It’s the Dog Days of Summer…A Great Time for Reading
Every wondered why we talk about the “dog days” during the sultry part of the summer? It didn’t used to refer to dogs lying around in the heat, but there was a dog connection – to Sirius, the Dog Star. During this time of the year, Sirius rises around the same time as the sun and the ancient Greeks and Romans considered it the hottest time of year and a little dangerous. We still consider it a lethargic time. So why not grab a cool beverage, a book and a comfortable place to sit and read away the dog days?
Here are some newer books in the Reformation Library that might be just the thing.
On Parenting:
The Opposite of Spoiled: Raising Kids Who Are Grounded, Generous, and Smart About Money, by Ron Lieber
Lieber, who has spent a decade writing about money for The Wall Street Journal, wants to educate parents on how to raise a generation of adults who are, as his subtitle says, “grounded, generous and smart about money.” He doesn’t offer a grand philosophy about how to accomplish this. His book is intensely pragmatic and relentlessly anecdotal. Lieber wants to solve the problems middle-class parents face every day: allowances, the tooth fairy, summer jobs, indulgent grandparents, North Face fleeces, car insurance.
For Teens:
Real Kids, Real Stories, Real Change: Courageous Actions Around the World, by Garth Sundem
Fifteen-year-old Malika fought against segregation in her Alabama town. Ten-year-old Jean-Dominic won a battle against pesticides—and the cancer they caused in his body. Twelve-year-old Haruka invented a new environmentally friendly way to scoop dog poop. With the right role models, any child can be a hero. Thirty true stories profile kids who used their heads, their hearts, their courage, and sometimes their stubbornness to help others and do extraordinary things. As young readers meet these boys and girls from around the world, they may wonder, “What kind of hero lives inside of me?”
On Ecology:
Wind, Sun, Soil, Spirit: Biblical Ethics and Climate Change, by Carol S. Robb
How can Christians contribute to the debates about climate change and global warming? What ethical criteria do they bring to the conversation? How does the Bible figure in their deliberation? Carol Robb brings together the several dimensions of this one overarching issue of our lifetimes.
Blessed Are the Consumers: Climate Change and the Practice of Restraint, by Sally McFague
In this timely book, McFague recalls her readers to the practices of restraint. In a world bent on consumption it is imperative that people of religious faith realize the significant role they play in advocating for the earth and a more humane life for all.
Ecology for Kids:
Follow the Moon Home: A Tale of One Idea, Twenty Kids, and a Hundred Sea Turtles, by Philippe Cousteau
Acclaimed activist Philippe Cousteau and renowned author Deborah Hopkinson team up to offer a story of the powerful difference young people can make in the world. Meet Viv, who has a new home and a new school by the sea, and follow her as she finds her way in a new place and helps bring together a whole community to save the sea turtles of the South Carolina coast.
Ada’s Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay, by Susan Hood
Ada Ríos grew up in Cateura, a small town in Paraguay built on a landfill. She dreamed of playing the violin, but with little money for anything but the essentials, it was never an option…until a music teacher named Favio Chávez arrived. He wanted to give the children of something special, so he made them instruments out of materials found in the trash. It was a crazy idea, but one that would leave Ada—and her town—forever changed. Now, the Recycled Orchestra plays venues around the world, spreading their message of hope and innovation.
Also for Kids:
Maddi’s Fridge, by Lois Brandt
Best friends Sofia and Maddi live in the same neighborhood, go to the same school, and play in the same park, but while Sofia’s fridge at home is full of nutritious food, the fridge at Maddi’s house is empty. Sofia learns that Maddi’s family doesn’t have enough money to fill their fridge and promises Maddi she’ll keep this discovery a secret. But because Sofia wants to help her friend, she’s faced with a difficult decision: to keep her promise or tell her parents about Maddi’s empty fridge. Filled with colorful artwork, this storybook addresses issues of poverty with honesty and sensitivity while instilling important lessons in friendship, empathy, trust, and helping others. A call to action section, with six effective ways for children to help fight hunger and information on anti-hunger groups, is also included.
Click here to check what we have in our library!