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Miracles on Maple Hill

Book cover: 'Miracles on Maple Hill'
Author(s): 
Virginia Sorenson
Number of pages: 
232 pages
Copyright: 
1956
Publisher: 
Harcourt Brace - Odyssey Classic
Binding: 
Softcover
Subject(s): 
Miscellaneous Fiction
Grade / Age level: 
Elementary
Review: 
Marly and Joe (ages 10 and 12) are two siblings who have always lived in the city. They and their mother had endured the apparent loss of their father during wartime (unclear which war - perhaps Korean) only to discover that he had been a prisoner of war. The family is finally reunited, but their father has changed; he is bitter, touchy, angry, always tired.

Their mother had always spoken of Maple Hill and her grandmother's house that she and her brother had visited each summer as children. Her grandmother had been dead for 20 years, but Marly and Joe loved to hear stories of simple life in the country.

Their mother has a plan. Her grandmother's house has been unoccupied for years, but if they went there for a long visit, perhaps that would help her husband's troubles. And so, they pack their bags and head to rural Pennsylvania just in time for the sugar season...

This is a delightful story that embodies the human need for spending time with God's creation and the virtues of simple living. The writing is interesting and engaging, but not too hurried, with many details about how things are done on a farm (especially the sugar season), plant and animal life, etc.

Reviewed by: 
Alicia Van Hecke
First reviewed: 
3-25-02

Miserly Meals

Healthy, Tasty Recipes Under 75¢ Per Serving
Book cover: Miserly Meals -- Healthy, Tasty Recipes Under 75¢ Per Serving
Author(s): 
Jonni McCoy
Number of pages: 
255 pages
Copyright: 
2002
ISBN: 
9780764226137
Publisher: 
Bethany House
Binding: 
Softcover
Subject(s): 
Managing Homeschool Life
Review: 

The author of the popular Miserly Moms, a guide for frugal family living, has done it again! Jonni McCoy has written a stand-alone but complementary book that helps families to enjoy well-prepared, nutritious meals while keeping their grocery expenditures under control. Most homeschooling families live on one income, and we need all the help that we can get in controlling our expenses; this cookbook can help us to do just that.

Each of the more than 200 recipes includes a full nutritional analysis, a cost-per-serving analysis, a "Kitchen Tip", and both preparation and cooking time estimates. Recipe categories include a full range of choices from Appetizers to Vegetarian Main Dishes to Slow Cooking to Desserts and Snacks. The recipes are easy to follow, instruction and ingredient lists are clear, and no special ingredients, appliances, or techniques are required. Why not serve Boston Chicken with Oven-Roasted Vegetables for $1.25 per person tonight? Or consider Ultra Chocolate Muffins with Raspberry Butter for $0.17 each in the morning? You can invite your dearest friend over for Lemon Cheesecake and Russian Tea for just $0.54 per serving. What possibilities!

Most people think that frugal meals must be high in carbohydrates and fat and low in protein, but that is not the case with the wonderful recipes in this book. My own family has several dietary restrictions, and there are numerous recipes that are tasty, nutritious, AND meet our needs. This new cookbook may be just what you need to bring some excitement back to family meals and meal preparation time. At the same time, you will be able to keep your food budget under control, leaving a little more to put into your book budget!

Additional notes: 
This book was donated for review by Bethany House
Reviewed by: 
Susan Kalis
First reviewed: 
11-5-03

Mom to Mom, Day to Day

Advice and Support for Catholic Living
Author(s): 
Danielle Bean
Number of pages: 
155 pages
Copyright: 
2007
Publisher: 
Pauline Books and Media
Binding: 
Softcover
Subject(s): 
Books on Parenting
Grade / Age level: 
Adults
Review: 
Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
Alicia Van Hecke
First reviewed: 
4-8-2007

Montessori on a Limited Budget

A Manual for the Amateur Craftsman
Author(s): 
Elvira Farrow
Carol Hill
Number of pages: 
291 pages
Copyright: 
1975
Publisher: 
Education Systems Publisher
Binding: 
Softcover
Subject(s): 
Methods: Montessori
Review: 

This is a more advanced and thorough version of Teaching Montessori in the Home. The book contains a very good introduction to the Montessori philosophy of education, but from a secular point of view. It includes much more detailed descriptions of the different activities. It also includes instructions for making nicer materials, but more skill, time and money is required than the materials outlined in Teaching Montessori in the Home.

Additional notes: 
Copyrights 1972/1975
Reviewed by: 
Alicia Van Hecke
First reviewed: 
May 19, 2000

Mother to the Poor

The Story of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
Author(s): 
Jung-wook Ko
Illustrator(s): 
Seung-bum Park
Translator(s): 
Mary W. Chung
Number of pages: 
140 pages
Copyright: 
2008
ISBN: 
0819848638
Publisher: 
Pauline Kids
Binding: 
Softcover
Subject(s): 
History
Biographies
Saint Stories
Setting: 
20th century
Grade / Age level: 
All ages
Review: 
Once in a while I am fortunate to review a book that is outstanding, and this is one of them! Mother to the Poor tells the story of the great modern saint of our time in a marvelous way: the beautiful illustrations, the quality of the paper, the language--loving, biographical, translated from Korean. It reads like a picture book, but a meaty picture book! Everyone knows about Mother Teresa, but can most people tell where she was born? How was her family life? How did she begin the Missionaries of Charity? This book tells her whole story and readers of all ages will be delighted.
Reviewed by: 
Ana Braga-Henebry
First reviewed: 
9-29-2008

Mozart, the Wonder Child

A Puppet Show in Three Acts
Author(s): 
Diane Stanley
Copyright: 
2009
ISBN: 
9780060726744
Publisher: 
Harper Collins
Subject(s): 
Composers
Mozart
Resource Type: 
Picture Books
Review: 

No need to introduce young Mozart or kids biographer extraordinaire Diane Stanley, but this brand new biography has a twist: she wrote the whole book as a marionette play! The pictures look as if his whole life is a show, with characters suspended on strings. Expect the usual detail-rich, high level writing that comes with her wonderful biographies.

Another innovative aspect is the medium she chose for the paintings for this book: the 500-year old method of egg-tempera. On the interior of the back jacket she explains about this medium and directs readers to the Society of Tempera Painters at www.eggtempera.com. For this art teacher, this definitely sparks my curiosity... potential projects abound in my head!

Reviewed by: 
Ana Braga-Henebry
First reviewed: 
August 05, 2009

Much Ado About Nothing

Author(s): 
William Shakespeare
Subject(s): 
Classic Literature
Grade / Age level: 
High School
Adults
seventh grade
eighth grade
Review: 
Much Ado About Nothing is an uproarious comedy (with plenty of dramatic elements) about love and hate. While awaiting the marriage of Hero and Claudio, several plots unfold. One is an incredibly funny conspiracy to set up Beatrice and Benedick, two swift-tongued sworn enemies, to fall in love with each other. The other is nefarious, a plan to ruin Hero by convincing Claudio and company that she has been unfaithful. You’ll find lots of great fodder for discussion here, including the wisdom of the foolish and the foolishness of the wise and, of course, Shakespeare’s often-present cautions about deception and flattery.
Reviewed by: 
Alicia Van Hecke
First reviewed: 
2-11-2009

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