Ten year-old Walter is sad because every young boy and girl in Germany will wake up on Dec.6, St. Nicholas Day, and discover their wooden shoes filled with candy and nuts. But not Walter. His dad is ill and his family is poor. He will have to work and not get the wooden shoes filled. But to his and his family's surprise, his shoes are filled with a little piece of paper containing a bible verse on it.
I thought "The Miracle of the Wooden Shoes" is a thoughtful story with passion and warmth. It really shows the true meaning of the holiday season. This is a great Christmas story but it's lessons can be applied all year long. I recommend this book to all ages.
Rosie, a fourth grader, lives in an unlikely place for children. 'The Pleasant Manor' is a care center for the elderly. It's the only home she has really known. All of 'The Pleasant Manor's' residents are just one big family to Rosie, especially Bessie. Rosie and Bessie are best friends. Bessie teaches Rosie life lessons and is a warm loving support for her. With Christmas soon ariving, Bessie talks of dying. But with the help of a garden and a Christmas letter, Bessie teaches Rosie that they will always be together in each other's hearts.
I absolutely love this book. I finished it all in one day because I just couldn't put it down. This story is so sweet and has taught me many lessons. This is a wonderful Christmas story, but is also a valuable lesson year round. I recommend this book for any age.
Having read the Out of Jerusalem series by H.B. Moore, I knew I would love her newest book, Abinadi. And I wasn't disappointed.
Before reading Abinadi, I never wondered what the Prophet's life might have been like before the events that occur in the Book of Mormon. Moore not only asks those questions, but she answers them. She takes research and knowledge about the peoples living in Mesoamerica at the time of Abinadi, and combines that with a healthy dose of imagination, weaving a story that is both believable and engaging.
The story begins with Abinadi as a young man, a believer of the true gospel in a time when King Noah rules in wickedness. Abinadi falls in love with a young woman named Raquel, but his hopes for a marriage seem unatainable. As the daughter of one of King Noah's priests, she is expected to marry a member of the King's court.
Another young man soon enters the scene: Alma, a new priest in King Noah's court, whose father had been an advisor to King Zeniff. He remembers a time when King Zeniff ruled in righteousness, and feels his conscience prick him as he lives the lifestyle that comes with being one of King Noah's priests.
The story is filled with action and intrigue, and it kept me on the edge of my seat until the last page. But the thing I loved most about this book was the way the characters came to life on the page. The story of Abinadi has so much more meaning when we see him as a real person, as full of hopes and loves and fears as any one of us.
Abinadi is the first book in a series Moore is doing on the Book of Mormon prophets. I look forward to reading her next book, Alma the Elder, with the continuation of Alma's story as he carries the work of Abinadi forward.
I highly recommend Abinadi, and all of Moore's books. Don't miss the chance to study the lives of these great prophets in a way you never have before.
When Jayson's mother tells him that she is moving them to Oregon to keep them safe from his abusive father, he sees the wisdom in it. But when she tells Jayson that she will have to sell his piano, he is heartbroken. Music is more than something he feels passionately about, it's what his soul thrives on. However, in Oregon, new frienships are made and a new life is begun. Will his musical abilities be lost without the right instruments? Will he ever have the chance to play again?
I think this is my favorite Anita Stansfield book that I have ever read. It is the first volume of a new series and it is a romance, although a bit different than any of her other ones. Her characters are not LDS but they are fascinating, and feel real - like people I have know in my life - and they have good morals. I love the music approach, being a musician myself, and I could totally identify with Jayson's loss of his piano. I really can't wait to see what happens in the next volume!!
Luke Millward has his life exactly the way he wants it. He has a beautiful, successful girlfriend, his career is right on track, and he thinks he's happy. The only problem is his alcoholic father. But then a stranger calls and tells him his father is missing. He is wanted to come to New Orleans - just days after Hurricane Katrina - and find him.
This book was a little slow for me to begin with. It took a couple of tries to get into it. But after the second or third chapter, it really began to pick up and then I was fascinated. I, too, watched all the coverage about Hurricane Katrina when it happened. But it wasn't until I read this book that I realized how little I really knew about it, how bad it was, how little I did to help, and truly how people must have suffered. I thought this was a good book for education, not only on Hurricane Katrina but on relationships, forgiveness and realizing what is really important.
When King Lamoni offers Ammon, his daughter Isabel as a wife, Isabel is insulted. But when the Nephite refuses her - she is livid! She sets out to prove that Ammon is a spy, for that is the only reason he can have for refusing her as a bride. But things change as she watches and interacts with Ammon, until the day that she must make a choice that will affect the rest of her life.
This book is set in Book of Mormon times. It's exciting to read a book that features characters from stories that we know and love. I enjoyed this account of Ammon and King Lamoni. It's a bit of a romance, but it also has some suspense and retells, from a completely different angle, one of our favorite Book of Mormon stories. I think this is a great book for anyone, of any age and I'm sure some of the Young Women in my ward, especially, would love to read it.
Wow, what a great resource this is! The full title of this book is "Helping Children Gain a Testimony of the Lord's Standards Before They Turn Twelve." Each chapter is a Family Home Evening lesson that focuses on the "For the Strength of Youth" pamphlet. Each lesson teaches standards that are typically taught to our youth after they get into the Young Men/Young Women's program. I have started using this for our Family Home Evenings and I feel wonderful knowing that I am teaching them the basics of the standards that will help them get through their teenage years.
The lessons are geared toward the ages of 5-12 and have fun activities, stories, and even a dessert idea. Some of the chapter titles include "gratitude", "music and dancing", "honesty", "physical health", and "service to others". There are 18 lessons in all. In my opinion, this is a very worthwhile investment.
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