Super Secret Stuff

Last weekend we celebrated a birthday around here - the biggest kid in the house just got a little bigger. She's a whole seven years old (and she has seven teeth growing into the gaps in her mouth too). Seven is her magic number, I guess.

So, do you know what she wanted for her birthday? Diaries. The locking kind - where little girls can keep their super secret stuff. Since she got three, she ought to be busier writing than her mother! But I don't think she has anything too secretive to hide away in there.

Not yet at least. When she turns ten I'll have to find the key to that diary to keep up on her life. Just kidding. I won't need the key. No, I wouldn't invade her privacy (maybe). :)

Now, in addition to the diaries, she got some of her favorite books: Junie B. Jones

But did you know there's a Christian rival to Junie B? I had no idea and now my daughter and I are totally hooked. The first book we looked at was about Meghan Rose and her diary! How's that for perfect?

I have the privilege of introducing the newest releases in her Meghan Rose series—

Meghan Rose All Dressed Up and Meghan Rose Has a Secret.

The top 3 reasons I like these books:

1. Lori Scott, the author of these great books, calls herself a
mommy first and foremost (and teacher and writer second). Hmmm...sounds like someone I know.

I feel like being a mother is my highest calling in life. And that means I’m a caregiver, nurse, tutor, cheerleader, counselor, transportation expert, and nutritionist. Doing all those mommy things is a bit like filling a jar jam-packed with marbles. I pursue my own interests in the empty spaces around those marbles because being a mommy trumps all.

I call myself a teacher second because working with kids has been such a huge part of my life. Just as God gifts different people for different tasks, I feel like God has given me a special ability to understand and work with children. Or maybe I’m just not ready to give up playing and comics yet.

I call myself a writer last because I often feel like writing too much fun—and pays too little—to be a real job.

2.The books are funny, appropriate for young readers, AND they contain a biblical message.

Lori says:
When my daughter was in first grade, her teacher started reading the Junie B. Jones books in class. Since Meghan liked them, I picked up a few copies. Well, I enjoyed the humor in those books, but had to edit out some of the grammar slips, name calling and attitudes. I thought there had to be an alternative choice—a book that was just as funny, but also had a good take-away value. I scoured the Christian bookstores. I couldn’t find any fiction for that age group, only devotional books and Bible stories.

Well, I have a daughter who is practically addicted to Junie B and her first comment about Meghan Rose was that there weren't any "bad" words (i.e. "stupid" and the like). Her second comment was about the lesson Meghan learned in the story. My daughter got it - words are powerful and we can use them to help or harm. I love it when a story teaches!

3. Each book also contains fun activities and there's even more at her cool website.

She calls it BLAM (Brilliant Little Activities to Make). Fun! Fun! Fun!

Please go check these books out. You won't be disappointed!