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 I didn't realize that this book had already changed my life before I even read it. One of my BYU professors read an excerpt from A Thomas Jefferson Education that has truly stuck with me through the years. I am relieved to see the actual story in print. It has influenced my parenting as well as my views on creativity in education. Here is the story...

"The teacher handed out crayons and paper and announced that it was time to draw a picture. The little boy enthusiastically grabbed the crayons and began to imagine all the things he could draw: mountains, lakes, airplanes, his familiy, his dog, the ocean, the stars at night...
Hundreds of ideas raced through his creative little mind.
His teacher, seeing that he had started drawing, stopped him and said that today the class would be drawing flowers. The boy's mind again ran wild: daisies, daffodils, roses, carnations, violets, lilacs, pansies, mixed bouquets, green gardens full of rainbows of colors...
The teacher again interrupted, informing the class that today they would be drawing a certain kind of flower.
Taking colored chalk, the teacher went to the board and drew a green stem, with two leaves, and four identical pink petals. The little boy, eager to please, dutifully copied her drawing.
After several attempts, his drawing looked exactly like hers. The teacher congratulated him for doing such good work.
As the school year passed, the little boy became a very good student; he learned to listen, obey instructions and get the right answers on tests. His parents were very proud of him, and his teacher was impressed with his excellent progress.
When the next school year arrived, the boy had done so well in his classes that he was enrolled in an accelerated program. During the first week of class, the teacher handed out crayons and paper and announced that it was time to draw a picture. The little boy, still in love with art, enthusiastically picked up his crayons and waited for instructions.
After several minutes the teacher noticed that the little boy wasn't drawing. "Why haven't you started?" she asked. "Don't you like to draw?"
"I love to draw," responded the little boy, "but I was waiting for you to tell us what the assignment is."
"Just draw whatever you want," the teacher smiled and left the little boy to his creativity.
The little boy sat for a long time, watching the minutes tick off the clock and wondering what he should draw. Nothing came to mind.
Finally, in a burst of creative inspiration, he picked up his crayons and began to draw:
A green stem, with two leaves, and four identical pink petals."

This story breaks my heart. It broke my heart enough that it changed my life.

A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the Twenty-first Century by Oliver Van DeMille is a book about traditional, classics-based education. It is not just a homeschool book, but a book about what has worked historically in terms of education. It is a look into how our Founding Fathers were taught and inspired and an appeal for current educational systems to return to the classics.
The book is well-written, accessible, and thought-provoking.
I recommend it to anyone who is interested in life-long learning for themselves and the young people they interact with.
 

Letters for Emily by Camron Wright may have been the best grown-up book I read in 2006. I walked into my public library and chatted with the librarians about clean novels they loved. Letters for Emily came highly recommended.

Harry Whitney is dying. Alzheimer's is taking away his mind and life. In his "good" times, Harry types frantically at his computer. His estranged kids think he is crazy, and never cared much for him in the first place.

After Harry dies, they find three exact copies of a book complete with stories and poems by Harry. The collection is called Letters for Emily, as Emily, Harry's granddaughter, was his only true friend at the end of his life.

Each poem/story in the book is a riddle. Each answer is a password for a computer file. Harry's children and grandchild learn a lot about Harry that explains much of his behavior, but more importantly they learn about themselves and the power of forgiveness.

This is one of those books where you laugh one second and cry the next. The structure of the book is fascinating. If you enjoy books by Mitch Albom, Nicholas Sparks (not all his books are Clean Reads), and Richard Paul Evans, you'll like this one, too. I loved it.


For a little more info, see my review at Deliciously Clean Reads.

Happy Monday!

This week I read The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy for the second time. The blurb on the cover says it all, "Arguably the best adventure story ever published and certainly the most influential that appeared during the early decades of the twentieth century."--Gary Hoppenstand.
Actually that doesn't say it all, because it says NOTHING about the great romance in the story. It's a beautiful tale of rediscovering love and trust after marriage.

I read The Scarlet Pimpernel 8th grade English. Although I always did well in English, it was never my favorite subject. And this is why...English class ruins books. All the dissecting and analyzing isn't my thing. I also hate slowly plodding through a book. I am a two-day reader. I almost always complete a novel in two days.

Anyway, I don't remember enjoying The Scarlet Pimpernel when I was young. I vaguely remember enjoying the movie we watched when we finished the book.
But I decided to give it another chance because my mom was reading it while she was here. I could tell she LOVED it. Now, I know that I actually LOVE it, too.


The Scarlet Pimpernel takes place in 1792. There has been a huge uprising in France. The King and many of the aristocrats have been taken prisoner. The guillotine has never been busier. Ladies sit by watching beheading after beheading of the aristocrats. Hundreds a day.
A wealthy Englishman sneaks into France and smuggles out hundreds of people, saving them from the guillotine. His elaborate plots trick the French time and time again. He always leaves a note stamped with a small red flower, a scarlet pimpernel.
Not even his wife, Marguerite, is aware of his heroic acts. He does, however, have a league of 20 extremely loyal followers.
Chauvelin, the Scarlet Pimpernel's most villainous enemy, tricks Marguerite into helping him catch the Pimpernel. Then a race ensues. A race against death. A race for forgiveness and devotion. A race to start over. The ending is completely brilliant and satisfying.

I've been reading Stephen R. Covey's EVERYDAY GREATNESS. The book is actually a compilation of inspiring stories by various authors with commentary by Covey. In the intro, he says a quote that I swear I want over my piano. He says to LIVE LIFE IN CRESCENDO. Do you know what a crescendo is? It looks like a less than (<) symbol and is used in music to show an increase in volume.

To live life in crescendo, someone must be constantly progressing, improving, learning, growing. Many women believe that becoming a mother is the end of their personal lives. They must fit as much 'life' in as possible before starting a family. Have a successful career, travel, and play.

But I believe that you can be a mom and live richly, deeply.

To paraphrase Proverbs, "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. She worketh willingly with her hands. With the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor. Strength and honour are her clothing. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness."

The calling of mother is being degraded. Mothers should be cherished above rubies.

President Gordon B. Hinckley of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has said, "Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to the angels." I agree with this. My mother is an angel.

Sometimes being a mom doesn't feel noble, though. Sometimes it is just hard. On Friday, my son threw the hugest fit that has ever been thrown. Ever. In the middle of the mall. Now, I have taken pride in the fact that my kids really don't throw fits. I refuse to give in to fits, so they understand that fits don't work. But my son thought he'd test and see if I've weakened, I guess. I sat on a bench and watched him cry. He was completely irrational. One lady thought he was a lost child. I assured her I had everything under control. Eventually, the only thing I could do was leave, which wasn't an easy feat, let me tell you. I was pushing a double stroller while carrying a flailing, screaming three year old. And yes, I got a lot of looks. Oh, the fit was all about wanting to go to the toy store. That second.

I have posted about other less-than-glamorous mothering moments here, here, and here.

But you know? Since the fit, he has apologized, and we have had some truly precious moments together as mother and son.

My hardest mothering moments are when both kids are crying. My favorites are when both kids are laughing. There is no better sound.

There are many aspects to motherhood, but one that I am particularly passionate about is teaching children through good books.

In THE READ-ALOUD HANDBOOK, Jim Trelease talks about the importance of reading. I recommend this book. The following is something that he backs up extensively with research:
"The more you read, the more you know.
The more you know, the smarter you grow.
The smarter you are, the longer you stay in school.
The longer you stay in school, the more diplomas you earn and the longer you are employed--thus the more money you earn in a lifetime.
The more diplomas you earn, the higher your children's grades will be in school.
The more diplomas you earn, the longer you live."

So, I assume these are all things we'd like for our kids. In that case, when should we start reading to them? My hubby read to my belly when I was pregnant. And, guess what? A study, also cited from Jim Trelease's book, proves that reading before your baby is born is worthwhile.

Thirty-three pregnant women read one passage from a children's story 3 times a day for the last 6 weeks of pregnancy. After birth, babies were given pacifiers and headphones which played the same passage their mothers had read. The headphones, however, used a voice other than the mothers. And, I'm sure you can guess by now that the babies reacted differently to the passages they were familiar with than ones they were unfamiliar with. Their heart-rates slowed. The rhythm of familiar words had already begun to give the babies comfort and security.

The best way to make a lifelong reader/learner is to make reading a pleasant experience while they are still very impressionable.

Don't let teachers, neighbors, or others raise your kids for you. I'm not against public school or community activities, but when your kids are home, BE there. Find teaching opportunities. And most of all, provide comfort and security.

Teach them with love. My favorite definition of love comes from President Hinckley. "Love is the very essence of life. It is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Yet it is not found only at the end of the rainbow. Love is at the beginning also, and from it springs the beauty that arches across the sky on a stormy day. Love is the security for which children weep, the yearning of youth, the adhesive that binds marriage, and the lubricant that prevents devastating friction in the home; it is the peace of old age, the sunlight of hope shining through death. How rich are those who enjoy it in their associations with family, friends, and neighbors! Love, like faith, is a gift of God. It is also the most enduring and most powerful virtue."

Can you tell I believe in the importance of motherhood? It is not the end of life, but the beginning. Is it possible to be a mom and not live in crescendo? Yes. But it is also possible to learn and grow throughout life with good books, lifelong learning. And you can enjoy the process while guiding precious children as well.

Motherhood can bring immeasurable love, joy, and fulfillment.


This essay is adapted from a speech I gave as a guest speaker at my sister's Home, Family and Personal Enrichment meeting.

On Saturday, I was able to hear Stephenie Meyer speak at the gorgeous Library at Academy Square. Now that I have devoured both of her published books, I have time to type up my notes.

-Stephenie Meyer believes that writers should be disqualified from public speaking because they are crazy, sleep-deprived people who make faces and hear voices.

-Everyone she meets wants to write a book, except her husband.

-Be a writer, not an author. If writing isn't the good part, quit now. Letting people read what goes on in your head is scary. BUT, if you really love your characters, you'll want to share them with the world.

-Get an agent because people in Manhattan don't speak English. She was a mom of 3 who had absolutely never published anything in her life, when she started to query agents. She received a few rejections...just because someone tells you NO, doesn't mean they're right. Sometimes a book doesn't fit neatly into a certain genre. This makes it harder to place, but it also makes the book special, different, unexpected.

-CONTRACTS=LONG TIME, NO PAY.

-EDITING=AGONY/ECSTASY (but mostly agony.) Editing letters made her cry. They started extremely complimentary, but then proceeded to tell her everything she should change. She had to fight hard for her characters. Editors didn't like Bella's mom. They suggested that maybe she should die. They were also convinced that sex sells (and had the stats to prove it), but Stephenie Meyer refused to have any type of sex scenes in her books. That's just who she is. An author must learn when to listen to herself and when to take the advice of editors.

-It's hard to get your way until your a New York Times bestselling author, then suddenly everyone thinks you're brilliant.

-She received a note that said, "It's so great to have a book I can let my mother read."

-Write your book so YOU can't put it down. Don't spoil the writing by worrying about the readers or publishers.

-You must distance yourself from decisions you can't control, like the look of your book cover.

-While growing up, Stephenie Meyer loved to read huge books, the fatter, the better.

-She loves characters like Lois Lane/Bella. How does a normal person look at life when surrounded by superhero supermodels?

-Book Three, Eclipse, will be released in August. She is working on Book Four, which is tentatively called Breaking Dawn.

-She tried to write a chick-lit once, but she got bored with it. "Humans are not enough for me," she said.

-Meyer doesn't like dark, goth, or scary books/movies. She had never read a vampire book or seen a vampire movie. She enjoyed writing action scenes, however. Her books are inspired more by her love of superheroes than monsters.

-Before submitting a story for the first time, make it as good as you possibly can.

-Stephenie Meyer's current favorite books: Enthusiasmby Polly Shulman and The Midnighters series by Scott Westerfeld.

-Her books are loosely tied to classics. Twilight=Pride and Prejudice, New Moon=Shakespaere, Eclipse=Wuthering Heights (although she doesn't like WH because it's too sad.)

10. You may be tempted to read while stopped at red lights.

9. You might think driving on straight roads and reading is okay.

8. You may have to reschedule an appointment with a doctor (that you made an hour before) because you'll completely lose track of time.

7. When you decide not to read while driving (after nearly crashing), you will likely stop at a red light for a long period of time, despite the fact that you are turning right-on-red, simply because you are thinking about fictional gorgeous-people.

6. You might sneak into an exclusive book signing by author of obsessively-read book just to ask a question. You may get kicked out of said signing, and then sneak back in, only to be dragged out by author's body guard.

5. You probably won't blog for nearly a week, despite the fact that you haven't gone that long in quite a while, just because the book is too hard to put down. You may try to read blogs of friends WHILE reading your book.

4. You may start calling strangers to tell them about this book you are so obsessed with.

3. When someone asks for book recommendations that are deep and inspirational and informative, you might recommend this book despite the fact that it is anything but deep or inspirational or informative or unridiculous.

2. You may visit the author's website obsessively. That is, after reading all the books that the author has published.

1. Your husband, after accusing you of having an affair with your book, will beg you to remember to feed your children.


Disclaimer: Although some of these may have happened to me personally while reading the following book, others may be representative of things happening to others I know. However, all statements above are partially true occurrences occurring to myself or others while reading the following book.

You're really curious aren't you? All right. Without further ado, this is the book that has caused all the hoopla in my life. And, sigh, I just started the sequel.





TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyer

Oh, and just as soon as I finish book two, New Moon, I'll be back to give detailed notes about BYU's Midwinter Books for Young Readers, which included AMAZING speakers: Stephenie Meyer, Joan Bauer, and the one-and-only, Rosemary Wells. See previous entry for links to these authors. I have to get back to my vampire-love-story.