In the wrinkled hills, Linny will ignore anything to pluck the beautiful strings of the ukulele-like instrument called a lourka, even the threat of being taken to Away. In her village, girls under the age of twelve cannot touch the instrument without risking themselves.

    But then her best friend Sayra, who's never touched a lourka in her life, is taken to Away for Linny's crime. Linny knows the only hope for Sayra is the Plain, where an ancient battle is just beginning. It also seems someone is trying to destroy the wrinkled hills. Can Linny help both Sayra in Away and save her beloved hills and stop the battle?

   I loved this book! It's very unique and interesting. I'd recommend it for 10+.

   -Grace

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By the Stars by Lindsay B. Ferguson

Over the years, I have been asked to review many, many, many books. Because I haven't blogged often in the last couple years, I have mostly ignored email requests for reviews. When Lindsay B. Ferguson emailed me, I had to chuckle. She is my neighbor, and I was aware of her upcoming debut novel, but she didn't realize who I was. :) I told her that I'm a blogging slacker, and we decided not to have my blog be part of her big blog tour. You see...It gets sticky reviewing books for people you know. What if you hate it?

But...I bought the book on my Kindle the day it was released, and I wasn't just pleasantly surprised, I LOVED IT. I love that it is based on a true story, and I can't wait to talk to Lindsay about what exactly is history and what she created. I love the characters. I love the romance. I love it all. And you know what it really made me want to do? Like big time? Go dancing! Can we resurrect dance halls, please?

I know that among my friends, Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson, was extremely well-liked. Edenbrooke was the first in a collection of "Proper Romances". For friends who love Edenbrooke and other clean romance novels, By the Stars should be your next read!

From Amazon: "When Cal finally gets a chance with Kate, the girl he's loved since grade school, their easy friendship quickly blossoms into a meaningful romance. Spirited and independent, Kate keeps a guarded heart due to a painful past, and Cal wants nothing more than to gain her trust. But World War II soon cuts their time far too short, and Cal prepares to part from her - possibly for good. After he's gone, what Kate does next changes everything. 

In the suffocating jungles of the Philippines Cal encounters the chilling life of a soldier and deadly battles of war. With Kate's memory willing him on, Cal must put his trust in God to survive if he hopes to ever return to her. Inspired by a true story, By the Stars is a love story that stands the test of time and the most intense obstacles."

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The Unwanteds By Lisa McMann


      In the world of Quill, creativity is bad. It counts as an infraction, and on the day of the Purge, every thirteen year-old is put into three categories: Wanted, Necessary, or Unwanted. Wanteds are honored, Necessaries become slaves, and Unwanteds are sent to their deaths.When Alex Stowe is sent to the Death Farm after the Purge, he discovers that being Unwanted doesn't bring death... it brings the discovery of a whole new world called Artime.

       In Artime, creativity is allowed. Even encouraged. The wild-haired leader, Mr. Today, helps each artistic Unwanted learn that they can hold their title like a badge. Because in Artime, creativity is a magical gift... and a weapon.

       It's the first book in the Unwanted Series, and I am so excited for the last one to come out in April! If you like dystopian novels and magic, then you should totally try this book out!

-Grace

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I made a list today of some of our favorite picture books that teach morals, so I figured I might as well share it here, too.

Acceptance:

The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss
Chicken Big by Graves

Being Happy with what You Have:

Old Hat New Hat by the Berenstains

Bravery:

Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt
The Woods by Paul Hoppe
The Pout Pout Fish in the Big Big Dark by Diesen

Creativity:

Fanny by Holly Hobbie
Not a Box by Portis
A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle
Go to Bed, Monster by Wing

Friendship:

Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend by Melanie Watt
Otis and Sydney and the Best Birthday Ever by Numeroff
A Visitor for Bear (and the rest of the series) by Bonnie Becker
You Will Be My Friend by Peter Brown
Fox Makes Friends by Adam Relf
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson
Enemy Pie by Munson

Obedience:

Strega Nona by dePaola

Positive Attitude:

Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard
Miss Rumphius by Cooney
The Pout Pout Fish by Diesen

Persistence:

Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Fleming

Reading and Writing:

Henry and the Crazed Chicken Pirates by Crimi
Library Lion by Knudsen
More Bears by Nesbitt
Calvin Can't Fly by Berne
Max's Words by Banks
Interrupting Chicken by Stein

Service:

Little Blue Truck by Schertle
Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by Spinelli

Sibling Relationships:

Max and Ruby series
Flora and the Very Windy Day by Birdsall
A Birthday for Frances by Hoban

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When people ask me how much time I spend homeschooling, it's hard to answer. Do you include family work? Do you want me to count music practice? What about time spent reading?

And what about free time? At first, I'm sure you'd say no, but free time is actually something I'm pretty passionate about. Kids need time to just play, create, explore, and be kids.

Today, for example, I was doing some dishes after lunch. Usually, I recruit help from all my little eaters, but I looked around and decided not to disrupt them.

Bubs was at the piano, picking out the Star Wars theme song by ear.

Welly was writing a retelling of Cinderella.

Why-Why was actually vacuuming for me.

OK...so I did ask Why to vacuum, but Bubs and Welly were using their free time for great creative pursuits that they chose to do.

There's so much power in choice, isn't there? When we choose to play an instrument, write a story, or whatever else we may choose to do, don't you think we get so much more out of it than if we were just fulfilling an assignment?

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We read The Cat of Bubastes by G. A. Henty as part of Family School.

I've heard many homeschoolers recommend G. A. Henty's books, because they are well-researched historical novels. This was our first experience reading one.

The Cat of Bubastes takes place in Ancient Egypt in about 1200 BC.

Amuba is the prince of the Rebu, when Egypt comes and conquers his people. His father dies in battle, and his mother poisons herself in her despair. Amuba is taken to Egypt as a slave, where he serves a kind master, Ameres, the High Priest of Osiris.

In Egypt, he becomes friends with Chebron, the boy he is assigned to serve. When Chebron accidentally kills the sacred cat of Bubastes, the boys are forced to flee.

This story is full of adventure, morals, a tiny bit of romance, and intrigue.

This book made an entertaining read-aloud, but I think kids would have a hard time getting through it on their own. Bubs (9) and Welly (7) really enjoyed it, but one chapter per day was enough. Wy (4) sometimes felt like a chapter was more than he could handle.

We learned a lot from this book...a lot about Ancient Egyptian culture. It's also a fabulous coming-of-age type story.

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I have the most wonderful mother on Earth. Love her!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you!

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I'm usually a One-Book-at-a-Time kinda girl, but at the moment I'm all over the place.

As much of a reader as I've been over the last decade, I feel like my eyes are just beginning to open, and I feel this thirst for more knowledge...and it feels good.

Right now, I'm making my way through...

Non-LDS Books


The Cat of Bubastes by G. A. Henty-There's so much to learn from his historical fiction. Wow! Makes a great read-aloud. Long at times, I admit, but it's quite the adventure. We're all enjoying it.


Les Miserables by Victor Hugo-So great when I read it, but I find myself drawn to other books first.


LDS Books


10 Critical Keys for Highly Effective Mormon Families by William Dyer and Philip Kunz-Interesting look at what successful families do.


The Infinite Atonement by Tad R. Callister-Beautiful. Great insights.


The Temple Experience by Wendy Ulrich-Haven't read much yet, but I'm hoping that it will help me get more out of my temple experiences.

And while I'm at it....

Bubs is reading:



Welly is reading:




That's it at the moment. What are you reading?

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Here's another quick recommendation. As you know, I've been a bit of a slacker on the blogging front lately.  During my recess, I have read many books. Some turned out to be unworthy of Deliciously Clean Read status. Others were forgettable.

Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby
was one that stuck with me, and I wanted to make sure to mention here at Homespun Light.

Amazon has the following plot description:

Critically acclaimed author Matthew J. Kirby deftly weaves a stunning coming-of-age tale with chilling cleverness and subtle suspense that will leave readers racing breathlessly to the end.

Trapped in a hidden fortress tucked between towering mountains and a frozen sea, Solveig--along with her brother the crown prince, their older sister, and an army of restless warriors--anxiously awaits news of her father's victory at battle. But as winter stretches on, and the unending ice refuses to break, terrible acts of treachery soon make it clear that a traitor lurks in their midst. Solveig must also embark on a journey to find her own path. Yet, a malevolent air begins to seep through the fortress walls, as a smothering claustrophobia slowly turns these prisoners of winter against one another.

Those charged with protecting the king's children are all suspect, and the siblings must choose their allies wisely. But who can be trusted so far from their father's watchful eye? Can Solveig survive the long winter months and expose the traitor before he manages to destroy a kingdom?

Besides being a great page-turner, this book has some great themes. It talks about the importance of stories, what it is like to be a middle child, bravery, and selflessness.

This book kind of has a fantasy feel, but you certainly won't find any fairies or goblins in it.

I highly recommend it. If you enjoy books like The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen (review here), check this one out!

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It has been quite some time since I read (AND LOVED) Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson. I've recommended it to many friends, but I see that I never got around to recommending it to you!

From the publisher, Shadow Mountain:

"Marianne Daventry will do anything to escape the boredom of Bath and the amorous attentions of an unwanted suitor. So when an invitation arrives from her twin sister, Cecily, to join her at a sprawling country estate, she jumps at the chance.

Thinking she'll be able to relax and enjoy her beloved English countryside while her sister snags the handsome heir of Edenbrooke, Marianne finds that even the best laid plans can go awry.  From a terrifying run-in with a highwayman to a seemingly harmless flirtation, Marianne finds herself embroiled in an unexpected adventure filled with enough romance and intrigue to keep her mind racing. Will Marianne be able to rein in her traitorous heart, or will a mysterious stranger sweep her off her feet? Fate had something other than a relaxing summer in mind when it sent Marianne to Edenbrooke."

Shadow Mountain got me really excited when they announced that this book is the first in their "G-rated Proper Romance Line". I've been watching for news of more titles that fit this description. No news yet, I'm afraid. Where are the follow-ups, Shadow Mountain? We want more!

I found this book to be a tremendously enjoyable read. It was hard to put down, and I highly recommend this CLEAN, wonderful romance, especially to those readers who enjoy Jane Austen-era reads. You'll find the setting, playful banter, and romance you love....although this is certainly a quicker read than Austen's novels.

Enjoy! Everyone in my book club loved this one.

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Aren't tulips happy? I'm telling you, they're the best thing about spring. I love them.

I want to be more like a tulip. Stretching, growing, leaning toward the light. Even when the world is cold. Bending and moving toward the light.

Happy Springing.

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I recently started a new homeschool curriculum with my 4 kids. It's LDS-based and covers science, history, geography, art, literature, and music. We are enjoying it, and I plan to do a thorough review soon.

Until then, if you are an LDS homeschooler, find out more about it at www.latterdaylearning.org.

(If you are wondering what the heck LDS means, it's what we Mormons call ourselves. You can learn more here.)

Today we studied literature for Family School. Each lesson is based on Gospel Principles. As part of literature today, we read The Fisherman and His Wife and Rumplestiltskin. We talked about selfishness and greed and about what brings true happiness vs. what brings short-term pleasure.

Anyway, I've been thinking about that today.

Bubs, who is 9, has a talent for selflessness. He gets it. He thinks about others' happiness before his own. On Wednesday night, he had to get stitches. It was a first for our family.

He had been taking apart on old DVD player, and he left some pieces on the floor in his room. Well, he got startled, tripped, and cut deeply into one of his toes.

It was late by the time he got back from the ER. We were all tired.

The next morning, his sister (Welly, age 7) said that Bubs was sobbing during the night in pain. She told him she was going to wake me up, but he wouldn't let her. He told her to let me sleep because I was up so late.

So unselfish. That's the beauty of it, though. We find true happiness in seeking the happiness of others. When we put our own happiness first, it falls short.

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This morning, I posted at Latter-day Homeschooling about relaxing and enjoying life. Want to read it? Go here.

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The Goose Girl (Books of Bayern) by (the amazing, hilarious, and wonderful) Shannon Hale

Review by Welly-Bell, Age 7

Crown Princess Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee is princess of Kildenree. She can talk to birds. She is traveling with fifty guards and the key-mistress' daughter, Selia. On the way to Bayern, Selia and most of the guards betray Ani.

They try to kill Ani, but she escapes. After a few days of wandering in the forest, Ani finds a little cottage.

Gilsa and Finn live in the cottage. Ani helps them with the chickens and goats in exchange for a bed and food. Ani goes to the city with Finn.

On market day, Ani goes to see the King. She realizes she is going to have to come back. The King gives her work in the geese pen with Conrad.

Conrad is grumpy most of the time. Enna and Razo and Beier and some others also work there.

Princess Selia tells the King that Kildenree is planning to attack Bayern.

Read the book and find out what happens to Ani. Some of the characters I really like are Enna, Gilsa, and Finn.

***Check out my interview with Shannon Hale here!

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Beyond Foo, Book 1: Geth and the Return of the Lithens by Obert Skye

Review by Bubs, Age 9 (who is apparently picking up on Daddy's sales skills.)

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A Bedtime for Bear (Bear and Mouse) by Bonny Becker is definitely a favorite around here, as are A Visitor for Bear (Bear and Mouse) and The Sniffles for Bear (Bear and Mouse). Somehow, we have missed A Birthday for Bear (Bear and Mouse), which will quickly be remedied. It's already in my Amazon cart.

My Welly-Girl, who is now 7, is a voracious reader. I'm running out of middle grade and young adult fairy tale romances to pass on to her! If I can't keep up with what my kids are reading, I don't know who can.

This review, which is more of a summary, is about a wonderful picture book...which she likes despite the lack of romance.

Anyway, it was written by her. I'm bribing my kids to write up reviews for the blog, so expect more.

A Bedtime for Bear (Bear and Mouse), written by Bonny Becker and illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton.
Review by Welly-Bell, Age 7.

One evening Bear heard someone knock on his front door...it was Mouse. "I am here to spend the night," he said, so they played chess until it was bedtime.

When it was bedtime, Bear reminded Mouse he had to be absolutely quiet.

Mouse got ready for bed. Bear got ready for bed.

Mouse hummed. "My ears are highly sensitive!" cried Bear.

"Can you hear this?" said Mouse.

"WILL THIS TORMENT NEVER CEASE?" wailed Bear.

When Mouse finally went to sleep, Bear thought he still heard noises. He was scared. He woke up Mouse, who checked the room. Then Bear told Mouse a bedtime story about a scared, little mouse and a big, brave bear.

I like this book because Bear is funny.

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For Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we watched the I Have a Dream speech on YouTube and wrote our own speeches.

I would like to share my dreams for my children...

I Have A Dream

I have a dream that my four children will grow up to love God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. I have a dream that because of this love, they will love others and treat them as their brothers and sisters in Christ.

I have a dream that my four children will yearn for truth and righteousness, that they may be filled with knowledge and hunger for more. I hope that their knowledge will bring them success as they journey through life, that they may have the things they need for themselves and their families.

I have a dream that they will understand that truth is eternal, and that the Holy Spirit can and will guide their learning and deepen their understanding, that it may be a great blessing to them in this life, as well as in the life to come.

I have a dream that my four children will have fulfilling personal relationships, especially with their family members, and of course, with the Lord, for all of these relationships can last forever.

I have a dream that they will find happiness here on Earth and eternal joy in Heaven.

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Happy Opening Ceremonies Day!