Bella the Bookworm: Getting Started

Friday, September 2, 2011

Getting Started

Hi, y'all!

I'm Bella the Bookworm, and I love to devour books! My Mission Statement on the right pretty much tells why I'm here: I'd like to help parents out by giving them a review and summary of books that their kids might want to read. Although I am a Christian, and the reviews will be from a Christian perspective, these reviews aren't restricted to Christians. Even if you aren't a Christian, you might not want to expose your children to everything the world has to offer just yet.
My first review will be ready in a couple days, but I wanted to use my first post to introduce myself and the blog a little.
Although I have no little worms--er, little ones--of my own yet, I have been working with children for many years, and have read a lot of children's books. During my time at a Christian college, I took a class in Children's Literature and a class in Adolescent Literature.
I plan to post at least once a week, maybe more often depending on the lengths of the books. I'm starting out with some books from my collection, but I'd love to hear from you if you have any suggestions or requests.
Not all of the books I review will be from Christian authors. There are many moral books in which good is rewarded and bad is punished that are not written explicitly from a Christian perspective. My reviews will be based not only on the presence or absence of objectionable elements, but also on how they're used and treated. So, I may read a book and find out that it's pretty bad. If so, I'll tell you.
So, not every book on this site will be great. I'll let you know what I think should be good for kids, and what I think they shouldn't read. But I'll also tell you why, because in the end, you're the parent of that reader, not me.
I also plan to include some posts about reading or books in general.

Well, I'm off to read my first review book. Come back soon for a story about a girl on a mountain.

Love in Christ,
Bella

1 comment:

ChristinaLynnSeptember 7, 2011 at 10:44 AM
Thank you for sharing your love of reading with those of us who may not, or may not have the time! I know Bellathebookworm will become a constant at our house :)
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Mission Statement

Many Christian parents want their children to read, but are worried about them reading books that may undermine their Christian faith, even subtly. But, most parents don't have the time to read every book their children want to read to make sure it's okay.

I love to read, and I love kids. I'll often choose a children's or young adult's book over an adult book. So, I would like to help parents out by providing a summary and review of books.

Some books may contain objectionable elements, such as violence or profanity. I will note these elements, but the presence of any objectionable content will not make the book immediately unreadable in my opinion. How the author uses and deals with the element is more important. Even the Bible includes elements that might be considered objectionable if they were not dealt with in a godly manner.

Although some Christians consider the fantasy genre to be wrong, I do not. Again, it depends on how the fantasy is dealt with. Talking animals don't present a problem in and of themselves.

Above all, I am not here to tell you how to parent your child. You are the parent, and you have the ultimate decision as to what you let your child read, not me. I just want to be a resource for you to use in making those decisions.

Love in Christ,

Bella

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Rating System

5 stars--Gourmet meal.
Great book. Nothing wrong whatsoever. It's pretty close to, "I don't think I could ever read anything better. " I think everyone should read this book. It is likely that very few books will get this rating.
4 stars--Out to eat.
Pretty good. The writing is good. Any objectionable elements are treated very well. No problems. I would read this author again. I'll probably keep the book to re-read.
3 stars--A good meal.
The book is satisfying. Maybe a couple problems with how things are treated, but overall a good book. Be very cautious with readers who accept everything they see in print. I would try another book by this author.
2 stars--Not my cuppa tea.
An okay book. Nothing seriously wrong with it, but it didn't catch my interest. I would recommend the book if it was on a topic another reader was interested in.
1 star--Junk food.
If this book is read, it should be with extreme caution, and by a discerning reader. Objectionable elements are high. I would likely not keep the book. There are probably other books on the same topic that would be a better read. OR The book has some problems that might make reading difficult. For example, a book that changes details such as the color of the main character's hair with no explanation.
0 stars--Spoiled food.
Either this book has serious reading problems that shouldn't have left the printer, or it blatantly attacks Christian truth. I will not keep the book, and will be very hesitant to try another book by the author or in this series.

Bella the Bookworm

Friday, September 2, 2011

Getting Started

1 comment:

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Rating System