Does it feel like your children are too old for you to read aloud picture books to them? Or that you and/or they are too old to read them on their own?
I encourage you to listen to this recent podcast by Sarah Mackenzie and change your mind. Picture books are for all ages. Thank goodness! I don’t want to ever miss out on their delights. I love that Sarah says, in another podcast, that they are like having an art gallery and book of poetry all in your one lap (unless they are wordless picture books, which I avoid).
Sarah has her own recommendations of picture books for older kids in the top link embedded above. I have mine here in this post. Basically I look for abstract concepts, mostly historical, social, or scientific. I also look for books with advanced vocabulary and concepts that can’t be portrayed as black and white but are on a spectrum. Picture book biographies are also prime candidates because they tend to have many twists and turns that can be hard for under 10 year olds to follow. You can find my list of those over here, in the first part of the post (I also include non-picture book bios). Enjoy! May you go over to your public library online catalog right now and find all of these so you can put them on hold!
This book is so hilarious! I wanted to read it all in one sitting but didn’t have the time. So I had to read it in chunks over several days. It was like forcing myself to space out eating a box of chocolates, savoring each one so the pleasure could be spread out over a long time. Reading it at night was my reward, for doing hard things during the day, like treating myself to ice cream. It was just as delicious as that favorite frozen dessert of mine but had no calories. Some people on goodreads.com think the author is whiny and pitiful, but I didn’t at all. I loved her candidness. This is not a “how-to” guide on how to lose weight, but a memoir/story of how Betsy decided to finally finish her decades-long goal of losing weight.
Anybody who has never struggled with weight loss probably won’t relate to it. As someone who has struggled, I totally related. She tells of feeling fat from age 12, when she was five feet tall and weighed 120 lbs. She didn’t fit in with her family of sisters because they were all short and petite and she wasn’t. Her dad took her aside to basically tell her she was fat and offer to help her lose weight, having just succeeded himself (with Fen-Fen). The way she tells it, he wasn’t diplomatic at all, and she felt shamed.
So the book is about five main things:
1. Healing her relationship with her father, i.e. getting up the courage to tell him she felt hurt when he he told her to keep her fat clothes in case she put the weight back on after she lost it.
2. Convincing herself that she is a finisher, including a finisher of losing weight. Along the way, she finishes a bunch of projects, including…..
(SPOILER alert!…quit reading, close this page if you don’t want to know the ending)
running a marathon with her husband! Wow!
3. Learning how to parent her young daughter who has some issues going on. She is wonderfully patient with her.
4. Deciding that she is thin and dealing with the “Ghosts of Her Fat Past,” including wounds from being bullied as a teen. I nearly cried when she told stories of how other kids treated her in high school.
5. Deciding that she is a runner.
It’s an amazing story of change. I’m always fascinated by what motivates people to change and how they do it. If you are too, you will love this book. You will probably have several LOL moments and wish that Betsy was your neighbor, best friend, or both! Betsy, thank you for writing a charming, inspiring, impactful book!
Fun tangential fact: Caleb Warnock, gardener extraordinaire, and coauthor of the sourdough book I love, is her writing mentor. She acknowledges him at the beginning of the book.
(If you want help with losing weight, I suggest two things. 1. You do the HCG diet like she mentioned in the book. She did it for one round. I’ve done it for three and lost 70 lbs on it. If you don’t want to spend the money to do that, then 2. you read my post here and then practice the principles I share. They worked for me!)
So I heard about this game from a girlfriend and also from this documentary, Game Master. (You see the game’s inventor, Charlie Binks, and his parents in it. It’s fun to hear the story of how it came to be. The documentary also shows the path of three other game inventors from idea to publication.) The game board is a map of the United States with all of the U.S. national parks marked. The goal is to get as many points as you can, as the winner is the one with the most points. You move your pawn/Meeple and land on the park and collect a stone, or possibly, eventually claim the park (buy it) or occupy it. Each stone is worth one point. You get more points if you have the most or second most stones of any of the colors. You also get points for claiming and occupying parks.
The map is definitely not to scale. The western U.S. is strecthed out and the eastern side is squeezed together. The western U.S. just has more parks.
Not all of the parks have cards representing them. Or stones to go with them. Each card has a beautiful photo of a national park along with a cool educational fact about it. The game reminds me of a cross between Ticket to Ride and Splendor. Ticket to Ride because you have to use cards to move across a map and Splendor because you win by claiming stones and parks/cards. Some of the cards each give you one superpower which can have a cascading effect to increase your chance of winning. It’s kind of like Splendor where the longer you play, the more you get capital or traction to make better moves and get more points.
It’s a great game for practicing logic, strategic thinking, and achieving goals. Players also get to learn some U.S. geography and a lot about national parks if they make it a point to read the facts on the cards. My girlfriend and I agree that it’s a great U.S patriotic game as it encourages a wonder and appreciation of the beautiful U.S. national parks. Kids who have a hard time waiting for their turn will probably find it boring unless you focus on making sure the turns are quick.
It’s definitely for ages 10 and up. It’s probably more fun to play with adults because they usually have more experience with visiting the parks so you can all talk about that. The children I’ve played it with (my three kiddos ages 11-16 and then another 11 year old, for the second time I played) were all rather bored with it. I’m hoping that changes as we learn to play it faster and as they get more travel under their belts to properly appreciate the parks. (To spice up game playing when you have to wait for turns, we like to play songs on an iPad or iPhone and take turns picking the songs. It helps pass the time waiting. We also get more exposed to what music each of us likes and can talk about that.)
I love that the pawns are Meeples in the shape of hikers with backpacks. So cute! And then the little tent pieces used to occupy, or camp at the park, are like icing on the cake. Double cute! The pieces are solid wood, the board is thick and the cards are sturdy.
I love that the game came from a family, inspired by Charlies’ parents, a husband and wife team. They had a goal to visit every national park in the U.S., which they accomplished in 2017, and then later, as more parks were named, they visited those too. You can read the story here. Despite my children’s less-than-enthusiastic reception of it, I give it 5 out of 5 stars! I count on them to grow an appreciation for it as we play it more. I’m excited to see that Underdog Games has Trekking the World and is working on Trekking through History to come out in 2022.
Charlie Binks with his mother, Terry Binkele. Photo Credit: Underdog Games
It’s a winner for gameschooling for sure because of the geography, strategy and logic it teaches. Just go over the rules yourself and get super familiar with it if you are going to play it with children to help the turns go faster at the beginning. Children are less patient with the learning curve of a new game. The game does have a card for each player to remind what a turn involves.
Want more gameschooling ideas? Go here to see the different games we’ve played. Go here to see my how and why of gameschooling with my free slides and a PDF.
Apricot season is over here in our neck of the woods. Whew! The kiddos and I are relieved about that! We had about two weeks of picking every day to keep the apricots of our local, bountiful tree dropping too many apricots, inevitably making mush on the ground below.
Every day, after picking, we were processing these luscious, gorgeous orbs of sunshine, either drying or freezing them. It was so fun to see my grandson discover apricots for the first time! He’s only 2, so…so many things are new to him. I hope he always remembers the magic of tasting his first fresh-off-the-tree apricots just outside Grandma’s French doors.
Other fruits have yet to ripen here, like peaches, blackberries, and apples so I’ll be using this recipe for those, in the coming weeks. I’m looking forward to going to the berry patch we visited last year to make a berry crumble with this same recipe.
This recipe fills a 9×13 pan. It’s for a big family so everyone gets double servings, or one serving with leftovers. If your family is smaller than 6 people and you don’t want seconds or leftovers then you might want to halve the recipe and use a square 8×8 dish.
3/4 c oat flour (grind rolled oats in a blender superfinely)
1/2 c nuts chopped up or ground coarsely in a blender
1 1/2 c sweetener (raw cane sugar like sucanat or Trim Healthy Mama sweetener if making this as a THM dish)
Topping: whipped cream or ice cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 baking dish. Mix up filling ingredients together and put in the bottom of the dish. Mix together crust ingredients and spread evenly on top of filling. Bake for 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes to firm up a bit. Top with cream or whipped cream and enjoy! because of the fat from the butter and nuts, and the carbs from the oats, this counts as a Trim Healthy Mama crossover (XO).
I’ve been on somewhat of a summer hiatus, not reviewing books or games regularly, because I’ve had lots of summer activities, including family visits and outings. I’m back with this picture book review! This is such a delightful book! I discovered it two years ago because my sister, the illustrator, gifted it to my mom for her birthday. She adores it that much. The story is a simple story about change, both change that comes to a lighthouse and change that comes to a family. I love the beautiful watercolor and ink illustrations. They are so beckoning. Combined with the text, they will make you feel like you are right at the seashore, smelling the damp, salty air walking over the rocky beaches, and hearing the call of the seagulls. You will feel the mysterious danger of the ocean. Then when you see in the story how useful a lighthouse is with its heroic human lighthouse keepers, a husband and wife who work as a team, you will cheer. I applaud the subtle message of husband and wife partnership.
As usual for me, I especially love the “back matter” that appears at the end. It fills in some unanswered questions for the adult reader, and any child able and desirous to know. It’s a Caldecott Medal Winner! We’re using it to fill in the “Award-Winning” book requirement on this reading challenge that I gave to my kiddos in May. This is definitely a classic book to keep on your bookshelf and read over and over to your littles.
Here’s a fun tangential fact: the author/illustrator of this book illustrated a book about the bear that became the inspiration for the real Winnie the Pooh, seen below.
Want more picture book recommendations? Go here. Happy reading and snuggling!
I super love this podcast interview (and YouTube video) that Hank Smith and John Bytheway did with Dr. Barbara Gardner. I love that she explains that priesthood power is not just held by men. Yes, worthy men are ordained to hold keys of the priesthood, which open doors, but priesthood power, the power of God the Father, and God Jesus Christ, is shared by righteous men and women. It is the godly power involved in nurturing humans so that they can return to live with Heavenly Father. She refers to Elder Dallin H. Oaks’ remark that we should not call men “the priesthood.” in part 2, she says we demean the priesthood when we refer to the power as a person. I also love that she says that girls and women should have overnight camps to celebrate the restoration of the priesthood.
Shownotes are here. These statements from Dr. Gardner are so illuminating!
Courtesy of YouTube, here are the different elements of the interview, with their timestamps, for Part 1. Below that is part 2, with the same. In part 2’s timestamps, I added some of my own parenthetical notes.
00:00 Welcome to follow HIM with Hank Smith and John Bytheway
11:39 Where Saints confuse patriarchal and family structures in regards to priesthood authority
19:27 Mention of Ezra Taft Benson’s talk, “What I Hope You Teach Your Children and Grandchildren About the Temple”
23:34 What men and women can learn about priesthood privileges from Section 84: 19-22 27:07 The establishment of the Relief Society prepares the Saints for the temple ordinances, which are essential for the Restoration of the Priesthood
31:47 Should the sections about the Priesthood be taught in Relief Society and the Young Women auxiliaries?
42:24 The Lord is accelerating revealing eternal truth, which includes focus on learning in the home (for individuals and families)
45:49 Discussion regarding helping families lead and draw closer to Jesus Christ in the home 50:29 Dr. Gardner shares personal story of understanding why so many men died at Martin’s Cove
54:44 Why women can also have a Priesthood Commemoration camping trip with sons and daughters
57:41 Who should preside at Church events and in the home
1:01:02 Why the Lord teaches us line upon line 1:04:02 End of Part I
I’ve been sooooo enjoying my month-long celebration of Independence Day. I’ve read the above picture books to my son, among others. We also just finished the chapter book at the top of this post about Washington’s as spymaster, plus picture books about the Culper spy ring. You can see my complete list of USA patriotic picture books here.
As I’ve driven the car to do my errands and road trips to meet up with my daughter and my two grandbabies, while they have been visiting from out of state, I’ve listened to the following book on CD by Timothy Ballard. I’m almost done! It’s so fascinating. It helps explain why, when I went to Valley Forge two years ago, the monument to George Washington there had Masonic symbols on it. See the pictures below the book cover image.
Then there’s this video below I enjoyed that correlates with what Tim Ballard shares. We in the United States have been blessed with so much. What are doing about this inspiring heritage? What legacy will we leave our children? I pray that we will each gain a testimony of God, of Jesus Christ, and of the power of God’s intervention in history and in our own lives, of the power of covenant based living. I suggest you start with reading the Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ and getting a witness from God that it is truth. I pray we will labor to share these truths with our children and our neighbors. It starts in the home. See the video at the very bottom with Jessa Duggar Seewald sharing how to help your children learn about God, even if they are younger than 6, like Jessa’s are.
This summer has been so much fun! I’m posting a few pictures from my Independence Day weekend a few weeks ago, which I loved. So many sights and sounds to behold! We did our traditional ceremony I learned from Dennis Prager, sharing it for the first time with my parents and mother-in-law. I feel blessed to have a carefree, summer full of extended family, much more so than last year. Last year I was dealing with the lockdown and my husband’s unemployment.
In fact, it was a year ago today that my husband got the call offering him a new job.The new job involved a move out of state. So then the summer turned into house looking, packing, and moving. Whew! We survived 8 months of unemployment without going into debt, and then packing and moving.
We declared our independence from debt a year before and weren’t about to get into it again. You can read about that here.
Mosiah 21:36 says the people made it their study to get out from bondage.
“And now all the study of Ammon and his people, and king Limhi and his people, was to deliver themselves out of the hands of the Lamanites and from bondage.”These were the people of Ammon and King Limhi who got captured by the Lamanites and were severly taxed. They determined to get out of bondage. Then we find out in Mosiah 22:23 that “…they were brought into bondage and none could deliver them but the Lord their God, yea, even the God of Abrahahm, and Isaac, and of Jacob.” They did eventually get out of bondage. See Mosiah 22-23. Could it be because they made their study a study of God and His ways? I think so. If we want to study getting out of bondage, we need to study God and His ways. God wants us to enjoy the sweet fruits of liberty, but we have to put in the work. That involves study and action.
I just love section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants. That was this week’s reading for the Come, Follow Me study of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I also loved all the videos I watched this week relating to it. In the video above, Emily Belle Freeman tells a fun story about a visit her family took to Disneyland, during a super hard time in her family’s life. She tells of how a friend offered her family the trip to mercifully give them a break and happy time during this trial. On top of that, he offered them the trip to Disneyland with an amazing guide. At first she didn’t want to receive the gift, but then she took him up on it. She was so glad she did, because the guide allowed them to have the most wondrous, magical trip to Disneyland that they could ever have. Imagine a trip to Disneyland with Walt as your guide! That’s probably what this felt like. Everything she said made it sound like Walt himself was guiding them, telling them all these secrets, and showing them hidden Mickeys. She said he was like a “human fast pass,” getting them on all the rides as fast as they could. In 90 minutes they did 9 rides! He told them the best places to eat and how to get the most out of the trip.
Emily said she’s saving her ticket from that trip forever to remind her of how much happiness they experienced. So what does that Disneyland trip have to do with section 76? It’s that Jesus Christ is the ultimate tour guide, the ultimate fast pass, and the ultimate Walt Disney magic maker for all of us. As Emily and David say in the notes on YouTube, “Our best advice: Don’t refuse the guide.” Section 76 tells us what Jesus does for us as The Guide: He cleanses us, sanctifies us, and allows us to receive all that the Father us. He gives us mercy and grace and delights to honor us when we serve Him.
I highly encourage you to watch the video to hear the story from Emily and then watch the whole thing after that. The part about privileges and responsibilities for teens at 12:29 is especially helpful for parents. Here are the time stamps to help you in watching it, thanks to a guy named Christopher Patch.
Here’s a video I love that shows our need for the Savior Jesus Christ, and what would life be like without the Savior.
Then here’s a video by my husband’s cousin Lynne about section 76. She focuses on the phrase, “The Holy Spirit of promise” that is used frequently in the section. Interestingly, she gives the context of Joseph receiving this revelation, as does the heading for section 76. She further elaborates on that, for which I’m grateful. In the handout that accompanies the video here, she writes that the section 76 was a vision that came to Joseph while he was translating the Bible from the King James Version to the Inspired Version (what we now call the Joseph Smith Translation). Joseph was reading and then dictating a new translation to Sidney Rigdon, who was his scribe. They came upon John 5:29. Here are the changes Joseph made:
“And shall come forth; they that who have done good, unto in the resurrection of life, the just; and they thatwho have done evil, untoin the resurrection of damnationthe unjust.”
Lynne writes, “On the original manuscript, at the point where Sidney wrote the last letter in the word ‘unjust,’ a visible ink blot is seen followed by a faint line as if his pen fell. This textual evidence appears to have come right at the time that the vision known as D&C 76 opened.”
This is what Joseph wrote in D&C 76: “And while we meditated upon these things, the Lord touched the eyes of our understandings and they were opened, and the glory of the lord shone round about. And we beheld the glory of the Son, on the right hand of the Father, and received of his fulness; And saw the holy angels, and them who are sanctified before his throne, worshiping God, and the Lamb, who worship him forever and ever.” (D&C 76:19-21)
I just love the truths shared in this Vision found in section 76. It shows that God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ have such a grand, generous, glorious plan for all of their children. This plan is much better than any of us could come up with on our own. It involves everyone! Those who are super faithful to them, those that are sometimes faithful, those who don’t know about them and therefore can’t be expected to be faithful in this mortal life, and those few who are truly forever rebellious.
The next videos also all relate to section 76 and all show great insights. Watch them all and you will learn, learn, learn!
On YouTube’s site where I got the above video, someone named Ron Palmer wrote the following as a comment below it. I love that it shows someone being humble enough to receive the truth that there is more scripture besides the Bible:
“I am 83 years old and a former Baptist minister my father also a former Baptist minister, we both along with our families joined this the Restored Church of Jesus Christ 51 years ago. I was preaching a sermon and the Holy Spirit shot in my mind these words when I said something about no other scripture than the Holy Bible such as the Book of Mormon, the Holy Spirit Said “How do you know that is True, I thought I don’t, only that I’ve been taught that the Mormons are not Christian and the Book of Mormon is not true. So I obtained a Book of Mormon and took the discussions from the missionaries. I knew that what they taught was True and that God would reward according to merit but that the Resurrection is by Grace and the Holy Bible teach more than one heaven but the Baptist did not. I know now, with all my heart, that Joseph Smith, Jr is the prophet of the Restoration. I was a witness when I was 9 years old when Israel was Restored, in one day in 1948 I heard it on my shortwave radio when the United Nations took the vote to Restore the Promised Land to the Jews. So I was looking for the Restored Church of Jesus Christ but did not know where to find it. Four months later my Father read the Book of Mormon and joined this Church also. Fourteen members of our family, which included 4 generations, joined this Church the 1st years.”
I just love, love this comment from another YouTube viewer, of the Part 2 video above, named Claire Balmforth:
“I have stopped thinking of the degrees of glory as 3 separate places- I think of Christ as the light, the closer you are to the light the brighter it is. As you move further away it is less so. We will choose where we are most comfortable in that light. There isn’t a cut off (ie “You need 3 more points to get in”). I may be wrong but that’s my thinking.” That makes total sense to me. We will each be rewarded for what is the most justice possible. How wonderful our Savior and our Heavenly Father are! I testify that they live, they love us, and that Joseph Smith restored the church of Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and President Russell M. Nelson is His prophet and the president of His church today. There’s a place in heaven for all of us! That is the good news that Joseph revealed to the world!
I know Independence Day is over, but that doesn’t mean I stop reading about why we celebrate it. Just as I like to stretch the Christmas season out, by reading Christmas books after the holiday is over, into January and even February, I like to stretch the summer patriotic holiday out too, by reading related books into July and August.
Usually I read one long chapter book for adults related to the American War of Independence starting the end of May. I don’t remember all of them, but I do remember reading 1776 and a book about Betsy Ross this way.
I didn’t get this post up before July 4th, so I’m getting it up now, so I’m ahead of the game for next year, LOL!
We are reading the above book about Washington’s spy network. It’s so interesting how Washington was a master of deception. So much for honest George who could not tell a lie. He used deception to his advantage in tricking British spies. So fascinating! This leads to discussing honesty, does it always apply, even in war?
The batch of books pictured below are for children.
As delightful as the Disney Johnny Tremain movie is, the book is better. We listened to this on our trip to and from Nauvoo 6 years ago. It just goes deeper into the plot and characterization than any movie can, as usual.
This is what goodreads.com says about the above book:
“As the Revolutionary War begins, thirteen-year-old Isabel wages her own fight…for freedom. Promised freedom upon the death of their owner, she and her sister, Ruth, in a cruel twist of fate become the property of a malicious New York City couple, the Locktons, who have no sympathy for the American Revolution and even less for Ruth and Isabel. When Isabel meets Curzon, a slave with ties to the Patriots, he encourages her to spy on her owners, who know details of British plans for invasion. She is reluctant at first, but when the unthinkable happens to Ruth, Isabel realizes her loyalty is available to the bidder who can provide her with freedom. From acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson comes this compelling, impeccably researched novel that shows the lengths we can go to cast off our chains, both physical and spiritual.”
We started listening to it on scribd.com two years ago, so I’m hoping to finally finish it this summer with the kiddos.
The sequel to the above book. Again here’s what goodreads.com says, “The young soldiers at Valley Forge are suffering from hunger, cold, and the threat of the British army. Their newly forged bonds of friendship might be enough to help them survive. But the chains of Curzon’s past threaten to shackle him again.
“Surrounded by the fires of ignorance, mistrust, and greed, Curzon can’t risk sharing his deadly secrets with anyone. Does he have the mettle to hold on to his freedom? To claim his rightful place as an American? Is he strong enough to find the answer to the hardest question of all: Is Isabel still alive?
“Acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson continues the thrilling adventure started in her bestselling, award-winning novel Chains. Ride along on a gallop that will take you from battling the British at Saratoga to fighting the elements at Valley Forge to rebelling against merciless tyranny. Discover what the fight for freedom is really about.”
One of my friends says this about it, “Absolutely love this series and I’m dying for book 3! October can’t come soon enough.”
So after this one came out, the same friend I quoted above wrote this, “Another great one by Laurie Halse Anderson! I read it within a few days of it arriving at the library.”
This one is another historical fiction novel. It presents a fictional female character who uncovers Benedict Arnold’s plot to turn West Point over to the British. Sounds interesting! It’s by Avi so should be good.
The one above is a cross between a picture book and a chapter book. Too long to read in one sitting, with more than one story, but it has lots of pictures.
I’ve absolutely loved Nathan Hale’s graphic novels. Even though they have lots of pictures, I count them as chapter books, because they do have LOTS of chapters so are longer than picture books. You can read more of why I love them here. The one above is a new edition of his #1 in the series, One Dead Spy, the bigger, badder, edition. This is what goodreads.com says about it, “This special edition of One Dead Spy features a larger trim size, a deluxe package, and 16 pages of bonus material, including research photos, sketches, and mini-comics from the author.” Oooh, I can’t wait to devour it!
The elementary school I attended for third grade was named after this man from France, the Marquis de Lafayette. So I have a soft spot in my heart for him. I firmly believe that God had a hand in orchestrating Lafayette to meet Washington, and become great allies, so Lafayette could help train the soldiers to win the War of Independence. When I toured the Yorktown Visitor’s Center I was delighted to see Lafayette’s cannon used in that battle, well preserved and on display.
I don’t love the pervasive “hey dude, this is what is so cool”. i.e. “let’s talk about all the violence” tone and vocabulary of the above book written to tweenish/teenish boys, as it gets annoyingly tiresome, but I have to say, this is the best chapter book for children that tells the entire story of the American War for Independence. I also looooove the illustrations. If you want a shorter, simpler, chapter book about the War, then I recommend the Magic Tree House book below.
I’ve tried reading the book below aloud to my children, but have never gotten through it. It’s looong! I might take another stab at it in the fall. It’s probably not really meant as a read aloud, more for a mom to read and then retell the more compelling stories in her own words to her children. It really is great to get a view of world history events going on the same time all over the globe, during George’s whole life, including the American War for Independence. I love Genevieve Foster’s illustrations! When I grow up I want to draw like she does. My whole homeschooling life I have had a dream of making a timeline or Charlotte Mason Book of Centuries with my progeny copying her pictures from all her books. Alas, my dreams are bigger than my energy, and I have never attempted it.
The next books are for ages 13 and up. I read the one below when I was 18 or 19. It’s time to read it again, I’m sure I would appreciate it a lot more.
The next one has a page a day for the whole year to use in your family devotionals
If you want a restored gospel of Jesus Christ perspective on the founding of the American nation, the book above by Timothy Ballard is for you.
From goodreads.com:
“We know that George Washington was a moral man and an inspiring leader, but did he possibly know more than we suppose? Was he a national covenant maker like Moses, Abraham, Lehi, or Captain Moroni? Did he understand that he was fighting for the liberty of a promised land protected by God, a place where the Lord’s holy temples could be built?
“The Washington Hypothesis explores the intriguing evidence that Washington and the other Founding Fathers knew the Lord had a greater purpose for America. It takes us on a fascinating historical journey through the miracles of the Revolutionary War to the foundational documents of this great nation to the symbolism evident in every corner of the nation’s capital. Exploring how Washington’s beliefs framed his every action, author Timothy Ballard draws compelling conclusions about the divinity of that great leader’s calling. As we see the evidence of the Lord’s hand in Washington’s life, we may discover a much grander design at work in the founding of our nation.”
Ballard also has related books, below:
Other Judeo-Christian perspectives that resonate with Ballard’s books are below:
These next books are not about the founding, but I count them as patriotic chapter books because they give a perspective of the veering of the US government (USG) from the patriots’ founding of America. They show that the USG changed from being mostly run by leaders who believed in what the patriots did, which is limited government, to being mostly run by leaders who believe in ever expanding the US government’s role. He doesn’t say this, but I’ve decided that included Abraham Lincoln. I wish Maybury would write a book about Lincoln. I believe that Lincoln started out wanting to expand the role of the USG, by having the gvt. sponsor the building of a lot of infrastructure, and supporting the tariff. Towards the end of the war, perhaps he did read the Book of Mormon. Ballard points out in his book, The Lincoln Hypothesis, that the Library of Congress has record he did check that book out. But did he actually read it? We don’t know, we have no evidence so far that he read it. But maybe that led him to a change of heart about his role as president and the role of the USG. I believe as he changed his ways, that’s what got him assassinated.
This book above and its sequel about WW2 are essential to anyone who wants to understand U.S. and world history. Maybury points out many amazing insights, namely that the United States Government ceased being guided by the principles of the Founding Fathers (such as local self-government) and became oppressive like the mother country of Britain. This happened, according to the author, when it conquered the Phillippines and Cuba at the end of the Spanish American War. Over 200,000 Filipinos where killed by the USG. What a tragedy!
Ever since that war the USG has been forcing itself on other countries in this domino effect that started with the Spanish American War and has us embroiled in policing the world. This eye-opening book gives ten deadly errors why countries go to war, one of which is the longing for Pax Romana, or Roman Peace. It seems like peace to the head of the empire but it is actually a reign of terror and rebellion, because it is based on rule of men, not law. Europe’s heritage is a longing for this Pax Romana. Maybury quotes Jefferson as saying that America should stay out of Europe’s business, for it is made of countries who are focused on eternal war. America has a different heritage, that of having a government based on a higher law, not man’s law, like the countries of Europe. (At least that is our heritage which the USG has departed from. Maybury doesn’t go into that in this book but he does in his other book Whatever Happened to Justice?)
Here’s what Maybury’s website says about the above book:
“Don’t miss this book, it is selling all over the world. It makes people think like nothing has in years.This book shows what is wrong with our legal system and how to fix it. The Legal Model is explained. Explores America’s legal heritage. Discusses the difference between higher law and man-made law, and the connection between law and economic prosperity. Introduces the Two Laws: (1) Do all you have agreed to do. (2) Do not encroach on other persons or their property.The book also sheds light on the cause of the turmoil in East Europe, Russia and Asia. You will be amazed at how much you understand after reading Whatever Happened to Justice.”
Again from Maybury’s site, about this book relating to Thomas Jefferson’s perspective:
“This book offers many insights, it teaches principles of economics and government in bite-sized nuggets, and gives you indicators for spotting the hidden biases of news reporters, writers, movies and television. For educators, parents, librarians and anyone else responsible for making reading selections for children—including students themselves — Mr Maybury uses ‘indicators’ and ‘misleading terms’ to help individuals identify the philosophical slant of most writers of law, history, economics and literature.”
Happy reading!
Want more ideas?
My patriotic picture book list is here, and the patriotic books I saw in the gift shops on my “National Treasure ” tour are here and here.
Tree of Life Mothering 