Parenting and Instagram: Growing Up in Public

Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World by Devorah Heitner, PhD

There were so many revelations for me in this book. Because our children are homeschooled, we have avoided much of the digital world. I even avoided a smartphone for many years after they became otherwise ubiquitous.

The author introduces some of the ways teenagers interact in the digital world, the mistakes they often make, how we as parents can address those mistakes, and how we can teach them to protect themselves.

The ramifications of digital everything can be overwhelming, but the advice on navigating these topics as parents was helpful.

We want to teach kids to do the right thing, not catch them doing the wrong thing. (p. 12)

In fact, I found many of them helpful for non-digital issues as well.

We never want our kids to be so afraid of getting in trouble or of being humiliated that they keep secrets--that make them even more vulnerable to exploitation. (p. 196)

The book contains a good list of considerations for posting photos and videos and other digital interactions. It also has good recommendations of things parents and teens can actually do. There are numerous references to transgender issues and gender identities, which some parents will find more useful than others.

Overall, I found this a helpful book.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. I borrowed this book from the library. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links.

September 2023 Book Reports

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, written by Himself - This classic of American history is now one of our assigned books in American history. (You could also include it in civics readings.) I assign it in Level 5 Year 2 (tenth grade) in addition to the Mater Amabilis readings. (purchased used)

The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm: Tales from Alagaesia by Christopher Paolini - I'm a new Inheritance Cycle fan and had to check this book out from the library. The stories are fun little dips back into Eragon's world. (library copy)

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens - I love Dickens! David Copperfield is an orphan who seeks his own fortune, sometimes making mistakes, but always meeting interesting people, some of which turn out to better or worse friends than you might first suspect. This book is assigned in the Mater Amabilis lesson plans in Level 6 Year 1 (eleventh grade). My daughter and I both got so invested in the story we couldn't limit ourselves to the assigned readings. (purchased used) (The inked copy is not the one I own, but is probably a safe edition. Be cautious in your edition; many of the reprints are poor quality.)

Seek that Which is Above by Pope Benedict XVI - This is one of the recommended spiritual reading books for Mater Amabilis in Level 6 Year 1 (eleventh grade). It's the shortest of the recommended books and a good option for a student that wants to complete the readings at adoration. (purchased used)

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links.

August 2023 Book Reports

The Netanyahus: An Account of a Minor and Ultimately Even Negligible Episode in the History of a Very Famous Family by Joshua Cohen - I read this book along with a podcast about it. The podcasters thought it was hilarious. It did have some humorous moments, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. (library copy)

Poverty, By America by Matthew Desmond - link to my post (purchased copy)

Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt - This is a book of tales from India that are scheduled in Mater Amabilis Level 3 Year 2 (seventh grade). I have the Yesterday's Classics edition which is a nice paperback copy with black silhouette illustrations. Overall, Second Son and I enjoyed this book of tales. I'm very pleased we added Tales to the Level 3 and Level 4 syllabi. (purchased copy)

Works of Mercy by Sally Thomas - link to my post (purchased copy)

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links.

July 2023 Book Reports

Into the Deep: An Unlikely Catholic Conversion by Abigail Rine Favale - I first read Favale's newer book, The Genesis of Gender. I bought this book and read it quickly when I thought I would be able to hear her speak at a conference. Sadly that didn't work out, but the book was worth reading. It's the heart-wrenching story of Favale's conversion. She was raised evangelical, discarded that belief for postmodern feminism and intellectualism, but surprised herself by converting to Roman Catholicism. Favale writes with skill and humility of her failings and yearnings. Anyone who has struggled with balancing feminism and faith may find her book illuminating. (purchased copy)

How to Attack Debt, Build Savings, and Change the World through Generosity by Amanda and Jonathan Teixeira - link to my post (purchased copy)

Jane Austen's Genius Guide to Life: On Love, Friendship, and Becoming the Person God Created You to Be by Haley Stewart - This is a perfect book for anyone who loves Jane Austen. It discusses each of Austen's main books (Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Mansfield Park, Sense and Sensibility, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion) with a focus on a virtue. I read it on my own, but it would be fun to do with a book club. It would also make an excellent companion for a teenager reading all of Austen's novels. It does have spoilers, so I recommend reading the Austen novel before the corresponding chapter. (received as a gift)

Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington (Nugi Garimara) - This is an excellent book for the Mater Amabilis high school geography course that includes Australia. It is based on the true story of three sisters who escape from the government to return to their Aboriginal family. The events are sometimes heart-breaking and frightening, but it provides insight into a world my children have never known. (received from a member of PaperbackSwap.com)

Tales of Japan: Traditional Stories of Monsters and Magic illustrated by Kotaro Chiba - This book is part of a series of Tales from Chronicle Books. The book is a lovely hardcover with dramatic illustrations. It is recommended in the Mater Amabilis curriculum for Level 3 Year 2 (seventh grade). It is indeed a book full of monsters and magic, and some of the stories would be frightening for young or sensitive readers. Second Son did just fine with them; in fact, he enjoyed them. I don't know enough about Japanese tales to say if they are good choices but the sources in the back do seem to be Japanese. (purchased used)

Losing Our Dignity: How Secularized Medicine Is Undermining Fundamental Human Equality by Charles Camosy - link to my post (purchased copy)

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links.

Making Money off the Poor: Poverty, By America

Poverty, By America by Matthew Desmond

Matthew Desmond argues America has a higher level of poverty compared to most other rich nations of the world because people and companies in America make money by providing services to the poor and by requiring them to pay more for many things simply because they are poor.

It's a tight knot of social maladies. It is connected to every social problem we care about--crime, health, education, housing--and its persistence in American life means that millions of families are denied safety and security and dignity in one of the richest nations in the history of the world. (p. 23)

He explores how our society, laws, and communities exploit the poor by:

• driving down wages
• increasing costs of housing (higher mortgage rates, rents higher than mortgage payments)
• forcing the poor to pay more for credit or to use payday loans
• creating tax cuts for property owners rather than programs for the poor
• excluding the poor from areas that provide the best education and job opportunities

It's easy to blame these problems on huge corporations and billionaires, but they benefit all stockholders, and many of us (myself included) invest in retirement accounts, accounts that purchase and hold stocks. We are also complicit when we oppose higher density housing or integrated economic housing near our neighborhoods.

Poverty isn't simply the condition of not having enough money. It's the condition of not having enough choice and being taken advantage of because of that. (p. 78)

For example, providing more money for housing without providing more affordable housing means rents will increase. The money benefits the landlords, rather than the poor.

The author makes bold claims and doesn't shirk to note what it might take to address poverty in dramatic ways.

Sharing opportunities previously hoarded doesn't mean everyone wins. It means that those who have benefitted from the nation's excesses will have to take less so that others may share in the bounty. (p. 118) 

The author provides some possible ways to address poverty in meaningful ways, most of which I think would be interesting to discuss in our public policy debates. 

We can't just spend our way out of this. Over the past fifty years, we've tried that--doubling antipoverty aid per capita--and the poverty line hasn't meaningfully budged. A big reason why is that we insist on supporting policies that accommodate poverty, not ones that disrupt it. (p. 137) 

I am including this book in a Modern Government class organized around Catholic Social Teaching. It's a year-long course, but most of my students will spread it over two years in Level 6 (eleventh and twelfth). 

I first checked this book out of the library, but only skimmed it before deciding to buy our own copy.

I have received nothing for this post. I purchased the book. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links.

Finding Our Way: The Blackbird and Other Stories

The Blackbird and Other Stories by Sally Thomas

I have known Sally Thomas for many years, so I am not an unbiased reviewer. Be warned.

This is a collection of short stories and one novella. In each of the stories, characters struggle to understand themselves and their connections to their loved ones. How do those relationships change, or even end? How do those connections shape who we are in ways that can never be erased?

Many of the characters find a calmness from the natural world - sounds, scents, colors.

The rushing, rustling, bumping noise came nearer. Suddenly it was all around her. From inside it she could hear all its drippings, spatterings, clicks, murmurs, a thousand feet pattering past, a thousand voices. Each voice cried out in a different tongue. Each said one word: Peace. A green coolness sighed at the open window. (p. 55)

I happened to read this book just a few days after my daughter was his by an SUV. She was out jogging and a driver turned left into the crosswalk. She was fine, with only a few scratches and a sore foot (which kicked the underside of the vehicle as she fell), but my heart returned again and again to the thought that she could very easily have not been fine. These lines perfectly described me:

You know the feeling: when your child slips in the bathtub and goes under, and yo u are there to pull him out again, but you might so easily have been looking the other way. You hug your child who's alive, but something in you is weeping over the limp and empty body that you might have discovered instead. (p. 146)

These stories deal with loss - child, spouse, pregnancy, marriage, health, but they touch on these losses with tenderness and compassion. I enjoyed these stories thoroughly, maybe even more than Works of Mercy. Highly recommended.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. I purchased the book. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links.

June 2023 Book Reports

Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh - Our book club selection this month. Well-written, but I just couldn't feel comfortable reading about family life from a woman who had so much privilege. How lovely to have two weeks alone at the beach to contemplate your life as wife and mother! How much easier it would be for the rest of us to see the beauty in our lives if we could get away from it and have as much help as she did. I actually loved this book when I first read it, many years ago, perhaps before I had children. (purchased used)

Eric Sloane's Weather Book by Eric Sloane - link to my post (purchased new)

Lives from Plutarch (Hillside edition) - This is a great early introduction to Plutarch, suitable for middle school readers. It's part of the Mater Amabilis lesson plans for Level 4 (eighth grade), but I assign it differently, so that my student finishes it in one year. (purchased new)

Paul for Everyone: The Prison Letters by N. T. Wright - The newer edition of this book is called Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon for Everyone. N. T. Wright is an Anglican priest and an expert on Paul. Using his own translations, he provides Scripture in short selections (but with nothing missing) and then thoughtfully reflects on them, always including a relevant story from his own life. For the most part, Wright's commentaries have nothing contrary to the Catholic faith, but it is good to have a knowledge of the major differences between Anglican and Catholic beliefs when reading, like the differences between the recognized books of the Bible and those of Jesus' immediate family. (purchased used)

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini - This is the fourth book in the Inheritance series. If you read the first three, you will probably read this one. It's a satisfying end that also leaves a lot of questions unanswered to ponder, discuss, and hope for more books. (First Daughter's purchased copy)

The Diary of a Country Priest be Georges Bernanos - First Son was reading this in Kansas Dad's class in college this year, so I decided to read it as well. This was my second time reading this book, and it was less confusing than the first time. It's a powerful argument for grace in a quiet life and the love of God, but it is a difficult read. The priest's thoughts aren't always well connected (though this makes the diary more authentic). I also often felt like I didn't understand everything the people were actually saying. I think this book is one of those that benefits from additional readings and gets better each time you read it, especially as the reader matures in years and faith. It's worth reading even if you don't understand everything. (Kansas Dad's copy)

Judges and Ruth (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible) - I read this alongside one of my high schoolers. She wanted more context than just the text, and the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible has extensive notes at the bottom of each page as well as some commentary before and within the books. I think my preferred series would be the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, but they haven't gotten to Judges or Ruth yet. (purchased new)

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro - In this dystopian, but not futuristic, England, children are raised merely for their organs. The question I saw woven quietly throughout the book is, "What is it to be human?" (library copy)

Delta Wedding by Eudora Welty - In this languorous novel, a young woman gets married amidst the love and chaos of her large family. I should have made a list of all the family members as they appeared, because I had trouble remembering which one was which. I loved how no matter what happened, the family members just kept right on preparing for the wedding and loving each other. (library copy)

I have not received anything in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links.

Some Middle School Weather Studies

Eric Sloane's Weather Book
by Eric Sloane

This book was included in the revised lesson plans for Level 4 (eighth grade) science at Mater Amabilis, which are a great improvement over the older plans. I bought it for Second Daughter to use a couple of years ago, when the revised plans were new.

First Son did a weather study using a different book by the same author, Eric Sloane, called Look at the Sky and Tell the Weather. You can find my original post on that book and the Sabbath Mood Homeschool plans here, but overall, the Weather Book is a better fit for an introduction to the study of weather. It's more straightforward and better organized.

Two years ago, I decided not to buy the suggested weather kit for Second Daughter. (First Daughter had already finished Level 4 and ended up missing out on studying weather officially in Levels 4-6.) Now the kit seems to be difficult to find. It's no longer listed on the company's website, so perhaps they have decided to stop making it.

For Second Son, therefore, I'm going to go back to the Sabbath Mood Homeschool plans I used with First Son, just for the activities. I also already own most of the supplies for them, so I should be able to pull together a set of lesson plans that don't take too much of an additional investment. If I were looking at Level 4 for my oldest child or didn't already have the Sabbath Mood plans, I would be very tempted by the Home Science Tools weather experiment kit. It looks more expensive than the Sabbath Mood plans at first, but when you factor in all the equipment you need, you might end up at a similar price point. The activities would be different, but I think they'd meet the needs of a Level 4 student. Plus, the Home Science Tools kit is more open-and-go than the Sabbath Mood activities.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links. Links to Sabbath Mood Homeschool and Home Science Tools are not affiliate links.

May 2023 Book Reports

 

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro - My book club selection for the month, a beautifully written novel of a man searching for meaning in his life and failing to understand what is most important. We watched the movie together, which was fun. I highly recommend book club movie nights. (purchased used at a library book sale)

Eldest and Brisinger by Christopher Paolini - the second and third books in the Inheritance series. Fun reads, and fun to discuss with my youngest son. (First Daughter's purchased copies)

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon, Bookshop, and PaperBackSwap are affiliate links.

April 2023 Book Reports

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J. Gaines - This was one of my book club books, and one of my favorites for the year. It revealed a world I didn't know in a beautiful way. I would like to read more books by the author. (purchased used)

Winter Holiday by Arthur Ransome - This is the fourth book in the Swallows and Amazons series and my absolute favorite so far. The children from the first three books are joined by a Dorothea and Dick Callum, who blend right in with the world of adventure and imagination. They spend the whole winter vacation planning a race to the Pole. It's almost ruined by an extended illness, but instead ends with more excitement than anyone expected. I was delighted! (purchased copy)

Persuasion by Jane Austen - It had been years since I last read Persuasion, so I decided to join in when the Close Reads podcast read and discussed it, though of course I was still a few months behind. Anne Elliot is Austen's most mature protagonist, and one of my favorites. Her quiet consideration of others is an inspiration. Frederick Wentworth is a bit of a fool, but he's my favorite love-interest in Austen's books. He admits when he's wrong, and he's willing to do what is right even when it's hard. As a side note, I own and read the Clothbound Classic copy linked. It's gorgeous, but be warned that the design on the covers comes off when the books are handled. When, for example, you are reading them. I don't mind, because it shows they've been read and loved, but I wasn't prepared for it. (received as a gift)

The Doctor's Sweetheart and Other Stories by L.M. Montgomery - This was a continuation of my reading of books off my shelf that I thought would be light and enjoyable. (It was a tough spring.) I hadn't read this since I was very young. It was fun to revisit the stories, most of which I'd forgotten. (received from a member of PaperBackSwap)

What Are Christians For?: Life Together at the End of the World by Jake Meador - link to my post (purchased copy)

The Peacock Spring by Rumer Godden - This is another Godden book set in India, concerning a young woman who believes she finds love. It's a book of thwarted love, abandonment, and suffering, though beautifully written. Some older teens might appreciate it. (received from a member of PaperBackSwap)

Eragon by Christopher Paolini - Second Son chose this series for me when I asked him his favorite book. This is the first of four in a series (with a fifth recently added in a later story arc and another book of short stories). Eragon finds a dragon egg and is catapulted into the heart of his world's events. I enjoyed this book, but at one point I thought to myself, "It almost seems like a teenaged boy wrote this." Then I found out, a teenaged boy did write it. He benefited greatly from an editor after his family had first self-published it. (Later books in the series improved.) There are elements of all the great dragon and magical stories - Narnia and Lord of the Rings, for example - but Paolini creates characters that aren't always good, though they want to be, and who are willing to sacrifice their safety and happiness for the good of...Good. Read them all. (First Daughter's purchased copy)

The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat - This is a middle grade novel of mystery and adventure. A young girl must shape her own future and decide what she's willing to sacrifice for what she believes is right. Highly recommended. (library copy)

The Nursery by Szilvia Molnar - A new mother descends into post-partum depression and struggles to resurface. This book is disturbing in all the ways it should be and confusing for the reader (as it must be for a new mother in this situation). I'm not sure I enjoyed it exactly, but I think there are benefits to reading books like this, an important reminder to be compassionate and supportive for new families and new parents. Not recommended if you are currently pregnant or nursing a baby. (library copy)

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon, Bookshop, and PaperBackSwap are affiliate links.