We haven’t been reading quite as much as we usually do here at the House of Hope since the weather has gotten really warm. We have still been experiencing life on the prairie with the Ingalls family, but we haven’t made it to the bottom of this week’s library basket yet. Instead, we’ve spent a good bit of time outside in the last couple of weeks. Since we live in the very hot-n-humid South, though, this will probably be short-lived. We’ll have to save our outdoor activities until after 5 p.m. and liberally apply the mosquito repellent. 🙂
I’m limiting myself to only one read-aloud to share this week because a) I don’t think we’ll make it to the library this week due to all of our activities, so I need to save something to share next week, and b) I really want this one to shine!
For many years, I was a huge Max Lucado fan. I did (and still do) think he could turn a phrase in just the right way to get me right in the heart. Although my reading tastes have changed a little since then, I still think he’s a good storyteller. I checked out Small Gifts In God’s Hands not knowing that it would be a fictionalized account of New Testament stories, although if I had paid much attention to the cover I would have surmised as much. Small Gifts In God’s Hands follows the story of Elijah, a ten year old boy who happens to be the nephew of Peter, the Galilean fisherman. Elijah witnesses several of Jesus’ miracles, and while he adores Jesus from afar, he feels that his meager life as the son of a widowed mother does not have much to offer Jesus. Elijah’s mother repeatedly tells him, “No gift is small in God’s hands.” It takes experiencing this truth himself, however, for him to own it. This is a warm story that paints Jesus as the loving friend He is. Cheri Bladholm‘s illustrations are beautiful but still manage to depict Jesus as a human; they really add to the overall feeling of warmth inherent in this loving retelling. Highly recommended!
What are you enjoying together as a family? Link it here or leave me a comment! Have a happy Read Aloud Thursday!
Filed under: In Step with the Spirit, Picture Books, Read Aloud Thursday |
Hope Is the Word 
I hadn’t heard of this book. I’ve only explored a few of Lucado’s books for children but they didn’t include this one so I appreciated hearing about it.
I talked about some of our family’s PLANS for fun this week. Plus, I have a giveaway to offer along with our minimal reading list (apparently we both had problems in this department)! At any rate – I’m back!
http://www.readingtoknow.com/2009/06/read-aloud-thursday-curious-george.html
[…] Buttons « Read Aloud Thursday […]
We have a gift edition of ‘You Are Special’ by Max Lucado, and I love it. It makes a really important point, and the book itself is beautiful — the illustrations are just pencil sketches in that particular edition, and I’ve actually given it to adults as a gift before.
This one looks really good.
[…] Jen Robinson (The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate)20. Amy @ Hope Is the Word (The Underneath)21. Amy @ Hope Is the Word (Small Gifts in God’s Hands by Max Lucado)22. Amy @ Hope Is the Word (From Letter to Letter)23. Book Psmith (In-N-Out Burger)24. Beth (The […]