My friends, have you been swapping books? Last week, I got to visit three young friends of mine (and their mother). I traded wildflowers from my yard for books from my friend. #winwin I also talked her girls into reading Farmer Boy, even though it’s not about Laura. We discussed how many books there are with my name in the title (their shelves had B is for Betsy, Betsy Tacy, and Understood Betsy). And we visited the bunnies and chickens. Earlier this summer, I loaned stacks of books to young friends. I received some school books I’d loaned out last year and handed over some new ones. I picked up…

The now-classic Asterix comic series receives an American gloss in a new edition. Astrix Omnibus #1, 2, and 3 by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. Papercutz (American edition), 2020, 152 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 8-up Back in 1959, a feisty, pint-sized character with superhuman strength hit the European comics market. This was before comic books became “graphic novels”; otherwise the book-length adventures of a ca. 50 B.C. Gaul would qualify as a graphic novel, though a distinctly unserious one. The series was launched as a European answer to an art form developed around American superheroes and villains. But Asterix was an unusual superhero: with…

Are You Homeschooling in 2020? This school year is starting off like no other, isn’t it? My husband and I both grew up attending private schools. I earned a teaching degree in college (and later a school library degree), and I’ve worked in both public and private institutions. I love school: the traditional calendar, the hubbub of teachers and students, the pep rallies, the clubs, the classes…. I also swore I’d never homeschool. But the Lord has a way of steering our lives in different directions, doesn’t he? Five years ago, we made the decision to homeschool mid-year, with one week’s notice. We were moving across the country, didn’t know…

This is a dangerous post. If you’re like me, you’ll see the resources that our family has chosen and think “Ooh, THAT’s what I need to improve my life!” I can’t promise you that, any more than an instant pot cookbook will revolutionize your meal planning. But I can show you a few resources that have enriched us over the years. These are some of my favorites, the ones I have NEVER regretted spending money on. My goal is to just serve dinner. I long to spread a feast of music, art, and literature before my children. I wish I could inspire their souls with sensory excellence, but reality falls…