I'd start with children's classics: A Little Princess Anne of Green Gables Peter Pan The Princess and the Goblin The Hobbit Get the illustrated versions when you can, and do audiobooks if the language is a little difficult for her. If you're looking for adult classics, I think some good ones to start out with might be: Little Women Jane Eyre The Gift of the Magi Northanger Abbey

Oh, I'm sorry if I gave the impression that diaper rash alone is reason to call the authorities. I know there are lots of cases where the baby's skin is so sensitive that even with your best efforts and doctor's medication, it's a constant battle. It's terrible that you feel so judged because of that. But like a previous poster said, this would not be a factor taken in isolation. If her toddler has severe diaper rash and by her own admission, she and her husband luxuriate in bed everyday until at least 9 AM, it's pretty clear that the parents are responsible for that baby's suffering. The severity of the diaper rash I'm talking about also probably exceeds what you're used to seeing (although admittedly, I don't have experience with eczema). These kids often have open wounds. Sometimes they even need skin grafts. :(

FWIW, my parents were pretty neglectful--from 5 PM to 5 AM we were not supervised at all (they both worked night shift), and even when they were home, there were huge chunks of time when we didn't see them and we went hungry--and neither of them had drug / alcohol problems. I totally understand addiction being a possibility that has to be entertained to piece the puzzle together, but it's also entirely possible that it isn't a factor. Unfortunately, people can still make wildly selfish decisions without the help of intoxicants. If Chelli does make the drive over to see her friend, I would advise her to casually put herself in a position where she can see the toddler's diaper being changed. Severe diaper rash is true physical abuse. No child should have to endure that kind of pain. Toddlers can even die of it.

I hope Chelli's friend is telling the truth, but to be honest, I can't take what she said at face value. I doubt she actually knows the reading levels of her kids. It's easy to inflate their reading ability in her mind because it's not as demonstrable as writing or math and she desperately needs something to cling to when it comes to her children's abilities. Her DS "currently" doing MUS makes me think it's very, very current (as in, she started again just last week, or maybe even hasn't started yet but Chelli's email has given her the intention of starting). I think that while it's possible her DH is responsible for their delayed math education, it's also entirely possible that she is either lying or exaggerating to save her own ego. Maybe I'm a pessimist. Maybe I've just seen too many cases of neglect to ignore all the other red flags. But it does worry me that this family is hiding so much behind closed doors while carefully projecting a successful image. I think Chelli is pretty brave for stepping in, and I truly do hope it makes a difference in the children's lives.

Can you narrow it down at all? Are you looking for children's classics? Books that tie in with history? Just fun entertainment? For that age range, the audiobooks that first spring to mind are: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz A Little Princess Winnie the Pooh Rikki Tikki Tavi Peter Rabbit The Little Prince Peter Pan The Trumpet of the Swan James Harriot's Treasury for Children

This week I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Here is my full review and here is a follow-up post about the first steps I'm taking to implement her method. I also listened to Dad Is Fat on audio for something light. Here is my review. Funny stuff!

There is at least one dissection, if memory serves. However, they don't go around killing dragons for that purpose. The dissection is described in a very clinical way, nothing gory. A main thrust of the conflict in the book centers around the fact that dragons in this particular area are unusually aggressive toward humans, so they shoot at them when they are attacked. There is violence throughout the book, leading to severe injury or death in some cases. I think the book would be suitable for ages 13 and up. Possibly younger, if the kid wasn't overly sensitive and didn't mind the slightly antiquated prose. EDIT: Wait, I just remembered that they hunted and killed one dragon for the express purpose of seeing if they were falling prey to a disease, like rabies. And the author killed and preserved very small dragons (only a few inches long) to try to classify their species, but it never actually describes her killing them...just that she's collected so many in jars.

I'm just now catching up in my reviews of the books I've read so far in January! You can read the full reviews on my blog. Shades of Milk and Honey is an alternate history where Regency ladies are expected to know how to work magic, as well as play the pianoforte and draw. A Natural History of Dragons is yet another alternate history, this time taking place in the Victorian era. It's the memoir of a Victorian lady who spent her life on dangerous expeditions to learn more about the zoology of dragons. How to Live on 24 Hours a Day is a treatise on intentional living first published in 1910. The author laments how "modern times" are so busy that one hardly has time to pursue the higher arts. His observations about the human condition and practical advice about living a full life are still as applicable as ever.

Oops, posting in the new thread! :gnorsi:

Recently, I attended a dinner get-together with friends and friends-of-friends. As the evening wound down, the men and women segregated themselves into different social groups. I was actually making my way over to my husband, who was having an interesting conversation with a male friend of his, when a female friend hailed me over and said, "I saved a seat for you!" While I still could have stood up and left the group after this conversation started, I felt really hesitant to do so because it would have looked kind of odd. I thought I'd preface this scenario with that so you have an idea of why I just sat there (and maybe I should have left the group anyway, but maybe you can appreciate how awkward I felt). When I first sat down, the conversation centered on the new biography of a classic author. That was fine, but somehow, the conversation soon turned to weight loss. There were six or seven other ladies there besides me. All of them, even the ladies in their 60's, are extremely fit. I wouldn't consider myself obese (I'm pretty physically active, have a healthy blood pressure, etc.), but not one of these ladies weighs even close to what I do. They are naturally slender, and I am naturally plump. I would wager that the largest woman there weighs 50 pounds less than I do. So, we're talking a very big gap. I honestly don't think anyone would look at these women and think they were overweight. I guess one reason the conversation came as a shock to me is because these women aren't terribly tied up in pop culture otherwise. Most of them don't wear makeup, all of them believe in dressing modestly (which I don't), etc. The conversation went on and on, about various workouts they've tried, special diets they've been on, etc. I sat silent through the whole thing, while occasionally someone would turn to me and ask, "Oh, have you tried _____?" I replied that I hadn't, and the ball would bounce back in their court where they would continue the discussion of losing weight. I kept looking at the clock, so I know this went on for a good twenty minutes. It really soured the evening for me. A few of these ladies are my close friends, and I feel sort of betrayed that they didn't think of how it might affect me. I felt like an elephant in a room full of gazelles. But was I right for being upset? Is it my fatness that gives me the conviction that weight and diets are of a highly personal nature that shouldn't be discussed in a setting like this? If it matters, I'm fine with my weight. I'm at a point in my life where I think going on a diet or taking up a strenuous exercise program would be more disadvantageous to my health than carrying a few extra pounds. I didn't say that, though, for fear of sounding holier-than-thou. I guess I'm not totally fine with it, or this exchange wouldn't have made me so uncomfortable.

I was going to suggest Cadfael, but most of the Cadfael mysteries involve murder, don't they? The Princess and the Goblin is kind of mystery/fantasy. Maybe the Theodosia books? http://www.amazon.com/Theodosia-Serpents-Chaos-R-LaFevers/dp/0618999760/

I'm a lurker and unfortunately, I haven't read the particular books you asked about. So I don't have much to comment on, except to say you have excellent taste (as always!). The real question I have is...with all the incredible advice I'm reading from you in the archives, have you considered writing a blog so it's all in one place? Sorry for veering off-topic.

What ages would it be for? I think The Magic of Reality is a good choice, but as much as I love Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything is probably too advanced for more k-5 kids. He has a wonderful illustrated version for kids titled A Really Short History of Nearly Everything that I highly recommend, but it isn't available in audio format. I really enjoyed listening to The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate. It's literary fiction about a girl in 1899 who loves science. Charles and Emma: The Darwin's Leap of Faith would be a good choice for grade 4 and up. You should definitely check out Great Inventors and Their Inventions, Great Explorers, and Great Scientists and Their Discoveries (all available at Audible/Amazon). Audible also has a bunch of the Great Courses science lectures. :)