The Warren & the World Vol 6, Issue 30

The Warren & the World is Story Warren’s weekly newsletter, providing a round-up of our favorite things from around the web as well as a review of what was on our site over the past week. We’re glad you’re here!

Around the Web

How to Read to Differently Aged Children for Great Family Read Aloud Time!

At What Do We Do All Day, Erica has advise for families whose kids range in age, but who still want to read aloud together.

Is family read aloud time sometimes a little bit frustrating because your kids aren’t close in age? Maybe one child wants a board book and the other one wants a chapter book?
What if I said you CAN read aloud to differently aged children at the same time AND keep the kids happy (while staying sane yourself).
It can be done!

My Favorite Coming of Age Novels—and Why “The Catcher in the Rye” Isn’t One of Them. 

Greta Eskridge digs into stories that tell of the growing up of their protagonists–and her favorites among them.

I love coming of age novels. I remember reading them while I was growing up, and identifying somehow with each character. It didn’t matter that they all faced much harder, often heartbreaking, circumstances than I had ever faced myself. I still learned so much from the likes of Jody Baxter, Caddie Woodlawn, Jo March, and Billy Coleman. And what I appreciated, even then, was that these characters faced the struggles and difficulties of life with strength and courage. Even if they messed up at some point, displayed weakness, or cried their heart out over loss, they still ended up on their own two feet, strong and resilient. They were characters I could look up to.

How Predictable Book Series Benefit Beginning Readers

Melissa Taylor has advise on choosing your book series for your youngest readers–and some recommendations for you.

“Mom, do you think the goblins stole the flag?” my daughter said one night as we read the (kazillionth) book in the Rainbow Magic Fairies series. (Or thereabouts.)
If you haven’t read these books, let me explain something quickly– the goblins ALWAYS, in every book, are the bad guys.
I tried to act surprised, “Hmm, I don’t know. What do you think? What clues made you think it might be the goblins?”

‘Every Last Word’—A Scripture Songs Project Unlike Any Other

Trevin Wax has an interview with the creators of Every Last Word–a new Scripture songs project.

I’ve been enjoying the newest songs from Matt Papa and Ross King, Every Last Word: A Scripture Songs Project. They’re doing something unique here. Every month, they release a new song that puts a longer passage of Scripture (word for word, in the CSB translation) to music. Listen to their take on John 1, or their excellent rendition of Psalm 42 and you’ll see what I mean when I say this is special. (See their site here.)
I’ve asked Matt and Ross to join me today to give me some insight into how this project has come together.

Around the Warren

We Do Hard Things

Jessica Burke looks at the hard things we do in order to grow–both physical and spiritual.

Last year when we registered as a family for a 5K, my children didn’t understand that I was not doing it with the goal of winning the race, but I understood their disapproval of my unimpressive goals of “Run without walking, and “To not come in last place.” My husband and I always tell the children that Burkes “play to win.”
My son, ever competitive, gave me a pep talk (twice actually) and told me I could do better than second to last place. He challenged me to aim to place in the top three. I didn’t know whether to hug him for his faith in me or to laugh in his face.

Share Aesop ASAP

Zach Franzen reminds us why Aesop’s fables with their simple morals are important for children.

Stained glass windows do not make us treasure glass as much as they make us treasure light. The glory of stained glass windows, like the glory of creation, consists in showcasing that which shines through it.
There are those who spend a great deal of time persuading others that the world around us is opaque –that there is nothing behind the world that we can treasure.