“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view; until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”

I read this when I was eleven or twelve.

Shockingly, aside from copious amounts of Stephen King, Shakespeare, and assorted English poets consumed in my teens, I was not, and still am not, a reader of many novels or “literature”.

Aside from all the Dan Brown books I read in around a week….but that is another story.

So that one line quoted above, about walking in someone else’s skin….was not a Silence of the Lambs kind of thing of course…yecch, ha! No we are talking about empathy, seeing something from another’s point of view, communication, understanding, commonality, and diversity. This one point of simple philosophy has embedded and grown within me, and central to my interactions with others.

When I read it, it was sort of a follow on for me from Roots the miniseries. Growing up Korean, in Hong Kong was not the prime place for immersing yourself in African American history, so this story about Atticus Finch and racial injustice in pre-WWII America was fascinating and foreign indeed.

Later in life, I found out that the author was a woman…..since I didn’t know anyone else called Harper. Nor that Harper Lee was a close friend of Truman Capote. But lest I digress.

It’s sort of sad that many decades later, books such as John Grisham’s A Time to Kill deal in a similar context.

Well, this is not really a book review I guess, but more of a social and personal commentary about the book. The richest part of this story, is that my daughter, an astonishingly prolific reader was introduced to this 1960 Pulitzer Prize winning, “one of the books every adult should read before they die” novel, by me. Initially skeptical about the setting of the story, and the dated nature of the subject matter, she was soon engrossed in the recounting of a young girl of the very serious, moving but often humorous goings on in a Southern town in an era so distant and unknown to her.

But like all good books, indeed all good stories, they cross all barriers and connect with the universal in all of us: love, family, justice, integrity and a higher cause.

So read it. Nuff said.

Philip.

Thought of the week…

As much as I love sitting down with a box of popcorn in front of a box office hit, there is nothing better than reading the book first.

Head down to your local bookstore and grab a great read and exercise your imagination once again.

I often judge a book by its cover. I never start by reading the last chapter or the last page of a book first. I can easily spend an hour mulling through bookshelves at Barnes & Nobles. Sometimes I like the idea of reading more than actually doing it. I seem to devour books in clusters, ferociously reading three or four books at a time, then I slip into a reading hiatus until the next reading urge grips me.

My favorite obsession with books has always been to read the dedication page. I always read the dedication page, and often that will determine whether I choose to read the book or not at all. The dedication page is like a small window into the real person behind the author. It gives a book a greater sense of endearment, familiarity or urgency to its chapters.

Literary Greats have said that dedicating a book is one of the most exquisite acts of love one can perform. Try it, next time you hold a book in your hands, don’t hurry to skip over the first quiet pages. The dedication page can set the tone and enrich the reading enjoyment of any book. Especially so when they are witty or dedicated in loving terms.

Here is a handful of eclectic, sweet, funny and powerful book dedications…. a few by unknown authors and a couple of books you will know well!

- To caffeine and sugar, my companions through many a long nights of writing.

- Dedicated to all the people who said I shouldn’t, wouldn’t and couldn’t. Up yours!

- For my Mother, for teaching me that great things are born from tiny sparks of inspiration.

- To my wife and children who, of all that walk the earth, are most precious to me.

- Kao Kalia Yang’s touching dedication in “The Latehomecomer”:

To my Grandmother, Youa Lee, who never learned how to write. To my baby brother, Maxwell Hwm Yang, who will read the things she never wrote.

- Endearing Dedication by C.S. Lewis in “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”:

To Lucy Barfield

My Dear Lucy,

I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand a word you say, but I shall still be your affectionate Godfather,

C.S. Lewis

- The novel Les Miserables contains this powerful dedication:

“So long as there shall exist, by reason of law and custom, a social condemnation which, in the midst of civilization, artificially creates a hell on earth, and complicates with human fatality a destiny that is divine; so long as the three problems of the century–the degradation of man by the exploitation of his labor, the ruin of woman by starvation, and the atrophy of childhood by physical and spiritual night–are not solved; so long as, in certain regions, social asphyxia shall be possible; in other words, and from a still broader point of view, so long as ignorance and misery remain on earth, there should be a need for books such as this. –1862″

I love books with a dazzlingly good dedication. What would your dedication page say? I like to imagine what I will write someday.

Rochelle.

To be honest, I’ve never stopped reading children’s books. They are treasures in our home that I cannot part with.

Here’s a list of memorable books that my daughter has read cover to cover zillions of times:

My Farm, Imagine & Magic Beach by Alison Lester.

The BFG by Roald Dahl.

Rose Meets Mr. Wintergarten by Bob Graham.

Animal Ark books by Lucy Daniels (there are hundreds of titles in this series).

The Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowery.

Snugglepot & Cuddlepie by May Gibbs.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.

A Fish Out Of Water by Helen Palmer.

The 27th Annual African Hippopotamus Race by Morris Lurie.

The Complete Tales by Beatrix Potter.

Town Mouse Country Mouse by Jan Brett.

Busy, Busy Town by Richard Scarry.

And my personal faves as a child…

Famous Five adventures by Enid Blyton.

The Coles Funny Picture Book!

These are just a handful of our faves…share your or your children’s favourites. We love good book recommendations.

Michaela.

I was recently given a copy of the book Three Cups of Tea written by Greg Mortenson. It’s all about ‘one man’s mission to promote peace, one school at a time’. I was given the book {if you can believe it} by my Kindergarten teacher, Gaye Moss, an incredible woman whom I have written about on this site before. She has impacted and influenced my life since I was five years old and continues to do so at 40 years.

This book inspired me on so many levels. I was challenged by Mortenson’s spirit of adventure and his ability to simply be himself in every situation. The strength of his character and his honest love and desire for people came through in so many ways. I loved how life began for him and the experiences his parents gave him which shaped his life and influenced the man he became. The impact his father had on him reminded me of how important our male role models are in what I believe is a fatherless generation. Mortenson was blessed to have such a great father, with this I identified as I have been blessed with an extraordinary father myself.

His passion for people, regardless of race, culture, status or background, ‘had me at hello’. He broke through the stigmas, political challenges, religious walls and language barriers and saw humanity. His friendships and his ability to establish true relationships with people, not just working relationships or relationships for convenience, were true, life-long and life-giving.

Mortenson worked tirelessly to help people. He saw a need and endeavoured to fill it, using only what was in his hand. The equation was simple and unassuming, yet the work was hard and the challenges great. He did all this with no acclaim and no connections, it was simply a hand to the grindstone situation. It truly was, one school at a time; one child at a time.

Slowly but surely schools were built, children were educated and relationships grew. Trust was established and boundaries were broken. Mortenson stayed in Pakistan during 9/11. He remained true to his belief of education, love, honesty and relationship as the way to peace.

He proved himself to be honourable, wise and a true lover of humanity. The life and story of Greg Mortenson and his love for people has inspired me to continue on. When the days are tough and I feel like I am making no impact, I am reminded of Mortenson tucked away in his basement, writing letters, asking for help as he laboured for an education for children he might never meet, the communities he would change and families who would be forever grateful.

Mortenson knew that if you develop relationships, you can strengthen a community and you can build extraordinary families. Through our work we endeavour to do the same. Today, I will keep dreaming and I will keep writing, speaking out and asking because, like Greg Mortenson and his dream of education, somewhere someone needs me to keep believing and keep building.

Susan J Sohn

Oh no. My first assignment for thefamilyroom, write an article about a book that inspired you.

I read this on my computer screen and turn to my husband, Andrew and say “they want me to write about an inspiration book.” I see the look of concern sweep across his face. “Think back”, he says, “think back to, like…..high school. You must have read something that inspired you.” “Yeah, I say, but I would have to re-read it to be able to write about it.”

“What was that?” I asked him. “Maddie just got you with a Nutri-grain bar.” “Oh well”, I say, wiping the strawberry jam off my face.

Then, I have a genius thought. I read kids books all the time! A lot of children’s books are inspirational! I am getting excited about this idea. I could write about that Robert Munch book, “Love you Forever,” it makes me cry every time I read it.

Thomas interrupts my thought. “Mom, time how long I can hoola-hoop.” “Wow, Thomas, 56 seconds!” Back to Robert Munch…sappy, yes, maybe not inspirational. Back to the drawing board. Goodnight Moon? No. Madeline in London? Not so much. Scrap that idea.

Oh! What about that book Eat, Pray, Love? I even own it! It is upstairs collecting dust on my “bookshelf”. I put bookshelf in quotations as this shelf now houses diaper rash cream, diapers, a card Thomas made me with a picture of a house with the word “car” proudly written above the house, 3 half full glasses of water and a sour ounce of milk at the bottom of a bottle.

Anyways, yes, Eat, Pray, Love. Perfect. Oprah was inspired! Oh…just had a better idea. Isn’t that book coming out as a movie? Maybe I could go to the movie and write about how inspired I was by Julia Roberts. No, no, Jill; that makes you a cheater.

What am I going to do? The last book I read cover to cover was “A Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy” when I was expecting our first. All that book inspired me to do was to take the epidural and pack my hospital bag early. Have I gotten so busy with the kids that all I read is recipe books and US Weekly once a month at the hairdresser?

Have I forgotten to take the ever important “me time” that people talk about? Maybe it’s during this time when I am pregnant with number 4 and busy with an active 1 year old, a spunky 3 year old and a chatty 5 year old that I do come second. I try to take time here and there for myself, but for now, I will continue to be inspired by my 3 little joys, and I promise I will read more when they leave home.

Jillian.

Can God’s love save anyone? California’s gold country, 1850. A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep. Angel expects nothing from men but betrayal. Sold into prostitution as a child, she survives by keeping her hatred alive. And what she hates most are the men who use her, leaving her empty and dead inside. Then she meets Michael Hosea. A man who seeks his Father’s heart in everything, Michael Hosea obeys God’s call to marry Angel and to love her unconditionally. Slowly, day by day, he defies Angel’s every bitter expectation until, despite her resistance her frozen heart begins to thaw. But with her unexpected softening come overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear. And so Angel runs. Back to the darkness, away from her husband’s pursuing love, terrified of the truth she can no longer deny: Her final healing must come from the One who loves her even more than Michael Hosea does…the One who will never let her go.

I reacted quite violently to the story. I related so much to Angel it was like reading my own life. Her betrayal and abuse by the hands of men who should have protected her.What I truly struggled with was how, in the midst of her sordid life, she found a man who loved her unconditionally, despite her hard heart, despite her bitterness.

In truth it angered me because that had been the cry of my own heart for years – simply to be loved by someone unconditionally regardless of my resistance and fear – without answer.

Over time, a number of friends commented they thought it a beautiful story of which I obviously did not share the same opinion.It was almost two years before I picked the book up again.

Much had taken place in that time and as I began to read once more the story of Angel and Michael Hosea, my heart stirred. I still understood the heart of Angel; her sadness, the betrayal and eventual resolve to destroy a relationship before it destroyed her. But this time I also understood a love that melts the heart – a love that sees beyond the surface, beyond the mask, a love that sees the fragility of heart and holds it tenderly.

As I read page after page of the love of a man for his bride, tears streaming down my face, I came to understand I had been offered this love all along. And with that realization my heart broke in the knowledge I have always had His unconditional love.

Kaye.

So, I have just put down Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell, and am so inspired I could just about cry. Inspired to cook with butter (I did in fact last night cook a fabulous risotto with a generous amount), inspired to do something different, to do it for myself and in the way that works for me, not with any fancy bells and whistles that people might tell me I need, but in my own style. Not sure what it is that I want to do, but I’ll figure it out!

I laughed hard at the real Julie Powell who is foul-mouthed and apparently very different from the vulnerable, sweet, on-screen Julie, played by Amy Adams in the recently released movie. I loved what she wrote about her strong marriage and cat hair-filled kitchen. I loved her honesty and her courage and her confidence in just being herself.

I have been reading snippets of her blog whilst reading the book and watching a few interview clips on the internet and I feel like we would get on really well over coffee, because there’s something in all of us desperate to escape groundhog day and the same old. There’s something in all of us that says I want, no actually NEED, a project, something that I love and can put my energy into and be creative with.

In my line of work – health and community development – it’s all about saving the world, and lots of admin, which I’m obviously all for (saving the world anyway, I hate admin). I’m passionate about issues
of social justice, even though that term in itself has become cliche, and I believe in the intrinsic worth and value of every human being. I feel responsible as a person who has been given much, to give much and make a difference, which I aim to do daily. And I guess that’s why I was drawn to the Julie/Julia Project; it’s about cooking, but it changed Julie Powell’s life.

I love cooking and I can understand how it’s creative and pretty and challenging and nurtures the people we love. It’s exciting and dangerous and new. I think I love travelling for that same reason. Travelling, like cooking is about people and places and the joy to be found in the most unexpected things and it’s just about living life. Because I have seen and work in a field where there is much human need and suffering and lack, sometimes I feel guilty about indulging in the creation of a gourmet meal or booking a ticket to Hawaii for my girlfriend’s 40th (actually, no I don’t feel guilty about that one), and I wonder why I am so blessed with the life I live when others live in the circumstances they do.

I have no easy answers as to why I got such a great deal. I am every day grateful and don’t for a second take it for granted. And, I suppose, because of that I feel not only obligated to make a difference in the lives of others but to live life to the full myself. So who knows, maybe over the summer break I’ll cook my way through some of the fabulous Italian recipes in my plethora of Tuscan cookbooks and determine to live la dolce vita while I’m at it?!

I cannot WAIT for the movie, I’ve heard it’s great, but I highly recommend the book as well. Let this story inspire you to break out of the box and live!

Lv Jane

I am currently in the grip of reading ‘The Five Love Languages of Children’ by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell, which is fantastic it’s almost like I’m having a personal revelation regarding my children!

In the book, they talk about kids needing Quality time, Words of affirmation, Gifts, Acts of Service and Physical touch. Each child obviously needs all of these but will respond to one or two more than others. I’m not going to say much about the book because I truly believe that every parent should read, it’s a MUST read really. All I will say is that I love the idea that we are able to find what melts our kids hearts best and approach them from that angle. We are we are seeing amazing results.

I know with my kids, time to laugh and play and talk is so important. Also something simple like making their beds (they usually have to do it themselves), cleaning their rooms and leaving a little ’something special’ like a flower in my daughters room or a treat for my son causes them to respond beautifully ~ Acts of Service speaks volumes to their little hearts, minds and souls. Another thing I do occasionally is pop notes in their lunch boxes or bags and leave goofy letters in lipstick on the bathroom mirror just for fun. Simple things!!!

Recently, due to work and other influences my life is becoming increasingly busy and I am finding it a real challenge to pull everything together. Through this book I have been inspired to get back to what’s important and give my kids time and time that is focussed on making them blossom and flourish.

The other day we were riding our bikes and my daughter asked (actually yelled at) her brother to go on ahead which he eventually did. She and I then chatted about school and this and that, then she came out with some great questions that were really private in her little world and I’m so glad I had ears to listen and was available for her at that moment ~ Quality Time.

These little lives are entrusted to us and I want to be the best I can be despite the excuses and all the reasons why it’s too hard.….. I can’t encourage you enough to buy or borrow this book, it’s a winner!

I love reading and I truly believe that reading is a crucial ingredient that we need in our make up as individuals and people on this planet. This amazing ingredient has much to do with how we influence our world. Reading opens doors to worlds unknown, it allows our imagination to fly away, it gives opportunity to get lost amidst words that are at times new to us. Reading is so much more that letters formed into words that become sentences that establish paragraphs. Reading introduces us to more than we can really understand.

Here are a few great quotes surrounding reading that I love and thought I would share with everyone:

“The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
- Dr. Seuss, “I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!”

“No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.”
- Confucius

“Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.”
- Harry S. Truman

This afternoon my three children and I went to the library after school, which a regular activity for our family. I love going to the library and watching my children get lost in the books around them. I’m always interested to see what actually catches their eye. Through books and this easy observance I learn more about my children each visit. My eldest is a voracious reader so we go to ‘keep him fed’. My daughter has only in recent times become interested in books and reading and today she chose a book for her to read and one for me to read to her. My little four year old chose some picture books and videos. I chose Roald Dahl and Horrible Histories talking books for the car. We left extremely satisfied and armed with something new to discover.

If you are library people then keep going, if you aren’t yet I encourage you to include this in your family routine. Libraries aren’t just for ‘bookworms’, they are for everyone and it’s actually a really relaxing way to spend a few hours with your children whatever their age. You may have a teenager who enjoys reading or has a special interest hobby that you don’t know much about or perhaps you’re simply trying to find a way to spend time together. Suggest the Library and you yourself get interested in what they are interested in. It’s amazing how neutral ground can break ground and bring people together. Libraries are also a convenient and economical resource as well as being integral to both our development and our children’s. Do something new and visit yours today I promise you will be surprised at the way they have changed over the years….you will love it.

Annie xx