Annis Duff’s “Bequest of Wings”: The Pure and Timeless Pleasure of Good Books
Through another bookish blog I discovered Annis Duff’s “Bequest of Wings: A Family’s Pleasure with Books.” I learned so much, including that […]
Gordon Neufeld’s “Hold On to Your Kids”: Getting to the Heart of the Matter
One of the most remarkable aspects of childrearing is how miserable it can make people. No one chooses to have children with […]
Russell and Lillian Hoban’s “The Sorely Trying Day”: A Minor Masterpiece on Family Life
Long a fan of Russell and Lillian Hoban’s collaborative “Frances” books for children, “The Sorely Trying Day” is, arguably, even better. The […]
Armstrong Sperry’s “Call It Courage”: A Hero’s Journey, a Universal Tale
The treasury of Newbery winners is vast and deep. One we recently enjoyed was Armstrong Sperry’s “Call It Courage,” which won the […]
Farley Mowat’s “Owls in the Family”: Boys with Exotic Pets, the Laugh-Out-Loud Edition
We’re back! After quite a hiatus at Inspire Virtue. Thankfully, there has been an abundance of excellent reading material and many good […]
Elizabeth Janet Gray’s “Adam of the Road”: Fine Historical Fiction with Much Medieval Minstrelry
When you’re reading a good book, your impulse is to tell a friend. In the case of “Adam of the Road,” I […]
Jean Merrill’s “The Pushcart War”: Perfectly Frivolous, Lots of Fun
In a moment of desperation at the library (a subject for another day), I grabbed Jean Merrill’s “The Pushcart War” off the […]
Pollyanna’s Glad Game: “Just find something about everything to be glad about—no matter what ’twas”
I like Pollyanna. One child listening to the story by Eleanor H. Porter objected to the girl Pollyanna’s overly dramatic episodes, but, […]
5 Perfect Picture Books for a Summer Afternoon
You’ve attained a summer lifestyle when there is a perpetual rotation of drying bathing suits. The drying rack is no longer stowed […]
Tim Gautreaux’s “Welding with Children” and Reading about the South this Summer
The Nordic countries have their hygge, a cozy aesthetic embracing and romanticizing long and harsh winters. In the South, we have a […]