Saddled, How a Spirited Horse Reined Me in and Set Me Free by Susan Richards

Here was another woeful attempt at finding a New York Times Bestseller that I could recommend to my kids. Hey-(Hay is for horses)I really enjoyed the book, and chose it because what teen/preteen girl isn't into a story about a horse?! But My Friend Flicka this is not. This is an auto biography about a woman with a troubled childhood (very) who becomes an alcoholic with a wife-beating husband and a pattern for self destruction. I have carefully chosen my path so my children have a good chance of not having to experience these things as children, and I can't see myself recommending they read about them either. Plenty of time to be an adult, when life shows itself in all facets. For now, I like to show them the art of the possible. Fortunately, Richards has a deep love and attachment to horses, and one horse in particular who becomes her lifesaver. This horse is the focus of the woman, but not necessarily the narrative.
Still, I always have some angst when faced with statements like the one Richards makes on page 158; "I concluded there were two kinds of crazy people: the ones who knew they were crazy and the ones who didn't. Those who didn't were the ones you had to worry about." So, I start to worry about myself. I don't think I'm crazy. That makes me one of the dangerous crazies. Then, as I ruminate about this, I come to a third conclusion. There are the crazies, the crazies who don't know it, and the rest of us, who don't tend to hang out with alcoholics, batterers, drug dealers, or their counselors. Maybe because Susan Richards spent the first 18 years in a really screwy, unfriendly family, then the next 12 years in a booze filled haze, the next 10 years in hiding and then the next 10 becoming a drug counselor for addicts, she tends to have a narrow view of the population. This is what I hope. I also hope to allow my kids the security to not have to deal with the screwy, the beaten, the boozed up and the addicted until they are able to handle these facts of life without internalizing or normalizing them. There are better things to consider normal.

Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel

I read this book while in probably, 10th grade. My friend Jane, who also introduced me to Madonna, leant me her copy, full of admiration for Ayla- Clan of the Cave Bear's leading lady. Much like Madonna, Ayla's Clan might be best reserved for adult audiences. The book is excellent. It sucks you into a prehistoric, neanderthal world and the life of a young girl of the human "Others" trying to fit in and survive. No doubt it is a difficult life and you cringe for the child trying so hard, yet faced with a formidable enemy. Ayla is successful in some ways just the same, and extraordinary in her success. You absolutely root for this girl in a "good guys vs. bad guys" way. And, who really thinks much about life in the ice age? Well, when you're reading this, you'll be thankful for the industrial age. Still, Clan of the Cave Bear has neanderthal sex in it. Forbidding and strange to a 15 year old, kind of annoying to a 42 year old. I didn't have a "NO WAY" response to letting my eldest read this book, and I liked it so well, I went back to the library to get the sequels. Valley of the Horses, Mammoth Hunters, Shelters of Stone, and Plains of Passage all follow Ayla. But in Valley of the Horses, Ayla meets Jondalar and the series turns into mostly "Rated X" fare. That took me right off the fence! The books are for adults. Even if COTCB could be handled by a teen, to introduce them to a character that inspires such devotion, then tell them "Nope, can't read the sequels" will instead inspire rebellion and lead to WAY too much knowledge.

Warriors: Firestar's Quest by Erin Hunter

My third grade son checked this out from the library, I think so I could read it! I have found it more difficult to get my son interested in reading, where as my girls were easily engaged. Finding books interesting to a 8 year old boy that don't feature potty humor or pictures has been a challenge. At 510 pages, this is more book than my third graders attention span can handle. Still, if you have a kid who does read larger volumes, it is not a difficult read, and a pleasurable one! The idea is not a new one; a society of animals who have rules, law, families, language, memory, religion, love, enemies, regrets, etc. much like Watership Down or The Hundred Acre Wood. What was interesting was the choice of felines. Cats are the only domesticated species that can successfully be feral, and domestic, even switching between both modes in one lifetime. The cats of the Warriors series are Clan Cats, Rogues, or Kittypets. The society is of the Clan Cats, but Rogues and Kittypets can join a Clan, and Clan cats periodically go to live the simple life of the kittypet. The author is evidently a student of cat behavior, and many of the cat characters reminded me of cats in my life and my profession as a Veterinarian. Although the book is written for a child audience, it was entertaining enough for me to wonder how it would all turn out for Firestar and Sandstorm(his mate). Some violence- the cats catch bird, mice, voles etc. for food and have a battle with the rats of the Twoleg barn (how one deserted barn could support the hundreds of rats living there was one of the unanswered puzzles for me)but language is clean, and no sexual content warnings (another puzzle was how so many un-neutered cats lived together with so few kittens?). With more than a dozen Warriors books available, if you judge an entire series by one book ( hazardous, I realize) a child invested in this series could have many trips to the library with this Clan.

Goddess of Yesterday by Caroline B. Cooney

Young Adult Fiction- Good for you, Caroline B. Cooney! I get excited about readable young adult fiction. Menelaus,Agamemnon, Paris, Helen of Troy...it has been a long time since I've read Homer. Yet the characters in The Iliad and The Odyssey were warmly familiar from those high school days. Now, I don't think either of my girls have read Homer yet, but after reading Goddess of Yesterday, they will be able to relate more closely to this B.C. classic. Throw in a dash of Medusa and Athena, Cassandra, Castor and Pollux, and you realize why the old Greek stories are still so engaging. I'm not sure if you can really call it "Historical" fiction as I'm not sure how clear we are on the actual history of the time, but certainly it is set in another time in history. There is a some non-graphic violence('twas a violent time- the Trojan war- thousand ships, etc.) and a kiss. A little "love at first sight for the Princess" stuff, but certainly not the main theme, or even much of a topic. This could be a "Do not miss!" for the preteen and teen crowd. Putting it right to the top of the list for my girls.

A Good Dog; the story of Orson, who changed my life by Jon Katz

So, yesterday I hitched up the trailer to "Blondie", my monster truck, and headed off to pick up my new horse. I wrapped the big guy's legs, put on a head protector and stuffed him into my "three horse trailer" like a sausage into a casing. First hint that this was a REALLY BIG horse? No sooner did I slip out the back and close the door, when the kicking and stomping started rocking my 42'rig back and forth. Well, nothing for it but to get Blondie started! We left the farm, and I plowed across Ohio like a cat with a balloon tied to its tail. To put it diplomatically, my passenger was un-calm. I have to admit, it did occur to me "What have I gotten myself into this time?" and I even cursed a bit, which then I virtuously decided to transform into prayer, because the Lord Knows, cursing never did help much. I think the prayers did. I think it calmed down the black beast behind me, but it calmed me a lot too. And as I rocked around yet another exit ramp, I thought of Jon Katz. He, too, found himself in those "What am I DOING here" moments with an animal. For Mr. Katz, it is dogs, one particular dog- Orson (formerly known as Devon). For the love of an animal, there are certain folks who turn their lives upside down. Jon Katz dumped his on it's backside, buying a farm close to the Vermont border so his dog could have sheep to...see? Because Orson is not a Sheep Dog. He is a sheepdog- a border collie, but one with, shall we say, issues. And, the book is a travel through his time with Orson, but also some of the other dogs who are part of his, and Orson's life. The book does have an expletive or two, used in the manner of explosive expression, not as an adjective or verb. As with my rocketing truck and trailer ride yesterday, the cursing doesn't help Jon much either. I'm on the fence about recommending a book with base language, but really, the book is a good one, so you can decide for your own kids about the "word". It does speak to loyalty and devotion, love, beauty, and commitment to a dog (oddly, he does leave his wife and child in New Jersey to go live on a farm in upstate, so there's a relationship that puzzles me...) And, I have to say, although I enjoyed "A Good Dog", I liked Jon Katz's "The Dogs of Bedlam Farm" even better!

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

A few years ago, whilst on vacation in some city or other, I had enough time to enter a book store coupled with a desire to buy something for my children. We live in the boonies; three story bookstores, with coffee shops and moving staircases do not abound! Plus, bookstores of any size make my limbs tingle with anticipation. My eldest was 12 or so, and was wanting to read about romance. Hmm. 12 year old romance. Wuthering Heights? I went to the "young adult" section and found young patrons, asking them for advice. One suggestion was "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" ( don't know how to underline in this program, if Mrs. Lowe- 7th grade English teacher- is reading this, don't feel responsible. You taught me English, not word processing). I picked up this and several others, found a park bench without a sleeper and plopped down to read. I really liked this book. It was good fun. It has themes of deep friendship, loyalty, kindness and determination. But, it also has themes of early death, sex, divorce and searching for your identity as a teen. I think a good guideline is 14 years old before taking on "The Sisterhood". And, use it as an opportunity to openly chat with your teen about the sexuality, insecurities and independence the characters experience.

Julie and Julia By Julie Powell

I reviewed this on my Facebook Page already, but since I am still reading it, I thought it still relevant to the blog. I could review it before I was finished, because the appropriateness level was quickly measured at "not". As a Mom Tested Book, it failed. As for Me-tested, it's a go. I find it charming and relatable, having forged through a bit of Julia myself. Really, a trip to the DMV is easier than hard-boiled eggs JC style. But, the author is a true, occasionally faulty, admittedly potty mouthed adult. Save for the formerly innocent reader.

Charles Darwin; The Concise Story of an Extraordinary Man by Tim M. Berra

I think biographies can be terribly interesting, or frightfully indulgent. I prefer ones about folks who are written about for their effect on history. Maybe not even the well known, and certainly not the celebrity. I chose the Darwin book, as there is a movie being made about his life, making the subject somewhat current. Also, with the Creationism-Evolution debate, I think opinion based on understanding as well as conviction is more confident. Read, learn, decide.
This is a little ( concise indeed!) book,100 pages, with pictures and illustrations. It is not a kiddie book, but it is also not penned as a frolicking adventure. I found it interesting, but perhaps, not memorable. It did not hold the interest of my 'tween. If she were doing a report on Darwin, this would have been an excellent choice, but her tastes lean more towards Galileo, Witch Trials and Chickens. It did get lost in the no-mans-land of her room. She owes $0.20.

Blog?

Yet another new entrant into the world of "Blogging". No idea what I'm doing! But, never did stop me before. Thanks Trish, for dragging me farther into the 21st.

This Blog is to be a help mate for parents like me; during the past 15 years, I found three children under the cabbages and they are readers. BIG readers. Perhaps this is genetic. I still remember "27" as the book limit when checking out from the Mark Twain Library in my early years. Frustrating to be so limited.

In any case, reading is certainly the relaxation past time of choice here on our farm, and I know from those early reading years that not all reading material is equal (especially when it comes to appropriateness for les petit-choux)! So, I read. Sometimes I pass the book through the 5' tall door that leads to the clothing massacre that is my children's rooms. This is done with the understanding that Mom does not have the fortitude to relocate the book once passed, so the book must appear back on the library table to be returned, or else the fine is on you. Often times the book doesn't pass through the door.

I think, perhaps, my opinions on these books might be useful for other parents with "a book a night" kids looking for new reading material that doesn't inspire delinquency. And, some recommendations for the adults too (delinquency permitted).

So, putting this blog in the ground, and see if it grows anything. My peas and lettuces are coming along nicely, maybe this blogging thing will work too.