Motherhood “In the Trenches”: Reassessing the Language of War
When a mother describes the daily care of babies and toddlers there’s an expression used to capture the experience: she might say […]
Astrid Lindgren’s “Mio, My Son” and the Immersive World of Fairy Tales
Astrid Lindgren, a Swedish author perhaps best known for her zany tales of Pippi Longstocking, offers a wide range of genres in […]
B.B.’s “The Little Grey Men”: Delight in Nature and in Story
Years ago, I read in a clipping from a magazine that Julie Andrews’ favorite book in childhood was B.B.’s “The Little Grey […]
Sentimentalizing Mothers and Mothers Who Are Not Overly Sentimental
Used book sales are a treasure trove of cast-off volumes, unwanted and unlooked for by most. Gorgeous old tomes sell for a […]
Patricia Polacco’s “The Butterfly”: A Story of Hope in Cruel Times
Patricia Polacco’s picture book “The Butterfly” strikes a rare balance: grim and gritty and yet hopeful. The story is based on real-life […]
Plenty of Life Left to Live: Accomplishment in Adulthood
It’s remarkable how quickly men can settle into a mid-life crisis. Like Julius Caesar weeping at the foot of the statue of […]
A Resource for Curating Books that are True, Good, and Beautiful
As “classical education” becomes more of a buzzword, there is yet more discussion of “the good, the true, and the beautiful.” As […]
Ken Guidroz’s “Letters for my Son in Prison”: A Father’s Love Shared Through Stories
We tend to think of reading to children in utilitarian terms: better SAT scores and verbal skills, improved abstract thinking and reading […]
George MacDonald’s “At the Back of the North Wind” and the Paradox of Happiness
But to try to make others comfortable is the only way to get right comfortable ourselves, and that comes partly of not […]
What to Read to Children: Finding Book Recommendations in Unlikely Places
What you read as a child (whether read aloud to you or read to yourself) says a lot about who you are. […]