WWRW: Three for the New Year

Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things by Cynthia Voigt

If you liked The Mysterious Benedict Society or Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library or you just like reading about nice boys doing good deeds and solving mysteries, this one's for you.

The sequel, Mister Max: The Book of Secrets is already out so you know I'm headed to the Library Store (as Jill calls it) ASAP.

A Question of Magic by E. D. Baker

Serafina is a happy girl with a good family and a true love etc.  She goes to collect a mysterious inheritance and ends up as the new Baby Yaga.  She receives the power to answer every person's question truthfully, but only the first question.  And there's a catch.  With every answer she gives, she ages.  Can she escape her fate before she dies?  If you enjoy fairy tales, you'll enjoy A Question of Magic.

The Huron Carol by St. Jean de Brebeuf illustrated by Frances Tyrell

While a bringing the Faith to the Huron people, St. Jean de Brebeuf wrote a Christmas carol with beautiful native imagery, "wrapped in a rabbit pelt"  "born in a house of bark"  "three chieftains". (Am I supposed to capitalize Native?) The book is appropriate for all ages.  Frances Tyrrell's illustrations are inspired by various tribes and serve the text well.

You can listen to it here, sung hauntingly in Huron, French, and English.

St. Jean de Brebeuf is one of the North American martyrs and was killed by the Iroquois in the 1600s. You can learn more about him and see where he lived and died in this video.

There are six more days of Christmas so I'm not remiss in wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  Here's to more book reviews in 2015!

Making a Book List, Checking It Twice...

Every Christmas in these parts, one can expect to find the trifecta of book, toy, article of clothing under the tree.  Santa tries to bring what I call "the investment book."

These are books so good that we should own them, not just borrow them from the library. Oftentimes, these books happen to be books bout Christmas. Have you ever tried to find your favorite Christmas book at the library in December?  Yeah, me too.

I've come across a some good book lists this month with old favorites and new titles to add to my 2015 reading list.

This list from A Mighty Girl is designed with girl readers in mind, but has loads of crossover appeal. These stories are all about Christmas.

I've had Star Bright: A Christmas Story in my Amazon cart for awhile now after seeing the illustrator's work on Instagram.

I read this list of children's book illustrators to follow on Instagram and now I follow ALL OF THEM!  Their creative and quirky photos fill my feed with joy.

Who wouldn't want to see what Brigitte Barrager, author of Jill's very much loved The Twelve Dancing Princesses is working on now?

Or Jon Klassen, author/illustrator/humorist-genius behind I Want My Hat Back?

Here is a list of 15 Picture Books for Giving. Lots of classics on here.

Here is the New York Times List of Notable Children's Books for 2014. Many of these I have not read, but I'll get on that right away.

Lastly, my mom sent me this list titled Your not-to-be-missed Christmas list of kids' books with both tried-and-true and recently-released reads.  This list is NOT a list of books about Christmas.

I've got Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things by Cynthia Voigt in my pile right now.

If you're wondering if I've read a particular book, try googling "housewifespice and {insert title or author here}" or just email me!

If you're looking for a particular age or gender, try clicking on those keywords in my sidebar.  I've tried to be diligent about labeling my posts with keywords for easy searchability.  Or you could email me or use this comment box.

I like to think of myself as the Sommelier of Kiddie Lit. And Candy Corn. And Candy Canes. And Bacon.  And I'll stop now.

WWRW: A paraphrased review from Patrick

Patrick just finished reading Brave Buffalo Fighter by John D. Fitzgerald of The Great Brain books to Edmund.  They were both quite excited about it.

I rarely see Patrick excited about reading material made out of actual trees, so I will attempt to paraphrase what he told me.  Be forewarned.  He actually did say "eff" and other things while narrating the story to me, however Brave Buffalo Fighter does not actually have any bad language in it.

Here's how I heard it:

The hen-pecked father (Mr. Parker) has always wanted to go "out west" but the mother (Mrs. Parker) fancies herself as High Society, which they're not.  One day, the father says, "Eff this.  We've saved up enough money, we're moving out west."  The mother says, "No, we're not."  The father says, "Fine, go live with your parents."  Her parents says, "What the heck are you doing?  Go be with your husband!"  Then the wife says, "Oh, I've changed my mind.  Let's go out west."

The wagon train they join is quite large and every family is required to buy a certain amount of supplies.  When a poor family's wagon tips over, it is discovered that they filled their barrels with dirt and sprinkled flour on top.  The wagon train men and the captain then vote whether or not to kick this family out of the group.   

The family was only short about $50 of supplies, so the men start pitching in money to get them through.  The poor father says he can't except charity.  Then one member of the party says, "I have 200 acres and am planning to have orchards in Washington.  I need someone to work for me.  Consider this $50 an advance on your salary and after 2 years of employment, I will give you 50 acres of my land."  The family stays. 

Throughout the book, Mrs. Parker is still a snob, considering most of the other wagon train women as white trash and beneath.  Mrs. Parker comes down with pneumonia.  Her illness rages for weeks, and she is on the verge of death when one of the "white trash" women offers to take a look at her.  Using turpentine and other ingredients, this woman and the other low-class ladies of the wagon train make hot compresses for Mrs. Parker, heating them and changing them around the clock for four days.  One of the lower class men goes out hunting every day just to catch one prairie hen to make chicken broth for Mrs. Parker.
She survives but is unaware of who saved her life for awhile. 

This book is really sad.  Tonight, I read that they are getting attacked by Indians.
They got attacked and survived the attack with only 11 men, women, and children dead.  One woman ran out of the wagon circle to get her six year old, but she got killed.  It's very sad.
The wagon train captain says that they will get attacked tomorrow.  The men want to know why.  It's because Mr. Parker's son, Jerry, shot a buffalo that was attacking someone, with a pistol and killed it.  The Indians saw this happen and now the chief wants Jerry to be his own son, as his son died and he only has daughters.

That's where I'm going to stop.  The rest of what I was told is all spoilers.  I probably shouldn't even have told you that Mrs. Parker survives.

Edmund and Patrick loved this book, despite the scary and tragic parts.

Jill and I have been reading and loving Charlotte Zolotow's Over and Over which Mary Kate reviewed recently.  Everything she said about it is true.  Over and Over is a longish book, but so pleasant to read that I can read it over and over.

I just finished The Royal Ranger (Ranger's Apprentice ), which was everything I hoped for in the last of this series.

Now, I am now reading Tolkien's Letters From Father Christmas to Edmund and Jill in the evenings.  Charlotte reviewed this earlier this year.

If ever anyone needed an argument as to why you should celebrate Santa Claus aka Father Nicholas Christmas aka Sinterklaus with young ones, I can think of hundreds of reasons.

But my favorite reason of all is that if the brilliant and Catholic J.R.R. Tolkien felt the need to celebrate Father Christmas with a sackful of toys and elves and reindeer and sleigh with his children, why wouldn't I?

Next Wednesday is Christmas, so I'm taking the day off.  (But I may feel the overwhelming desire to blog books anyway.)

Happy Christmas from Housewifespice to You and Yours!  I hope your Christmas looks a lot like this:

An InLinkz Link-up

It's What We're Reading on the second Wednesday of Advent!

Peter is reading Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games) for the first time, AND he stole my long-awaited The Royal Ranger (Ranger's Apprentice).

Lucy read Behold Your Queen!: A Story of Esther by Gladys Malvern.  It's a historical novel based on biblical events.  She said, "I thought it was really good."  She also said, "She doesn't look like such a beauty on the cover."  I own and love lots of Gladys Malvern books. They are appropriate for young women of all ages.

Susan read Pride and Prejudice for the first time ever.  She had only ever seen the Keira Knightley movie, which is just wrong.

She is now reading A Girl of the Limberlost which she got from St. Nicholas.  Her copy is a paperback, but the Kindle edition is free.  I am surprised she has been so engrossed in it, since it was written in 1909.  It just goes to show you that these old-timey books still hold lots of appeal.

Edmund for the very first time ever has been seen sitting around reading.  I think it has something to do with no hours and hours of homework after school for the last six weeks.

His books of choice are the Big Nate books.  Yesterday, he chose Calvin and Hobbes, so obviously he's coming around to the classics.

Jill and I are working our way through lots of Christmas books, both ours and the library's.  I was absolutely delighted with Santa's Favorite Story: Santa Tells the Story of the First Christmas.  The watercolor paintings are incredible.

The plot is Santa is tired and worn out.  Some woodland animals find him asleep in the forest.  They ask him if there will be no Christmas anymore.

"No, no, no," said Santa in a kindly voice, "Christmas hasn't got anything to do with me.  Sit down and I'll tell you all the story of the first Christmas."

When I couldn't find The Royal Ranger, I picked up a borrowed copy of The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith, which is the thirteenth of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books featuring Mma Precious Ramotswe, the greatest detective in all of Botswana.

A few weeks ago it was National Book Week in Scotland.  I did their online quiz to see which literary character I am.  Pula! Pula! Pula! I am Precious Ramotswe!

An InLinkz Link-up

WWRW: Advent/Christmas Books Link Up Party Here!

What do we read around here during Advent?

Last year, I did this huge Jesse Tree Ornament Exchange, and this year we have a book, A Shoot from the Root of Jesse by Sarah V. Park that helps keep us on track with the days and the readings and the ornaments, etc.  Dwija blogged about it last year, but I went ahead and my own phone photo, or phon-to if you will.  Dwija's picture was much nicer.

This next book is one of my desert island treasured books.

I blogged about John S. Goodall's An Edwardian Christmas last year.  My copy is from 1979.  I see a used copy available at biblio.com for $15.00.  Worth every penny.

An Edwardian Christmas, like all of Goodall's books, is a wordless picture book.  With pictures like these, who needs words?

There is a "decorating the church with greens for Christmas" scene, and a "walking to church late at night" scene, which I can only assume is for midnight Mass.  I love when books reflect religious practices.

Goodall wrote other Edwardian books, which I don't own...but Christmas is coming!

As you may have guessed, Miracle on 10th Street by Madeleine L'Engle is not a picture book.  A dear friend gave me my copy and inscribed it during "Christmas 1999."

Miracle on 10th Street is a collection of essays, letters, excerpts from novels, poems, and short stories.  The story called Transfiguration is my favorite.

In Transfiguration, a young nun working on the Upper West Side encounters Christ and personifies Christ to the people she encounters throughout her day.

I could say more...but

My older children have read bits and pieces of Miracle on 10th Street, but really it's in the Christmas book basket just for me.  I'm the only die-hard L'Engle fan in the house.  I'm the only one who appreciates the cosmic scope she brings to the humblest of historical events, or maybe I'm just the only one who tries.

Jill and I have been enjoying The Animal's Christmas Eve, Little Golden Book.

Of course, we only have this vintage out-of-print edition with the lovely illustrations.  NOT THIS ONE, that is being sold today on Amazon:

Those are some of the ugliest animals I've ever seen.  Why'd they have to go and mess with a good thing?

Anyway, The Animals' Christmas Eve, like many Christmas picture books, is about preparing the barn for the Holy Family.  BUT The Animals' Christmas Eve Little Golden Book is also a counting book, which is perfect for Miss Chubby Fingers.

I love O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi, but do not currently own it.

We had a paperback copy but it got wet during some basement flooding, and the pictures were just meh.  I hope somebody's recommending a good edition in the link-up.  I miss that beautiful couple.

Lastly, I must include a book that has absolutely nothing to do with Christmas, but it feels magical and Christmasy just the same.

I've written about this one before too.  Robert Frost's classic poem, Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening, illustrated by Susan Jeffers.  It is very important to me that you ONLY look at the version illustrated by Susan Jeffers, because it is gorgeous.

I want to enlarge these images super big, so you can see for yourself, but that just won't do the drawings justice.

I can't imagine a living, breathing person of any age who would not like to spend some time with this book.

Now, it's your turn.
An InLinkz Link-up

7QT: Advent and St. Nicholas Day

1.  Advent starts in NINE days and St. Nicholas comes two weeks from today!  Giddy-Up!

Someone I know, love, and trust shared this item on Facebook yesterday, so of course I did that one-click spendy thing on Amazon.

2.  Since Amazon is also someone I know, love, and trust (within reason), and they had a suggestion for me, I nabbed these bad boys too.

I guess this means we'll be having gingerbeard instead of gingerbread.  tee-hee!

3.  In getting ready for the Advent-ure, (I sure am punny today) I did an online search for a high-quality child-safe Advent wreath.  I'm looking for something similar in quality to this Shabbat set.

Facebook friend, Angela bought two Shabbat sets from Barnes & Noble.  She's re-painting her candles and re-purposing them for Advent.

I'm impressed, yet overwhelmed with that route.  So I turned to Etsy Handmade instead.

ADHToys is making me a set like this, but it will include "lit" and "unlit" candles.  Easy on my temporal budget, while financially supporting a crafter's home business, winning all around.

Message her!  She'll probably do one for you too.  If you ask nicely.

4.  Speaking of Etsy Handmade things, I sent my precious nephew, Isaac, a homemade flannel blanket from Etsy seller, Project Orange.

When I messaged her that it was a gift, she wrapped it, tied it with ribbon, and added a printed note from me, all at no extra charge.  I love these Etsy folks!

5.  I'm trying to do more Christmas/St. Nicholas shopping at Etsy and independent stores.

Kelly at This Ain't the Lyceum got me started on this kick.  She has lots of great ideas in her Catholic and Handmade Christmas gift guide:  ties in liturgical colors, handmade boxes for his homebrew, handmade saint medals, and more.

I know a girl who will love these Doctor Who inspired earrings,

and a couple of girls who desperately need red riding hoods.

This is not my photo or my kids.  They belong to Etsy seller, OriginalsbyLaurenToo. 

Heck, I'm even finding stuff for my #indignant17yo.  What teen boy doesn't want a lego mini-fig keychain in their stocking?

How cool would these Lord of the Rings inspired travel posters look in the boys' room?  Or in Patrick's office?  Or in our bedroom?

6.  Enough of the Windows shopping!  (Last pun, I promise.)

Soon it will be time to set up my collaborative Jesse tree and try to find the Advent at Ephesus cd that I bought last year.  It's probably at the bottom of a Christmas tub.  sigh.

**I am really on top of things this year.

I already ordered and received real beeswax Advent candles from Toadily Handmade Beeswax Candles.  Ripped this idea off Mary at Better Than Eden.  Of course, she is hand-rolling her own candles.  *cough*over-acheiver*cough* I'm just phoning it in with the pre-rolled kind.

7.  I am planning to do a(nother) post about our favorite Christmas/Advent books.  Kendra at Catholic All Year posted her Five Favorite Read-Alouds for Advent, and I was surprised to see that the Thornton Family's picks for this season are all different!  Every year, I find more and more Christmas stories to treasure.

This year, I got The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski from the library.  It pays to request Christmas books in November.  Patrick read it to Jill, and he was spellbound. He immediately started looking to see if it had been made into a movie, and was disappointed to see that it has.

**Just by typing that, I have ensured that a major appliance will break down in the fourth week of Advent, or someone will vomit as soon as we begin our post-Christmas roadtrip to St. Louis.

Feel free to leave me a little present/comment below.  You could share your favorite Etsy shop/item, your favorite Christmas/Advent book or cd, or your favorite cookie recipe.  Or just say, "Hey!"

Linking up with Jen at Conversion Diary per usual.

Happy Thanksgiving if I don't see you on What We're Reading Wednesday!  I mean, I'll be here, but will you?