Counting by 7s

Author:  Holly Goldberg Sloan

Rating:  *  (1 star out of 3 possible, "C")
              Recommended with Reservations

Audience:  Middle School Girls

Counting by 7s is a paradoxical book.  Sometimes written in first person, sometimes third, it feels both quirky and edgy while it explores both despair and hopefulness.

I suppose that's how adolescence often feels, and this book would especially appeal to youngsters who don't fit into typical teen scenes and/or have been identified (for better or for worse) as "gifted."

Willow Chance is one such girl.  She thinks in patterns of sevens, researches science and medicine, studies words and pi, analyzes behaviors and gardens.  Wearing her gardening clothes to middle school, and toting wheeled luggage instead of a backpack, Willow doesn't stand much chance of peer acceptance.  But she really doesn't mind, if she can just find one person that interests her.

City of Ember

Titles:  City of Ember; People of Sparks; Prophet of Yonwood; Diamond of Darkhold

Author:  Jeanne DuPrau  (pronounce "Jean DuPro")

Rating:  **  (2 stars out of 3 possible, "B")
             Recommended

Audience:  Middle School Readers

For this review I read City of Ember and Diamond of Darkhold.  As is often the case, sequels have trouble maintaining the creativity and energy of the original.

I found City of Ember to be an engaging adventure accompanied by a word puzzle to captivate thoughtful readers even more completely.  DuPrau has created an interesting setting and society, as citizens of Ember been underground in their self-sufficient city for as long as any of them can remember.  Unfortunately, their food stores and power systems are beginning to crumble, and as life becomes more difficult, two young teens, Doon and Lina, need to do more than just solve a mystery to save their city.

If this sounds a bit apocalyptic, it's because it is.  In a more gentle tone than Hunger Games, but along the lines of Gregor the Overlander, DuPrau has the reader consider the big questions of life and human conscience.

Mary Downing Hahn

Titles:  Closed for the Season; Wait till Helen Comes

Author:  Mary Downing Hahn

Rating:  *  (1 star out of 3 possible)
             Recommended with Reservations

Audience:  Middle School

Hahn's writing (plot, character development) is top notch.  She does not write down to children, nor is she sentimental or sappy.  She understands their relationships, personalities, real fears and imagined worries.  She is a well-known and well-respected author for middle schoolers.  About half her books cover the challenges of growing up, while the other half or more deal with the supernatural.  Parents will want to know which half their kids are bringing home!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Titles: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (#1); Rodrick Rules (#2); Last Straw (#3); Dog Days (#4);Ugly Truth (#5); Cabin Fever (#6); Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It- Yourself Book

Author: Jeff Kinney

Rating: D/F (0 stars out of 3 possible)

Not Recommended

Audience: 5th Grade and up

I usually try to read 2 or 3 books of a series before I write a review. In this case, I read the original Diary of a Wimpy Kid/Greg Heffley's Journal and have decided to make a snap judgment against it, thus avoiding the torture of reading others in the series.

Sorry I could not find any redeeming value in the book. I could try to justify it given all the best-seller status, Hollywood movie, getting kids reading arguments, but the evidence just isn't there.

It is disappointing to read all the parents on Amazon gush about how much their kids love this series, as if that is the only criteria for reading. Well, children love candy. Children love mud. Children love television. Children love staying up late. That is why children have parents. Someone needs to help children discern the best from the good, and the good from the c**p. (Pardon my vernacular.)

Now, if it was a simple argument of, "don't kids deserve some fun in their reading" I would say, yes, absolutely. No one reads classics all the time. Everyone needs some recreational reading and everyone needs to change genres from time to time. The problem with this series is that it fails on so many levels. It offers a flat story line and no real vocabulary. Language and grammar fail because, of course, it's a 6th grader's diary. Those things could be forgiven, because, of course, it's a 6th grader's diary, if only it were funny! It is not funny or clever. (I think my daughter and I smirked twice.) The pictures are ugly (yes, I know, it's a 6th grader's diary).

But the worst part is serious: Greg is a lousy, dishonest friend. He mishandles his Safety Patrol responsibilities and lets his friend Rowley take the blame. Throughout the rest of the book he remains oblivious to his greed and selfishness, never tells the truth about the situation, and never apologizes. Greg makes a small sacrifice for Rowley at the end, but by that time it seemed too little, too late to actually be considered redeeming. He just wasn't the kind of role model my kids need. Naturally, a book of this type can also be predicted to stereotype parents. As you might guess, the dad is clueless and the mom alternates between nag and embarrassment.

The Omnivore's Dilemma

Author: Michael Pollan

Rating: ** (2 stars out of 3 possible, "B")

recommended

Audience: Adults, Young Adults

Well, I finally had to do it. I had to find out (5 years late) what all the buzz was about organic, sustainable, blah, blah, blah.

Actually, I read Fast Food Nation (Eric Schlosser) some years ago and found it both convicting and a little alarmist. I also watched the features King Corn and SuperSize Me. So I am aware of some of the arguments against America's eating habits. I also work in health care, so I know the obesity and diabetes statistics.

What I appreciated about Michael Pollan's books (see also Food Rules for a Cliff's Notes version of Omnivore) is his thoroughness and practicality. He admits his own gradual journey toward healthier eating and doesn't judge people for coming to different conclusions. He doesn't expect people to become radical vegans, for instance, but encourages us to begin to educate ourselves about our food habits. He offers simple steps and options for people who want to make more informed eating choices.

The Omnivore's Dilemma divides food production into 4 groups: regular industrial farm production; organic industrial farming; local, sustainable farming; and self-production. Each of these options is explored in historic and current context and the reader can come to their own conclusion about how to implement each of these food production types into their family diet.

Most of us would agree "factory food" (as i like to call it) is our least desirable option. It's not going to go away any time soon, and probably has its place in some of our grocery shopping. A book like Omnivore's Dilemma will help you choose how much of your diet to devote to factory foods.

Pollan also tells the truth about "organic" foods. Many of these terms are defined by committees and government (lobbyists) so Pollan explains the gray areas. Terms like "free range" and "sustainably harvested" actually have no formal restriction or regulation, so companies may use them truthfully...or not! So Pollan tells the truth about both the factory option and the organic option. In all situations, caveat emptor!

Pollan is a big proponent of local, sustainable foods. This means getting to know your local producers and supporting them. "Sustainable" implies the local producer will put at least as much into the soil as they take out because they have a vested interest in maintaining their land. Conversely, corporate farming relies heavily on added fertilizers and pesticides to reap as much out of the soil as possible. For an interesting example of how local, sustainable farming (how farming was done pre-1920s, approximately) can work, take a look at www.polyfacefarms.com.

The final option is to try your hand at becoming your own hunter/gatherer! Families can decide how much of this to implement in their food choices. Most of us could plant a few rows in a garden (if you live in the suburbs, take a look at the size of your lot!), and some of us could even go fishing, or shoot a deer. Pollan validates these lifestyle choices.

It comes down to how convicted you are about food production policies in America and what you're willing to do about it for your family. Let me give you sort of a blunt, personal example: I am not a hippie living on a commune (and it's okay if you are) and I have serious concerns about the hygiene of some of our foods in the grocery store. For me, it's a little bit about the humane treatment of animals and it's a lot about the hygiene. Feedlots just aren't good for animals, or humans.

How will that change my behavior? Pollan suggests 3 guidelines in Food Rules: Eat Real Food; Mostly Plants; Not Too Much. Sounds manageable, doesn't it? In practice, I'm going to think a lot more about the 5-ingredient rule (eat foods with about 5 ingredients-foods your grandmother could recognize). We've already increased our fruits and vegetables. Next I'm going to order my own side of beef cut to specifics. Then I'm going to think about eggs and chickens. We're even considering joining a CSA: community sponsored agriculture group. For about $100 Rocky Ridge Ranch will provide families with 4-5 meats, eggs and produce each week. Not everyone can do that, but we might. (www.rockyridgeranchspokane.com)

If this interests you, there are plenty of options to begin your education process. (Two other books I am curious about but haven't read yet are Pollan's In Defense of Food and local pastor Craig Goodwin's Year of Plenty.) Then you can make your own informed choices about your family's food.

Leave a comment about your ideas!

Our Rating System

We use a simple 3-star rating system:

*** = "A" Highly Recommended

** = "B" Recommended

* = "C" Recommended with Reservations

O stars= "D/F" Not Recommended

Just like Mrs. Dunbar's high school English class, there will be many "Cs", several "Bs" and very few "A's."

Now, what to do with books/movies that fall under "Not Recommended?"

Families can certainly read those selections and use their own judgment. One option is to read with your kids, and another is to wait til your child is older. I would expect parents to come to different conclusions based on their background and interpretation.

Some will find our grading system too strict, and others will find it too loose. I look hard to find redeeming qualities in materials because I don't believe in being afraid of culture. Also, I have seen God use unexpected means and materials to touch people on different levels. At the same time I have almost no tolerance for weak story lines, poor writing, lazy plot devices.

I am frankly more concerned about the effects on our young people from saccharine Christian story-telling than from a well-told, albeit "secular," story. After all, our children must navigate within a secular world. Some may be disappointed when I give high marks to a book series with minimal Christian overtones, but (apologies to Augustine): All excellence is God's excellence.

Our Goal

Our main goal with this blog is to point families toward quality media. Some of our guiding Bible verses include:

Romans 12:1&2, paraphrased: Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is God's good, acceptable, and perfect will.

I Corinthians 10:23 paraphrased: All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but not everything will build me up.

I Corinthians 10:31 paraphrased: Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Matthew 10:16 paraphrased: Jesus sends us out as sheep in the midst of wolves. He tells us "be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."

First of all, these verses encourage me to carefully critique the world's priorities and advertisements. I'd like to remind families that they don't have to cave in to the world's peer pressure. Our kids don't have to see every popular movie and read every book on the best seller lists. One of our goals with this blog is to help you make decisions about what is worth your family's time, media-wise.

Second of all, the Bible helps me handle the tension of being in the world, but not of the world (John 16 and 17). We don't have to fear anything the world presents, but we are commanded to evaluate it, wise as serpents and innocent as doves. We hope this blog helps you and your kids engage the culture, not simply avoid it.

We understand families must differ in their implementation of our recommendations. The Bible reminds us that different people will have different convictions, and we are not to stand in judgment against this. (I Corinthians 10:23-33).

Ultimately, we hope we save you some time and point you to some fun and rewarding books and movies for you and your kids.

What Are You Thinking?

Make yourselves nests of pleasant thoughts! None of us yet know, for none of us have been taught in early youth, what fairy palaces we may build of beautiful thoughts, proof against all adversity; bright fancies, satisfied memories, noble histories, faithful sayings, treasure-house of precious and restful thoughts, which care cannot disturb, nor pain make gloomy, nor poverty take away from us; houses built without hands, for our souls to live in.
-John Ruskin