I have just finished reading Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck.
I loved it.
I confess, I only read this book because it was picked for our book club. I had heard about how good the book was -- I even posted Lindsay Call's review of it four years ago, (see here, and see how I said that I wanted to read it to help me work more effectively with Levi! Ha!) but I didn't pick it up until now.
I guess because the concept of growth mindset took off like wildfire, and because I felt I agreed with it and did a pretty good job of living it, I didn't need to spend a lot of time reading a book about it. In fact, I was afraid this book would be a bit of a slog.
For those of you who don't know, I'm a big fan of Gene Luen Yang. It seems to me that he's got a solid head on his shoulders and he writes darn good stories. I don't think I'm alone in thinking this, because he's won gobs of awards and written stories in impressive worlds like Avatar: The Last Airbender and Superman. (Yes, Gene Yang is now writing the Superman comics, and for the first time I'm interested in picking one up! haha)
Anyway, when I heard he was coming out with a series of graphic novels that would teach kids how to code, I was very excited. I emailed the publisher, and they sent me a copy for review. Huzzah!
We all loved it.
We loved it so much that we downloaded the Logo interpreter suggested in the back of the book (and linked from the website), and spent some fun times making the turtle follow our commands.
getting the hang of coding
I even caught Jacob reading it, and got some good pictures of Benjamin's work after he finished the book and before he knew we could play with this information on the computer.
So. Let me give you a little breakdown.
What colors is it? Interiors are black, white and green.
What is the story about? A new girl at a new, strange school, trying to solve the mysteries of her environment. She just happens to learn some basic coding, on the way.
Strong: It's definitely got emotional grab. Humor, especially between the students, Drama, in Hopper's family life, school life, and when they unexpectedly meet, hehe. I expected the bookto be a little dry at times, but I was wrong. This book isn't just "not dry," it's downright JUICY.
Weak: Nothing that I can think of! My only problem is that the rest of the series isn't out yet.
How it has changed my life: I now understand how to work in a binary number system better than I ever have before! I definitely learned about binary numbers in childhood (sister of a nerd), and in college when we covered how to teach number systems (elementary education graduate), but man! Those birds! I will not forget those birds. Also I know how to do some basic coding in Logo, which, admittedly, is not super useful in my every day life.
Here's something cool though. Watching Benjamin get really into this book and then begin to program -- to notice his errors and go back and fix them -- made me think he might be ready for piano lessons. He's seven, if you were wondering. So, Jacob and I signed him up. He's taking to piano very nicely.
I definitely recommend this book. It could be a really fun Christmas gift. Read it on Christmas morning and spend the afternoon doing a little bit of coding. Good, clean fun!
I'll make the cover image here an affiliate link, so that you can shop for the book if you like. If you shop through my affiliate links, I get a small commission.
You can check out all the books by Gene Luen Yang that I've reviewed here on Everead by clicking here.
Are your kids doing anything with coding? I've heard that some schools are starting to teach it, and Benjamin came home and played a coding game that he had played at school. Do you view coding or other computer skills as "essential skills" for the next generation? Leave me your thoughts in a comment below.
Wow, moving changes everything, doesn't it? We just moved from Georgia to Connecticut and, as I expected, it has thrown me for a loop. However, I didn't anticipate all the ways that life would change. I had guessed the big ones (new house, new climate, new schools, new doctors, new church assignments, new job for Jacob) but I feel like you can never know all the little things until they come up. New way of doing dishes? Unanticipated. New furniture arrangement that puts a damper on late-night blogging? Would not have guessed.
Thankfully moving doesn't really change everything. Same husband (nine years now!), same kids (cute as ever), same church, same blog, same love of reading.
Here's what I've been reading lately.*
Art Before Breakfast by Danny Gregory
This is a slim book that's out to get you making art. I admit I didn't take it as a workbook and do everything it said to do, but Gregory says in the book that that's ok. So basically the book begins by making the case for making art. It answers the questions "Why should I bother making art?" and "Why should I bother making art when I know I'll never be that good at it?" The answers to both of those were satisfactory for me, so I started making some art.
After that, Gregory delves into some basics of art-making. Different materials and techniques you can use. I had a lot of fun trying some of these out. The hands-down favorite was making a ketchup painting with my four-year-old. Yep, coolest mom ever status: achieved. The book also offers up some cool challenges to take (like drawing your breakfast every day for a month) some cool party ideas (definitely want to try these sometime) and general encouragement to make art. I give it the thumbs up.
As You Wish:Inconcievable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes
This is the story of the making of The Princess Bride, as told by The Man In Black, Cary Elwes. In fact, because I got the audiobook version, it really was told by him! And bits were narrated by other cast members as well. We took it on a road trip, of sorts, and the whole family enjoyed it. I mean seriously. The first time we turned it on, Benjamin, now 7, whined about it. By the end of disc two he whined when we had to turn it off for a bit. And, cutest of all, he totally internalized all of Cary Elwes's talk about the rigorous training for the sword fight. "I'm so tired. When we get back, can I have a hot bath, like Cary?" Any book that teaches my kid how to chill out after a long day is cause for celebration.
Anyway, I grew up in a family where we watched The Princess Bride over and over. My mom was a fencer and she couldn't get enough of the sword fight. I now know all the details of how that was made. :) She sewed a custom Man In Black costume for my oldest brother, which the younger ones subsequently wore. I read the novel of The Princess Bride and adored it. What I'm trying to say is that I was pretty much destined to love this book. Jacob, however, first saw the movie after we met. He liked it, but had only seen it once. He still loved As You Wish, and instigated a movie party immediately after we finished it. And, superbonus, he kept saying "as you wish" to me for a couple weeks afterward.
If you'd like to read a couple more reviews of this one, I recommend Janssen's and Amy's.
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
I really loved Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day, so when I saw this interview of him I had to listen to it. Then I had to read his new book The Buried Giant of course. It's about an elderly couple in ancient England. They're living in a cursed land where people forget important things. and they're trying to find their way to their son's village. As the novel goes on, you find yourself asking interesting questions: "Do they even have a son? Would they recognize him if they saw him? Would he recognize them? Would he be as happy to see him as they think he would be? What is going on with this mist of confusion?" Anyway, it's really fascinating. It's slowly paced, but rather than being boring it ends up being haunting. That Ishiguro. So good.
Fortunately the Milk by Niel Gaiman
This is a slim and silly story. Dad goes out for a gallon of milk and takes forever to get back. His kids ask, "What took you so long?" and he regales them with an epic story of what it took to get them some milk. I read it in one sitting, and it made me smile throughout. I fully intend to read this one aloud to my kids, and I think I miiiiight have to push it on some unsuspecting family members. (I'm looking at you, Grandpa!) The illustrations by Skottie Young were fabulously fit to the tale, and made me want to return to his renderings of the Oz books. Definitely pick this one up if you're looking for something fun to read to the whole family.
The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer Holm
Jacob and I read this one to each other as we drove to and from Boston a couple weeks ago. Since Jacob is a scientist, I knew I couldn't give this one the thumbs-up unless he liked it, too. It's the story of eleven-year-old Ellie and her scientist grandfather, Melvin, who has discovered the cure for aging. Now that he is young again, a mix-up with the police has made it necessary for Melvin to attend middle school with Ellie for the time being. It has a set of deep themes that run through the book and make it more than just a fun read. Plus, Jacob laughed out loud at least twice at the insider science jokes. We each give it the thumbs up.
Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson
You may have remembered me mentioning that I was starting this book? Way back when? Well don't let my slowness to finish deter you. It was a good one. I finished it the week after we moved in. I won't recap it here, instead I'll refer you to my review of the first book in the series, The Way of Kings. You'd definitely want to start there. I'm looking forward to book three.
Oh man, you guys. There is more where this came from! I think I should just stop here. But please: Tell me what you've been reading lately! Fill in the blanks: If you hate___ you'd hate this book.
*As usual, the images of book covers here are affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Just wanted to make that known. Thanks for supporting Everead.
Design Mom: How to Live with Kids: A Room-by-Room Guide by Gabrielle Stanley Blair
What a great book! I tagged its pages in three different categories throughout, as you can see. I'll tell you all about it! But let's begin at the beginning.
Reading this book was a lot of fun. I requested it from the publisher, Artisan, because I love reading Gabrielle Blair's blog: Design Mom. I would say if you like the blog, it is a safe bet you will like the book. The book isn't exactly like the blog. The book reminds me most of Design Mom posts like this one, about Christmas stockings.
But what if you don't already read Design Mom? Let me tell you more about the book.
It is very conversational in tone. It is a pleasure to read, and feels like a chat with a friend. The only problem with that is that it wasn't *actually* a conversation so I couldn't ask the author to tell me MORE! I mean, I could have read double as much. Wanting more—more stories, more details—was my only complaint with the book. And that's not really a complaint, it's a compliment.
I loved the photos, all gorgeous and lovely, even when they didn't suit my personal design tastes. Some photos took up a whole two-page spread! A feast for the eyes. This reading nook looks so inviting . . .
This is the kind of lovely photography we are talking about.
Photo by Seth Smoot, styling by Kendra Smoot for Design Mom.
The book is all about designing your home to meet your family's needs—assuming you have kids. That's cool because I have kids (currently ages six, four, and one). The Blair family has six children ranging in age from high school to preschool. (You may know them from my favorite online video series, Olive Us.) Because she has kids in a wide spread of ages, Gabrielle can share from experience needed contingencies for older kids, for younger kids, and for when older and younger kids need to work together in a space.
Each room detailed in the book is broken down into snippets of advice—sometimes one page, sometimes a two-page spread. At times the advice is very concrete: "Let Your Coats Come Out of the Closet" is a snippet in the section of the book about the entryway. It makes a case for displaying your coats in your entryway, instead of keeping them in a closet. Other times, the advice Design Mom gives is quite abstract: "Aim for Function + Beauty" is a section dedicated to a formula for getting rid of clutter and surrounding yourself with items that will bring you joy and make your life easier.
Now, let me tell you about my sticky notes.
Thought about cropping this photo but then the dalmatian on the floor just matched so perfectly...
The purple notes mark pages I want to talk to my family about. Conversations to Have or Things To Do Immediately. They are things like "Choose Dinnerware that will Grow Up with Your Family"—our dinnerware is definitely not coming with us when we move this summer, so I know replacing our dinnerware is an impending project. And I know I need to tell Jacob, so that he won't be surprised by that. Another example that I have tagged is a Do-It-Yourself project of making a "You are Special Today" plate. We had one of these when I was a kid, and it was the best! I definitely want to have one of these in my house, and don't want to shell out for a replica of the one I grew up with. I've looked into it, and . . . no. I'm not much of a DIYer but all the projects in this book are super simple and practical. I've already used tips from the "Foolproof Tricks for Styling Your Bookshelves" and "Simplify Your Bedding" sections. (EDITED TO ADD: I have now completed two projects from the book, which you can see here and here!)
The pink notes mark pages that I found myself thinking about when I wasn't reading the book—great ideas that I thought I could put into practice once we move to Connecticut, or just concepts I found myself mulling over while eating my morning bowl of cereal. For example, "Storing Artwork and Homework" is often on my mind at breakfast, because I sit and stare at the pile of stuff on top of our craft dresser as I munch. Gabrielle's advice from the section on task lighting came to mind when I was squinting over a project. And the Fabric-covered Bulletin Boards look so easy that I want to make several for our new place, once we get there. But I'm absolutely not hanging anything new on my walls nine weeks before we move.
The little mantra that this book gave me and which has been playing in my head ever since is, "Do what works now." It is reminding me to not tackle projects like the bulletin boards yet. It tells me not to give away the couch until we're a little closer to our moving date. And it is inspiring me to go whole hog for rearranging the furniture to shift where the library books belong, so that they belong right next to the couch where they always end up anyway.
The yellow notes represent times that I gave myself a pat on the back for already being awesome. By that I mean that these were the parts of the book where Gabrielle suggests doing something that I'm already doing. "Rotate the Toys" and "Don't Hide the Hamper" were sections I could have written myself, having learned those lessons from experience. "Play the House Librarian" is also marked in yellow because, well, that's pretty much my favorite thing to do. (You can find my posts about building a high quality home library for kids here.)
I'd say if the idea of Design Mom: How To Live With Kids: A Room-by-Room Guide intrigues you or appeals to you, go for it! It's $21 on Amazon right now. It's the same price at Barnes and Noble. (Yes, those are affiliate links. If you purchase after clicking them, I will earn a small commission from the bookseller.)
Good grief, I like it enough that I'm going to give a copy away!
(Not my copy. My beautiful annotated copy. It's miiiiiine. And signed.)
[This giveaway is now CLOSED, but you can still sign up here for future giveaways] If you would like to enter the giveaway, I'll need your email address before April 22, 2015 . It's infinitely easier to contact a winner when I've already got an email in hand. And the most private and convenient way for me to get that is for you to subscribe to my email list, below. I promise I won't bug ya. You can read more about my email list here. You can read the full giveaway policy here. Those who already subscribe are also eligible to win.
You should get a confirmation email from me via MailChimp. Confirm your subscription and you know you are entered.
Now tell me your thoughts! What questions do you have? Leave a comment, below.
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To be clear: I was provided with a copy of this book by the publisher with the understanding that I would review it here. I am not being provided with a copy to give away.** I'm just going to buy a copy for someone who wants it. I'll probably use my own affiliate link. Ha!
**update: Artisan has graciously sent a copy for our winner. Congrats to Jenni Livingston! And many thanks to Artisan.
So I know that *books* are the big thing here on Everead, but today I can't resist doing a review of my current favorite magazine for kids.
I can rarely resist talking about Kiwi Crate, actually. I pretty much talk about it to so many friends so often that I forget who I have gushed to exactly.
Just the other day my friend Abigail was like, "[my daughter] really likes your castle."
"Thanks," I said. "It's from Kiwi Crate. Have I told you about Kiwi Crate?"
"...Yes," she said, in just such a way that I knew I had already told her about Kiwi Crate at length. (Whoops! Oh, well, doesn't hurt to be certain...)
Anyway, one of the reasons I love Kiwi Crate is because of the magazine/booklet that comes in it each month, called Explore!
"It's ok that she colored on it, because I already know ALL about the wild west."
-Levi, forgiving Jubilee because he's already glanced at Explore!
Explore! magazine always starts with a story about Steve the Kiwi, written in graphic novel format. The pictures + words format is just perfect for the intended age range (4-8). Levi loved one of these stories so much that we read it over and over and over, all month long.
Wait. Let me back up. Kiwi Crate is a monthly subscription box for kids. Inside this special little package that arrives on the doorstep addressed to Levi is everything we need for two awesome, age appropriate themed crafts. Also Explore! magazine, which has more info in the theme, a mini craft, extra craft ideas, book recommendations, nuggets of information, coloring pages, science experiments, recipes, and so forth.
We have been Kiwi Crate subscribers for 11 months now. (I took the plunge after reading many positive reviews, including this one.) I wanted to do something special with Levi since he was not quite ready for preschool , his big brother was headed to kindergarten, and I didn't trust myself to do anything crafty with him without outside encouragement. It has worked out great. Everybody looks forward to Kiwi Crate. We just love it. And after all the exciting crafting is done, Explore! gets read in detail.
The magazine's design is charming -- It is mostly printed in full color, though drawing pages and coloring pages are often two-toned, brown and white. It is a small booklet, measuring 9.5x6.5 inches -- about the size of an easy reader book.
from the "Modern Art" volume
When we got our very first Kiwi Crate I was tossing some of the packing materials and scraps after we crafted. I almost chucked the Explore! magazine, but I changed my mind and fished it out of the bin. As you can see we now have a little collection, an archive, of fun activities and info (and book recommendations) on a variety of awesome topics.
The bottom line is this: I love Kiwi Crate. I love it so much I paid full price for it, twice (first a 6 Month Subscription, then a 12 Month Subscription). I love it so much I became an affiliate (and this post is peppered with affiliate links, which will get you 30% off your first box). I mean, I'm prrrobably going to end up talking about Kiwi Crate again (right Abigail?), so why not?
Will we make it to the table before we open it?
Not a chance.
If you've got a little one between 4-8, definitely look into a Kiwi Crate Subscription. Also, FYI, they now have Koala Crate for 3-4 year olds (in collaboration with Highlights magazine), and two cool options for the 9-14+ crowd, Tinker Crate and Doodle Crate. (My kids will be that old someday.)
Now, I know I've left out information above. What questions and comments do you have about Kiwi Crate? Or about children's magazines in general?
Edited to add: I forgot to say, I love the binding! This little magazine has outlasted The Friend, Highlights Magazine, and Lego Club Jr. consistently, because it is sewn the full length of the center! No more pages 16-18 falling out! Yay!
I found the book Backtalk by Audrey Ricker at a used bookstore and picked it up off the shelf. Once I realized that I had read several chapters just standing there, I thought,"I should probably just buy this." So glad I did.
7 things I learned from Backtalk
1. It doesn't have to be talk to be backtalk-- turning away, rolling your eyes, obeying only at a snail's pace, all that stuff counts because it affects the mood of the home.
2. You are responsible for the mood in your home. When somebody messes that up, you need to help them learn how it's done right. If you let it slide, you're giving them control over your responsibility.
Barnes and Noble affiliate link*
Eye-catching cover image, no? Hehe.
3. The consequence for the backtalk has to be immediate; it doesn't have to be perfectly logical -- it's completely reasonable for you to not want to do nice things for someone who has been rude to you.
4. Ground zero is key. In other words, what you're doing and what kind of life you're creating for your kids will affect their backtalk. The idea is to have a life so filled with goodness and love (and a healthy amount of fun) that it is easy for the kids to lose a privilege. I have caught myself saying, "That is backtalk. You have lost a privilege. . . . Hmm. What are you looking forward to?" At which point I realize that the kids are probably acting up because they're bored to death. In this case I still find a consequence to give, but I recognize that my behavior is exacerbating the problem and I try to fix that. Funny story: when you ask a three-year-old "What are you looking forward to?" He might say, "Your face." Because he was, in fact, looking at your face.
5. First, recognize backtalk. Second, determine the consequence. Third, enact the consequence and fourth, disengage.
6. Disengaging is where I was failing before. I was probably doing it only half of the time. The other half I was either letting the kids "earn back" their privileges or escalating the conflict. Jacob helped me to realize that I was escalating the conflict one memorable evening. You enact the consequence and then you drop it. If the kid won't let it drop, you separate yourself.
7. The four steps in this book work from age 3 to adulthood. I particularly liked the chapter about college-age kids. To paraphrase: "this is the same stubbornness that leads them to camp out all night for concert tickets..." :) I've also used the tips on dealing with your kids friends when they come over and use backtalk in your home. Pure, empowering, awesome that has made family life (and the mood in our home) better all around.
Note: This is a slim book. The ideas in it were not new for me and didn't cause a total turn-around in my parenting. But the book really has refined the way I deal with my children and their behavior. I highly recommend it. Also, it's one of the very first parenting books I've been able to get Jacob to peruse. He's usually happy to take my word for it when I want to implement something new in our parenting. How glad I am that this book was short enough and engaging enough to be worth his time!
What questions and comments do you have for me, friends?
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*If you purchase this book through one of the links above, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
A while back I participated in the Instagram challenge for Armchair BEA. (Thanks Jenni for turning me on to it.)
I had a lot of fun, and even won two books!
What is your #currentbookmark ?
Benjamin's was a 3x5 card
with the word "bookmark"written on it.
We won Stanley the Builder and Stanley's Garage from Peachtree Publishers. They are based in Atlanta, so that's awesome. The books arrived; let me tell you what you don't see in this cover image. The book covers are puffy. Just a little bit of dimension is added to them with some padding, and it is one of those details that makes a book stand out. Literally.
The boys liked Stanley the Builder the best, so I asked them what their favorite parts of the book were.
Stanley the Builder
by William Bee
Benjamin said his favorite part was "orange juice" (Stanley enjoys some refreshment, on the job). Levi said his favorite part was "putting the windows in the house." I don't think he had ever thought about that detail of home building before. Relatedly, my favorite aspect of the book was that it went through all the steps of building a house, not just the ones you typically think of. (Ok, I guess not ALL, but more than usual!)
Bold lines, simple patterns, fun details. We loved the books. I guessed the reading level on these to be about at a "Level 2," appropriate for first graders. According to the publishers I was right, it's Fountas & Pinnell Grade: 1. (Unfortunately when I suggested that Benjamin help me read it the second time around he started whining. So he lost the privilege of re-reading the books with me and Levi. Don't worry, I caught him looking at them again another day.)
Let me give you my affiliate links, in case you want to buy a copy for a kiddo you love. If you use these links to make a purchase, I earn a small commission. Thanks for supporting me as I support books! Stanley the Builder (at B&N) Stanley the Builder (at Amazon)
Levi doesn't ever let me put a bookmark in this one!
(Part of the Knuffle Bunny series)
p.s. My instagram is @everead, of course, if you care to follow along.
right now. It's the same price at 
. (Yes, those are affiliate links. If you purchase after clicking them, I will earn a small commission from the bookseller.)
is because of the magazine/booklet that comes in it each month, called Explore!
, then a 12 Month Subscription). I love it so much I became an affiliate (and this post is peppered with affiliate links, which will get you 30% off your first box). I mean, I'm prrrobably going to end up talking about Kiwi Crate again (right Abigail?), so why not?
(My kids will be that old someday.)
