Breadsticks and Blessing Places

"My people perish from a lack of knowledge." Hosea 4:6

As a young girl growing up, my dad always made sure that I read books. If I said I was bored, off to the bookstore we went. He would say, "As long as there are books, you should never be bored." If my brother and I had a fight, he would make us sit and read the bible to each other! I developed a love for reading as a young girl which developed into a love for writing as a woman.

I kept a lot of my books and passed them down to my daughters. One in particular that was my favorite was Breadsticks and Blessing Places by Candy Dawson Boyd. It is one that I recommend all moms with pre-teen or teenage girls to read and allow their child to read. It deals with an African-American girl who is going through the everyday struggles of a middle school girl. On top of school related things and the pressures to excel in school, her best friend dies. It's pretty heavy, but for me it was motivation that even when things seem unfair and life get's hard, you can persevere. You can make it through. My daughter really enjoyed the book and I often refer back to it when she is going through a rough spot.

We have to encourage our children to read. As an English teacher, I have noticed that a lot of students can read, but they do not comprehend what they are reading. A lot of why they do not comprehend is because they can't relate or understand the text. It is good to give them things that they can relate to and progressively move them toward more difficult text.

"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers." ~Charles W. Eliot