This is a story with many layers waiting to be discovered. On the surface, it's about a lonely boy who likes to spend time with his squirrel friends. The townspeople think him strange, but he is better understood by the priest. The squirrels and the boy have interesting adventures and the tale is engaging in itself. It's not hard to see, however, that there's more to the story than this – but what exactly is "the Secret"? An Indian with a beautiful old rosary and a very sad tale adds to the mystery.

Yet another delightful story to read aloud with your family from one of my very favorite authors. Andries is a troublesome 10 year old orphan who comes to live with his bachelor uncle in a large lonely house near the Dykstra home (which is quite the opposite – small and overflowing with children). Although his reputation as a troublemaker precedes him and is firmly cemented in the townspeople's heads, the Dykstras, who are less quick to judge, discover that he is really kind-hearted, but lonely.

This book is filled with simple Montessori learning activities and techniques for young children (2 – 5 yrs. or so). Included are instructions for making the materials very simply and inexpensively. For example we made some very nice picture cards by cutting photographs out of magazines, catalogs, etc. I attached them to index cards with contact paper.

This is a great book! Although Stephen Covey is a Mormon, it is amazing how Catholic his underlying principles are. I was particularly struck by this because I happened to be reading it alongside The World's First Love by Bishop Fulton Sheen, which is about Our Lady. Both authors discussed the true meaning of freedom at length and their principles and conclusions were remarkably similar. The book covers seven major ideas, which when incorporated into our lives, can have a profound effect on our ability to accomplish goals and deal well with other people.