the end of the story she’s a grown-up woman who has experienced friendship, grief, and love.

Richardson, Don. Peace Child. Don and Carol Richardson were missionaries who risked their lives living among the Sawi headhunters and cannibals who valued treachery through “fattening” victims with friendship before the slaughter.

Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. One of the plays to be performed at Winedale this summer.

Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Pre-reading for next year’s English curriculum, Starting Points.

Sire, James. How to Read Slowly. Pre-reading for next year’s English curriculum, Starting Points.

Stevenson, Robert Louis. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Pre-reading for next year’s English curriculum, Starting Points.

Two poems to memorize:

The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe.

Macavity by T. S. Eliot.