Book Review: Silent Night

I love the Advent season and can be caught listening to Christmas carols long before it is thought appropriate. To foster similar love in my two children, we have a tradition of wrapping up books with winter or holiday themes and beginning after Thanksgiving, each daughter opens a book a day. Every year I add a couple new titles and remove lackluster ones. New to my collection last year were three picture books with song lyrics as the only text.

Silent Night by Lara Hawthrone is a beautiful book with the simple but profound lyrics of the beloved song sprinkled on each page. The illustrations are beautiful, and since I grew up seeing Jesus portrayed as white although he was a Jew in the Middle East, special mention must be made that I am drawn to the accurate representation throughout the book -- the holy family, shepherds, wisemen, even angels have dark skin.

I love this picture book and expect it will soon join in the Advent book rotation, where it will remain for years to come.

(I received a digital ARC from NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Children's in exchange for my honest review. I've used Amazon Affiliate links here; should you purchase through these links, I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you.)

Book Review: Modern Patchwork Home

As a newly married adult shortly out of college, I didn't see the value in owning a sewing machine -- my short exposure through a sewing unit in junior high gave me basics but I left it at that. I was early in my knitting abilities when I started teaching English at a middle school. However, the teacher next door to me changed that. She was my age, also a knitter, and a huge resource to me as I taught. She became an informal mentor, able to give advice and answer any questions. I learned she was a quilter, but I imagined it as a fuddy-duddy activity, with dated-looking results.

Then one day, another teacher brought her quilt in to show off to my mentor, who had taught her. The colors were playful, the pattern modern. That day was when I envied that skill and vowed to acquire a sewing machine. I put it on my Christmas list, but my husband and I loved exchanging gifts way early, so by Thanksgiving I was already in possession of my new toy. After a lesson from my mentor, I was off. I made quilt samplers for everyone in my family the following Christmas, and my sisters have gotten various quilts from me for different big events (they are of varying quality, but my heart was in it).

When I saw the cover of Modern Patchwork Home: Dynamic Quilts and Projects for Every Room (edited by Vivika Hansen Denegre), I was delighted to get an advance copy. The quilt on the cover draws you in, and as I'd seen similar patterns but didn't know how they were constructed, I was ready to dig in.

Graphic Cross Quilt

The photographs are well staged, and the book is replete with colors and patterns that draw you in. I love the Braided Table Runner as well as the Reflected Wedges Runner. I can so easily see the Twisted Flower Tote filled with a current knitting project and my Kindle, as long as I make duplicates for my girls so they don't steal mine. The Sketchbook Cover caught my eye. And someday I'd love my make the Module Quilt or Urban Trek Quilt, and something about the Graphic Cross Quilt catches my eye.

Twisted Flower Tote

While you see there are several projects I would love to make, the tips at the start are the exact education I need before beginning. I am too much a beginner to know some of the tricks of the trade, like how to make multiple blocks at a time; there are instructions for how to make half-square triangle blocks two at a time, even as many as eight at a time, with cheats on how to alter to your own needed size. I've watched friends work with paper piecing, but that was another elusive detail, now revealed.

Reflected Wedges Runner

Such a beautiful book with helpful tips and clear directions is bound to inspire others to visit fabric stores and sit down at their sewing machines again.

(I received a digital ARC from NetGalley and F+W Media in exchange for my honest review. I've used Amazon Affiliate links here; should you purchase through these links, I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you)

Book Review: Belonging

Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home is a powerful memoir by Nora Krug that is captivating both verbally and visually.

Nora Krug grew up in Germany and discusses what it was like learning about WWII and their country's atrocities. When in school, nothing was sugarcoated and there was a sense of collective guilt. Her parents were born after World War II, but the more she learned, the more curious she became as to the involvement of her grandparents and other relatives.

When she moved to the United States, her interest only grew; she wasn't proud of being a German and would try to hide her accent because of the reactions of others when they found out where she was from. But as she began to long for home, she wanted to dig into the family stories.

Heimat is a German word introduced early and returned to often, which refers to a place where you have familiarity, where you feel connected, where you belong.

"Perhaps the only way to find the HEIMAT that I've lost is to look back; to move beyond the abstract shame and ask those questions that are really difficult to ask -- about my own hometown, about my father's and my mother's families. To make my way back to the towns where each of them is from. To return to my childhood, go back to the beginning, follow the bread crumbs, and hope they'll lead the way home." (page 54)

So begins Krug's return to Germany as she visits where her grandparents lived during the war, searching the archives, conducting interviews, and unearthing the truth. It's an engaging book that is an important read as we all weigh how events throughout history and our family's involvement in them shape us.

I was intrigued by how the graphic novel format would convey the information, and I was suitably impressed. I've been reading books on drawing techniques and artistic journaling, and this book was a feast for the eyes. Nora Krug is a skilled artist and I felt as if I was reading someone's personal accounts in their journal, illustrated with all the care you see in adept bullet journal aficionados (let that comparison not take away Nora Krug's skill -- she is talented, and I also follow some bujo artists, so the connection is meant to be a fine compliment). The use of photos, sketches, dried flowers, even images of medals and wood carvings, make this a rich tribute.

I experienced this in a digital form, and while it was a rich, beautiful work, I highly recommend, if possible, you read a physical copy. Some of the background images span two pages, so it's a richer experience if you can see it spread before you.

(I received a digital ARC from NetGalley and Scribner in exchange for my honest review. I've used Amazon Affiliate links here; should you purchase through these links, I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you.)

Book Review: Girl Squads

As a mother of two young daughters, I want them to feel confident, capable, and powerful as they grow up. Strong female role models are important for them to look up to, both in their social circles and in the world around them. Not only is it positive for them to have individuals to admire, they also should witness strong female friendships.

Girl Squads: 20 Female Friendships That Changed History by Sam Maggs is a new book aimed at highlighting how women can band together and support each other in their joint accomplishments. Each chapter has a specific focus, with several "girl squads" highlighted within those categories. Each of the stories has an illustration to accompany it.

The author shares stories of friendships of female athletes, warriors, scientists, artists, and activists from around the world.

The accounts are thorough, supported by many factual details. I suspect the audience is geared towards upper high-school or college students. While the accounts can be empowering, my one hang-up is how "chatty" and casual the language is. It's as if it's a pep rally for sisterhood. While I can get behind the importance of encouraging each other, not all will be interested in the language; "and, like, ..." is typical, as well as descriptions of "dang," "bad-ass," and "kick-ass" throughout.

If you aren't looking for high-brow literature and think you or another in your life will embrace the conversational language, these stories will be perfect. Some will be familiar, like the female SCOTUS judges or the black women mathematicians at NASA highlighted in the book/movie Hidden Figures, bu there are numerous stories of women previously unknown to me.

(I received a digital ARC from NetGalley and Quirk Books in exchange for my honest review. I've used Amazon Affiliate links here; should you purchase through these links, I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you.)

Book Review: Sold on a Monday

I recall being shown the iconic black-and-white photo of young children behind a sign "4 children for sale," taken in the 40s. A journalist had captured it and the image captivated readers as it spread across the United States.

The image haunted author Kristina McMorris. As she imagined circumstances behind it, she created the novel Sold on a Monday.

We experience the story through two main characters, journalist Ellis Reed and newsroom secretary Lily Palmer. Themes of family, loyalty, and responsibility are addressed.

Overall, the story is solid and is a pleasant enough read. I admit, however, that I was never fully pulled in. To borrow a phrase supplied by an iconic Supreme Court decision for my own purposes, I can't always say what it takes for a story to become literature, one that envelops me and makes me forget that I'm reading, but I know it when I see it. This wasn't quite there, but I can see some book clubs enjoying a discussion on this.

I appreciated the additional information at the close of the book, including the original photo and details on what happened to those children, a reading guide, and a conversation with the author.

(I received a digital ARC from NetGalley and Sourcebooks in exchange for my honest review. I've used Amazon Affiliate links here; should you purchase through these links, I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you.)

Book Review: The Gospel in Color -- For Kids

When I was younger, I remember being at the home of someone in our church. There had been some adult Bible study. As it finished and we were all running around, one of the other kids took a toy from me. I felt wronged and went to my dad to seek out justice. When I pled my case, the woman he was speaking to bent down to me and said, "Why don't you pray to God that the boy would have a changed heart and give it back to you?" Even as a child, I had a genuine faith that I was nurturing. But that response made me feel so empty and frustrated. Here were adults, in such a position to intervene, and they were going to instead sit back and see if God would divinely act?! Couldn't God act THROUGH the adults who were present and use this as a teachable moment?! I didn't have the words then, but now I see more so how that didn't rest well with me. We don't need to passively sit back -- we can live out our faith, stand up for those who have been wronged, and demand justice.

I've been intentionally reading fiction and non-fiction by people of color the last few years, trying to immerse myself in their experiences and stories and learn from them. I have age-appropriate conversations with my daughters and try to fill their library with diverse picture books.

The Gospel in Color -- For Kids: A Theology of Racial Reconciliation for Kids by Curtis A. Woods and Jarvis J. Williams caught my eye in hopes of it being a good resource to share with my daughters. At times I worried it might fall back into the passive role -- willing for us to pray for changed hearts so racism is erased, for instance. However, the authors didn't mince words in the introduction and throughout as they talk about events with a biblical lens:

"People have killed other people for racist reasons, yet sometimes racism is far more subtle and sneaky -- so sneaky it seems almost invisible at first. Racism can be present in words and actions that seem polite, but are actually subtle ways of letting people know they're less valuable because they're different."

There is an adult version of this book, whose chapter contents mirror these so that adults and children could work through the books alongside each other. In the Introduction, there are suggestions for how to go through the book based on the age of the child (ages 6-9 need more support, while children ten and up could do it more independently).

The chapters are written with accessible language and defined terms, along with discussion questions to supplement the material. Talk of sin, the good news, and reconciliation is prevalent. In the last chapter, the authors provide five ways to live out the gospel "in color." They encourage reconciling with others, but they do admit that: "Forgiving someone doesn't mean we pretend we aren't hurt, and it doesn't mean we just ignore whatever they do. Forgiveness means we don't retaliate with hate, but commit to loving them instead. Even when we forgive someone, the process of reconciliation means they must still seek to make things right, undo damage they've done, and face the consequences of their actions."

I appreciated this book as an introduction to racial reconciliation for children.

(I received a digital ARC from NetGalley and Patrol, LLC in exchange for my honest review. I've used Amazon Affiliate links here; should you purchase through these links, I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you.)

Book Review: L. M. Montgomery

This summer I read a biography of Lucy Maud Montgomery; while I'd been a fan of her novels, I didn't know anything about her personal life. It was enlightening to see how much of her life made it into her works, sometimes as idealized events and redeemed outcomes from her actual life experience.

When I saw L. M. Montgomery by Isabel Sanchez Vegara in the Little People, Big Dreams series, I had to read it. I wondered how they would condense events into material accessible and engaging to younger readers.

It is beautifully done. The illustrations are engaging and accurately convey pivotal moments in Maud's life and there's a good balance between text and pictures on each page. The only published work of hers mentioned by name is Anne of Green Gables, but as that is her iconic work, it's appropriate for it to be the focus and for details of her inspiration to be mentioned.

One small quibble I had revolves around when the book mentions her accepting a job at the post office in order to submit stories without anyone else being aware. In truth, the post office was run out of her grandmother's home, where Maud was raised, so while Maud did help with the post office, this book makes it seem like she sought it out when in fact, she was stepping up to help out as her grandmother aged. A perk was being able to send out stories, but that wasn't the primary reason she helped out.

There are multiple titles in the Little People, Big Dreams series, and this is another winner.

(I received a digital ARC from NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group in exchange for my honest review. I've used Amazon Affiliate links here; should you purchase through these links, I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you.)

Book Review: Nature Craft

I have two creative daughters. When we're outside, they're always picking up feathers, pine cones, helicopter seeds, sticks, acorns, and special rocks. I try to keep most of their treasures outside in a special place for them, although some rocks get washed and end up in their inside collection. However, beyond that, I'm at a loss for what to do with them. Enter Nature Craft, a new title by Fiona Hayes.

Hayes takes found items from nature and alters them to create whimsical new creations -- nests, flowers, owls, bunnies, coral reefs, and more. There are a couple masks, but most of the projects are meant for display. The cover doesn't accurately convey the contents, as I feel the most winsome projects didn't make the cut on the front.

The snail project, using clay, sticks, and seashells, is darling, and the tortoise was another favorite of mine. The birds and koala just make me want to squeal from their cuteness! The trees and snowflake would make charming Christmas ornaments. And the uses for helicopter seeds are brilliant, as we have no shortage of those in our yard and neighborhood.

These projects seem accessible to my girls, currently 4 and 8, although depending on glue needs, I might need to intervene if a glue gun is necessary (I burn my fingers enough with that as it is so I won't expect my daughters to manipulate that on their own). I have a digital copy of this book, but I want to add a physical copy to our home library -- it's the sort of book that invites page flipping and I want to facilitate ways for my girls to sprawl with a copy and be inspired. Some of the projects have natural items that we won't happen upon (sheep fleece, for instance, although as a knitter that aspires to be a spinner, I do have roving on hand), but substitutions could easily be made.

I know I will be referencing this book throughout the year to make use of my daughters' found treasures. And these creations are so charming that you better believe I'll be crafting right alongside them!

(I received a digital ARC from NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group in exchange for my honest review. I've used Amazon Affiliate links here; should you purchase through these links, I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you.)

Book Review: Planet Grief

There have been moments of great loss in my family; my brother committed suicide at 19, and we lost our first daughter when she was born premature and only lived six days in the NICU. Those deaths shook me -- for months, even years, they were only a thought away at every moment, and my emotions were close to the surface. I was fragile, but I was fortunate enough to have people around me that supported me through those losses and gave me space and time to process them.

Planet Grief by Monique Polak is a thoughtful treatment on grief. This children's chapter book is structured with alternating chapters from the perspective of the two main characters, one female, one male, with both teenagers processing losses in their family. They are brought to a weekend grief retreat and respond hesitantly at first.

Christopher lost his dad two years ago, Abby lost her mother two months previous. As they learn the stories of their peers and submit to the exercises of the grief facilitator, they begin to heal.

The lessons I learned through grieving come through time and again in Planet Grief. Lamenting over the hurtful things people say, learning who sticks by you and who keeps you at arm's length, understanding that grief looks different for everyone, processing thoughts of shame or guilt when the death was unexpected, and on and on. It is clear the author drew on the experiences and research of grief.

I appreciated the true, accurate portrayals contained in this book. At times the execution kept me from fully engaging (characters seem more like types than individuals), but I could see myself purchasing this title for a younger loved one beginning their own journey after a loss close to them.

(I received a digital ARC from NetGalley and Orca Book Publishers in exchange for my honest review. I've used Amazon Affiliate links here; should you purchase through these links, I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you.)

Book Review: Imperfect Courage

Imperfect Courage: Live a Life of Purpose by Leaving Comfort and Going Scared by Jessica Honegger reads as an encouraging pep talk from a good friend.

Much like my inner circle of friends is there to offer support or correction as I go through the varying rhythms of life, I imagine Honegger as my cheerleader. She is in your corner but she isn't willing to let you stay comfortable and safe, removed from the world. She calls you to find your passion and invest in it.

This beautifully written book is an easy read but also pushes the reader to be courageous because of what there is to be gained if you step out in faith, however imperfectly situated you feel you are.

While I didn't recognize her name, I am aware of the company Jessica Honegger started: Noonday Collection. This book is the story of how the desire to adopt from Rwanda transformed her and her entire family, leading to the start of this thriving fair-trade, direct-sales business.

The journey was not without its hiccups, and Honegger is transparent, willing to reveal the time they were inventory-heavy and their lack of communication led to uncertainty and distrust with their ambassadors and artisans alike. How her own self doubts, imposter syndrome, and her Itty Bitty Baloney Sauce Committee have been hurdles to overcome.

The book isn't simply a how-to for starting your business. I would suggest that is secondary. While the Noonday Collection allowed Honegger to have this platform, the book is an easy-to-read account that encourages others to make bold changes to create rich, meaningful lives. The chapter titles are phenomenal and the contents do not disappoint; there's Own Your Worth, Embrace Vulnerability, Discover the Sisterhood Effect, Widen Your Circle, and more. I found thought-provoking passages to highlight in each chapter.

(I received a digital ARC from NetGalley and WaterBrook & Multnomah in exchange for my honest review. I've used Amazon Affiliate links here; should you purchase through these links, I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you.)