Laura L. Smith
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Books My Kids Read


I get asked all the time what my kids are reading. I don't know if it's because I'm a mom of four, because I'm an author, or because our car, house, pool bag, porch, very lives are littered with hardbacks, paperbacks, a Kindle and picture books. But the books we read are truly a reflection of who we are. Since people are curious. I decided to start this tab on my blog to share what my kiddos are reading. But it only helps you, if you understand a little bit about them.

MADDIE - AGE 19, SOCCER OBSESSED SORORITY GIRL 
MAX - AGE 17,  BOY WITH MUSIC IN HIS SOUL AND SPEED IN HIS FEET 
MALLORY - AGE 14, GIGGLING, GIDDY, GIRL WHO LOVES SOCCER AND HER FRIENDS
MAGUIRE - AGE 12, CREATIVE, FREE SPIRITED ACTOR DANCING TO HIS OWN BEAT

Blood of Kings Trilogy by Jill Williamson

9/10/2018

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Maguire read so many books over the summer. I was asking him how many he stars he gave his various reads. "Four, four, four," he answered. He'd loved most of the books I'd just questioned him on.
​Curious, I asked, "What book have you read that gets a five?"
Without a second hesitation, he replied, "All of the Blood of Kings books."  These books! They are long. They are detailed. They have maps and characters with wild names and Jill Williamson has done such a brilliant job of creating an exciting, engaging storyworld packed with adventure that every single word of this trilogy captivated my son. So much so, that he created his own Lego guys to go with the series. Side note--Max also devoured this series when he was in middle school. 
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Lucy Out of Bounds by Nancy Rue

11/29/2016

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Mallory's favorite genre is contemporary realistic fiction. She adores reading about girls like her and what they're going through. Mallory is also obsessed with soccer. Therefore, Mallory adores Nancy Rue's Lucy series. There are four books in the series all revolving around Lucy, a feisty middle schooler who not only plays soccer, but also is trying to maneuver her way through family issues, friends and frenemies, school and faith. Nancy Rue has an authentic voice for middle schoolers, truly reaching them where they are. She tackles real problems with honesty and grace. Not only has Mallory gobbled up every word in the series, but she's reading them all over again. 

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Never let you go by jenny b. jones

7/26/2015

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The latest installment in Jenny B. Jones Katie Parker production series was the perfect summer read for Maddie. Maddie's reading pile is usually dictated by her English teacher, predominately classics with serious themes, or in Maddie's words, "Books that are ten thousand years old and totally depressing." Can't Let You Go, or anything by Jenny B. Jones for that matter, is for Maddie, like ice cream after broccoli. Just like the previous Katie Parker books, Can't Let You Go provides plenty of self-discovery, faith, wit, romance and hilarious comedy, mainly courtesy of Katie's crazy grandma, Maxine. If you or your daughters haven't read any of these books yet, treat yourself to the first one in the series, In Between. It's FREE on Kindle. Then, you can continue to read book after book to fill the rest of your summer days poolside.

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All Things Possible: My Story of Faith, Football, and the First Miracle SeasonĀ 

7/9/2015

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Kurt Warner, the NFL MVP quarterback tells the story of his grueling road to fame. After attending camp for a pro team, Warner found himself working the night shift at a grocery and living in a basement to make ends meet. How did he go from the road to fame to rock bottom and somehow back to the Super Bowl? Through hard work and a lot of faith. All Things Possible is exactly the kind of story I'm thrilled for my teenage son, Max, to read. And because it is by a professional athlete who loves Jesus, it's exactly the kind of book Max wants to read. It also hints at one of my all-time favorite Bible verses, Phil 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I first heard of Kurt Warner when the kids were younger and we had a DVD called The Good Sports Gang. It was a fun-filled sports inspired faith video that I didn't have to feel guilty about letting the kids watch. I'm grateful for role models like Mr. Warner who can inspire my kids to trust  God no matter what their dreams and no matter what life throws their way.
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MY LIFE AS A COMPUTER COCKROACH

2/14/2015

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PictureMy Life as a Computer Cockroach by Bill Myers
    Diary of a Wimpy Kid has nothing on Wally McDoogle! Everyone says how hard it is to find books boys like. Most boys enjoy some slapstick, physical humor. Thus the success of the Wimpy Kid series. But long before those books hit the shelves Bill Myers was writing positively hysterical, witty, and clever books with a message of faith about a klutz of a kid with a great heart named Wally McDoogle. Maguire has been devouring these books. I loved Myers' adult novel, Eli, and decided to read this Wally McDoogle to see why Maguire was laughing so hard. I couldn't help cracking up at some of the antics. Yes, there are a few burps thrown in, but there are also real situations like grumpy gym teachers and friends who make bad decisions. There are lessons learned that aren't preachy, but real, that will hopefully equip little boys everywhere to make good choices.

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ALL THAT GLITTERS

2/9/2015

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PictureAll That Glitters by Nicole O'Dell
Mallory has been reading the Scenarios series by Nicole O'Dell. Specifically, she's reading All That Glitters. This tween novel is the story of a twin who wants to be an individual. Drea longs for her own identity so fiercely, she begins to make some bad choices in order to gain popularity and attention at school. When she's gotten pretty far along on her downward spiral, she hits a fork in the road. Drea will either need to tell yet another lie, break another set of rules, and put herself in another questionable situation OR come clean with her parents and put an end to the madness. The fun part? The reader gets to choose which path the protagonist will take. These books are great, because they give a tween reader a choice, something they crave to be able to make on their own, but in the safe setting of fiction. The Scenario books also give the reader a view of the consequences of both a good and bad choice without actually having to face those consequences in real life. I read this book too, and it launched great conversations between Mallory and I on making good choices even when they're hard. Some of the content is geared towards teens (drinking, brief mention of drugs, and making out with boys), but as Mallory and I chatted about, it's good to discuss these things before you're actually faced with them, so you are more prepared to say, "No", when the opportunities arise. 

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VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER

9/15/2014

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PictureThe Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
Maguire is plowing through the Chronicles of Narnia. Which means I get to too. I have no idea how many times I’ve read C.S. Lewis’ charming, multi-layered tales of the magical world of Narnia, but each time I do, I am awed by his creativity and how he uses allegory to hammer home some of the most beautiful elements of faith. I’m also always a bit tempted to bang on the back of my wardrobe again, ‘cause you never know. Maguire is currently reading The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which is packed with ship voyages, sword fights, lost knights and dragons. It is also a tale of repentance, of seeing things through fresh eyes, and of trust. Maguire’s favorite character in the Narnia stories is Edmund. Which surprised me. At first. If you recall from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, Edmund is the traitor. He is selfish and snotty. I don’t ever like to admit it, but on my bad days there’s a bit of Edmund in me too. But Edmund is also the one who Aslan forgives. Who is redeemed. Just like what Jesus did for me, and for you. Actually, I do want to be like Edmund in that sense. And after being forgiven, Edmund goes on to be quite braver than anyone thinks he’s capable of, and much more sensitive to others’ needs, a better listener, loyal to the end, because that’s what Christ’s forgiveness does. And I definitely long to be like that. Chatting with Maguire about his thoughts and ideas on Narnia, give me a fresh insight into Lewis’ works, and a new appreciation for Edmund, and for my son.


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never say goodbye

9/20/2013

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Over the summer my husband lost his father, I lost a father-in-law and the kids lost their Papa. We were blessed with a lovely Father's Day celebration with him this year, the whole family gathered around overflowing and splashing with love. But goodbyes stink. And when you're little they're confusing. So, even though Maguire is reading chapter books -- no flying through them -- a dear friend sent this picture book to help illustrate the temporary goodbye of a loved one leaving earth until we meet them again in heaven. Never Say Goodbye by Lea Gillespie Gant is priceless. I gathered Maguire and the other kids too, yes even the high schooler, and had a little family story time. I couldn't get through the book, because its comfort and truth about death transcends age. As tears flowed down my cheeks, Mallory gently took the book from my hands and finished the story for me. For anyone experiencing loss, I highly recommend this book to shed a little light on death and heaven on young and not so young hearts.

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HOW TO CHOOSE A Children's BIBLE

7/31/2013

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PictureThe Bibles my kids turn to for inspiration.
Who knew there were so many different Bibles to choose from? My Bible App on my phone has 616 versions in 376 languages! So, how do you know which Bible is right for your kids, nieces and nephews, students in the Sunday School you teach or at the camp where you're a counselor? Which version will resonate best with what age group? Over the years my kids have amassed a large collection of Bibles (gifts from baptisms, take homes from Sunday School and VBS, stuffed in Easter baskets and more). I'm not an expert. And I certainly haven't looked through all the Bibles, but I know which ones they keep in their beds, which ones they turn to again and again. My husband picked up Bible Stories (DP 1999) at Cosco in 1999 when it first came out for our then, one year-old, Maddie. The eye-catching illustrations with all of the major stories from the Bible accented by photos of actual Biblical sites and artifacts along with historical facts, have made this book a family favorite -- so much so, that the binding and many of the pages are now taped. Mallory's Sunday School class uses the Adventure Bible (Zondervan). She loves this version with "Did You Know" and "Live It" boxes inserted into the text to make the scriptures relevant to her so much that she asked for it for Easter this year. Max keeps the ESV version in his bed. This is the version his boys' middle school Bible study uses and he's old enough now for a "real" Bible. Maddie has the You Version App of the Bible on her smart phone and on her iPad. She loves having the Bible with her where ever she goes. Not a morning goes by that she doesn't check out "the verse of the day". In fact, she often "shares" it with me or my husband. I'm sure there are many more great kids' Bibles, but these are the additions that resonate with my kids.

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THE NEW RECRUIT

7/10/2013

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Max would rather read a Sports Illustrated than a book any day. It's not that he's not a good reader. He is. A very good reader. So much so, that SI Kids bores him, and he delves deep into the talented writing staff week after week of Sports Illustrated. But there are articles in SI that aren't meant for twelve year olds, plus there's something inside me that longs for my son to experience the magic of books, especially the world, places and characters that fiction introduces us to.

When Max was grudgingly searching for a new title for his summer reading, I suggested The New Recruit by Jill Williamson. Knowing Jill, because we're represented by the same literary agent, I had downloaded her YA Christian spy story on my Kindle a few months back. I'd only had a chance to read the first two chapters. The main character, Spencer, is forced to choose between military school and a Christian spy organization and he never seems to put down his basketball. It was worth a shot. It turns out it was a three pointer. Max loved reading on my Kindle, plowed through the book in just a couple of days, and just spent his own money to buy the second book in the series, Project Gemini. He gave The New Recruit five out of five stars. I honestly haven't seem him enjoy a book so much since he read Tim Tebow's Through My Eyes.

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