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Categories Family & Friends

When Grandma was a girl

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Have you ever stopped to wonder what life was like when your grandma was a girl?

Have you ever stopped to wonder what your grandma was like when she was a girl?

Somehow, I think we can be tempted to look at pictures from the past and hear the stories our grandparents tell and forget that once upon a time they really were children. My grandparents weren’t just once a miniature grandma and grandpa. They were children, with childish ways of looking at the world and childish dreams and aspirations.

I’d never really thought about it until one day when I was poking through my grandma’s old papers and found a composition notebook from her health class–in the 1940s.

Health Book

Reading her penned notes in the margins, I suddenly became aware of grandma as a girl.

World War 2 was raging, and Grandma was apparently quite caught up in the war effort.

“Hitler is horrid, abominable, cruel and absolutely detestable” she wrote in a fit of zeal. She wasn’t at all fond of the axis powers–and didn’t think they deserved a capital letter. No “Axis” for Carol Marie Pierce. She’d write it “axis.” And she declared, “Let’s not bury out hatchets till we bury the axis.” In another location, she wrote that “Hirohito, Mussolini, Hitler: ought to be shot.” Shot was underlined no less than four times–and her parenthetical statement (“They will be too”) afterwards indicated her confidence in the Allied troups.

Her patriotism cam out as she scrawled “V for Victory” and “U.S. strongest nation in the World”. Douglas MacArthur, who apparently was somewhere in Australia, must have been a hero, for Grandma penned a short note to him and Mrs. MacArthur: “I admire your courage.” She encouraged others to support the war effort, with her injunction to “Buy War Bonds and Stamps.”

That’s not to say that all her notes were about the war. She used her best cursive to write out her full name “Carol Marie Pierce” and location “Walnut, Neb”. She wrote of her dislike of studying health. And on occasion, she realized that her brackets could make a nice little face–and spent several lines drawing bracket faces.

Bracket Faces

It’s odd. That face looks familiar. I’m sure I’ve seen it before. In fact, I’ve drawn it before.

And suddenly I realize that my grandma was once a girl–just like me.


Categories Reading My Library

A Repentant Reader

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I officially repent of all that I have ever said against children’s counting books.

When done right, counting books can be delightful, as evidenced by Ten Little Wishes: A Baby Animal Counting Book, Arlene Alda’s 1,2,3: What do you see?, and now Lena Anderson’s Tea for Ten

Lena Anderson Picture Books

Tea for Ten tells the rhyming story of Hedgehog, feeling lonely, sitting at her table, wishing that her friends would drop by so “she wouldn’t be just ONE”. Thankfully, some of her friends do stop in–and Hedgehog prepares a sweet tea for ten.

Lena Anderson’s picture books have an endearing cast of characters that might be stuffed animals or might be real animals, but are cute and cuddly either way.

Both Hedgehog, Pig, and the Sweet Little Friend and Hedgehog’s Secret are entertaining and have delightful illustrations–but Lena Anderson’s crowning glory (in my humble opinion) is Tick-Tock.

Tick-Tock includes the same familiar characters as Anderson’s other books–but this is another teaching book. In fact, it’s a counting book of sorts.

The story begins at one o’clock, with Uncle Will taking a string of youngsters to the park. At two, they climb a tree. At three, someone falls off the tree. At four… And so the story goes. At seven o’clock, the kids get ready for bed. Every hour afterward, at least one youngster wakes up for one reason or another–until at last the clock strikes twelve and Uncle Will falls asleep in exhaustion.

Like the rest of the books, Tick-Tock is told in rhyme. It’s a short book, but fun–and the illustrations are perfect. Each page has a clock face on it, with the hands pointed at the appropriate time and the numeral for the hour beside it. This is a perfect book for teaching numbers and the basics of telling time.

Reading My Library

For more comments on children’s books (counting and otherwise), check out Carrie’s blog Reading My Library, which chronicles her and her children’s trip through the children’s section of their local library.


Categories Family & Friends

Personal Medical Adviser

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A Facebook message to my sister sent rather early this morning:

Anatomy Question:
Just wondering–what organs/things of interest might be found immediately inferior to the left costal margin, almost on the side of the body? I woke up this morning feeling a weird knob down there. I tried to see if there was something comparable on the right side, but couldn’t identify anything similar.

A text conversation around 10am:

Her
Spleen. Do you have mono?

Me
Maybe. Dunno. Heh.

Her
Are you tired and do you have lymph nodes? Is the lump painful?

Me
Not tired anymore than I have been for most of the semester.

Noticed lymph nodules a week ago. Currently unspectacular.

No pain unless I poke it or lie on it funny. Then only mild discomfort.

Her
Sounds like mono to me

Me
Nice. Do I do something about it or just sit tight?

Her
Eh

The delights of having a personal medical adviser available by phone, e-mail, Facebook, or text. Disadvantage? Since she’s related, she can’t actually diagnose or treat me (and, of course, a diagnosis might require a bit more than a text conversation–like actually seeing me, perhaps.)

So I’d have to go to a non-related healthcare provider if I wanted a real diagnosis.

But since my medical adviser says “Eh” (and I’m beginning a vacation/thesis work summer), I’ll hold off on seeing a doctor just yet–and proceed to give my sister medical power of attorney as planned.

Addendum: Now if I could just stop poking that little knobby, I might feel just fine!

Categories Book Notes, Faith

Intimate Stillness

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Notes on Francis Chan’s
Forgotten God
Chapter 5: A Real Relationship

“While Jesus didn’t have to deal with emails, voice mails, or texts, He certainly understood what it meant to have multitudes of people pursuing Him at once. At any given moment of the day, people were looking for Jesus. Because of the priority of His relationship with His Father, He found ways to escape. He took the time to focus and be quiet (Mark 1:35). He was willing to remove Himself from people’s reach in order to pray and commune with God the Father. Our lack of intimacy often is due to our refusal to unplug and shut off communication from all others so we can be alone with Him.
-Francis Chan, Forgotten God, page 109

Why might I not be experiencing intimacy with the Holy Spirit? Chan suggests that one reason might be the loudness of our lives.

It’s funny–the very night I first read this chapter (before I read it), I was settling into my bathwater, singing a song of worship to the Lord and picking up a book to read, when I experienced that little nudge in my soul. “Don’t read, Rebekah. Just spend some time with Me.”

I was sorely tempted to disobey. I’d been so busy that day. I hadn’t had any time for pleasure reading. Bath time was my time–to relax and to read a book.

But I reminded myself that I’d said I wanted the Spirit. And if I truly want the Spirit, I must be obedient when He speaks.

I set the book down and spent the next twenty minutes or so in prayer–just communing with God and enjoying His presence. It was wonderful.

How often, I wonder, does the Holy Spirit speak to me, urging me into relationship with Him? How often do I ignore or not even hear His still small voice, so consumed am I with my blogs and books and papers to write and grade? How often do I rush through our morning breakfast date (I spend time in the Word over breakfast every morning) because I want to get on with my day?

Jesus, for all His busyness and all the demands on His time, made time to be alone with God.

If I truly desire the Spirit of God to be active in my life, I must be willing to rearrange my schedule, to make time to be still with Him.

**Let me make clear–there is no way that you or I can make the Holy Spirit move in our lives. The truth is that if you are a child of God, your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. He dwells within you. But I believe that by our hardheartedness we can ignore the Holy Spirit–leading to a failure to experience His presence (even though He is present). Thus, the failure to experience the Holy Spirit is not the Holy Spirit’s failure to be present–but our failure to be sensitized to His presence. The disciplines of the Christian life, including that of stillness, can serve to sensitize our eyes and our hearts so that we can see and feel the Holy Spirit’s presence.**

(See more notes on Forgotten God here.)

Categories Book Notes, Faith

An Addendum on “Unveiling Islam”

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A friend recently brought an article about Ergun Caner, co-author of Unveiling Islam, to my attention. This article, published in Christianity Today, reports on a recent blog-flurry that accuses Ergun Caner of exaggerating his Muslim past. Among these potential exaggerations or untruths are the claims that Caner grew up in Turkey in a devout Muslim home, and trained as a jihadist to the age of 15. While the only of these claims made in Unveiling Islam is that Caner grew up in a devout Muslim home (in Ohio), the suggestion that Caner has exaggerated or falsified information regarding his Muslim upbringing is troubling.

As many of you know, I recently read Unveiling Islam and commented chapter by chapter here on bekahcubed. In light of this article, I have included the following addendum in each of my posts on Unveiling Islam:

Ergun Caner’s testimony as a converted Muslim has been challenged by several bloggers who claim that he has grossly exaggerated the extent of his Muslim upbringing. Readers of this book ought to be aware that the Caners may or may not have the experiential knowledge of Islam that they claim to have, and should therefore be careful to test the statements found in this book against other reliable sources.

I find this new information regarding Caner to be quite puzzling–since I felt that in Unveiling Islam the Caners treated Islam with a sympathy uncommon among fundamentalist right-wingers. (Classifying Ergun Caner as a fundamentalist right-winger does not seem out of place, considering that he is currently the president of Liberty University’s seminary.)

Why might Caner have felt a need to lie about his past? Certainly, he doesn’t make outrageous claims regarding Islam (or at least, not as outrageous as many claims made by those who fear Islam). I don’t see any reason for such behavior.

Nevertheless, this certainly calls Caner’s testimony as a believer and credibility as a source of information about Islam into question.

As readers, we should always be discerning, testing what we read against Scripture and against other sources to determine whether such things are true. Even when reading (or listening to) “Christian” sources, we should keep our filters on, carefully testing all things against the Word of God.

Let this be a call to us all to be wise and discerning as we read, listen, and live in a world where things are not always as they seem.

Categories Technology

Disclosing my Deepest Blogging Secrets

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This is the contents of my disclosure statement, now linked in the footer of every page. If you’ve read this, you’ve read it–so you don’t need to follow the link. Unless you’d like to, of course.

Have you ever tried reading the copy of a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Guide to something like, say, the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising? I hadn’t until tonight, when I decided to finally get around to posting a disclosure statement for bekahcubed.

The FTC Guide includes the worst of legalese and that unique governmental syntax that makes documents virtually unreadable. From my quick scan, the gist appears to be that it’s hard to figure out who to trust and whether someone’s being honest when they say something’s great or if they have ulterior motives.

Enter the blogging disclosure statement. Lots of bloggers include these as a little blurb in their sidebar. Others have a disclosure statement or a link to a disclosure statement on every page that might be construed as a recommendation. For my part, I already have uber-busy sidebars, and have enough difficulties with remembering to include vital things like links and apostrophes in my posts–I don’t think I’m ready to add a disclosure statement to that mix.

So I’m compromising with a disclosure statement (that would be what you’re reading right now) linked from the footer of each page.

General Disclosure

I am an independent blogger/website owner. I do not receive anything (except pleasure and occasional comments) for what I write on bekahcubed. All opinions expressed on bekahcubed are the opinions of the author (that would be me, Rebekah Menter) unless exlicitly noted.

I am a Registered Dietitian and a graduate student and teaching assistant at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. While these roles do inform my opinions, I do not claim to speak on behalf of either the American Dietetic Association, the Commission on Dietetic Registration, or the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Books

I am an inveterate reader and acquire the majority of my books from my local library based on perusal of the stacks and recommendations from other readers, blogging and otherwise. Other books are purchased by myself or given/lent to me as gifts from (so far as I know) disinterested individuals.

If I should ever receive a review copy of a book or otherwise receive compensation for a review, I will note that along with my review. Even in these instances, opinions are still entirely my own, regardless of the book’s source.

I select books for review using a highly specialized process commonly called “whatever I feel like doing.” I link to other reviews, to publisher’s websites, or to online marketplaces when I feel that the link may be useful to my readers. I do not receive compensation of any sort for links from my website.

Other Products

As for the other stuff I might accidentally review–I still only post my own opinions. So far as I know, I have only ever mentioned things that I have personally bought or that have been given to me by disinterested individuals–except if I’ve mentioned some sort of give-a-way item that was given with no expectation of a review (like the mousepads and water bottles they give away at street fairs and the like). If I were to ever receive something from a vendor who requests that I review it on my site, I will review it at my discretion, using my own opinions, and clearly stating any compensation within the review post.

Note to the FTC:

I’m sorry, I didn’t read your article. I found it to be completely abstruse and much too arcane for an ordinary BS bearing, professional credential holding, MS candidate such as myself. If I missed any important details, I apologize–and beg that you not prosecute me. After all, it’s not like I’m getting paid for anything I do on this blog. I promise. Really.

Categories Family & Friends, Thankfulness

Proverbs 31 Woman

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Who can find a virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.
The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.

Mom and Dad looking at one anotherMom and Dad looking at a cardMom and Dad holding hands

She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands.
She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.
She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.

Mom making breakfastA meal prepared by MomMom preparing a Christmas buffet
A pie Mom madeSome of Mom's canning

She considers a field and buys it;
From her profits she plants a vineyard.
She girds herself with strength,
And strengthens her arms.
She perceives that her merchandise is good,
And her lamp does not go out by night.

Mom's seedlingsMom's gardenPeppers from Mom's garden
Mom teaching us to play hopscotchMom rolling newspaper into firewood logsMom on her bike

She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hand holds the spindle.
She extends her hand to the poor,
Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of snow for her household,
For all her household is clothed with scarlet.
She makes tapestry for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

Mom quilting for her and DadMom cutting out a quiltMom quilting a wedding gift for her son
The girls in Mom-made dressesThe kids in Mom-made outfitsMom in a dress made by herself

Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies sashes for the merchants.
Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.

Mom sweeping up during renovationsMom looking over her offspringMom singing with Dad
Mom and Timothy readingMom with Grace on her shoulderMom and Grace hugging

Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women have done well,
But you excel them all.”
Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
Give her the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates.

The family at Mom and Dad's 25th Wedding AnniversaryMom and Dad kissing while the kids look away in horror
The family at EasterThe family at Grand Teton National Park

Proverbs 31:10-31

Categories Recap

Recap (May 2-8)

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On bekahcubed

Book Reviews:

  • Get Married by Candice Watters

    I planned to get married June 10, 2006. I set the date in 1999 and had my dad reserve the time in his PalmPilot. It’d be perfect. I’d be 21, so I could enjoy champagne at my wedding if I liked. I’d have only a year left in college, so unless I ended up with a honeymoon baby, I should be able to finish out my bachelor’s degree. And if I didn’t? Meh. I’m all about the stay-at-home-mother thing, and don’t necessarily need a degree for that.

  • Lost in Rooville by Ray Blackston

    What do you get when you cross two couples, a trip to the Australian outback, and a quest for the perfect place to propose?

    A perfectly hilarious novel.

  • Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

    “Beauty and the Beast” was always my favorite Disney fairy tale. I identified with the bookworm Belle–and was absolutely enthralled by the strong and (sometimes) silent Beast. I was disappointed beyond belief when the final ball would come and the Beast and Belle swirl across the dance floor–only to become Belle and, well, whoever that guy is.

    Jessica Day George’s Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow is an unparalleled story of Beauty and the Beast. Based on the Norse story “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” rather than the French version used in Disney’s retelling, George’s story has a unique, Scandinavian twist.

Photo Albums:

Recipes:

  • Ginger Lentil Stew
    I made this quick and easy (and cheap) stew earlier this week to use up a leek that had been sitting in the bottom of my fridge. It was fantastic–perfect for a rainy spring day!

On the web

Laugh out loud funnies:

  • The Guy who takes credit for answered prayer:

    “Am I surprised that the prayer was answered? Not really. That’s what I do. I’m like the Justin Bieber of answered prayer. I make hits. Am I surprised that it took so long? Yeah, a little bit. I took some time off from my prayer training this winter and probably need to get back in shape. I’ve got a 2.3 week average on getting prayer answered, so that it took Brian 4 weeks to get a job is a little disconcerting.”

    I think I might be guilty of this. It’s just so excited when you pray for something and God says yes. It makes me want to do a little victory dance–“He agrees with me!” (Or maybe it should be–“For once, I agree with Him.”)

  • Shakespearean insults for when you’re lacking inspiration:
    Take that, thou puking fen-sucked moldwarp!
    HT: Abraham Piper

  • A rather depressing birthday song…

    HT: Abraham Piper

  • Ted Kluck on Carman’s “Witch’s Invitation”
    This had me seriously busting a gut.

    “Carman is welcomed into the house of the witch, who is wearing some sort of a smoking jacket (red) and has a fu Manchu moustache. He also has lots of scary occultish stuff in his house like “Horoscopes[4]” (Carman’s words), a Dungeons and Dragons board game (apparently he’s a really nerdy witch), and a bird in a cage (some people find birds scary).

    Like all Carman videos, the narrative involves Carman sizing this guy up and then somehow “defeating” him, because as Carman theology has taught me, we’re (Christians) here primarily to dance in abandoned warehouses and win fights.

    My favorite line of dialogue, uttered by Carman (narrating the story): “I sat literally intimidated.”

    Scariest Moment: In a terrifying production value flourish reminiscent of Degarmo & Key’s “666” we learn that Carman also has a skull underneath his face.

    Best Moment: (Spoiler Alert) After preaching to the male witch, Carman leaves the house in a huff and slams the door! The witch’s make-it-yourself-at-home pentagram glass wall hanging falls to the floor in pieces. Cut to the birdcage to reveal a pile of feathers at the bottom. Carman killed the bird! Justice prevails!

    See the video:

Books for the TBR list:

  • Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
    How have I not heard of this? Apparently it’s a classic parody of the even-older classic romantic pieces where a young orphaned girl goes off to live with her rather awful relatives–you know the stories…

  • The Last Time I Saw You by Elizabeth Berg
    The story of a 40th high school reunion. This must be a book club read, ’cause my library has TONS of copies.

  • Pearl of China by Anchee Min
    A biographical novel about Pearl Buck’s life in China. Fascinating.

  • Radical by David Platt
    A pastor challenges his congregation to live radical lives for the gospel instead of tame lives chasing the American dream. That’s a challenge I/we would all do well to take up. If I wasn’t convinced by Lisa’s review (shown above–which I was, BTW), I’d still have to read it based on these comments to a different Lisa’s post mentioning the book. And then there’s this review from Carpe Libris.

  • She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell
    Christian romance amidst the flurry of an 1890’s debutante season.

  • Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney
    Carrie had me when she wrote of Donald S. Whitney:

    “If you’ve ever read a book by Jerry Bridges and liked it, then I’m pretty sure you will like Donald S. Whitney’s approach to sharing doctrine and motivating his reader to apply it to life. He has the same kind of easy going manner, and yet despite his calm demeanor, he never waivers in his devotion to truth.”

    Jerry Bridges has long been one of my favorite authors. Four years ago, Bridges preached a sermon to a group of Navigator college students in Jacksonville, Florida. God used that sermon to transform my understanding of justification–and to transform my life thereby. If Whitney’s anything like Bridges, I want to read this book.

Projects to try:

Thought-provoking posts:

  • I mentioned the guilt-motivation for giving when I reviewed The Power of Half a couple of weeks ago. This article from Desiring God talks about true motivation for Christian giving.

    “The Bible does not use the guilt-producing motivation, yet it powerfully argues for the ministry of mercy. In 2 Corinthians 8:2-3, Paul tells us that the Macedonian Christians gave generously to the Jerusalem famine victims. He notes that “out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity” (v. 2). The Macedonians were not of a higher social class than the needy in Jerusalem. They apparently were going through terrible trials of their own. What, then, was the dynamic that moved them to give? “Their overflowing joy . . . “ (v. 2) and “they gave themselves first to the Lord” (v. 5). It was the Macedonian’s response to the self-emptying Lord. Their gifts were a response, not to a ratio of income levels, but to the gift of Christ!”

  • Expositional Preaching. Not gonna lie, I’m a fan. It ensures that we don’t skip or gloss over parts of the Bible.

    “That is where expository preaching that is verse-by-verse and text-by-text and chapter-by-chapter and book-by-book doesn’t allow you to ride a hobbyhorse. It doesn’t allow you to enter into that imbalance. It takes you on to the next truth, which you then have to prepare yourself to teach and to preach.

    I don’t think we are very good, arbitrarily, at setting a sense of balance for ourselves.”

    HT: Challies DOT com

  • The Simple Wife on being intentional in friendship. This one’s still a work in progress for me.

Videos worth seeing:

Categories Book Notes, Faith

Fear of Wrong Motives

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Notes on Francis Chan’s
Forgotten God
Chapter 4: Why Do You Want Him?

Chan asks why I want the Holy Spirit. “What is your motivation?” he queries.

I search my brain and come up with this answer: “Because my vision is to glorify God by growing in daily relationship with Him, being conformed to the image of Christ; by growing in relationship with others, taking time to invest in their lives; and by growing as an individual, always learning and always practicing what I’ve learned.”

My life vision flows glibly from my lips and my pen. This is what I only pray that someday my life will exemplify. God’s glorification. Relationship with Christ. Relationship with others. Personal growth.

I fear, though, that this answer is too pat, too religious, too straight out of a Stephen Covey exercise. Surely, I have ulterior motives for desiring the Holy Spirit.

I set down the book for a few days. I pick it up again and reread Chapter 3.

What are my motives? I ask myself, digging for hidden selfish motives. “Because I want His kingdom to come and His will to be done.”

“Church answer.” My brain throws back its rapid-fire retort.

I try again. “I want the Spirit because…”

I’m at a loss. “I want the Spirit because more than anything, I want my life to be a testimony of Christ. I want the Spirit because I dream of being transformed into the image of Christ. I want the Spirit because God has put in my heart a dream for the church, His bride, walking in mercy and in truth. I want the Spirit because I know that it is He and He alone who can cause my life to reflect Christ, who can build the church, and who can draw the lost unto Himself. And if my life fails to reflect Christ, to build the church, and to draw the lost to saving grace, then all my achievements are worthless. I want the Spirit because I know that, apart from Him, I will have wasted my life.”

Chan is right–there are many wrong motives for seeking the Spirit. He names attention, miracle hunting, and desire for personal control. But these are not what motivates me at this point in my life. I need not be ashamed that, in God’s mercy, He has caused me to desire the Spirit for the right reason.

I need not spend hours trying to find a false motive. Should one arise, God will reveal that. For now, I can rejoice that God has granted me this pure desire–and I can seek the Spirit’s increased activity unbound by fear of wrong motives.

(See more notes on Forgotten God here.)

Categories Books, Memes

How many children’s titles have you read?

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Amy at Hope is the Word did a fun little children’s book meme yesterday–and I figured I might play along. The list is supposed to be the top 100 children’s novels, as determined by a group of readers at The School Library Journal blog.

How many have you read?

100. The Egypt Game – Snyder (1967)
99. The Indian in the Cupboard – Banks (1980)
98. Children of Green Knowe – Boston (1954)
97. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane – DiCamillo (2006)
96. The Witches – Dahl (1983)
95. Pippi Longstocking – Lindgren (1950)
94. Swallows and Amazons – Ransome (1930)
93. Caddie Woodlawn – Brink (1935)
92. Ella Enchanted – Levine (1997)
91. Sideways Stories from Wayside School – Sachar (1978)
90. Sarah, Plain and Tall – MacLachlan (1985)
89. Ramona and Her Father – Cleary (1977)
88. The High King – Alexander (1968)
87. The View from Saturday – Konigsburg (1996)
86. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – Rowling (1999)
85. On the Banks of Plum Creek – Wilder (1937)
84. The Little White Horse – Goudge (1946)
83. The Thief – Turner (1997)
82. The Book of Three – Alexander (1964)
81. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon – Lin (2009)
80. The Graveyard Book – Gaiman (200
79. All-of-a-Kind-Family – Taylor (1951)
78. Johnny Tremain – Forbes (1943)
77. The City of Ember – DuPrau (2003)
76. Out of the Dust – Hesse (1997)
75. Love That Dog – Creech (2001)
74. The Borrowers – Norton (1953)
73. My Side of the Mountain – George (1959)
72. My Father’s Dragon – Gannett (1948)
71. The Bad Beginning – Snicket (1999)
70. Betsy-Tacy – Lovelace (1940)
69. The Mysterious Benedict Society – Stewart (2007)
68. Walk Two Moons – Creech (1994)
67. Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher – Coville (1991)
66. Henry Huggins – Cleary (1950)
65. Ballet Shoes – Streatfield (1936)
64. A Long Way from Chicago – Peck (1998)
63. Gone-Away Lake – Enright (1957)
62. The Secret of the Old Clock – Keene (1959)
61. Stargirl – Spinelli (2000)
60. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle – Avi (1990)
59. Inkheart – Funke (2003)
58. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase – Aiken (1962)
57. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 – Cleary (1981)
56. Number the Stars – Lowry (1989)
55. The Great Gilly Hopkins – Paterson (1978)
54. The BFG – Dahl (1982)
53. Wind in the Willows – Grahame (1908)
52. The Invention of Hugo Cabret (2007)
51. The Saturdays – Enright (1941)
50. Island of the Blue Dolphins – O’Dell (1960)
49. Frindle – Clements (1996)
48. The Penderwicks – Birdsall (2005)
47. Bud, Not Buddy – Curtis (1999)
46. Where the Red Fern Grows – Rawls (1961)
45. The Golden Compass – Pullman (1995)
44. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing – Blume (1972)
43. Ramona the Pest – Cleary (1968)
42. Little House on the Prairie – Wilder (1935)
41. The Witch of Blackbird Pond – Speare (1958)
40. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – Baum (1900)
39. When You Reach Me – Stead (2009)
38. HP and the Order of the Phoenix – Rowling (2003)
37. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry – Taylor (1976)
36. Are You there, God? It’s Me, Margaret – Blume (1970)
35. HP and the Goblet of Fire – Rowling (2000)
34. The Watsons Go to Birmingham – Curtis (1995)
33. James and the Giant Peach – Dahl (1961)
32. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH – O’Brian (1971)
31. Half Magic – Eager (1954)
30. Winnie-the-Pooh – Milne (1926)
29. The Dark Is Rising – Cooper (1973)
28. A Little Princess – Burnett (1905)
27. Alice I and II – Carroll (1865/72)
26. Hatchet – Paulsen (1989)
25. Little Women – Alcott (1868/9)
24. HP and the Deathly Hallows – Rowling (2007)
23. Little House in the Big Woods – Wilder (1932)
22. The Tale of Despereaux – DiCamillo (2003)
21. The Lightening Thief – Riordan (2005)
20. Tuck Everlasting – Babbitt (1975)
19. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Dahl (1964)
18. Matilda – Dahl (1988)
17. Maniac Magee – Spinelli (1990)
16. Harriet the Spy – Fitzhugh (1964)
15. Because of Winn-Dixie – DiCamillo (2000)
14. HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban – Rowling (1999)
13. Bridge to Terabithia – Paterson (1977)
12. The Hobbit – Tolkien (1938)
11. The Westing Game – Raskin (1978)
10. The Phantom Tollbooth – Juster (1961)
9. Anne of Green Gables – Montgomery (1908)
8. The Secret Garden – Burnett (1911)
7. The Giver -Lowry (1993)
6. Holes – Sachar (1998)
5. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler – Koningsburg (1967)
4. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – Lewis (1950)
3. Harry Potter #1 – Rowling (1997)
2. A Wrinkle in Time – L’Engle (1962)
1. Charlotte’s Web – White (1952)

I’m a bit ashamed to realize that I’ve only read 23, and of those, I can only describe 18 plots. Any guesses as to which ones I DON’T remember?

I also don’t know what’s up with On the Banks of Plum Creek making the list when Little Town on the Prairie doesn’t. Little Town is clearly the best written of the whole series.

Anywho, thanks for playing.