If Zuno and I run early in the morning, we sometimes see a bunny. Zuno must have been thinking of bunnies today, because he’s chosen Beatrix Potter’s A Child’s Treasury of Beatrix Potter. The beloved story of Peter Rabbit is recounted here as well as eight others like Jemima Puddle-Duck and Benjamin Bunny. Parents, if…

Do you like hot, fresh-from–the-oven bread? Our family enjoys cooking together and when a school holiday grants us some extra time, we make cinnamon rolls. Our kitchen feels warm and cozy and the fragrance of cinnamon and baking bread snake through the house. Powdered sugar dusts the countertops as we stir up sweet icing that…

The format of Gayle’s Gable changes from that of a reading club to one similar to Zuno’s Pick. Gayle’s Gable spotlights my family’s favorite novels for older readers. Please share your favorites. My youngest son enjoys The Redwall Chronicles by Brian Jacques. Redwall is the first book in the series and many follow. These stories…

Did you enjoy the book? I love the change in the boys’ relationship as they move from contempt for one another to respect and friendship. Jemmy realizes there are blessings in being the whipping boy, like learning “to read, write and do sums.” Prince Horace discovers his nickname of Prince Brat and realizes good character…

Let’s spend some time thinking about heavenly things today. Grab your Bible and turn to Revelation 4. Revelation is the last book in the Bible, so turn to the back. In this chapter, John, one of Jesus’disciples and the one who wrote John, 1 John, 2 John and 3 John, and Revelation, is having a…

Zuno’s pick this week is Olivia and the Missing Toy by Ian Falconer. Can you figure out Olivia’s favorite color? Who is the terrible villain who has taken the missing toy? Zuno appreciates the forgiveness Olivia shows at the end of the story, not that Zuno has ever been in trouble himself. Do you have…

In the novel, The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, the hero, Percy Jackson, finds himself in two worlds—his normal life, much like yours and mine, and the world of ancient Greece, complete with gods and goddesses. The mix of these two makes for a great story, but do you realize, we as Christ-followers face the…

Sid Fleischman’s The Whipping Boy tells the story of two boys, Prince Horace (Prince Brat) and Jemmy, the prince’s whipping boy. Every time the prince misbehaves, he goes free, while Jemmy takes the prince’s punishment. Will the prince ever learn? Bandits, dancing bears, a hot potato man, and rats await in this short novel by…

Wow! Did chapter nineteen surprise you? Why has life lost its value in Jonas’s community? The author begins to show you in chapter twenty when Jonas and the Giver talk about feelings. Here are a few quotes from the book. The first quote refers to Fiona and her work with the elderly: “Fiona is already being…

Zuno is my white labrador. When Zuno and I run together, I put Zuno on a leash. I do this for several reasons: 1)      His safety—I want to keep him away from danger, like cars or other dogs. 2)      Leadership—I want him to go where I go, not after a rabbit or squirrel. Most of…