While very few parents and parenting books still argue that corporal punishment will help turn out a well-balanced child, most do propose time-outs, bribes, and praise as successful disciplining techniques for raising well-behaved children. In Unconditional Parenting, Alfie Kohn goes further. He argues that conventional techniques (such as time-outs, bribes, and even praise) may harm
I was looking for something else light to read before Christmas when I found, via the Book Review Blog Carnival on Maw Books, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum, reviewed at The Movieholic and Bibliophile’s Blog. Best of all, because it is in the public domain, I could jump over
Most people have heard of A Christmas Carol (see my review), but few are familiar with Charles Dickens’ four other Christmas novellas. I read his other four novellas this season. Some of the novellas were more interesting than others. The superiority of A Christmas Carol makes it clear to me why it has lasted as a
If you like Harry Potter’s world, you’ll like J.K. Rowling’s latest edition to the cannon: The Tales of Beedle the Bard. After each tale, which has been carefully “translated” from the ancient runes by Hermione Granger, we read Dumbledore’s commentary/critical analysis of the tale, with Rowling’s special notes for Muggle audiences. The Tales of Beedle
I mentioned previously that I love the Everyman’s Library Pocket Poets series. So I ordered myself the volume Everyman’s volume of Christmas Poems in honor of the holiday. (Thank goodness for Amazon’s Marketplace where I could get it for half price!). I really enjoyed a retreat in to poetry about my favorite holiday and season,
Well, here’s an out-of-the-ordinary Caldecott-winning picture book! When an exotic bird visits his home, a lonely janitor is eager to escape the daily grind of life in Hey, Al by Arthur Yorinks (published 1986). But when paradise begins to be less than heaven-like, Al begins to miss his regular life. The illustrations are attractive caricatures
I reread A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens just about every Christmas. I love the story of personal redemption as Ebenezer Scrooge learns from his past, recognizes the facts of the present, and learns to hope for the best in the future. For me, the appeal of this ghostly tale is the recognition that I
The Twelve Days of Christmas, illustrated by John O’Brien (Boyd Mills Press 2003), brings the ridiculousness of this Christmas carol to life. Although I’ve been told that the gifts for the days of Christmas are symbols for some Catholic tradition, I have no idea what they would mean. This book doesn’t worry about symbolism and
When I was about 8, my mother sewed a beautiful satin Christmas dress for me as well as one for my sister. As a family, we went to Chicago to watch a ballet of The Nutcracker. I have always loved the music and the story of this Christmas tradition. The Nutcracker by Michael Hague brings
I’d never read the original story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Robert Lewis May until this month. In simple rhymes, Rudolph’s story goes beyond the song. As in the song, Rudolph is ridiculed and outcast because of his red nose. The paragraphs of the rhyming poem expand on the familiar song story, with details
Here Comes Santa Claus by Gene Autry and Oakley Haldeman (illustrated by Bruce Whatley) has beautiful illustrations to the classic song. The realistic illustrations shift from Santa at the North Pole and in the midst of delivering presents, to a family singing carols, hanging stockings, and otherwise preparing for a happy Christmas Eve. This song
There are many different illustrated versions of the The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clark Moore. This story, as most people know, is a lengthy poem with sometimes awkward rhymes. But, it is a tradition, and the season would not be quite the same without the traditional reading on Christmas Eve. Of all the illustrations,
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