Nathaniel Bluedorn
Christian Logic
www.christianlogic.com
P.O. Box 46
Muscatine, Iowa 52761
309-537-3464
Hand that Rocks the Cradle is a soft cover book of 111 pages, including nine pages of books listed by subject and three pages of an Introduction to Reading Aloud. The book is a unique size of 4 ˝ x 9 inches, and is the revised and expanded edition of information on more than 400 books. Reviews include classic books for all ages, listed by author and by subject, with reading levels included. The books are listed alphabetically by author, with the additional subject area listing included on nine pages at the back of the book.
Each listing includes the approximate time the story is based in, the geographic setting of the story, and publication date. A very brief review of the book is included with each listing, often with comments as to a particular relevance by age group. Occasionally, Nathaniel Bluedorn includes personal comments that are amusing, encouraging, and often helpful for final book choices. Necessary additional material will include the various books you choose to utilize for your family read alouds, and he encourages the use of your local library and the inter-library loan system.
Nathanial Bluedorn uses a numbering system for three age ranges, including (1) easy--for all ages, (2) more difficult--for ages ten and up, and (3) advanced--for ages thirteen and older. The book begins with an encouraging explanation of why it is important to read aloud to your children, along with how and what to read to them.
A brief glimpse into the life of the Bluedorn family during their growing up years peeks through much of his writing. This book is an incredible resource for parents as they choose quality reading for their children and books to be read aloud as a family. The reviews included are very brief, but usually provide just enough glimpse into the story line to further a parent’s understanding when choosing quality reading. The dating system offers tremendous assistance for parent-teachers, as the historical time frames will help as you plan history, plan reading for subject matter, or study a particular author and desire to relate to them in their time of history. The subject index includes historical groupings, including World War One and Two, the American Revolution, Renaissance & Reformation, and more. General classifications are also included: sea, science fiction, friendship, animals, and family adventures are more of the wonderful options a reader has when choosing books using the Hand that Rocks the Cradle. Many books are listed in multiple subject area as they pertain to more than one particular subject.
The book size is narrower than most, a wonderful change that will help keep it separate from the traditional piles of books on most of our end tables. The subject indexing is a wonderful resource for families who prefer to avoid or seek certain books; science fiction is given a listing, as is mystery, and even a maturing character list is provided. I appreciated the listings for young hero and young heroine, as it will be a great assistance for families reading to predominantly boys or predominantly girls.
At times in the rush to make good books available to the public, errors are missed. The Hand that Rocks the Cradle book is no exception and includes alphabetization errors in the listings by author name; be sure to flip through a few pages in the area when searching for a particular author. Condensing so much information into one book is incredibly difficult; still, I wish there had been a bit more length to many of the reviews.
In the busy environments of many home schools, parents often wonder how to decide on quality reading for their children. Hand that Rocks the Cradle will become a resource for parents to wade through classic books, as well as proven quality books lesser known to many people. Mark Twain, Hans Christian Andersen, Rudyard Kipling, and Laura Ingalls Wilder are often relied upon by many parents, and although they are included here, so are Albert Payson Terhune, Rebecca Caudill, Elizabeth Foreman Lewis, and Alfred Ollivant.
Children will delight in the many excellent books listed in this resource, and families will enjoy countless moments furthering education by reading aloud together. One of the most often enjoyed advantages of home schooling is additional family read aloud time, the Hand that Rocks the Cradle book will help parents make the most of our opportunities. For those unsure of the innumerable options in the local library, this book will be an appreciated resource for many years to come. Our family will enjoy the welcomed help from Hand that Rocks the Cradle as we continue to make memories curling up on the couch together with a good book!
—Product review by: Donna Campos, Senior Product Reviewer, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, July 2008.
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