God's Little Princess Devotional Bible by Sheila Walsh

Do you have a Little Princess? All of God’s girls are His Little Princesses and there is a very special devotional Bible just for them. God’s Little Princess Devotional Bible by Sheila Walsh is wonderful, beautiful, delightful and just what a Little Princess needs to grow up the right way – God’s way! It is intended for little girls around the 4-7 year age range, but may not be entirely limited to that.

It contains easy-to-read Scripture selections from the International Children’s Bible and also has fun and inspiring articles. The content is wonderful and features Down in my Heart (Scripture memory verses), Beauty Secrets (for inside and out), Bible Princesses (girls and women of the Bible who made a difference), My Hero (Scripture promises from God, our Hero), Take a Bow (articles for performing Bible stories), I Adore You (worship and praise to God), Princess Charming (for manners and charm), Worthy of Love (ways to show love to others), and Royal Truths (basic values and royal traits).

The colors and illustrations will be pleasing to little girls and they will love the jeweled crown on the front cover. It is a good book for parents to read to their girls, and easy enough for new readers to read on their own too. I can’t wait to share this with my daughter! This would make a great gift for any Little Princess in your life and I highly recommend it!

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God’s Little Princess Devotional Bible
By Sheila Walsh

Girls long to be loved and adored, and give their heart to their hero. God is that hero! The characteristics focused on in this Bible storybook will help your little girl blossom into the princess she was created to be. Virtues to create beauty such as compassion, sharing, and truth are highlighted in fun and engaging ways. The perfect format for girls to learn about their destiny as a daughter of their King. Features included are: Beauty Secrets, Bible Princesses, My Hero (Scripture promises), Take a Bow (Easy plays that are Bible-focused), I Adore You (Put girls energy to use with songs, scripture and worship), Royal Truths, Down In My Heart (Scripture Memory), Princess Charming, Worthy of Love (Ideas to show how to love her royal subjects: family, siblings, friends and those in the community).

The Middle Fork by Rick Glaze

I’ve recently finished The Middle Fork: A Political Novel by Rick Glaze. It combines the thrill of kayaking, the polarization caused by politics, and both the beauty and danger of nature. Also, there’s a bit of romance thrown in, which frankly seemed unnecessary. The book overall was interesting, but was not as exciting as I had thought. Though, perhaps it mirrored an actual kayaking trip – parts slow and lazy, kind of like you’re not getting anywhere, while other parts were fast and thrilling, and simply swept you away.


The dialog was completely believable, given the current political climate. Subjects tacked include global warming, illegal immigration and war. There were moments of sharp bickering between individuals, but when a flash flood turns the river violent and danger is imminent, arguments and personal judgments suddenly become unimportant. They realize they must set aside their personal feelings and work together, just to survive.


The Middle Fork is a short book (only 141 pages), and an easy read. If politics or kayaking is your thing, you may like this book. For others though, it’s probably just ok.

Authors note: This is not to be considered a Christian fiction book, and “Jesus Christ” is used solely for profanity purposes.

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The Middle Fork: A Political Novel
by Rick Glaze

Jonathan and an old college friend join a group of kayakers in a trip down Idaho’s Salmon River in what is supposed to be a relaxing getaway from everyday life. However, the exhilarating runs over the rapids quickly take a backseat to heated political debates in camp and on the river. Disparate personalities and political parties spark strong opinions and heightened emotions, creating tension within the small group. But when a thunderstorm turns into a violent flash flood, the group finds they must put aside their differences if they want to make it off the river alive.

Packed full of action, The Middle Fork hits on current hot-button political issues, like global warming, war and illegal immigration, providing sharp political discussion fueled by adrenaline and suspense.

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

What an absolute treasure! I bought The Last Lecture by the late Randy Pausch, for my husband for our anniversary, and recently read it myself. This book is a must read! It is a follow up to The Last Lecture he gave as a professor at Carnegie Mellon, which was videotaped and became a youtube sensation. It is a fairly small book, and an easy read, it is filled from cover to cover with wisdom and life lessons.

In case you’re unfamiliar with the story, Randy Pausch was a beloved professor at Carnegie Mellon. He was married and had three young children. And he received his death sentence when he found out he had pancreatic cancer that had metastasized. News this hopeless would overwhelm, stop cold, depress and anger most people. But Randy instead chose to spend his last months of life living, and loving, and giving one last lecture. It was for his students and colleagues, but most importantly, it was for his children.

The Last Lecture is full of stories about making the most of your life, overcoming obstacles, reaching for the stars, achieving your dreams, living with passion, etc. It also speaks to the problem of overly-coddled, overly-praised, spoiled children, and the way it ill-prepares them to face and succeed in the real world.

On July 25, 2008, Randy Pausch died, at the age of 47. And though I’ve never met him, I believe this world is a lesser place without him. But because of the video and book he left behind, his legacy lives on.

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The Last Lecture
by Randy Pausch
with Jeffrey Zaslow

A lot of professors give talks titled "The Last Lecture." Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can't help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?

When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave--"Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams"--wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have...and you may find one day that you have less than you think"). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.

In this book, Randy Pausch has combined the humor, inspiration and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given it an indelible form. It is a book that will be shared for generations to come.

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Quotes from Randy Pausch:

~ Better to fail spectacularly than do something mediocre.

~ Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.

~ The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out; the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. The brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They are there to stop the other people!

100 Bible Stories, 100 Bible Songs

This was so much fun to review! 100 Bible Stories, 100 Bible Songs, written by Stephen Elkins and illustrated by Tim O’Connor, is a wonderful story book and CD collection. It is a soft-cover, hardback book, with good quality, sturdy paper, which is perfect for kids. There is a wonderful and detailed table of contents, which includes the story, along with the verse and song that accompany it. The stories are fantastic and at a perfect length to young readers. It is also quite colorful and the illustrations are simply fantastic. Many of the songs took me down memory lane, back to Sunday School and VBS!

The stories included are from both the Old and New Testament. Each story shows where it was taken from in the Bible, along with a short lesson and has a song that accompanies it. The verbiage is perfect for preschoolers and reads in a fun way. This is a great way to introduce your child to Scripture, and build a foundation of the Bible in his or her life. I can’t wait to begin using it to teach Sweet Pea all about God and Jesus, and to use it as a tool to train her for life! I definitely recommend it!

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100 Bible Stories, 100 Bible Songs

By Stephen Elkins

100 Bible Stories will soon be hidden in your child's heart and bursting out in song. From Genesis and Revelation to Psalms, Proverbs, and Jesus' parables, children will read their favorite Bible story and sing their favorite Bible song. Bible truths and Life Action Applications will help your child take these Biblical teachings to heart. 100 kid-friendly Bible stories, with adorable illustrations, are paired with two awesome CDs filled with 100 new arrangements of more than two hours of favorite songs, hymns, and spirituals. It's a unique experience the whole family will enjoy!