Media Matters

 Picture book by Alice Schertle. Simple but cute story and illustrations.

 Memoir by Lara Love Hardin. This was a very compelling memoir! The first 3/4 of the book were 5 stars for me. I liked the author’s writing style, and the glimpse into the realities of drug addiction were eye opening. The last quarter of the book felt a bit self-aggrandizing (ie. Oprah book club) and overtly lobbying for criminal justice reforms as opposed to just telling us her experiences and allowing us to come to our own conclusions. Also, I was devastated to hear that marriage #3 didn’t stick. Note: there is some profanity and a few brief mentions of gay sex happening elsewhere in the prison. I felt it was worthwhile both as a cautionary tale and a reminder that people can change.

 Book by Patti Callahan. True stories from the life of C.S. Lewis wrapped inside the fictional story of a sick little boy enamored with The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe, and his big sister who seeks out Professor Lewis at Oxford in order to get answers to her brother’s questions.

 Book by Heather Dixon. A YA retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses. It has romance (clean), strong family relationships, and a creepy villain to root against. You could definitely have some good conversations with your teen about relationship red flags/green flags as you read.

 Memoir by Lawrence Anthony. A fascinating look into African preserves in general, as well as the specific relationship of Lawrence with a herd of wild elephants. No objectionable material.

 Picture book by Trace Moroney. Written for children but still accurate to the meaning. Illustrations are cute.

 Book by M.T. Anderson. This middle grade fantasy felt original and imaginative with strong themes. 9-12 year olds would enjoy it.

 Book by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown. This story is about a seventh grade boy with an eye disease who loves drawing comic books and a girl who is learning to be her best self as she accepts challenges from her terminally ill brother. It’s full of heart, friendship, bravery, and metaphors about “seeing” people and situations more clearly. I appreciated that it didn’t go for the cliched unrealistic endings, and instead it was more nuanced.

 Nonfiction book by Greg McKeown. Good nonfiction giving advice about simplifying, getting things done, streamlining processes, etc. Much of it is geared toward the business world, but the author does try to tie each principle to its relevance in personal life. I enjoyed many of the stories and examples he shared. The audiobook was good.

 The animated movie and the live action movie are quite similar and definitely worth watching! Lots of great themes to discuss! Note: there is a series of books by the same title, and although the movie is very loosely based on the books, the plot and tone are quite different. I personally much preferred the movies, as the books contained a decent amount of potty humor.