Story Warren

Kindling Imagination for Kingdom Anticipation

The Warren & The World Vol 12, Issue 20

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I filled the six feet of bookshelves last week, pulling some of my lovely old series like the We Were There Books and the Signature biographies from shelves in back rooms forward into the living room where they can show off their coordinated spines better. And in those back rooms, there’s now almost an entire shelf sitting empty, awaiting the books that will come soon, I’m sure. Aren’t bookshelves the greatest?

Around the Web

Empathy Through Fiction

Annie Beth Donahue explores the question of whether stories can change souls.

  • Can a story change a soul?
    A long time ago, when I wore a different occupational hat, I held music therapy sessions for children with special healthcare needs. These sessions often included children on the autism spectrum. And as their therapist, I was trained to create sessions that not only addressed their goals, but also pulled in elements from the other sessions they were having or from therapies their parents were working on in the home. I wanted to serve the best way I knew how and one way to do this was to systematically review all the interdisciplinary documentation on what makes for good therapy.
    That is where I first learned about social stories.
    Read more

Abundance

Kelly Keller looks at God’s abundance in the face of our lack.

  • The other day, I was reading in Deuteronomy and this verse jumped out at me:
    It is a land the Lord your God cares for. He is always watching over it from the beginning to the end of the year. (11:12)
    God says this in the midst of instructing the nation of Israel about their entrance into the Promised Land. He states that life in Canaan will be different from life in Egypt, “where where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden.” In contrast, Canaan will “drink rain from heaven,” (v.11) because God watches over the land at all times. It is a contrast to teach the abundant character of God.
    Read more

Global Prayer Resources

Betsy at Redeemed Reader recommends great resources to guide your prayer for the world.

  • How can we better pray for our brothers and sisters around the world? Operation World and Window on the World help us pray for God’s people wherever they may be found.
    Read more

Holding Space

A writer at Red Tent Living meditates on the changing of a friendship over time.

  • I met my best friend when I was four and she was five. We were in the same dance class and became instant friends. Almost all of my childhood memories include her, almost all of my high school sleepovers, as well as my college and young adult happy hours. We went to different colleges but remained close, Skyping and calling and texting at all hours. 
    Read more

Around the Warren

On a Christian Approach to Education

Katelyn Ho considers approaching education from a Christian perspective.

  • Whenever people ask what I’ll do with an English degree, I have a ready answer: “I have no idea.”
    Unlike engineering or nursing students, an English major’s career path treads in ambiguity. I became an English major not because I had a specific career in mind, but because I wanted to sharpen my skills as a reader, writer, and critical thinker. However, I felt pressured to settle on some—any—career path, to justify my time at college.
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Inspiration and Generations: 17 Books for Asian-American & Pacific Islander Month

A.C.S. Bird reviews picture books featuring the other side of the world.

  • The books below came to me initially because of their relation to East, South, and Southeast Asia or the Middle East. As I read, images recurred: accomplished individuals, resourceful kids, legends and traditions. But by far the most common—and somewhat unexpected—was grandparents.
    On reflection I realized the theme is a natural one. While parents are often consumed with utilitarian tasks aimed at keeping us alive, grandparents are an intimate link to the long flow of ancestry and heritage that contributes to our identity.
    Read more

Anne-Girl Reviews

The Wednesday Wars

Holling Hoodhood is sure that his teacher has it out for him. Mrs. Baker hates his guts.
And to make matters worse, he’s stuck with her for an extra hour after school on Wednesdays. What educational torture will he be subjected to?

Shakespeare. The Tempest, to be exact.

Life as a teenager in 1967 has its ups and downs, but there comes a time when everyday problems become small in comparison to what is happening in the world. The Vietnam War is going on, and things are changing. But as he continues his journey through Shakespeare’s works and his own 7th-grade year, he begins to see the events and people in his life differently.

This is a beautiful story. Holling’s thought process is so clearly and excellently portrayed and author Gary D Schmidt’s writing is exceptional. I don’t think I can recommend it enough! I especially love the audiobook as read by Joel Johnstone.

This book holds a special place in my heart because I have loved The Bard since I was little, reading Edith Nesbitt’s Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare. I followed our main character’s lead, and read The Tempest as my first complete, unabridged play. But you don’t have to love Shakespeare to love this book! It’s a heartwarming, funny, sweet, beautiful story that I’m certain you will love. I have recommended it to many readers, and it never fails to delight and move them as it did me.

The Last Archer

The Last Archer follows Jo Shanks, an archer who is briefly introduced in The Green Ember, introducing him with his own story and how it relates to the whole Green Ember series. Jo is brave and loyal with a heart for justice, and in this story his previous convictions about the famed Longtreader family are challenged and changed. Join Jo and see the events of the Green Ember from a new perspective as you learn to love this new character. If you haven’t read the Green Ember, this first book in the Archer Trilogy is still a great read! This book is short, engaging and fun, and I think you’ll love it as much as I do!

Something to Do with Your Kids

I managed to have a bad link in this section last week with the open-ended stamp sets, so this week you get two things! And for this week, here are some great Memorial Day family activities to help observe the holiday!

Something to Watch

RobWords is back with an examination of The Great Vowel Shift.

Thanks for reading. We’re on your side. 

–The Story Warren Team

Carolyn Clare Givens
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