Let’s Talk about Books

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When I posted this the other day, Michelle, author of the wonderful blog One Ordinary Day, wrote: “What an awesome poster. My baby girl has been sitting in a nook of her favorite tree reading. Makes me so happy.”

Yes. Michelle’s simple comment pretty much sums up my entire parenting philosophy: Give them some books, a tree or two, and time to enjoy them.

But even out here in the woods of Wisconsin, the hamster wheel tries to pull us in with its siren song: “Achieve! Acquire! Succeed!” I have to remind myself that participation in the wheel-running is not mandatory and busy does not equal happy. Just because we’re presented every day with endless opportunities to “Get more out of life!” and “Make every moment count!” doesn’t mean we have to. The days when we fly around getting kids (and ourselves) to activities might feel like they count more, but the truth is that days spent being instead of doing count, too. So go ahead and fill their heads with information, but be sure to fill their souls, too.

So, back to books. Here’s what I’ve been reading and some quick thoughts on each one:

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
Love, love, love this book. Even the boys listened (mostly) to our latest bedtime book, although Andrew frequently asked, “So, what’s the plot exactly?” Who needs a plot when you have Anne? I loved seeing her influence in the kids’ lives—in the fort they built in the woods just like Anne and Diana, and in the more frequent notice of the natural world around them. Some of the book’s content about orphans made me cringe a little, but the outdated language and concepts triggered some good conversations. We’ve decided to make the next title in the series, Anne of Avonlea, our first porch book of the summer.

Bossypants by Tina Fey
After listening to my endless whining about the long stretch of heavy, meaningful books we’ve been reading, my book club consented to read Bossypants. I loved the book, especially the section on the rules of improv (always say “yes”) and Fey’s stories of life behind the scenes at SNL and 30 Rock. And the chapter on dealing with Teat Nazis made me wonder if the real reason I adopted was to avenge my friend who was brought to tears at a Moms Club meeting by a TN. Who knows?

365 Thank Yous by John Kralik
This is a really sweet book about a man who finds himself at the bottom of a self-dug hole and how he slowly pulls himself out by writing thank-you notes every day for a year. Always nice to read stories that illustrate how changing your thoughts can change your world.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Oh, the Hunger Games. I kept putting off reading the trilogy because it sounded so grim and I didn’t see what the point was. But when I read that Suzanne Collins was heavily influenced by her father’s experiences in Vietnam, I decided to give the books a chance. I’m glad I did, although I was a wreck by the end of Mockingjay. Collins knows how to tell a story—her years as a television writer have made her an expert at setting scenes and pacing. And she’s created some truly memorable characters, especially the wonderfully flawed Katniss. And Peeta! Poor Peeta.

It surprises me when people say the books are terrible because they feature children killing each other. That’s the entire point. It is terrible, but not exactly unprecedented. My father was barely older than Katniss when his name was picked out of the hat for Vietnam. As Collins herself said, “I’m not writing about adolescence. I’m writing about war for adolescents.” It’s supposed to be horrible. While the books are more intense than graphic, I wouldn’t recommend them for anyone under twelve. (Unless you know they can handle the intensity.)

Real Food: What to Eat and Why by Nina Planck
I think that feeding our families healthy food is one of the biggest challenges we face nowadays. Even if you manage to avoid fast-food restaurants, processed food constantly rears its head. And if you’re wondering, as I am, if diet might play a role in your child’s “wiring issues,” the stakes are even higher. This book by Nina Planck, who opened the first farmers’ market in London, abounds with wisdom and common sense and makes the idea of feeding my family real food seem quite possible.

So there you go. I’m going to put up the next round of books in the next day or so, and I’d love to hear what you’re reading!