Easter Book Giveaway For Moms: "I'm Outnumbered!" by Laura Lee Groves

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!  We will giveaway this book to a commenter who makes the best case as to why they should get it.  Also, please include your email so we can contact you for your address if you are the winner. 

 

We will announce the winner on Sunday, May 1 so they can get it in time for Mother’s Day.  Maybe you do not need it but know a mother who might appreciate it.  Feel free to share why you would like to give it to them in your comment.

I’m Out numbered!:  One Mom’s Lessons in the Lively Art of Raising Boys by Laura Lee Groves is a good little handbook for moms (and dads) of boys.  I got this because I teach 5^th grade boys in Sunday School and thought it may be helpful.  She kept the chapters short because she knows moms are very busy so it is a quick read.  She addresses many issues including expectations, laying a foundation for reading, sibling rivalry, teaching respect, organizing, media, teaching responsibility, and communication.  Also included is a special chapter for dads, for single moms, and one from the boys themselves!  Laura Groves also includes an extensive list of recommended books that deal with related topics that she wrote about in this book.

I think this book would be helpful to any parent of boys especially. It is sprinkled with some humor and scripture which makes it a very enjoyable and interesting read. I liked it and am not even a parent but this book makes parenting sound like lots of fun! As I was reading, I kept thinking of different mothers I know who may benefit from reading this. Some general advice from I’m outnumbered! is to let boys be creative, don’t let them hurt each other, don’t play favorites, give them all a chance to be leaders and promote teamwork, treat them as individuals, love them no matter what they do or don’t do, teach them manners by challenging them to be honorable like knights.

 

I am not a mother but still enjoyed reading this humorous but practical book.  I think it contains some good advice and great ideas for raising boys (and girls too).   It would make a nice gift!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card

I know I'm way late to read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card since it came out years ago.  That being said, I thought this book was just AWESOME!  For sure my book of the month for April and will rank very high in my books of the year list!

The premise of this book is the government has tabbed Ender to be the next big commander.  He is taken away from his family and sent to "Battle School."  His brother, Peter, and his sister, Valentine, also play interesting roles in this book. 

If you loved Hunger Games and The Maze Runner series, you will love this book too!
(Gerard's Review)

Karen's Review:
I liked Ender's Game very much too.  I'm glad Gerard encouraged me to read it!  Ender is just six years old when the government rejected his older brother and sister and took him instead to train to be the commander to fight against the buggers out in space and save the world.  Ender is very smart and very endearing.  He doesn't want to kill anyone but excels in the battle games.  I liked how even though Ender was an "underdog" he was very clever and came out on top when others made things tough for him.  The only thing I did not like about it was the ending.

If you like stories about mind games, leadership, friendship, bullying, military strategy/training or science fiction, you would love this book!  Anyone with battle experience I think would identify with Enger.  We both highly recommend this one--it's awesome!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

Our Friday Fragments

Mrs. 4444 at Half-Past Kissin' Time hosts Friday Fragments each week where we can post snippets that aren't really big enough for posts by themselves. Thought you might enjoy something a little different that lets you get to know us a bit better.

Got the “Blue Screen Of Death” on our computer this week and had to have the hard drive wiped clean and windows reloaded. What a hassle! Can’t find our original operating disk and now have no word processing program! ARGH! Can’t open our documents!  This is why we didn't get to read as many Tuesday Teasers as usual this week.

Karen entered a drawing at work for two Browns hats and a set of Browns coasters for Support Staff Appreciation Day.

Going to go to good old reliable paper and pen to make our reading lists. I had summaries of the book on mine too though—good thing we have this blog and Shelfari and Goodreads!

Both Gerard and I are doing a special puppet presentation for grades 1-6 at Parma Heights Baptist Church on Easter Sunday called “More Than A Miracle” at 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

We are thrilled that the Cleveland Indians are in first place and rooting for the Bruins.

Gerard and I are currently reading the same books: Trapped by Michael Northrop, Ender's Game by Orson Card, Dogs Don't Lie by Clea Simone Live To Tell and Gone by Lisa Gardner. Gerard will soon be reading The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials too. Our review of Ender's Game will be up tomorrow. We both liked it!

Visit The Gatekeepers Post to see our interview with Jeff Rivera, author of "Forever My Lady" about being book bloggers. 

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Love Wins" by Bob Bell

Love Wins by Bob Bell is all about the fact that Jesus loves us. That gives me a good warm happy feeling in my body and soul. It is also about heaven and hell with lots of scripture passages. I did not see where in this book the controversy is. I enjoyed reading it during Holy Week!
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Trapped" by Michael Northrop

Some things about Trapped by Michael Northrop book:
(1)  It’s a YA book.
(2)  It’s short--you can read it in a few hours.
(3)  Nobody on Amazon gave it 5 stars--Do I care about Amazon?  No!
(4)  I loved it!

The premise is that seven students are stuck in a high school during a major snow storm.  The characters are realistic.  How will they cope?  When will they be rescued?  I was hooked from page 1 to the end!  Super book!  Give it a chance--you will be glad you did!
(Gerard's Review)

Karen's Review:
Trapped by Michael Northrop is a quick read about seven teens trapped in their high school for a week during a snow storm who fight for survival. They are very resourceful and during that week, get to know kids they normally did not hang around. I liked Trapped all right, but it didn’t seem very believable and there were some loose ends that I would have liked finished up. I liked seeing how the kids interacted with one another and how their thoughts changed as they got to know each other a little better, similar to The Breakfast Club. It has some suspense but isn’t as good as other suspense novels I have read. It reminded me a Stephen King novel in a way because the whole story takes place inside the high school until the very end.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.