Saint Patrick by Jonathan Rogers

I've heard lectures on Patrick, but hadn't read a biography before.  Rogers gives an overview of the political and historical situation, looking at everything we know about Patrick's life, and interpreting it in light of what we know about Patrick's world.  He also analyzes Patrick's surviving writings, his Confession, and a letter he wrote his superiors.

On the whole I  enjoyed his look at the historical context, and the Patrick legends he retells.  Also, I love that while the  Confession is available on the web, it (as well as the text of a letter written by Patrick) is in the book for easy reference!

While I mostly liked this book, I disliked his his characterization of Patrick as an "antiauthoritarian" "renegade".  Also, Rogers suggests Patrick may reveal "his own prejudices" by referring to the Picts as "blood-thirsty", "wicked, abandoned, and apostate."  Puzzlingly, he interprets this as Patrick dismissing them as hopeless despite having seen the Irish convert.  I disagree. He isn't calling them unsaveable, he's stating the obvious- these are violent barbarians. They need Christ, just like the Irish did.  As do we all.

(Thomas Nelson provided me with a complimentary copy of Saint Patrick to review via Booksneeze.)

 

(Oh, and there's an Online Reader's Guide available, too.)

Some Favorite Children's Books

 Scuffy the Tugboat and His Adventures Down the River

I LOVE Scuffy. It has been one of my favorite read aloud books for many, many years... our copy is one I gave to one of my brothers many Christmases ago, and he passed it on to our little ones so it could give more enjoyment.  I love the storyline -  Scuffy is discontent where he is, so he sails off to find adventure, and then realizes that he really does need the man with the polka dot tie and his son, and wishes that he were back with them... and just as he is entering the ocean, which has no beginning or end, the man and his son scoop him up and he is safe again.

 

                                  One of our board book favorites is Barnyard Dance!  It was a gift to Nathan when he was born, and we've loved it ever since. It has a fun rhythm and shows all the different farm animals dancing.  It has a lot of "moo" and other animal noises, which makes it a toddler favorite, and the fun pictures also make it a good book to entertain the baby during church.

 "Bounce with the bunny.  Strut with the duck.  Spin with the chickens now- CLUCK CLUCK CLUCK!"


We also have another board book by Sandra Boynton called The Going-To-Bed Book- it is fun and is our current diaper bag book, for distracting and calming a wiggly little one in church or elsewhere. :)


It has a really fun cadence to it as well...

"And down once more, but not so fast, they're on their way to bed at last.
The day is done.  They say good night, and somebody turns off the light."


And of course, we love the classic kid books...
- Green Eggs and Ham,  Bears On Wheels, Make Way for Ducklings, The Little Engine That Could, Corduroy



As you can see, we're bookworms, and it seems to be passing on to the next generation!  I think we better get some more bookcases soon, because these are all  full already...  are any of these your favorite stories too?  Have any others we should put on our library/wish list? :)

(contains affiliate links, FYI)

Slowing Down and Reading Aloud

Normally, I read fast. If a story grips me, barring interruption, two to four hours later, the book is done. I find a good story very addictive, and a good plot can induce me to forgo sleep, food, showering, and other basics of civilized existence.

However, I'm discovering that there are other ways to enjoy a good story than by snarfing it down as quickly as possible. Micah read 100 Cupboards and Dandelion Fire aloud, and I really enjoyed it. It is forcing me to slow down and enjoy each part of the story, instead of rushing to the end to find out what happens. Which is definitely the fate these books would have had, since I can't wait to find out what comes next!  And I can't wait until we start The Chestnut King!

 

100 Cupboards

Normally, I read fast. If a story grips me, two to four hours later, the book is done. I find a good story very addictive, and a good plot can induce me to forgo sleep, food, showering, and other basics of civilized existence.

However, I'm discovering that there are other ways to enjoy a good story than by snarfing it down as quickly as possible. Micah's reading 100 Cupboards aloud, and I'm really enjoying it. It is forcing me to slow down and enjoy each part of the story, instead of rushing to the end to find out what happens. Which is definitely the fate this book would have had, since I can't wait to find out what comes next. But I will anyway.