I Love You the Purplest by Barbara M. Joosse

As a mother, this has to be one of my absolute favorite books! This wise mother taught and encouraged me to be prepared, to look ahead, to anticipate the questions my children ask and to take a breath of thought before I answer.  As many accounts throughout Scripture attest to the challenge of sibling rivalry, this book illustrates the Truths of Psalm 139 that claim that we are each known and made distinctly, wonderfully, and fearfully, and above all else we are all, each one of us loved by our Father in Heaven.  As parents we can marvel at the variations of color that each child brings to our life, and love them each one more than we ever asked, imagined, or dreamed possible.

"Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." - Luke 12:7

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." - Ephesians 3:16-19

What would our families look like if children together came to grasp how much each of them is loved by their parents, not in competition but in awe at the love that God can place in a heart for others within His family? What would the Bride of Christ look like if fellow saints truly believed they were loved and then turned to outpour that love on their fellow saints?

Farah: Reeses cup (smooth and delicious delivery of a very strong concept)

Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young

This cute short book has its own amazing moral at the end, but I have loved to use it to emphasize how accounts of the Bible must be put together to know God in the deepest sense.  People throughout history have tried to take segment Scripture, but it is only finding its entire repetitive, rhythmic Heartbeat for humanity that you can deeply relate with Him in this life and forever!

The New Testament has its own perspectives of several men who watched and described the life of Jesus.  The details that one can glean from reading the same account from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John can reveal him and his truths in amazing color, much like the little hero of this book, taking in the whole.

Activity: Place two or more children on different sides of an object and have them each describe what they see.  Then compare and contrast the perspectives.  The boys and I did this describing a flat screen T.V. with a video game paused on the screen.  Dax who was looking from the side described it as a narrow tall strip with control buttons and light coming from the side.  Cole pointed out its width, the lighted words pause and continue coming from the whole thing.  It was the same object and their descriptions were both very true but when put together gave the whole picture.

Farah: Peanut M&Ms (fun with a bit of protein)
Cole:Skittles (it is so colorful)

Riot Brothers sequel by Mary Amato

We read 3 of these books the summer of 2012 each day. Like King Arthur, Cole read the chapter title, Dax read the first page of the chapter, and I would read the rest.  We had SO many laughs with this one! There were many boy elements like bodily functions, etc., so I recommend that parents read it first. (I would read a chapter ahead when they were involved in some other activity). However, there were some good family elements as well. One that we picked up on was how often the older brother found ways to compliment and encourage the younger and how much the younger brother seemed to respect the older. They were also always a TEAM!! They may have gotten into mischief but they were completely TOGETHER the whole time.  I also loved the mom and felt for her as a mother of boys.  I did wonder why the father figure was missing (that could go either way depending on the family situation of the readers).

Farah: Angel food cake (so light and fun)
Dax: Funfetti Cake (such a fun playful book)
Cole: Chocolate Muffins with Chocolate Chips

Classic Starts The Story of King Arthur and His Knights

Retold from the Howard Pyle original by Tania Zamorsky

The boys and I read through this during the summer of 2012 taking a few chapters a day.  It is broken up into books with a few chapters in each book.  It has great character lessons and of course, fantastic examples of chivalry. The boys would ask to read more.  I did most of the reading but Cole would read the chapter titles (just finished Kindergarten) and Dax would read the first page of the chapter (had just finished 2nd grade).

Farah: Cookie Cake
Dax: Chocolate Cake with chocolate icing
Cole : Hershey Pie

Tiger Can't Sleep by S.J. Fore

I adore this book and so do all three of the kiddos! It is very fun to read especially ALOUD! From a reading and language perspective, it is great for kids to practice nonsense words.  It pulls the beauty out of the sleepless nights of being a parent.  It is like the memory of that hand print on the window that used to drive you nuts that you wish you could get back just once more.

It also is a wonderful illustration of all the things we do to distract ourselves from the hardship of life and how wonderful it is to run to Him!

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28

Farah: Pop Rocks (makes your mouth come alive and sends a smile from one side of your face to the other) 
Dax: Starburst (easy and fun to read, easy and fun to eat)
Cole: Push Pop Slider (really like them both)

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr.Seuss

This is my "most-read" book! According to my mom, it was my favorite as a child. I think she actually hid it at one point because she wanted to read something else.  It has been a repetitive read with my own children and with several different groups of teenage girls.  It is, of course, applicable as many preschool's use it to teach young children to try new foods. It works well as a motivator to get them to try new experiences.  My favorite is how I have shared with girls to try new relationships.  Over the last 15  years, I have heard girls and women as well size up a woman they may not have even met as one with whom they would not get along.  I have unfortunately done this too with two extremely special people only to be proven TOTALLY wrong later in life.
My "green egg" friend happened in 6th grade. For many years, we had a mutual friend with whom I went to school and she lived down the street who told us both that the other did not like us.  We believed and reciprocated until the 6th grade! We were not enemies just whenever we were in the same place in our small town we just didn't engage.  I had switched schools in the 4th grade and she ended up sitting in the desk immediately in front of me in Homeroom.  There was a little fellow in the next row who had never been taught how to treat girls and we both new to survive the year with him we needed to support each other.  We gave it a try and she is one of my dearest friends and favorite people this 22 or so years later.  One would think I would have learned, but NO!
In my early 20s, I met my "green ham" friend. David and I found ourselves in the family room of a pastor and his wife who were going to share some information about moving across the country to begin a new church.  In walks a tall girl who was also interested in the move.  We met and began to talk.  Being extremely short, I was already very opposite her.  She was much more interested in athletics than myself, still in college, and very competitive. These only added more differences. I wasn't so sure we would be very close even though it appeared we were moving to the same place.  She later confided she had felt very similar. Once again, I was WRONG!  As the years have passed we have shared many exciting moments and times together and now wish we were still in the same state!

Trying foods adds flavor to life, trying experiences adds fun, trying friends adds love and support.  However, giving God, Jesus, and the Bible a chance are the absolute most CRUCIAL!  We must be careful or we will miss out!

"Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him."-Psalm 34:8

Farah: Snicker's bar (it's got it all - a little Spiritual protein, caramel, and chocolate)
Dax:
Cole:

My Brother by Anthony Browne

This book is amazing!! So simple; yet so powerful! The artwork is adorable and has some hidden humor that little eyes need some extra study time to find.  We have used it to underscore that just because one brother is awesome does not take away from the awesomeness of the other brother (or sister)!



Oh to take this into the "brotherhood" of fellow men and especially the church body!

"How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!" -Psalm 133:1

"Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble."- 1 Jn 2:10