I just realized that it’s been a couple of weeks since I did one of these posts. I apologize for that. It seems like our Saturdays lately have been very busy. Today though I’m at home all day – happy sigh. We’ve had a very busy week so I’m glad to not be going anywhere today.

I’ve read a several books in the past month. I think the one I enjoyed the most is the one I’m just finishing up now – Just Send Me Word. Lev and Sveta were sweethearts before World War II separated them. After the war Lev was arrested and incarcerated in the infamous Gulag system as a traitor. What had he done? He had been a POW of the Germans. Countless men returning home suffered this same indignity.

What makes Lev and Sveta’s story unique is the thousands of letters they sent to each other. Many of them outside of the official lines so they are the uncensored thoughts of someone living within the Gulag system giving us a unique insight into just what that system was like. Sveta even managed to have herself smuggled into camp more than once to be able to see Lev. 

This is one of the sweetest love stories I have ever read. The perseverance of their love in the face of overwhelming obstacles is an example to us today.

17-year-old daughter – This month is very busy for Eva-Joy. This is her third year participating in NaNoWriMo. From their website, “On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30.” I think so far she is a little ahead of schedule in her word count. She totally enjoys doing this, but it really does consume her for the month. So she’s not doing a lot of reading – just a lot of writing. 

15-year-old son – The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict by Trenton Lee Stewart. We had to buy the Mysterious Benedict Society set since our current library doesn’t own it. The children are enjoying reading their way through these books again.

13-year-old son – The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

 

11-year-old daughter – Cinderella’s Dress by Shonna Slayton. A World War II teenager discovers she’s the keeper of the real Cinderella dress. A pretty good story but not enough about the war.

9-year-old – Marie-Claire Our Canadian Girl by Kathy Stinson. The Canadian Girl series has been a favourite with our girls ever since they discovered it. It’s historical fiction for pre-teen girls. A painless way to learn history.

7-year-old son – The Baron’s Booty by Virginia Kahl. This book can be very hard to find, but if you do the hunt is worth it. Set in medieval times a nasty baron kidnaps all thirteen girls from one family. It ends with him sending all of the girls home with gifts begging their parents to take the girls back and him promising to never be bad again. It’s written in poem and is a fun book to read.

4-year-old son – Paddington and the Marmalade Maze by Michael Bond. Poor Paddington cannot seem to avoid disaster wherever he goes, but he always seems to get out of trouble without too much damage. You just can’t help loving a bear who keeps a spare marmalade sandwich under his hat.

2-year-old son – Hop On Pop by Dr. Seuss. Amazingly this book is banned in some places because it’s considered too violent. That’s sad because wrestling with Daddy has always been a childhood delight. Anyway, this book like all Dr. Seuss books is fun to read with lots of rhymes and word plays.

How had your reading been this week?